September 2, 2010 at 10:54 pm (Age, Argentina, Australia, Bell Pepper, Black Cherry, Black Fruit, Blackberry, Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Carmenere, Cellaring, Collecting, Comparisions, Cote du Rhone, Dornfelder, Earthiness, Food, France, Fruit, Germany, Grahma Beck, Grenache, GSM, Italy, Laguna Niguel, Languedoc, Mclaren Vale, Merlot, Mourvedre, Nero D'Avola, Organic, Organic Grapes, Pfalz, Pic St. Loup, Pinot Noir, Red Fruit, Ripeness, Sicily, Soil, Souith Africa, Sour Cherry, South Africa, Spain, Spatburgunder, Storage, Syrah, tar, Tasting, Tobacco, Uncategorized, Winemakers, wineries, Yangarra)
Tags: Acid, Argentina, Australia, Black Fruit, Blends, California Taste Fine Wine, Carmenre, Cherry, chocolate, Dornfelder, Earthiness, France, Granache, GSm, Italy, McLaren Vale, Monastrell, Mourvedre, PAtel Cabernet Sauvignon, PAtel Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Retail Wine Stores, South Africa, Spatburgunder, Syrah, Tasting
First, I have to start with the thought that there is a huge world of wine out there. There are so many variatals, it is impossible to name them all. Many wine enthusiats in California think only in terms of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. It is funny when I ask people if they might like a Zinfandel. The typical response is,”I do not like sweet pink wines.”
But, as we all know, Zinfandel is a fantastic, deep rich red wine. Great with BBQ and strong cheeses.
When it came to the International Reds Tasting at California Taste Fine Wine in Laguna Niguel, there were a few surprises in the group. The first were the large number of countries that are producing GSM blends. A GSM blend is Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. These grapes all go so well together and have a spicy finish. The combination of plum, cherry, blackberry, tar, tobacco and earthiness and spice make this genre of wine a natural with so many food types.
Sometimes this blendd is found in Cotes du Rhone or other Rhone blends. The traditional home for these grapes are the Rhone Valley in Southern France. Mourvedre or Monastrall as it is known in Spainit’s original home before it migrated east to France. At the tasting was a a Falcata Casa Gran from Valencia, Spain, Yangarra Cadenzia from Mclaren Vale in Australia and a Pic St. Loup from the Languedoc in the south of France. The blends where similar, but each wine was as different from the next as an orange is as different than an apple. I would drink any one of these wines at anytime.
Another wine in the tasting was a German wine from the Pfalz region of Germany. Made by Alfred Bonnet, the Cuvee Bonus was a Trocken, or dry red comprised of a blend of Dornfelder and Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir). The first bottle opened was shot and the second was okay. The wine had a very aged look to it, almost brown. But there was still fruit predominate and a lot of acid. Not a favorite at the tasting. And the little bit that was left in the bottle was totally done the next morning.
I have never been a fan of Carmenere or Chilean wines in general. They all seem to have a green taste, like a ripe bell pepper. This is from the grapes perhaps not reaching full ripeness or too much stem, leaves and other things making it into the fermentation vat. But the La Playa Carmenere changed my mind. No green. Just a rich, thick, dried prune, chocolate and cherry taste and nose backed with a hint of toasty oak. What a great wine. A steal at under $10.
Italy was represented with a wine from Sicily. Gulfi Nero D’avola. This is a grape that is getting more popular in United States. It is a high acid wine that plays so well with so many foods. My personal preference for Italian wines showed through with this wine. All I could think about was having this with a nice veal Cannaloni.
Then there was a Pinot Noir from Argentina that was made with Organic Grapes. The Santa Julia wine brand is very solid. The Bonarda is a real winner. The Pinot Noir is very packed with cherry, strawberry and cranberry. Maybe a dark horse for that tofurkey. Graham Beck is another brand to be aware of. This South African winery makes a number of wines including a nice sparkling wine. But this tasting featured the newest vinatge of the Cabernet Sauvignon. With red, sour and black cherry coupled with minerality, blackberry in the finish, this is a fun drinking wine. Glad it is back.
But what was really interesting again is how all of these wines tasted better after being open for a couple of days. I know I have said it before, but on any given night, open two bottles and then come back to each of them the next day or the day after. The reward will be tremendos and the wines smooth and very drinkable. I guess that is how you Uncork Happiness times two!
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March 9, 2010 at 6:40 pm (California Taste Fine Wine, Collecting, Food, Tasting, Uncategorized, wine critics)
Tags: California Taste Fine Wine, Food, Taste, Tasting
A recent article on ABCnews.com stated that fro women, a glass of wine a day helps keep down the weight. Now I ma one for acknowledging that wine in drinking in moderation has a few benefits, especially to the cardiovascular system.
But weight? A typical glass of wine has about 140 calories. That coupled with a nice meal and the calorie count jumps up pretty quickly. The study had this to say:
The study started out with nearly 20,000 trim middle-aged and older women. Over time, women who drank alcohol in moderation put on less weight and were less apt to become overweight compared to non-drinkers. This was true even after taking into account various lifestyle and dietary factors that might influence a woman’s weight.
Red wine seemed best at keeping weight in check, but white wine, beer and spirits also had some benefit.
“Our study results showed that middle-aged and older women who have normal body weight initially and consume light-to-moderate amount of alcohol could maintain their drinking habits without gaining more weight compared with similar women who did not drink any alcohol,” Dr. Lu Wang from the division of preventive medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
The new study, published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, is the first to examine ties between alcohol consumption by a normal-weight individual and the risk of becoming overweight or obese.
The women were all at least 39 years old when the study began. About 38 percent said they did not drink alcohol; 33 percent said they drank less than 5 grams daily (a standard drink has about 10 grams of alcohol); 20 percent drank 5 to less than 15 grams daily; 6 percent drank 15 to less than 30 grams daily; and 3 percent downed 30 grams of alcohol or more daily (about 2 to 3 drinks per day or more).
Over an average of about 13 years, the women generally gained weight. However, the teetotalers gained the most weight, with weight gain decreasing with increasing amount of alcohol consumed.
Women who did not drink gained an average of 3.63 kilograms (8 pounds) compared with 1.55 kilograms (3.4 pounds) for those who consumed 30 grams of alcohol or more each day.
During the 13 years the initially normal-weight women were followed, 41 percent became overweight or obese. Women who drank 15 to less than 30 grams per day had the lowest risk of becoming overweight or obese, which was 30 percent less than that of non-drinkers.
Put another way, Wang said an initially trim woman who did not drink alcohol had about a 43 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese over 13 years. Her risk fell to 33 percent if she drank 15 to 30 grams of alcohol a day.
Women who drank higher amounts of alcohol were generally more physically active, weighed slightly less at the outset and were more apt to be smokers, than other women. However, the association between drinking and less weight gain and risk of becoming obese.
So if you drink, the unfortunate fact is that you tend to gain a little. Wine drinking is part of a lifestyle that includes rich meals and shared experiences with friends. I tend to think that we are responsible for most of what we put in our bodies. I know that I have a few bad habits. and when you are with friends who drink, then things at times get a bit out f hand. Ad as we grow older, we do not metabolize things as rapidly. I know that I cannot drink as much as i used to, without suffering the effects the ext day.
So yes, I encourage people to enjoy wine in moderation and make it part of a healthy lifestyle. Wine should not be used as a tool for weight control. Just let it enhance your meal as you Uncork a Little Happiness.
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February 7, 2010 at 10:34 pm (Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Cheese, Collecting, Cooking, Food, Malbec, Storage, Tasting, Uncategorized, Zinfandel)
Tags: Black Fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cellaring, Indianapolis, Merlot, New Orleans, Pepper, Spicy Wine, Zinfandel
The big game is about an hour away and I have been asked all week: Wine Boy, what are you going to drink during the game? I enjoy big, heavy beers, so a t first I thought a nice dark beer would go down well. But then I said. ” I have a nice collection of wine. Why not use something there.”
So then I thought, “What wine goes with super bowl food?” So many are having Southern themed parties in honor of the New Orléans Saints. But when in Indianapolis, what would a Colt’s fan eat?”
So American themed food it is. But tonight there will be potatoes made a few ways, braised chicken and a vegetable or two. And of course chips and salsa. So this now becomes a challenge much like a Thanksgiving dinner. Red wine with fruit? Spice? Light? Heavy? Cabernet Sauvignon?Zinfandel?
So I think that a big red is order for the big game. I am not sure what it will be. So I am about to put on my miners hat, turn on the little light and see what pops off the rack. I look forward to hearing from a lot of you to see what wine or beer was enjoyed for the super bowl.
But remember on the first Saturday of May, it is always mint Julips. No Kentucky Derby would be complete without them. So get comfortable on the couch and Uncork some Happiness. I hope your team wins.
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January 6, 2010 at 1:02 am (California Taste Fine Wine, Tasting, Uncategorized, wine critics)
Tags: California Taste Fine Wine, mood, Tasting, wine critics
Wine tasting is a very subjective thing. The most important things to know are these: It is a good wine if you like it and your taste is really the only on that matters. That being said, listening to myself or other experienced wine critics can be a helpful guide in finding the right wine for you. This is also because we tend to taste more wine in a year than the average person tastes in a lifetime. Rough work, but someone has to do it. It is the remembering what we have tried that is hard.
So what makes all of this interesting is the context of actual tasting. There are a number of things that can effect taste other than just the wine itself. Mood, location, people and the reason for drinking.
In this post, we are going to tackle the concepts of mood and people.
Our mood can severely affect our taste. If you wake up in a great mood, wine can taste fantastic. A friend once said to me, ” The person who comes in to get their car repaired is typically in a very bad mood. The person who is going in to try or buy a bottle of wine is almost always happy.” See if this isn’t true for you. Go and have a cup of coffee when you are happy and then the same cup of coffee when you are angry. Then try the same experiment with wine. I have done this and I know that when I am not feeling well or am unhappy, wine tastes fairly bad. I do not want to drink. I think that mood and say the amount of sleep you get and the condition of your sinus play a a huge role in the taste of wine. And yes, taste is 70% in the nose. Remember you only have salt, sweet, bitter, sour and umami in the mouth. The real nuances in any wine are in the nose. Taste just confirms the nose of the wine.
With all that being said, people can affect the taste as well. If again someone is in a bad mood and with you wine tasting, things just are not that good. That mood can spread. And when wine tasting, that one loud, rude person can ruin the tasting environment. So can that person with the heavy perfume. when wine tasting, do not wear perfume. I like to just put a little dab of wine behind each ear and call it a day. The people you are with can also get you into a buying frenzy and their opinion on a wine can very much affect your impression on the wine. In my wine study group, I struggle very hard to not be a victim of group think. So it is most imperative that you stand on your own taste and decide what it is you like.
So we will explore both wine tasting in wine country and in a wine shop. Two very different experiences and two very different circumstances.
And if you need more help with this, you can call or visit me at California Taste fine or at caltaste.com. Wine tasting is truly Uncorking Happiness.
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