Repost of an Oldie, But a Goodie...New Year, New Wine: Sparkling Alternatives to Champagne

Why recreate the wheel? Last year I published this article in BlackBook Magazine and I think it still applies, so here's the repost (with a few edits)!

The only caveat I'll mention -- the poor economy means if you want real Champagne this year, it's going to be cheaper than normal...stock up, because everyone in the wine industry believes that 2011 is going to be a good year. The low prices won't be around when we usher in '12.

New Year, New Wine: Sparkling Alternatives to Champagne

By Elizabeth Schneider

December 29, 2009

It’s New Year’s again, and whether you think it’s the ultimate party or the ultimate amateur night, you’re probably drinking a sparkling beverage. Notice that I didn’t say “Champagne.” You can only use the word Champagne for sparkling wine if it comes from the Champagne region of France, and is made in the serious and complicated old-school method. With the economy still in the tank, it may be better to venture beyond this esteemed region (and its $30+ price tags) and find some bottles that are unique and affordable, while being every bit as bubbly.

If you’re already in the French section at the liquor store, you can stay put because the little-known secret is that you can get awesome sparkling wine for half the price of Champagne right there. Les Français have protected the name of Champagne, so only wines from that region carry the name, but the techniques used to make it are employed all over France, masquerading under the name “Crémant.” If you want to be really savvy, pick up a Crémant d’Alsace made from Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or Riesling. Or try a Crémant de la Loire for a sparkling Chenin Blanc, or a Crémant of Chardonnay from Limoux in Southern France. All completely rock and some are even better than the original Champagne, especially if you consider the value for the price.

We all know the Spanish love to party. What you may not know is that they do it with bubbly just like everyone else. The Spanish learned how to make their version of sparkling wine, Cava, from the French. The only difference—it’s about one third the price of Champagne and it uses native Spanish grapes. These are probably the best values in bubbles and they are pure pleasure for your mouth. If you find a rose Cava, buy it immediately.

For something light and fruity, report directly to the Italian section and try Prosecco. You can pick some decent stuff up for $10, and if you spend $15 or $20 the difference is huge. Regardless of price, all these bubblies are floral, light, and fruity. They may be less serious than Champagne, but they are still a great way to get your effervescence fix.

Wines from the U.S. are another option, but proceed with caution. Our sparkling wines tend to be overpriced and underwhelming. Some are just plonk. There is one producer in New Mexico [Gruet] of all places, that makes some great-value sparkling wine. If you can get some from Washington State, you may have a real find. Still, my vote is to stick with Europe. You won’t regret it. No matter what you choose, be safe, and have a fabulous time toasting 2011 with your alternative bubbly.

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Elizabeth Schneider is a Certified Sommelier, Certified Specialist of Wine, and wine educator in Atlanta who teaches about wine in a normal, relatable way. For more of her musings please visit her blog Wine for Normal People http://winefornormalpeople.blogspot.com/, Wine For Normal People's Facebook Page or see her on Twitter @normalwine.

Photo attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

Fritz Winery: A Subterranean Wine Delight!

A few weeks ago I had occasion to visit Fritz Winery in the far northern Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County. I'd been to this amazing cave built into the side of a hill in Cloverdale a few years back and really enjoyed my experience there, so I was worried when MC Ice and I drove up.

After a bad experience at Bella, which has suffered a precipitous decline in quality AND after learning that the owner of Lynmar, which was a (controversial) non-fave of mine, is the brother of Clayton Fritz who runs this place, I was a little concerned. But upon rolling up to the cave (which we learned goes down 3 stories and is 200 feet deep, hence provides a natural gravity flow and natural air conditioning for the wine -- very cool), and trying a few of the wines, I realized that nothing had changed...quality remains at this little gem.

Fritz was built with the idea of creating a sustainable winery that didn't need expensive cooling systems and could use gravity to feed the grapes straight from the vineyard to the tank with little human intervention and no energy usage (after sorting and destemming they are pushed over into a subterranean tank, which is much gentler on the grapes). It was built in the late 1970s by Jay Fritz -- he was definitely part of the first wave of 20th century environmentalists and its great that the Winery stayed in the family and is still churning out great wine (although I do wish they would convert their vineyards to organic farming to take the environmental thing to its fullest extent).

For a standalone property, the Winery is kind of big in size, making 10,000 to 12,000 cases of wine (120,000 to 144,000 bottles) per year, depending on harvest. They make a ton of varieties but they are best known for Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Although good, I think there's a sleeper in their bunch, but I'll save that for the end of the post.

Here's the review of the 5 wines tried.

Wine #1: Fritz Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Price: $18

Color: Almost platinum in color, this was one of the palest California Sauvignon Blancs I'd seen. I expected either something watery or something with super high acid. Either way, lack of color was telling me the grapes were grown in a cooler climate where the vines were most likely kept in check -- which means no stem-like bitterness, which occurs with Sauv Blanc when not pruned and grown in cooler places.

Smell: The wine smelled like a classic California Sauvignon Blanc. What the hell does that mean? Cali tends to produce Sauv Blanc with some grapefruit and cat pee (seriously) aromas, but also a melon-y, abundantly floral (like gardenia or white jasmine or hyacinth), fig-like character that I find is really unique to this state.

Taste: This was a real surprise. The wine tasted unmistakably like a fresh, ripe mango -- something I've never tasted in a Sauvignon Blanc. It had secondary flavors like grapefruit and lemon and a really great floral note, but the overriding essence -- mango all the way. Great acid made the wine very fresh and bright too. Super unique.

Drink or down the sink? Drink! I usually don't love this style of Sauvignon Blanc: I like the kind that rips the enamel off my teeth and is all grapefruit and lemons (New Zealand or French SB does the trick usually). But this was so different without being oaky that it was great. Whether it be the cooler site or the 20% of the wine that is fermented and aged in old oak barrels to mellow out the flavor, I don't know, but I dug it. I like to taste something completely different in wine from time to time and this fits the bill!

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Wine #2: Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Price: $45

Color: This wine was a golden yellow. Dark -- which can mean a few things: oak aging, an older wine, ripe fruit, or sugar in a wine. Here, given that it was Chardonnay, I assumed it was oak all the way.

Smell: And the smell confirmed that! Although tart apple from the grape shone through, the predominant aromas were all from oak -- burnt toast, bread, vanilla, and most prominently, a buttered English muffin (Thomas's, of course). It tasted like something to eat, not drink.

Taste: This was a traditional Russian River Valley style -- a green apple and lemon backbone was layered to the hilt with lots of flavors from oak. Caramel, croissant, and burnt toast were all over this wine. There was a very creamy, buttery mouthfeel from a secondary (malolactic) fermentation too. Classic style.

Drink or down the sink? This is one of Fritz's flagship wines, but I think it's imbalanced. The oak and malolactic fermentation overpowered the fruit and left me a little cold. There was just too much winemaker influence and not enough natural fruit flavor for me. It was overdone and this place makes so many better wines that this, I'm giving it a thumbs down.

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Wine #3: Dry Creek Valley Estate Zinfandel
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Zinfandel
Vintage: 2008
Price: $25

Color: I was excited by the color of this Zin. It was like the skin of a ripe black plum or plum juice (or before it was re-branded -- hilarious, BTW -- prune juice). It had a watery edge, which is typical of Zin and thick, heavy legs, indicating lots and lots of alcohol (14.5% is pretty standard for Zin -- and pretty high by most standards!).

Smell: A little lighter than what I'd expected, but still lush and full of berry goodness. Raspberry, ripe strawberry, and a little dark cherry filled my nose. It was like a briar patch! Then there was a bit of leather, clove and a touch of vanilla. It was a more refined Zin nose, but still really good and pungent.

Taste: Again, kind of lighter than most Dry Creek Zins, but still the sour cherry and baked berry pie (cinnamon and strawberry) were really delicious. There was a character that I usually find in Syrah in this wine -- a meaty, bacon-like flavor that was edgy and satisfying. That leather and dark potting soil essence lingered in the background too.

Drink or down the sink? Sumptuous and subtle -- DRINK. I usually don't love more subtle Zins (it's probably one of the only wines where I want a fruit bomb) but this was so well done. A great blend of fruit, meatiness, and earth make this wine a real winner. Love it.

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Wine #4: Estate Malbec
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Malbec
Vintage: 2008
Price: $35

Making Malbec in Sonoma is a ballsy move. I applaud Fritz for trying it. The conditions aren't Mendoza, Argentina-like for the grape, or even like Southwestern France, so it's a risk. I like that they experimented by making 140 cases of this.

Color: Malbec is traditionally a highly pigmented grape. They call it "black wine" in Cahors, France, where it is bottled as "Côt." This one held its color through to the watery, plummy edge. At least in color, this seemed like a good showing for Malbec.

Smell: Malbec to me is a bowl of dark berries and soft vanilla and oak smells. This was a little different. The parcel of land on which the wine is grown is on the estate right on the line between the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. Either this vintage, or the site seems a little hot for Malbec given the nose of overripe, scorched fruit, prune, and boysenberry compote. There was a bit of leather and vanilla on the nose, but I would have liked more.

Taste: This was a little more like cranberry juice than boysenberry! Slightly bitter with a bit of band-aid taste (that's often from brettanomyces, a yeast that naturally occurs on grape skins and can add an awesome complexity to the wine in low levels but can be a little overwhelming in higher levels), this wasn't what I expected from the nose or wasn't what I generally like in a Malbec.

Drink or down the sink? I know I was harsh on this wine, but really I would like to taste it again in a few years because the palate didn't align with the nose and I think it may just be that the wine needs a little more time to integrate and relax. Right now, I wouldn't drink it, but I'd love to try it again in 2 years and see where it's gone. Although the nose was a little over-ripe, the components of fruit and vanilla were there, and the fact that they didn't show on the palate says to me this story's not over yet!

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Wine #5: Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Price: $35.00

Color: A crimson color. A dark ruby with purple tinges. I expected lots and lots of flavor -- it stained the glass and had cankles, the legs were so thick.

Smell: What a fresh smell! This smelled like a berry briar. It smelled like boysenberry and blackberry picked right off the bush. These lovely bright, natural tones were highlighted by dark earth, leather, and cola notes.

Taste: Dark berries and blueberry were so lush and ripe on this wine. It tasted like dark violets and roses. The wine had cinnamon and mocha notes and then complex flavors. Soy, balsamic vinegar (not in a bad way), and a little hint of gasoline were present but against the backdrop of lush berry and mocha notes. The texture was satiny and buttery in feel, even though there was a touch of astringency from the tannins.

Drink or down the sink? Drink this. What a value and what a wine! I was impressed by its layers and complexity. I love Fritz for many reasons, but it's rich reds (which it's not known for) are the jewels in its crown in my opinion. A great Cab...especially for $35!!

One final note before I sign off, which is that I was slightly disappointed that they weren't pouring what I think is their "sleeper" -- a wine that blows all of these away and is Fritz's best in my opinion: the Syrah. I know it's not a very popular variety right now, but I love it and I love Fritz's version. We bought 3 bottles to bring home and I'll revisit the wine again when we crack them open. In the meantime, check out the (very old) post I wrote on the wine last year!

Cheers and thanks for reading!

Christmas for Non-Christians: How the Other Quarter Drinks and Eats on 12/25

Ok, so Christians make up 33% (give or take) of the world's population and 70% - 75% in countries like the US, Canada, and the UK, where most of you are located. That means that on December 24th and 25th most of you are going to be doing stuff like hanging stockings, waiting for Santa (maybe this year you could give him a nice Bordeaux instead of milk? It pairs well with chocolate chip cookies, FYI), cooking a Christmas goose, and opening tons of presents while admiring your illuminated, beautiful tree. Who could ask for more?

No one...except maybe those of you who are dreading dinner with the in-laws, lame conversation with distant family members, and the fake face you have to make when you open the box with the hideous shirt that you have to pretend to like ("I thought since it was from Banana Republic you would like it, right?" You better hope there's a gift receipt...).

So instead of doing what most other bloggers are doing -- giving you pairings for Christmas dinner -- I'm going to give you the skinny on how much of the other 25-30% lives on Christmas, while you're kicking it with the fam.

Ever wonder what your [fill in the blank -- Jewish, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist] friends DO on these holiest of days? As a Jew, I feel I can speak with some authority, and give you the real deal. If you're not headed to a Christian friend's house, you've got a busy day in front of you...and one that, if planned right, is full of drinking lots of wine.

The trick is excellent advanced planning. While most of you are out picking up last minute stocking stuffers and food and wine to go with your lasagna or goose or turkey, non-Christians are hitting the wine store in anticipation of several different wine consuming occasions over the next evening and day.

Perhaps now you're curious. If so, keep reading -- no secrets here.

Let's take this chronologically:

Christmas Eve.
This is the night where you catch up on all Netflix and DVR recordings. If you're lucky, a pizzeria around you may deliver. If not, cereal or pasta may be on the menu, followed by a marathon of Gossip Girl, The Sopranos, Fringe, or the Twilight Saga movies. The marathon must be accompanied by a rich hearty red, to keep you warm as you cuddle up on the couch with a fleece blanket (wine suggestions at the bottom of this post).

Christmas Day.

AM. Since there's no anticipation of what Santa may have left, non-Christians can either safely sleep until noon or just wake up and treat this day like any other. Going off the "it's 5 o'clock somewhere" rule, a 10:00 AM mimosa may be on the menu. (The secret to a perfect mimosa: Make sure you pick up the cheapest bottle of sparkling wine possible for the mix -- they tend to be sweet and have huge bubbles, which complement the orange juice perfectly). Continuing the theme from the previous evening, the Netflix marathon commences during your down time in the day. We often also take a nice walk (No one is out. No one. It's amazing).

Anti-lunch. On this day, lunch is either brunch or it's a throwaway meal. No wine required. It's bagels or leftovers, but nothing major.

Early Bird Dinner. And around 4:30, the main eating event begins. I used to live with my sister in Boston and we always meticulously planned dinner -- it was either Chinese (where every single Jew in Boston would be, so there'd be a wait) or Indian (less crowded but less festive as well). Why not Thai or Korean? Theses were usually closed! So we would alternate between the two each year. To these restaurants, we bring our own wine.

Here's the beauty in that -- regardless of the eastern cuisine chosen, our BYO wine choices (the corkage or BYO fee was always like $5 or $10 so it was worth it!) are pretty much the same. The same wines that complement the warm spice in Indian, can also go with the hot spice and saltiness of the Chinese -- it's a perfect pairing storm. So if we decide on something low key or something more "scene-y" (yes, if you enter a Chinese food restaurant on Christmas, there will be lots of people there, all presenting themselves in fascinating ways), it makes no difference. The stuff from our wine shop was going to work. How often do we get a pairingpalooza like that? That is our Christmas wish fulfilled for sure.

Mandatory Movie. Following our gawking session of/or participation in being the loudest, most unruly, and obnoxious people around at Chinese or just good food and a non-event at Indian, non-Christians hit the 6:00 pm movie. There is a two-fold reason for the mandatory movie. First, you can usually get to see what you want without the lines. Second, because you will be starving about 25 minutes after you leave the Chinese restaurant, you're going to need popcorn and Junior Mints as a refill.

There is a slight issue with the movie, which may take it off the docket in future years: Somehow this ritual has moved from a non-Christian underground day, to being a mainstream evening to hit the theaters. Whereas years ago this was always on the sched, in recent times it's less appealing than going home for one last glass of hearty red before turning in.

And there you have it. While you are unwrapping presents, eating Christmas goose or ham or whatever, and hanging out with family... about a quarter of the population is eating Chinese, obsessively viewing media, and drinking a ton of wine to stay warm!

Whatever you do this Christmas, be safe, enjoy, and drink great wine! __________________________________________________________

The Wine Shopping List

Christmas Eve Yummies...

Budget choices:

• Australian Shiraz (d'Arenberg's "The Footbolt" is great for less than $20)
• Argentinean Malbec (Kaiken is a great choice for around $12)
• Cabernet Sauvignon (McManis for $15 is awesome)
• Spanish Monastrell (Hecula for under $15 kicks ass)

Higher tier choices:

• Chateauneuf-du-Pape (if you want to spring, Beaucastel or Vieux Telegraphe)
  
• Bordeaux blend (Go big and get a classified growth from the right bank, you can find a great one for $50)
  
• Napa or Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (I love Darioush or Michel-Schlumberger)
  
• Gran Reserva Rioja (Muga, Marques de Riscal are solid choices)
  

Christmas Day Choices What, pray tell, are these wines that go so well with Asian food? There's a limited set and they are all white wines, so stock up in the next few days...

• German Riesling: Dry or a little sweet (Kabinett, Spatlese, or Auslese is what it will say on the bottle). The peachiness is delicious and soothes the spicy, hot bite, and goes well with the salt and sourness of a lot of the dishes. Try Schloss Reinhartshausen or Schloss Saarstein if you can get them.
  
• Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France: With its exotic spice aromatics and lower acid, this is an ideal complement for Indian but works great for sweet-'n-sour Chinese dishes too. Try Trimbach -- easy to find and delicious.
  
• Vouvray (Loire Valley, France). Vouvray is an area in the Loire Valley that makes whites from the Chenin Blanc grape. They run the gamut from dry to sweet, but an off-dry version is floral, rich in apple and peachy notes, and works for the same reasons Riesling -- this grape has got some acid to it. Lots of choices. If you want a cheapy, but a good-y, try the Le Chateau from Trader Joe's (it's like $7!)
  
• Sauvignon Blanc: One from France (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume) is a good bet. These have very straightforward flavors -- grapefruit, minerals, tart citrus -- and good acid to balance the saltiness of the dishes. These are probably better with Chinese, but with Indian Saag Paneer, you can't go wrong with a Sauv Blanc either. Lucien is a reliable and pretty well distributed Sancerre. For Pouilly-Fume, there are a ton of choices in the affordable section, but if you want the good stuff try something from Didier Dagueneau.

Hate white? There aren't a whole of red options that will pair with Asian/Indian. You don't want anything with too much complexity or it will ruin the food. For Chinese beef dishes, you could try an Aussie Shiraz. For duck, go for a fruity Central Coast Pinot Noir. All the other stuff, you won't regret going for the whites.

Sbragia: Unbelievable Views of Sonoma and Some Delicious Zin

About 6 weeks ago I visited Sbragia Family Vineyards (pronounced SBRRAH-jahh).

I went with some trepidation, after a friend who works for Foster's, a major wine conglomerate, told me that she could help arrange a tasting for me since it was part of their "family of brands."

Having worked at a gi-normous, hulking winery in California for several years, the offer had a loaded meaning for me. There were a few "family wineries" that said Hulking Winery had acquired and these were just corporate extensions of their big-ass adoptive parent. It bugged me because these formerly independent properties always had a very slick feel to them, post-takeover. They had marketing stories. They sold lots and lots of commercial products (tchotckes) inside the tasting rooms. It was all just too polished. I was worried Sbragia would be the same story.

But I also had hope for Sbragia. It was recommended by some Facebook fans and given that I'm all about what YOU want to know about, I was excited to go explore. That said, I didn't follow up on the offer from my friend and instead just did a drop in to see what it was really like.

Here's the weird thing about Sbragia. I found out that although Foster's does do marketing for the company (and it is kind of too slick for my taste), it really is a family affair. The brand was started in 2002 by Ed Sbragia, who has been the head winemaker at Beringer Estates for 30+ years (before you get too judge-y on Beringer, their low end stuff is bad and they make an assload of White Zinfandel, but their higher tier stuff is amazing. They are one of the oldest operations in Napa and their small lot Cabernets are awesome). Ed started Sbragia as a side project and then recruited his son to make wine with him. His son is a third generation winemaker, as Ed's dad, Gino Sbragia, was also a winemaker.

Four years after launching and using Beringer's equipment to make some smaller lots, the Sbragias bought a tasting room high on a hill with an amazing view of the Dry Creek Valley from Lake Sonoma Winery. Since that point, Sbragia has grown to 8,000 cases, making 13 different wines from five varieties (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon).

When MC Ice and I arrived it was pouring rain (my leopard print flats were drenched and I looked like a drowned rat -- hence the lack of pictures of me inside this place!). That said, the unbelievable view of the Sonoma Dam and the Dry Creek Valley were a draw for many -- the tasting room was packed. It's a huge space, with a very corporate feel, but despite that, the people working there were quite courteous and helpful. The place wasn't fun per se -- it was not boutique or especially warm -- but the staff was attentive and the people we dealt with managed the chaos around them really well. I don't know if I'd go back, but then again, maybe I would since on a sunny day we could soak in the sun outside on their huge deck and enjoy the insane views of the valley!

Sbragia's big flagships are Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. They do no blending -- everything is vineyard designated and several of the vineyards have 50+ year old vines.

Even though Ed Sbragia is a master with Cabernet because of his experience at Beringer, we were in the Dry Creek -- an area famed for Zinfandel, so we tried Sbragia's three Zins and their best Sonoma Cabernet. Although the staff touted its merits, I really didn't want to be drinking Napa Cab when I was in Sonoma -- I felt like it was disrespectful (Sonoma people generally dislike Napa folks, BTW. Just bring up the fact that you were in Napa to the tasting room peeps. You may get a comment like, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" As I said when I discussed Napa, you've got to choose wisely or you'll understand firsthand why the Sonoma folks say that!).

The Sbragias are proud of their heritage, as you'll see from the names of the wines...

Wine 1: Italo's Zinfandel
Where It's From: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: Zinfandel and Petite Sirah (I don't know the percentages, but it's at least 75% Zin!)
Vintage: 2007
Price: $28

This wine is from an old vineyard that the Sbragia family bought right after Prohibition, in the 1930s. Gino Sbragia and his brother Italo, started a winery that quickly failed. Needing to support his family, Gino went to work for a winery in San Francisco. Italo bought him out and lived and worked on the property his whole life.

The vineyards are located in the Alexander Valley, northeast of the Dry Creek Valley. It's a pretty warm area, which means grapes get very ripe and generally have high alcohol (remember that ripeness=high sugars and sugar converts to alcohol in fermentation). This is the second vintage of this wine, whose vines certainly have deep roots (pun intended).

Color: For a Zin, this was a pretty light color -- more light ruby than the rich maroon or crimson that I normally would expect in a flavorful, jammy Zin. The color indicated this could be a lighter style wine.

Smell: The wine had some really nice components. It was smelled like a berry pie -- baked blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries combined with warm cinnamon and nutmeg spice hit me instantly. There was a rich black pepper component too. It was shaping up to smell like the kind of Zinfandel I like and expect from Sonoma.

Taste: It tasted just like it smelled. I felt like I was munching on a warm berry pie -- the baked berries flavors were complemented by nutmeg and cinnamon. That delicious black pepper component stuck around on the finish. The wine had a hot feeling from the 14.3% alcohol too, but on a cold, rainy afternoon, it was welcome!

Drink or down the sink? Loved this Zin. You will rarely find me singing the praises of a jammy, unabashed, big fruit wine, but in Zinfandel, this is what I like and expect. I don't need much in a glass of Zin but big fruit, warm spice, and black pepper. Check. Check. Check. This is a great bottle of Zin.

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Wine 2: Gino's Vineyard Zinfandel
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 85% Zinfandel, 10% Carignane, 5% Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2007
Price: $28

Named after Ed Sbragia's dad, the five acre vineyard is 52 years old and the mix of grapes is an homage to the blend Gino used to make.

Color: A rich, dark center with a lighter pinkish rim, I expected more flavor from this than the lighter colored Italo's Zin.

Smell: I smelled a lot of oak on this wine instantly. There was an essence of warm, cooked berries, but the overwhelming smell was from oak -- vanilla, leather, and spice. It was similar to the Italo's Zin but with less fruit and more oak.

Taste: A very fruity Zin but with a soft finish. The wine was more like a cherry rhubarb pie with a little spice, than a rich berry pie. It was slightly less ripe and fruity than the Italo's Zin. There was a little bite on the finish and just a touch of bitterness and astringent tannins.

Drink or down the sink? A good wine, but I prefer the rich, ripe, abundant fruit in the Italo's Zin. The bitterness and bite from the Carignan and the Petite Sirah in the blend took away from the richness of the Zin. For me, Zin is all about the big fruit and spice and this wasn't quite there. That said, this was still a delicious wine and really well made. __________________________________________________________________

Wine 3: La Promessa Zinfandel
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Zinfandel
Vintage: 2007
Price: $32

La Promessa means "the promise" in Italian. Ed Sbragia says the vineyard represents the promise he made to Gino to keep winemaking alive in the family. The vineyard is right next to the Winery, in a very hot part of the Dry Creek Valley.

Color: The wine was a saturated maroon and very viscous. 15.4% alcohol will give you very thick, gloppy legs on the sides of the glass, as the alcohol separates from the water and runs down the sides of the glass very S-L-O-W-L-Y. Clearly the alcohol was going to burn my esophagus!

Smell: A totally different wine from the previous two, this was all about non-fruit flavors for me. It had a burnt quality to it -- like charred oak. There were distinguished smells of maple glazed ham or bacon. The wine smelled like cooking fat and like balsamic vinegar, but not as if the wine had turned -- I think this may have been an alcohol-like smell that I interpreted as vinegar.

Taste: A unique wine, it tasted to me more like a liqueur than a fruity Zinfandel. Brandy and a peppermint schnapps essence mingled with some astringent, mouth-drying tannins and high, hot alcohol to produce a wine that had less distinctive flavor, but lots of layered texture.

Drink or down the sink? La Promessa was more like a brandy to me than a Zinfandel. It's definitely a style of Zin that many people like. I'm not really one of them. I thought this lacked the balance of the other wines -- there was virtually no fruit, just prodigous alcohol. Not my style. I think this wine was just ok, and not as good as the previous ones. __________________________________________________________________

Wine 4: Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon
Where It's From: Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, California
The Grapes: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2007
Price: $50

This is an interesting wine from a vineyard I've had the luck of visiting many a time. Monte Rosso, meaning "red mountain," is named so because the rocky, iron-rich soil is a reddish color. Located high in the Mayacamas Mountains (900-1200 feet), which separate Sonoma in the west from Napa in the east, the vineyard is coveted and although owned by the Louis M. Martini Winery, the fruit is sold to a number of producers who generally make outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. This is Sbragia's 7th vintage of this wine and the only Cab we tasted.

Color: The wine was black plum colored. The dark maroon stained the glass on the swirl. It looked like a big, juicy, fruity wine.

Smell: There was a distinct fruit compote aroma. It was like stewed dark berries but also had a bit of orange rind smell to it with a touch of black pepper. The oak brought out leather, mocha, espresso, and bitter chocolate. It seemed complex and delicious from the smell.

Taste: The wine was complex. Blueberry notes with warm spice were prevalent, but this insanely distinct chocolate pecan pie flavor dominated...in a good way. The wine had a little tobacco note and a smokiness that as great. The tannins weren't blockbuster, which was good, but they were certainly noticeable and provided a good foil to all the fruit and nut flavors.

Drink or down the sink? Drink. This is a good wine. It has nice complexity, so it makes you think about what you're drinking but it also has some of the simple pleasures that you can expect from a California Cabernet -- big fruit, chocolate, and spice. For $50 it's a great deal and although it didn't set my world on fire, I think it's enjoyable and something you could serve to friends on a cold winter night and be very satisfied!

All in all, although I wish it were a little more intimate in feel (and that the weather had been better!), our experience at Sbragia was great...and as I said, if you don't like the wine, you'll at least LOVE the view!

Musings on the Horrific Social Habit of Wine Producer Name Dropping

A quickie, food for thought post today.

Because it's the holiday season, I've been out and about a ton lately. And when people find out that I'm in the wine business they often want to talk wine (or if they are a teetotaler, run away from my devil spirit...I do live in the South). If they drink wine and stick around to speak with me, 90% of the time it's a great conversation. But the other 10%...oy vey. PAINFUL at best. Why? It's a little thing I like to call 'obsessive name dropping.'

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I'm much less concerned with producers and much more interested in regions, grapes, and history of wine. Producers are important because they are the people out there creating the good stuff, but I find that most of the confusion in the wine world and most of the snobbery that goes on revolves around conversations like this:

Wine snob: "Oh, you like wine?"

Me: "Yep, love it. Drink it every night"

Wine snob: "Then you must have had [put obscure wine producer here]. I mean they got 98 points from Robert Parker. I bought a case last time I was in Sonoma. And you must also know [insert other obscure producer here]...etc., etc., etc.

Me: "Nope. But I'm sure they're great."

Wine snob: "Did you say that you're a Certified Sommelier?"

Gimme a break.

There are thousands of producers out there and I can't have tried them all. I drink adventurously and try new things all the time, but I hate when people get "Producer-y" on me. It makes me feel bad, frankly. And it leads to a confrontational situation where the person who has knowledge of a producer then tries to quiz me on everything I DO know to prove that my not knowing about their "guy" doesn't make me a wine novice or complete and utter moron, as they make it seem. Although I've passed lots of exams, taught people about wine on the blog and in the wine classes I teach, worked for large wineries, and traveled around the world to wine regions, it has no bearing once I haven't heard of this specific producer.

Maybe I'm more Burgundian in my approach. I think the land is king and that it's the producer's job to seek out the best areas and then not botch what Mother Nature gave them. It's one thing to share an exciting wine experience that you had with someone, another entirely to make people feel bad because they aren't familiar with a boutique producer from a region.

So with the holiday parties in full gear and New Year's approaching, when you strike up wine conversations please remember that all wine lovers have had different experiences. We should applaud the information we DO have and try to share our love of wine and experiences with good producers with a generous spirit, rather than participating in some ridiculous name dropping pissing match.

This is a journey through a topic that none of us will ever know everything about (that's why most of us love it so much -- constant change and learning with a great backbone of history! Who could ask for more?). Instead of trying to upstage each other, let's just try to constructively share the wealth and stop thinking someone is a moron just because they don't know or share your love of certain winemakers.

If you're feeling combative, talk politics or religion instead...at least there you won't turn anyone off of wine!

Michel-Schlumberger: An Awesome Taste of France in a Corner of Sonoma

With my memory of my Sonoma trip from 6 weeks ago fading fast, I've decided to skip doing a negative review of Bella Winery (which used to produce stellar Zinfandel and has since declined in quality to a point that I can't even recommend going there for the awesome ambiance -- the tasting area is a in a beautiful cave) and spend the next week and a half sharing the last 5 amazing experiences MC Ice and I had at some kick ass wineries.

Today, I'll talk about a total gem that I'd heard about but had never tried or visited -- Michel-Schlumberger. It was highly recommended by some folks who worked in tasting rooms around Sonoma, which is, incidentally, a great way to plan your route if you aren't set on going to specific wineries before you arrive.

Before we go any further, this is how you pronounce this Winery:

Michelle Shlum-burr-ZHEY

Ok, with that out of the way, let's discuss this very French sounding place that is housed in a gorgeous, white, Spanish/Mission style building.


The Winery was actually started by a Swiss gentleman, Jean-Jacques Michel, in 1979. He loved the Dry Creek Valley, where he set up the estate, mostly because it was full of cool weather pockets and benchlands that could produce very unique flavors, especially in the red wines. In 1993, Jacques Pierre Schlumberger, whose family has a 400 year history of making wine in Alsace, France (Domaine Viticoles Schlumberger, if you were wondering), came on as a partner. (As an aside, no one mentioned while we were there and nothing is said on the Web site about what happened to Mr. Michel but I don't think he's part of the operation anymore...or maybe he's just not promoting himself because he's Swiss. You know how they love their neutrality!).

Given its ownership, it wasn't surprising to me that the Winery has a very French orientation about quality, grapes they grow, and wine style. These wines are amazing examples of what can be produced when you draw out the best from the vineyard and don't rely on winemaking to create flavor. The Domaine is really dedicated to this idea of terroir, as the French call all the natural elements of a vineyard that contribute to the flavor of the grapes. They have planted their main varieties -- Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Chardonnay -- on knolls and ridges that optimize the flavors of the grapes to give them complexity so the winemaker doesn't have to monkey around too much in the cellar.

Their philosophy is best summed up by this line on their site: "One can nudge a wine here and there in the cellar, but the quality and personality come from the vineyard."

The other HUGE bonus for me: The vineyards are 100% organically farmed and the estate is a Certified Wildlife Habitat. It was clear from speaking to their representatives that everyone at Michel-Schlumberger is very proud of this dedication to the environment. Kudos to them. Organic farming plows nutrients back into the soil and allows for the grapes to flourish in the way that nature intended. It's not cheap and it takes a lot of commitment. I'm a big supporter because I think ultimately it makes the wine taste better.

So now to the experience that M.C. Ice and I had there...although only producing 6,000 - 8,000 cases of wine a year (depending on the crop), this Winery was mega popular on the rainy day we got there. We pulled in to the parking lot (you have to keep your eyes peeled if you visit, it's nestled in a corner of the Dry Creek) and there were buses taking up all the parking, but we managed to squeeze in with our sweet Hyundai Elantra-with-no-power-steering regardless. Although it says on the sign that it's appointment only, we were able to weasel our way in.

Michel-Schlumberger doesn't do a tasting like you'd find in other places, they do a full education session. This place has a true interest in hospitality, in wine, and in teaching its visitors something about what they're drinking. If you're looking to get hammered, this isn't the place for you, and they make that clear -- which I just love.

We were assigned an educator, who, upon learning that I was a blogger, was completely turned off...and for this I love her! This was not Samantha's first rodeo with a wine blogger and although she was completely willing to do her job and explain the wines, she wanted nothing to do with me at first. I tried to explain to her that I wasn't a regular wine blogger and I was just there to try the wines and learn. M.C. Ice helped to back me up (the name of the blog didn't hurt either) and then Samantha confessed that her run-ins with many a blogger had been negative - mostly owing to snotty dispositions and an expectation that they would be getting free wine as they walked out of the winery. This shocked and amazed me (ok, so I'm naive I guess).

Thankfully, after showing us two wines, I think we won her over and made her realize that we weren't trying to get anything out of her except a taste of some of the yummy wine and the great stuff that was in her brain about it! She confessed that we were normal and not typical, which did my heart good. If you're reading this, Samantha, we loved you and were so happy to have you as our guide to these delicious wines! You're officially a Normal Wine Person too -- not snotty, just passionate, and very down-to-earth. You're the best!

To the lineup. We tried 5 wines, all that I seemed to have written the same comment about -- "would be great with food." Such a French attribute, and a real asset in my opinion, since wine that isn't enhanced by food is a snack on its own and not always the most versatile drink!
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Wine 1: La Brume Chardonnay
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2007
Price: $32

Color: The wine was a rich color. I wrote down "golden banana color." It was pretty dark owing to the ripeness of the fruit and the 8 months of aging in new French oak barrels.

Smell: I thought it was interesting that I didn't pick up anything that the wine notes described in this wine. I expected, given that they use a clone from Burgundy, and not the traditional California Chardonnay clone (called the Wente clone after that Winery's successful development of it), that the wine would be citrusy and full of mineral notes. The wine notes promised that but I got a big whiff of tropical fruit -- piña colada, coconut, and white flowers with a good dose of oak to boot.

Taste: It was a well-balanced wine but much more California in style than I expected. The flavors were like candied pineapple with a little bit of sweet apple. The acidity was on the low side and the wine was creamy, but not overly so.

Drink or down the sink. Although not my ideal Chardonnay profile (I like very little oak and big mineral and citrus flavors), I think this is a well made wine. It had good balance and although I wouldn't choose to sip it alone, I think it would be amazing with food. A buttery scallop with this wine would be outstanding. If you like the more tropical flavors but not wines that are over-oaked, this wine will be dreamy for you! ______________________________________________________________________


Wine 2: La Sage Merlot
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec
Vintage: 2006
Price: $25

Color: In Bordeaux, Malbec is frequently used to give color to a wine and I have a feeling that it was used in this case for that purpose. The wine was darker colored than the lighter Merlot or Cabernet Franc -- it was a rich crimson, that seemed influenced by the more purple color that Malbec carries. Very pretty!

Smell: What a great smell! Black sour cherry was the predominant fruit note with a rich savory herb smell (like herbs sauteed in butter!) -- it has a tarragon note. There was a tobacco-like smell too, but like pipe tobacco, which I really like because it reminds me of my grandfather's pipe (before he ditched it because he realized it could kill him and all of us sucking in the air around him!). The cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled in between all these savory scents completed the mix and made my mouth water for this wine.

Taste: The taste was completely different from the smell, but still solid. It was more like sour cherry and sweet strawberry flavors playing off each other. It had a little touch of green pepper flavor to it, which is often found in Cabernet Franc. My favorite thing about this wine though, was the feeling in my mouth. It was lean, but still perfectly medium in every way -- medium bodied, medium alcohol, medium acid -- nothing sharp or pointy in the texture. This is how I think Merlot should be.

Drink or down the sink. We bought some of this to try at home because this is an ideal food wine. I could imagine it going very well with a mushroom-based sauce or soup and grilled meat and vegetables. The wine was great on its own but the texture and the harmonious flavors kind of screamed for food. I'm excited to taste it with a meal. Oh, and did I mention that this is an unbelievable value for $25? Needless to say, DRINK.

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Wine 3: La Cime Cabernet Sauvignon
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Price: $40

Color: This wine was DARK! It was an opaque, dark, dark red. Samantha told us that 2007 was one of the richest Cabernet Sauvignon vintages in Sonoma in a long time. The fruit got a great balance of ripeness and earthiness, according to her....

Smell: And from the nose, it seems that she was right! There were black currant and blackberry fruit aromas with a light scent of violets and dried roses, and then this salty, dark earth smell that was so natural and delicious that I felt like I was in the vineyard inhaling the earthy goodness.

Taste: At first there was a taste of fresh red beets -- a real earthy quality that I loved. Then the wine mellowed into a black currant and blackberry aroma along with that dark soil component. There was a bitter chocolate note and then a warmth that followed (most likely from the alcohol, which is 14.7%).

Drink or down the sink. Drink. I just loved this wine. It tasted very much un-tampered with -- this Cabernet reflected the vineyard in a way that was completely refreshing and so unlike many of the California Cabernets that I've tasted. This is a very unique style for Sonoma and was much more like a Right Bank Bordeaux than a Cali Cab. Again, another wine that would be stellar with food (you could do big flavors -- meats, hearty mushroom dishes, stews) and it would be an ideal complement without overpowering the dish. Michel-Schlumberger's French heritage is apparent here. ______________________________________________________________________

Wine 4: Deux Terres Cabernet Sauvignon
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 90% Cab Sauv, 5% Malbec, 5% Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Price: $100

Why is it called Deux Terres? Because it comes from two different soils with two different Cabernet Sauvignon clones. The grapes are grown at a higher elevation and they are handled with kid gloves in the Winery. Fermented and transported in small bins, the grapes are hand-pressed to make sure the skins don't bruise or crush until it's time. There were only 250 cases of this vintage made!

Color: The wine was blood red and it just stained the glass when I swirled it around. Pigment, pigment, and more pigment from contact with the skins.

Smell: The wine had a beautiful floral perfume and also a rich black fruit smell -- like black currant and blackberry. It had this heady smell like a coffee shop too -- roasted coffee beans. Yum!

Taste: Wow. Chocolate, mocha, black currant, and sour cherry deliciousness. If you've ever had natural sugar cane cola (like Whole Food's brand or Boylan's) -- it had something reminiscent of that. There was this incredible baked bread and warm, soft pretzel taste too. The wine had a little pucker, but the tannin was balanced.

Drink or down the sink. Drink. What a great wine! This was MC Ice's favorite and I can see why. Michel-Schlumberger is known for its Bordeaux style wines and this wine is a perfect example. You don't get flavors like this from just anywhere -- this wine shows the Winery's commitment to picking the right site for the right grapes. What a gem.

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Wine 5: La Source Syrah
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier
Vintage: 2006
Price: $32

Why did they add Viognier to the wine? Often in the Rhone Valley, the home of Syrah, a touch of Viognier is blended to soften the wine and add wonderful floral aromatics to the dark fruit and leather smells of the Syrah.

Color: Syrah is generally pretty dark and this was no exception -- maroon with a brick red rim.

Smell: Maybe I'm really keyed into it, but the first and strongest note for me was from the Viognier (even though only 3% contributed!). A honeyed floral note, which is so typical of that grape came through loud and clear and mingled with a touch of dark plum and a ton of black pepper to make this nose unreal. I couldn't stop sniffing this wine.

Taste: If I thought it was aromatic, that was only the beginning of the story. The flavors were so layered. That Viognier honeysuckle was present but then there were fruit notes -- blackberry and a musky cantaloupe flavor came through. Then the traditional Syrah flavors that I personally know and love so well came out -- black pepper, lavender, savory thyme, earth, and tanned leather. There was a slight fresh dill note too -- probably from the fact that the winemaker used a small percentage of American oak for aging, which can bring out bold dill and musk flavors. The wine was tannic and acidic and complex.

Drink or down the sink. Drink. This was my favorite of the tasting, which says a lot since I really enjoyed everything. This wine was nothing short of stunning. It was a beautiful example of Syrah. The winemaker, Mike Brunson, did an amazing job of letting the fruit shine and then used the right barrel combination and winemaking techniques to make everything fuse together in perfect harmony. For $32, this is a treasure.

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Thanks to Michel-Schlumberger for hosting us and to Samantha for being NORMAL, cool, and smart! We'll certainly be back on future trips to Sonoma!