To Decant or Not to Decant Wine

June 12, 2015 by Don Lahey

When and How to Decant Wine

To decant or not to decant wine is a hot topic and almost always a leading question. Personal choice and impatience dictate whether or not you should decant your wine. In reality, decanting serves just two purposes: aeration and removal of sediment.

Young, tannic red wines benefit the most from aeration. In order to begin releasing the esters that give a wine its aroma and flavor, oxygen needs to be introduced and work its way into the wine. Decanting helps to speed up the oxygenation process, but it also tends to tame a bit of a wine’s youthful tannin.

For many wine drinkers, the most compelling reason to decant a wine is to remove all or most of the natural sediment from mature wines whose sediments precipitate out over time. Some younger unfined and unfiltered wines may also contain sediment or tartrate crystals. Although sediment (grape skin, yeast, etc.) and tartrate crystals are harmless natural byproducts of wine, they are unsightly and can detract from the pleasure of drinking a wine. Hence, decanting becomes a viable option.

How to decant a bottle of wine

Steps:

Allow a bottle of wine to stand upright for at least several hours before opening until the sediment settles to the bottom of the bottle.
Upon opening the bottle, carefully pour the wine slowly into a clean carafe or decanter.
For best results, shine a light behind the bottle of wine so that you can see when the sediment begins to rise in the bottle.
If done carefully, one should only need to leave a couple of ounces of wine in the bottle for you and your guests to enjoy the rest.

Here at The International Wine of the Month Club™, we leave decanting up to our customers, especially members of The Bold Reds Wine Club. You can find more information about decanting throughout our website, and even learn how our international wine clubs work to see that you aren’t just getting great wine – you’re getting the best value and quality, guaranteed.

So, whether you decant your wine or enjoy it straight from the bottle, together we will raise a glass with you.

Salud!
Don

South Africa: This Year’s Hottest Wine Destination

May 22, 2015 by Don Lahey

With stunning scenery, excellent restaurants, and exceptional wines, South Africa’s Western Cape has become a must go wine destination. Add the American Dollar’s present favorable exchange rate to the South African Rand and the Western Cape’s proximity to Cape Town, arguably Africa’s most beautiful city, and it’s easy to see why South African vineyards are this year’s hottest wine destination.

Stellenbosch, along with nearby Franschoek, Paarl and Swartland, dominate the wine production on South Africa’s Western Cape. Some must-see wineries include the iconic Klein Constantia estate, known for fashioning excellent Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Vin de Constance, one of the world’s greatest dessert wines.

More excellent South African wineries include Black Pearl, Mary-Lou Nash’s pearl of an estate for fabulous Shiraz; Edgebaston, the source of David Finlayson’s very impressive age-worth Cabernet Sauvignons; Rustenberg, the home of the John X. Merriman, which might be the best Meritage offering anywhere for the money; Eagle’s Nest, an upcoming star for Shiraz and Viognier; Downes Family, outstanding producers of incredible Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc; and Barista, a leader in the burgeoning Pinotage market.

Don

Long Island Wines: No Longer a Best Kept Secret

May 8, 2015 by Don Lahey

Long Island Wine Country For more than forty years, Long Island has been a budding wine region and an increasingly popular source of excellent red and white wines from traditional European varietals. With soils and a climate similar to that of Bordeaux, we should all be wondering why it took so long for anyone to plant vines there, especially on the island’s North Fork, the warmest and sunniest spot in all New York State. A better question is why has the rest of the nation been deprived of these wines, many of which are truly world class?

Although the total Long Island acreage under vines remains relatively small and densely concentrated on the island’s North Fork, Long Island’s 50-plus commercial wineries turn out a dizzying array of red and white wines that are snapped up by local restaurants and the hordes of summertime visitors to the Hamptons and other East End vacation spots. Hence, the reason the rest of the country has been so long deprived of Long Island wines.

Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, and plenty of blends from a litany of varietals abound and attest to both the quality and variety of wines to be found on Long Island. But, change is on its way. More and more Long Island wineries have begun allocating some of their production to national markets. The International Wine of the Month Club™ has been paying attention, and here are some Long Island wineries we suggest looking for:

Bedell Cellars: Excellent Merlot- and Bordeaux-style reds. Musée is the winery’s top performer.
Castello di Borghese Vineyard and Winery: As the name suggests, these noble wines hail from Long Island’s oldest winery (formerly Hargrave), which dates back to 1973.
Lieb Cellars: Sustainably farmed, award-winning Pinot Blanc and Merlot are stars.
Paumonok Vineyards: This winery produces a first-rate Chenin Blanc, along with a fine collection of other varietals.
Pellegrini Vineyards: Excellent Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

For anyone visiting New York City, why not leave the din of Manhattan behind for a day or two, drive East onto Long Island, and head to the island’s North Fork where fresh air, light sea breezes, warm sunshine, and plenty of good wine awaits?

Don

What’s New in Italian Wine?

April 24, 2015 by Don Lahey

Italian wine often gets overlooked with the proliferation of New World wines invading the market, but Italy continues to be a source of new and interesting wines. Although much of what is new in Italian wine stems from recent releases rather than new wineries, there is no shortage of the latter. And many first time Italian wines to our shores may indeed issue from centuries old wineries. After all, what are a few centuries to Italy?

Most intriguing to me from Tuscany are the 2012 Rosso di Montalcino and 2010 Brunello di Montalcino wines from Le Potazzine Gorelli, both of which are a home run.

Equally compelling are the organic wines from newcomer Monterotondo. Monterotondo’s 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva positively sings from the glass. It invokes the fecundity, purity and everlasting charm of Tuscany.

Not to be outdone, Alesandro Sderci’s Il Palazzino Chianti Classico estate has recently released the family’s outstanding 2010 Chianti Classicos. Sderci also introduced Bertinga, an elegant Tuscan Cabernet blend, to the U.S. for the first time with the 2008 vintage.

Lest we think southern Italy the neglected step child, there are plenty of exciting wines flowing from the fabled Amalfi Coast as well as the hinterlands of Campania and points south. Benito Ferrara, Caggiano, and Colli di Lapio make some of the best red and white wines in southern Italy. Colli di Lapio’s outstanding 2013 Fiano di Avellino and 2010 Taurasi Vigna Andrea might be the two best white and red Campanian wines to start and finish a meal, though every wine from the diminutive Colli di Lapio estate merits seeking out. White and red wines from Benito Ferrara and Caggiano stand out as well.

Don

Don’s April Collector Series Top Pick

April 21, 2015 by Don Lahey

April’s Collector Series Top Pick belongs to an up-and-coming boutique California producer, Fore Family Vineyards. The 2009 Fore Family Vineyard Napa Carneros Pinot Noir is a mere 208-case production and a true family affair. I am tough on Pinots and rather particular about the ones I drink. With that said, the graceful, mouth-filling 2009 Fore Family Vineyards Carneros Napa Pinot Noir captures the essence of what draws people to Pinot Noir – elegance, complexity, and flavor. For this reason, Fore Family Vineyards’ 2009 Pinot Napa Carneros shines and earns this month’s Top Pick. Enjoy!

Don

Don’s April Premier Series Top Pick

April 20, 2015 by Don Lahey

I really enjoy drinking good Bordeaux and the growing number of delicious Claret/Meritage offerings coming out of California. Claret, the English term for Bordeaux (an enviable union of Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, etc.), and Meritage, California’s more familiar name for Claret, always seem to offer more in the way of balance and complexity than straight varietal offerings from any single grape, and often at a more conducive price. Add the blessings of two great vintages and this month’s Top Pick becomes a toss-up. Donati’s 2012 Claret might be the best value in California Claret or Meritage on the market, as it offers plenty of delicious fruit along with excellent purity, body, and balance. At the same time, the 2010 Château Barreyre makes many overpriced, big-name Bordeaux seem wimpy and under-endowed. At 15% alcohol, it over-delivers and proves to be a crowd pleaser. Given its size and structure, the 2010 Château Barreyre is likely to continue to evolve. So, what’s this month’s Top Pick? I opt for the 2012 Donati Claret as this month’s Top Pick for immediate consumption, but you can be sure I will be stashing away the 2010 Château Barreyre for drinking later this year and next. In the interim, don’t miss this month’s exceptional white wines – Morgadio Albariño Rias Biaxas and Tamellini Soave – two of the very best wines from their respective appellations.

Don

Great California Wine Bargains

April 10, 2015 by Don Lahey

In the past decade, the number of California wineries has exploded, and with that explosion came a plethora of superior-quality bargain wines. Although California has suffered through years of drought and small crops, the proliferation of new wineries, coupled with greater attention to viticultural areas other than Napa and Sonoma, means that wine enthusiasts don’t need stacks of $100 bills to enjoy quality wine. Boutique and family-owned wineries are mostly behind the Golden State’s wine bargains.

Cambridge Cellars is one of the newest wineries in California’s wine scene, and the Cambridge Cellars’ Limited Series of wines stand out as bargains. The winery’s 2013 Limited Monterey Chardonnay constitutes extraordinary value as does the Cambridge Cellars Limited 2013 Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. Both sell for well under $20.00 a bottle.

Donati Family Vineyard in Paicines, California, fashions top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon and Claret, with the latter featuring an exceptional blend of Bordeaux varietals. Donati’s 2012 Claret exemplifies the high quality one can acquire at an affordable price. While many California Meritage wines sell for $50.00 and more, Donati’s Claret is a veritable bargain at $22.00.

Fore Family Vineyards, which strides the Napa/ Lake County border, turns out award-winning wines from Napa, Carneros, and Lake County. The Fore Family’s 2009 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir exemplifies the exceptional quality emanating from dedicated family wineries in California. At just under $40.00 a bottle, it may not be in the reach of every Pinot lover, especially those in search of the Holy Grail of Pinot Noir at $15.00, but it tops many $50.00 and $75.00 Pinots.

Napa Cellars crafts classic Napa Valley wines at incredibly affordable prices. Whether it’s Napa Cellars’ 2013 Sauvignon Blanc or the winery’s award-winning Chardonnay, Pinot, Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Zinfandel, I am hard-pressed to find better quality and consistency in Napa Valley for under $25.00.

Pietra Santa in California’s Cienega Valley produces extraordinary Sangiovese along with many other varietals. Although renowned as a producer of Sangiovese, Pietra Santa also excels lately with Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Merlot and various white varietals. Pietra Santa’s recently reviewed 2010 Sangiovese earned 91 Points from Wine Enthusiast and it can be purchased for $18.00.

Don

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