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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

Are You a Terroiriste?

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The word terroir sounds like a less savory term we are all too familiar with and hear far too much about today, but happily terroir shares no affinity with the English word that so closely resembles it.  So, what is terroir precisely?  Terroir is a French word, which means literally soil or ground.  However, when used in connection to wine or viticulture, terroir refers to the specific and often unique soil in which individual vines grow, but that is not all.  Terroir, also, encompasses the climate, altitude, and the precise position of the vines in a vineyard.  In essence, terroir includes the entire environment of a vineyard or even the entire surroundings and upbringing of an individual plot within a vineyard because terroir can vary considerably from one part of a vineyard to the next.  Since English and other languages, too, lack a single word to convey as much meaning as the French word terroir, the term has become widely adapted internationally and is now a generally accepted term in English, too, especially in the wine trade and increasingly among critics and consumers alike.

So, to answer the question, yes I am a terroiriste.  However, I lend equal credence to the skills and multifarious choices every winemaker must make because no matter how fine the terroir, good winemaking matters, a lot.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Have You Ever Been Wine Tasting on a Bike?

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A great area to go wine tasting on a bike is in the Willamette Valley area in Oregon.  There are over 150 wineries to choose from and you can visit at least four in 5 miles.  The tasting fees are lower priced than Napa or Sonoma,  most are around the $10.00 range.  Many of the wineries donate a portion of the tasting fees to Ecotrust’s Farm to School Programs to help the local schools and farmers.

All the wineries are open for Memorial weekend, many with special BBQ events, music, barrel sampling, and specialty food pairings.  Good weekend to visit some of the region’s small, family-owned wineries rarely open to the public as well as larger wineries and tasting rooms.

Oregon Wine Country

 

Don’s May Collector’s Series Top Picks

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This month’s Collector Series Top Picks give me palpitations.  Why?  I like all three of the wines for different reasons, and so did the panel.  However, two wines it must be, so it comes down to which two wines I find most compelling at the moment.  Consequently, the 2005 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du Pape warrants a Top Pick.  It’s classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape: a full, rich, polished wine that embodies the commune’s traditional style.  Furthermore, it has six and a half years of age behind and it’s hard to find wines of this quality that are still available in the marketplace.  And better still, this wine has years to go before it reaches its peak.  For present consumption, allow it an hour of aeration: you won’t be disappointed.

My other choice for top billing has to be the 2008 Nash Family Vineyards Shiraz, a mouthwatering blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from Paarl on the Western Cape of South Africa.  We were completely blown away by the quality of this wine, a very limited edition that has never before been available in the United States.  In fact, we had to travel to South Africa to find it, and getting it here was no mean feat.  We trust you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Don’s May Premier Series Top Picks

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Anyone who has been member for awhile can attest to the fact that we have not offered many Beaujolais wines to our members.  The reason for that is twofold.  First, we can rarely reach a consensus on Beaujolais and secondly, simple Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines don’t often offer a high quality/value ratio – the more expensive Cru Villages offerings being the exceptions.  In the 2010 Château de Pizay Régnie, we found a Cru Village wine we liked, a lot.  In fact, the words huggable, scrumptious, and addicting were all descriptions uttered by the panel in deference to the 2010 Château de Pizay Régnie – quintessential Beaujolais from the esteemed village of Régnie.  Considering the quality of this special Beaujolais offering and our rare consensus on Beaujolais, the 2010 Château de Pizay Régnie merits one of my Top Picks for this month.

My other Top Pick has to go to the 2008 Mont Marçal, a delicious vintage dated Cava that is both flavorful and fun to drink.  It also offers excellent value.  Moreover, this wine has been a perennial favorite at parties and tastings since its release, so it’s truly earned a top spot.  Enjoy this elegant Cava early in the evening or with light first courses.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Special Mother’s Day Dinner; Lamb with a Great Shiraz

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday everyone, and as a mother, I know that the one thing a mother can really appreciate on her day is a nice cooked meal that she doesn’t have to prepare herself.  Well I thought I would share with you this really nice lamb chops recipe I found from Emeril Lagasse back in 2004 from The Food Network.  It’s guaranteed to please and actually pairs nicely with a beautiful, full-bodied wine we featured last month, Berton The Black Shiraz 2010 from Australia:

Seared Petite Lamb Chops with Rosemary Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 (4-ounce) double lamb rib chops (2 ribs) with bones attached, ribs frenched
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 large or 2 small rosemary sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, parsley, rosemary, and garlic. Season with salt, to taste. Set aside.

Set a 12-inch oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the black pepper. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil to the saute pan and place the lamb, fat side down, in the pan. Sear the lamb until the fat has rendered and the skin is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook the lamb, turning to cook evenly on each side, about 2 minutes each side. Baste them with the herb and oil mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the lamb is rare, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can grill the lamb chops.

Make the balsamic drizzle while the lamb is cooking: Set a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots to the pan and sweat until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the garlic to the pan and sweat for 30 seconds. Pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary and allow the balsamic to gently boil and reduce until only about 1/4 cup of balsamic remains, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter into the pan. Remove the rosemary sprigs before using.

When the lamb is rare, remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, slice each double chop in half, and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.  Hope everyone enjoys!

Me & my lovely daughter Mindy

How to Setup Your Own Blind Tasting

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Blind wine tastings should be simple – those tasting should not know the identity of the wines being tasted.  When it comes down to blind taste testing for wine, there are 8 basic rules to always remember.

Rules for Blind Wine Tastings

  1. 6-12 people is the best for wine tasting. This way you only need one bottle per wine.
  2. Arrange the wine tasting so they are trying whites to red. From sweet to dry – light-bodied to full-bodied.
  3. Ask your guests not to wear perfumes or smoke.
  4. Bag or cover the bottles so they cannot be seen.
  5. Prepare a tasting note guide and answer sheet for your guests.
  6. Make sure you have crackers and a cheese platter, or some type of finger food.
  7. Supply plenty of water to drink between tastings.
  8. Use wine glasses, not paper or plastic.

Now you’ll have to decide what kind of blind tasting you would like to do. A Single-blind wine tasting is one varietal ie: Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir.  The bottle should be covered, but you can see the wine in your glass.

A Double-blind wine tasting is where your guests will not know anything about the wine and they have to list its Varietal, Country and sometimes region.

And yes, there’s even a Triple-blind tasting where your guests are actually blind-folded and know absolutely nothing about the wine.

This will help you get started along hosting your own blind tasting party at home with friends and loved ones, but the most important rule not to forget is to just have fun!

Don’s April Collector’s Series Top Picks

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I confess to having a penchant recently for polished, complex Tuscan reds such as Morazzano’s 2005 Re.  And what a wine Re is.  Born on the hills of Montescudaio close to Sassicaia and some of Tuscany’s other illustrious names, Re outperforms most Brunello di Montalcino in my book and a host of lesser “Super Tuscans,” too.  Consequently, Re is one of my top picks for the month time.  Give this beauty some breathing time, and then taste it again and again as it works its magic.

My other Top pick for this month is Alejandro Fernandez’s 2005 El Vinculo, an old vine Tempranillo from La Mancha.  El Vinculo demonstrates La Mancha’s ability to produce outstanding Tempranillo.  It is one of the finest wines I have ever tasted from La Mancha and another resounding success from Alejandro Fernandez, Spain’s King of Tempranillo; hence, my choice as this month’s other Top Pick!

A Votre Santé!

Don

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