Thanksgiving Wine.

“Is this a good wine for Thanksgiving?”  There is A LOT to think about before you answer that question!  What if that was your friend asking you!?  How would you begin to formulate your answer?  Pairing wine to food is a Profession.  The Thanksgiving meal is a big occasion for a lot of people.  It is not just a nice dinner during an evening about town.  It usually involves a larger amount of people than your usual meal.  Some of those people may have traveled.  There are expectations!Even if your Thanksgiving is a quiet affair, reflective and solemn, a well paired wine can really enhance the experience.  So how would you go about answering that question?  Like most things in life a question usually leads to more questions.  Which would you ask first:  what food will they be having, or what wine do they typically like to drink?  How you think about wine will determine how you approach your recommendation.  When I go out to a nice restaurant with a nice wine list I always ask for wine recommendations when the drinks are ordered, before looking at the dinner menu.  Whether or not that person has been trained in wine matters some, yet what matters more is their approach to wine, which will directly affect my wine experience.The easy question is to ask about food first.  Food to wine pairings are easier to grasp and remember, and there is very little opinion involved.  Asking what type of wine I enjoy first is a much more advanced technique.  What if I enjoy a wine not on the wine list, or a wine that typically does not pair with a certain dish.  Only a true oenophile could navigate that course, balancing what type of wine I like first with potential food pairing second.  So when I ask for a wine recommendation the questions I am then asked tell me everything I need to know about what my experience is going to be.A lot to think about indeed!  There are several “recommended” wines for Thanksgiving.  The Crowd Favorite this week from V Paul’s Vino Magnifico was a very dry Prosecco.  Not a bad wine to have as a starter.  The Crowd Favorite at Aragon’s monthly Cru tasting was a split between a Merlot heavy right bank Bordeaux and a Merlot from Washington State.  Both could accompany a Thanksgiving feast.  Several of our local restaurants were touting a Beaujolais Nouveau on Instagram as THE wine to have at Thanksgiving.  Because Beaujolais Nouveau has a tartness it “pairs” well with several things on a typical thanksgiving table.  If you followed the Instagram fad you will have wine that tastes like tart cranberry, in a good way.  If you wanted that, then perfect!  If not, then you have ended up with a bad wine!  Did those restaurants on instagram ask you if you wanted your wine to taste like a semi-tart cranberry, or did they just tell you what you should have?A good wine to have at Thanksgiving is one, or two, that you have enjoyed.  If you are brave enough to experiment during a big meal then try something nouveau!  If not, grab something that you have liked in the past and you might just find it will probably pair just fine with everything else on the table.  If it doesn’t, then you will know that you can just drink it, and enjoy.  Happy Thanksgiving!

“What is the best Wine Shop…?”

“What is the best Wine Shop around here?” I suppose that was a fair question at the end of a 30+ person private wine event that I had the privilege of getting to co-host, some of attendees being new to our area. I took a moment to answer with: “There are a couple,” then expanded on my answer.

It would be too easy to say that the best shop is “X”. Often to correctly answer a question you must ask a question, so after giving my initial answer I asked: “How do you like to buy wine?” After getting his response I then gave him a brief run down of where I thought he would get the best bottle with the best experience. The last part of that sentence is the key! But before diving in and answering what makes a good wine shop we must define what a wine shop is.

That is actually harder than it sounds. One possible definition is a shop whose merchandise is comprised of 51% or more of wine. Yet that can take several locations out of consideration that could deserve a look. For me, a better way to define a wine shop is based on expertise and experience. Some of the best places can have a small, but unique, wine selection with great knowledge on that selection. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love a big selection, but no one knows everything about every wine. I love being surprised by a recommended wine that turned out to be fantastic, a wine that I would have otherwise not picked on my own. That level of knowledge and expertise often leads to a great experience, both in buying and consuming. Finding a store with huge selection of wine that also has a staff (or just a single staffer) with a vast level of knowledge is very, very rare.

A great example of being suprised by a wine that was a recommendation, one that I would not have bought on my own was Cantine Coppi Core Rosato Negroamaro from Salento, in Puglia Italy that was at Aragon Wine Market. Aragon is small but has a very good selection and a very knowledgeable staff, making my list for one of our area's best wine shops. The Negroamaro was a Rose but very unique with a complexity of flavor and feel that you don't get out of almost every other Rosé, making it a Wine of Note!

So I go back to my question of “How do you like to buy wine?” Do you enjoy going into a big box store and finding your own treasure bottle or do you like a more intimate venue with a staff that can point out something great?  We are blessed to have several good wine shops locally, but we also have a few that I would NOT recommend.  Sorry, I am not going to go over them here.  Ask me at the next wine event if you are curious on my opinion. 

Do you buy wine based on it’s Points?

It has been a while since we visited the topic of “Scored Wine,” or in other words, wine that has been given a point value by someone. In a previous article I conveyed a caution: Don’t just blindly grab a bottle just because it has the closest number to 100 on it!  There are a lot of organizations that “Score” wine, some with very good reputations, others not so.Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, James Suckling, etc. Is there a difference?  Yes!  Do you even recognize the organization that score it?  Not only do you need vet the organization that printed that “92” on the bottle but you need to see if their grading system matches your tastes.  Does that “92 points by James Suckling” equate to that level of experience on YOUR palate?If you have been buying a lot of wine, for a while, scored by James Suckling and liked what you have been getting then great, stick with it!  Every organization that scores wine has its own criteria.  Some publish what that criteria is, others keep it behind smoke and mirrors, so you will have to experiment with the different scoring organizations.Tonight’s Crowd Favorite was Escudo Rojo 2020 Chilean Reserve Chardonnay.  Chardonnay tends to make drinkers very opinionated. It is either too oaky, or too watery, or from California, or not from California. Something about Chardonnay brings out the inner wine critic in a lot of us.  Well, Escudo Rojo quelled the critics and seemed to please the masses.If you do a search for the tasting notes you will find this right off of the distributor’s website: “…voluptuous tropical fruit and yellow peach aromas, followed on airing by notes of gingerbread and toasted brioche. The palate is pleasantly full, the attack reveals the aromatic intensity of tropical fruit such as pineapple and passion fruit…a range of tropical fruit flavors together with notes of toasted almond and mild spices such as cumin and cinnamon, building to an attractively long finish on elegant touches of toasted hazelnut, mild spice and pineapple.”  That’s a lot of words, really too many, and I even left out some of the verbal non-sense.  It sounds like they were trying too hard and I doubt that anyone felt the “attack.”  I sure didn’t!  Even so it was a pleasant Chardonnay at a great price, during a beautiful evening upstairs at So Gourmet (above and part of Bodacious).  If you didn’t like it take note of why.  Also take note of what the Score was and who scored it, adding yet another tool to your wine choosing kit.  Doing so will only make you a better wine buyer, and when you can effectively and efficiently buy a wine you will like everyone wins.  Cheers to that!

Aragon’s 5 Oct 23 Wine Tasting

It’s refreshing how I can still be surprised by a wine at one of our local tastings, and funny how stories evolve. Just the prior evening to this tasting I had a decently long conversation with two young, enthusiastic, aspiring wine connoisseurs about how difficult it is to find a good Bordeaux that is less than $50. Good, I mean very good, Bordeaux wines are expensive, often very expensive.Most cheaper Bordeaux’s, even in the $30-$40 range, have some sort of off flavor. It can range from tart-acid to basement gym sock. I’m not kidding. I blame Bordeaux for ruining many new wine drinkers, because of the perceived price and possible taste.First reason; new wine drinkers have all heard of Bordeaux and think it’s a wine to “splurge” on. So they look at the price and “splurge” on a $45 Bordeaux from Graves. They go to some event, or have friends over and really talk up this Bordeaux. The bottle gets opened, and poured, too hot, and tasted. Now comes the second reason, the taste. Our new wine tasters encountered a palate of old basement gym sock with hints of red currant (which they have never heard of), oak and wet leaves. Other than the gym socks the rest of that description is right off a bottle of Bordeaux!!!The result of that experience, at best, is not liking ANY French wine. At worst, back to beer! Because of the “Bordeaux Effect” I often dissuade new drinkers from Bordeaux unless they want to really splurge. So it was with great surprise to taste a Bordeaux, from the outskirts of Saint-Emillion, that was very good, and one that costs less than the mythical $20! And everyone liked it! 2018 Chateau de Pitray, from the Cotes de Castillon sun-region of Bourdeaux was approachable with aromas of cranberry and raspberry, and a taste black plum, licorice, and blueberries, finishing with dry spice cake. And no gym sock!The key to this wine were the grapes, and while that seems so obvious, it is the lack of a grape. No Cabernet Sauvignon! Instead, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Merlot. Yes, Malbec, one of the original, and legal Bordeaux varietals.Even after having had Chateau de Pitray’s 2018 I talked a fellow wine drinker a few days later off of going to the store to get a Bordeaux. “Go for a mid-Rhône” was my suggestion, after discussing her taste preference. This Wine of Note, while such a refreshing surprise, was too much of a rare encounter to change my future recommendations, being that it is very possible to never see another like it again.

Do you keep wine?

I have read, and heard, multiple times, in multiple places, from multiple people, that somewhere around 95% of us buy a bottle of wine to consume within a week, or less!95% is a big number, and like many big numbers meant to generally encompass a population it doesn’t tell the real story. First, I question how they came up with that number. I am still looking for the wine industry polling person standing outside of my favorite wine shop waiting to ask me; “When do you plan on drinking that bottle?” I have run into a lot of wine/drink representatives inside of stores, like grocery and big box stores, and have been asked many things, yet the question of when will I drink that bottle has yet to come up. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but it hasn’t happened to me, or anyone that I know.Several of my friends proclaim not to be “wine people.” They enjoy wine but don’t seek it out, yet all of them have a bottle, or several, stashed away in their homes. My friends who do proclaim to be “wine people” all have small to very large wine collections. So why would we, why do we, keep a bottle of wine?I kept a bottle of table wine from the Douro in Portugal that was from my birth year. I drank it, or attempted to, after my wedding. It was AWFUL, long past its prime, never meant to age that long! Another reason why many keep a bottle is because it was a gift, sometimes coming with the words; “This is a good wine!” Well, I hope so!Last week I got to share a special bottle of Gigondas, a red blend from the Rhône, with some very close friends. These friends had some family come visit, one of which had just recovered from a severe stroke, nearly dying. Being able to share a special bottle for such a special occasion is the big reason why we all keep wine.100% of us want to be able to mark such occasions, and wine fits the bill more than any other drink because it can age with us, as long as you pick a bottle that will age. With just a little research you can ensue that bottle of “special” wine will be good on that “special” occasion. So does that 95% number really reflect our modern wine drinking culture? Maybe, but probably not. My advice; definitely keep wine, and make more occasions special! I will always cheers to that!

Value of Wine Tasting

Why should you bother going out to wine tastings, especially during the week? There are so many valid reasons to not go. They almost all occur right after work, when most people need to get home to the family, make dinner, let the dog out, go work out, etc. Or you might just be “peopled out” and could not imagine talking to, or interacting with, anyone else.

These reasons and more may prevent the occasional wine drinker to the avid wine enthusiast from going out to a wine tasting, and at no point should you feel bad about it!

But if you in the market for some wine let me give a few reasons to consider the value getting out to a wine tasting every now and then, perhaps one or two reasons that you haven’t considered.

"It's just so easy to grab a bottle of wine while I am already at the grocery store." That is the single biggest comment that I hear.  It is also the best way to get BAD wine!

The first value to consider is the ability to buy a wine that you got to taste! If you are buying a wine at a tasting, after tasting it, that probably means that you liked it. You can then rest assured of the value on the dollar amount that you spent for that wine, I.e. you didn’t just waste money, and most importantly, you didn’t waste your time on a wine that you won’t like once you get home. Why buy a wine that you might be anxious about, concerned whether or not it will be good? The answer is don't!

Second is the Dollar amount.  In addition to you getting to taste the wine before you buy it, all of the paid wine tastings offer discounts on that wine, anywhere from 10% up to $5 off a bottle. The free tastings all offer a loyalty discount, such as Aragon’s “buy eight bottles and get $20 off the ninth.” Therefore the actual dollar value of the wine is better than, let’s say, the grocery store. That may surprise you!

So if you are going to buy wine then going to wine tasting, even for just a short amount of time, will yield you with a better and cheaper wine than you may have otherwise obtained. Oh, and you have, overall, saved some time. I call that a 3win; a win win win!

Two of this week’s Crowd Favorites; Izadi Rioja Reserva 2018 and Mettler Albariño 2021, saved me time, money, and any anxiety. So even if your weekly schedule is often against you getting out to the local wine tastings, maybe considering the actual valve of buying wine at a tasting.  Perhaps that will persuade you to reconsider.

Two Fun Birthdays with Wine

“Where did you find this?” “How did you know they would go well together?” “Where can I buy this?!?”

Those were the three questions I got repeatedly at a big birthday Wine and Food event I put together Saturday night for 40 people.

“Perfect.” “Is there more?”

Those were the top two phrases that were said last night at birthday Wine Dinner #2 that I was privileged enough to be part of. The birthday girl for this dinner is one of the most highly respected wine enthusiasts in our region, so like any die hard wine lover she had firm guidance of what wine she wanted.

The twist for both birthday parties was that they were both surprises.

The first party involved a lot more people than the second and many of them were just beginning their wine journey. Three or four only drank beer. It’s okay, I [over] planned for that. If anyone wants some cold beer please let me know, I will give it away! Anyway, so my wine choices for the first party had to run the gamut of wine, beginners to the experienced wine connoisseur and pair with all of the food. Sadly I was so busy I didn’t get any pictures of the ten different wines I had chosen.  They were all empty and in the recycling by the time I got back to them! It was a GOOD time!

Party 2 gave me a unique opportunity to “surprise” my dear friend, who had no idea I was involved. She had given wine directions to her husband, who is a wine connoisseur in his own right, to pick two or three bottles for just the two of them.  But we had 14 more people coming, so we needed several more bottles than just two or three she had requested!  Yet her direction gave us a blueprint. We included the three bottles that she had requested, as part of the ruse, and then got to work picking the rest needed for the birthday dinner.  

Simplicity is key most times. This was no exception.  We needed two “big” wines, a white and a red. Our white wine pick was Fulldraw 2020 by Drift from Paso Robles; 80% Clairette Blanche, and 20% Grenache Blanc. The easiest way to explain this wine was that it could do, and did do, just about everything you want out of a white wine! Wow! The red pick was Shafer’s 2010 Relentless from Napa; 96% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah. Drinking this red was the equivalent to calling in an air strike using a MOAB. The MOAB (GBU-43/B for my military folks) is the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, the biggest non-nuclear weapon in the US Arsenal. Simply put, it [the wine] could not miss! It was “Perfect” with everything that came from the kitchen!

I have to thank my amazing friends for helping me with these events! Catering for party 1 was done by Kingfisher Restaurant with amazing desert fruit bowls from Bear Fruit Essentials, and everyone LOVED all of it! Party 2 was held at Union Public House in their new restaurant. The staff was excellent and the food fantastic!

If you are interested in doing a fun wine event please reach out to us and GulfCoastWine will be happy to give you a wine experience that you will not forget!

How to take a chance on a Bottle of Wine

Getting back into my schedule after returning from my trip has proven to be more difficult than I expected. Several missed tastings has been the main casualty, along with my health.

Now that I was finally feeling better I was able to finish my week on a pretty good note while visiting some friends this weekend. An elaborate dinner was planned, so of course I brought a bottle of wine. I have tasted most of the wines that I have in my archives, but a few I took a chance on. The bottle that I brought to share this evening was one of my “Take a Chance on Me” wines. I will probably hum that Abba song for the next bottle!

Due to forces outside of our control, the elaborate dinner turned into a simple cookout. So, after some needed time in the cool healing waters of The Cold Hole of the Magnolia Springs River and a 1/2 mile swim it was time to open the wine I brought.

Is it truly fair to call my bottle, which I hadn’t tasted, a “Take a Chance” wine? It was from a great location, known for growing exceptional grapes of this particular variety, made by a good winemaker. Not expensive but not cheap. I felt pretty confident.

Showing up to a gathering/party/dinner, etc., with a bottle of wine is always a test, especially when everyone knows you as “The Wine Expert” (which I don’t like to be called). I had the wine at the correct temperature (66 F for this hot day) and gave it about 30 minutes of air. My friends’ wives tasted it with me. The first response from one of them was a joyous cuss word, ending with some surprise. I just laughed!

I actually rather enjoy the “pressure” of bring a wine to social gatherings. Nailing it is pretty common for me. Not always, and not to sound arrogant, but when you go to a lot of tastings, begin to pay attention to what you are drinking; the flavors, the feel, and then geek out a little on some wine knowledge, then being confident on a wine that you haven’t tasted should not be a alien concept.

The pictures on this post are the Crowd Favorites from both Aragon on Thursday and The Bottle Shop on Baylen Friday (1 from Aragon, 2 from Bottle Shop). What was my “Take a Chance on Me” wine? Ask me at the next tasting. See you then.

Hacienda Zorita’s Unamuno Vineyard

We travel for so many reasons. To see, to experience, to learn, to have fun. For the wine traveler you can add; to discover.  To discover for both the soul and the palate.

During my summers as a kid on the Portuguese side of the Duero River (Douro in Portuguese) I would look at the landscape of rolling hills and steep canyons, of Olive and Almond trees, of Cork Oaks and Vineyards, and stare across the border to Spain.

The Duero River in our region forms the border between Portugal and Spain. Our house in Portugal, on the edge of a tiny village just four-ish kilometers from the Duero River gorge, allows for one of the best views on the planet. The view imparts the feeling that you are looking at the Earth, as you would look at another intriguing person while at a café.

The view is an experience by itself! Yet one of the things that you can see from our small backyard, on the Spanish horizon ten miles away, is the tower of Hacienda Zorita’s Unamuno Vineyard and Estate.

Both sides of the border here form one of the largest Natural Park Reserves in Europe. Called Arribes del Duero Natural Park in Spain and the Douro International Natural Park in Portugal, it was formed in 2002 to protect several UNESCO recognized natural spaces and several endangered species. It is expansive, encompassing roughly 410 square miles.

The Arribes del Duero area is not “known” for wine, even though quality grapes have been growing in this part of Spain for thousands of years.  The reason for this area not being well known by the modern wine word is very low yield and production. The Hacienda also does not export, and does not ship outside of the Iberian Peninsula and France. Because of this you are not going to find wines from here next to your favorite Rioja. The other surprise at this Estate; superb Syrah!

Yet if you venture to this far edge of Spain you are going to discover what all wine travelers want: an experience! That experience includes exceptional wines in an amazing landscape, and ZERO tourists. Eureka!

A year ago I wrote about Hacienda Zorita’s other, main location; their Luxury Hotel and Wine Estate located about 65 miles to the east (15 miles to the west of Salamanca). It is an exceptional place, full of amazing history (King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella hired Christopher Columbus in the current wine tasting room!!!) and you can find all of their wines in the hotel wine shop and stop there.

But if you pride your travels on discovery and true Immersion of the palate, you are going to want to journey into the Arribes del Duero, to Hacienda Zorita’s Unamuno Vineyard Estate, and get the full experience for yourself!

Quinta do Vale Meão

Translated to mean “of the valley in the meander,” Quinta do Vale Meão is situated in some of the best terrain in the entire Douro River Valley. Quintas are wine houses in Portuguese, Hacienda in Spanish. The Quinta here is on a peninsula where the Douro River makes a 90 degree turn from west to north, then 180 degree turn south, and then a 90 degree turn back to the west towards Porto.What makes the vineyards here so exceptional are, basically, everything. The soil is rocky, forcing the grapes to send their roots down deep, resulting in profound complexity. The climate is dry and sunny but with good ground water. This is essential for disease prevention and good growth…mature grapes at harvest. This combination allows for the best possible product.I chose to visit Quinta do Vale Meão for three reasons. First, I have never been and have always loved their wine. Second, they produce extremely high quality wine and are located not far from my small vineyards. Third, they export most of it to the United States, so we can actually find it back home! Like almost all high quality Douro red wine, it will need age, a minimum of seven years in my opinion. Ten, up to Fifty is even better! It is worth the wait!They produce two relatively easy to find levels; a very good “Tinto” (red table wine) around the $25 a bottle range, and a high end Estate-Grand Reserve level. Expect to pay $100 plus a bottle for those. And of course they make Port Wine, with some of the best Vintage Port in the industry. Good luck finding those, as I was only able to obtain one bottle on this visit for myself.If you find yourself in the high Douro, near the Spanish border, definitely reserve a tour and tasting. They also have a helicopter pad for true ease of movement. Next, on to Spain and some grapes grown inside an internationally recognized nature preserve, very much off the beaten, touristic, path.

What is “Old Vine?”

“Old Vine,” “Ancient Vine,” I have even seen “Gnarled Vines” grace the label of many wine bottles. Like many things in the consumer world we must peel back the marketing to find any true meaning.So what is an “Old Vine,” how old does it have to be? There are no true legal age limits to the term “Old Vine.” In most of Spain, it’s older than 30 years. In California, the vines must be 40 plus. The rest of the world mostly falls into this age range.Why does the age of a grape vine matter? When does it matter? There are two main factors I look at when I specifically reach for true “Old Vine” wine.The first factor I consider is where the grapes are grown. If they are being grown in very rocky, mountainous terrain, then age matters. Like all plants, grape vines get everything they need from the sun and the soil. Grapes grown in rocky terrain really have to fight to get their roots down to the water table, which can be more than 20 feet down. It can take the roots up to 30 years to get that deep. Once there, magic happens. The grapes can have amazing potential at this point!The next factor I consider is grape variety. The two easiest to find are Grenache and Zinfandel. Again, if the vintner did everything correctly, something magical happens as those grape varieties pass 40. The same can be said for the Portuguese varieties of the Douro.Most of my vines are growing in soils of granite, mica, and schist, on steep slopes, in a harsh environment. The majority of my vines are passing 97 years! The roots go very deep, up to 30 feet or more! My vineyard is located in a DOC where, legally, you cannot irrigate the vines after the grapes form, ensuring the highest quality of juice…no dilution.So for my vines to thrive for 97 years, and still going strong, mean that these “Old Vines” can give you grapes with an essence of complexity that younger vines could never achieve. But don’t just trust the label on the bottle, do a little research before buying. And to really get the full experience of my grapes you will just have to share a bottle with me!

Why Portuguese Wine?

“Let’s just go to Porto now.” After one night in Madrid we decided to visit more of Spain at the end of our trip instead of in the middle and head to Portugal.

Everyone that knows me, and most of our readers know, that I am partial to Portugal and Portuguese wine, and for good reason. Family ties aside; few places in the World of Wine can do what a good Portuguese wine can do.

What can it do and why?…should be everyone’s question.

There are two special things happening here; the land and the indigenous grapes.

There are books written about, what the French call, “Terroir.” People have gone to blows about what it actually means. Once you, if you can, scrape away the emotions and marketing you do get to a truer sense of the word. It should not surprise anyone that if you grow two identical things the same way in two different locations (say an apple) they can, and often do, taste different.

The Terroir of Portugal, especially of the Douro, is unique on this planet. Between the steep slopes of Schist and Granite flows the River Douro (translated from low-Latin to mean “Of Gold”). Growing on those slopes are varietals of grapes, many indigenous to the Douro, that have still not been fully explored by the palate of the Wine World at large. The future of Douro wine is bright.

When most people hear Porto (only bad tourists call the city Oporto) only one wine comes to mind, Port Wine. I do love a Vintage Port! If you have had Port and perhaps didn’t care for it go back and read the multiple previous posts titled “So you think you’ve had Port.” Yet it is the red blends that I am after this trip. With the capacity to bring the drinker both the complexity of deep ripe fruit, elegant tannins, balanced acid, and a formidable, long finish. What many call the holy grail of wine.

Not every Portuguese wine on the shelf will give you that experience. Most bottles that do can fetch a very high price once the word gets out, so I do my research and go to the source. One of my favorite shops (of which I mentioned last year in a post of how important a few key translation words are) always has some of the hardest to find bottles at very good prices.

Next week we will travel into the high Douro, the Alto Douro Superior, nearly untouched by tourists, and continue to explore why the wines here have abilities unique in the World of Wine. Until then; A té logo.

French Wine. Location location location!

“Je ne connais pas celui-là,” is what I said to the wine shop owner as she picked up another bottle of French white wine to show me. “I don’t know that one,” is the translation.

In most of Europe when you go shopping for wine and ask for help, or a recommendation, you are going to get a question in return, and that question is almost always the exact same anywhere in the “old world,” especially France: “Qu’est-ce que tu vas manger?” “What are you going to be eating?” It is implied, of course, what are you going to be eating with the wine?

Most people, not all, in old wine country traditionally only drink wine with food. Again, not all. Yet the majority of wine is still tailored as such. For our dinner that night we were going to have fresh oysters from Bretagne to start, then roasted sea bass with garden herbs and rice. So after telling the wine shop owner this key piece of information she directed me to, and started to point out, several white wines.

Pairing food with wine is a true art, although it is based on chemistry. Acid, sugar, alcohol, and the next 400 compounds that make up what you taste in each sip of wine form the foundation of food and wine pairing. But if you don’t know how to translate that science, and language, into a good dinner pairing then all is for not.

So how do you bridge the language and knowledge gap in the hopes that you end up buying a wine that you will like here in France?

First, all French wine is labeled, and named, based on its location. Location location location! There are a lot of grape varieties that grown in France, and more wines than anyone can know. BUT, the locations of where the best wines come from are known to all French people. Location is the key here, and knowing a few of the big names is a must.

Before your trip to France, do a little research of the taste profiles that are common to a certain region.  Knowing a little about the big red GSM blends from the Rhône, the elegant Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, the minerality of the best whites from the Loire, the difference between the left bank vs right bank in Bordeaux will get you a long way. And never be afraid to ask for help, just try it in French first; “Que recommandez-vous?” You will get a MUCH better recommendation!

Now on to Spain, Portugal, and the Douro!

Wine Experience Give Away

Gulf Coast Wine was founded a year ago to give a home to the amazing and unique wine culture around the Pensacola area. Yet Gulf Coast Wine isn’t just a page for local wine tastings, but a growing community of wine enthusiasts ranging from wine novices to experts.Our goal is to show people how fun and enjoyable wine can be and are passionate about enhancing your wine experience with each glass.To celebrate our first year we are giving away a few awesome wine prizes this week and next week to thank you, the followers of our Newsletter and our Instagram. This week the prizes are:1. From So Gourmet; A Charcuterie Board for Two and $20 toward a bottle of Wine ($45 Value)2. From Aragon Wine Market: A Free Month of Aragon’s “Cru” Wine Club to include a Private Wine tasting profile to find what wine you like, then Two Bottles of wine that match your palate profile. ($33 Value).3. From Anna’s Fine Wine & Beer: Free admission to their July (the 27th) Wine Tasting. ($25 Value)The winners will be selected by random this Friday, June 30th, and will be notified by e-mail for the Newsletter Subscriber winners, and by Instagram Messenger for our Instagram winners. You will have one week to redeem your prize, instructions and directions will be included in the notification.Stay tuned for next week as we will do round two to celebrate our 1st year.

So Gourmet 7 June Tasting

Wine tastings that allow you to compare different levels of a single grape/style are extremely fun and educational. You can compare such things as “sourced” grapes vs “estate” grapes, find out if you liked that extra aging, and then determine if it is all worth the price.This past week So Gourmet featured a line of Tempranillo wines from the Spanish region of Rioja, all from the same producer. With the exception of a semi-sweet wine (which was very unique) the others compared the different quality of grapes and the benefits of aging those grapes.Age doesn’t help every wine, so aging wine doesn’t guarantee it being better, and there are several types of aging; in the barrel and in the bottle are the main two.In this case, the Wine of Note, had both forms of aging. Finca Penamayor Gran Reserva from 2005, at only $40, is a deal! I know that’s a little more than most people like to spend on a bottle, but if you peruse down the Spanish wine isle at your favorite wine shop and look at Grand Reserve Rioja wines that are 15+ years old you are going to see some much higher prices.This wine had all of the things that you look for in a good Rioja; that deep red fruit flavor that is equaled with soft leathery tobacco and round tannins. Drink or have with dinner, this is a do-both wine.So be sure to check out our calendar and Instagram for wine tasting previews. If you see tastings that can focus on a great comparison then you should make every effort to go.  As the Spanish say; "Bali Bali!"

Wine Hunters

I know several people who intentionally do not keep wine in their house. Not because of any health or religious reason, but because they like going out and hunting for a bottle of wine.They go out, search, and buy only what they are going to drink that evening, or in the very near future. This style of wine hunting fascinates me. I also consider myself a Wine Hunter, but one who mostly plans ahead, one who hunts for that unique or rare bottle for a future special occasion.To be clear, I am not a wine collector, I drink everything that I buy. I am also blessed with a basement (yes, I live in Florida and I have a basement), so I have an amazing spot to store wine after my hunting trips.I have written about the proper way to store wine before, but a quick recap:  no need to get overly worried about not having a wine fridge or cellar, only a stable temperature (around 70ish is fine), and absolutely no sun light is all that is required. So if you don’t have those conditions then you should drink that bottle as soon as possible.Yet the Wine Hunters I am speaking about are not doing it due to their lack of a proper storage area, they do it for the love of the hunt, for the search. It gives them the reason to get out and go on a journey. An escape from our hectic world.The word “Safari” is Swahili for “journey,” and because they are going to have that wine post-haste, the satisfaction of the hunt is immediate and nearly audible. This experience is all part of their wine journey.That journey, the Safari, is made up of an untold number of wine experiences. That is it what we are all after! So are you a Wine Hunter? There are many different types, but if that means going on a life long Wine Safari, then YES, count me in!

Treasure Hunting

Do you hunt? A very open ended question to be sure. This is a wine article so you would assume that I am asking if you hunt for wine. If you read this week's first article on Wine Hunters then you might already have an answer.Well, now I am asking in a much bigger sense. All of the great explorers of the world were hunters; both in the traditional sense of chasing wild game, and the metaphorical sense, hunting for what lay over the horizon.I consider myself a hunter in all senses of the word. It is a mindset, an ethos. I am as equally excited for the pursuit as for the end achievement. The hike up the mountain is as enjoyable as the unparalleled view from the top.I am also intrigued by the rare and often overlooked in life. I also very much enjoy history. Wine has A LOT of both. As I traveled this week I had the chance to do some wine hunting, and with history as my guide I was not disappointed.The results were two very obscure, rather rare wines, both from Portugal. The first was a 1997 Carcavelos. A fortified wine from the smallest DOC in the world and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.There is a book written by John Hailman titled “Thomas Jefferson on Wine” and includes a letter from Jefferson to Richmond Va. merchant James Brown requesting a quarter cask of wine. Jefferson writes “I would prefer good Lisbon, next to that Carcavallo.”Why was Jefferson hunting for Carcavelos so long ago? Carcavelos is NOT Port! It’s profile lies somewhere between Madeira and a aged Tawny Port. It is fortified but with a very unique character. Its profile is very complex; with raisin and citrus, earth and salty air, it dances across the tongue while wearing boots. My Carcavelos is made solely from the Ramisco grape and comes from the tiny region just west of Lisbon near the jet-setting coastal town of Cascais. The entire DOC only totals some 25 acres!!!The next is a 2009 Colares, also made from Ramisco. What makes Colares so unique is that it is some of the only wine in the WORLD that comes from ungrafted vines. The soils here (northwest of Lisbon) contain a lot of sand and were resistant to phylloxera, and therefore were never killed off.Colares doesn’t have anything similar to it in taste. It is like drinking a wine that came from the core of the earth, deeply complex with the hints of red cherry and acid. It is profound, a wine for the consummate wine hunter that will satisfy the deepest of wine geek in any of us.A good week of hunting for me, two true treasures! As I look forward to enjoying the fruits of my labor here are some words of wisdom from Thomas Jefferson: “I have lived temperately. ... I double the doctor’s recommendation of a glass and a half of wine each day and even treble it with a friend.”Cheers to the next hunt!

Aragon’s 11 May Tasting

It is very easy to get overwhelmed with all of the different wines of the world. The complexity of the wine world is a motivation for me, yet the opposite is true for many others. There are thousands of each kind of wine. How do you sort through them and find one you like? Can you even keep them all straight?If this overwhelming feeling explains your experience in the world of wine then I can help. The easiest way to sort through all of the wines that stare you down in the store is to NOT do it.Don’t guess your way down the wine isle, unless you like drinking experiments and wasting money. Picking the prettiest bottle has been proven to get you a sub-standard wine. Ask a vetted and qualified wine expert, we have a bunch of good ones around town. Want an even better way to sort through the world of wine and buy one you like? Taste it first!WOW, what a concept. Go to a wine tasting. If you like it then buy it. Guaranteed that you will like it again back home for dinner or at the next party with friends.If anyone reading this can prove that they bought tonight’s Wine of Note by just randomly bouncing down the wine isle on their own then I will buy them another bottle! Seriously.Taboadella Villae Branco 2021 is a white blend from the Dao DOC region of Portugal. Made from three indigenous grapes; Bical, Encruzado, and Cerceal, it has the citrus notes of a Sauvignon Blanc, the minerality of a Soave, and the body of a Chardonnay. It can go with any crustaceans, white fish, chicken, soup, or alfredo sauce dish.One question from a taster was “So what is it similar to?” Nothing, it is unique with aspects of several that are familiar. Thats the reason it is a Wine of Note. So don’t get overwhelmed by all of the wine out there, leaving your wine purchase to chance. Buy wine that you have tasted and liked, or recommend by a vetted wine expert. You will have a lot more fun that way.

Grocery Store Wine

Last week was a long one for me; six days, five major cities, 22 media events, and just over 2,000 people in person. Kind of a lot for me! By Thursday all I was looking forward to was getting home and relaxing.I arrive home and realize that there is nothing to eat in my house. What to do for dinner? We've all been there. I love to cook, so this conundrum wasn’t the issue. The challenge:  Two last minute neighbors get added to the mix while you’re at the grocery store with a request of “grab a bottle of wine while you’re there.”Grab a bottle of wine. A daunting task in and of itself. Multiple questions may course through your head, like; “What wine goes with xxx?” “Should I change what I’m planning on cooking?” “Why aren’t my neighbors bringing the wine, I just got home?!?”Fear not!Here are some words of advice and tips to avoid stressing about a last minute wine purchase and food pairing.First. Stick to your original menu plan! Do not add unnecessary stress by changing another dinner variable.Second. If there is a local and trusted wine shop between you and home, stop in and have them help. If you do not have this as an option, continue to the next step.Third. There are only a few true rules when it comes to wine. Don’t serve hot wine is first! If you are in a time crunch, scan for something you recognize and that you have enjoyed before. Don’t worry about if it will pair perfectly with your dinner choice.Don’t see anything you recognize and still in a time crunch? No worries.  Go for whatever is on sale. Treat it as an experiment - it will probably be okay and fun to try.But, if you have some more time, then you can look for pairings. Decide if you want a complementary or contrasting pairing. An example of complementary pairing: Burgers with a Spanish Tempranillo or a Riesling from Alsace with shrimp tacos. An example of contrasting; an Australian Shiraz with Asian food. Or that same Riesling with Asian food (the hint here is high acid).As I was staring at the grocery store selection, a couple next to me turned to each other and asked “Does this wine go with Asian food?” “I don’t know,” was the other’s answer. I politely offered some advice after asking if they were after sweet and salty (contrasting) or something more smooth (complimentary).They chose sweet and salty. I hope they had a good dinner! Wondering what I grabbed?  Ask me at the next tasting.Hope to see everyone out at the next wine tasting and let me know your if have ever made a last minute wine pick.  Cheers!

Please do me a favor and pick the wine with the ugliest label.

Me: “How did you pick that wine?”

My friend: “I like the look of the label.”

I'm not sure if there is an actual study or any numbers out there that can tell us the percentage of wine sold based on how “pretty” the label looks, but my guess is a “pretty” high percentage. Drum roll please.

Corniness aside, there are sooooo many people that go in and buy wine solely based on the look of the label. The question is: If you choose a bottle of wine based on the way the label looks, will that get you a bottle of wine that you like more often than not?

From both experience and observation, I say NO.

My estimate is that 33.3% of the time, you will get a wine that you like by choosing solely on the look of the label. If you were blindfolded outside of a good wine shop and led to a random shelf to pick a random bottle, there is also a 33.3% chance that you would pick one that you liked.

There are amazing wines with beautiful labels out there. Tonight’s crowd favorite, by a very slim majority, was Broadbent’s Vinho Verde, which is an outlier; good, cheap, with an attractive label. Yet, more often than not, money spent on making the wine, not the label, will lead to a better product.

So, if you go to a place where they sell wine and there is no one there who can guide you to a wine that you like, leave! Go to a good wine shop curated by qualified, CERTIFIED, wine people and ask them for help picking out a wine. If you don’t have access to a good local wine shop, go in and pick the prettiest and the ugliest (or plainest) looking bottle that you can find. Do a taste test and see what result you get. Sometimes you might find that beauty is only skin, or label, deep.