Exploring Wines: Part 7, A Weekend in Sonoma

This weekend I am in California Wine Country enjoying the beautiful sights and tastes of life in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Admittedly I am somewhat partial to Sonoma, Napa is probably better known, more developed and busier with tourists. (I prefer the quiet, more relaxed atmosphere of Sonoma). My trips to wine country are preceded by great deal of planning and preparation to maximize our time here. We select which wineries we want to visit, schedule appointments for tastings, make dinner reservations, etc. It sounds very scripted but I've learned from experience that its all too easy to lose a few hours of a precious weekend get-a-way waiting for a table or driving around aimlessly. Over the years we've found our favorites wineries, and have signed up to a few wine clubs (where they send wine to our home regularly). In addition to discounts off of list price, being a member of a wine club brings other perks, such as free, private wine tastings with friends, etc. It really enhances the wine tasting experience when you can sit down and talk about each wine and savor the experience. It sure beats standing in a crowd 3 or 4 deep, elbowing to get to the wine tasting bar to sip. We visited a number of great wineries in both Sonoma and Napa Valleys, and discovered several great wines that we've added to our wine cellar at home. During this weekend, we visited Ledson, Cade, Kunde, Rubicon Estate and the Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves. Each have their own unique aspects of wine making and varieties offered. Over the years I've been visiting the wine country, tasting and collecting I think I've visited over 30 different wineries. California wines have come a long way in their history. Up until the Paris Wine tasting in 1976, American wines were previously viewed as inferior to European wines. Today, California wines in particular rival and compete with the finest wines available as world-class. I may not be an expert, but from my perspective, these wines in Sonoma sure are terrific!

Wine is the subject of this week's episode of The Palm Springs Savant & Co radio Show on Blog Talk Radio. My guest this week is Mr Jerry Padilla, Assistant to the Winemaker at the famed Ledson Winery & Vineyards in Kenwood, CA. Ledson is nestled in the Sonoma Valley, housed in a magnificent castle that stops passers-by from the sheer beauty of its structure. Inside are some of the most fantastic wines we've encountered here in California. It was this reason that prompted me to invite Jerry as my guest for the show this week. He did a great job explaining wines and shared a great deal of valuable information.

I thought I'd share some information directly from the Ledson website about Food and Wine pairings. I couldn't say it better myself, so here it is, from Ledson:
"Though it can sometimes seem complicated and intimidating, harmonizing food with wine should be a natural and enjoyable process. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer; it is essentially all a matter of taste. Trust your instincts, often times the flavors you think will go well together, do. With a little common sense and a few basic tips, you will be able to navigate through this culinary challenge like a pro."

• Balancing Weight & Texture
  Choose a wine and food that are similar in weight, or body. This will help to make sure that one does not overwhelm the other. For instance, a thick sirloin steak would pair wonderfully with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon. A lighter wine would be lost to the heaviness of the steak.
• Balancing Flavor Intensity
  Pair light-bodied wines with lighter, more mildly flavored foods and fuller-bodied wines with heartier, richer, and more intensely flavored dishes.
• Matching Flavors
  This is when common sense comes into play. We often top fresh fish with a squeeze of lemon juice because the flavors complement each other. For the same reason, a crisp, Sauvignon Blanc with citrus flavors would be a good choice to drink with this meal. Likewise, an earthy Pinot Noir would go well with a mushroom dish. Follow what your palate already knows and it will most likely be a winning combination.
• Opposites Attract
  Sometimes the best pairing for a food is to find its opposite. Opposing flavors can often play off each other, creating new flavor sensations and cleansing the palate. A classic example of this is pairing spicy Thai food with a sweet dessert wine such as Riesling or Gewurztraminer. The sweetness will help highlight and tame the spicy flavors in the dish.

For more information, check out my prior posts from the Exploring Wine Series here on this blog:

Exploring Wines: Part 6, Learning Grape Varieties

Exploring Wines: Part 5- Key Attributes of Wine

Exploring Wines: Part 4- Pairing Suggestions with Turkey

Exploring Wines: Part 3- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandels

Exploring Wines: Part 2, Tasting & Enjoying

Exploring Wines: Part 1

Tune in to The Palm Springs Savant & Co Radio Show #109 to hear this fascinating episode on wines! -Rick Rockhill

Exploring Wines: Part 6, Learning Grape Varieties

It has been awhile since my last "Exploring Wines" post here, and with the holidays coming up I thought it might be helpful to resume this series again with some handy tips. (I recycled this photo from a post in November 2007 because I like it so well). As with all my Exploring Wines posts, I wish to remind you that I do not profess to be a wine expert. I happen to collect wines and enjoy what I consume, and I am definitely not a wine snob either! My motto is: drink what you like. It is handy to have a basic understanding of types of wines and the grapes so when you peruse a wine list you'll have an idea of what they will be like. So much of wine tasting is subjective. But the manner in which grapes are grown (including weather and geography), harvested, aged and blended make a huge difference. The type of grape, or variety usually indicate the typical flavor of a wine. However, there are literally hundreds of hybrids and blends that wine maker use, so nothing is absolute. In addition, winemakers often blend multiple grapes to achieve a particular flavor. The label will usually indicate the type of wine, list the percentages of varieties blended to give an indication of flavor. For today's post, I'll just focus on sharing some information on the grapes. There are some grapes that can be grown anywhere in the world, and others that are more common to a specific region or country. So I've broken these into two groups: International Grapes and Regional Grapes.
International Grapes
The following are varieties of grapes that can be grown in various parts of the world:
Pinot Noir: (red) Cherry, raspberry, violets, game, mid-ruby hue Riesling: (white) Aromatic, delicate, racy, expressive, rarely oaked Syrah/Shiraz: (red) Black pepper, dark chocolate, notable color, tanins Cabernet Sauvignon: (red) Black currant, cedar, high tanins Chardonnay: (white) Broad innoffensive, unless left in oak too long Merlot: (red) plump, soft and plummy flavors Sauvignon Blanc: (white) Grass, green fruits, razor-sharp flavor, not usually oaked Gewurztraminer: (white) Lychee, roses, heady, high alcohol, deep color, full body Semillon: (white) Figs, citrus, lanolin, full body & rich
Muscat Blanc: (white) Grapey, simple, sweet, floral. Regional Grapes
Here are varieties of grapes that typically are more regional. The regions I have called out are either the origin or where they are typically known for being grown. Genache Noir: (red) Pale,can be sweet & spicy, ripe (Mediterranean) Sangiovese: (red) Savory, lively, fruity (Central Italy) Cabernet Franc: (red) refreshing, aromatic, not too heavy (Southwest France/Bordeaux) Tempranillo: (red) berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb. (Spain) Mourvedre: (red) Blackberries, wild, gamey or earthy flavor, with soft red fruit (Provence, France) Nebbiolo: (red) violets, tar, herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles and prunes. (Italy- Piedmont) Zinfandel: (red) warm berry flavors, or blackberry, anise & pepper, depending on climate (Northern California)
Malbec: (red) Very dark and robust, spicy and rich, sometimes gamey (Southwest France/Bordeaux)
Touriga Nacional: (red) Tannic, black fruits, usually good as a port (Portugal)
Carmenere: (red) Deep red color, spices, berries, medium body (Bordeaux)
Pinot Gris: (white) flavor varies greatly on origin. Medium to full body, fruity and floral, pungent (Burgundy, France)
Chenin Blanc: (white) Honey, damp straw scent, very versatile, good for food pairings (Loire, France and S. Africa)
Viognier: (white) Heady, full-body, hawthorn blossom, apricot, floral and fruity. (France- Rhone)
Pinot Blanc: (white) Lively, light, similar to Chardonnay. Fruity- apple and melon flavors (Alsace, France)
Marsanne: (white) Almond, marzipan aroma, full-body, also honey, quince, spice & pear (Rhone, France)
Use this information as a guide, depending on a variety of factors, or blends each wine could have a different taste.
A few examples of actual wines:
* Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Labeled as a Cabernet, but the bottle indicates that it is a Bordeaux blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. These subtleties give it a complexity in flavor. * Penfolds Grange 2004, Shiraz Primarily a Shiraz/Syrah but also includes 4% Cabernet
* Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion Bordeau Red 2003 The label indicates that its actually Half Cabernet Franc, half Merlot
* Duckhorn Estate Grown Merlot 2006
It's 86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. The estate grown means that all the grapes used in this wine were from Duckhorn vineyards, and did not buy any grapes from other vineyards. Below is a different Duckhorn label, but you get the idea:

For your convenience, here are links to prior posts on Exploring Wines:
Part 1: Exploring Wines
Part 2: Tasting & Enjoying
Part 3: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Zinfandels
Part 4: Pairing Suggestions with Turkey
Part 5: Key Attributes of Wine
Thanks for stopping by today!
-Rick Rockhill

Summer Wine: Another Day in Wine Country

Today is the last day of a week-long series on my trip to Northern California's wine country. We have been to Napa and Sonoma more times that i can count, but this trip was unique because we spent time exploring wine regions much further north of Sonoma. Since it was "off the beaten path", there was definitely much less traffic, which meant fewer tourists! You may recall from Monday's post that we drove up with both dogs. It's a nine hour drive north, which is quite a long time for the kids to be sitting in the back seat, but they had a great time.

above: Koshimi and Sheldon, relaxing in the back seat, living the life of luxury as we chauffeured them around wine country.

above: Different from Napa or Sonoma, the rolling hills up in the Anderson Valley wine region are somewhat less lush with vegetation, but this region produces some excellent Pinot Noir.

above: the vineyards at this winery had a nice outdoor sitting area under a trellis with vines as covering-the perfect respite from the hot sun.

above: I especially liked this vineyard, which had rows of beautiful rose bushes along the entire side.

above: A perfect spot to stop for a picnic and smell the fresh lavender.

above: this winery had a peaceful water fountain that set the tone before you even approached the front door.


above: later in the day, the kids were zonked out and napped in between our pit stops.
It was a perfect Summer Wine road trip. I named this post "Summer Wine" in honor of Miss Nancy Sinatra, who recorded a song back in 1967 with recently departed Lee Hazelwood. For all you youngins, don't laugh at the black and white back video. For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy this little ditty from Nancy and Lee.
"Summer Wine"

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Friday!
-Rick Rockhill

An Afternoon of Wine Tasting

You may recall that last weekend John and I were up in Northern California's wine country doing a bit of wine tasting. Today are some photos from our visit to the Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery, located in Boonville, in the Anderson Valley wine region. We are already members of their wine club, so we receive regular deliveries of their wine throughout the year. We had a private wine tasting scheduled for the two of us, with a wide range of some delicious wines. Here is how it all started:

above: as we approached the winery, they had a neat old red truck parked out front filled with wine barrels, for aesthetic effect. It had a very old-world charm to it.

above: the main tasting room is tastefully decorated, with comfy seating across the the large wooden wine bar.

above: of course, we had a private tasting so we were whisked into this delightful room, where we sat for the next two hours tasting wine, nibbling on exotic cheeses, fruit, nuts and chocolate. We also did some barrel tastings, which is when you taste wines not quite finished aging and still in the barrel before being bottled. It was a fantastic experience.

above: after the tasting we went outside to look around the building. If you look carefully at the right hand side of the porch, you can see oak wine barrels stacked up. It was a perfect setting.

above: out back, behind the tasting room was a bocce ball court, just behind the white tent. The view beyond of the rolling hillside of the Anderson Valley was so peaceful, it was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Tomorrow I'll share some more photos of my trip within California's wine country. Thanks for stopping by.
-Rick Rockhill

Exploring Wines: Part 5- Key Attributes of Wine

When I got home Thursday night, there was a case of wine waiting for me from Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery, one of the wine clubs we belong to. I realized that it had been a few months since my last installment of the Exploring Wines series, so I decided to resume the series. I do not profess to be an expert on wine, but I live by one cardinal rule: "Drink what you like!" But for those of you interested in learning a little about wine, I'd suggest starting with the basics. So let's start with some terminology about how to taste and describe wines. I recycled some of the photos below from prior Exploring Wines posts, because I was busy watching American Idol and didn't have time to take new pictures.
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There are three key attributes that you should look for to define a wine: sight, nose and taste.
Let's start with sight.

SIGHT
First, pick up the glass by the stem or base, and hold the glass up to light, or near a candle on the table. There are two things to evaluate: color and clarity.

Color: Try to evaluate how intense the wine's color is and what it conveys about the character of the wine. A light, pale white wine will usually have less body and flavor compared to a golden wine. Similarly, a pale red wine will typically have less body than a deep, dark colored red wine.
Clarity: This term refers to the absence or presence of particles or sediment floating in the wine. Similar to a diamond, usually people will evaluate clarity as brilliant, clear or cloudy. Brilliant means absolutely no sediment and crystal clear. Clear means no sediment but not brilliant. Cloudy, of course means you can see sediment or particles, with a muddy look.
NOSE
To evaluate the "nose" of a wine, swirl the wine in the glass to release the aromas. Hold the glass close to your nose and inhale. Don't be afraid to put your nose deep in the glass! Try to evaluate the aroma and bouquet. Aroma, similar to coffee, are smells that are directly related to the odor of the fresh wine grape. Bouquet refers to smells that come from the fermentation or aging process. You can also use the term bouquet to describe it's overall smell.
TASTE
This one seems easy enough, right? But it's the one people struggle to describe. Start with a small amount of wine in your mouth, breath in some air through your nose, and then swallow slowly. As the wine passes your tongue and glides down your throat, try to evaluate the body and the finish of the wine.
Body is usually described in three ways: Light-Medium-Full

• Light = watery, or thin (think skim milk)
• Medium = fuller than light, but not too heavy in texture (think regular milk)
• Full = Very robust, rich, and mouth-coating in texture (think heavy cream)

Finish (or "Aftertaste")

Typically people describe finish as either short, long, clean, or unpleasant.

Short = Very little aftertaste, the wine's flavors disappear quickly.

Long = Lingering aftertaste; the wine's flavor is noticeable for some length of time.

Clean = Pleasurable finish, free of any unpleasant taste. It can be either long or short, or course.

Unpleasant = No surprise here: It's unpleasant, caused by bitterness, overly sweet, tart, or just bad flavors.

All these terms will help you create an overall impression. Don't be afraid to try this at home. So on your way home, go to Trader Joe's, Costco or your local wine store and pick up a few bottles of wine, relax with a few glasses and have some fun with these terms.
-Rick Rockhill

Exploring Wines: Part 1

I thought I'd share one of my favorite passions and hobbies with you: "Collecting and Consuming Wine". I want to start off by saying quite clearly that I am NOT a wine snob. I happen to enjoy good wines, particularly when paired with a good meal. This was a hobby I picked up a number of years ago during a visit to Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley in Northern California. There are so many wonderful wineries across the United States, including Washington, Oregon and Virginia.

I enjoy visiting wineries and doing the wine tasting to learn more about the many varieties of wines that are crafted. The one thing I have learned about wine is: DRINK WHAT YOU LIKE. Don't get caught up by any supposed rules on what with fish or meat. There are certainly some wines that taste better with certain types of food, but what matters most is whether or not you enjoy the taste and sensation when the wine hits your tongue.

The Process of Making Wine

One of the best ways to learn about how wines are made is to visit a winery. The process is very similar for most wines (although red varies from white) but the art, or craft is in what The Winemaker does. In North America, harvest season is typically between September and October, depending on the weather of the summer season. If you visit a winery at harvest season you can watch the grapes being picked, crushed, fermented in tanks,filtered and eventually barrelled and set in storage. Some wineries have caves, which are under the Earth below the surface or set into a hillside. The caves provide an idea temperature and moisture level for wine to age.

Above left: Barrels of wine, aging in oak barrels & above right: wine caves (obviously ready for visitors) but the look is accurate.

Storing Wine at Home

Collecting wine can be lots of fun, but depending on where you live, you may need a place to store the wine so it won't spoil. We have a wine cellar at home in Palm Springs where we can store a large number of bottles.

Above: My dream wine cellar; I like to collect lots of wine and buy cases when we visit Sonoma and Napa.

Above left: wine should always be stored laying down flat. Here is a drawer of wine from my collection, mostly reds!

In part two tomorrow I will share tips on how to "test wine" and also share a few favorite bottles of wine from my wine cellar. Hope you can stop by again tomorrow!

-Rick Rockhill