Sake News: #WineChat to Tipsy Sensei

1) Join me on Twitter this Wednesday, August 22, from 9pm-10pm EST for #WineChat. I will be the guest host for a discussion on Sake, that exciting and delicious Japanese alcohol. Everyone is welcome to join the talk on Twitter, and I will try to answer any Sake questions that you have. I will be talking about many different Sake topics, from food pairings to the basics of Junmai and Daiginjo. It is always a fun time on #WineChat so come join everyone on Twitter for this Sake discussion.

2)  Did you know Russian President Vladimir Putin is a fan of warmed Sake? The Asahi Shimbun recently published an article, Sake brewers target overseas markets to survive, which discusses how Sake breweries in Japan are looking to exports to help their industry. As the article states: "Total exports from Japan hit a record high of 14,014 kiloliters last year, roughly double that of a decade ago, but they still represent just 2 percent of overall shipments."  Almost 30% percent of exports are sent to the U.S. with South Korea and Taiwan occupying second and third place. Russia appears to be a promising market now too, especially when Putin admitted to enjoying warmed Sake. Guess with all those cold nights, warm Sake helps stave off the cold.

3) The Japan Daily Press echoed the sentiments of the Asahi Shimbun article. Their article, Sake sales improve, brightening prospects of industry resurrection, also notes how Japanese Sake breweries are increasingly looking toward exports to help them. For the fiscal year 2011, Sake shipments increased 1.2% over 2010, the first upward swing since 1995. Part of this is due to increased shipments of Sake from the Tohoku region, many people helping to support this area which was devastated by the March 2011 tsunami.

4) My next Tipsy Sensei story, The Fox & The Katana, should be published this upcoming week. It involves a kitsune, a fox spirit, who asks Nate, a Sake expert, to kill her mate. Her mate is also a kitsune and might be engaged on a murderous rampage, slaying many innocents with a katana, a samurai sword. Will Nate kill this deadly kitsune, or can he stop him in some other manner? Or is the kitsune actually innocent and Nate is being set up in some twisted game? Before this story is released, you should read the prior two tales, Yurine's Pot and The Ghost of a Ninja. I am also working on Tipsy Sensei #4, tentatively titled Demons, Gods & Sake, and it will be a novel.

Sake Chat on Twitter

Are you already a sake lover or are you new to sake, curious to learn more?  Whatever your level of sake knowledge and appreciation, you might be interested in the new Sake Chat on Twitter. Sake is still an underappreciated and largely mysterious beverage, and many people want to learn more about it. They want to understand the truth about sake, to shatter their misconceptions.

I will moderate Sake Chat approximately once ever two weeks, an hour long discussion on all things sake. The discussion topics will vary, from general Q&A sessions to more specific issues like food pairings and sake recommendations. I will post the future discussions dates and topics on my blog, as well as broadcast them on Twitter and Facebook. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion.

The first Sake Chat will be held on Monday, August 15, at 9pm EST. The hashtag for this event will be #SakeChat, so just follow that hashtag and you will be able to follow the entire discussion. The topic for this initial chat will be a General Q&A. Come to the chat and ask me your sake questions, and I will do my best to answer them.

At future Sake Chats, there might be special guests and/or moderators, such as sake store owners or sake brewers. If you have any suggestions for Sake Chat, feel free to leave a comment here or email me.

G Joy Saké: Virtual Tasting

Twitter has long been used for virtual wine tastings and it is about time that it started to be used for virtual Saké tastings as well. Last Thursday, the good people of SakéOne, a Saké brewery in Oregon, held their first virtual tasting and I eagerly participated, wanting to connect with other Saké aficianados. (On Twitter, follow SakéOne.)

For the tasting event, the participants were supposed to drink the G Joy Junmai Ginjo Genshu ($20/750ml). Then, for a two-hour span, we got to discuss this Saké as well as discuss Saké in general. It was a fun time and hopefully future tastings will include even more participants.

The rice used to make the G Joy is Calrose, a type of japonica medium-grain rice developed in California in the early 1970s. The Calrose for the G Joy is grown in Sacramento Valley. This is not a Sakamai, a Saké rice, but SakéOne states: "Honestly, it is what's available to us. There are a few "better" sake rice but not grown in the volume we need." With the quality of the G Joy, one would not even know they don't use a Sakamai. As this is a Ginjo, the rice has been polished to 60%.

The yeast used is a blend of 1801 and 1701, both foamless yeasts. As it is a Genshu, it is undiluted and has an alcohol content of 18%. The G Joy is produced year round and it takes about a month to make a batch, prior to filtering and aging. It is then aged for about ten months, has an SMV of +3, and they make about 2000 cases annually. This Saké has been specifically crafted for both the American palate as well as food lovers. SakéOne states: "Our intent is to make the best sake with the ingredients available."

I found the G Joy to have a very fruity nose, some melon and pear. On the palate, it is rich and creamy with flavors of melon, pear and even some pineapple. The finish is fairly long and smooth with hints of spice at the end. It is an easy Saké to enjoy, for both newbies and Saké lovers, though the alcohol is prominent and some people may not prefer that style.

This is a food friendly Saké and I enjoyed some with garlic steak tips. It is a rich enough to stand up to the beef and the garlic also did not cause any issues. The fruit flavors still came out and the food helped to balance out the alcohol. I later had some of the Saké with potato sticks, and it stood up to the saltiness of the sticks. I am sure it would pair well with a variety of foods, and not just Asian cuisine. People need to understand the versatility of Saké with so many different cuisines.

I also think this would be an excellent Saké for making cocktails. Why not use it instead of vodka, rum or gin in your favorite cocktail? One advantage is that it usually will have at least half the alcohol of those spirits, making your cocktail less alcoholic. You can get some cocktail recipes on the SakéOne website.

In addition, the G Joy is a good value at only $20, especially for Ginjo quality. It seemed like everyone participating in the virtual tasting enjoyed the Saké. SakéOne did a very good job of answering questions about the G Joy and the event ran smoothly. I look forward to future virtual tastings and hope more join in the next time.

TTL: Sparkling Wines of the Finger Lakes

I am generally not a big fan of inexpensive Champagne. I think there are much better values found in sparkling wines from other regions, such as Spanish Cava or Italian Prosecco. Some U.S. wineries also make excellent value sparkling wines, such as Westport Rivers in Massachusetts and Gruet Winery in New Mexico.

Thus, when the opportunity arose, I was very interested in checking out some bubbly from the Finger Lakes region. Lenn of New York Cork Report and Morgan of Finger Lakes Wine Country recently hosted a Taste Live event, showcasing four sparkling wines. Representatives of some of the wineries were also present, discussing their wines and answering questions.

Locally, I hosted the tasting at my home and my friends and fellow bloggers Dale and Amanda came over to share the wines with me. This was Amanda's first Taste Live event and you can check out her thoughts. We ordered some delicious Thai for dinner, and I think it was a fun choice with the bubbly. Prior to the start of the tasting, I also shared a Saké with Dale and he enjoyed it!

Interestingly enough, the three of us agreed on the top two wines of the evening, and our top choice also seemed very popular with most of the others on Twitter. But, as usual, there were plenty of very different opinions about the wines and they involved more than just differing flavors. For example, Dale and I felt the finish on the Chateau Frank was too short, yet others on Twitter felt it had a rather long finish. Always fascinating.

My favorite wine of the evening, as well as the least expensive, was the NV Goose Watch Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rosé ($18). This wine is a blend of 79% Pinot Noir and 21% Chardonnay. It has an alcohol content of 12% and only 600 cases were produced. I loved the crisp strawberry and bright cherry flavors of this Rosé, which had only a touch of sweetness. It felt very refreshing, clean and we loved it so much that we finished off the bottle after the tasting was concluded. At less than $20, I think it is a very good value and I would highly recommend it.

My next favorite was the NV Lucas Vineyards Extra Dry Cayuga White ($18.99), made from a hybrid grape, Cayuga White, and with an alcohol content of 12%. With a mild sweetness, this wine showed plenty of acidity with tasty apple and melon flavors. A pleasant, easy-drinking wine that would likely please most people. I would have thought this sparkler was made with Chardonnay, but am pleased that Cayuga can produce wines as good as this one. I think this is also a good value wine and would recommend it as well.

The 2002 Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs ($29.99) is a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Blanc. It only has an alcohol content of 11.5%, and was the most expensive wine of the evening. It was a pleasant sparkler, with nice green apple and lemon flavors and a mild yeasty touch. But, the finish seemed too short and I would have liked more acidity. Though I did enjoy this wine, I think it is too pricey for what you get, especially considering the previous two sparklers which cost under $20.

My least favorite of the evening was the 2002 Glenora Wine Cellars Brut ($24.99), a blend of 54% Pinot Noir and 46% Chardonnay. It has an alcohol content of 13%, the highest of the four wines. I felt this wine had too much of a yeasty flavor for my preferences, but then I have never been a fan of yeasty Champagnes either. I can see though that if you like this style of bubbly, then you might enjoy this wine.

But the Glenora did impress me for one reason, where the other three let me down. I believe the term "Champagne" is proper only for sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. I dislike when non-French wineries call their own sparkling wines "champagnes." It only confuses consumers, and that seems to be part of their reason for using the term. But as someone who wants to educate consumers, I think it is wrong. Wineries should respect the term and not use it.

The Goose Watch, Lucas and Chateau Frank sparklers all state they are "champagne." The Goose Watch and Lucas only mention it on their websites, while the Chateau Frank actually has it on its label. Now, legally, they might be able to do so, due to a grandfather clause. But, just because they can do something does not mean they should.

The Strange Case of Dr. Franc and Mr. Vegetal

Robert Louis Stevenson penned the classic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in which he examined the duality of man, the two faces of each person, one good and one evil. I have engaged in a similar examination of duality, though with a different subject, the Cabernet Franc grape. In my case, I would title my investigation as The Strange Case of Dr. Franc and Mr. Vegetal.

For a time, it seemed that all of the Cabernet Franc wines I drank had a vegetal aroma and flavor which turned me off. I derisively referred to such wines as "salad" wines, which had far too much green flavor for me. Cabernet Franc was not alone though as I encountered similar flavors in many Carmeneres too. Yet there were other wine lovers who enjoyed the vegetal nature of these wines, so it was clearly a matter of preference.

But I perservered, continuing to taste Cabernet Franc wines, hoping that I might find one I could enjoy, one without those vegetal tastes. I was eventually rewarded for all of my effort spent on that quest, and began finding numerous examples lacking that greenness. I had found the other face of Cabernet Franc, a more appealing one for my palate. One of the primary places where I found Cabernet Francs which I could enjoy was in New York.

Thus, I was excited for the recent Taste Live event, a tasting of four Cabernet Francs from the Finger Lakes region. Lenn of Lenndevours: The New York Cork Report led the tasting with co-hosting by the people from Finger Lakes Wine Country. Dale of Drinks Are on Me joined me at my house for the tasting.

I had some slight concerns that maybe the Cabernet Francs would show some vegetal flavors, but was willing to give them a try and hope for the best. My worries were needless as none of them expressed any such greenness. I was a very happy man. They were all Dr. Franc without any Mr. Vegetal.

I should first note that I opened and decanted the wines for about five hours prior to the event, and I do think that affected the smell and taste of the wines. For example, some of the other tasters found some barnyard aromas in a couple of the wines but I did not detect any in mine. Such aromas may have dissipated with time which is why I could not detect them. We were recommended to decant a couple of the wines and that appeared to be good advice.

We began the tasting with the 2007 Fox Run Vineyards Cabernet Franc/Lemberger ($14.99) which was an excellent start. This wine is a blend of 47% Cabernet Franc and 53% Lemberger (also known as Blaufrankisch) and has an alcohol content of 12.5%. Only 825 cases of this wine were produced. Like all four of the wines in the tasting, this was from the 2007 vintage which is considered to be an excellent vintage.

This was a juicy, delicious and easy-drinking wine, making an excellent introductory Cabernet Franc. There were nice blueberry notes with red fruit accents and hints of underlying spice. Its lighter red color reminded me of some Pinot Noirs, though the taste was definitely influenced by the Lemberger. This is a wine I could easily enjoy with pizza or a burger, or simply on its own. It is a wine to drink and enjoy, rather than something to sip and ponder over. It earns my recommendation, and placed me into a pleasant mood at the start of the tasting.

The 2007 Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cabernet Franc ($22) only has an alcohol content of 12.3%. As an aside, I really do enjoy the lower alcohol contents of many of the New York wines. Red wines seems to average 12-14%, and it is rare to see wines over that. Unfortunately, the Hazlitt wine did not really please me. It seemed to be overly spiced to me, the fruit flavors buried beneath that spice. Others at the tasting enjoyed this wine but it just did not satisfy me.

The 2007 Rooster Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc ($19.99) was very different from the Fox Run. The Rooster Hill seemed more of a serious wine, with stronger tannins, more subdued dark fruit flavors and some Christmas spice notes. This is the type of wine where you really start thinking about what you are drinking. It has more complexity, more depth of flavor. It probably also should be drank with food, as the tannins might be too much on their own. Another good example of the Dr. Franc aspect of Cabernet Franc, the non-vegetal side, which showcases such good fruit and spice. I recommend this wine too.

My favorite wine of the evening was clearly the 2007 Red Newt Wine Cellars “Sawmill Creek” Cabernet Franc ($38.99). This is a blend of about 90% Cabernet Franc with the other 10% being Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has an alcohol content of 13.7% and only 120 cases were produced. This wine will be released in February 2010.

When I tasted this wine, it brought back memories of the 2007 Shinn Estates Cabernet Franc, a wine which thoroughly impressed me last year. The Red Newt was not quite as good as the Shinn, but it was impressive nonetheless. It was a big wine, but did not overwhelm, possessing an excellent balance. There was plenty of complexity, such as an intriguing melange of lush flavors, including ripe plum, black cherry, blackberry, vanilla and more. The silky tannins made this a very smooth wine, and something I could easily enjoy on its own or with food. The finish was lengthy and pleasing, a feeling you did not wish to end.

This was a "wow" wine and gets my highest recommendation. Now, admittedly this is a more expensive wine. But I do think the price is justified for the quality of this wine, though the Shinn, which is similarly priced, remains the better value.

This tasting was good on two fronts. First, it showcased some delicious, nonvegetal Cabernet Francs. Second, it showcased some quality red wines coming out of the Finger Lakes region. I suggest you check out both fronts, and try one of these Cabernet Francs from the Finger Lakes.

Do you prefer Dr. Franc or Mr. Vegetal?

Beija & Twitter Taste Live

Have you tried Beija yet? If not, you definitely should do so.

Beija is a Brazilian Cachaça, a virgin cane rum, and it is delicious whether straight or mixed in a cocktail. If you want to know more, join me as I showcase Beija at a Twitter Taste Live event on January 14 at 8pm.

January 12-15, 2009 will be a Spirit Week Twitter Taste Live Event. Rather than wine, spirits such as Gin and Chartreuse and Beija will be showcased during this week. You should participate this week and learn more about the versatility of these spirits.

Bin Ends has several other Twitter Taste Live events planned for the near future. These include:

January 17: TTL Beer!: Introduction to Trappist Ales
January 29: Twitter Taste LIVE: Palmina Wines of California
February 12: Twitter Taste LIVE: An Evening in Burgundy
February 19: Twitter Taste LIVE: Merlove Minneapolis
February 28: Twitter Taste LIVE: Top Secret Event

Prior events have been lots of fun and I encourage you to join in now!

Twitter Taste Live: The Bloggers Take Over

As I mentioned in my earlier post today, last evening was a new Twitter Taste Live event, The Bloggers Take Over! For this event, numerous wine bloggers volunteered to take the stage and discuss the wines of their choice. There were no restrictions on what they could choose. This was the first time for this format so there was a bit of trepidation over how it would work. Based on last night's performance, I think it was quite a success.

If you wish all of the notes and tweets from the event, you can check out Twitter Search or Tim of Winecast who also has everything collected. A diverse selections of wines were chosen, from my own choice of a Japanese sake to Spanish sherries. Most of the wines were tasted at the time of the event so you got the blogger's live reactions to the wines, and not always positive ones either. A couple of the wines which really intrigued me were the 2006 Marcel Lapierre Morgon (tasted by @binendswine) and the 2004 Cameron Hughes Lot 93 Tempranillo (tasted by @winecast).

This event was like having wine blogs come alive, and getting an immediate reaction. What was also very cool was the ability to interact with the blogger, to ask questions, make comments and hear the thoughts of others. Unfortunately, that interaction is often lacking on actual wine blogs. Far too people post comments on blogs, yet clearly the readers have questions. Posting comments will help blogs be more interactive, more responsive to their audience. We should not have to wait for these events to interact with each other. Blogs should be a give and take, not just a place to read a single person's thoughts.

Some of the most amusing comments came later in the event, maybe because people had been drinking more by then, or possibly because of the individuals involved. For example:

1WineDude: #ttl Back to the Dry Cream - this wine is like concentrated Fig brandy. It's almost as good as sex (almost.. it's a close call).

winehiker: @1WineDude And, verily, a Wine Bloggers' #TTL should end in viscous lust.

So many people contributed to the success of this event that it would be difficult to list them all. The Twitter Taste Live events continue to prosper and there are many more planned for the near future so you should check out the list of upcoming events.

Thanks to Bin Ends for giving us wine bloggers this platform to discuss our wine selections. I am sure there will be more Blogger Take Over events in the future.

Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri "Mirror of Truth" Junmai

Last evening I had the pleasure of participating in a new Twitter Taste Live event, The Bloggers Take Over! This was similar to Open Mic night at the Improv, where a bunch of wine bloggers were able to take the stage and talk about wines they specifically chose for that night. It was a great evening and I will discuss it more in another post. But I wanted to highlight my own selection, the Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri "Mirror of Truth" Junmai Saké. I chose Saké as I hoped my passion for it might be infectious.

This was another purchase from Sakaya in New York City, and once again I was not let down. The Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri "Mirror of Truth" Junmai ($25.99/720ml) is from the Chubu region of the Nagano Prefecture. Masumi Brewery was founded in 1662 at the foot of the Kirigamine highlands in the Suwa Basin, the mountainous heart of the Japan "Alps." Masumi is a very important Sake brewery and is well known for developing Yeast #7, the most commonly used yeast for non-ginjo sake. This specific Sake is named for the Masumi no Kagami (Masumi Mirror), a national treasure set in the Suwa Taisha Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in Japan.

The rice, Hitogokochi, for this Saké was polished to 60% which would make it technically a Ginjo but the brewery decided to only label this as a Junmai. It has an alcohol content of 15% and a Saké Meter Value of +3, which means it tends to be more neutral, with a touch of dryness. This Saké had a clear color with a nose of subtle fruits and hints of steamed rice. It had a rich, creamy body with a hint of sweetness and subtle flavors of melon and banana. It was very smooth with a moderately long finish. I can see this Saké as pairing well with with richer foods like salmon, tuna, tempura, or even burgers.

This is a reasonably priced Saké and one which I would definitely recommend. I think it will appeal to both those new to Saké as well as those who already have a passion for it.

Kanpai!

Twitter Taste Live: The Bloggers Take Over

Join us on Saturday, November 15, starting at 6pm when Twitter Taste Live lets the Wine Bloggers Take Over! Consider this Open Mic night at the Improv. A number of bloggers, from all over the world, will take the stage one at a time and discuss a wine they have specifically chosen to highlight. There were no restrictions on which wine they could choose. Each blogger will tell everyone about that wine and you are also encouraged to ask questions.

I actually will begin the tasting (Twitter @richardpf) with the Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri "Mirror of Truth" Junmai Sake. My love of Sake is well known and I hope to get more people to embrace this compelling drink. I have never tasted this particular Sake so it will be new to me as well.

The rest of the tentative schedule looks like this.

@binendswine --Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2006

@saltlinestudio --Onix Priorat 2006

@bloviatrix --2005 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank

@chinawinelover --Huadong Vineyard 2000 (China) and Great Wall red 2002 (China)

@vinquire, @brixchick @drxeno will be tasting through selections from Hahn

@winecast will be tasting Carmeron Hughes Lot 92 and Lot 79 (maybe more)

@mmWine --Zen of Zins 06 Old Vines Zin (Ravenswood), Cline Ancient Vines 07 Zin, Estancia Paso Robles 05 Zin, 7 Deadly Zins 06 Old Vines (lodi)

@1winedude --Sherries, and other stickies!

Please join us and learn about some new wines. Thanks to Bin Ends for giving us wine bloggers this platform to discuss these wines. I hope to chat with some of my readers, and others, during this event.

Twitter Taste Live: Drink Charitably!

Tis that season once again when many begin to think about good will and charity towards others. Though we should be thinking about such matters all year round, I fully support all such efforts during this season. And now Twitter Taste Live is hosting their first charitable event, Drink Charitably.

The event will be held on November 21, starting at 8pm. It is a joint venture between Humanitas Wines, Lenndevours (a prominent NY wine blogger), Drink Charitably, and Twitter Moms. Humanitas Wines is a unique winery in that it makes and sells wine, then giving the profits to charity. They seek to address three specific problems: hunger, affordable housing and illiteracy. Their primary charities are America's Second Harvest, Habitat for Humanity and Reading is Fundamental. They give to the regional chapters in the communities where the wine is sold.

For the Twitter Taste Live event, there will be four wines from Humanita, including:
2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Monterey)
2007 Chardonnay "Oak Free" (Monterey)
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles)
2006 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)

All selections will be sold directly through their website and 100% of the profits will go to charity. The first three can be purchased and shipped as a 3-bottle pack directly from the winery for just $45. Buy them today. The Pinot Noir can also be bought directly from Humanitas as well for $40. Buy it today. It is all for good causes so I hope you participate.

If you cannot buy the wines, you can also stop by Bin Ends on November 21 as they may be sampling a few bottles of the wine.

La Casa de las Vides Wine Tasting

How could I refuse? A representative of a relatively new winery in Spain was coming to the Boston area and wanted to showcase some of their wines, which are not yet available in the U.S., to a small group of wine bloggers. It was an opportunity which I relished, especially with my deep love for Spanish wines.

Emilio Saez van Erd is the Export Director for La Casa de las Vides, a Spanish winery located in Valencia. “La Casa de las Vides” translates as “The House of Vines.” Though this winery was established in 2005, it is built upon a winery that was constructed back in 1783 and called “La Bodega de La Finca El Galtero.” From 1955, Francisco Gandía‘s family has invested much time and effort into their vineyard, creating three estates “El Galtero,” “El Catalí” and “La Vega.” They are located in a valley that the Arabs named "Vall Blanca," for the white color of its lands and houses. The vineyards are located about 400-600 meters above sea level and the land is mainly white clay and limestone.

Their wine maker is the famed Ana Martin Orzain, who also consults for numerous other wineries in Spain. Their wine making philosophy is simple. “The most important element to good winemaking is to be consistent in your work ethic and to go beyond wavering trends. To achieve this goal, it is our belief that it is a gradual process, without fear of either the experience or the research. Finally, we feel it’s imperative to honor terroir, by using the elements of the land to fashion the highest quality wine possible, which distinctly expresses our terroir; whereby, making our wine unique onto themselves."

Valencia, which is close to the areas of Jumilla and Alicante, is an up and coming wine region that once used to be known mostly for the production of bulk wines. There are now a growing number of wineries trying to produce more quality wines. But, I rarely see any wines from this region available in local wine stores. But hopefully that will change if the wines of La Casa de las Vides are any indication of the quality of Valencian wines.

When Emilio announced online that he wished to visit Boston to show some of his wines, several people worked together to arrange this event. My friends Ryan and Gabriella of Catavino have worked with Emilio for some time, helping him with his website as well as other matters. They helped to facilitate and convey Emilio's needs for the event. Leslie of Uptown Uncorked assisted to organize the event as well as gather some of the attendees. Craig of Bin Ends helped by making this a Twitter Taste Live event by which people all over the world could learn and interact with the tasting. I also helped, finding a restaurant, Melissa's Main Street Bistro in Stoneham, where we could hold the event.

Emilio and La Casa de las Vides have been at the forefront of using the Internet and social media to help promote the winery. For example, they maintain a blog (which they update regularly), use Twitter, and post pictures on Flickr. As a small winery, they want a more direct connection to their potential customers, to maintain a closer intimacy. Their wines are not yet available in the U.S. and they are seeking a local distributor for their wines. Yet they would prefer a smaller distributor rather than some behemoth where their wines might get lost in the dozens of other Spanish wines in such a large distributor's portfolio.

Melissa's Main Street Bistro gave us our own private room for the tasting, and it was nicely set up in a rectangular shape, with different glasses for each of the four wines we would taste. The chef, Jason, also prepared an appetizer plate, like tapas, for all of the attendees. You can see the plate below and the plentiful food was delicious. My favorite were probably the spring rolls. Everyone else at the event enjoyed the food as well. The restaurant deserves kudoes for all of their hard work and I would recommend them to anyone seeking to have a private function. They were very accomodating and reasonably priced. Some of us also had dinner there as well.

We had a small group for this event, including some bloggers I already knew and some I just met for the first time. Dale of Drinks Are On Me was there, who I have seen a lot lately at local tastings, as well as Sharon of Bloviatrix and Jenny of Rollick Guides. It was a good group and we had a fun time.

As for the wines, we tasted four wines, a white, a rose, and two reds.

The 2007 Vallblanca takes its name from the valley where the vineyards are located. It is a blend containing about 60% Verdil, each parts Macabeo and Gewurtztraminer and a little portion from a couple other white grapes. Verdil is indigenous to Valencia and this is the first time that I have tasted a wine using that grape. Catavino has a prior article on this grape that is worth checking out. I felt the Vallblanca's nose really indicated the presence of Gewurtz with its spicy aromas with undercurrents of floral notes and a touch of citrus. As for the taste, I found the wine to be medium-bodied, dry, crisp and with an intriguing mix of pear, spice and mineral tastes. The spices were somewhat muted compared to a pure Gewurtz but definitely were noticeable. I very much liked the Vallblanca blend, especially considering it would only cost $10-11 a bottle. It is just unique enough to make it interesting, and the flavors should please. the only thing I did not like was that it was bottled in a blue Riesling-style bottle. I think that could be confusing to consumers who might except a Riesling, and I don't see much advantage to using such a bottle for the Vallblanca.

The 2007 Rosa Rosae is a blend of 50% Garnacha and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. This Rose had a nice, bright pink color with a subtle nose of raspberry and strawberry. This is clearly an Old World style Rose, more dry than fruity or sweet. It is very crisp with more restrained red fruit flavors, reminding me more of a Provence Rose. I very much enjoyed this wine as it is the type of Rose that I prefer. This wine is also an excellent value at only around $10-11. But, it too came in a Riesling style bottle which I don't think is necessary.

The 2007 Cup is a blend of Tempranillo and Syrah. The label presents a Latin look, using the "v" rather than "u" to make "CVP." The wine spends about four months in French and American oak. It is intended to be a wine for drinking now rather than letting it age in your cellar. It has a dark purple color to it and a rather spicy nose with elements of dark berries. That spice also comes forth prominently on the palate with ripe plum, licorice and vanilla flavors. It has a short, smoky finish and I think this wine would be best with food. At arounf $14, it is a good value.

The 2006 Aculius is a blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Syrah and also has a Latin look, including a replica Roman coin tied around the bottle's neck. The wine finishes malolactic fermentation in new French oak. It then ages with the lees for twelve months in the same wood. This was a very impressive wine, and my favorite of the night. The nose was enticing, with a lush, ripe dark berry smell with a touch of caramel. It was a silky smooth wine, with hedonistic fruit flavors as well as subtle spices that enhanced the overall taste. It has a pleasingly long finish and it something I could easily drink on its own or with food. At a cost of only $18-$20, this once again is an excellent value wine.

Value seems to be integral to the wines of La Casa de las Vides. These are wines with character at very reasonable prices. And with the current economic problems, these are the type of wines people will seek, inexpensive wines of value. I sincerely hope they find a local distributor so these wines become readily available in our area.

The winery is also working on a new label pattern for some of their wines. They hired a Spanish fashion designer, Juan Carlos, to create the labels. Emilio showed up some of the new labels and everyone seemed to like them. They present somewhat of an old Roman/Mediterranean look, and come in several different colors. They certainly stand out and would make it easier for consumers to detect all of the wines they make. Check out the new design and tell me what you think.

It was also a pleasure to meet and chat with Emilio. He was very personable, down to earth and knowledgeable. He also possessed that quality I truly treasure: Passion. I certainly wish him and the winery the best of luck, and am glad I was one of the first in the U.S. to have gotten a taste of his wines.

Twitter Taste Live #4: Jed Steele

For the first few Twitter Taste Live events, I have participated from the comfort of my home, sharing the wines with a few family members and friends. Though I have enjoyed it, I felt it was time for a bit of change. So I decided to visit Bin Ends for Twitter Taste Live #4, especially as they were having the guest wine maker, Jed Steele of Steele Wines, at their store.

At least 40-50 people showed up at Bin Ends for the tasting and John and Craig had a diverse selection of cheeses for snacks. They also set up, with the help of Chris from Saltine Studio, a large screen to show all of the Twitter posts and the video feed. Twitter was certainly quite active that night and the tasting was the #1 topic for a time. There were people from all over the world participating. It was great to sip wine and chat with all of the people at the store, including other bloggers like Dale of Drinks Are On Me.


As for the guest of honor, this is Jed Steele’s 40th year of being involved in making wine in California. Jed began working in the wine business at Stony Hill Winery in the Napa Valley in 1968. He also worked for 10 years for Edmeades, then a small independent winery in Mendocino County, as winemaker and vineyard manager. He then moved on to become the founding winemaker, general manager, and VP of Production at Kendall Jackson for the first nine vintages of that company. He eventually founded Steele and Shooting Star Wines in 1991. You can see Jed below, the very tall man in the center. He was very personable, passionate and down to earth.

The winery has a minimalist winemaking style, believing that will better highlight the aromas and the flavors of the fruit they source. The fruit they source for the Steele and Shooting Star labels is the same. They get grapes from vineyards in Washington and California. The primary difference between the two labels is that the Shooting Star wines are more appellation blends and less common varietals. They are also generally fermented in stainless or aged in oak for a short period of time so the wines are more bright and fruit forward. The Steele wines are single vineyard or specific vineyard blends that age longer in oak.

The winery produces quite an extensive and diverse portfolio of wines, though their total production is relatively low. Many of their wines are produced only in very small quantities. When I asked Jed about this, he basically stated that he enjoyed experimenting with different wines, that he preferred to produce a nice variety of wines.

One thing that impressed me was Jed's commitment to making reasonably priced wines. Even his top end wines are less than $50, and most of his wines are under $25. In Wine Spectator (3/04), Jed stated: "People expect value. It's not that I envision making wines for the masses, but I've always felt wines should be reasonably priced." His wines may be inexpensive, but they are far from "cheap." You get good value from these wines.

The wines we tasted included:

2006 Shooting Star Aligote (Washington): Aligoté may not be a grape you are familiar with as we don't see much of it in the U.S., except primarily as a blending grape. But it seems Washington is producing some now. This Aligoté was barrel fermented but they use older oak barrels. I found the wine to have a nice golden color and a bit of a floral nose. It is a crisp wine with green apple and mineral notes and a touch of tartness. An interesting wine that has some character and is worth checking out. Price is usually $15 but it is only $12 at Bin Ends.

2006 Steele Pinot Blanc (California): This wine is fermented in neutral oak barrels, to give it weight and mouthfeel. The wine is then aged for just under four months in neutral oak. The nose of this wine reminded me of some creamy Chardonnays. It had a nice gold color and the creaminess came through on my palate as well. I detected some green apple and melon flavors and it had a short finish. This is not my preferred style of wine so I did not care for it that much. Price is usually $17 but it is only $14 at Bin Ends.

I should note that an informal poll of the people at the tasting showed they were equally split in their preferences between the Aligote and Pinot Blanc.

2006 Steele Cuvee Chardonnay (California): This wine was also fermented in oak, though 20% of the barrels were new. It then remains in barrel for eight months, the lees stirred regularly, and the wine finishes malolactic fermentation. The art comes when Jed must select which lots and barrels to blended into this Cuvee. I enjoyed this Chardonnay because it was not overly oaky and the fruit flavors were allowed to dominate. It still had some creamy smoothness to it but not that huge buttery taste. If you generally dislike California Chardonnays, you should try this one and maybe it will change your mind. Price is usually $22 but it is only $16.80 at Bin Ends.

2006 Shooting Star Blue Franc (Washington): This was the stand out wine of the evening for me, for several reasons. First, it was a more unusual wine. Second, I like the story behind the wine. Third, the label is cool. Fourth, it had an incredible nose on it that I could have just sat and smelled for hours.

While visiting Austria, Jed was impressed by a wine made from the Lemberger grape, which is also known by its older name Blau Frankisch, literally “blue grape from France.” He later found Lemberger growing in Washington’s Yakima Valley and decided to make a wine from this grape. Now, to avoid any relation to Lember, the stinky cheese, he decided to refer to the grape as Blau Frankisch and call the Blue Franc. He was also able, after some wrangling, to use a French Franc note as the label. The label looks very cool.

The Blue Franc receives little or no oak aging. When I first smelled this wine, I fell in love with it. Such lush berry scents with hints of exotic spices. It seduced my nose and brought such sensory pleasure. I enjoyed the taste of the wine as well, though its nose still was more compelling. It has plenty of rich berry flavors with hints of spice, maybe a bit of cinnamon and almost anise. Very smooth and easy drinking wine and an excellent value at the price. Price is usually $15 but it is only $12 at Bin Ends.

2006 Steele Pinot Noir (Carneros): Their approach is to produce a classic “Pinot-lover’s Pinot.” After fermentation the wine is aged for nine months in a combination of French, Oregon and Hungarian barrels. This was a dark red colored wine with a nice nose of black cherry and raspberry. It was a very juicy wine, with lots of ripe berry flavors and nice touches of pepper and other spices. A decently long finish and a very smooth wine. More Californian than Burgundian in style. I very much enjoyed this Pinot and definitely would recommend it. Price is usually $23 but it is only $18.40 at Bin Ends.

2006 Steele Zinfandel (Pacini Ranch): Jed has spent 25 years crafting Zinfandel from the Pacini Vineyard so he knows the vineyard very well. This wine is aged in American oak barrels for 12 months, using 25% new barrels and 75% neutral barrels. This selection of oak allows them to maximize the fruit component while rounding out the structure of the wine. This was an absolutely delicious Zin, big, bold and spicy. Lots of flavor and complexity for the price. A real knock-out wine. Price is usually $19 but it is only $15.20 at Bin Ends.

This was another successful Twitter Taste Live event. The wines were delicious and excellent values. Jed Steele came off very well and is an easily likable person. I will be drinking more Steele wines in the future and recommend that you check them out as well, especially that Blue Franc.

Stay tuned for next month for the next Twitter Taste Live event on November 15. The Wine Bloggers Take Over and I will provide more details soon.

Twitter Taste Live #4

Twiiter Taste Live #4 approaches and now is the time to order your wines from Bin Ends if you wish to participate. On October 23, at 7pm, Jed Steele of Steele Wines will be the featured guest. Six of his wines will be on the tasting schedule.

"Steele and Shooting Star Wines was founded in 1991. Prior to that time, winemaker/owner Jed Steele was the founding winemaker, general manager, and VP of Production at Kendall Jackson for the first nine vintages of that company. Prior to his adventures at Kendall Jackson, Jed worked for 10 years for Edmeades, then a small independent winery in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County, as winemaker and vineyard manager. Jed began working in the wine business at Stony Hill Winery in the Napa Valley in 1968.

From mid-1991 until mid-1996, Steele Wines co-leased a small winery in Lake County. In June of 1996, Jed purchased the old Konocti Winery between Lakeport and Kelseyville in Lake County. The winery is located on Highway 29, exactly one hour driving time from downtown Calistoga, driving north-northwest, 45 minutes directly east of Hopland in Mendocino County, and one and a half hours from Santa Rosa, driving north-northeast.

The list of the wines for the tasting include:
2006 Shooting Star Aligote (WA)
2006 Steele Pinot Blanc
2006 Steele Chardonnay
2006 Shooting Star Blue Franc (WA)
2006 Steele Pinot Noir (Carneros)
2006 Steele Zinfandel (Pacini Ranch)

There should be plenty of participation for this event, including wine lovers from all over the world. It is very simple to participate in these Twitter Taste Live events. Just sign up for a free Twitter account and then follow "Binendswine" on Twitter. You should also check out their Twitter Taste Live site for additional information.

Twitter Taste Live #4 & #5

The upcoming schedule for the next two Twitter Taste Live events has now been announced by Bin Ends.

On October 23, at 7pm, Jed Steele of Steele Wines will be the featured guest. Six of his wines will be on the tasting schedule.

"Steele and Shooting Star Wines was founded in 1991. Prior to that time, winemaker/owner Jed Steele was the founding winemaker, general manager, and VP of Production at Kendall Jackson for the first nine vintages of that company. Prior to his adventures at Kendall Jackson, Jed worked for 10 years for Edmeades, then a small independent winery in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County, as winemaker and vineyard manager. Jed began working in the wine business at Stony Hill Winery in the Napa Valley in 1968.

From mid-1991 until mid-1996, Steele Wines co-leased a small winery in Lake County. In June of 1996, Jed purchased the old Konocti Winery between Lakeport and Kelseyville in Lake County. The winery is located on Highway 29, exactly one hour driving time from downtown Calistoga, driving north-northwest, 45 minutes directly east of Hopland in Mendocino County, and one and a half hours from Santa Rosa, driving north-northeast.

The list of the wines for the tasting will be announced soon and you can purchase them at Bin Ends.

On November 15, at 6pm, The Bloggers Take Over event will be held. This promises to be an intriguing event. Though the details are still being put together, it should involve wine bloggers from all over the world showcasing some of their favorite wines. Stay tuned for further details.

It is very simple to participate in these Twitter Taste Live events. Just sign up for a free Twitter account and then follow "Binendswine" on Twitter. The first three Twitter Tasting events went very well and were lots of fun so why not join us for the next events.

Twitter Taste Live #3: Michel Schlumberger

This past Thursday, the third Twitter Taste Live event, hosted by Bin Ends, took place and it was even a bigger success than the first two. The special guest was from Michel Schlumberger winery in Sonoma County, California. The co-host for this Twitter Tasting was wine blogger Megan of Wannabe Wino.

"Michel-Schlumberger lies off the beaten track in Wine Creek Canyon, a sylvan side pocket of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California. Each of the wines from our benchland, hillside, and mountain vineyards illustrates the French concept of terroir, or the expression of a specific place. We take pride in the wines produced from this all Estate, organically farmed fruit. Here, tucked away from the mainstream in Healdsburg, you find artisan vineyard work and winemaking at its finest. We hope you enjoy your exploration."

There were many wine bloggers, including myself, and many others, from all over the world, who participated in this event. Craig of Bin Ends led Twitter Taste Live from the Wine 2.0 New York event, garnering even more participation. A few bloggers even attended the Wine 2.o event too.

As I mentioned in my review of the second Twitter Tate Live event, one of the most fascinating elements of this tasting is that you get to hear so many different descriptions of the same wine, showing how people clearly smell and taste wines differently. That was very evident this time as well, especially with the first wine of the tasting.

Practically, this event was a bit more chaotic than the prior two events. That may be partially due to the fact the event was being run from the Wine 2.o conference, creating some logistical issues. It may also be partially due to the growing number of people who are participating in these tastings. There were no major problems, matters just did not run as smoothly as before. As these events are still relatively new, this is probably more a matter of growing pains and it will work itself out in time.

The wines that were tasted included, with a few of my notes, the following:

2006 Chardonnay "La Brume" ($29.60): This wine certainly tasted differently to many people. For me, it had too much of a buttery flavor for my preferences. That buttery flavor overwhelmed the other flavors of the wine. Yet there were other participants who tasted little if any butter flavor in this wine. They raved about the wines exotic fruit flavors, the touch of spice, and minerality. So it truly is a matter of preference. Though I did not care for this wine, there were plenty of others who loved it.

2005 Syrah ($22.40): This wine is a blend of 81.5% Syrah, 5.3% Zinfandel, 5.9 % Petite Sirah, and 3.2% Viognier. This was my favorite wine of the evening, just a luscious wine with plenty of alluring flavors and complexity. Blackberries, blueberries, plum and even raspberry filled my mouth, assisted by touches of pepper and spice. The tannins are restrained and the finish is long and delicious. Despite all the fruit, this is not a fruit bomb wine. I think this is an excellent value at this price and I highly recommend it.

2004 Merlot ($22.40): This Merlot has a little bit of Petit Verdot and Carmenere and was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. This wine can benefit from a bit of breathing as it can seem too overpowering when the bottle is initially opened. But, after an hour or so, the wine is more tame and smooth. And it was even better the next day. Lots of black cherry and vanilla flavors in this wine with undercurrents of clove and leather. More complex than many comparable Merlots, this stands as another good value wine.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($33.60): Spice seemed to dominate in this wine, with undercurrents of dark berries. It kind of reminded me of the spices in apple pie yet atop a blueberry/blackberry pie. Tannins were moderate and the finish was long and spicy. An intriguing Cabernet that I enjoyed, especially as it seemed a bit more unique in its spice-driven flavors. Much more of an Old-World style than what usually comes from California.

All of these wines are available for sale at Bin Ends.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Twitter Taste Live in October. I will be posting the details in a separate post, as well as details on the November event. I strongly urge you to get involved. Sign up now for Twitter (it's free) and get ready for the next live Tasting.

Twitter Taste Live #3: Michel Schlumberger

The time nears for the third Twitter Taste Live event! Bin Ends has announced the guest and line-up for the new Twitter Taste Live which will be held on September 18 at 7pm. The special guests will be from the Michel Schlumberger winery in Sonoma County, California.

"Michel-Schlumberger lies off the beaten track in Wine Creek Canyon, a sylvan side pocket of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California. Each of the wines from our benchland, hillside, and mountain vineyards illustrates the French concept of terroir, or the expression of a specific place. We take pride in the wines produced from this all Estate, organically farmed fruit. Here, tucked away from the mainstream in Healdsburg, you find artisan vineyard work and winemaking at its finest. We hope you enjoy your exploration."

The co-host for this Twitter Tasting will be wine blogger Megan of Wannabe Wino. There will be plenty of other wine bloggers, including myself, who will be participating as well.

September 18th is also the date of the Wine 2.0 conference and tasting in New York City. There will be a team of bloggers tweeting live from the event throughout the day, and Bin Ends will be streaming Twitter Taste LIVE from their table beginning at 7pm. Live participants in New York will include @binendswine, @1winedude and @saltlinestudio.

The wines that will be tasted include:

Chardonnay "La Brume" 2006
Syrah 2005
Merlot 2004
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

All of these wines are available for sale at Bin Ends.

It is very simple to participate in this event. Just sign up for a free Twitter account and then follow "Binendswine" on Twitter. The first two Twitter Tasting events went very well and were lots of fun so why not join us for this third event.