Art of Wine …

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Art of Wine …

No Comments 16 June 2011

… And Dignified Drinkfest

Top 5 bottles from the wine festival

It’s easy to get excited about sampling an endless supply of great wine, that is, until you’ve had so much that you can’t tell red from white.

Unlike some thirsty souls, I wasn’t at the Art of Wine to catch a buzz (I’ve somewhat learned to pace myself over the years). I was there for pure research, but that’s not to say I didn’t get a little sideways in the meanwhile.

This year marked my fourth Art of Wine experience. The main thing that’s changed since my first outing is the sheer number of people who show up with their drinking caps tied on tight. This year, Friday night sported about 600 bodies with a powerful lust for wine. At times it felt like I was in a herd of cattle passing through the eye of a needle, but after a few glasses of outstanding vino, the claustrophobia started to fade.

If you’ve never been to the Art of Wine, you’ve been missing out on a great party. To a certain extent, it can be a very educational experience, but with more than 50 tables lined with bottles, your palate is probably out for the count after the first dozen. It’s good to plan ahead and taste what you want to taste before you completely let loose.

Let’s talk wine. Below I’ve detailed a few bottles that were at the top of my list. If you happened to skip Art of Wine, use your would-have-been ticket money to purchase some of these gems you missed out on.

Top five bottles (that I was able elbow my way into trying):

5: 2007 Niner Sangiovese  — This is the first Sangiovese from California that’s ever made it to my lips. It comes from Paso Robles, which is an area known for the bright fruit and spice it imparts into its wines. Most Sangiovese comes from Italy in the form of chianti and typically makes a very high acid bottle of wine that leans more toward the earthy spectrum rather than fruity. Niner, however, seemed more fruit-forward than any Italian Sangioveses I’ve tried. She’s ready to drink as soon as you pop the cork. Retails for about $14-16.

4: 2009 Presidial Bordeaux — Created by the legendary Jean-Luc Thunevin, Presidial is a new world-style bordeaux that doesn’t require 10 years of dust to collect on the bottle before drinking. It’s 100 percent merlot and leaves you with layers of silk and licorice vying for control of your taste buds. This is a delicious bordeaux that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Retails for about $12-15.

3: 2010 Lancatay Malbec — The Argentine malbec trend has swept the wine drinking community in full force with its lush, fruit-driven personality. Before the new wave hit, malbec got very little attention. It used to be made in a more rustic style with an earthy, woodsy taste profile only appreciated by those with true grit. Lancatay harkens back to the old days with a wonderful grippiness that’s been lost to the more modern flavor. Retails for about $10.

2: 2010 Hahn Monterey Pinot Noir — This is the very first pinot noir I ever fallen in love with. Strangely, before I tried Hahn, I never thought of pinot as anything but underwhelming. I had been to many tastings and tried many a good pinot, but this is the first one that truly excited me. Sadly, Hahn was also the girl who got away. I tried so hard to order her, but the winery was constantly out of stock. That was more than three years ago, and I feared she could never be as good as I remembered. I’m happy to say that I was wrong, and that Hahn did everything but disappoint. Retails for about $19-22 and is still my absolute favorite pinot noir in this price range.

1: Wait for the drum roll … *Crash* — 2007 Burgess Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon easily earns the blue ribbon. With Burgess, I found out it’s hard to be last. That is, it’s hard to be the last person in the entire Walton Arts Center to get a taste of liquid gold while angry faces watch the final drops fall into your glass. Sigh … To say that Burgess was a big hit would be an understatement. People were literally climbing over each other trying to fill their glasses before the vines were depleted. Being the last one to get a taste put me in a very awkward position, but it also taught me to appreciate what I had … and I had a darn good cab. Retails for about $40, but if you tasted it, you wouldn’t bat an eyelash at the price. In fact, you’d probably tip.

Shiraz Shiraz Shiraz

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Shiraz Shiraz Shiraz

No Comments 03 June 2011

The Grape Escape:
2005 Shingleback Shiraz

Shiraz – the wine Aussies are known for. Many don’t realize that Shiraz is actually the Syrah grape in disguise. There was some discrepancy about the origin of Syrah – some thought it originated in Persia near the city of Shiraz. However, the French claimed it was native to the Rhone region of France. The French happened to be right, but for some reason in Australia, the name Shiraz just stuck.

This is all well and good because Australian Shiraz just doesn’t have the same personality as French and American Syrah. For one thing, Aussie Shiraz is big. And I mean Big. Rippling with intensity. Lots of luscious, juicy fruit is very typical because of the warmer climate and growing seasons.

But big fruit isn’t always a good thing. In fact, I love the smoky, gamey characteristics of French Syrah that a lot of Australian Shiraz can’t match. There’s often a certain elegance lost in translation. But of course, there are exceptions, and Shingleback is one of those exceptions. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of restraint this wine has compared to other Australian Shiraz in this price range. It still has a lot of the fruit that makes Shiraz so juicy and appealing, but it also has a darker classiness to it. I guessed 30 dollars when I first tried it, but it’s actually fairly cheap. (About 16 dollars).

2005 Shingleback Shiraz hails from the McLaren Vale, one of the major wine regions located in South Australia. This region is known for producing world class Shiraz. Featuring a Mediterranean climate and many different soil types and terroir, this area can produce vastly different styles of wine. On a side note, 2005 was a phenomenal year for South Australia. Wine Spectator reports this as some of the greatest quality Australia has had in decades. Later vintages did not fare as well as this, so get the 2005 vintage while you can because I have a feeling it won’t be around for long. I was actually surprised that there was any of the 2005 left since most states are drinking the 06 Shingleback.

A Patagonian Prince

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

A Patagonian Prince

No Comments 27 May 2011

The Grape Escape:
2088 Ruta 22 Malbec

Please make sure your corkscrews are in their upright and locked positions because we’re about to fly to Patagonia, Argentina, to drink 2008 Ruta 22 Malbec.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lush blackberry fruit of this Malbec when I first tried a sample of it.  Very bold and robust. But here’s the kicker: The bottle had been open for 3 days!

I was so intrigued that I felt the need to buy a bottle and try it fresh.  When I opened a new bottle, the wine exhibited dark fruits (blackberry and plum) but with a wonderful spicy, black pepper backbone.  After an hour or so, the spice blows off a little and the fruit really starts to come through with some really nice complexity.  This can evolve and change for a good 3 days and still maintain nice fruit and acidity.  Ruta 22 – my new favorite Malbec.

Patagonia, located about a thousand miles south of Mendoza, is a region suited better for cool climate grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but Malbec also thrives here.  Cooler conditions give Malbec lower yields and thus more robust qualities.  Though most Argentine Malbec comes from Mendoza, it seems to lack some of the elegance found in Patagonian fruit.

Malbec is an interesting varietal because of its insignificance in France and vast popularity in Argentina.  It originally hails from Bordeaux where it is used as a minor blending grape.  These days it is hard to find much acreage for Malbec in France.  It simply does not have the lush personality that it has in Argentina where it stands on its own, most often without being blended with other varietals.  Compared to France, Argentine Malbec grows in a much drier climate and has warmer growing seasons, which help the fruit get to its full potential before being picked.

Ruta 22 Malbec retails for $10-$13 dollars.

Feeling Brazin?

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Feeling Brazin?

No Comments 25 May 2011

The Grape Escape: May 26

All right you Ravenswood and Gnarly Head lovers, let’s talk about a Zinfandel you might not have heard of (and a price that you can easily wrap your wallet around).

Aptly named Brazin Old Vine Zinfandel comes out of Lodi, Calif., which is a great region for less expensive Zinfandel.  But don’t let the price fool you because Brazin does not go gently into that good night.  In fact, it kicks harder than most 30 dollar Zins that I’ve tried.  This beasty comes with a 15% abv (alcohol by volume) but isn’t as hot as other wines in that range.  Believe it or not, this wine is actually quite balanced.  A powerful nose of plum and nutmeg will surprise you as you take your first whiff.  On the palate, Brazin unleashes an explosion of ripe fruit up front and a wonderful spicy finish.  This wine is very full bodied and will leave a pleasant linger in your mouth for a good 20 or 30 seconds.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I should mention why Lodi is a great region for Zinfandel.  Nestled in between southern Sacramento county and northern San Joaquin county, Lodi has a Mediterranean climate that features warms days and cool nights.  This is the kind of climate that Zinfandel loves.  Within Lodi is a smaller AVA (American Viticultural Area) called Mokelumne River AVA.  Most of Brazin’s grapes are sourced from here.  This AVA is great for Zinfandel because of its sandy soil, which acts as a drain for the roots of the vines.   Too much water = watered down wine.  Brazin is irrigated only twice a year.  This lack of irrigation stresses the vines and produces a lower yield of more concentrated fruit.  This means more flavor and higher quality wine.

Brazin retails for only 10-15 dollars, which is a paltry sum when considering the quality inside the bottle.

Also, you can find this wine by the glass (or by the bottle) at Hugo’s on Block Street.  If you haven’t been to Hugo’s, then you probably haven’t lived in Fayetteville for very long because this place is a Fayettevillian staple!

Pinot Blanc, The Other White Grape

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Pinot Blanc, The Other White Grape

No Comments 13 May 2011

The Grape Escape: May 12

Want to try something that tastes like a really expensive Chardonnay but is only $11?  If yes, continue to the paragraph below.  If no, feel free to lick the cork of a $50 bottle of Cakebread while you stitch together a suit made out of money.

Actually, what we’re drinking this week isn’t Chardonnay at all.  It’s 2009 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc, and it’s fantastic.  If I had $15 dollars in my pocket and the choice between an $11 Chardonnay and an $11 Pinot Blanc, I’d pick the latter.  This isn’t because I’m a snob.  It’s because of the way popular grapes are planted in areas where they shouldn’t grow.  As with anything on the market that gets too much attention, quality declines as production increases.  This isn’t true with higher end wines, but quality in the budget bin can suffer as the word gets out.

Thankfully, we have some great ones out there that haven’t been exploited.  It pays to keep an ear low to the ground.

Pinot Blanc is a grape we don’t talk about much.  It tends to hide in the shadows of more popular varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, but I assure you, it could run with the cool crowd if it weren’t so shy.

There isn’t much acreage for Pinot Blanc in California, which means it’s pretty low production and is great for people looking for a bargain.  All the fruit comes from the right areas and usually carries a reasonable price tag (hence the low demand).

2009 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc retails for $11-$14 dollars and is five times the value of a cheap Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.  This is a wine with class (even though its suit is second hand).

Tasting Notes: Honey on the nose.  Creamy peach and lime with a touch of spice on the palate.  Racy acidity.  It has body and depth that most wines in this price range lack.

Ne Crains Pas L’étiquette (Don’t Fear The Label)

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Ne Crains Pas L’étiquette (Don’t Fear The Label)

No Comments 06 May 2011

The Grape Escape: May 6

You’d think the French would have enough courtesy to write their wine labels in English for us linguistically challenged Americans, but maybe a basic translation is too much to ask.  On your average bottle of Burgundy, we get some terms that French speaking peoples can nod along with, but to the untrained American eye, it might look like a made up cartoon language.

If we take the time to connect the dots, we can find the appellation where the grapes were grown, the level of quality, and other miscellaneous details useful for consumption.  It’s actually a great system.  Too bad we need a French-English dictionary and a degree in viticulture to understand it.  But instead of university training, we’re going to use our wine 101 “street smarts” to ensure we pick out a good bottle every time.

Let’s start with the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) system.  This tells us the level of quality and region (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cote du Rhone etc).  The word “d’Origine” is just a placeholder for the region, so a bottle of Bordeaux would say “Appellation Bordeaux Controlee.”  Still with me?  Good, cause it gets a little more complicated.  AOC wines don’t list the grapes on their labels, so you have to know your regions to know what you’re drinking.  A red Bordeaux can consist of any combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere.  But depending on where in Bordeaux the wine is from, it will usually have a predominant grape.  Left Bank Bordeaux wines (Medoc, Graves, etc.) are predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, while Right Bank (Pomerol, St. Emilion, etc.) are predominately Merlot.  Therefore, a red Bordeaux specifically from St. Emilion will say “Appellation St. Emilion Controlee” on the label.  Now, take a breath…

The AOC is just one category of quality for French wine.  But don’t tie the knot in your noose yet because the other categories aren’t nearly as complicated.

A step below AOC is Vin de Pays which means “country wine.”  This one isn’t as strict as AOC (they’re even allowed to put the grape variety on the label), but the quality can be much lower.  The lowest of the low is Vin de Table.  You can probably guess what that one means.

Here’s an example of an AOC label (and also happens to be what we’re drinking this week).

1. Marc Bredif – Name of this particular winery/producer
2. Appellation Vouvray Controlee – This shows that the wine was produced under the AOC standard of quality and indicates that it comes from Vouvray.
3. Mis en bouteille par Marc Bredif – This tells us where the wine was bottled, which is also an indication of quality.

Alright, it’s almost time to drink some wine.  If you have a spaceship, set your warp drive for a hyper-light jump to the Loire Valley of France for a bottle of 2008 Marc Bredif Vouvray.  (Or you could just go grab a one at your favorite liquor store.)

Vouvray (about 190 miles north of Bordeaux) is renowned for its wines made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.  Don’t confuse this one with Sauvignon Blanc because the two have little in common.  Chenin Blanc arguably makes some of the best wines in the world.  It is naturally high in acidity, which means the flavors will grow in complexity as the years go by.  Now, get ready for this.  Some Chenin Blancs can last over 100 years in the bottle becoming more and more interesting with age.  They’re usually consumed before they reach their prime, so be sure to pick out a bottle for your grand kids.

Chenin Blanc can be sweet, dry, or off-dry.  Sweet Chenin tends to be more fruit driven with pears, apricots, apples, pineapples, and honey, while drier Chenin is more nutty and lush with almonds, hazelnut, buttermilk, and cream.  Off-dry is a bit of both, and that’s what we’re drinking today.

Tasting Notes: A few flavors associated with 2008 Marc Bredif Vouvray are  apricot, pineapple, honey, almond, and hazelnut.  Layers of creamy texture coat the entire inside of your mouth and travel all the way to your cheekbones with a touch of sweetness that is cleanly balanced with crisp acidity.  This is a wine you won’t forget.

Food Pairings: Since this is an off-dry style of Chenin Blanc, we want to pair it with something that matches its acidity.  The rule for acidity is “match acid with acid,” so fish will be perfect.  How about a Seafood Risotto?  Or, if you’re vegetarian, anything with a cream sauce will pair marvelously.

2008 Marc Bredif Vouvray sells for $18-$20.  Grab at least a bottle or two.  You won’t be disappointed.

How Merlot Can You Go?

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

How Merlot Can You Go?

No Comments 29 April 2011

The Grape Escape: April 29

Ken Volk's
Aqua Pumpkin merlot

Sometimes it can be dangerous to say the word “Merlot” in a room crowded with wine snobs, which is why I avoid those rooms.  But it’s sad to see this lovely grape associated only with generic table wine.  The truth is that it can be so much more than a simple quaffer, but people tend to frown upon Merlot for reasons that are largely obsolete.

For the longest time, Merlot was so popular that growers were forced to squeeze their vines to the last drop just to keep up with production.  Even though Merlot thrives only in key areas of California, high demand caused it to be planted everywhere.  People ripped up good vineyards just to make room.  Quality wasn’t a concern.

In America, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Merlot became more than a common blending grape.  Like Citizen Kane, Merlot had a fairly nondescript upbringing, but a sudden rise to power forged the way for its inevitable decline.  Alas, its delightful Rosebud days were lost and nearly forgotten.

As with many things, success led to failure.  (And failure led to a Hollywood movie that brutally exploited all its shortcomings).  When popularity increased, quality suffered.  To make a distinction, bad Merlot tastes like unripe green beans, while the good tastes like some of best and most complex wine ever put in a bottle.

One of the things that makes Merlot so sought after is its approachability.  It doesn’t have the unforgiving tannins of a Cabernet Sauvignon, and it doesn’t have to age in a bottle for 10 years to be at its most delectable.  You’ll find, if made properly, Merlot has all the complexity of the finest wines but is still very fun and easy to drink.  The problem is mass production versus quality.  We just can’t have nice things (if we all want them at the same time).

Unexpectedly, the movie Sideways all but destroyed Merlot culture.  Miles Raymond’s fabled line “I’m not drinking any f–ing Merlot” swept the nation with fiery vengeance as Merlot drinkers, one by one, poured out their glasses in shame.  Miles had a point though.  Merlot was growing thin.

When the “Sideways effect” flooded the minds of casual drinkers and connoisseurs alike, Merlot sales sank faster than a man in cement shoes.  The movie was too convincing in its attack on the poor, defenseless grape.  The market shifted toward Pinot Noir, which was previously in low demand, and the Merlot craze was suddenly over.  It’s sad, I know, but sometimes things need to die in order to be reborn.

And rebirth is finally here, to some extent.  Thankfully, with fallen sales figures, Merlot has lost a lot of its weedy, overproduced personality and is starting to embrace its more luxurious side.

However, that doesn’t mean Merlot has drifted back into the great unknown.  Even though sales figures dropped, they never dropped off the map.  Bigger brands still produce underwhelming Merlot because of the recognizable name, and because they can make it cheaply by the truckload.  Sometimes we have to turn to the lesser known brands not only because they are “cooler”, but also because they often aren’t drained of quality like their consumer driven competitors.  One such brand is Ken Volk’s Aqua Pumpkin.  Don’t dog its silly name until you try it.  This is the very bottle that made me realize what a Merlot can be.  It is now among my favorite bottles of wine because it has a depth of flavor that hearkens back to the days when Merlot wasn’t pretending to be a lesser grape.  This one is made with a special ingredient.  Love.

Tasting Notes: Complex flavors of plum, cherry, cocoa, fig, and coffee.  Super silky texture.  Nice amount of spice.  This is a serious Merlot.  Rich!

Food Pairing: Merlot is kind of a jack-of-all-wines when it comes to food pairings.  Softer tannins make it more versatile with meats.  Too much tannin can overpower the food, but thankfully Merlot is somewhat restrained in that category.  Try it with steak or poultry, but avoid high acid foods like fish.  If you’re vegetarian, embrace the Portabella mushroom.

Retails for $13-$20

Carmenere – A Happy Accident

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Carmenere – A Happy Accident

No Comments 22 April 2011

The Grape Escape: April 22

After giving Malbec its due praise, it’s time we pay homage to Chile’s accidental love-child, Carmenere.  (Not an accident in the way you’re thinking).

Like it’s cousin Malbec, Carmenere is one of the six original grapes of Bordeaux.  Also like Malbec, Carmenere is rarely found in France these days because of Phylloxera, an organism that all but destroyed the wine industry in Europe in the late 19th century.  Chile is one of the few wine growing countries where Phylloxera doesn’t exist.  This is odd because of its presence in Mendoza, which is only a mountain range away.  Apparently parasites aren’t very good climbers.

Carmenere is Chile’s flagship grape.  It has a somewhat laughable past since growers mistook it for Merlot for many years due to a similarity in appearance.  In a way, Chileans “accidentally” saved it from extinction by cultivating it as Merlot.

Emiliana’s 2009 Natura Carmenere

Carmenere ripens later than Merlot, which caused problems during harvest since they were blended together.  Growers would either pick Carmenere too soon when Merlot was ripe, or the opposite when Merlot was overripe.  The result was a very unripe, green tasting wine.  Or an overly jammy one if the Merlot grapes were past their prime.  It wasn’t until 1994 that growers realized many of their Merlot vineyards were actually Carmenere.  Oops!

If cultivated properly, Chilean Carmenere has a much more regal quality to it than it ever did in France.  The drier climate makes it much easier to grow, and it doesn’t have to worry about pests like Phylloxera.  Still, some growers tend to pick Carmenere when it needs a few more weeks on the vine.  I hate to say it, but Axl Rose had it right.  “All we need is just a little patience.”

Common flavors associated with Carmenere are red fruits, bell pepper, toffee, and dark chocolate.  It also often has a pleasant smokiness to it.  Soft tannins make it a great match for poultry.  If you’re vegetarian, try it with asparagus, baked artichoke, or bell pepper.  The herbal qualities will really shine if you match it with the right foods and spices.  Very versatile.

Emiliana’s 2009 Natura Carmenere

This week, we’re drinking Emiliana’s 2009 Natura Carmenere from the Colchagua Valley.  If you’ve never tried a Carmenere, this is the perfect place to start.  I decided to pick it up on a whim because I’ve tried Natura wines in the past, and I’ve never been disappointed.  What really drew my eye was the price tag.  It’s normally $11.99, but the distributor has it on reduction for super cheap.  I know, the gods must be crazy, but this wine is fantastic.  And if you care about ratings, Robert Parker gave it 88 points.  This is one you’ll want to buy by the case, because this price won’t last.  Oh, and it’s organic.  Hippies, rejoice!

Tasting Notes: Bell pepper on the nose.  Cherries, toffee and cinnamon on the palate.  Round tannins.  Medium body and great balance.  It doesn’t taste unripe like a lot of inferior Carmenere on the market.  It’s everything it should be and more.

Malbec World Day

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Malbec World Day

No Comments 16 April 2011

The Grape Escape: April 16

It’s time to start celebrating the 1st Malbec World Day coming up on April 17.  (Shouldn’t it be World Malbec Day? Oh well, semantics). Here’s a day dedicated to the once obscure grape that put Argentina’s wine industry on the map.  Let’s raise a glass.

History of Malbec in one sentence: It’s native to Bordeaux but never made it into the spotlight.  Argentina discovered its hidden talents and led it to stardom.  (Two sentences? Yeah, I’m a cheater).

But the question is, what does Malbec World Day mean for the United States?  Basically another excuse to drink wine, which I won’t complain about.  New York, Washington, and California are staging events in honor of Malbec’s rise to power.  Hopefully next year Arkansas can join in the festivities.  Until then, let’s have our own party.  Cheers, Malbec.

This week we’ve got some real winners to help you celebrate.

2009 Finca El Origen Reserva

Scored 90 points in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

I’m quite fond of this one.  Great quality/price ratio.  I could have sworn I was drinking a $20 bottle, but it’s only $12.  Foiled again!

Mendoza’s Uco Valley is where Finca El Origen Reserva calls home.  The quality makes sense because Uco is considered to be one of the best wine regions in all of Argentina.

The 2009 vintage is 85 percent Malbec, 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasting Notes: Dark fruit on the nose.  On the palate we get plum, chocolate, and a little black pepper.  Try pairing it with dark chocolate for interesting results.

2008 Pascual Toso Reserve

This one got some great ratings all across the board.  91 from Wine Enthusiast.  90 from Wine & Spirits.  90 from Wine Spectator.  Even Mikey likes it, and he doesn’t like anything.  (Life cereal, anyone?)

Hailing from Barrancas, which is 20 miles east of Mendoza city, Pascual Toso Reserve comes from select vineyards in the area.  The 2008 is 100% Malbec and packs quite a bit of flavor.  Not for the faint of palate, so ye be warned. Retails for about $19.

Tasting Notes: Leathery nose.  Lots of cedar.  Look for blackberry, coffee, and a good amount of spicy black pepper as well.  Very complex.  Try with red meats or pasta.

Stop and Smell the Rosé

Dining & Drink, The Grape Escape

Stop and Smell the Rosé

No Comments 08 April 2011

This week we’re taking a tour through dry rosé wine, and I’m not talking about White Zinfandel.  Unlike White Zin, these wines are bone dry, which means they have little to no residual sugar.  Instead of a sugary mess, you get a very elegant style of wine that is extremely refreshing in the warmer months.

Before we start drinking, let’s talk about what makes a pink wine pink.  Despite popular belief, Rosés are made with red grapes, not a mixture of red and white.  Instead of full contact, the juice is left on the skins for a short duration so it absorbs only some of the skin’s pigment (red wine gets its color from the skin of the grape).

White Zinfandel for example (I know, I keep bringing it up) is actually the same grape as its red counterpart.  It works well as a sweet rosé wine because of Zinfandel’s high sugar content at harvest.  (If all that sugar were converted to alcohol, we would end up with a very strong blush).  In a way, White Zin has given rosé wine a bad rap (it also saved the Zinfandel grape from extinction, but that’s another story).  It’s taken over the market to an extent that when people see a pink glass of wine, they assume it’s candy sweet, when in fact, most of the world’s rosé wine is dry.

2009 La Vieille Ferme Rosé

Let’s start with the simple.  2009 La Vieille Ferme Rosé comes from the Rhone region of France, specifically the Cotes du Ventoux.  (I’ll dedicate a post to the disambiguation of the French wine label soon, I promise).  The Cotes du Rhone is my favorite area of France for a number of reasons.  The spicy, seductive Syrah comes from here, as well as its partner in crime, Grenache.  You have probably heard of Grenache (Gruh-NOSH) but might not know what the heck it is.  An easy explanation for this sultry grape is “Pinot Noir on steroids,” which is a pretty good definition considering its fruit driven flavors, high alcohol content, and spice.  La Vieille Ferme Rosé is a blend of Grenache and Cinsault (another Rhone varietal).  There’s not a lot to it, but this is the perfect wine for sipping on your patio.  It’s also a twisty, which is good news for the corkscrew impaired.  Retails for around $9.

Tasting Notes: Cranberry red in color.  Fruit forward.  Fresh strawberry, melon, caramel.  Fairly short finish.

2009 Paralèlle 45

Getting a little more complex, Jaboulet’s 2009 Paralèlle 45 has everything I love about Rhone rosé:  Refreshing fruit followed by peppery spice.  This has been one of my favorite wines for a very long time because it has something everyone can appreciate (intro wine drinkers and critics alike).  Like La Vieille Ferme, it’s Grenache and Cinsault driven but also has a little bit of Syrah to spice things up.  It’s the perfect wine to have with dinner, or you can drink it by the pool.

Tasting Notes: Salmon pink in color.  It has a much more expressive nose than the other two wines.  Strawberry, mango, and white pepper on the palate.  A finish that lingers. 50 percent Grenache, 40 percent Cinsault, 10 percent Syrah. Retails for about $12-$13.

2009 Marqués de Cáceres Rosé

Now let’s go to Spain where the Tempranillo grape reigns king.  Spanish reds have gained massive popularity in the States due to their high quality and low price tags.  Tempranillo is the main driving force behind these wines.  Its partner, Garnacha (Grenache), compliments this noble grape by adding body and alcohol.  2009 Marqués de Cáceres Rosé is a great example of these two working together to make a refreshing, yet refined, style of wine.

Tasting Notes: Amber pink in color.  It’s very fruit driven with a lot of raspberry and watermelon.  Tingly mineral and earth flavors give it that 3rd dimension that La Vieille Ferme lacks.  The flavors stay with you even after the last sip.  It’s very refreshing and also gives you enough complexity to ponder over. 80 percent Tempranillo, 20 percent Garnacha (Grenache). Retails for around $10.


Rosé is a bridge that unites the red wine drinker with the white.  There’s something for everybody here.  Even if you don’t think you like Rosés, you should give these wines a chance.  On a drinking note, you’ll want to serve them chilled, but not too chilled.  If the wine is too cold, you won’t be able to appreciate some of the more subtle flavors.

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