Interesting Wine Info Archives - Page 17 of 22 - Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

What the California Drought Means for Wine

June 6, 2014 by Don Lahey

Drought once again has become the subject of news releases, Twitter feeds and Wall Street speculation. Specifically, what does this year’s drought in California mean for American agricultural production, domestic and international food prices, and of course wine? Plenty, at least potentially. . . but not everyone gets it. Given that spring has barely sprung in many parts of the country, it may seem odd to those in other parts of the country that there is so much concern about drought in California so early in the year. And why all these dire predictions, you say? The simple answer is there just hasn’t been enough rain or snow this winter to supply enough water to sustain California’s formidable agricultural production – the largest in the nation. Little water means fewer crops. And guess what? It doesn’t rain much in California all summer. Consequently, water restrictions (rationing to put it more plainly) will be the order of the day, and for the next year, or more.

Water restrictions mean less crops will be planted and harvested, which translates into a decreased supply of all agricultural products in the face of increased demand. And we’re not just talking about strawberries and cauliflower. Wine will undoubtedly be affected as well, though perhaps not as much as some thirstier crops. Yet, less water during the growing season generally means smaller grapes and lower yields, and higher prices. It’s about supply and demand. Some vineyards will get by with drip irrigation and produce a decent crop, resulting in satisfactory wines. Dry farmed vineyards will almost certainly have smaller yields, though the quality emanating from those vineyards could range from mediocre at best to outstanding, depending upon how hot it gets and how severe the drought becomes. So what can we expect? Uncertain quality and higher prices for sure, unless a miracle happens. Pray for rain!

Salute!
Don

photo credit: dirkoneill via photopin cc

The Best Wine Travel Destinations – Part II

May 30, 2014 by Don Lahey

As a true lover of wine, any wine travel destination gets me excited. Yet, I have to admit, if asked to choose just a few such destinations, several come out on top. They are the destinations that have it all: great wine, fabulous food, extraordinary scenery, an interesting culture, and plenty to do and see between winery stops. In no special order, Italy – especially Tuscany and Piedmont – are must travel destinations for those who love wine. Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile, Chianti Classico, and powerful, complex, Super Tuscan reds are just a few enticing reasons to spend time in Tuscany. Let’s not forget Tuscany’s beautiful cities, (think Florence, Siena, Cortona, etc.), incomparable art, picture postcard scenery, and more good food than any of us can eat. The same can be said for Italy’s Piedmont, home to Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera Arneis, Moscato, and the finest Northern Italian cuisine.

Piedmont, too, has it all, but then so does France’s Provence, particularly the Vaucluse, which features Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the venerable medieval wine villages of Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and Beaumes de Venise to name just a few. In Provence, the air is fresh, the light scintillating, the people warm and friendly, and the food is nothing short of scrumptious. And we haven’t even mentioned the rolling fields of lavender and more to do and see in Provence than any ten trips could satisfy.

Last but certainly not least, the Western Cape of South Africa comes in second to none. By far the most beautiful scenery of any wine destination awaits the wine lover on Africa’s Western Cape. The Western Cape’s preeminent wine districts of Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl, and Robertson also fashion an exciting array of wines made by a growing legion of young, talented winemakers. South Africa’s multicultural flavor adds to the experience as does nearby Cape Town, which offers everything a traveler could possibly want in a wine destination.

Yes, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, and several other countries, too, offer great wine travel destinations, but for the sheer amount of fine wine, relative ease of travel and the ability to satisfy almost every whim, the three choices above earn my picks as the best overall wine travel destinations.

Salute!
Don

The Best Wine Travel Destinations – Part I

May 16, 2014 by Don Lahey

Who ever heard of ugly wine country? For any true lover of wine there’s really no bad wine travel destination, but some are better than others. It depends upon what you like. If you’re the Disneyland type, leave the passport home and head on up to Napa Valley: you won’t be disappointed. For a more personal, down to earth California wine experience, consider Sonoma, Mendocino, or better still California’s Central Coast, especially Santa Barbara County, the Santa Lucia Highlands, or Paso Robles. In those locales, you’ll more often than not get to talk directly to the folks who make the wine and you’ll get to taste a lot of good wine for a lot less than in Napa Valley.

And let’s not forget Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It still has a small town, close knit feel, and the wine and food are terrific. Just make sure you book the Oregon trip between June and September before the gray and gloom set in. All of these wine travel destinations offer beautiful scenery, excellent wines and plenty of comfortable accommodations, and they’re right here in the U.S.A. Recently, Washington State’s Columbia River Valley and Walla Walla AVAs as well as Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley provide increasingly interesting wine travel destinations, too, so what are you waiting for?

Salute!
Don

For more information on different wine regions, visit our Wine Region Guide.

photo credit: Malcolm Carlaw via photopin cc

Champagne Deserves Better

May 9, 2014 by Don Lahey

Champagne Glasses Conventional thinking tends to relegate Champagne and other fine sparkling wines to special occasions, late night parties, and New Year’s Eve celebrations. But I think Champagne deserves better. As a young man, I came to fully appreciate the wonderful unique wine called Champagne while working in Champagne. Champagne, the original and finest sparkling wine from the ancient province of Champagne, may still enjoy a reputation as the “Belle of the Ball,” a wine of conviviality and good cheer, but it also pairs beautifully with many types of foods and truly deserves the reputation as a wine for all seasons and occasions.

So, why not pour a glass of Champagne on a cold, rainy day as well as a warm, sunny day or serve it at a mid-week meal as well as at a party? Isn’t every day meant to be celebrated in some fashion? Why limit the pleasure of good bubbly to a few occasions or just one time of year? Champagne makes glad the heart as it cleanses the palate and enlivens the soul. For these reasons and more I like Champagne at all times of the year, and I especially enjoy it as an aperitif and a prelude to a fun-filled evening. It was Winston Churchill who is said to have remarked, “In the time left to us between the disaster and the catastrophe, there is time for a glass of Champagne.” And to that I add Amen!

Saluté!
Don

Don’s April Collector Series Top Picks

April 28, 2014 by Don Lahey

(Back row- Jim, Eric, and Chris. Front row-Hadley, Diane, Melissa, and Eleanor)

This month’s Collector Series Top Pick goes to Fore Family Vineyards’ 2008 Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. The Red Hills AVA straddles Napa and Lake Counties and is increasing a source of exceptional wines from small family owned wineries such as Fore Family Vineyards. We could have easily chosen any number of the Fore Family’s exceptional wines to feature (Doug Fore also fashions outstanding award winning Pinot Noir), but considering the nation’s insatiable desire for Cabernet and how hard it is to locate top notch California Cabernet with some bottle age, we decided on the 2008 Cabernet. And you can enjoy this well-endowed Cabernet now and over the next decade. Stay tuned for more wines from this up and coming producer. Enjoy!

Don

South Africa: Going for Gold in Their Vineyards

April 3, 2014 by Don Lahey

It wasn’t long ago that acquiring South African wine in America was as difficult as finding water in the desert, but what started as a trickle has now become a torrent. Thanks to the end of, Apartheid and international sanctions and now a new generation of young talented winemakers, South African wine has emerged as the fasted growing imported wine into America, and for many good reasons. Today’s South African winemakers are going for gold (medals, that is in international competitions) by making world class wines.

Venerable estates, including the iconic Klein Constantia, are fashioning outstanding traditional offerings as well expanding their portfolios with equal care to include wines to slake the thirsts of the most discriminating international palates. Moreover, the variety of wines and varietals one encounters in South Africa is as enchanting as the land itself: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Shiraz, and of course South Africa’s unique signature grape Pinotage all stage command performances, yet these varietals just begin to scratch the surface and reveal the true variety that abounds on Africa’s Western Cape. Now is the time to discover these no longer hidden treasures. Bellingham, De Morgenzon, Edgebaston, Eagles Nest, Painted Wolf, and Tamboerskloof, are just a few of the better producers whose wines are worth seeking out, so go for the gold!

Salute!
Don

More on How to Read a Wine List

March 27, 2014 by Don Lahey

Once a diner decides upon price and category (White, Red, Rosé, or Sparkling) from a restaurant wine list the real challenge begins, but so does the fun if one knows how to break the codes and make the connections between Old World wines and New World wines. Much of the confusion and difference comes down to varietal labeling (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, etc.) in the New World versus generic labeling in the Old World (Burgundy, Chianti, Rioja, etc.). This is especially important when a large number of wines from France, Italy, and Spain appear on a wine list.

For starters, all white French wines from Burgundy, which include Chablis, Macon-Villages, Pouilly-Fuissé, and the wines of Chassagne and Puligny are all made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. On the other hand, white Bordeaux springs almost exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with the emphasis on the former. Sancerre, another popular French white wine on restaurant wine lists, comes from all Sauvignon Blanc. Red Burgundy, which includes many place names (Beaune, Côtes de Nuits, Pommard among a host of others) must be made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. And Grenache and Syrah constitute the major grape varietals found in the red wines of southern France, including the Languedoc and the Rhône Valley: think Côtes-du-Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Corbières, Fitou, Minervois, etc. The latter constitute some of the best red wine values. The problem is the grape variety or varieties rarely appear on the label.

Italy can be a bit more daunting because of the proliferation of varietals, but even there, several great red grapes appear ubiquitously: Barbera and Nebbiolo from Italy’s Piedmont, and Sangiovese from Tuscany and throughout central Italy. A clone of Sangiovese plays an integral role in all Chianti, Brunello, Vino Nobile and nearly all Tuscan reds. Many of Italy’s most popular white wines (Frascati , Orvieto, and Soave for example) bear only the name of their place of origin and are blends of indigenous grape varietals not widely grown outside of Italy. For the record, they are typically at their best in the first three years of life.

And then there is Cava. Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne, except it goes down more easily than Champagne partly because it’s fun and easy to drink and one need not blow a paycheck on a bottle at a restaurant. Cava is made from a variety of indigenous Spanish varietals along with an increasing amount of Chardonnay. Meanwhile, Spain’s most popular red wines, Rioja and Ribera del Duero, emanate all or primarily from Tempranillo. Tempranillo rules the finest growing areas of Spain, though old vine Garnacha (aka Grenache elsewhere) from Calatayud, Castilla y Leon, La Mancha, and Toro, can be equally satisfying and constitute exceptional value. So, let’s start breaking those intimidating codes and enjoy perusing the restaurant wine list.

Salute!
Don

photo credit: ilovebuvette via photopin cc

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