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Posted on 09/13/2006 9:08:46 AM PDT by NautiNurse
The harvest season has arrived in California wine country.
Thus far, reports from the Napa Valley have been unanimously positive, which means if Mother Nature continues to cooperate, 2006 could be an exceptional vintage for a number of wine varieties.
Per usual, things got going early in the Carneros region, which straddles the southern borders of both Napa and Sonoma counties. That’s a big area for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — two key ingredients in sparkling wine — and the makers of sparklers prefer to work with less-ripened fruit.
Sauvignon Blanc was the first variety harvested farther north in Yountville, with Chardonnay not far behind. The Chardonnay bunches were reportedly ripening very evenly, a harbinger of quality wines to come.
In the Stags Leap District, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot seemed to be running about a month behind other areas, and up on Mt. Veeder, a mid-October harvest was being anticipated.
Overall, the California Cabernet harvest is expected to be somewhat small, but of exceptional quality — again, as long as Mother Nature doesn’t pull a fast one with some extended rainfall or, even worse, a hailstorm.
Other news around the vineyards and wineries…
• Earlier this year, all the legal maneuvering finally ended and it was decreed that wineries that use “Napa” in their name must make their wine from Napa Valley fruit. It was considered a landmark truth-inadvertising case.
Now, a similar brouhaha is brewing — or, perhaps that should be fermenting — in Sonoma County. As was the case in Napa, there is not unanimous support for the proposal. However, for consistency’s sake, it’s a proposal that certainly seems to make sense.
• More than $700,000 was raised for local charities at the 2006 Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction.
Among the highlights of the event: Joe, Mike, Chris and Bob Benziger showing up in full Elvis regalia.
Another: Bruce Cohn of B.R. Cohn Winery impersonating Elton John, sequins and all.
Proceeds benefited the Sonoma Land Trust, Vineyard Worker Services and the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, among other local groups.
• In response to a question from a Daily Press reader, a wine glass should be washed immediately after use with hot water and a mild detergent.
This prevents staining, and gets the glass completely clean for its next use.
After being dried with a clean cloth, the glass should be stored upright so stale air doesn’t become trapped in the bowl.
• And in answer to another reader question, the main difference between making white wine and making red wine involves the skins of the grapes.
In the making of red wine, the skins are kept in contact with the fermenting juice. That’s what gives the wine its color.
• Mark your calendar: The next tasting event of the High Deser t Wine Explorers is scheduled for Sept. 23 at the Cask ’N’ Cleaver restaurant in Victorville.
The theme of the tasting is “blended wines,” the first time in the club’s history that the topic has been tackled… and tasted.
To order tickets, call 843-0500.
Wines of the week
• White: Legends 2005 Chardonnay, California. Legends is the wine project of basketball hall of famer Larry Bird, and this wine is all about finesse and elegance. It offers aromas and flavors of ripe, sweet pear, apple and peach, and even though it did not undergo malolactic fermention, it’s soft and creamy in the mouth. In basketball-speak, this wine is “nothing but net.” $25. Rating: 88.
• Red: Cosentino 2003 “The Poet,” Napa Valley. This red Meritage wine is dark garnet in hue, with complex aromatics that unfold to reveal cedar, mint, black currant, black cherry and dark chocolate. The sweet black fruits are more prominent in the mouth, picking up notes of black licorice and tobacco leaf. A few years in the cellar should help this wine “show” even better. $65. Rating: 92.
Wines are rated by Bob Johnson and Glen Frederiksen on a 100-point scale: 70-79, commercially sound; 80-84, good; 85-89, very good; 90-94, excellent; 95-100, world class. Send questions to Wine Lines in care of the Daily Press, P.O. Box 1389, Victorville, CA 92393 or e-mail them to bobwino@aol. com.
Click to be +/- on this low volume wine ping list.Oenology news ping.
I just want to know when the 2-Buck Chuck Pinot Grigio will be back at Trader Joes - it was AWESOME!
Why would anyone buy French wine when we have better grapes in California ?
That's because they're descended from the Italian grapevines that were transplanted here.
My GF bought a bottle of French Wine for $5.99 the other day.
After I scolded her, I had a great laugh at the price.
I heard that California wines were owned by Italians and tended by Mexicans.
Well, all the great food you eat in the pricey Italian restaurants were cooked by Mexicans also....
There is a cold front moving down from Western Canada in the next day or two. Lower temps, strong winds and possibly some rain down to Humboldt county...
How hard can it be to boil pasta ?
Make mine Virginia wine!
Horton, Oakencroft, Barboursville, Williamsburg, Ingleside, Wintergreen...
http://www.virginiawines.org
It's hard to figure how the Frenchies can make a profit at that price.
Subsidies?
"Well, all the great food you eat in the pricey Italian
restaurants were cooked by Mexicans also"
It's getting really confusing. In my area The Greek place has Mexicans doing the cooking, the Taco Bell has Vietnamese cooking and the soul food kitchen is run by a couple of white guys.
"It's okay. It certainly rates as well as any other $2 bottles of wine.
Of which there are almost none," said wine critic Frank Prial.
;o)
Holy Cow! Just think how good 2006 COULD have been if we didn't have all that global warming on!
"After being dried with a clean cloth, the glass should be stored upright so stale air doesn’t become trapped in the bowl"
I hate it when stale air is trapped in my wine glass. This situation completely ruins my wine tasting experience./sarc off.
When I sample in Napa I make it a point to annoy the people with this mentality.
I've been told that a lot of Red Zin vines in California are being yanked out in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Word on the street is that if you liked Red Zin out of California (and I've had a few outstanding ones), get what you can now because it will become more "boutique" in the years to come with less and less being available (and the prices rising accordingly).
Murphy Goode had an outstanding one in "Liar's Dice". If consumed young, it was quite "spicy". The '01 drinks mighty fine right now.
...BTW, my source tells me that a lot of French stuff just isn't moving. He's got 01-02 Cru Beaujolais at $3.49...and it's just sitting there.
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