Albarino & Alvarinho

When I first became aware of Spanish wine, in the late 1970s, there were two choices: Rioja and Sangria.  The market in Denver was flooded then with bottled Sangria and everyone seemed to have a personal recipe for mixing red wine with fresh citrus fruits.  

White and red Sangria

Serious wine collectors did not want to be seen in public holding a glass of Sangria, but they welcomed what was thought by the cognoscente to be the "Bordeaux of Spain."  

The claim was not so far fetched.  In the late 1800s, the twin destroyers -- powdery mildew and phylloxera -- mostly wrecked Bordeaux vineyards, causing growers and winemakers to head over the Pyrenees to Rioja and Navarra, where the devastation had not yet destroyed the vines, and hopefully continue to make red wine.

In those days, Spanish white wines were mainly of local interest. It was common then for vino blanco to be made in an oxidative style, usually caused when wines  stayed far too long in large oak casks or concrete tanks.  It took almost 100 years for the style of Spanish white wine to modernize, mainly in Rioja and among the producers of sparkling wine in Catalonia.  It was a struggle, though, between the old guard and the newer generation.

The era of popularity for Albarino came later, probably in the 1970s, when the wine world was awaking to the demand for fresher white wine that wasn't aged beyond recognition. Now, 50 years on and we have a whole different approach to making white wine in Spain, a thrust that many say can be attributed to the rise of Albarino.

Iberian Albarino

Albarino is an aromatic white grape grown mainly in the Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula that juts out along the western edge of Continental Europe. The main area of propagation is Rias Baixas, in the district of Galacia.  Known for its cool climate and ample fresh seafood, Galacia is popularly called "Green Spain."  

Albarino

Over decades, Albarino has developed a thick skin as a defense against the damp climate in Galacia. That thick armor protects the grape, allowing it to develop high natural acidity, layers of flavor and respectable alcohol for a white variety.

Albarino is mostly fermented and matured in stainless steel, although some wines are aged for short periods in oak.  Occasionally blended with other indigenous Spanish grapes, like Loureiro, both varietal and Albarino blends age better than most Spanish whites.

Here are five Rias Baixas Albarinos and one Napa Albarino to get you started: Vinos a Tresbolillo, Lagar de Pintos, Zarate, Martin Codax, Granja Fillaboa, Hendry Estate, Napa Valley.  Expect to pay between $20 and $25 for Albarino.

Iberian Alvarinho

Across the Minho river from Galacia, Albarino is known as Alvarinho, for this is Portugal and we have left Spain for a different look at the same grape. The iconic Portuguese white wine, Vinho Verde, "green wine," is so called not because of the color of the wine, but as a reference to the wine's early drink ability. 

You are likely to see Alvarinho spreading across the expanse of a pergola in the Vinho Verde region and even further south in Dao.  The advantages of using a pergola is it opens the vines and clusters to more air, reducing molds that develop in humid climates.  Designed like a high arbor, a pergola also provides space on the ground, under the pergola, for the cultivation of other crops.

Alvarinho clusters on a pergola

Alvarinho tends to crop heavy, producing grapes that rarely exceed 9% alcohol, a characteristic of Vinho Verde white wine.  Although there is some experimentation with barrel fermentation, Alvarinho is best suited to controlled fermentation in stainless steel, yielding fresh apricot flavors and bracing acidity, just the right combination for summer drinking. 

Portuguese Alvarinho, mainly from Vinho Verde, include Quinta da Raza, Vale dos Ares, Quinta da Aveleda, Muros de Melgaco. Vinho Verde is priced from $13 to $20.

Albarino or Alvarinho, the choice is yours, so treat yourself today to one (or both) of these refreshing Iberian wines. 

Next blog: Zinfandel: An American Wine

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

  

California Wine Adventures 3

The second episode of my adventures in California wine (posted July 14), was about my early years in Colorado writing about wine for a newspaper and a handful of local magazines. The third episode wraps up the Colorado times with comments on two unique tastings and then continues on with a first visit in California at the remote Chalone Vineyard and its classical-music loving founder and winemaker.

                                        

At some point in every wine lover's life comes an opportunity to join a local wine club. It's a convivial opportunity to share wine experiences, taste new wines and enjoy fraternal companionship.

My unexpected invitation came about in Colorado when I was invited by a wine distributor I knew to join the "Grapenuts."  Well, I thought, that's the same name as a breakfast cereal I had in the kitchen cabinet.

"Is this a gag," I asked in my most indignant voice? There was a pause...then, the voice I recognized, but with a noticeable edge, quietly said, "No, it's the name of our wine club."

How could I turn down an invitation to become a "Grapenut?" 

And so, I joined a small group of fellow wine aficionados at the distributor's home to taste a flight or two of wines from a member's cellar or wines we purchased from a local wine store.  The idea was to select a wine which the members were not familiar with but that would be a pleasureable learning experience.

At one memorable meeting the distributor presented a small flight of red Burgundy from the Dr. Barolet Collection, an eye-opening experience and one that set me on a quest to learn as much as I could about the seductive charms of Burgundy wine.  Dr. Barolet was an eccentric medical doctor who practiced in the city of Beaune and, over a lifetime, amassed a jaw-dropping collection of Burgundy, many of which were sold to private collectors after the doctor's death. 

I don't remember all of the wines, although there was a Beaune from the 1930s,  the rich texture of Pinot Noir, supported by supple tannin and impeccable acidity remain in my wine memory. 

Rumors have circulated for decades that Dr. Barolet would "dose" those wines he felt needed it, with Cognac. If so, the brandy in the wines I tasted only helped the Pinot Noir age longer and the wines still tasted like Burgundy to me.

Unforgettable Sauternes in Denver

Another taste experience in Denver that is still fresh in my memory, was at a late afternoon showing of some of the wines that would be offered that year at the Heublein Auction of Rare Wines. 

In the late 1970s, the Heublein auction was a major wine event that attracted many wealthy wine collectors. Pre-auction tastings were open to the public, for a fee. Before each public tasting, a special tasting was set aside for the press to wander, sample and interview. 

                                        

At the pre-auction tasting in Denver, Heublein showed a few select vintages of Chateau d'Yquem, grand premier cru Sauternes, the tres plus ultra of French sweet wine, that Heublein was selling at auction for a private collector.

Private cellars often have multiple bottles of the same vintage wine and that was the case with the collector's 1929 Y'quem. When word got around that Heublein would open a '29 Y'quem to sample, the press cued for a thimble full of the famous wine; a once in a lifetime opportunity to taste a rare bottle-matured wine...so, I quickly got in line. 

A writer's main job is to come up with words to adequately describe an experience in which the reader can vicariously participate.  So, here goes.  Deep complex bouquet of honey, ripe apricots, sweet spices and a subtle hint of beeswax. Rich, unctuous mouth-coating flavors echoing all those things I smelled.  The 1929 Ch. Y'quem was one of the most complex and delicious wines I've ever had.  

An hour later, I returned to the table where the Y'quem was poured. The glass, of course, was empty but the dried wine still clung to the inside and when I took a long sniff, it was as though there was still wine in the glass.  Amazing!

Wine On the Mountain

My first trip to California, courtesy of Uncle Sam, was an assignment at the USAF Satellite Tracking Station in Sunnyvale.  My knowledge of California wine then was limited, but I was eager to learn. An account of the visit to David Bruce Winery is  in "California Wine Adventures 2," July 14, 2023 post. 

In my off-duty time, I worked a side gig as a wine writer.  I snagged a magazine assignment to write about California wine, so an Air Force colleague (now a civilian photographer) and I headed for Napa and Mendocino.  We had an appointment at Chalone Vineyard, in the Gavilan Mountains, high above Soledad, Monterey County, to interview Owner/Winemaker Richard Graff. 

Graff said to arrive at any time, so we left San Diego, arriving in Soledad in late afternoon. After checking in to a motel, we headed up the winding road to the winery. The sun was setting but there was enough light to see the number on the mailbox at the end of the lane. It was very quiet as we approached a Quonset hut, with one small lighted window. The door was unlocked, but there was no one around.  So, I left note and we headed back to the motel.   

Chalone Pinot Noir vineyard in Gavilan Mountains

The following morning Soledad was buried under a thick blanket of fog.  We had only one day at Chalone and I was worried about getting photos for the story.  As we rolled up to the Quonset, a rangy dog loped up to the car, lifted its leg and christened one of the VW's hubcaps. It was a humorous distraction but not as much as the classical organ music coming from the hut.   

Richard Graff stepped to the door, pushed it open and, smiling behind a neatly trimmed black mustache, greeted us with an out stretched hand. I told him about our visit the night before and he explained that he was in Soledad filling the tank truck with water. It seemed that not only did Chalone not have its own water, but it didn't have electricity either. 

We looked around the winery and then tasted a few wines.  Graff didn't have any whites to show, but we did taste his Pinot Noirs.  The depth and complexity of the wines reflected the mountain vineyards.  Rich and packed with ripe fruit, the Chalone Pinots recalled the Burgundies from the Barolet collection I had tasted a few years earlier in Denver. 

Cabernet be dammed, I was a true convert to Pinot Noir.

With the visit to Chalone lingering in our memories, Jack pointed the VW north and we headed to the Napa Valley and appointments at Heitz Cellars, Joseph Phelps and then on to see John Parducci in Mendocino.

Next blog: Albarino and Alvarinho

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

 

 

Are Wine Competitions Still Relevant?

Wine competition -- Two words that can draw both praise and criticism.  Praise for competitions was common once, but today, the need for and value of wine competitions is drawing mounting criticism. 

In recent weeks, there has been chatter in the blogosphere about the need for wine competitions, so I thought I would add my personal comments and observations.  I started judging at organized wine competitions in 1978 and have since served as a wine judge at competitions in California, Texas, New York, Washington, Belgium, Italy, Chile, Australia and China.

What follows then are my personal observations, based on my experience as a judge, of the state and value of wine competitions to both the wine consumer and wine trade.

Wine Competitions: Then and Now

The history of wine competitions is hard to pin down.  Some records show that the concept originated in Europe. Europeans vintners, however, did not see the need to pit one wine against another in an organized contest, and only started holding  wine competitions after noticing the popularity of them in California and Australia. 

A flight of wines waiting to be tasted

There are two exceptions that happened not far from each other. Billing itself as the "oldest international wine competition in the world," the Ljubljana International Wine Competition was first held in 1926 in Ljubljana, Slovenia; not exactly a major wine hub, then or now. The LIWC's reputation suffered when it was rumored that all entered wines won a medal. The best I can tell, the last LIWC was in 2018.

Banco di Assagio dei Vini d'Italia, founded by the Lungarotti wine family in  Torgiano, Italy, opened in 1981, with Italian judges. Later, Banco di Assagio brought in international judges. I judged there for a few years and remember it being a good look for a writer at a lot of Italian wines in one place. Since Italian sommeliers and members of the Italian wine trade made up the bulk of the judges, there was the feeling among international judges (never verified) that the Italians were swaying voting in favor of certain Italian wines.

Wine competitions in the United States likely started long ago with the California State Fair wine competition in 1854, in Sacramento. The competition stopped for a few years but was resurrected as the Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition (LACFWC), under the late Nathan Chroman, an LA attorney who also wrote about wine for the Los Angeles Times.  The state fair organization restarted its wine competition and is now one of the largest in California. CHECK THIS

The popularity of California wine encouraged the organization of two other wine competitions, including one sponsored by the San Jose Mercury News and a select competition in Orange County.  LACFWC operated as a standard wine competition judged by qualified judges from the wine industry, sommeliers, consumers and wine writers.  Orange County used only wine makers and wine industry members as judges, while the Mercury News competition judged the same wines twice, once by "professional" judges and then by consumers.

At about the same time, a string of U.S. competitions were held, or started up,  including San Francisco International, Northwest Enological Society Wine Competition (Seattle), Eastern Wine Competition (New York), San Diego Wine Competition and competitions that looked only at rose wines, were judged only by women, only by sommeliers and more.  

                                         

In recent years, many new wine competitions popped up, most aiming to be different from the original reason for having a competition -- to "improve the breed," by looking at a group of like wines in a controlled "blind" setting.

Are Wine Competitions Still Relevant?

Critics of wine competitions say that they are simply money makers, ways to make money from wine and to bring attention to the person or entity that runs the competition. Some U.S. competitions are owned and run by individuals, usually not directly connected to the wine industry. 

Other competitions are properties of a government entity such as the Los Angeles County Fair or the State of California. The latest addition is the famous Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada has announced it is adding a wine competition to the events, to promote Canadian agribusiness.

That's the nuts and bolts of wine competitions.  And that doesn't answer the question: Do wine competitions really improve the breed?  That is, do winemakers look at the results of wine competitions and how well their Chardonnay did against hundreds of other Chardonnays, then have their own comparative tasting to see why the judges gave a gold medal to a competitor's Chardonnay while giving a bronze medal to their own Chardonnay?  Probably not. 

Successful marketing means successful sales.  Being able to boast that your wine won an award often trumps the results of a practical tasting in the winery. Winemakers are fierce individuals who often work in isolation toward a personal idea of how a wine should taste. 

Quiet!  Judge at work

It is important to remember that a wine competition is a single test at one point in time, judged by a select group of people under unique circumstances, thus the same wine entered in different competitions, as is often done, will likely get different results. 

Knowing such things as judge qualifications, their relationship with the wine industry and the percentage of wines awarded medals versus the number of wines entered, are all indications of how well the competition is organized and run. The awards from some competitions I observed in recent months in print and online, do not list the judges names, but simply show the top winners. 

It's also helpful to know that some wine competitions are metal mills and do not take pains in recruiting qualified judges, while others are selective about judges and conduct the competition as a true consensus judging.

Still, if the competition is careful with its rules and procedures (as the Calgary Stampede claims its competition will), then wine competitions will continue to have value to both the wine industry and the wine consumer. 

Next blog: California Wine Adventures 3

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

The Pleasures of Riesling

Riesling is one of the world's great white wines. Some say that Riesling even surpasses Chardonnay in greatness.  So, why is Riesling such a hard sell, lagging so far behind Chardonnay in sales? 

                                      

According to Drizly's sales data for the last 12 months, two California Chardonnays made the Top-10 white wines: Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve (8th) and Josh Cellars (10th).  Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio dominate Drizly's Top 10 list. There are no German Rieslings or other varietal Rieslings in the Top-10, but Drizly's does mention that Black Girl Magic California Riesling is one of the fastest growing white wines. 

An aside. The Black Girl Collection of wines is from the McBride Sisters Wine Company in Oakland, California.  McBride Sisters is a Black-owned wine company, started by half-sisters, one born and raised in Monterey, the other in New Zealand. They met in New York and soon realized they shared a love of wine, which led to forming the company.  

Drizly is an online marketplace for beer, wine, liquor and any beverage with alcohol. Drizly offers home delivery service.

There are numerous reasons why Riesling sales are slow. Despite the thousands of written (and spoken) words, practically guaranteeing Riesling's versatility from dry to sweet, consumers still consider Riesling only a sweet wine. 

The reason may be that too many American wine drinkers still talk dry but drink sweet. Or, perhaps it's because the U.S. market is still suffering from a hangover from when California and New York wineries cranked out oceans of white wine labeled "Riesling" that were likely made from anything but Riesling? 

Also obvious (at least to me) is the German wine industry has not marketed Riesling strong enough in the face of surging Chardonnay sales. Some sources claim that Riesling and German wine sales are on the rise and the German wine industry claims to be making more dry Rieslings with every new vintage.

So, perhaps a fresh look at Riesling, the grape and the wine, may encourage some readers to pass on Chardonnay long enough to enjoy the many pleasures of Riesling.

Riesling: The Grape

Germany has the distinction of being the northern-most wine region in the Northern Hemisphere.  Riesling (Reece-ling), a cold weather variety benefits from this northern exposure and over time, Riesling vines have developed harder stems than other white varieties and that means a stronger chance of surviving a harsh winter.

Riesling is a low-alcohol grape that produces a high level of acidity and residual sugar. This combination allows winemakers to make a wide range of wines, from dry to sweet. When the world wine community was promoting dry while wines, and consumers were turning to Alsace for drier Rieslings, German Rieslings were off-dry or noticeably sweet.  

Concentrated sweetness

Wine marketers and consumers complained about the sweetness levels of German Rieslings, prompting German producers to counter with trocken (dry) Rieslings. This proved problematic for the American wine drinker as they rejected trocken Rieslings as unpleasant to drink, especially as an aperitif, which often did not include food.

At last count, there are 60 Riesling clones, all different from each other, although the differences are small. Mainly the clones vary in aromatics, from very subtle to a few clones so aromatic that they could easily be mistaken for a different grape, like Muscat. 

Riesling is an early ripening variety and when it is cultivated in warmer climates, like some parts of California and Australia, the grape loses much of its unique mineral and floral aroma and flavor characteristics, and the wines lose acidity and taste flat.  Where the climate is more temperate, like California's Anderson Valley, Riesling retains its crisp acidity and fruit salad flavors. 

Riesling: The Wine

Riesling does not take to oak, especially new oak and when it is aged in oak uprights, Riesling loses a lot of its charm.  Thus, stainless steel and Riesling is an ideal pairing.  Fermenting Riesling in stainless, brings out the grape's ample and attractive aromatics and flavors.  

Characteristic flavors of drier Rieslings are mineral, earthy, smoky, floral, green apple, even spice.  Riper wines lean more to stone fruits like peaches, apricots and pineapple, sometimes with a lime/citrus note. 

German Rieslings usually finish with alcohols between 10% to 12%, while those from warmer areas can register about 12%.  Rieslings have mouth-watering acidity, but when total acidity is low, the wine tastes a little flat and syrupy. 

                                              

The German system of quality for white wines, based on grape ripeness, is precise and worth knowing. At one end are Qba wines (quality wine from a specific region). The alcohol of Qba wines can be increased by the addition of sugar, known as chaptilization, named for the Frenchman who devised the procedure.  Chaptilization in German is susssreserve or "reserved sweetness." 

Above Qba are wines made from riper grapes known as pradikat (The steps, from driest to sweetest are: Kabinet, Spatlese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein (Ice Wine). The driest German wines are labeled trocken. The majority of pradikat wines are Kabinet and Spatlese.

Elsewhere, notably California and Australia, Rieslings are sold as varietal wines and may have a sweetness notation on the front or back label. However, despite efforts by some California wineries and wine writers to provide more information about residual sweetness, many wineries continue to bottle without it. 

Dry or sweet, German or Californian, select a style and enjoy the many pleasures of Riesling.

Next Blog: Are Wine Competitions Still Relevant?

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

  

California Wine Adventures 2

In the first "California Wine Adventure," my introduction to wine covered a lot of ground, from France to South Carolina, Colorado and California.  Chapter 2 delves more deeply into my experiences as a Colorado-based wine writer looking for my first California wine adventure.

                                                 

Here's the scenario: In the early 1970s, as the country was about to embrace wine in a big, unprecedented way, and I am in Colorado trying to launch a career as a wine writer, when all of the exciting things about wine were happening in California.

Wine writing in the United States then was in its infancy, with only a handful of people like Robert Misch, Alexis Lichine, Ruth Ellen Church and Robert Balzer contributing wine columns to large metropolitan newspapers in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.  My plan was to join them as a wine writer, although I soon realized that it would be an uphill climb.

U.S. markets for wine writing in the early 1970s included newspapers, in-flight magazines, city magazines and what were then known as "buff" magazines, including those for wine buffs. 

The Denver print market was promising, with two newspapers, a city magazine and a small listener's guide that featured articles about music, food, art and wine, put out by the local classical music radio station.

KVOD Guide was edited by a good friend of mine who asked me to write a lifestyle piece for the guide that would somehow connect classical music with wine. It just so happens that Denver's leading wine shop, Harry Hoffman Liquor, was selling a German import with a likeness of Ludwig van Beethoven on the label. I did a little research on the wine, made a few connections and submitted my story, complete with a copy of the wine label that I had successfully soaked off the bottle...after I drank the wine.

                                       

Classical music is a major part of my life, and the wine and classical music concept was fun to write about, but I had set my sights on a wider wine audience, so I contacted Wine World, a wine magazine out of California with national distribution. 

My goal was to improve my wine writing creds, so I looked around for a Colorado wine story and found Gerald Ivancie, an eccentric Austrian-born dentist, who had opened Ivancie Winery in 1968 in downtown Denver. 

In the beginning, the fulfillment of Ivancie's dream depended on using California grapes shipped across two mountain ranges in refrigerated trucks.  And he hired Warren Winiarski as his wine making consultant.  Winiarski was then a grape grower in the Napa Valley, who would later open Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. 

California grapes were a high-ticket expense for Ivancie, so he only used them for two years, then switched to grapes from maturing vineyards around Grand Junction. Today, Colorado boasts over 100 wineries, drawing from vineyards mainly on the Western Slope.  

What made Ivancie wines unique in Denver was the market was beginning to build interest in California wines and Ivancie was the only commercial Colorado winery to use California grapes.  It was a good story, but Ivancie wines, including a rare (for the early 1970s) Pinot Noir, were too expensive and they languished on the shelves of Denver wine shops.

Nevertheless, the Ivancie story in Wine World was good for me as it opened the door for more assignments, so my friend and former Air Force colleague, Jack Whidden, who was the photographer for the Ivancie story, planned a trip to northern California. 

                             

But before heading to California, I made a pitch to the editors of the Rocky Mountain News, since the Denver Post had a weekly wine column.  Sensing that wine interest was on the rise, the editors agreed and I was on my way to being a wine columnist.  The "Rocky," as it was known, stopped publishing in 2009, a fate too many newspapers experience today.

At the time I started writing for the Rocky Mountain News, a major overhaul of Larimer Square, the historic part of Denver, was just taking shape and Colorado businessman, Ray Duncan, owner of Napa Valley's Franciscan Vineyards, thought  that a Franciscan tasting room would fit in nicely.  And I though that it would be a good story for the Rocky.

Colorado's nascent wine industry was yet to take off, so the addition of a wine tasting room in downtown Denver would add variety to the attractions for bigger things to come.  In the early 1970s, Ivancie Winery, Colorado Mountain Vineyards and Plum Creek Winery, spearheaded the proposed expansion.

With the interest in wine exploding in the early 1970s, California winery owners and winemakers were eager to tell their story. So I managed invitations to visit John Parducci, Parducci Wine Cellars in Mendocino, Joe Heitz, Heitz Wine Cellars, Napa Valley and Richard Graff, Chalone Vineyard in the Gavilan Mountains of Monterey County.

In Chapter 3 of "California Wine Adventures," to be posted August 4, 2023, I recall joining a Colorado wine tasting group with the same name as a breakfast cereal, fondly remember my first taste of a memorable Sauternes, and pay a visit to a musical winemaker on a California mountain.

 

Next blog: The Pleasures of Riesling

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

Barolo

                            

By most estimates, there are about a half dozen top Italian red wines: Taurasi, Brunello di Montalchino, Chianti Classico, Barbaresco, Amarone. And last, but not certainly not least, say a legion of fans, is Barolo. 

There are a number of reasons why wine fans consider Barolo special. Maybe it's because Barolo the wine comes from a place named Barolo.  Perhaps it's because the name rolls off your tongue so easily. Or, it could be that Barolo is from Italy, practically everybody's favorite vacation spot.  

All good reasons, but they miss the most important point: the wine itself.  Here are four tributes from wine people on why they think Barolo is special. 

The late British wine writer Cyril Ray wrote sparingly in 1967 about Barolo, in his award-winning book "The Wines of Italy," but he clearly described the differences between Barolo and Barbaresco. "Considered rather superior to its close relative Barbaresco, because of its greater capacity for aging in bottle, (Barolo) is usually very slightly the fuller and heavier." 

Bill Traverso, a Californian who has sold many a bottle of Barolo, echoed Ray with these words: "Barolo is one of Italy's great wines due to its sense of place, structure, age-worthiness and complex flavors."

"...the first Barolo I tried overwhelmed me; as I recall, it took four or five experiences before I saw the light," wrote Burton Anderson in his seminal 1980 book,"Vino."  Anderson described Barolo as an "extraordinary" wine.

And in his book "Italian Wine," here's Victor Hazan on Barolo: "...Barolo has always been the one red wine to turn to in Italy when one looked for grandeur, for a wine able to temper force with refinement." 

The Heart of Barolo 

Across the top of the boot, from Liguria to Friuli, Italy is a complex land of broad green plains, deep lakes and soaring mountains. The fertile expanse contains no fewer then seven wine regions.  Barolo is in land-locked Piedmont, hemmed in by Liguria, Valle d'Aosta, Lombardy, Trentino Alto-Adige, Veneto and Friuli.

                                                

Barolo and Barbaresco are varietal wines, made 100% from Nebbiolo, Italy's top red wine grape. Other Piemontese red wines that use Nebbiolo as a base, such as  Gattinara and Ghemme are required by law to blend Nebbiolo with an "ABC" trio of grapes: Arneis, Bonardo and Croatina, and a few others.

The character of Barolo varies by vineyard location. The heart of Barolo, where Nebbiolo grows at its finest, are the communes of Barolo and Castiglione Falletto, plus La Morra, Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba.  These five communes produce 87% of all Barolo.

La Morra and Barolo wines are softer, fruitier and tend to age sooner.  Monforte and Serralunga Barolos are more intense, structured and age slowly. Castiglione wines split the difference.

Additions to the list were made in 1966, but today the five original districts are considered the true Barolo. In the same year, Barolo was granted DOC status and in 1980, it was elevated to DOCG.

Italian regulations for DOCG require a three year minimum aging, of which 18 months must be in "wooden barrels."  Barolo Riserva requires five years of aging, 18 months of which must be in wood. 

"Wooden barrels" is a non-specific requirement that allows for winemaker discretion about the type of wood to be used.  French oak is the preferred choice today, but Barolo wineries have a history of using chestnut for barrels or large upright casks. However, chestnut vessels are often coated on the inside to temper  the wood's strong tannins.                                

                                               

The color of Barolo is never opaque, but like Pinot Noir, is medium ruby, with an early tendency to evolve to brick-red. Barolo smells of ripe black cherries and roses.  And with age, Barolo takes on scents of anise and tar.  Barolo is a powerful concentrated wine with ample tannin and bracing acidity.

There are hundreds of different Barolos in the market today. That means, of course, popularity has pushed prices into the stratosphere and that's not an exaggeration!  Most Barolos are in the $40 to $60 price range, but many are priced in the hundreds...a 1.5 liter of 1967 Mascarello is going for $1,000.

Here are eight reliable Barolo producers that more or less fit into the $40-$60 range: Vietti, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Giuseppe Mascarello, Paolo Scavino, Giacomo Conterno, Giacomo Borgogno, Vajiri, Elio Grasso. 

Salute!

Next blog: California Wine Adventures 2

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Gruner Veltliner & The Anniversary

Austria's capital city of Vienna has many attractions to satisfy even the most jaded world traveler. Few are more satisfying for the wine lover than Gemischter satz. And all of the grapes for Gemischter are from suburban vineyards, making Vienna one of few major world cities with thriving vineyards and its own style of wine.

Flowing freely from the unique collection of wine taverns, around Vienna, Gemischter satz, loosely translated as "mixed set," is a blend of up to 20 varieties. The majority grape, Gruner Veltliner, is Austria's most important grape.  Riesling, which happens to be the second most important grape, is part of the "set" as is Weissburgunder and Traminer.  

An aside.  On a balmy summer evening, a number of years ago, I headed to Grinzing, one of the many small Vienna suburbs with popular Heuriger (wine taverns), to wet my palate with some Gemischter satz.  I knew nothing about the wine, except for the tongue-twisting name.  But I was willing and ready to learn.  

Sipping Gruner at an outdoor Heurige

Tables were set outside and an aproned waiter motioned me to an empty one near the sidewalk.  Like magic, a glass of chilled white wine was set in front of me, along with a menu.  "Is this Gemischter satz?" I asked mangling the wine name. "Yes," came the patient reply.  

"Would you like to order food?" the waiter asked with a smile. I looked at the menu and decided on weisswurst, sauteed red cabbage and a hard roll, a combination that I hoped was a good choice with the wine. 

How could I miss, a casual meal in such pleasant surroundings on a lovely evening. As for the wine, it was what I expected: light and fruity with a touch of spice and a hint of bitterness, balanced with crisp acidity.

Austria's Green Wine

Gruner Veltliner, the national grape of Austria, is named for the town of Valtelina in northern Italy.  Gruner traces its ancestry to Savagnin, an ancient French variety, which also happens to be related to Sauvignon Blanc.

                                       

There is also a roter (red) veltliner and a fruhroted (early-ripening red-skinned) veltliner, but they are not genetically related to Gruner Veltliner.

Although Gruner is widely planted in Austria, it is prone to disease, so the vines must be trained high to allow for maximum air circulation, on a Lenz Moser trellis system, named for the famed Austrian viticulturist. 

More than half of the country's Gruner is grown in Lower Austria, but also in Kamptal in the north and the Wachau district west of Vienna. 

Popular styles of Gruner include single varietal, Austrian sekt (sparkling) and a sweet version from Austria's famed Burgenland.

Viewed through the lens of modern wine, it may seem that Gruner Veltliner has only recently made the scene. But there is evidence that Gruner was around in Roman times, when it was known as Gruner Muskateller.  Gruner became more commonly grown in the 19th century.

In the last 20 years, interest in Gruner Veltliner has taken off and today it is a popular alternative white variety in New Zealand, Australia, Washington state, California, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Gruner's attraction is a combo flavor of citrus peel and white pepper, with a mineral back note and all balanced nicely with mouth-watering acidity, a combination that reminds some of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. 

And like Riesling, Gruner hits all the right notes when paired with Chinese and Thai dishes. fried foods, lightly prepared fish and Gruner is a favorite with vegetarians for its flavor affinity with vegetables. 

Versatility is a hallmark of Gruner Veltliner, especially when grown in Austria. The flavors of Gruner have encouraged tasters to use descriptors as wide-ranging as green beans and black pepper.  Austrians describe this peppery taste as pfefferl.

The majority of Gruner Veltliner consumed today, especially in the United States, is intended for early drinking.  Add a couple years of bottle aging and Gruner transforms into a complex wine with tropical fruit and nutty flavors, again more like an aged Riesling.  

There are a lot of Gruners on the market, but here are six to get you started.   Pichler-Krautzler and Prager, from Wachau; Alram, Etz and Schloss Gobelsburg, all from Kamptal; And Nigl from Kremstal.  Most Gruners are priced from $14 to $40. One domestic Gruner that sells well is Joel Gott, Columbia Valley, Washington, $17. Lastly, Canadian wine writer Tony Gismondi says that British Columbia Gruner Veltliner is a "qualified classic."

Wine trends come and go.  Pinot Grigio and Albarino had their days and still have strong appeal to a lot of white wine drinkers. It's time now for Gruner Veltliner.

 

The Anniversary.  This month marks four years of "Gerald D Boyd On Wine" wine blogs.  In more than 180 postings, I've stayed with the statement made in that first blog:

"... I am introducing Gerald D Boyd On Wine, a  wine primer for newcomers to wine and those fans of wine wanting more background information.  No wine politics, wine gossip, wine technology and other assorted topics that are covered by other wine bloggers and wine publications."

In the future, there will be a few changes in the format but not the focus of the blog or the content.  I plan on keeping "Gerald D Boyd On Wine" as interesting and informative as I can...and I hope you will stay with me.

Next blog: Barolo: Italian Red Wine at its Finest

Contact me at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

California Wine Adventures

When I was a young boy in Pennsylvania, pestering my mother for a taste of her New York Port, it never occurred to me that one day I would be tasting wine in California.

How could you foresee that such a momentous change would someday alter the direction of your life? Growing up with milk and soda (I hadn't heard of "pop" and "soft drink" until I left home), wine was not a part of my life.  

In the early 1950s, I did what a lot of young men did in those days, join the military of choice.  For me, it was the U. S. Air Force, probably because my brother was on active duty then in the Air Force.  In quick succession, I was assigned to New York state, Illinois and then Germany.  

Prosit with Hofbrauhaus

My friends and I drank a lot of beer during the three years I was stationed in Bavaria. By chance, I went to a wine festival and discovered white wine, probably  Riesling or Sylvaner, that was unlike any beverage I had had before.  

That discovery was a real eye-opener for me.  But the "real" wine epihany was to happen later in France. 

There comes a time in every wine drinkers life when that first taste of a certain wine sets the stage for a lifetime of wine appreciation.  For me, it was in a French train station restaurant, drinking what I remember was a Beaujolais.  Now, more than 60 years later, I don't recall the winery name or what I had for dinner that evening, but the deep ruby color and rich fruity flavor of the wine is forever etched in my wine memory.

Fast forward to 1962 in San Jose, California. My neighbor asked if I would like to spend a Saturday afternoon visiting a winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  David Bruce was not a familiar name to me then, but my neighbor assured me that Bruce was some kind of wine guru, "so you have to go to his winery and listen to what he has to say about wine."

Well, okay, I thought.  Any information about wine from this supposed oracle, would be news to me since I didn't know the first thing about wine. So, on the appointed Saturday, I jumped into my neighbor's car and we headed southwest from San Jose to the Santa Cruz Mountains, home to, as I would later learn, more wineries than just David Bruce.

We arrived at the winery in time to join a tour with a few others. As the small group moved through the cellar, we passed fermentation tanks, hoses, pumps and oak barrels, while the guide explained the function of each and the part each  played in the wine making process. It all went by in a blur.  

Then, I saw the bottling line, gleaming in the bright light, with stations for filling, corking and labeling. It was a fascinating sight, in all its shining mechanical magnificence! 

                                 

Later, as a wine writer, I shuttered at hearing, "...and this is our bottling line,"  when it became boringly apparent that at every winery I visited, there would be, without fail, a bottling line to see and admire.

The early tasting of David Bruce wines left me with an awareness that there was a lot to learn and many wines yet to taste and that I would spend as much time and effort as I could cultivating a taste for Pinot Noir.  

Not long after the visit to David Bruce, my family and I moved across town to East San Jose, where I discovered that Mirassou Vineyards was only a few miles from my house. Unfortunately, it took me years before my first visit to Mirassou. 

For the next three years, my attention turned to other interests.  I didn't lose my interest in wine, but shifted to spending more time with family and furthering my education that I had woefully ignored in high school. 

Being on a career path in the Air Force does not make it easy to collect wines.   And it got even more difficult when I was transferred to a remote station in northern Labrador.          

                                    

My one wine adventure at Saglek Air Force station was at the end of 1965. The station commander, a man we all thought hadn't smiled in a decade, brought in a couple cases of Mateus Portuguese Rose for the unit Thanksgiving dinner. To this day, I still remember the colonel toasting the troops with a thin smile and how that simple off-dry pink wine tasted with roast turkey and all the trimmings. 

Back in the states, I spent four years honing my writing skills as an Air Force  training film script writer in Colorado. Then, I was off again, this time to Taiwan, where I had the personal once-in-a-lifetime experience of tasting Chinese "wine,"  a high alcohol liquid that I questioned had ever seen a grape. 

Next stop: South Carolina and another first for me. After ten years in the U.S. Air Force, I was finally assigned to a base that had planes.  In fact, Charleston AFB was the first base to welcome the C-5 Galaxy to active duty.  

And, I soon discovered that the city of Charleston had a Piggly Wiggly supermarket, with a wine section stocked with a respectable selection of European wines.  There I was, in South Carolina, drinking wine in a place more accustomed to sipping Bourbon and beer. 

In the July 14 installment of "California Wine Adventures" my family and I return to Colorado and my on-again-off-again career as a wine writer is on again. 

Next blog: Gruner Veltliner

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

Sicily

The following posting is an impression of my visit to Sicily a few years ago and those of my son, Sean, co-owner/winemaker of Sightglass Cellars in Washington, who spent two weeks there with his wife, Kristin, in May.

Sicily is an island of many contrasting natural features, from the snow-capped Mt. Etna volcano, to the tempering presence of the Mediterranean.  

Resting between the toe of Italy and North Africa, Sicily is about the size of Massachusetts and is unique among the 20 regions of Italy for its diversity of vineyard sites and grape varieties, making it second only to Veneto in production.

Many Americans think of Sicily as a hot dry land where life is controlled by the Mafia.  Crime is a problem in Sicily, as it is everywhere else, but the presence of a criminal element is mostly behind the scenes and doesn't intrude in the daily activities of the wine tourist.                                  

                                                    

For years, Sicily was known for making oceans of bulk wine and, with the exception of Marsala, little bottled wine. All of this production led to expansion of fine wine in numerous sub-regions throughout the island.  Today, there are 23 DOC sub-regions, with Cerasuolo di Vittoria, in the southeast, the only DOCG wine. 

White and Black Grapes

Sicily is a dynamic wine region that holds on to the sweet fortified Marsala and a wide variety of indigenous grapes like Nerello Mascalese, while promoting the increasingly popular red Nero d'Avola and widely planted Catarratto and Grillo white grapes. 

Far and away, Nero d'Avola is Sicily's best known red wine, made by 84 wineries at last count. A lot of Nero goes into blends, especially with Frappato, a more delicate wine but one that works well in blends.  Although Sicily grows more white wine grapes than red, American wine drinkers are most familiar with Nero d'Avola.

Grillo, a popular Sicilian cross of Catarratto and Muscat Alexandria, is a dry wine with the orange zest and floral flavors of Muscat wine, but is more muted than a full Muscat, a wine that is too much for some tastes. Grillo is building interest in Sicily and may soon challenge Cataratto for white wine dominance.

Sicilian winemakers recognize that, to compete in an international market, a winery needs to have a more diverse portfolio than just Nero d'Avola and Catarratto.  Thus, international varieties, like Syrah and Chardonnay are gaining interest, as are indigenous grapes like the dark black Nocera and the red twins Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, in vineyards across the island, but notably on the slopes of Etna and in the Faro DOC. 

Sicily Region by Region

The regional focus that follows is on Vittoria DOCG and Etna DOC, two of Sicily's most important sub-regions.  Other noted sub-regions include Marsala DOC, Faro DOC and Sicilia DOC, but they are for another time.

 

Reflecting on his time in Sicily, Sean said, "We had wines in restaurants, at wineries and we took wine back to our room to sample and enjoy. I was impressed by the history and the decades of planting and knowing what grapes worked best."   

Vittoria was officially recognized as a DOC in 1973 and upgraded to DOCG in 2005. Today, Vittoria is Sicily's only DOCG, mainly on the strength of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a red blend of Nero d'Avolo and Frappato. "Cerasuolo" is Italian for "cherry-red," the color of the blended wine. 

Some wineries in Vittoria mature their wine in terracotta amphorae, a unique technique that eliminates oak influence.  "Before I went to Sicily," Sean recalls, "my impression of Nero d'Avola was that it was bigger and fuller, but the ones we tasted during our visit were lighter, nicely balanced, with a less broad palate."  He says that the Nero d'Avolos he tasted, specifically from Vittoria, were most like a Washington Cabernet Franc or Syrah.

 

Amphorae similar to those at Cos

 

Cos and Occhipinti, were two must-see Vittoria wineries Sean and Kristin, for different reasons. "Cos was using amphora to age their red wine, a technique I had read about but hadn't seen before. And there was this incredibe view of Mt. Etna from the winery.  Occhipinti had a range of red wines at different prices, based mainly on Nero d'Avolo and it was the place that Stanley Tucci visited in his television show about wineing and eating in Italy. "

 

Etna DOC stands in the shadow of 11,00 foot Mt. Etna, an active volcano that is both a contributor and a threat to the sub-region's grape growing and wine making. Etna's volcanic soil provides grapes with special nutrients and a characteristic minerality.  But Etna could blow at any time.

 

The quality of Sicilian white wines were unexpected discovery for Sean.  "It was surpizing that the white wines were so crisp and clean, coming from such a warm area. I enjoyed the Catarattos, especially from the Etna sub-region. But I didn't find Grillo as complex as Cataratto, more like Pinot Grigio."

 

Terra Costantino, in the Etna DOC, is Sicily's first organic winery. The philosophy of the winery is steeped in Greek mythology and head-trained vines rooted in volcanic soil.  As an owner of a small winery in Washington, Sean felt a kinship with Terra Costantino.  "I liked the hand-on attitude at Costantino and thought the Contrada Blandano, a blend of Cataratto and Carricante, was the best Costantino wine I tasted. It was so clean and crisp."  Costantino also makes Grillo. 

 

Another Etna favorite was Biondi, a small winery on Etna's slopes, with vineyards rich in minerals from the volcanic soil. Biondi grows Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Catarattor and Carricante. "The Biondi San Nicolo, made from Nerello Mascalese, was an excellent wine that was new to me," Sean says.

 

"On reflection, I felt the quality of Sicilian wines and the dedication of the winemakers was very high," says Sean. "One thing that puzzled me, though, is that every winemaker I spoke to claimed they only picked their grapes on flavor (phenolic) ripeness. And yet, all of the wines we tasted had listed alcohols around 12% to 13%.  I asked how that could be, with the high summer heat, temperatures and humidity, but I never got a good answer."  

Still, white wines were a pleasant part of Sean's Sicilian wine experience. While touring around the island, Sean and Kristin had many opportunities to taste Sicilian foods with the local wines. "The crisp acidity and clean fruit flavors of the  whites were really good with the local cuisines, like fresh fish." 

 

Sean can now check Sicily off his bucket list.  "People I talked to before our trip said Sicily is a must-see for the history, food and wine...and they are right. And Sicily is less touristy than other parts of Italy and less expensive." 

Look for Sicilian wines in your local wine shop. Better yet, go to Sicily this summer and taste the sun-washed flavors of Sicilian wine and food. 

 

Next blog: The first in a series of personal experiences titled "California Wine Adventures."

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, one of my favorite people to books and wine education has a website and here page on Sicily is worth reading. https://sicily.guides.winefolly.com/

Anderson Valley

In the early part of the 1970s, while Napa and Sonoma were setting the wine world on its ear, little attention was paid to the wines of Mendocino County.  And there was even less said about Anderson Valley. 

Anderson Valley flowers and vines

Ukiah, where Barney Fetzer and John Parducci made their wines, is a convenient off-ramp from the main north-south US-101 through Mendocino. But to reach the secluded Anderson Valley, a thirsty wine fan had to exit 101 outside Cloverdale, onto a winding two-lane state Route 128 or approach the valley over the narrow Route-253 mountain road south of Ukiah. 

The scenic drive along R-128 takes you past Navarro, Greenwood Ridge, Husch, Handley and Roederer Estate, among other wineries.  West through Philo the road eventually ends at the Pacific Ocean.                          

An aside.  The cluster of a group of small businesses and a hotel, that is  Boonville, is known for two things, although both are probably slipping out of the public memory.  Boontling, an American jargon, developed in the late 19th century, is spoken today only by a few old timers in western Mendocino County.  Hang around Boonville long enough, though, and you might hear someone talking about a "sharkin match" (fight), or telling a story out of church about the local "skype" or pastor. 

Old time residents of Boonville may also tell you about the time a mysterious young couple breathed life back into a run down Boonville Hotel and Restaurant and then slipped out of town one night owing a lot of money.  The hotel is thriving again and so too is Boonville.

Anderson Valley White Wines

Cool climate growing conditions, especially for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatic whites like Riesling and especially, Gewurztraminer, attracted winemakers in the 1970s to Anderson Valley, along with, of course, some reasonable prices for arable land. 

Parducci Wine Cellars in Ukiah is the oldest winery in Mendocino, opening its doors in 1932.  In Anderson Valley, Lazy Creek Vineyards, 1973, makers of excellent Gewurztraminer, holds the longevity honors, followed by Handley Cellars, 1981, also known for Gewurtz and Chardonnay. 

Since 1974, Navarro Vineyards has been committed to making outstanding Gewurztraminer and building a reputation for excellent Riesling, as well. And Navarro makes some of the best late harvest styles from those two varieties.  

A short distance past Navarro is Lazy Creek Vineyards started by a Swiss couple that planted a vineyard in 1973 and one of the valley's first wineries.  Lazy Creek has long been recognized for the best Alsace dry-style Gewurtz in California. 

Across the highway is Husch Vineyard, one of the oldest wineries in Anderson Valley. Husch has a solid following for Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay, plus old vine Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.  In 1979, the Oswald family bought Husch and expanded the line. 

Further along R-128 is Roederer Estate, the California outpost for the noted Champagne firm of Louis Roederer.  Vineyards were first planted at Roederer Estate in 1982, with the construction of a winery to follow.  Roederer Estate bubbly is among California's finest, especially the prestige bottling, L'Ermitage. 

Beyond Roederer and just before getting to Navarro, is Handley Cellars, founded in 1981, with winemaker Mila Handley turning out excellent Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.   

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

California wine lore is partly about the search for the Holy Grail of red wine: Pinot Noir.  The faithful looked throughout the state and found ideal conditions for Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara, Russian River, Los Carneros and more recently in the Anderson Valley.

In the early 1980s, the owners of Champagne Roederer settled on Anderson Valley as a good place to grow Pinot Noir for their California sparkling wine. While Moet & Chandon and G. H. Mumm opted for the trendier Napa Valley, Roederer decided the place to be making sparkling wine in California was the off-the-tourist track of Anderson Valley.  

At one time, the advice coming out of the University of California Davis was to pass on Pinot Noir since there is no place in the state for a grape that loves a cool climate. Fortunately, there were those who believed Pinot Noir had a future in Anderson Valley, with its ocean influence and good soils.  

Common Goldeneye                             Audubon

In 1996, the Duckhorns of Napa Valley founded the Goldeneye Winery in the cool climate of Anderson Valley, to make a Pinot Noir the equal of the noted Duckhorn Merlot. It was a decision that paid off with the success of Goldeneye, named for the Common Goldeneye migratory diving duck. Goldeneye also makes a dry Alsace-style Gewurztraminer.

Anderson Valley may be off the tourist trail, but the diversion is worth the time and effort, to enjoy a cool glass of Gewurztraminer or a satisfying Pinot Noir, before continuing along the trail to the scenic Pacific Ocean. 

Next blog: Sicily

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com

 

Kiwi Reds

New Zealand, the other Down Under country, is known for its juicy Sauvignon Blanc with a tropical personality.  Not as well known are the tasty Kiwi reds. 

The list of New Zealand red wines is fairly limited with the usual Bordeaux varieties, the odd Syrah, and best of all, distinctive Pinot Noir that can take its place with the best Pinots in the world.  

Pinot Noir

New Zealand's top Pinot Noirs come from Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago. Marlborough and Central, are on the South Island. Martinborough is at the southern end of the North Island, across the Cook Strait from the South Island.

Marlborough Pinot Noir

Red wine fans can be divided into two general groups: the Cabernet Sauvignon crowd and lovers of Pinot Noir.  Before everything went PC, Pinot Noir was thought of as a feminine wine for its soft tannins and round voluptuous fruit; the yin of red wine. Cabernet was described as a masculine wine, probably because of its tight personality and rough edges; the yang to Pinot Noir's yin.

Exercising your wine memory is crucial for the serious wine lover. After tasting a wine that made you sit up and pay attention, your next move is to open a memory index card system, starting a new card for each time you taste a new vintage of a memorable wine. 

During a visit to New Zealand, I had an unexpected surprise when I tasted a superb pinot from Central, as the southern region is often called.  Like most anxious wine tasters, I fell for the hype about Marlborough Pinot Noirs and knew little about the pinots from Central Otago.  To be clear, both places make great Pinot Noir, but I was conditioned to favor Marlborough over Central. 

Then I visited Felton Road and tasted the Block 5 Pinot Noir, one in a small lineup of pinots from Felton Road. Block 5 was (and is) a standout, for its fragrant rose petal nose and leathery back notes.  Deep and layered, Block 5 showed concentrated cherry/berry fruit and excellent subtle tannins.  

To me, Pinot Noir has always been a wine that invites you back for a second sip.  Felton Road filled that invitation and then some.  

If are looking for pinots to try from New Zealand, here are a few more choices:  Burnt Cottage, Peregrine, Pyramid Valley, Akawa.  And from Marlborough: Cloudy Bay, Greywacke, Villa Maria, Ten Sisters.  Martinborough Pinot Noirs: Martinborough Vineyard, Ata Rangi, Dry River, Palliser.

The Other Reds

Kiwi wineries are happy that we like their Pinot Noir, but they also want wine consumers to know that New Zealand red wine is more than just Pinot Noir.  If you went to Hawke's Bay on the North Island, you'd find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah to sample and savor. 

Gimblett Gravels

The district with the wonderfully-named Gimblett Gravels is where you'll find an assortment of red grapes, led by Merlot and Syrah.  At the end of the 1980s, a group of growers and winemakers, identified the deep gravelly soils as ideal for big reds.  

I was in New Zealand after Gimblett Gravels was established and visited Craggy Range in Hawke's Bay.  My contacts back in California told me to look up Steve Smith MW, co-founder of Craggy Range and the first viticulturist in the world to become a Master of Wine. In characteristic Kiwi hospitality, Smith showed me the winery and then we sat down to taste Craggy Range wines in the winery's excellent restaurant. 

Craggy Range reds from Gimblett Gravels, mainly the Cabernet/Merlot blend and the Syrah, were big, rich and bold with pure fruit flavors.  Before my visit at  Craggy Range, I had sampled the red wines of Te Mata and found the wines to have the same Hawke's Bay richness and structure.

An aside. During my first year with the Wine Spectator, in 1979, I worked with founder Bob Morrisey.  Bob and I were retired military journalists, he the Marines, me the Air Force, who during our travels in the military had developed a taste for fine wine.  

The Spectator started in La Jolla, then moved to San Diego and it was there where I first tasted New Zealand wines, in an unusual setting. Every year, a small ship of the New Zealand Navy made port in San Diego, inviting local food and wine people aboard for a sumptuous meal of Kiwi delicacies and select wines.

That afternoon, Bob and I sat on the fantail of the ship, hosted by the ship's captain and chaplain, who referred to himself as "padre," (an odd coincidence Bob and I laughed about later, because of the San Diego Padres baseball team), noshing on Sauvignon Blanc and New Zealand shellfish, and grilled lamb and Pinot Noir.

It was, without question, the most unusual place I've ever tasted wine and I wonder if the U.S. Navy has ever sponsored an American wine and food tasting while visiting a foreign port.  Nah!

 

Next blog: Anderson Valley

Leave a comment at boydvino707@gmail.com