MY Top Pick of 2009

Well, since the year is coming to a close, and all of the “top wines of 2009″ lists are being published, I have decided to give you MY top pick of the year. You must note that my choice is coming from a limited number of wines that I was able to taste this year. I do not get paid to do this and do not get sent hundreds of bottles to try for free. So between a handful of wine tasting trips, along with one new bottle of wine every week or two, I give you the best wine of 2009…

Rombauer Vineyards Zinfandel 2007

Rombauer’s luscious and jammy wine is full-bodied like a typical Zinfandel, yet has the sweet flavor qualities of a Port. The winery illustrates the wine as “dramatically seductive and immensely flavorful. This fruit-forward, full-bodied style is deeply concentrated and jammy with layers of dark wild berries and rich cherries. Fruity through the finish, flavors of boysenberry and raspberry linger on the palate.” Do not miss this robust and velvety sensation that will have you begging for more.

Like most Zinfandels, the Rombauer is rich and powerful, so it pairs well with heavy foods such as steak. Because it is faintly sweet similar to a Port, however, it can also be paired with or substituted as a dessert. Rombauer’s Zinfandel is priced between 26 and 30 dollars, so it is more of a special-occasion wine. Try to come up with many special occasions though because you will want any excuse to enjoy this delight.

California Love

I am a proud California girl, so I would like to dedicate this post to the greatness that is California. Sure our state has its issues, but wine is not one of them.

California…

• …is the fourth largest wine producer in the world.
• …makes 90 percent of American wine.
• …is responsible for $18.5 billion in retail wine sales in the U.S.
• …ranks first in wine consumption in the U.S., followed by Florida, then New York.
• …has more than 60,000 registered wine labels.

Here’s a random fact about wine that interested me: It takes about six to eight clusters, or approximately 600 to 800 wine grapes (2.4 lbs.) to make a bottle of wine. One barrel of wine contains 740 lbs. of grapes, equivalent to 59 gallons or 24.6 cases of wine.

I found this list of “10 Reasons to Love California Wine” on www.pasowine.com, text used courtesy of Wine Institute.

1. A living national treasure, with history and entrepreneurial spirit. California wines have been around for nearly 250 years, and the industry is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world. After Prohibition, California has led a wine quality revolution by combining art, science, innovation and tradition.
2. A leader in sustainable winegrowing and winemaking practices. With its statewide Sustainable Winegrowing Program (SWP), establishing strong environmental standards and practices from ground to glass, California vintners and winegrape growers are a model for other agricultural products and other wine regions in the U.S. and the world.
3. Comprised largely of family businesses. The vast majority of California’s 4,600 winegrape growers and 2,800 wineries are family-owned and operated businesses, many involving multiple generations.
4. Offers immense choice for wine drinkers, because of diverse growing regions, soils, climates, winemaking styles and people. With winegrapes grown in 46 of the state’s 58 counties, California counts 108 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Starting with the Spanish missionaries, to German, Swiss, French and Italian immigrants, to the modern day entrepreneurs and researchers, all have made their mark on California wines.
5. Inspired a culinary revolution. As the popularity of California wines has risen, so has the national focus on fresh seasonal cooking and dining. Many of America’s top chefs work in California’s wine country.
6. Provides careers for thousands. The California wine industry generates 820,000 jobs nationwide, with wages totaling $25.8 billion. The overall economic impact of the wine industry in the U.S. economy is $121.8 billion.
7. Creates beautiful travel destinations throughout the state. California is the most visited state in the U.S. for food and wine-related activities, with 19.7 million tourists visiting the state’s wine regions each year.
8. Offers unprecedented opportunities for women. Women have played a critical role in the California wine industry’s past, and today are taking lead positions in viticulture, winemaking, sales, marketing, hospitality and distribution. In the U.S., you’re just as likely to see a female as a male sommelier.
9. Keeps land in agriculture. Although less than 1 percent of California land is planted to vineyards, California wine is the number one finished agricultural product in retail value in the U.S. Winegrapes ensure that land stays in agriculture, and preserves open space and scenic pastoral landscapes.
10. Has driven a new “wine culture” in the U.S., inspiring people in all 50 states to establish wineries. Wine consumption has risen for 14 consecutive years in the U.S., and the proliferation of wine magazines, websites, blogs and yes, even a reality television show about wine, attests to the fact that wine is becoming more a part of mainstream American culture. California’s success in wine quality, production and innovation has helped inspire winemaking ventures in all 50 U.S. states.

Top Wines of 2009

With the year coming to a close, most wine magazines are publishing their top wines lists to award the wineries that stand out above the rest.

Wine Spectator Magazine recently released its annual Top 100 Wines list for 2009. From more than 17,000 new release wines tasted, the list is narrowed down based on four criteria: quality, value, availability and excitement. Below, I give you the top 10…

Wine Spectator #1

1. Columbia Crest, Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Reserve 2005, Washington, $27
2. Numanthia-Termes, Toro Termes 2005, Spain, $27
3. Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2007, France, $70
4. Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2007, California, $52
5. Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico, Castello di Brolio 2006, Italy, $54
6. Chappellet, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2006, California, $42
7. Renato Ratti, Barolo Marcenasco 2005, Italy, $44
8. Fontodi Colli della Toscana, Centrale Flaccianello 2006, Italy, $110
9. Merry Edwards, Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2007, California, $29
10. Brancaia, Toscana Tre 2007, Italy, $20

To watch videos detailing each wine in the top 10, visit Wine Spectator.

Food and Wine Magazine has also honored the best wines under $20 as part of their American Wine Awards 2009. These great-value wines are:

• Chardonnay: 2008 Luli, $20
• Sauvignon Blanc: 2008 Hanna Russian River Valley, $19
• Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio: 2008 Sineann Pinot Gris, $18
• Pinot Noir: 2007 Siduri Sonoma County, $20
• Zinfandel: 2007 Foxglove, $15
• Merlot: 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells, $18
• Cabernet Sauvignon: 2006 Twenty Rows, $20
• Syrah: 2007 Copain Tous Ensemble, $20

I was very excited to see that the Twenty Rows Cabernet is being recognized in this category. I tried this wine at Prima Ristorante in Walnut Creek and absolutely adored it. Two days ago, I purchased three bottles to bring to my Thanksgiving meal–that is how much I enjoy this Cabernet. Here is how Food and Wine Magazine details this gem:

This red gives the true taste of Napa Cabernet depth and harmony at an almost forgotten price. Winemaker Brian Nuss rounds out his Cabernet Sauvignon with small portions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The result is a rich but subtle wine, shot through with a dark black-currant fruitiness and nuances of forest floor and green peppercorn.

Vertical Wine Tasting

I recently had the pleasure of going to a special wine tasting event at Chateau St. Jean winery in Sonoma. It was their annual Cinq Cépages vertical tasting, and it was a blast – a very unique experience.

Cinq Cépages – meaning “five grape varieties” in French – is one of Chateau St. Jean’s signature wines that is a red blend. Each year’s blend contains a range of 75-83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7-11% Merlot, 3-8% Cabernet Franc, 2-4% Malbec and 1-3% Petit Verdot. Using at least 75% Cabernet means that the wine can be classified as a Cabernet rather than a Meritage.

At the tasting, a members-only event, 150-200 people tasted 6 different years (1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) of the famous Cinq Cépages. The winery manager, winemaker (Margo Van Staaveran, named the 2008 Winemaker of the Year by The Wine Enthusiast) and associate winemaker sat in front of the crowd explaining the wine making process and the environmental factors that contributed to each year’s unique characteristics.

Every guest was given a checklist to rate the wines on color, aroma, taste and finish. At the end of the tasting, a vote was taken to determine the most liked and second most liked wine of the bunch. The 1996 took the cake, with the newly released 2006 a close second. Personally, my favorite was the 2003, followed by the 1996. Personal tastes vary quite a bit. Fascinatingly, each wine had multiple votes for being the best and second best.

It was very interesting tasting each year side-by-side, really being able to pinpoint the differences between each of them. I used to think that there was little difference between varying years of the same wine because the process would always be the same. I was wrong though; the climate and other environmental factors really do have a huge impact on the flavors and quality of wine. Some of the Cinq Cépages were much drier than others, some with very earthy flavors and others with much fruitier, juicy flavors.

One interesting tidbit that I learned is that the color of the wine can tell a lot about the age. If you tilt the wine glass against a white surface to thin out the wine and let the color pop, the browner, brick-colors indicate an older wine, while the more purple, red tones classify a young wine.

After the formal tasting, guests were invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and to taste more of Chateau St. Jean’s Reserve wines. This winery really is the best that I have ever been to. Especially with their Reserves, you never have a bad wine! Other than the Cinq Cépages, my favorite of the day was the 2005 Malbec Reserve.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend an event like this one, I highly recommend it! It is a great chance to learn a lot about wine making and also to appreciate how Mother Nature plays a huge role in how the wine turns out.

Beautiful Napa Valley

The pictures below are beautiful photographs that my sister took while out visiting Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley.

First of all, Cakebread Cellars is an AMAZING winery. They are very prestigious and make phenomenal wines. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend going for a tasting. The bottles are expensive, but very worth the price for a special occasion.

Second of all, these closeup pictures of the vines and bunches before harvest have such exquisite, vibrant colors. The blues, reds and greens pop from the image. Enjoy!

Napa Valley Harvest vs. Mother Nature

This video from ABC 7 Bay Area news station details the battle that harvesters in Napa Valley faced last week when Mother Nature opened up the skies. The reporter’s quote says it all about what was at stake:

For all the problems the remnants of this typhoon may have caused you… it probably did not threaten the outcome of your year’s work.

The weather — especially unexpected extreme weather — can make or break the final product of quality wine.

Spanish Rioja

The location of La Rioja wine region.

A couple weeks ago I traveled to Spain. I was extremely excited to try the Spanish food and wine. We enjoyed bottles of Tempranillo and Rioja, with Rioja especially standing out. Here’s a little background on this type of wine…

La Rioja, the region where this wine is made, is located south of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. The region benefits from a continental climate that has moderate temperatures and experiences 12-20 inches of annual rainfall. The grapes grown there for the “tintos” (red wines) include Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Tempranillo is the most widely used variety, providing the main flavors and aging potential to the wine. Garnacha adds body and alcohol. Mazuelo adds seasoning flavors. And Graciano adds additional aromas.

Enjoying Muga's Rioja in Seville.

Our favorite wine of the trip was Muga’s 2004 Seleccion Especial Rioja. This wine is composed of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Mazuelo and Graciano. It is aged for 4 years–6 months in wooden vats, 30 months in oak barrels and 12 months in the bottle. The aromas are of sweet pastries, oak, and blackberries. The warm sensation of a sip is followed by a long aftertaste of tannins and complex minerals.

The magazine Wine & Spirits’ April 2009 issue named two of Muga Winery’s wines as the “most popular Spanish wines” requested in prestigious restaurants in the United States. On a similar list that recognizes wineries from all over the world, Muga stands in 32nd place and is the only Spanish winery on the list.

Basically, you MUST try this wine if you want to add a little ethnic flair to your next party, dinner or relaxing night in.

Delicious Sangria Recipes

Hello Readers!

I would like to share with you two must-try Sangria recipes–one white and one red–that I made with my sister two weekends ago for her birthday that were a major hit among the party guests. This first one was so good that I made it again over Labor Day weekend for a family get-together at my boyfriend’s parents’ house… The family loved it and dubbed it “Jen’s Brew,” so I expect that it will make regular appearances at future events.

White Sangria

Ingredients

• ½ cup peach schnapps
• ½ cup cognac
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 4 oranges, sliced into rounds
• 2 mangos, peeled and sliced
• 4 (750-milliliter) bottles dry white wine, chilled
• 1 liter ginger ale, chilled

Directions

1. In a pitcher, combine peach schnapps, cognac, sugar, sliced oranges and sliced mangos. Chill for at least an hour.
2. Pour fruit mixture into a large punch bowl. Stir in white wine and ginger ale.

(Recipe submitted by “wifie” on allrecipes.com)

This recipe makes approximately a gallon of Sangria. I used Sauvignon Blanc for this recipe–the first time with the vineyard Hanna and the second time with Kim Crawford. I found the Hanna to make the beverage slightly sweeter, but they were both delicious. Also, as I discovered at the grocery store, cognac is simply the fancy French name for brandy. Only brandy that comes from the French region of Cognac can be officially called cognac… Moral of the story: save money by buying brandy instead of cognac.

This beverage was the perfect remedy for a hot 95 degree day! Most people commented on how refreshing the drink was and how the hint of peach schnapps and pieces of fruit made it just right.

Traditional Red Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle red wine
• ¼ cup brandy
• ¼ cup orange flavored liqueur (recommended: triple sec or Grand Marnier)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ orange, thinly sliced
• ½ lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 unwaxed apple, cored, and cut into thin wedges
• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle sparkling water, chilled

Directions

1. Combine everything but the sparkling water in a large plastic container or glass pitcher. Cover and chill completely, 1 to 2 hours.
2. When ready to serve, add the sparkling water.

(Recipe provided by Emeril Lagasse on foodnetwork.com)

This is a traditional recipe for red Sangria. While it did not get finished as fast as the white Sangria, it was still very popular. We used a Zinfandel for this drink. Typically, you should use a wine that is not as light as a Pinot Noir but not as bold as a Cabernet Sauvignon. A Zinfandel might usually be overpowering for this recipe, but because we used one on the lighter side it worked well.

I highly recommend trying both of these drinks! Even if you are not a wine lover, the fruit and juices make them more like refreshing cocktails.

Welcome to My Wine List!

Thanks for stopping by my wine list. I am just getting started on enjoying… and reviewing… a wide variety of wines. I drink wine regularly but am not up to speed on different wineries, specific flavor elements or characteristics of each type of wine. This blog is my way of educating myself, and also you, about these valuable insights necessary to truly appreciate wine — and to know what to buy! I will post reviews of wines that I try (these wines will be affordable considering I am a poor college student), my experiences while wine tasting and recipes for possible food pairings. Please stop by regularly if you are looking for a recommendation, or simply for some entertainment. Let the fun (sophisticated) drinking begin!