Last year I began a tasting group at Fine Wines, due to the fact that the group I had been tasting with lost its space. I do get the chance to taste plenty of wine on the job (that is my job) here at the shop, but nothing seems to replace the education you get from attending a tasting group. Each week I send out an email to specify a grape variety, region, or theme. Sometimes we may taste one variety from several different regions of the world, and other times we may taste several different varieties from one specific region. Everyone shows up with a wine off the list in a brown paper bag and we taste through them. Not knowing exactly what we are tasting, we look for tastes, smells, or textures that may or may not hint at what we are tasting. At the end, we uncover the wines to see how close (or not) we came to identifying them.
This past Tuesday we tasted Syrah. The range of styles, price points, and quality made it one of the best we have held in a while (I always say that). We never have a lack of great bottles, and this week we tasted the 2006 K Royal City Syrah (100 pts), 2007 Cayuse (Cailloux), 2007 Va Piano Syrah, 2007 Tablas Creek Syrah, 2009 St Cosme Cotes du Rhone (100% Syrah), 2007 Saint Joseph, 2007 Rulo Syrah, and two great examples from MacLaren winery in Dry Creek (2007 & 2008). The range of flavors, colors, textures provided a perfect learning experience.
If you would like to join in the fun, either ask me to put you on the email, or simply show up on Tuesday at 5pm. No need to bring a bottle your first time, just bring yourself and an interest in wine!
Louis
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Updated profile
It came to my attention that my personal profile was in dire need of an update. You see, I have completed my apprenticeship with Betz Family Winery, and now have taken on the responibilities of wine buyer/event planner/wine educator/artistic director/marketing director/superhuman tornado at Fine Wine & Cigars. I'm afraid that soon I will be pressured into joining Facebook.
Louis
Louis
Monday, December 6, 2010
The elusive perfect pairing
There is nothing quite like having the perfect bottle of wine, with the perfect meal. I am always trying to pick a wine that goes perfectly with the meal I'm going to eat. The wine makes the food taste better, and the food brings out the flavors in the wine. The most interesting part for me, is when you are served a wine you typically don't care for, while eating the right food. You wonder what just happened, and take another sip to see if you still feel the same about the wine.
Last night, I ate the most amazing dinner at a friends house. We had carrot soup to start, paired with Betz Besoleil grenache. The wine was fresh and fruity, and really brought out the garrigue notes from the dollop of pesto in the center of our bowls. Next we moved onto the best Cassoulet I have ever come across, with garlic sausage, goose and lamb. A special wine had already been decanted for this main course, a 1989 Jaboulet Hermitage "La Chapelle". Savory notes of brown sugar, minerality, root beer, cherry, and smoke complimented the dish perfectly.
Three servings of the Cassoulet later, a salad was placed in front of me, along with a small glass of dessert wine. The wine was a 2003 late harvest wine from Jurancon France, made from a blend of these three very unusual, Botrytis affected grape varieties: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Courbu. The salad was buttercrunch lettuce, blue cheese, and hazelnuts, covered in a very flavorful dressing made from hazelnut oil. The result was one of the best food and wine pairings I have ever come across. Botrytis + Hazelnuts + Blue cheese = Heaven.
I don't usually go nuts over dessert wines like Sauternes, Port, or Madeira, but this was amazing. I couldn't get enough of the the wine. In fact, everyone at the table was getting another pour of this medium sweet desert wine. Before I could wrap my brain around just how good this pairing was, I was served an 1982 tawny port. This brought out different flavors in the salad, and the blue cheese just sang. The best food and wine pairings can come from the most unexpected dishes.
Louis
Last night, I ate the most amazing dinner at a friends house. We had carrot soup to start, paired with Betz Besoleil grenache. The wine was fresh and fruity, and really brought out the garrigue notes from the dollop of pesto in the center of our bowls. Next we moved onto the best Cassoulet I have ever come across, with garlic sausage, goose and lamb. A special wine had already been decanted for this main course, a 1989 Jaboulet Hermitage "La Chapelle". Savory notes of brown sugar, minerality, root beer, cherry, and smoke complimented the dish perfectly.
Three servings of the Cassoulet later, a salad was placed in front of me, along with a small glass of dessert wine. The wine was a 2003 late harvest wine from Jurancon France, made from a blend of these three very unusual, Botrytis affected grape varieties: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Courbu. The salad was buttercrunch lettuce, blue cheese, and hazelnuts, covered in a very flavorful dressing made from hazelnut oil. The result was one of the best food and wine pairings I have ever come across. Botrytis + Hazelnuts + Blue cheese = Heaven.
I don't usually go nuts over dessert wines like Sauternes, Port, or Madeira, but this was amazing. I couldn't get enough of the the wine. In fact, everyone at the table was getting another pour of this medium sweet desert wine. Before I could wrap my brain around just how good this pairing was, I was served an 1982 tawny port. This brought out different flavors in the salad, and the blue cheese just sang. The best food and wine pairings can come from the most unexpected dishes.
Louis
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The value of wine
Wine is my focus of study. Every aspect of wine intrigues me. Every wine producing region in the world is like a piece of a giant puzzle. I never miss the opportunity to taste wine from a region I have never explored. When I do taste a new wine, it is not enough to look at it's color and taste it's flavors. To really get the most enjoyment from a wine that is new to me, I want to know the geographic boundry of where it was made. I want to know about the climate, history, traditions, and maybe even laws that shape how a wine tastes.
The amount of time it takes to get a clear view of of just one tiny piece of the wine puzzle, is substantial. In a very young wine region, like Washington for instance, it may be easier to put your arms around its short history. Many of the most important members of our small industry are still around. You can simply call or email them to get answers to your most important questions!
Other pieces of the wine puzzle are not as easy to get a clear look at. Travel to the schist terraces of Portugal's Douro Valley, where port is made, and you will find that the best areas for wine grape growing were identified in 1756. The steep slate banks of Germany's Mosel River will send you into 16th century, looking for answers about the noble Riesling grape. If you want to explore some of Burgundy's greatest vineyard sites, that produce the most sought after Pino Noir anywhere, you will soon find out that Pino Noir was recognized as the ideal grape for these vineyards 700 years ago!
This is exactly what keeps me interested in wine. The fun of bringing just one piece of the great wine puzzle into focus, is what I enjoy most about wine.
Louis
The amount of time it takes to get a clear view of of just one tiny piece of the wine puzzle, is substantial. In a very young wine region, like Washington for instance, it may be easier to put your arms around its short history. Many of the most important members of our small industry are still around. You can simply call or email them to get answers to your most important questions!
Other pieces of the wine puzzle are not as easy to get a clear look at. Travel to the schist terraces of Portugal's Douro Valley, where port is made, and you will find that the best areas for wine grape growing were identified in 1756. The steep slate banks of Germany's Mosel River will send you into 16th century, looking for answers about the noble Riesling grape. If you want to explore some of Burgundy's greatest vineyard sites, that produce the most sought after Pino Noir anywhere, you will soon find out that Pino Noir was recognized as the ideal grape for these vineyards 700 years ago!
This is exactly what keeps me interested in wine. The fun of bringing just one piece of the great wine puzzle into focus, is what I enjoy most about wine.
Louis
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Harvest Athletes
Wow, harvest is winding down and I'm wondering what just hit me. The 2010 vintage was my first out in the wide, wide world and I can honestly say I had no idea how hard winemakers work! I went into harvest thinking I would have time to post blog entries, take walks around Seward Park, and enjoy my days off. That didn't happen.
Working with the team at Betz Winery is serious business. Everyone there is smart, skilled, and willing to do what it takes to get the job done. During the peak of harvest, we worked six or seven days a week, and we didn't get to go home until the job was done. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it (and still do), but I have a new respect for all the people that make it happen.
Louis
Working with the team at Betz Winery is serious business. Everyone there is smart, skilled, and willing to do what it takes to get the job done. During the peak of harvest, we worked six or seven days a week, and we didn't get to go home until the job was done. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it (and still do), but I have a new respect for all the people that make it happen.
Louis
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Washington and the Hermitage grape
The Syrah grape has found a welcome home, from a viticultural standpoint anyway, in the greater Columbia Valley. Plantings of Syrah are very still very young, with the oldest vines dating back to 1986 at the Red Willow vineyard. Considering that the Washington wine industry is so young, and Syrah plantings are just coming of age, our state has turned out some of the greatest examples of any new world wine region.
Of course Washington was not the first new world producer to popularize varietal labeled Syrah. Australia has been doing this for 50 plus years and experienced a heyday in the 90's with it's Shiraz. It took a lot longer for the US to catch on to the fact that the Syrah grape was capable of producing great wines. Part of the problem was the Syrah vines we had to choose from in the US were of questionable origin at best. In the 80's vines from the Rhone Valley were imported and this began a whole new chapter for the Syrah grape in the US.
Here in Washington the Syrah grape has shown that it is very sensitive to soil and especially climate. While producers of great Washington Cabernet Sauvignon (Betz PDF, Quilceda Creek Cabernet) like to blend from vineyards all over the State to produce the most complex wine, the best Syrah is most often from a single vineyard.
A handful of producers have created examples of Syrah that rival any new world bottling. Cayuse has become a cult wine with a number of offerings from his estate vineyards that are consistently scoring in the high 90's. Bob Betz has three different Syrah's that each highlight a different part of the Columbia Valley; La Serenne (Boushey vineyard), La Cote Rousse (Ceil du Cheval vineyard), and La Cote Patriarche (Red Willow vineyard). Charles Smith has brought considerable attention to Washington State with his range of single vineyard bottlings.
If you haven't explored the wide selection of Washington State Syrah, come in and give one a try. These wines are very friendly when young and don't need the time in bottle that so many Cabernets demand.
Louis
Of course Washington was not the first new world producer to popularize varietal labeled Syrah. Australia has been doing this for 50 plus years and experienced a heyday in the 90's with it's Shiraz. It took a lot longer for the US to catch on to the fact that the Syrah grape was capable of producing great wines. Part of the problem was the Syrah vines we had to choose from in the US were of questionable origin at best. In the 80's vines from the Rhone Valley were imported and this began a whole new chapter for the Syrah grape in the US.
Here in Washington the Syrah grape has shown that it is very sensitive to soil and especially climate. While producers of great Washington Cabernet Sauvignon (Betz PDF, Quilceda Creek Cabernet) like to blend from vineyards all over the State to produce the most complex wine, the best Syrah is most often from a single vineyard.
A handful of producers have created examples of Syrah that rival any new world bottling. Cayuse has become a cult wine with a number of offerings from his estate vineyards that are consistently scoring in the high 90's. Bob Betz has three different Syrah's that each highlight a different part of the Columbia Valley; La Serenne (Boushey vineyard), La Cote Rousse (Ceil du Cheval vineyard), and La Cote Patriarche (Red Willow vineyard). Charles Smith has brought considerable attention to Washington State with his range of single vineyard bottlings.
If you haven't explored the wide selection of Washington State Syrah, come in and give one a try. These wines are very friendly when young and don't need the time in bottle that so many Cabernets demand.
Louis
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Maison Bleue is on a role!
Six months ago, I had never even heard of the winery Maison Bleue, let alone it's talented winemaker Jon Martinez. The first time I even knew this winery existed was when I spotted it at the Taste of Washington. The funny part was I didn't even stop to taste the wine as I was saving my palate for evaluating the benchmark wines of the state! Even funnier was the fact that I'm pretty sure I didn't even take this winery seriously due to the drab label design that must have been attractive to Jon when he picked it.
It was at one of my Tuesday tasting group meetings that I became aware of the incredible talent of winemaker Jon Martinez. Doug and Heather brought the Boushey vineyard Grenache to taste blind and it was just amazing. I hadn't had another Grenache quite like it and was immediately intrigued. Not long after Debbie had him on the roster for our next winemaker event. To make a long story short, the wines of Maison Bleue turned out to be the hit of the event and all showed exceptionally well.
Not long after I had the opportunity to visit Jon at his winery in Prosser. I was visiting the area with other students from the winemaking program at SSCC and stopped in to taste the wines and get some insight from the winemaker. Jon started off by pouring us his late harvest Marsanne that just blew everyone away. This wine had loads of apple and pear peel, tons of citrus notes, and a floral character you could not ignore. Next we tasted Grenache from a cool site, Boushey vineyard, followed by the same varietal from a considerably warmer site, Alder ridge. The contrast of the two wines was very unique and highlighted the fact that Jon is a master of capturing the nuance of each site. Jon did the same with Syrah, starting us with a pour of Boushey vineyard Syrah, followed again by his Alder Ridge offering.
Just recently Jon has begun to receive acclaim from local and national critics and I think he is one to keep an eye on. If you are interested in trying one of his seamless wines, you will not be disappointed with his La Montagnette Grenache at under $20. If you are more into white wines, his Chardonnay is loaded with minerality and touched with just the right amount of oak.
Louis
It was at one of my Tuesday tasting group meetings that I became aware of the incredible talent of winemaker Jon Martinez. Doug and Heather brought the Boushey vineyard Grenache to taste blind and it was just amazing. I hadn't had another Grenache quite like it and was immediately intrigued. Not long after Debbie had him on the roster for our next winemaker event. To make a long story short, the wines of Maison Bleue turned out to be the hit of the event and all showed exceptionally well.
Not long after I had the opportunity to visit Jon at his winery in Prosser. I was visiting the area with other students from the winemaking program at SSCC and stopped in to taste the wines and get some insight from the winemaker. Jon started off by pouring us his late harvest Marsanne that just blew everyone away. This wine had loads of apple and pear peel, tons of citrus notes, and a floral character you could not ignore. Next we tasted Grenache from a cool site, Boushey vineyard, followed by the same varietal from a considerably warmer site, Alder ridge. The contrast of the two wines was very unique and highlighted the fact that Jon is a master of capturing the nuance of each site. Jon did the same with Syrah, starting us with a pour of Boushey vineyard Syrah, followed again by his Alder Ridge offering.
Just recently Jon has begun to receive acclaim from local and national critics and I think he is one to keep an eye on. If you are interested in trying one of his seamless wines, you will not be disappointed with his La Montagnette Grenache at under $20. If you are more into white wines, his Chardonnay is loaded with minerality and touched with just the right amount of oak.
Louis
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