Food, Wine, Culture TV- Episode 2: WineBloggingWednesday 48 - Back to my wine “roots” in Detroit!

Today is WineBloggingWednesday (which I talk about in the video) and the theme is taking it back to you roots. My wine “roots” began in Detroit with some cheap “wine” and slowly progressed to high end California Cabernet. Join me (and special guest Carlos L) for a tasting, beginning where I began and ending where I was 5 years ago- Drinking big Cali Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends. (Links pertaining to this episode and truncated tasting notes are below the video)
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Ordering wine in a restaurant: “By-the-glass” offers a fun learning experience (4 wines with steak)

After a few hours of working on the kitchen Saturday, Kim and I were getting hungry and it was getting late. 8:00 PM rolled around and we decided we wanted good steaks. Our favorite steakhouse in town is Fleming’s Primes Steakhouse and Wine Bar which offers 100 wines by the glass, an extensive reserve wine list and a variety of meats and seafood to satisfy any appetite. Beware that the wine prices are a bit high, but their by-the-glass list offers many good values, the food is always good, and the service is outstanding. So we called, squeezed in a 9:30 reservation and excitedly hurried over anticipating a great meal.  (Image from dreamstime.com)

Now, normally at a nice dinner I order a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of red wine at the beginning of the meal. This gives the wine time to sit in a decanter if necessary and helps us decide on what we are going to eat. At a steakhouse, it’s almost always a Cabernet or Bordeaux-blend, with the occasional Malbec or other miscellaneous varietal wine. On this night, though, we decided to try something different. SO we started our meal with a round of white wines by the glass, a Riesling and a Gewurztraminer to be precise. Both were quite good and perfect with our fried calamari appetizer. Read more

6 Reasons to Sneak Away From Lab For Lunch: Tasting Notes on Wines from Shafer Vineyards

Some lunches are good, others just OK. Today’s lunch was, well..outstanding.

I was invited by a friend (thanks Dae!) to join in on a tasting at Kali’s Court in Fells Point. The wines being poured were all from the California producer, Shafer, which are represented locally by Bacchus. This was quite the treat as Shafer is one of California’s premier producers. Located in Napa Valley’s Stag Leap District, Shafer produces some of the most highly sought-after California wines (especially their “Hillside Select” Cabernet). Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the wines. Although they aren’t priced to be daily drinkers, these wines (with the exception of the Merlot) are worth their price and are a provide value for a special occasion.

Without further ado, the tasting notes: Read more

Tasting Notes: Chameleon Cellars and Bravante

Notes from a recent tasting. Overall, there wasn’t a “bad” wine in the bunch. Some were good, some were great. A few outstanding! The Chameleon Cellars wines are styled to let the fruit express itself and would be best consumed any night of the week with a good, simple food pairing. In contrast, the Bravante wines are complex, elegant examples of the potential of the fruits with good blends and the right amount of oak. These wines are built to stand up to big steaks, rich dishes, and for the most part are structured to last a few years in the cellar. Both producers are highly recommended - at least a few wines from each! In fact, I recommend that you go out and find a wine from either (or both) producer(s), drink it, write what you think, and e-mail them to me or post a comment! (These wines can be found online or at shops throughout Baltimore)

Without further ado, in the order we drank them:

2006 Chameleon Cellars Sauvignon Blanc North Coast: Tropical fruits and some mineral on the nose - honeydew, peach, apple, and jasmine on the palate - good acidity, nice crisp finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV (Good value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Grenache - Mendocino: Nose filled with cherry and raspberry, a touch of smoke and a mild wet dirt component. Lot’s of black cherry on the palate, light then becoming fuller with medium tannins. Would be great with rabbit. My rating: 87 pts, OKV

2003 Chameleon Cellars Charbono: Nose of spruce, herbs, eucalyptus, with cherry and white pepper on the palate. Overall good balance but could benefit from a touch more acidity. The finish is medium length and brings back a hint of herbs. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2005 Chameleon Cellars Carignane: The most widely planted grape in southeastern France, this Salono County Carignane was made from hillside vines and fruit from a warm growing season. The result is an earthy nose with a touch of chocolate. Good acidity with cherry notes, light in style with a smooth finish - very interesting wine that would pair nicely with a variety of wild game. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2005 Chameleon Cellars Syrah: Brilliant color and weight to this wine. Just approaching the glass with your nose you are bombarded with red pepper and spice. A lot of fruits stand out in the wine and the medium tannins are well integrated. More Old-World in style which is a good thing! My rating: 90 pts, VGV (Very Good Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Petit Sirah: Coming from 112 year old vines, this Petit Sirah is very good (tasted from 3 bottles). Dark purple color, aromas of dark cherry, spice and cigar box. Big, dark fruits and black pepper on the palate - great structure, big, chewy tannins and a 30 second finish. Drink one now and lay a few down for the next 5 years when it should peak. My rating: 91 pts, OV (Outstanding Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Barbera Mendocino: Beautiful bright color, vibrant red fruits, tightly wound but explosive - the wine is balanced and finishes crisp - a great pizza wine. My rating: 86 pts, GV

2004 Chameleon Cellars Zinfandel, Gordon Valley (Napa): Concentrated flavors, blackberry, blueberry, earth, spice, medium tannins. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2004 Chameleon Cellars Merlot: Plum, cherry, raspberry notes. As with many of the other Chameleon wines, the fruits really stand out, but this one lacks balance of the other wines. My rating: 86 pts, OKV (OK Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon: In this first effort at a Cabernet, Chameleon did a fine job. Don’t expect the creamy, oakiness of many other Cabs as this was designed to let the fruit shine. Earth notes, blackberry, black cherry, bell pepper, medium tannins with a bite. No formal rating was recorded during my tasting but from memory it was good. At the price, it’s worth trying to see if it’s your style. NR (No rating)

2004 Bravante Merlot - $38: Plum, cherry, touch of thyme. Good mid-palate filled with fruits and some acidity that becomes balanced into soft tannins. A touch of sweet fruit returns on the finish and is highlighted with black pepper. My rating: 88 pts, GV

2004 Bravante Trio, $40: This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc is quite good. Lot’s of black fruits and buttered toast, dried herbs on the nose. The wine is complex with chocolate, blackberry, and some sweet cedar, has great structure and balance and finishes with layers of flavors and big tannins - I’d lay a few bottles down (if you can find them!) for 3 or more years. My rating: 93 pts, VGV

2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon - $50: Consistent with my previous notes: dark fruits, deep color, herb, vanilla. Not decanted this time around, but it drank nicely. My rating: 92 pts, GV

2003 Bravante Simpatico - $75: This was my wine of the night - layers and layers of dark fruits, earth, cherry, cigar box, anise, spice. Huge body, big tannins, a Cadillac among Fiats. Big, long finish, did I mention this wine is big? Pricey but worth it if you like big California Cabs (wine is roughly 80% Cab Sauvignon and 20% Cab Franc) can find a few bottles of this very limited release. For best enjoyment, lay it down for at least 5 years maybe 10 or more! My rating: 94 pts, CV (this wine has “cellar” or “collectible” value - meaning if you can afford it, definitely go for it!).

Tasting Notes: 5 California wines you’ve definitely heard of - Part I

As my tasting notes are piling up, I decided to post this first installment of “California Wines You’ve Definitely Heard Of”. All of the wines I’ll put in this series are quite popular and can be found on the shelves of almost any wine shop or on the wine list at many restaurants. These were all tasted in the last two months (10/07 - 12/07) with many more to come!

2004 Cakebread Suavignon Blanc ($35): Nose and palate of grapefruit, honey, melon and a bit of vanilla. Good acidity but the alcohol was too much. My rating: 84 pts - PV

2004 Cakebread Chardonnay ($40): Great golden color with a lot of citrus flavors, apples, and a touch of jasmine. Well balanced with good acidity and a great finish. My rating: 92 pts - GV

2004 Bernardus Chardonnay ($20): Buttered popcorn, lemon, and a lot of oak. Good acidity, overall was pretty good, but maybe a little too oaky. My rating: 86 pts - GV

2004 Whitehall Lane Merlot ($30): This Merlot has all the right things going on. The nose is filled with blackberry, plum and dark cherry and a touch of spice. On the palate are flavors of fig, cherry, spice and smoke with good balance and a pleasant finish. Even if you don’t like Merlot, it’s worth giving this one a try. My rating: 92 pts - VGV

2004 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon ($70): Filled with dark fruits, berry, currant, chocolate, touch of oak. Firm tannins, long finish. Another great wine from a great producer. Approachable now, better in a year or two. My rating: 93 pts. - GV

“No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f***ing Merlot!”

It’s very likely that if you’re reading a wine blog you’re like me and have seen the movie Sideways, which was released in 2004. Therefore you’re familiar with the scene in which the main character, and wine expert, Miles puts his foot down stating that he will not under any circumstance drink a Merlot! A fan of good Pinot Noir, Miles hates Merlot - it’s boring and not worth his time. Unfortunately, his opinion in the movie has become a classic example of how trends in Hollywood, fiction or otherwise, can effect public opinion and interests. Since the release of the movie Sideways, Merlot sales have gown down significantly in the United States (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15501876/). This is rather unfortunate since Merlot at it’s best can be quite remarkable.

Merlot’s are medium bodied wines that can have a velvety texture offering dark berries, cassis and plum notes. The grape thrives in cool soil and is at it’s best in France, Italy, California and Washington State. It’s often found as a blend, such as in Bordeaux where it may be combined with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, producing some of the greatest wines in the world. In other regions, such as Italy, a Merlot/Sangiovese blend results in an elegant, balanced wine.

In an attempt to prevent you from falling into the trap of inadvertent pop-culture advertising/media/trends/etc!, I offer these suggestions for Merlot’s that are sure to impress you and your wine-movie-buff friends. Always remember to try a wine, or in this case many different wines of a particular grape, before you conclude it’s not any good (you’d be surprised how often people do not do this!).

• Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot (2001) - My rating: 91 pts - $35
• Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot (2002) - My rating: 87 pts -$13
• Concha y Toro Merlot Marques de Casa Concha (2005) - My rating: 90 pts - $20
• Stags’ Leap Estate Reserve Merlot (2002) -My rating: 92 pts - $50
• Chalk Hill Merlot Sonoma (2001) - My rating:94 pt - $50 (if you can find it!)

Have a merlot that you feel would change peoples minds after seeing sideways? Leave a comment!

Columbia Crest Merlot 2003 - $10

This 2003 from the Columbia Valley, in Washington State reminds me that good wine can be found for under $10. The wine shows nice fruits of blackberry and raspberry. It’s creamy texture was very pleasing. A hint of thyme shows up briefly, the a medium finish that has some spice and lingers fine chocolate notes. This wine was good for the price. My rating: 87 pts