2003 Oriel Setena

Oriel is an interesting wine company that includes about two dozen famed winemakers from all over the world. Oriel only makes wines in good vintages. Their wines are made in limited quantities, usually a few hundred cases. Oriel acts as vintner, importer and wholesaler, and this enables them to cut costs. I have tasted some Oriel wines before and most of them have been good.

The 2003 Oriel Setena Red ($23) is from the Terra Alta region of Spain, which is near the famed Priorat D.O. The word "Setena" is the Catalan word for "one-seventh" which is the amount of the harvest that farmers in ancient Spain once paid landowners for the right to work the land.

The winemaker is Xavier Clua who was born into a family with over four generations in winemaking. Cellers Clua currently specializes in producing low-volume, high-quality Grenache blends. Xavier's technique is to interfere as little as possible in the natural winemaking process. "The essence of simplicity is the best way of making wine," he says.

The Setena is a blend of 40% Garnacha, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Tempranillo and 10% Merlot. The wine is aged for eight months in French oak, 70% new.

I found this wine to have a bit of a closed nose, except for a very mild smell of almost violets. But, once it crossed my palate, there was an explosion of lush fruit flavors, including blackberry, plum and dark cherry. There is a bit of spice and mild tannins on the finish. It has a medium length finish. The flavors mesh well and it definitely pleases the palate. I very much enjoyed this wine and it is a Drink & Buy. This wine would go well with wild game, or poultry like duck.

2005 El Burro Kickass Garnacha

Yes, I bought this bottle mainly due to the label. It struck me as amusing. Plus, I am willing to take chances on inexpensive Spanish wines, as many of them are decent wines.

The 2005 El Burro Kickass Garnacha ($12) is 100% old vines, over 100 years old, Garnacha and aged for four months in American oak. It is produced in the Navarra D.O. and has an alcohol content of 13.5%. This is a juicy wine, with lots of raspberry and dark cherry flavors with a tinge of vanilla. It is a very smooth wine with a moderate finish. It has mild tannins and a nice balance. A great BBQ wine that goes well with burgers and steak tips.

This is not just a gimmick wine. It is a tasty, inexpensive wine that should please. Another one of the good value wines from Spain. A definite Drink & Buy.

Fantasy Wine Investment

Fantasy football, baseball and other sports are very popular. Fantasy investment games are less popular though they do have their adherents. For those who love wine, a fantasy wine investment game might just be appealing.

Decanter magazine, a British wine magazine, runs a Wine Investment game. Though it is not a short game. In fact, you have to wait two years for the results. The results for their 2005 game were recently released. Unfortunately, the deadline for entering their 2007 game is already over.

In the 2007 game, you receive 10,000 pounds to purchase a portfolio of wine. There are 25 different wines you can choose. You can purchase as much of any single wine as you want. Then, two years later, in 2009, your portfolio will be examined to see how much its value has risen. The portfolio that is worth the most will be declared the winner.

This may be a long time to play such a game, but then wine does not usually appreciate too quickly. It might be more interesting if there was a "draft" and that the wines were limited in number. One key is also finding your authoritative source for determining the price of the wines, when you purchase them and for their final values at the end of the game. For example, Wine Spectator has lists of prices of certain wines, especially those which frequently are involved in auctions.

I think alternative versions of this wine investment game could be interesting and fun. Anyone game?

Phantom Fall Food Festival

On Sunday, September 23, from 11am-4pm, the Phantom Gourmet will host their annual fall Food Festival. Tickets cost $40 which include admission to the street and sampling food from fifty different vendors. Drinks are not included. You can also get into parties inside several clubs. The festival is 21+ (no minors, infants or pets) and will be held rain or shine. The first 800 Phans to enter the event wearing Phantom’s favorite color (purple) will receive a $5 Phantom Gourmet Gift Card.

Tickets are limited and not sold at the event. You can order them online or buy them at certain restaurants. Special VIP tickets are available, at $100, which include an early 10:30am entry and entry into Ernie Boch Jr.'s party at Embassy.

You can see a list of the participating vendors online. Much of the food is comfort food. From Beard Papa's Cream Puffs to Harrows' Chicken Pies, from Kane's Donuts Coffee Roll to Trani Ice Cream Cupcakes.

I have been to this Food Festival before and very much enjoyed myself. There is plenty of delicious food to eat and you certainly won't leave hungry. I think the price is reasonable for everything you can eat. You definitely should try to get there early though as it will get very busy later and then the crowds can be an issue. I will be going to the Festival again this year and look forward to all of different foods.

Millennials and Wine

Beverage World reported on a recent study done by Vinexpo, an international wine and spirits exhibition, concerning wine and the "millennials," consumers aged 20-25. The study examined groups in the U.S., France, Japan, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Wine is becoming popular with this group but there are a couple barriers: a perception that wine is expensive and a lack of knowledge and/or confusion about wine. Many are turned off by perceptions of wine snoberry. Many of these consumers also view wine as the drink of choice among older adults, which is not a bad thing. They see wine drinkers as "refined, educated and cultivated."

So, how does this affect wine bloggers?

Wine bloggers have the opportunity to educate such consumers about wine, to demystify it. Using more everyday language, we can explain about wine and teach them that wine is not some esoteric discipline that takes years to learn. We can also show them that there are inexpensive wines that also taste great. You don't have to spend $100 to get an enjoyable wine. There are plenty of good choices for $10.