Monthly Archives: February 2010

Don’t let the name fool you. There’s nothing usually “petit” about these wines. Petit Syrah is just another grape, and the wines tend to be even darker, richer, and fuller than a normal Syrah wine. I always like a good petit, especially in the summer for barbeque. The richness and smooth quality of the wine matches up well to burgers and bbq ribs. Here are a couple of wines to keep an eye out for.

2005 Vina Paul Lodi Petit Syrah/Syrah Blend

Good spice box and blueberry notes on the nose. A little smoked meat too. Big fruity wine – full bodied – with a nice bit of spice, blueberry and raspberries notes, Bell pepper, tobacco. A little cigar box, and then dry finish with earthy mix of mushroom and mint. Long finish, with a good grip and tannins. Great fruit through the finish. Lovely wine and for the price really pushes what can be done.

Price: $15
Rating: 91pts

2005 Grazino Petit Sirah

This wine had a big nose with black/blueberries persistent. Also had some cedar and smokiness along with bell pepper and vegetal qualities. A big mouth-feel with integrated tannins and a good grip. There’s lots of cedar and oak in the wine, seemed a little bit like licking the barrel. There was some fruit underneath present blueberries and raspberries. I definitely pick up the Zin in it as well. This wine was still a little young and hard. Has some potential to even out but probably not going to get too great.

Rating: 88pts
Priced around $20

Spanish Grenache always seems to drink nicely. I’ve tried a number of them and they all seem to have good rich fruit along with some sort of interesting notes of earthiness and texture underneath. Here are a few of the standouts over the last year. Additionally, having the 2007 Tres Picos, I can say that this producer is very consistent in the quality of wine.

2005 Vinos Sin-Ley G4 Garnacha
This was a nice little wine, while not extraordinary by any means, it delivered a nice glass of wine that was soft, flavorful and went great with food. Blueberries and cherries throughout the flavor, combined with soft tannins and an herbal nature. The wine seemed to have good balance and kept everything together throughout the tasting. Priced around $10.

Rating: 90pts

2006 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha
This picture-perfect Spanish Grenache was full of raspberries and cranberries, followed by an earthy core and solid backbone. The wine had a big bold nature, and was rather fruit forward. The finish however was smooth and fluid with nicely integrated tannins and a subtle finish. Priced around $14.

Rating: 91pts

2005 Ludovicus Terra Alta Pinol
This wine had a deep garnet color with a purple tinge around the end. It started out a little green and acidic and there was bit of a Welch’s grape juice component. However within about 30 minutes, this wine really started to shine, exhibiting raspberries, mushrooms, dried cherry and tobacco notes. The tannins were nicely integrated, and over the course of the evening, the wine continued to soften, becoming more and more enjoyable. This was a real nice surprise for around $10.

Rating: 90+ pts

Ah champagne – who doesn’t love it, right? It just seems to make things a little more special and of course who doesn’t want to feel special. Of course it doesn’t come cheap and the cheap stuff tends to cause headaches. In most cases, I’d just a soon open a bottle of prosecco or sparkling wine. They are definitely serviceable stand-ins. However, sometimes you just have to have the real stuff. There are certain events that just call for it (weddings, anniversaries, digging yourself out of the doghouse). Anyway, here’s a few selections I recommend. Both of these aren’t as famous as the big Champagne houses and because of that, you get a wine that’s probably better for the price.

NV Pierre Morlet Grand Reserve Premier Cru Champagne

Here was a really complex champagne, due to the mix of Pinot Noir (70%) and Chardonnay (30%). The wine had very earthy flavors, including apples and nutmeg, but also Asian spices and musty truffles. The depth was surprising as this wine had a really long finish. Not exactly the wine you want for casual sipping, but more of a thinking man’s Champagne. Priced around $30.

Rating: 92pts

NV Duval-Leroy Brut Champagne

This was a classic Brut champagne full of apples and biscuit flavors. This wine was a really winner. The wine possessed baked brioche and cinnamon notes, mixed with a little lemon and fresh cream. While the wine really had a nice complexity to it, the overall quality of the fruit allowed it to blend perfectly with a rich buttery seafood risotto we served this with. Priced around $40.

Rating: 94pts

Wine making for everyone?

So what’s a wine nut to do when wine collecting isn’t enough and they need to feel like they own a piece of the product and its production? Well for the super-wealthy, they just buy or invest in a winery. But what about the rest of us who do not have the million-dollars an acre to sink into the top-notch real estate in Napa or don’t have the time or know-how to invest in farming their own land and building their estate from the ground up?

Well the answer came a few months ago, when my wife stumbled on an article about a new service out of San Francisco called Crushpad. Crushpad is a winery where you are the winemaker. They buy the grapes, and house the facilities. They crush the grapes and perform all of the fermenting. However, you are in control of the process from the very first step. You pick where the grapes are sourced from. You make the decisions regarding fermentation and aging. You even have the option to design your own label and packaging.

Started by Michael Brill in San Francisco, the company’s goal was to make the wine making process more accessible to everyone. For the city-bound wine lovers, they wanted to bring the process to them. You can now be part of the action using the internet and web cams to watch the crushing of the grapes, and even get interactive with entire winemaking process.

At each step, with the help of the Crushpad associates, you go through a decision process of how to make your wine. You start from picking the grapes. They source grapes from a number of well-known farms and vineyards in California, Oregon, and Washington, including Wentzel, Sleepy Hollow, and To Kalon vineyards. You have the option of buying a single barrel of wine, which works out to about 25 cases of wine (300 bottles). Costs for these barrels range from around $4000 to $15000 at the top end. This works out to be around $50-60 dollars a bottle for wines from some of the top end Cabernet and Pinot Noir grapes in the US.  Comparable bottles retail for around $100.

The customer then moves on to the crush and the fermentation. They will also decide on aging, fining and blending. Crushpad will then help you with bottling. They have designers that will assist you with the production of labels and marketing and as well as selling your wine. They already have a number of in-house wineries from other customers who have chosen to sell their wines through their online store. Additionally. Crushpad will help you navigate the federal regulations of selling wine and make the whole process nice and easy.

Overall I was in love with the concept from day one, already dreaming about buying my own barrel of wine. I’ve checked in with Crushpad since to find that they are expanding their offering and really trying to bring the art of winemaking to everyone. So I look forward to seeing what the next steps will be in their offering. Now if I can just convince my wife that I should try it as part of research. For now, I’ll just have to try a bottle from one of the customer’s already making their own.

Neyers Vineyards: Against the Vine

A few years ago, we had the pleasure of visiting Neyers Vineyards where we met the owners and tried a number of their wines. Already big fans of their Chardonnay, we were fascinated to find that in the Cab-centric Napa Valley, they were more interested in pushing their Syrah. Modeled in the French style, their wines are now garnering rave reviews, particularly from Parker. The winery is tucked off the beaten path up past Lake Hennessey, but well worth the trip. Stop in and see Phoebe, Bob and Barbara Neyers and enjoy some great Chards and Syrahs.

A Drive though Chianti?

If you happen to be traveling through Tuscany, specifically the Chianti region – make sure to stop into the town of Greve and check out their regional super-store – Le Cantine di Greve – where you can taste hundreds of wines from the area, and also research them as you go. It’s great way to make sure the wine is your style before you buy. It was definitely one of those fun finds along the way. Also there’s a nice little cafe off of the main street as you go through town, to stop for a snack and a good glass of Chianti.
A Food Lover’s (And Wine) Destination

In northern Sonoma, lies the little town of Healdsburg. Once a sleepy farm town, Healdsburg is now a trendy wine destination. The town boasts top wineries in and around its borders, along with boutique shopping and some of the best restaurants in the valley. For the food lover, it is the perfect destination with high-end dining at Cyrus and Dry Creek Kitchen and perfect everyday treats from Oakville Grocery and the Downtown Bakery and Creamery. It makes the perfect home base for exploring the area wineries as well.