#feelthewine

Me, during harvest 2008 at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in Newberg, OR having a little trouble with the hoses.

As the Northern hemisphere is knee deep in yet another harvest, we figured it would be a fun excuse for all of our friends and colleagues to share a snapshot of how they're involved in the world of wine. From the cellar-rats running the presses late-night in California, to the diehards finishing up pruning in New Zealand, there are so many picturesque moments to be shared. From the blessed souls sampling fruit in the vineyards of Europe anticipating a pick date to the salespeople driving around showing wines for a busy fall ahead, the casual wine lovers welcoming fall with a nice bottle of red and a roast, to the geeks sitting in on a vertical of esoteric and rare vintages, everyone has a story to tell. A picture is worth 1000 words, so share your story on September 25! Just use the hashtag #feelthewine on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and see what others are up to. Cheers!!!

Good Friends We Have Had, Good Friends We Lost

'Brut Force With a Touch of Finesse'

The single-most enlivening part of my time in the wine industry, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met. People drive me. Their quirks, life stories, clothing choices, cleanliness, eating habits, accents… they’re fascinating. From high-profile sommeliers to legendary winemakers and writers, I’ve shared some amazing dinners, been welcomed into people’s homes, and popped some stellar corks at my relatively young age. Those who have made my experiences most worthwhile up to this point, however, are all the young people I’ve met during my stint as a ‘traveling winemaker’. Sadly, last week I learned that one of those bright young stars is no longer with us. 

Niki Dow was a young guy from New Zealand I met last year during my brief ‘harvest’ time in California. He shared a tiny room in a modest suburban Santa Rosa apartment with some friends who were working at a different local winery. He was a seamless counterpart in the cellar. His constant, quick-witted grin was enough to make you laugh in even the most stressful situations, or elicit laughter in the calmest of times. He put up with the crazy antics of his Moldovan roommate ‘John’ who didn’t speak a lick of English, and even managed to convince us all that John was a good guy at heart, despite some of his outward antics. Niki lightened the mood for anyone who cared to share in conversation. His eloquent stories of his rugby days from college made me wish I could have spent time as a fit young kiwi bloke; I was stoked to get an old rugby shirt of his when he moved back to NZ, even though it had a few holes in it and plenty of stains from a tough vintage. His physical aptitude was apparent, and he seemed to be the type that succeeded in every task he took on. Nonetheless, he possessed the ‘Kiwi-Humble’ I’ve come to know and love; so overwhelmingly sarcastic and jabbing (in a lighthearted sense) upon first impression, but in the end full of compassion and friendship. Nik, as I knew him, embodied all that I’ve come to love about harvest. A young person, fresh out of school with the world ahead of him, when it was easier to find a fulltime, well-paying job at home and settle into normalcy he embarked on a journey to follow his dreams, better his craft and expand his world outlook.

With a number of vintages under my belt I’ve gotten pretty good at saying goodbye. We, as seasonal harvest workers spend so many hours together in a relatively short timeframe. Best friends are made alongside the wine, and when it’s all said and done, everyone usually parts ways and moves on to the next job. I have fostered some high quality friendships and kept in touch with a few people, but have also lost touch with many more I was sure to see again. The wine industry is so small though that you never know when you might one day cross paths with an old friend. I somehow figured that would happen with Nik so his passing hit me like a bag of bricks. Maybe it’s also because it could have been me if I hadn’t decided to stay home this vintage. Maybe because it’s a harsh realization of hope, so quickly lost. He was in Portugal working for a world-class Port producer, a job that isn’t given to just anyone. Only 23 years old, he was surely brimming with excitement and infusing the locals with his positively high-octane energy. They were surely challenged, yet humbled by his work ethic, so notable it has inspired a Facebook tribute group called ‘TheLegacy of the War Donkey-Niki Dow’.  I encourage you to check it out.

After sorting through the emotions in his passing, I move forth with a renewed energy and outlook. I’ve reached out to a few old friends who deserve a better effort from me. I’m going to do a better job of busying myself with work that I truly love, push myself to physical and intellectual extremes, and be sure to laugh a little more often, knowing that today could be my last.

Cheers to you Nik! You will be missed, but your legend will live on and inspire us all.

Merlot?

The ‘Sideways’ shunning of the poignant Bordeaux grape varietal gave rise to Miles’ beloved Pinot Noir, at least domestically, in the years following the popular wine flick. Why? I have no idea. The fact that a single film could have such a drastic effect on the market is beyond me, even as Merlot-based wines from Bordeaux, such as Petrus and Cheval Blanc continue to fetch top dollar on the auction and futures markets.

I’m partial to Pinot, and have found it a theme in my wine-work-travel ventures around the globe. All of the wineries I’ve worked for have been high-end Pinot producers. Living for three months in Burgundy only solidified my love for the delicate ‘Queen’ grape as one winemaker called it (Chardonnay being King of course). Recently, however, I’ve started a new love affair with an old friend, Merlot. It’s only in the beginning stages, like third-date new; Hand-holding is a given, we’re way beyond the first kiss. Splitting the tab is out of the picture; I’ve got it. I can’t get her out of my mind and every glance is met with a glimmering smile. Where did she come from? Is this love? Will it fade? We were ‘just friends’ for so long and now that we’ve finally given it a go, I can’t imagine the world without her.

Okay, sorry for the romanticizing, but I taste a lot of wine. It’s part of my job. When something moves me, it really moves me. Sometimes it’s nearly to tears. Two years ago when I was working as a wine buyer up in the Twin Cities I was blessed to welcome a number of Washington State winemakers to my store for a night of tasting during Washington Wine Month. The focus was on smaller producers: Dusted Valley, Amavi, Trust, and Pepperbridge. For many wine-loving people, Washington wine still doesn’t conjure up much for thought. Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling maybe? For the geeks, maybe Leonetti or Cayuse in terms of notable producers. Columbia Valley and Walla Walla usually elicit a reaction in terms of regional terms. Yakima is there, but maybe it’s known more as the name of a car-top bike-rack. Check out the Washington State Wine Commission for all sorts of great information.

In short, Washington is HOT SHIT right now for winemaking. Only second in terms of production behind California, it boasts incredibly diverse sub-regions and soil-types with unique microclimates that enable experimentation and success across the board with grape varietals. Smaller producers are honing in and making incredibly expressive wines that represent the true potential of their vineyard sites. Pepperbridge Winery is my ‘gateway drug’ to the excitement. Back to the in-store tasting.

Jean Francois Pellet the winemaker/partner of Pepperbridge was a welcomed presence. Perhaps it was the rare opportunity for me to speak a little French in a blue collar Minnesota suburb, or his reserved demeanor that I saw right through, sensing a wealth of knowledge and winemaking wisdom that I could pick apart. Ever so gracious and humble, it was a pleasure to have him pour his wines for me. The 2008 Merlot (current vintage at the time) quite literally spoke to me. So complex, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it all. I couldn’t stop coming back to the glass, voraciously swirling the dense, young wine to elicit any aromatics it would offer (which were astounding). The palate was not heavy, it was not overly juicy. It was not closed, it was not open. It drew a perfect line. I couldn’t help myself from imagining what the wine would taste like in five years. JF’s winemaking experience was presenting itself, not on paper, but through his wine, as it should. The poignant ‘take-away’ from all I gathered was his philosophy on making wines that present well young, express the unique estate vineyard sites, and are meant to evolve with a number of years in bottle.

Fast forward to last week, July 2 2013. I found myself sitting shoulder to shoulder with some of Madison’s finest wine personalities. The minds and palates that form the wine lists for Osteria Papavero, L’Etoile, and Square Wine Company to name a few, all gathered around a communal wine table. The night’s blind tasting theme: All American Reds. Seven wines, all relatively different in their own right. One stood out. My exact tasting notes:

‘Age. Color separation on the rim proves it. Oak influence, spicy cinnamon. Cigar Box. Cherry caramels. Ripe dark fruit and integrated tannins. Bordeaux blend?’

The wine? 2006 Pepperbridge Merlot. Magnificent! Granted I didn’t call it head on, in terms of varietal and site specificity it seemed perfect. My world came full circle. I was, quite nearly on the verge of tears when I realized the potential of a wine with which I had become smitten only a few years prior. A few extra years of age in bottle did wonders on the juice. It was in perfect balance. Given the fact that most wine produced for the market these days (last I heard was 90%) is meant to be consumed within the first year of bottling, JF’s vision of creating a wine for longevity had become a true reality. Wow.  

Points gathered? Step out of your comfort zone. You are limiting yourself by saying ‘I only drink California Chardonnay,' 'I don't like sweet wine,' or ‘I only drink wines from Morocco’ (wink). Merlot, as passé as it might currently be, grows in vineyards on nearly every continent and there are winemakers there who are making it well. Investing in a case of a wine that moves you and letting some bottles age for a few years might reward exponentially down the line. Drink wine with people of diverse backgrounds and palates; they will bring you things you never imagined. Winemakers are rockstars, but they really just care about sharing their bounty with you, the consumer, and hope you enjoy it. Drink more Washington wine.

Cheers!

#FEELTHEWINE.

#PTWineInvasion

Ahh, Portugal. The word itself, for me is wrapped in layers of vivid memories. Scholastic details from my time as a student in Political Science, poetic and aural representations from two weeks traveling within its borders, and sensory particulars that have built up over the years tasting wine. I have a small place in my heart for the wines and people of Portugal that traces back to some of my very first experiences in the wine industry; I interned for an importer during my final semesters of College and spent my weekend evenings behind a tasting bar educating people about unique Portuguese wines while my peers were out getting inebriated on god knows what.

Recently I welcomed Portugal back into my life in the form of the Portuguese Wine Invasion.

In short summary, A Midwest-born-wine-loving expat who now lives in Portugal wanted to spread the love of his new(ish) home and its wines in his former home. So, he gathered a few Portuguese cohorts and embarked on the ‘All American Roadtrip’ around the Midwest, a region that all too often gets left out when it comes to important wine events. Ryan Opaz, the aforementioned expat, curates a killer blog with his wife Gabriella called Catavino.net. I’ve been a fan for years now. It’s quite possibly the first wine blog I started following and I’d be willing to bet it was one of the first comprehensive wine blogs in general.  Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to meet Ryan and amazed at how small the world, particularly the wine world can become.

They came prepared

The itinerary for their trip did not include a Madison event (where I now call home) but with a few tweets and email exchanges we were able to throw something together last minute. En route from Chicago to Minneapolis, Madison proved to be a perfect spot for a lunch and informal tasting at a friend's wine store, Square Wine Company.  The food from famed Madison deli Stalzy’s made for some interesting pairings, even inspiring a twitter hashtag #delimeetsduoro. Few foods represent American culture more for me than a greasy Reuben and potato chips so it was fun to share and see how the Portuguese wines stood up. 

Andrea Hillsey of SquareWineCo

I was humbled by the positive energy and kindness of the group who was on day 5 on the road in a cramped van. Julia, Pedro, Vitor, and Oscar, the four Portuguese natives, filled the wine shop with smiles and stories upon arrival. Almost with no introduction we found ourselves in a tasting that felt more like a gathering of old friends than a wine showcase by mere strangers. Each wine had a story, it wasn’t just juice in the glass; the history, innovation, family and tradition involved in each and every wine was shared by the very people responsible for producing it.

Pedro Poças Pintão and Ryan Opaz share a laugh

Besides the fact that it was an all around casual and fun event, I took a few important things away that I think are worth sharing:

In Portugal, Blends are King

There are hundreds of different indigenous grape varietals, most all of which are nearly impossible for a native English speaker to pronounce. Many winemakers are forgoing single varietal bottlings and instead focusing on blending unique wines that harness the different characteristics of the grapes in a particular region. The still wines of Poças were a fine representation.

Pedro Poças Pintão

Vinho Verde Can Age

A surprise that shouldn’t be, given the acid content and structure of the finest of these wines. Ryan spoke of a recent experience drinking a 15 year old Vinho Verde that tasted as if it was just coming into its prime. The young wines of Quinta de Gomariz were incredibly complex with stunning aromatics, worlds away from the $5 ‘Vinho Verde’ that most of us are used to from the bottom shelf in the grocery store. I’d surely love to taste some of them in ten years time.

Vitor Mendes of Quinta de Gomariz gets serious with
Madison's Ruben Mendez of L'Etoile

New World in the Old World

Not a single wine I tasted was flawed or ‘dirty’ and it seems a high standard has been set for ‘modern’ winemaking techniques across the board. Julia Kemper is lawyer by trade who took over her family’s estate because there was nobody else to do so. She was enthusiastic in describing the technology and investment that go into her winemaking, while preserving the heritage and tradition of the land that she has inherited. Julia deserves a nod for her wines of balance that don’t scream heavy oak, high alcohol, or obscene fruit concentration.

Julia Kemper

We Need More White Port

Somewhat of a rarity in the American market, white port is much like its red counterpart, only made with white grapes. When Oscar Quevedo presented his white port to the crowd, he needed relatively little explanation. Insanely sweet-herbal aromatics preceded a strikingly dry-ish finish. Need a summer cocktail? Mix it or any other white port 1:1 with tonic water on ice. It’s what the Portuguese drink on the regular, Portonic!

Oscar Quevedo shares his white port

GO TO PORTUGAL!!! 

The #PTWineInvasion extended a big-fat wide-open invite to anyone and everyone to visit and seemed more than willing to help out in making it happen. If there was one message they stressed more than any other, it was how much they wanted visitors to come experience Portugal and its people, wine, food, music, art, history, and culture.

Vitor was all smiles

Thank you to Ryan Opaz for taking the time to stop in Madison with your wonderful crew. Thank you Vitor, Oscar, Pedro and Julia for sharing your wines and your stories. I hope that you felt your time was well spent and that maybe this will turn into a (semi)annual event. Thank you to Andrea at SquareWineCo for hosting the gathering at her shop, Emily for hand washing all the stemware when it was over, Andre Darlington for wrangling the troops. Thank you also to Eric Baillies for capturing the smiles and intrigue in each and every photo.

Check out the website www.PortugueseWineInvasion.com for a wealth of information and dispatches from their time on the road.

The aftermath

Cheers to Portugal!

Beer with your burgers?

Wisconsin is a beer state, Milwaukee the BREWCITY, and Madison, definitely a beer town. Considering Spring is officially here, based on the fact that tonight was the first time we could grill and sit outside all evening without donning a sweater, the grill is fueled and fired. What to drink with grill fare you ask? A pre-barbecue trip to the liquor store to stock up on thirst quenchers and conversation lubricants will, naturally, end in the purchase of a six-pack showcasing the local, tastiest, or rarest new brew. I've been guilty as any other. Lately, however, my mind has been busy coming up with showstopper wines to bring to gatherings from here on out. I guess they call me the Wineguy for a reason. Rose is a natural fallback, but tonight I chose a different gem:

 2012 Pewsey Vale Dry Riesling, Eden Valley, South Australia.
Without much thinking at all, it fit seamlessly into my grand scheme of wine drinking, learning, educating, and enjoyment.

The nature of today's wine-press, ratings and advertising often leaves casual wine drinkers little room to think for themselves. My last post on Tempranillo-Moscato is a prime example. Apothic Wine's 'limited release' Rose is another, and Adam Carolla's 'Mangria' is the nail in my coffin. Attractive endcaps, eye-catching labels, disgustingly low prices and truth-streching shelf talkers pretty much place a bottle in your hand whether you like it or not (if you're not shopping for wine at a small retailer who has the time and willingness to help you choose a bottle suited to your needs). The rare wines, the real wines of the world, the ones with a story, and the ones with the most interesting flavors become all but inaccessible. I keep saying it over and over, but for a generation so keen on local and crafty food, we should not relegate our wine to any less of a playing field.

Riesling has gotten a lot of press and love the past few summers, thanks most to Mr. Paul Grieco of NYC and his whole 'Summer of Riesling' phenomenon. Considering the reputation (stateside) Riesling has garnered as a sweet and uninspiring wine, I'm humbled by the hype that Summer of Riesling has churned out, and I'm excited to see where it will go this year. I'm not surprised, however. Riesling kicks ass, plain and simple. Usually fresh upon release, it's often better with age. I've had bottles of Grand Cru German Riesling from the 1970's that have brought me close to tears. The ways that sugar, acid, and flavor jive blissfully with food can write new pages on wine pairing. It only makes sense that sommeliers push so hard for the public to respect this not-so-respected grape. Riesling is not only for wine-geeks.

The Pewsey Vale tonight was stunning. The color, a tinge of yellowish green in a chilled glass sitting on a seasoned deck. My nose was tickled with what felt like an endless flow of floral and herbal notes weaving themselves deep into my senses. Prickly at first, the acid kicked my taste buds into awareness. In a blind tasting I would have never called it a Riesling, but I've also little experience with such wines from Australia. Lemon and lime came to mind on the palate, but I really, honestly was thinking more about how darn great this wine tasted than anything else. There's a time and place for analyzing a wine in all of its parts and pieces, but a back porch is not one of them. Friends loved it, even the ones who said they don't like Riesling. Bam! If you can't find this wine at your local retailer, try and find something similar. If you can't find something similar, ask for help. If you can't find help, then pick something else and let me know how it turns out.

Cheers to Spring!

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@feelthewine
and email me your questions and comments:
dougrweber@gmail.com

Don't FEELtheWINE

I saw something that boggled my mind today. Something so original, so unique, so cutting edge that it left me speechless. It was not a good feeling. It was very bad:

Tempranillo-Moscato

#WTF?!?!

As a member of the 'Millenial' generation I feel, quite frankly, shat on by the most powerful people in the wine industry. I guarantee this wine, at a $6.99 retail, was not marketed to the Benz driving 40 somethings, or the 70 somethings grabbing for their classic Lambrusco. No. This wine was crafted to draw in the person (under the age of 35) who's heard of Tempranillo, as well as the person who so gladly enjoys a bottle of Moscato from time to time. For a generation who, more and more, puts emphasis on healthy and locally grown food with a story, there's no reason we should hold our wine to any less of a standard.

Yes, I get that Moscato is (or maybe was) the hottest category in wine sales. When I was a wine buyer it was a running joke that each week a distributor would surely bring along a different color of Moscato to sell. Even today, I heard that Barefoot Wine(ry) is releasing a 'NEW' Red Moscato. Barf. If I sourced Moscato from somewhere, added blue food coloring, attached a straw to each bottle, and came up with a mediocre ad campaign, I think that moving a few thousand cases would be a simple business transaction. It makes sense in our Fast Food culture, but unhealthy Fast Food is dying, right?

I'd like to think it's my responsibility to voice some opposition. You guys, the ones in suits laughing at your quarterly meetings about how your 'outcome based wine' actually succeeded. You guys, the ones who have no connection to, rather no care for family estates or grower-producers. You guys, the ones who don't even drink wine, only endless dry vodka martinis or Bud Light, but somehow attach your name to a corporate wine label. Enough is enough! Tempranillo has already been watered down and stripped of it's regional character in Spain. Why in the hell would you even, in a million years, try and add it to Moscato, THEN sell it for $6.99 a bottle?

I'm Pissed. Millenial wine drinkers will not fall for your garbage (I hope). And if they do, it will only be once, because there's no way that the piss you put into bottle will dazzle them enough to go back and buy a second.

On a more positive note, It's supposed to snow here in Madison this weekend. I'm going to stock up on Rose', from small, family run producers in France, Spain, and America. I'm going to fire up the grill and fill the fridge with fresh produce and cheese. I'm going to surround myself with great people, and drink REAL wine, with REAL food. We're going to welcome Spring to Wisconsin once and for all. And no, my nose isn't always pointed skyward, only when I get fired up about things like freaking Tempranillo-Moscato.

Cheers!
and don't forget to
#feelthewine

Friday Bubbles

People don't drink enough sparkling wine. Period. It's too often saved for special occasions or mimosas, unfortunately. There is such a wide array of styles and flavors, from under $10 a bottle Cava made from indigenous Spanish grapes, to high end Grower Champagne, grown, vinified, and bottled by humble farmers with a story, and elegant Lambrusco that will put your grandmother's Riunite to shame. Given the taste profiles and high acid content in most bubbly, it's also one hell of a food wine, standing up to the fattiest of foods (potato chips, thanks WineCoMN). Try it, I dare you.

While working at a small wine shop in Milwaukee during a short stint living at home I was energized and inspired by the employee tradition of popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly every Friday afternoon. We all celebrate our little victories and forget about our downfalls from the week prior once 4:00 rolls around on Friday. What better way to do it than with a bottle of bubbly? It's a weekly 'special occasion'. Instead of your 'go to' wine, why not try something new this week? I did, and I'm greatly pleased. Cheers, and don't forget to FEELtheWINE.

Wines that inspired this post:

Jansz Premium Non-Vintage Cuvée
Tasmania, Australia
Avg. Retail: $23 USD

58% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 2% Pinot Meunier

This unique bubbly comes from the Northeast corner of Australia's little island to the South. The cool maritime climate surely adds to the acid profile of the wine. Claiming to be the first in Tasmania to craft high-quality sparkling wine in the traditional Méthode Champenoise, Jansz has aptly named their production Méthode Tasmanoise which I find hilarious. I get green apple, orangey spices, and creme brulée on the nose. The bubbles are finer than many, enhancing the unique mouth-feel, with a dry, carmely, crisp finish. Once it's warm enough to be sitting outside on a patio, the yard is in full bloom, pollen clogging your sinuses, and good friends chattering all around, I have no doubt this wine will be a surefire 'porch pounder'.

Chateau Gaudrelle Crémant de Loire
Vouvray, France
Avg. Retail: $18 USD

50% Chenin Blanc and 50% Chardonnay

Crafted in the 'Cremant de Loire' appelation by fifth generation winemaker Alexandre Monmousseau. There is a subtle, sweet roundness I presume comes from the Chenin Blanc. Chardonnay, while not necessarily signature to the region, fills out the mouth and adds some fine acidity. Absent are the bready, yeasty notes of traditional Champagne, though this wine is made in the same style and aged in bottle 18 to 24 months before disgorgement. A smoky, struck match note lingers over and over on the nose, while the wine finishes slightly off-dry. Mr. Monmousseau is part of the 'tendre-sec' (gentle dry) movement of producing slightly off-dry wines, along with notable giants as Huet and Champalou. I would pair the shit out of this wine with any fatty appetizer, and for the price, it seems like a no-brainer for high-quality, small-production bubbly.
Here's a link to a video review of the wine I found on YouTube, which I feel to be well informed.

Cheers, and Happy Week-End!

Ripening

Grapes are an agricultural product. After the fruit sets in the late spring it ripens slowly during the summer and into the fall. As harvest approaches the time comes to begin sampling the various vineyards from which we source our grapes to get an idea for when we will pick the fruit. I’ve never experienced commercial farming in any form besides grapes, but the nature of winemaking calls for rather precise monitoring. If the grapes get too ripe, high sugars generally translate to high alcohol (which, more or less is undesirable… see the alcohol debate in California Pinot Noir). Too ripe means very low acidity, which is also undesirable, making for a ‘flabby’ wine that won’t drink or age well.  Pick too soon and you will have very high acidity but also run the risk of  ‘green’ and undesirable flavors and compounds that won’t help the end result. Of course there are always ways to manipulate the juice into a desired form, and many producers follow suit. To me, the end goal is making the best wine possible with the least amount of intervention. I think that’s everyone’s goal, as a small producer at least.

The entire growing season affects how the final crop will turn out, down to the day. Sometimes the most stressful part of it all comes in the last week or two prior to picking. Take this year, for example, as the season has been relatively normal. This weekend we’re experiencing what’s called a ‘heat-spike’ where the temperatures rise well above normal and if it’s extreme enough, can damage or ruin the entire crop. Hail, rain, frost, there are many worries. There’s a lot of talk about and time spent looking at the weather during the end of summer and early fall in the wine industry.

I’ve logged hundreds, thousands of miles in the past month driving around to various vineyards in Sonoma and Lake counties visiting small, rural, often family owned vineyard sites, hiking up and down rows with landscaping clippers in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. I cut clusters off the, trying to get the most accurate representation of where the vineyard is at as a whole in it’s ripening. I’ll bring the samples back to the winery, crush up the grapes and strain the juice off into beakers, going on to test the sugar content and measures of acidity present in the juice. From there I’ll have a pretty good idea of the overall ripeness, but I think the foolproof method always comes back to taste. If the numbers look right, but the juice doesn’t taste ready, we’ll wait it out. If the juice tastes ready, but the numbers don’t look quite right, we might just take a risk and call for a pick (this year we had to sign a wavier from one of the growers because we picked at a ripeness that was too low for his contracted threshold).

Even with the other stresses of a busy harvest season involved, there’s something to be said about getting out of the wet and artificially lit winery, out of the city and driving through the windy country roads outside Occidental or Sebastopol. Thistles in my leg hair, sticky grape juice running down my forearm, dirt in the cracks of my boots, and sunburn on my face, these are the uncomfortable sensations out in the vines that I somehow find comforting.

Flashback

Remember the first time you ever stayed up past midnight?

The day started off early. I was out of the house by six, fueled by a cup of oil-thick stovetop espresso made pleasant with ample sugar and half and half. Destination: Keller Estate, also called La Cruz Vineyard. The midnight pick of our 114 clone Pinot Noir was well finished and I was headed down to make sure the fruit got loaded on the truck without fail and collect grape samples from a few other vineyard blocks of Pinot Noir. I cruised down the 101 just before rush hour hit and made my way out some country roads to the ostentatious landscape. The fog in the air was heavy and the temperature cool as the winds started clearing the sky and the sunrise signaled another day of harvest.

Fast forward a couple hours, back in Santa Rosa, to the grapes arriving at the winery stacked in giant plastic bins on the back of the flatbed. Bob, the trucker, was happy to deliver. We weighed the valuable freight and manned the sorting line. Today we would be making some very fine rosé. Half the grapes were sorted ‘whole cluster’ and dumped into the press; the juice squeezed out over a two-hour process, aromatic dark pink nectar reminiscent of strawberries and cinnamon with just enough acidity to tickle the tongue. The other half, crushed and de-stemmed, put to tank to soak for 12 hours and leech some color from the thin purple skins. This latter batch would be why tonight I had a flashback to the first time I stayed up past midnight.

I don’t remember too many details, but the image is vivid in my mind: sitting in the den in my pajamas, maybe age six, with some sparkling grape juice in hand nestled up to the television with family as we awaited the countdown to the ball drop on a new year.  I don’t know what was cooler, sipping bubbly like the adults, seeing the new year’s broadcast, or being able to be badass enough to be up past midnight.

During harvest being up past 12am is not only typical, it’s pretty much certain. Added to morning starts often before sunrise and regular recreation post workday, sleep becomes an afterthought. With the fact that the grapes were not processed until after 9am and needed to sit for 12 hours so the juice would have contact with  skins, the time to commence the second pressing  needed to be after 9pm. A two hour press cycle and a cleanup time of an hour MINIMUM meant I was, today, at the winery until just after midnight. Luckily I had my boss and another guy there to help, with Funkadelic blaring and enough Lagunitas to make a guy happy. As we were finishing up, my feet soaked through my boots, arms sticky with juice and hair matted down underneath a beanie from an awkward sensation of sweating in the cool autumn night, I carried a clean hose to the drying rack and laughed to myself…

Remember the first time you ever stayed up past midnight?

Back at it.

It's been a while (seems to be a theme in the beginning of my last few postings).
I'm back in California to work yet another harvest. #Harvest2012 was calling my name and I figured it was time for me to get back in the cellar. All irresponsibly and impulsively, I quit my retail job in Minneapolis and made the move back out to the West Coast at the invite of an old friend.
I'm living in Santa Rosa, working for Ryan Zepaltas helping manage all the projects he has his winemaking hands involved in. We call it the 'executive style' harvest as I'll be doing a lot more managing and coordinating than tank and drain cleaning. Hopefully I'll still get a chance to get in there and get my hands dirty once and a while. From what I hear, the weather this season has been relatively 'normal,' especially compared to a number of difficult vintages prior. Pending some terrible terrible change of events, it looks like things could turn out quite sanely.

I've already had a breadth of experiences in the few weeks I've been here. Last week I was in PA representing our wine at a couple trade tastings in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The weekend before I helped a friend pour his wines in the WineLands tent at the Outsidelands music festival and got to see a heap of great bands for free (a Stevie Wonder sound check at 10am and Jack White guerilla concert in the woods to name a few). The food was amazing too. The weekend before that I was again representing Zepaltas, this time at the West of the West festival. It was a gathering of small producers promoting the authenticity of the far Western reaches of the Sonoma Coast AVA. There were some surreal moments when I had to quell my inner excitement as I found myself standing shoulder to shoulder with winemaking giants, this time as a peer and not a distant admirer (see: high school girl backstage at boyband concert).

Most recently, I've spent the majority of my time logging hundreds of miles on my trusty Subaru as I drive from vineyard to vineyard collecting grape samples. We have no 'estate vineyards,' no bucolic setting. Our winery is in a business park, a winemaking ghetto. So much for any romance. Strictly business, tasty tasty business. I guess we could be called Negociants. We leave the grape growing to the farmers. It's our duty, as winemakers to take the quality grapes they give us and not mess anything up. As many people, especially those in Burgundy say, 'great wine is made in the vineyards.' That being said, I'm excited to spend so much time out in the vines as it's something I've really never had a chance to do.

Now and the coming weeks leading up to picking are quite exciting as the grapes really start to change. They develop all their color and start to mature towards optimal ripeness (Veraison). With the juice collected from each sample we can analyze the acid and sugar content (among other things) to tell us how long it will be before we will pick. We can also gain a general idea for how the winemaking process will transpire. The focus of our winemaking is Pinot Noir, however, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc all get serious attention. I'm excited to be on board. The wines have a very distinct signature of higher acidity, lower alcohol, finesse and food friendliness that help them stand apart from many others. They're wines I would buy to drink on my own; it's so much more enjoyable to get behind a brand you believe in. Ryan is doing it right.

I'm going to try to post more as harvest starts up again, but I've proven in the past that it could be difficult. Stay tuned.

Food (and wine) Porn

My days off lately seem to largely consist of sleeping in without an alarm, a trip to the co-op, an afternoon at the coffee shop down the street, and a mouthwatering feast of feasts to wrap up the night. Life is good, I must say.

Today was no different. Inspired by the crock-pot that I discovered in my belongings during my latest move (a gem of an appliance that had sadly never gotten attention from me), I embarked on an online search for a worthy recipe. Winner: Jambalaya. The recipe I chose was nothing out of the ordinary, and the only change I made was in adding an habanero and red chili pepper (which did wonders in stepping up the spice factor).

Given the fact that I owed myself a sleep-in after a stunning night out, the crock pot didn't actually get rolling until about three in the afternoon; the fast track was my only option. Next time I'll have to plan better so the grub stews in it's juices for an entire day, not just half of one.

I set off for the cafe around four and tossed a bottle of 2008 Villa Maria Marlborough Riesling in the fridge before leaving my chilly bachelor pad, my mind and mouth drooling at the prospects of the aromas that would fill them upon my return. Three hours of coffee, conversation, and cigarettes with old friends (one who's an old, Ethiopian Mathematical Genius of a Janitor at the U of M who knew me at the green age of 18 when I was slinging espresso to pay my tuition) warmed my soul and a long dive into a book on Biodynamic Wine by Nicolas Joly filled my carefree time.

Seriously, when I opened the main door to my apartment complex, I could smell the cayenne, thyme, onion and pork stewing in harmony two floors above. Unlocking the door to my apartment, I was hit with a humid wave of sensory bliss. Two more hours passed before I put on a pot of wild Minnesota rice, dropped some frozen shrimp into the jambalaya, and waited, very patiently.

The Riesling tasted pretty watery and un-appealing before dinner, part of which I attribute to the fact it was very very cold. As it warmed a bit, notes of kiwi-fruit and grapefruit tickled my tongue with pleasant acidity, though I wished there would have been a touch more of residual sugar. (If you've never had Riesling from New Zealand, I compel you to do so. You are definitely missing out). Nonetheless, when I finally filled my bowl and dived into the meal I'd spent the better part of the day preparing and followed a mouthful of severely spicy mush with a sip of the waxy juice, I actually yelled out loud in joy. Even though I had nobody to share in the wealth, I like to think I make my neighbors jealous with the aromas that frequently waft from under my door and through my walls. Now I can't stop thinking about how the left-overs will taste tomorrow for lunch, and the day after, and the day after. Too bad I can't drink wine with lunch at my current job in the States.
Oh the joy in being a food loving wine-geek.

Year-End B.S.

I'm just gonna go ahead and jump on the whole bandwagon of year-end wrap-up blog-posts and use the dawn of a new year as an excuse for me to start writing again. My absence comes amidst a whirlwind of experiences, much of which was spent in the humble suburbs of Minneapolis teaching my lovely clientele about QUALITY value-driven wine. I was, however, blessed with an opportunity of a lifetime which saw me spend two and a half months in a wine-geek's dream-of-a-location: Burgundy. My 'stage' as the French would call it, or internship for those of us who speak English was, for lack of a better description, LIFE-CHANGING.
The home of Pinot Noir (my inanimate love if I ever had one) and Chardonnay welcomed me with open arms as I worked my fat butt off lending a hand in the production of some of the better wines from the region. (Ever seen Mondovino? Hubert De Montille, the bald-headed gem of a man on the cover was the patron of the winery I worked at and we spent many nights together discussing the finer points, like why Grand-Cru Corton Charlemagne is the ONLY choice to pair with the regional cheese Epoisses).


I met amazing people from around the world, ate like an emperor, and obviously drank quite well. I was spoiled, to say the least, drinking some pretty...searching for words, heady wine with each and every meal. As a wine-geek, some of these wines literally changed my life and the way I view the fermented product of grapes. My palate has had a hard time recovering now stateside as my wallet can't match my desires, compounded with the fact that much of what I loved in France is not even available in my home market. Even so, I've found some wines since being back that have excited me beyond belief and I'd like to share those with you.
What follows is my, @feelthewine's top ten wines I drank in 2011. Some are back vintages and not available at all, some are current and affordable. I'm not a big fan at all of 'ratings' from the big wine writers or magazines. They are helpful, in a sense, to direct oneself towards good buys, but when it all comes down, the setting in which you sip a wine and the people you are with have just as much bearing as anything else on how the wine will taste to you. For this reason, I'll also sum up where I was or what I was doing when the bottle was uncorked.

10. Mirth Chardonnay: From Washington state, this wine wins my pick for domestic Chardonnay, as well as 'sexiest wine label of the year'. I fell in love with the banana and pineapple aromas upon first examination. I brought this wine to a number of blind tastings and recommended it to my Chard-loving mother and upon each and every examination, the wine received heavy praise. It's a WHITE WINE BEST BUY!

9. Boomtown Syrah: Two guys from Wisconsin moved to Washington to make wine...it's the start of a joke I suppose, but their finished product is the stuff domestic wine dreams are made of. I had the chance to meet the winemaker on a number of occasions this year, and besides the fact that I was immediately comforted by his calm demeanor and ambition, his wine was a bitchin' example of Washington Syrah. It's a RED WINE BEST BUY! P.S. Syrah doesn't suck.

8. Opolo Sangiovese 2009: Chianti is the home of the distinctive grape Sangiovese and oftentimes produces an overly acidic wine meant only for food (see: tomato-based dishes). In California, many producers have tried to reproduce the 'old world' wine in a climate that doesn't suit it and end up bastardizing Sangiovese with waaaaaaay too much oak. Opolo has done it right! All the lovely fruit characteristics come out in this bottling with just a touch of oak that tells you, 'this wine is meant for food, but if you want to sip it by the glass, your mind will be blown'.

7. Stephen Ross Central Coast Pinot Noir 2008: When I got back from Burgundy, to be perfectly honest, I was really only drinking new craft beers because nothing I could afford came close to the wines I drank abroad. A refreshing tide of energy soon hit me when I tasted the said wine. Steve Dooley, originally of Mankato, MN (Midwest represent) crafts his Pinot Noir in a style unlike many others in the state of California. Lower alcohol levels and extraction lead to a gorgeous Pinot Noir that stands alone in its category. Given the fact that 2008 was a tough vintage for Pinot producers in California, this wine is sexy as hell on its own, but begs for a nice roast or vegetable stew. It's only a matter of time before I meet Mr. Dooley and probe him for the secrets to his success.

6. Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 2009: I had never heard of the wines of Graillot until I set foot in France (apparently I was out of the loop). I tasted a 2005 Crozes-Hermitage from the winery one night at dinner with some roasted beef and was absolutely blown away. After harvest was over, some friends and I took a road trip south from Burgundy to explore the Rhone region of wine. On our last day there we got lost in the vineyard backroads of Tain L'Hermitage and much to our luck found the Domaine Graillot thanks to the direction of a vineyard worker we consulted for direction. Second generation winemaker and son, Maxime, graciously tasted us through past, present, and future releases with astounding insight and passion. He praised, and praised, and praised the 2009 vintage in the Rhone, and I must agree, the wine shows oh so well now, but will definitely develop over 10 to 15 years. If you have the cash to buy and cellar a wine, THIS IS IT!

5. Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon Cote-du-py 1999: Beaujolais. Most of us only know the name thanks to the obnoxiously acidic and tacky 'Nouveau' wine that comes out every year on the third Thursday of November. There is actually WAY more to this region than I previously thought. Beaujolais 'cru's' are the wines that come from each of the single towns within the region. For the price, one can't go wrong. I've never been able to put my mind around why these wines are so much cheaper than their counterparts to the north in Burgundy. This single vineyard wine, from 12 years prior, was absolutely mind blowing, and just coming into its own. The abundance of ripe red fruits and tongue pleasing acidity was astounding. Beaujolais is my BEST PICK for region of the year.

4. Comte Georges de Vogue Chambolle Musigny 1999: While I became deeply enamored with all the wines of Burgundy during my stay, the wines of the village Chambolle Musigny particularly stuck out in my mind. The northern half of Burgundy, the Cote de Nuits, tends to produce Pinot Noir of a much heavier body and masculine characteristic, as many will say. The wines of Chambolle, however, tend to shy away from this stereotype and those of Comte de Vogue shine on. 1999 was a 'classic' vintage in the region and I was blessed to find this wine for cheap. I took a weekend getaway to Chablis with some winery colleagues and we snatched this bottle off the list during a four hour lunch at a local hole in the wall restaurant. Soft and supple, elegant, beautiful. This wine was Liquid Velvet.

3. J.M. Roulot Meursault Les Tillets 1999: 'I came to Burgundy for Pinot Noir, but I stayed for Chardonnay'. It's a quote I heard uttered time and time again from foreigners who had settled in the Cote d'Or as winemakers. This bottle sums it all up for me. 1999: Sexy Vintage. Jean Marc Roulot, an actor turned winemaker to carry on the family name, got it right and keeps on getting it right. I'd say this is the white Burgundy that changed my mind and might never let me go back to sipping California Chardonnay without a chip on my shoulder. The bottle was a magnum at our 'Paulee' or end of harvest party. The food cooked by our Israeli chef Nir (mad props to Nir) and the extremely diverse group of friends and colleagues, from a SF based venture capitalist, to the rough and tumble French seasonal pickers, my fellow winery interns to Mr. Hubert De Montille himself all made the experience one in a trillion!



2. Domaine De Montille Pommard Rugiens 1985: It's pretty rare that a French winemaker tells you to go down into his cellar of back vintages and pick any bottle you please. I was blessed with the opportunity during our second 'Paulee' and I chose a bottle from my birth year from what had become one of my favorite Burgundy vineyards. Amongst the 30 plus bottles that were opened that night, dating back to 1969 in Burgundy and further from around the world, it became apparent that my 1985 was something special (a group consensus). The integration of fruit, acid, body and tannins that were living and breathing as if never before was astonishing. The wine tasted young! But oh so sexy and smooth, like a new-ish world Pinot bottled in the past few years. It gets me thinking that maybe all the lab-work and analysis of today might not be all too necessary. Letting the vineyards do the work (with minor manipulation) is one of the tenets of my learning in France.

1. J.L. Chave Hermitage White 2002: Old(er) white wine. It's something I'd never really experienced before and white wine from the Rhone was also foreign. It's fair to say that this staple of a wine from a staple of a producer LITERALLY changed my life and left me speechless. The ripe concentrated honey and Asian spice notes were synthesized from a heavy, voluptuous mouthfeel to a needle-point accuracy on the tongue, that once again unfolded into minutes and minutes of pure bliss on the finish. I've never tasted anything like it and quite honestly hope it will be a while before I do again.



Cheers,
and
Happy New Year!

A Day of Sensations

So I think this post is wine related simply in the fact that I'm in Burgundy right now. I'd like to summarize one of my finest days yet here in a list of sensory happenings that struck me particularly strong.

The SOUND of my alarm blaring at 6:30 this morning as I regret the amount of wine I had last night, looking out the window and SEEING the rain, regrettably pouring down.

The SMELL of Espresso brewing from our quaint machine as I prepare for a long day of work.

The FEEL of my feet sinking into the mud as I walk the vineyards in Puligny Montrachet taking vineyard samples after a long night of rain.

The TASTE of a fresh and proper French croissant, flaky and buttery, at morning coffee while I work on processing juice samples from the vineyards sampled.

The SMELL of wine emanating from Hospice du Beaune barrels as I prepare to rack them into a tank upstairs. The SMELL of Sulfur Dioxide as I pour it into a graduated cylinder, it burns my eyes and my lungs, so that I can mix it with the said wine.

The TASTE of the gourmet sandwiches our lovely chef Nir prepared for lunch and the TASTE of the Merusault Chardonnay we drink with them.

The FEELING of seeing a truck pull up loaded with the first Pinot Noir of the season.

The SIGHT of grape clusters rolling across the sorting table and the FEELING of Botrytis and Ripeness as I pick amongst them.

The SOUND of my colleagues singing out the word 'Rose' as we pay homage to a fine wine we all love.

The PAIN in my back as I lift barrel after barrel in the cellar alone, prepping for tomorrow when we will fill them with a new vintage of Meursault Chardonnay.

The TASTE of my cellarmaster Justin's homebrew as the day finishes and we relax on the crushpad for some celebratory beers.

The SENSATION of seeing Mr. Hubert De Montille pulling up to our apartment and knowing what's in store for the evening.

The SCENTS, SOUNDS, TASTES, and FEELINGS of our grand dinner with everyone involved, including guests. The wines that tickled my tongue and the chocolate mousse that made me beg for seconds.

The CONTENTMENT that I gained from Alix De Montille telling me that my French comprehension is incredible, my speaking is great, and while sharing a cigarette with her, that I roll a mighty fine 'clope.'

I have arrived...

I just wanted to shoot off a quick blog to kick off a series of postings on my current whereabouts.

I arrived last Friday in France after a long two days of travel and made my way from Paris by train to Beaune, the center of the 'Cote d'Or' as they call it here. My boss picked me up from the train station and took me to my current home for the next two months. I'm living at the 'cuverie' or winery for Domaine de Montille, who I will be working for. I live upstairs in an apartment with the other interns or 'stagaires' as they're called here in France. There are two winemakers from Australia, one from California, and another from New Zealand arriving Friday. We have a live in chef from Tel Aviv Israel who arrived today. He works at a top restaurant back home and we are all excited to have him cooking all of our meals for us. The food here is amazing, quite hearty. Lots of cheese (epoisses is the stinkiest of stinky cheese but phenomenal when done right), breads, mustard, cassis, ham, mushrooms, escargots, beef bourgignon, and coq au vin. Did anyone say wine? I haven't tried anything too phenomenal yet but today we got to taste through 5 different chardonnays from the 2008 vintage that our winemaker made. Amazing to taste the same grape from the same vintage made by the same person at the same facility from completely different vineyards within the SAME relative region and they all taste COMPLETELY different. This is the true essence of what the French call Terrioir.

Work started on Tuesday and so far I've spent all of my time in the vineyards trimming weeds (my boss sent me out with the vineyard crew because none of them speak english and I'm the only one who can communicate in French from our crew). It's been tough work but quite amazing walking though vineyards steeped in so much history. As the way vineyards are classified here you have in ascending order of quality the 1)regional wines of Bourgogne, 2) the Villages wines (i.e. Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, Beaune) 3) The 1er cru wines 4) The Grand Cru wines (being the most prestigious). Ask bill to explain if you have any questions; it's rather confusing. I've spent the better part of the past two days in 1er and Grand Cru vineyards, pinot and chard vines with average ages of 30 to 40 years, each being worth well more than the money in my wallet. It's a wine geek's paradise. This morning we started at 6am to beat the heat and on the way out to the vineyard I could see the sun rising over Beuane and the Alps in the distance (A three hour drive away)!

Needless to say, I'm in for a great harvest. It's expected that our first fruit will start being picked next week already, which is early considering that last year it was mid-September. It will be a short but sweet harvest but I know I will learn heaps. My boss Brian, who is from California originally, told me today that he would like to put me in charge of 'les caves' which is actually quite a large responsibility. If this happens, I will oversee all of the barrel work: filling, washing, cleaning, transferring, stacking, etc. Assuming I don't spend the rest of the time in the vineyards I will be spending a lot of time underground in a moldy dark space steeped in history. It's crazy here because you see these houses in the middle of town where winemakers live but underneath are caves where they make and store their wines that you never could imagine existed.

Please ask questions and offer suggestions for topics you'd like to see me write about in the next two months. Email me at dougrweber@gmail.com. I want this to be as much of a learning experience for my readers as it is for me. Until the next time,

Cheers,
and
Happy #WineWednesday!
-dw

New Directions

Ciao all.
Sorry I've been a bit lax in my posts lately. I've been busy, been in a funk, been trying to try my hand at other things, and been writing for tktwincities about food and wine in Minneapolis. I'm back. I've decided that I need to have a new focus with my wine writing. There are soooooooo many wine blogs out there, but I won't say too many because I'm so glad to see that so many people have taken their passion for wine, put it up on the web, and shared it for everyone else to experience and soak up.

I feel that my most common passion stems from experiencing wine from a number of aspects, hence 'feelthewine.' I've thought long and hard about how much of a problem I have with the 100 point scale, and the fact of the matter is, if the setting is right, more times than not, I'll rate a wine in the high 90's, unless of course it's a total dog. I'd like to focus on what kind of wine goes best with certain situations. I'd like to tell stories about what I am doing and why I choose certain wines to go with it. Have you ever had a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc after mowing the lawn? The crisp freshness relaxes your sweaty being after a few hours slaving away, while the grassy-ness comes out even more as the fresh-cut-grass aroma emits from the terroir surrounding. Wine pairing is not just for food in my eyes. I'd like to highlight the back stories about the producers, which helps immensly in knowing and appreciating a wine. Knowing that the vines are over 100 years old or that the winemaker has no formal training in wine-making and used to be a skateboarder are HUGE in my eyes when appreciating a wine. With an upcoming trip to Burgundy to work the harvest I'd also like to capture stories and experiences that most of you won't likely ever encounter in your daily life. I'm working on adding a video element to the works. Until then, please keep your eyes peeled for things to come. Most importantly, I really really want all of my readers to bring forth suggestions as to what they would like to see from my content. Most of you know me, my strengths and weaknesses. What do you think I should focus on regarding wine? Please be honest, open, and don't hold back. Be with me on the journey and I can't wait for things to come.

Cheers,
DW

email me: dougrweber@gmail.com
or comment below.

Chilled

Tonight I attended a nice primer at North Loop Wine and Spirits in the warehouse district of Minneapolis on organic, sustainable, and biodynamic wines. The teacher, @jasonkallsen knows his shit, has been around the cities biz for some time now, and his classes are really worth seeking out. Enough plugs! I learned some fun facts and had a great time:

-There are more sulfites in a glass of apple juice than a glass of wine. If you think it's the sulfites that are giving you a headache, you are probably wrong. There are also more sulfites in a glass of white wine than red.
-The time you were in Europe on vacation and were able to drink multiple bottles of wine at dinner, only to wake up with no 'sulfite' allergy or hangover was a fluke. Their wines have just as many sulfites as ours, only they are not declared on the labels. You were probably just living in the moment.
-Organic, Organically Grown, Biodynamic, Fair Trade, Green, and Sustainable are all murky code words on wine labels. Even I can't give you a lowdown on how they are (in)directly related. Do a little research if you're interested, but most likely, BIODYNAMIC is the word to be most interested by (in my opinion).

If you're in Minneapolis and love wine, check out Jason's course offerings (and let me know... I want to go with). But if you're not in Minneapolis and can't attend any of the classes, I recommend you search out another wine-school type setting in your area that'll satisfy your desire to learn; that is if you're not into the whole Sommelier or WSET certification thing.

After the class was over, I was gunning to head home and crack a cheap(er) bottle of wine. I realized all the wine I had at home was not necessarily cheap. Hence, I decided to take a quick peek at the wine cooler at said wine shop and grab an interesting bottle rather quickly (because I had decided a white wine was in order). I took little time to explore the options, but after seeing a white Rhone blend to which I was unfamiliar, I grabbed, and went. (I'm just getting deeper into wines of France but the last white Rhone wine I had was a Chateau L'Ermitage Costieres de Nimes blanc from 2007 and it was STUNNING. Color, Aromatics, Palate, it was a wholly exceptional wine for the price: ~$10 on closeout. It could've been the vintage, or a little bit of age, but DAMN! Buy that wine if you can find it).

The 2009 Cuvee des 3 Messes Basses, what I chose, was BLAH for me. An interesting blend of 40% Clairette, 40% Grenache Blanc, and 20% Bourboulenc, I didn't quite know what to expect. With some seafood, it might shine through. It had a funk on the nose at first that I didn't expect, though given my relative inexperience with white Rhone wines I could be full of BS. Later on after being in the glass for a bit, there were pretty floral perfumed notes that came and went. The minerality grabbed at my tongue throughout, making me wish I would've had some shellfish or cheese to eat with the wine. I have yet to really frown on a wine on this blog (as the frequency with which I write is limited enough so that I can highlight the winners), but I would probably not buy this wine again unless it came on a recommendation from a respected associate. Needless to say, every bottle consumed is another lesson learned. While this wine didn't make me jump for joy, it did satisfy my desire for a unique white wine that would teach me a thing or two.

Have you had a unique wine that has shaken your senses recently? What parameters do you stick to when buying a new wine? What are your favorite wines that dance on the $15 priceline? What was the last wine you bought on a whim without much research or even reading of the label? Any favorite white Rhone wines in the LESS THAN $20 Price Range? Please share your feedback below or submit questions/comments to dougrweber@gmail.com.

Cheers to Spring!