Napa Cellars Zinfandel 2007

New Years eve 2009. Good bye to the zeros. I think I found my new favorite zin. About $17 at Whole Foods.

Posted via email from Shawn's posterous

Can Blau 2007

Spanish red wine. Blend of mazuelo 40%, syrah 40% and garnacha 20%. Very tasty at about $16.

Posted via email from Shawn's posterous

Bubbly for the New Year

Winston Churchill famously said of Pol Roger "In defeat I need it, in victory I deserve it".

But in this down economy, what can we reasonably afford? (Inspired by
NBR Morning Edition story "Revelers Choose Sparkling Wines Over Champagne". http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122093332)

Prosecco from Italy - brut (dry) options are available.
- try Zardetto Prosecco Brut, around $13

California sparklings
- try Gloria Ferrer Brut, from California, it is getting great reviews this year. 90 points and under $15

France - Crémant from Burgandy

- This appellation covers France's burgundy region and features dry sparkling wines. These wines are made via méthode champenoise from the principal grapes of aligoté, chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot noir. Most of the wines produced are white, with a small amount of rosé. Crémant de Bourgogne wines must be aged for a minimum of 9 months. Their quality is much higher than the wines from the region's older appellation Bourgogne Mousseux AC, which is being phased out. Today's Burgundian sparkling wines are viewed very positively and are regarded as good, lower-priced alternatives to the wines of champagne.

Spain - Cava

- Spain makes some very fine sparkling wines called cava. It is made in the "méthode champenoise" or "Champagne method," which is the same method that is used to make Champagne in France

Thorne-Clarke Shotfire 2008 Barossa Shiraz

To complement our Christmas dinner of standing rib roast our guest Pete brought this nice Shiraz.  Despite the delivery comment below don't think this overpowering.  The chocolate and plum fruit tones did well the the roast as well as the yams and green beans.

"The 2007 Shotfire Shiraz was aged for 12-18 months in a mix of new and used French and American oak, 40% new. A saturated purple/black in color, this glass-coating effort has a nose of wood smoke, bacon, mineral, and blueberry that leaps from the glass. Rich and intense on the palate, it has layers of flavor, excellent balance, and a pure finish. It way over-delivers for its humble price. Drink it over the next six years.  92 pts. Jay Miller - The Wine Advocate"

I think it's available and the Vintage Wine Shoppe in Inverness.

Sandeman Founder's Reserve Porto NV

Capping off our Christmas dinner was this modest bottle of port.  It's smooth and clean and not too powerful.  Great pairing with our chocolate fudge type cake.  From the maker: "Selected from the finest "lots" of each vintage and aged for 5 years. Full of the power, fruit and fire that distinguishes classic Porto, Founders Reserve is the culmination of two hundred years of expertise.

Tasting Notes Intense ruby red colour, brilliant and clean. Rich red fruit aromas with a touch of age create an elegant reflection of powerful favours, the fruit and fire characteristic of young classic Porto balanced with the finesse of age.

Excellent on its own served in large glasses, Founders is a perfect match with cheeses or rich chocolate desserts.

Serving - No need to decant. Serve in large glasses to fully appreciate.

Storing - Should be stored standing, in a dry place with constant temperature (10º-20º), avoiding bright light.

Shelf-life - Recommended shelf life is 12 - 18 months.

Open Bottles - Once open Founders can remain fresh for up to 4 weeks."

Looking for hard cider

Have you seen any in Birmingham?  Rumor has it that Overton & Vine (aka Smitty's) has some.  Let us know.

In New England, Hard Cider Stages A Comeback

In New England, the tradition of making and drinking artisan cider goes back to the Founding Fathers. Now, a New Hampshire apple grower is hoping to revive the American cider tradition and provide a lifeline to struggling farmers.  View / listen to story on NPR.org.

LEED-Certified Winery

Hall St. Helena is California's first Gold LEED-certified winery. Organically farmed vines are only the beginning - the buildings rock nearly enough solar paneling to cover a football field, drought-resistant landscaping, and reclaimed cold water running under the floor to regulate barrel room temps (um, wow…). Here's the website: http://www.hallwines.com/hall-st-helena

The Red One 2008

From first Drop Wines a very good inexpensive Austalian blend of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and barbera. $9.

Tags: red, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, barbera, australia

Posted via email from Shawn's posterous

Wishing Tree Shiraz

I am sitting around and working on my blogs and having a glass of Wishing Tree Shiraz. Western Mtn. Brook suggested it and I have to say it is pretty good. And pretty cheap, $9.99. I would post a picture but this is also a test to see if this posts to BirminghamWinoBlog and shawngoesgreen.posterous.com.

Cheers,

Shawn

Posted via email from Shawn's posterous

Leese-Fitch Chardonnay 2007

Leese-Fitch is a division of Sebastiani & Sons known as "The Other Guys". They did a great job creating the mouthfeel that has the right blend of oak and citrus. 

"This Chardonnay blend for Leese Fitch was assembled from some of our best lots in our California portfolio. We wanted to blend a wine that had good Chard character and mouthfeel while still maintaining some acidity in order to pair this wine with food. Our blend mainly comprises itself of two lots.

The Livermore fruit was picked in early September and fermented slowly on French oak staves. This wine was then aged on the lees for 4 months before being racked and stabilized. The Monterey fruit was picked in late October because the fruit took a long time to ripen in the cool Monterey weather. This wine was crushed at one of our best coastal custom crush facilities where it was also fermented on French oak staves and aged sur lees for almost 8 months. In order to create a creamy mouthfeel, we stirred the lees twice a month for the 8 months to develop mouthfeel. The result is a wine with good crisp acids and a lot of tropical fruit balanced by integrated French oak.

This wine has some good lemon drop flavors with an edge of porcini mushroom to give the wine some depth and complexity."  Available at Whole Foods - 2.5 stars (!)

Crane Lake Pinot Grigio 2008

From California. Too sweet for a PG, therefore not recommended.

Brews and Bikes: The best bike-related summer beers

Leave it to Bicycling Magazine for good lifestyle stories. Here's one you can taste: (offer void where prohibited) Slideshow

Imperial Beer

Imperial lager hails from Costa Rica and has just appeared in Birmingham (according to my vast experience scanning the beer aisle). It's a really light, crisp summer brew - great for hot weather and quick quaffing. Lighter than Corona, I think. Reminds me a little of tasting my father's brews e.g. Falstaff, Old Milwaukee, Schlitz when I was a kid.

New Local Beer Site (mmm ... beeeer!)

Want to know about the latest beers hitting the Magic City? Check out Beermingham.com.

More on the cycling nymph

Everyone is having fun with the Alabama ABC Board's puritanical ruling on Cycles Gladiator wine. If they ran the Birmingham Museum of Art the next person offended by a renaissance booby would get the place shut down.

Doug's column at AL.COM provides some nice background. More about Doug on BUMP's site.

Teira Zinfandel

I think Jeff Porter's description is right on and I excerpted it below. See more of his reviews at www.drinkeatlove.com.

Tasting Notes for Zinfandel: This wine is a home run. [... It] really changed my perspective of what ZIN can been when it is picked at the right time (not too late so it becomes like blueberry syrup) and is not so high in alcohol I feel like I'm doing shots at the frat house. I imagine this is what ZIN was like prior to the "monsterization" of wine in California. Teira Zin has aromas of crushed red raspberries, plump cherries, dried currants, sweet and savory spices. The nose is so appealing that I bury my face in my glass and just take deep breaths. The palate has all the same fruit profiles but where you might think it would be gushing with sweetness it is well balanced and has a structure that you might find out of a Primitivo from Puglia not a Sonoma County Zin under $20. We enjoyed the wine so much we polished it off and were sorry we did not have any more. ZIN's in general are good with BBQ and similar foods but Teira ZIN has more than just one trick in its pairing arsenal. While great with BBQ, Italian dishes make a great pairing as would Mexican cuisine that tends to earthier flavors versus super spicy (think chicken mole). We enjoyed the wine with a flank steak that was seared with wasabi, hoisin, and miso, it was good. The wasabi's heat is subdued by the sweetness of the hoisin and miso.

I brought to a friend's house when they made ribs and it was a hit.

Tyler says it is on sale at Whole Foods right now for $13 (down $3). GET IT!

Whole Foods Case Sale

20% off a case
August 17 through 23

Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

I picked this up off the display because 1) it was cheap 2) it was from California 3) I had never heard of it. Turns out that it is a blend of Napa and Sonoma wines, probably bought surplus and blended. Anyway, it turned out well. This is a nice medium bodied Cab with moderate fruit and toasty fruit nose. Goes down easy and I don't think it will offend anyone. Buy a case.

$6.99 at Whole Foods

Cycles Gladiator Wine Banned: Alabama Bans Nude Nymph Wine Label, Increases Its Sales

The Huffington Post
PHILLIP RAWLS | 07/31/09 07:09 AM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama's ban on a wine that features a nude nymph on the label became a business opportunity for a California vintner who is preparing a marketing campaign to capitalize on being "Banned in Bama."

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board recently told stores and restaurants to quit serving Cycles Gladiator wine because of the label. Board attorney Bob Martin said the stylized, art-nouveau rendition of a nude female with a flying bicycle violated Alabama rules against displaying "a person posed in an immoral or sensuous manner."

Bill Leigon, president of Hahn Family Wines in Soledad, Calif., said Thursday that visits to the company's Web site have increased tenfold since news of the ban broke late last week, and callers from across the country have been asking where they can buy the wine.

Because of the interest, he's developing store displays that say "Banned in Bama" and "Taste What They Can't Have in Alabama."

Hahn said he will never miss the 500 cases sold annually in Alabama. "There is going to be a significant increase in our sales," he predicted.

Rosanna Guardagno, a social psychologist at the University of Alabama, said a ban often increases people's interest in a product.

"The ABC Board, without realizing it, is going to boost their sales," she said.

The wine's label is copied from an 1895 French advertising poster for Cycles Gladiator bicycles. It shows a side view of a full-bodied nymph flying alongside a winged bicycle.
Story continues below

Martin said the ABC Board rejected the label last year, which meant the product wasn't supposed to be sold in Alabama. A citizen recently sent a bottle to the board to show it was still being sold in the state, prompting the letter to restaurants and stores to stop sales, he said.

Hahn's president said he was unaware of the ABC Board's rejection until the letter was sent to retailers. He said the poster is a classic piece of art, with originals selling for as much as $50,000.

Although nude art bothers the alcohol board, it's not a problem for some other branches of Alabama government.

The Alabama Tourism Department distributes a brochure with a cover featuring Hiram Powers' 19th century nude statue, The Greek Slave, which is on display at the Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art in Tuscaloosa. It is available in museums statewide, interstate highway welcome centers and visitors' bureaus statewide.

"We haven't had any concerns about it," Tourism Director Lee Sentell said.

And Alabama's Capitol has historic paintings on display, including two that show several topless female Indians.

Guardagno, who studies social influences, said people allow more freedom of expression in art than in advertising.

"With art, you have to be really explicit with how a person's body is displayed before people are offended," she said.
___

On the Net:

Hahn Family Wines: http://hahnfamilywines.com

New beers

On Friday there was a tasting of about 8 beers at Western in Mt. Brook. They were featuring Durango Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing and 2 Belgian ales (Piraat Triple IPA and ?). These 2 made the ride home with me.

Durango Amber Ale
American-style amber ale with medium body and mild hop bitterness.

Great Divide Titan IP
A big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale brewed for hop disciples. It starts out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishes with a nice rich, malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness. 7.1% ABV

Spice Route Viognier 2004

The Spice Route Swartland Viognier 2004 is a Vineyard Brands (Birmingham) import and those are usually pretty good; the winery also makes Goats Do Roam. The golden straw color was unexpected as was the richer taste than I'm used to from French Viognier. Wine Spectator gave it an 86 but says it's past maturity (it didn't bother me!) Later vintages are rated even higher. Winery site. Recommended, available at Overton & Vine. Goes for about $17.

Ordinary Wine Co., Lot 21 Boneshaker Red, NV

38% Zinfandel, 34% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Sirah, 2% mix red varietals – 100% California fruit with 42% from Lodi. About 15% of this blend was barrel aged for approximately 6 months in a mix of new and old French and American oak barrels. The wine displays aromas of ripe red and dark berry fruits layered with notes of slight white and black pepper and crème de cassis. The aromas carry into the palate with red fruit flavor notes on the entry and full fruit in the middle. The finish is lush and fruit flavors linger through the aftertaste. Made by Harry Parducci at his custom-crush facility in Santa Rosa, CA. $9.99 at Whole Foods

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2008

"Abundant citrus and tropical fruit aromas follow through on the lively palate of this elegant Chenin Blanc. It’s packed with intense, zippy flavors of pineapple, lychee, lemon, and lime as well as delicate floral and spice nuances resulting from the light oak treatment. A touch of late harvest Chenin Blanc adds considerable richness and complexity." -Importer

Serve with steamed mussels, crab cakes, grilled fish, roasted chicken.

Charles Krug Chardonnay Carneros 2005

Fragrant peach, pineapple and banana aromas give way to apple and pear flavors with a long and refreshing finish.

Liberty School Cabernet Sauv. Paso Robles 2006

Marietta Old Vine Red (Lot 48)

I can't believe we never posted this because we have had it many times and it's consistently good.

Released in August 2008, Old Vine Red Lot 48 is predominantly Zinfandel. Lot 48 coats the palate with luscious blackberry fruit and is balanced by peppery spice both on the palate and aromatically. Aged in French and American oak, this wine should drink well over the next few years (best in 1-3). The dominant varieties in Lot 48 are Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Cabernet.

About $12-13.

Wal-Mart wine

Wal-Mart announced that, sometime in 2009, it will begin offering customers a new discount item ... Wal-Mart's own brand of wine.

The world's largest retail chain is rumored to be teaming up with Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery of California to produce the spirits at an affordable price -- in the $2 to $5 range.

Wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to put a bottle of the Wal-Mart brand into their shopping carts, but "There is a market for inexpensive wine." said Kathy Micken, professor of marketing at University of Arkansas, Bentonville. "However, branding will be very important."

Customer surveys were conducted to determine the most attractive name for the Wal-Mart wine brand.

The top surveyed names in order of popularity were:

- Chateau Traileur Parc
- White Trashfindel
- Big Red Gulp
- World Championship Riesling
- NASCARbernet
- Chef Boyardeaux
- Peanut Noir
- I Can't Believe it's not Vinegar
- Grape Expectations
- Nasti Spumante

The beauty of Wal-Mart wine is that it can be served with either whitemeat (Possum) or red meat (Squirrel).

By the way: Wal-Mart is evil - www.walmartmoveie.com

Mouton Cadet 2005 Bordeaux

In the mouth this wine is tannic with tight fruit and bread. Lots of potential in this 65% Merlot 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc; your basic Bordeaux blend.

The palate is smooth and full-bodied, with full tannins enhancing ripe berry flavors. Fruit is still stingy but it is there. This is actually a very nice wine at this price point and a typical old world wine in all the great ways. This is a far superior wine than what you normally get for this price from any country.