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.

East Hill Bottle Shop 20 Sept 2023

The last day of official Summer. You wouldn’t really know it if you weren’t paying attention to the calendar with our days still touching 90F. But there are little glimpses of change if you know where to look. For many wine drinkers the start of Autumn and cooler temperatures mean it’s time to start drinking “big” red wines again.I understand the concept: mainly drink white wines or lighter bodied reds during the hot months, claiming “big” reds aren’t refreshing. Yet understanding the concept and agreeing with it are two different things. I grew up drinking very “big” reds while having lunch during the peak of the hot Portuguese and French summers. For more conventional wine drinkers I just stated two unfathomable actions! Drinking full bodied reds, at lunch, in the heat!! Woah!First of all, more people should have a glass of wine at lunch! Many “professionals” see this as a total faux pas. I am not saying get drunk, or even having a second glass, but one glass of wine at lunch, served at the CORRECT temperature, that compliments the food is a wonderful experience. I argue that, for some, it should be mandatory! I guarantee that you know at least one person who fits that bill.Well this week’s Crowd Favorite at the East Hill Bottle Shop is a perfect example of a good “big” red wine to either restart your autumnal enjoyment or pair with that forbidden lunch. Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône, a 100% Syrah from southern France, was bold with a nose of violets, greeting the palate with blackberries, black plum, a dash of baking spice, some juniper, and finishing with relatively smooth earthy tones. And it was inexpensive.As we finally crawl out of Summer I find it refreshing that more of my fellow wine drinkers are thinking about their first sips of those “big” reds in months. I liken it to a bear just out of its dean, sniffing the air, trying to determine which direction its first meal will be found. It's palpitations audible to those near by. And maybe, just maybe, try a single glass of wine with lunch. It is as enjoyable as it sounds!

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!

Aragon’s August “Cru” Tasting

What makes a good “summer” wine? That question comes up a lot during our long summers. We have discussed and defined these “summer” wines, aka “porch pounders,” in previous posts. Served chilled, with hints of tropical and stone fruit, lively acid, leaving your tongue refreshed with a great feel are the basis of a good summer wine.We encountered such a wine this past week at Aragon’s August Cru tasting. Mille Rêves 2020 Vouvray Chenin Blanc had all of those qualities; a great bouquet of white flowers on the nose, a palate that started with nectarine and finished with green apple cider. All of the tasters agreed that this was a great “summer wine.”While the wine was good, the best part was catching up with an old friend, one who shares the same passion of wine that I do with a lifetime of experience behind it. It is a common occurrence at wine tastings; meeting people just as interesting and complex as the wine you are tasting. To me, sharing a profound wine with equally profound people is the perfect pairing!

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!

Too much wine, and liquor!

I literally got lost in the store trying to follow the order of tasting tables this week at ABC on Bayou. This Florida family owned chain was getting ready for their biannual big wine and liquor tasting. 14 tables with an average of four alcoholic drinks to taste on each one, wine and liquor!!!! That’s 56 for those who do not like public math. Ooooffff!

As I perused the labels across the 14 tables all I could think about was “circus!” The tables where not in any particular order, and the wine and liquor were set up per distributor, not in any logical tasting order.

Yet perhaps the most interesting part was that most of the pourers did not know anything about what they were pouring. You would think that is bad, and it is, but it can also be good. The taster was left to their own devices, to determine if they liked what they were tasting. I think that part is great. The bad part was that if you liked what you were tasting good luck on getting any information on that liquid.

The other bad part was the total lack of any tasting guidance. You don’t always have to drink white before red. What really matters is the balance of acid and alcohol, preferably starting with wines that aren’t overly acidic and having higher alcohol wines towards the end.

One definite: don’t drink liquor before wine! That goes for tasting and good “body” practices.

So be careful the next time you walk into a “tasting circus.” If you just roll right down the line at a big tasting without a plan you will probably end up as the main attraction. Not something that you want!

Summer Wines, Part 1

Well, summer has started on the Gulf Coast. I am going to weather geek-out here: Summer officially starts for me when the wind shifts to be predominantly southern. That means the wind, most of the time, blows from the Gulf of Mexico. Every day is mostly humid and night time temps no longer get below 70F.

It’s okay! That just means it’s time to really pop open those light and refreshing wines. Beach, pool, warm evenings out with friends. Here are two picks to get your wine summer off to a good start.

The first is from New Zealand. Mohua Sauvignon Blanc. If you were lucky enough to go to Seville Quarter’s wine tasting this past Tuesday then you would have been able to speak to the wine maker himself, which is always a rewarding occasion. This wine was bright with a refreshing essence of grapefruit and acid and is right at home poolside.

The next was a Sparking Wine from the Loire Valley of France; Gratien & Meyer Cremant de Loire Brut. This wine was featured during Aragon’s Cru wine tasting on Thursday. Tight and intense bubbles that gave a very nice long finish with hints of orange and honey. Not sweet (it’s a Brut!), this Sparkling would be fantastic as the wine to greet your friends with as you start dinner.

Ready or not summer on the Gulf Coast is here. Serve cold and enjoy!

What’s the best way to Up your Wine Game?

The easiest way to up your wine game is go to local wine tastings. Ask questions, pay attention to what you are actually tasting in your mouth, and talk to the other tasters. If you are finding that you still want more of that wine knowledge then I recommend going to the monthly tastings held by the local chapter of the American Wine Society.Now for those that just started to tune out because you saw “Society,” relax. It’s a club that drinks a lot of wine, eats good food, and then talks about that wine. Even though society sounds fancy, which was probably the point, there are no wine snobs here. No one is going to judge you because you “don’t know wine,” or if you taste something totally different than everyone else, which happens all the time. It’s a chance to hang out, try new wines and learn a little more about wine. Even if you don’t care to know why that wine tastes the way it does you can go to drink, eat, and then drink more. Just make sure you can get home safely.This month’s local chapter AWS meeting was a tasting of the Southern Rhône. The Rhône River Valley region produces some of the best wines in the world. While there are some outstanding white wines that come out of the Rhône the first to mind, and mouth, is red. The “big 3” red grape varietals here are Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, blended together. GSMs from here are often big, potent, yet with the capacity to have finesse with complex fruit. It’s why this is one of my favorite wine regions. If any of this sounds good you can find the Emerald Coast Chapter of the AWS on Facebook or email pamdavey@aol.com (the chapter president) for more information. It’s a good time!

Go to the “Special” Wine tastings!

I have said it before in previous posts: If you see a “Special” wine event, especially if it is a tasting featuring someone from a winery, do your best to go! These are not events to be afraid of! You are not going to be ridiculed, you do not need to “know” wine, these “Special” events are just plain fun! Most of them are during the week, which can be difficult, but if I can give any recommendation in the world of wine it is to go to the special tastings.Aragon’s Special wine tasting was on Tuesday, not on their normal Thursday. If you are having trouble keeping track of wine events look no further to OUR wine tastings and events calendar! And if you know of an event that is not on our calendar please let us know, you can email us or send us a message on Instagram and we will update our calendar.So back to wine. Aragon featured Famille Bourgeois Winery this past Tuesday. Famille Bourgeois has vineyards in the Sancerre Region, in the Loire Valley of France; and in the Marlborough Wairau Valley of New Zealand, specializing in Sauvignon Blanc in both areas. Their wines are certified “Biodynamic” which is the E.U.’s organic certification, but actually better. People like to lump things together; like all Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand tastes like Grapefruit. It happens all the time, to everything, not just wine. It is human nature, and it can very quickly lead to “bold wine statements” (see my post on bold wine statements). Their two wine families, Domaine Henri in France, and Clos Henri in New Zealand, were a great example of how you cannot just lump things together. We even started the tasting with the reds because the whites were so high in acid (something they intentionally did) that if we did the whites first your palate could have been toasted by the time you got to the reds. All of the wines tonight were unique and almost everyone enjoyed almost everything. So hopefully we will see you at the next “Special” tasting!

“Wow, that was good!” Aragon’s Women in Wine.

The majority of wine makers, vineyard owners, even wine distributors, are male. These facts don’t mean that men are better at any facet of the wine world than women. Tonight was a good example of that as Aragon showcased some great wines made by women. The first wine, a Champagne, was not just the crowd favorite, it was a Wine of Note. Tasters liked it SO much that they sold every bottle in the store and several tasters ordered extra cases!!! Not extra bottles, cases!People who know me know that I am not a big lover of sparkling wines. I have a few that I like, but generally prefer to have the non-bubblies. But, holding to the rules of wine tasting, I always taste everything. Wow,Castelnau Champagne Brut NV, was good. NV, non-vintage, means that the wine maker took a few of her best and favorite years and blended them. A true Champagne, from the Champagne region of France, had medium bubbles, not exploding out of your mouth, giving it a velvety mouth feel with hints of white nectarine, a dash of green apple and citrus. I am on the waiting list to get a bottle once they get more back in. Definitely a Wine of Note. Conclusion: More women need to be in the world of wine!

Cru of Aragon December tasting, 15 Dec 2022

What a great evening at Aragon’s Cru (their monthly premium) tasting, and it goes to show how diverse our individual palates are. Out of eight wines, two being “premium,” there were a lot of individual favorites. Almost everyone liked the two premium wine selections of the evening, a Champagne and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet they didn’t end up being our evening’s Crowd Favorites. By a narrow win we finally had a white and a red, both under $20!Sometimes you win because you didn’t do anything wrong, and everyone else missed something. That describes our two crowd favorites. Taboadella “Villae” Branco, 2020 Portuguese White Wine. A blend of three semi obscure native Portuguese grapes that are not cultivated or used elsewhere. The result is a white wine that can’t go wrong, just right in the middle, some hints of both stone fruit and citrus, some minerality, and some acidity. A white wine to have when you don’t know what white wine you should have.Next, Domanie de Fontsainte 2020 from the Languedoc region in the south of France. Same story here; a winner because everyone else running stepped out of bounds. Bright red fruit with Mediterranean herbs and spices. A good pairing to a lot of dinners, or a good burger. Simplicity can be a good thing sometimes.

East Hill Bottle Shop 7 Dec 2022

With only a few more wine tastings before the Holidays, our local wine shops are pulling out some good ones to try. We had another tie for our highest classification here at GCW, a Wine of Note, and both were white!A Pinot Blanc by Pierre Sparr from Alsace France, and Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano, from Tuscany Italy. Both unique, both liked by the tasters, and both good for different palettes. The Pinot Blanc had lots of peach and nectarine (stone fruit in wine talk), not sweet, balanced minerality and mild acidity made it very easy to drink. Pair with any chicken or white fish, or just drink. The Fontaleoni is made from Vernaccia, a native Italian hill country grape that doesn’t make it out on our tasting scene that often. It is higher in acid, making it more crisp and lively with notes of dry apple. Definitely a food wine. A good match for any Italian meal with Alfredo sauce.

Aragon Wine Market Tasting 27 Sept.

Fall is officially here, both according to the calendar and finally how it feels. While we get to enjoy the great weather and good wine our thoughts are also to those caught in the path of deviation from Hurricane Ian.This evening started with what would be our Wine of Note. A quasi uncommon white wine, at least at our local restaurants, Chateau L’Orangerie Bordeaux Blanc 2020 was crisp with hints of pear, light citrus and delightful on the finish. Not a regular Sauvignon Blanc, but with body resembling a Chardonnay; this 80% Sauvignon Blanc blended with 20% Semillon would be excellent paired with our local Gulf Coast seafood.