Tag Archives: wine

Southern Hemisphere Chardonnays

When I took my wine exam this past May, I was required to complete a blind tasting of 12 wines organized into four flights of three wines each. The goal of the first flight is to identify the common grape variety. I thought I had it in the bag, until I reached the final question.

When the wines for the first flight (common grape variety) were placed in front of me, I was pretty sure I knew what they were immediately. Based on color alone, the white wines ranged from pale to medium lemon, with the latter likely indicating oak aging. I then took a quick sniff of all three and the oak was very obvious on the last wine. There are very few white wines that are aged in oak, with Chardonnay being the most obvious.

So I was pretty sure I had Chardonnay for the first flight. I proceeded to smell and taste, then write copious tasting notes on each wine. When I was done, I was very confident in my assessment. As expected, we were asked us to identify the common grape variety and our justification. My justification was based on the varying levels of oak usage throughout the wines in the flight.

Then I looked at the final question, and it threw me for a bit of a loop. It stated that all three wines were from a country in the Southern Hemisphere, and we were asked to identify and justify each wine’s country of origin. My confidence took a hit, but I gave it my best shot…and it turns out I got them all correct! How did I do it? Let’s break it down.

  1. Wine #1: This wine was light, delicate and crisp. It had good acidity with bright, citrusy flavors and aromas of lemon, lime and green apple along with a steely minerality. It was the lightest bodied of the three wines and had very little to no oak influence. I correctly guessed this wine was from New Zealand. New Zealand is known for very clean wines with great purity of fruit. New Zealand’s rich history in the dairy industry meant they had a deep and long-standing commitment to cleanliness and anti-bacterial production processes, which gave their wine industry a significant advantage when it started up in the 1970s. Winemakers in New Zealand prefer to showcase this fresh, clean fruit character rather than mask it with excess oak. Dog Point Chardonnay 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand.
  2. Wine #2: This wine was refined and elegant, with nice oak character on the nose, but it was well integrated with ripe citrus and peach notes. It was medium bodied with a slightly creamy texture from malolactic fermentation, but wasn’t overly buttery at all. If I hadn’t known it was a Southern Hemisphere wine, I would have guessed Burgundy. That was actually a clue that led me to correctly identify this wine as South African. As with many South African wines, this region sits decidedly between Old World and New World in style. Their wines are flavorful and ripe due to the warm new world climate, but offer the elegance and balance often seen in old world wines. In fact, this wine was from Franschoek, an area of South Africa that was settled by the French, who introduced their knowledge and style of French viniculture that can still be found in many of the wines today. Cape Chamonix Chardonnay 2019, Franschhoek, South Africa.
  3. Wine #3: This was the biggest and oakiest of the wines in the flight. The oak was dominant, almost to the point where it was tricky to pick out distinct fruit characters. On the palate it was big and full bodied with a buttery texture. I could have gone with either Chile or Australia on this one, but correctly chose Chile. I find Chilean wines to be most similar to Californian wines, especially those from the warm Central Valley. They are big, rich and fruity, but have a distinct earthy character that separates them from California. This wine also showed very little elegance and didn’t have as much balancing acidity to offset its weight. It was the lowest quality wine of the flight. Both Australia and Chile produce a good amount of inexpensive wine, but it was the acidity that led me to Chile. I tend to find Australian wines, even at the lower quality levels, have good acidity (many times because they generously add acidity to wines that are often over-baked from that hot Aussie sun). The big style, loads of oak and moderate acidity led me to a Central Valley Chardonnay from Chile. Chateau Los Boldos Tradition Reserve Chardonnay 2021, Cachapoal, Chile.

There are always wide ranging variations on a wine’s style within a country or wine region, so while these rules may apply generally, you will not always find them to be true in every wine you try from these regions. There are plenty of low-quality, bulk wines to be found in South Africa, and similarly, there are many phenomenal, high quality, elegant wines to be found in Chile. One of the things to remember about these wine exams is that they are not always trying to trick you. In many cases, they want you to be able to identify the “classic” or “common” markers of a wine/region/country.

If you haven’t yet started exploring Southern Hemisphere Chardonnays, you can always use the guidance above to start with the country that most suits your Chardonnay palate. Cheers, and happy exploring!

 

 

Turf War over To-Kalon

To-Kalon (pronounced toe-kah-lon) is one of the most historic, famous and disputed names in Napa Valley history. Is it a vineyard? Is it a brand? Some of the Valley’s most prestigious personalities – Robert Mondavi and Andy Beckstoffer – have been battling each other over these questions for decades.

Why is this specific piece of land in Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA so special? Here the soils have a high portion of gravel, which makes them free-draining, forcing vines to root deeply in search of water. When vines struggle, they become healthier, more resistant to drought and disease, and produce lower yields of better quality fruit.

Some of the best, most prestigious wines in Napa Valley come from the To-Kalon vineyard, which is reflected in very high price tags. Today, there are eight owners of the parceled off vineyard – Mondavi, Opus One, MacDonald, Detert, Andy Beckstoffer, U.C. Davis, Wilsey/Traina and the Napa Valley Grape Growers. Opus One sells $300/bottle, Schrader’s Beckstoffer To-Kalon sells for $400, and MacDonald sells for $700.

In the beginning…

It all began in 1868 when Hamilton Walker Crabb purchased 240 acres of farmland in Oakville. He planted the land with a wide variety of experimental grape vines and named it Hermosa Vineyards. In 1881 he purchased an adjoining 119 acre parcel of land and renamed the business To-Kalon, meaning “the place of highest beauty” in Greek. In 1891, he expanded for a third time, adding on another 135 acres. He became the third largest winemaking in Napa at the time and garnered both domestic and international claim for his wines.

In 1899 Crabb died and his land was fragmented and sub-parcels changed hands a number of times until Robert Mondavi began purchasing plots of To-Kalon in 1966. He started with a 12-acre parcel and by 1978 was the majority owner of Crabb’s original 1881 plot. In 1988, Mondavi trademarked the name “To-Kalon” and in 1994 trademarked “To-Kalon Vineyard”. Today, the majority of the vineyard as well as the trademarks are owned by the behemoth, Constellation Brands, due to its purchase of Robert Mondavi in 2004.

The battle ensues…

The second largest holder was Beaulieu Vineyards with 89 acres. This parcel was purchased by famous Napa grapegrower, Andy Beckstoffer, in 1993 who sold grapes from this parcel to other winemakers. Beckstoffer convinced Schrader Cellars to label their wine “Beckstoffer Original To-Kalon Vineyard.” Mondavi then sued Schrader for use of the To-Kalon name.

Both Schrader and Beckstoffer filed separate counter suits on the basis that To-Kalon is a place, not a marketing concept. Beckstoffer argued that Mondavi was misleading consumers by labeling their wines “To-Kalon” when the grapes being used were not from the original Crabb vineyard.

The conclusion…

The suit was settled in 2003 under undisclosed terms, but Beckstoffer reserved the right to allow his clients to use the To-Kalon name. The result has led to labeling confusion. Wines made from Beckstoffer’s grapes using the To-Kalon label are subject to labeling laws based on geographic location, meaning 95% of the grapes in such a bottle must be from the To-Kalon vineyard.

However, since Mondavi’s claim to the name is based on a marketing trademark, it is not subject to the same rules. So Mondavi may use the To-Kalon name on any bottle it desires, regardless of where those grapes come from! Constellation’s position is that To-Kalon is not a place, regardless of the historical records that suggest otherwise.

There are two other owners of smaller parcels of Crabb’s original To-Kalon vineyard – MacDonald and Detert – highly acclaimed, family-owned wineries that are not allowed to use the To-Kalon name on their wines.

But wait, there’s more!

In 2017, Constellation started a new wine brand called To-Kalon Vineyard. They attempted to file further trademarks on the To-Kalon name, but Beckstoffer put up firm opposition in court and Constellation abandoned the effort.

MacDonald has also filed a petition to have the To-Kalon vineyard added to the National Registry of Historic Places, which is being fought by Constellation. At the same time, a suit was filed against Constellation by The Vineyard House (owned by Far Niente and Nickel and Nickel proprietor, Jeremy Nickel) claiming that Robert Mondavi’s To-Kalon trademark was obtained fraudulently and deceptively. The suit was dismissed by a federal judge, but Constellation in turn sued The Vineyard House for their use of To-Kalon on one of their wine labels.

Constellation continues to adamantly support the position that To-Kalon is a brand, not a place. While defenders of the vineyard, MacDonald and Beckstoffer, are concerned the original vineyard and its special terroir will be forgotten someday due to these trademarks being used on wines that can originate anywhere.

 

My 5 Favorite Wine Apps

The world of smart phone apps can be incredibly valuable, but also stunningly overwhelming. With millions of apps to choose from, most of us probably rely on word-of-mouth recommendations or the latest hot thing to determine what we are going to download.

It’s no different in the world of wine apps. With hundreds of wine-related apps out there, which ones are the best? I have tried many wine apps, but there are only a handful that I come back to on a regular basis, and I wanted to share those with you.

  1. Vivino

Vivino is not only free to download, but it is the world’s largest and most popular wine app. There is a reason why millions of people use Vivino – it is a fantastic way to determine whether the bottle you are buying is any good. It is powered by a gigantic user community of people who enter ratings and reviews of the wines they drink. When you pick up a bottle, just take a photo of the label and the app will pull up that bottle in seconds with its user rating. The Vivino database has more than 10 million different wines, so there is a very good chance the bottle you are considering is in there. The app also provides shops that carry that wine, allowing you to immediately purchase it and have it shipped to you.

I also use Vivino as a way to track every bottle I drink. I can photograph the label and store that wine in my Vivino account, along with the date and location of where I had it. If I am ever trying to recall that amazing bottle my husband and I had at that little restaurant in New Orleans, it’s right at our fingertips.

2. Wine Searcher

It’s not always possible to find that unique or highly sought after bottle at your local wine shop. In my little rural town in central western New Jersey, it can be difficult to find a specific bottle I am looking for anywhere within reasonable driving distance. That’s when I turn to Wine-Searcher.

When you type a wine into Wine-Searcher it will return to you the shops that have that bottle in inventory along with the price. It becomes super easy to find and purchase your desired wine at the best price available. The app is free to download and use, but the free version will return to you a limited list of results. If you want to unlock the full list of results, you can upgrade to Wine-Searcher Pro for $65 per year.

3. Vinocell

If you have a growing wine collection that is becoming difficult to keep track of, you are probably considering downloading an app to help you organize your inventory. There are dozens of wine cellar tracking apps out there and I think I have tried just about all of them. The one I stuck with was Vinocell.

Vinocell costs $8.99 to download. What I really like about it is that it is very easy to enter a new wine into the system. Vinocell has about 1 million wines in its database, so when you want to enter a new wine, you can find it in the database and add it to your cellar, along with all of the accompanying data – wine, grape, region, price, maturity dates, etc. You don’t have to enter all of that information manually for each wine.

Vinocell has a ton of features including storing photos of wine labels, graphically laying out your wine cellar racks and identifying the location of each bottle, adding professional wine ratings, getting detailed statistics of your cellar, and being able to filter and sort on any piece of data in the system. I also love that my husband and I can sync our cellar data, so we both have the same up-to-date view of our cellar on our individual phones.

4. Wine Spectator

Many folks in the wine industry love to hate professional wine ratings. They hate how a good wine rating drives the purchase of a wine, when there are so many amazing bottles out there that go unrated and unappreciated. There is also the underlying specter of cheating in the wine rating system – can ratings really be trusted or is there favoritism occurring?

These are all valid concerns. However, from a consumer perspective, with so many bottles of wine out there, no one wants to spend their hard-earned money randomly selecting a wine that ends up tasting terrible. The best way to find a good wine is to ask your knowledgeable wine store employee. That said, wine ratings play an important role in helping people chose wines on their own that they will have a greater likelihood of enjoying.

There are dozens of professional wine rating systems out there, but my favorite is the ubiquitous Wine Spectator. The WS Wine Ratings app is free to download, and requires a $2.99/month subscription for the content. I prefer WS because after drinking many wines with different ratings, I feel that WS ratings are more in line with my taste preferences than some other rating systems. I also find them to be tougher in their ratings, so if a wine earns a high WS score I know it is very likely to be deserving of that score. The WS app allows me to pull up ratings in wine stores and at restaurants to help me narrow down my purchasing decisions.

5. Wine Events

As a wine blogger, I think I would go broke if I had to buy a full bottle of wine every time I wanted to try something new. Wine events are a wonderful way to taste new wines, varieties and producers without committing to full bottle costs. They are also a lot of fun!

Living out in the boonies, it can be challenging to find wine-related events. The Wine Events app has been a great resource to find wine events happening near me. The app is free to download and use. So get out there and start drinking!

Back to School Wines

Back to School time can either drive you to drink from the stress of trying to get kids up and out early, dealing with massive amounts of homework, frenemy drama, and constantly rushing kids to multiple sports and activities. Or it can be a cause to raise your glass in celebration for getting back on a schedule, not having to pay for summer camp anymore, not having to find ways to keep the kids busy/entertained, and getting some breathing room.

No matter your situation, here are a few wine recommendations to celebrate or cope with Back to School, expertly paired with your child’s grade.

Preschool/Kindergarten

No first day of school is harder than when your little one goes off to school for the very first time. For many moms, this is the first time their child has been away from them for any length of time, and certainly the first time their child is being left in the care of “strangers” for the day. Tears are very likely to be shed. For those moms crying into their wine on the first day, I am recommending a wine with some salinity (a salty character).

Albariño is a white wine from the Galicia and Rias Baixas regions of Spain, located on the Atlantic coast. This is a light-bodied wine that is both fruity and floral. It has lemon, lime, peach, and nectarine characteristics with a slightly bitter finish reminiscent of grapefruit. Due to its proximity to the ocean, the sea air imparts a slightly briney character on the wine. This wine is fresh and zippy and should be drunk young. It is excellent paired with seafood.

Recommended: La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, $17

Elementary School

The elementary school years are the easiest and most fun. Kids at this age love to learn and relish every lesson, while homework is still generally light and they are not yet overwhelmed by workload and exams. The kids grow attached to their teachers and make lots of new friends. Elementary schools still have classroom parties and field days. These fun years deserve an equally fun and easy-drinking wine. Nothing is more cheery than a glass of pretty pink rosé.

Rosé can made from several different grape varieties in a number of different styles, from light to full-bodied, and dry to sweet. The most popular style of rosé is from Provence, France, which is typically light, crisp and dry with aromas of strawberry, watermelon and roses. For a slightly fuller-bodied style, try a rosé from Spain or California.

Recommendation: Bodegas Muga Rosé Rioja, Spain, $15

Middle School

Middle School is an awkward time for many children with lots of changes. School is getting more difficult and friendships are beginning to develop lots of drama. However, these are also the years where we hold on to our childrens’ sweet innocence even harder before they truly grow up. Middle school requires a wine that is getting more serious, but is still approachable and enjoyable.

Pinot Noir is a finicky grape that can be difficult to grow due to its delicate, thin skin and need for a moderate climate. However, when done right, it produces a lighter-bodied, easy drinking wine with juicy red fruit characters of cherry and raspberry, and notes of flowers, vanilla and mushroom. It is one of the most popular wines in the world, with the very best coming from Burgundy, France (along with very high prices). Other regions that produce excellent Pinot Noir at more moderate prices are Oregon and New Zealand.

Recommendation: A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir, Oregon, $17

High School

High school – the dark years. You now have cranky and rebellious teenagers who think all adult are idiots, grunt rather than speak, and hide in their rooms for hours on end huddled with their smart phones. Schoolwork is so difficult that many parents (me included) cannot offer any help, exams are an everyday occurrence, preparing for college is a full-time job, and sports and other activities are all-consuming. The dark years require an equally deep, dark wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most popular wine, and for good reason. It is full-bodied and concentrated with black fruit characteristics (blackberry, black cherry, black currant) and toasty flavors from oak aging. It’s a big wine that can easily handle big moments in life. Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux, France is renowned the world over. Napa Valley is equally well regarded (and my personal favorite). Yet both regions have prices that match the high demand. Excellent Cabernet can still be had at more moderate prices in regions such as Chile, Argentina and Australia.

Recommendation: Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, $20

College

You made it this far, now it’s time to celebrate! Although there is still plenty of parenting ahead of you, you have gotten your children though to independence and adulthood. There’s no time like the present to pat yourself on the back and raise a glass to a job well done.

Sparkling wine (simply known as “bubbles”) is the perfect companion for celebrations. There are several different ways of producing sparkling wine, which I promise to cover in a future blog post. However, only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France can be labelled as Champagne, and these also command some of the highest prices. Not to worry, though. There are plenty of delicious bubbles out there at very reasonable prices, including Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy and Sparkling Wine from California.

Recommendation: Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, $19

Cheers!