Pinot Noir Bargain

Hello Out There!

Now that we have the festivities of Thanksgiving behind us, the football games, family and friends, the food, the laughter and of course the wine... lets talk about a little Pinot Noir I think is worth drinking. Castle Rock Pinot Noir for around $8.99 a bottle. This little jewel has a nice fruit forward character with spice and raspberry flavors on the finish. Buy this wine and drink the heck out of it!

As we all are aware of the price of Pinot Noir ever since the movie Sideways (If you have not seen this movie you should watch it, there is a scene in the movie that probably was responsible for Pinot prices soaring and Merlot sales in the toilet) it is difficult to find one for less than $20. And when you do, you can't drink it!

I want to talk a little bit about this difficult little grape and why it can be a wine maker's best friend or their worst nightmare!
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties known and was named by the noble Pinot family. Pinot's been cultivated in France since the 1st century AD. One legend has it arriving in Burgundy from the Aedui from their invasions of Lombardy and Italy. Another legend has it arriving from the Romans while still other tales refer to the Romans finding Pinot already established in the region. With the Barbarian invaders driving the Romans from the region, the Catholic church inadvertently became custodian of the fine Pinots. The monks (They seem to invent a lot of alcohol related beverages) used Pinot Noir in their sacraments and hence gained approval for the wine. They improved the varietal through careful vineyard practices and by the 6th century, most of Burgundy was divided into church owned vineyards. The first documented history of Pinot Noir in Burgundy doesn't occur till 1345. French monks brought the grape to the Rheingau region where it's been cultivated since 1470 and the vineyards were owned by the Church. Later the vineyards were seized and distributed to families in Burgundy during the French revolution around 1789 resulting in an independently owned and operated vineyard model that still survives today.

Pinot Noir seems to pick up every known vine disease, mould, fungus and/or pest thats out there! It's an early ripening variety so spring frosts are devastating. It needs to be picked at just the right time, when picked too late the thin skinned berries will shrivel up and lose all flavour. Extracting all the colour is another challenge. When fully ripe, the Pinot Noir berry is a very light purple colour and requires careful handling to make the most of the light colour.
Pinot Noir goes through a range of changes as it matures. A young wine will show simple fruity characteristics including: cherry, plum, raspberry and strawberry. The complex flavours emerge as it ages revealing chocolate, earthiness, smoke and truffles. Many a winemaker has said that to make a good Pinot Noir one has to have patience and persistence and work with a lack of sleep!

I hope I haven't been to wordy and you found this little bit of wine trivia fun! Now go out there and drink Pinots and sound smart on the subject!

Cheers!
J

New Zealand Wonder

Hello Wine Lovers!

I want you to get in your car... go to your favorite wine shop... ask for this wine... buy as much as you can fit in your car... go home... chill it... open it... and drink the heck out of it! It's that simple! At $8.99 a bottle you will be amazed at the complexity of this little number.

It is from the New Zealand's Marlborough Region, Stoneleigh is the producer and as most NZ Sauvignon Blancs, this has a citrus grassy nose with grapefruit and tropical fruit with slight mineral notes on the finish. Excellent quality for this price range. This is a perfect wine to serve with your upcoming Thanksgiving bird.

Cheers!

J

Influence on American Wine

Hello Wine Friends!

Today I would like to talk about the influence Thomas Jefferson had on the American wine scene. He obviously was the second President from 1801-1809 and helped to build and expand Monticello (his home) but he envisioned America planting and growing grapes and producing wines as good as the Europeans and particularly the French. He served as Minister to France and lived in Paris on the Champs-Elysees and became very fond of Lafite wines. Jefferson was not the only founding Father of our country to have a fondness of the grape, Ben Franklin did as well. Franklin called wine "proof that God loves us and likes to see us happy." The heck with electricity, get on with the wine!

When he first started to add on to Monticello the first part constructed was the cellar. As the second governor of Virginia he had access to the official stock of Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy and German Rieslings and enjoyed every minute of it! But it wasn't just drinking wine that Jefferson was in to, he believed that true independence meant agricultural self-sufficiency. Americans would have to make their own wine if they didn't want to rely on imports.

He first planted vines at Monticello in 1771, a few years before his trip to Europe. He encouraged an Italian immigrant named Filippo Mazzei to plant European wine-grape varieties by giving him 193 acres in Monticello's backyard. Both efforts failed, but Jefferson remained hopeful for American wine.

Jefferson traveled throughout France's different wine growing regions to learn their ways and and to acquire valuable knowledge that would later help with the American efforts. His trip in 1787 made Jefferson the greatest wine connoisseur writing in any language at the time!

Would our wine producing regions be what they are today without Jefferson's influence and passion to make America competitive with Europe? Tough question... but I believe the answer is Jefferson certainly had an impact on the American wine scene.

You may recall that not too long ago Christie's (The famous English auction house) sold a bottle of Lafite 1787 that was supposedly from Jefferson's private collection. (That is still out for debate) I believe the selling price for the bottle was $75,000... my oh my!

Down to the "nitty gritty" my wine review. I'll make it short and sweet... Chateau St Jean Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has complexity, depth and richness that certainly surpasses the $9.99 price tag!

Cheers!

J

Hello Wine Friends!

Last night I experienced the very rare occasion of not finishing a bottle of wine. As I used my vacuvin pump to remove the air from the bottle of left over wine I though about sharing my thoughts on this little practice.

First off I believe you should always attempt to finish the bottle, that is the best for the integrity of the wine, as well as for your sleep. (I sleep so soundly when I have a belly full of wine) But on those occasions when the bottle cannot be fully consumed then I suggest the use of the "Vacuvin" pump. Most wine shops and even some grocery stores will carry this little invention for around $10. It consists of a plastic pump and two rubber stoppers. You can purchase more stoppers separately should you need more or lose them.

It is really quite simple to operate, place a stopper in the bottle, place the pump over the stopper and hold with one hand firmly over the stopper and with your free hand pump for 10 to 12 strokes. This removes the air from the bottle which will keep your wine fresh for up to 2 to 3 days. (Any longer than that use the wine for a reduction sauce etc.) This is one of those things where you say to your self "Why didn't I think of this?" Oxygen oxidizes wine which takes away its flavors and bouquet, so remove the oxygen and prolong the life of the wine! Simple!
I recommend after pumping the wine place it in your refrigerator (both reds and whites) until you are ready to consume the wine. Take it out of your refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to enjoy a glass!

Cheers!
J