Wine Ratings & Wine Tasting Notes
Consumer Watch: Pesticides in Wine
While it’s unlikely to see an industrial-strength crop duster hovering over a vineyard anytime soon, news from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) indicates there’s valid reason for concern over some pesticides in our wine.
In its March 23 Industry Circular, the agency announced discovery of a toxic chemical, oxadixyl, in a random sampling of both domestic and imported wines. Although some residual amounts of pesticides are allowed in food products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, oxadixyl — a powerful fungicide used to combat the seemingly intractable problem of powdery mildew on vines — is always prohibited. Unfortunately for consumers, the agency will not release the name of the offending winemaker in this latest case, or even confirm that such bottles have been pulled from shelves.
Stories like this one make me appreciate so much more the efforts of our winemaking friends in the Willamette Valley, from Chehalem to Cristom, who have worked hard to create a certified sustainable label for Oregon wines (called “OCSW”).  These are trustworthy folks with seriously beautiful vines (and wines) who, hopefully, will inspire other winemakers around the globe to follow suit.
Philly Beer Week Is Upon Us, Celebrate With A Beer School Sale
The suds are in full force around this fair city of ours, with some of the greatest brewers and brews showing up on tap systems and in bars for the next week.
Philly Beer Week has become the biggest beer festival in the world, and this year is the biggest in it’s short 3-year history. With over 1,000 events and hundreds of bars and restaurants participating, you can’t set foot inside a watering hole and not find something or someone special relating to the Nectar Of The Gods. Ask, dear friends, and ye shall receive.
Helping you guys pick which events to participate in will be absolutely impossible because of sheer numbers, but we will always point you to our Pastor O’ Fermentation, Dean Browne and his session-sexy Philadelphia Brewing Company‘s jawns. Find ‘em here.
I also suggest chasing down any event with Deschutes and Captain Lawrence, because they have received a temporary permit to pour their beers in town and once Beer Week is over, they’ll be history. So get crackin’.
In celebration of Beer Week, we are having a big ol’ sale at The Beer School on our classes, which you can find here. There’s a few new classes to check out as well, including a Meet The Brewer with Casey Hughes of Flying Fish, and a class celebrating The Brett Pack, a group of new-world brewers using wine-barreling techniques to give their beers tart and tangy bite.
So do yourself a favor this week and visit your local bar in town and try something new. Tip your bartenders folks, they’ve got the hardest job in the world. Dealing with us.
Cheers!
Book Review: Daring Pairings by Evan Goldstien
This book arrived at the Wine School’s doorstep just as I was completing the spring semester’s Core Program. Per usual, the food and wine pairing class – with no shortage of puckering, sputtering, and smiling as we sampled combinations ranging from horrid to sublime – proved to be one of the program’s highlights. As a result, I jumped at the chance to review the latest offering from a west coast master sommelier with serious kitchen credentials of his own.
“Daring Pairings” is the follow-up to Mr. Goldstein’s prior book on pairing, “Perfect Pairings.” Here, Mr. Goldstein explores what seems like the entire alphabet of exotic varietals, from Aglianico to Txakili to Xinomavro. His detailed descriptions of the history, flavor profile, and pairing pointers for each varietal make this an exceptional resource book for any wine enthusiast.
Two items especially earn high marks from me: the addition of a glossary offering clear descriptions of winemaking and tasting terminology, along with a “cheat sheet” that distills essentially all of Mr. Goldstein’s advice into an approximately 500 word guide.
Perhaps what I enjoyed most about this book was the author’s underlying pairing philosophy, which he calls “trusted discovery.” This is something wine lovers, especially novices, need more of: a workable paradigm for discovering flavors and taste sensations that work well together — one that builds on itself with each new exploration — but that is ultimately based on confidence in your own palate.
Ryan D’Arensbourg and Brian Freedman: The Minstrel And The Mousse
On April 28, 2010, our spirited wine tussle known as The Sommelier Smackdown had an unusual twist. No, not so much in the plucky plonk posturing that permeates these light-hearted throwdowns, but in the special guest contestant that faced our very own Brian Freedman.
Known more for his pipes and presence, Ryan D’Arensbourg entered stage left to push Brian to the very brink of what would be career-ending hair loss. Yes, the rookie made good on his promise of a hard fight and tied Mr. Freedman on the score sheet when the dust finally settled.
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native has recently been promoted to GM and Sommelier at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Philadelphia. But Mr. D’Arensbourg was not always known for his vinified acumen. Prior to his arrival in our fair 215, Ryan started out his professional life in music after pursuing a degree in vocal performance at Louisiana State University.
His most notable performances, before the near-trouncing of Sir Freedman, were as an operatic baritone: Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola.
With so many Italian roles in his back pocket, maybe, just maybe Frank won’t have to fight for Italian wines solo anymore. And from the looks of it, Mr. D’Arensbourg’s future in the wine industry is as bright as the lights that shone on him during one of many arias in his previntastic life.
Forget Vintage, Take the “Bomb Pulseâ€
While I expect this sweet lady’s bomb pulse is quite high, when it comes to wine, scientists are in fact using radioactive carbon traces to determine a bottle’s age. Specifically, new research has shown that the amount of radioactive carbon captured in vines during a given year accurately measures the vintage of the wine, at least from 1958-1997.  Hence, taking a wine’s “bomb pulse†— the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere eventually absorbed into the grapevines — is proving to be quite reliable for assessing whether a wine is fake or not.  To read more (sans silly pictures), visit our friends at esciencenews.
Wine News Bites
It’s exam time here at the Wine School, so we’ve condensed this latest installment of news into small — but tasty — portions.
– The Washington Post details the particulars of a bill introduced last month by Rep. Delahunt (D-Mass), H.R. 5034, that would severely limit direct shipping of wine to consumers nationwide. Be forewarned: Delahunt really turns the states’ rights argument on its head, and it’s unfortunate that so many attorneys general appear to be falling for it. Thankfully several opposition groups have stepped up publicity, making it clear how categorically bad such a law would prove for domestic wineries. Full story here.
– “The Grapes of Wrathâ€, a fascinating piece from the Atlantic about climate change in some of the world’s most notable winemaking areas, does an excellent job of describing terroir and its importance.
– An update on the European grapevine moth (EGVM) discovered in Napa last fall: Wine Spectator reports that a quarantine is now in effect throughout Napa County, with Sonoma soon to follow. It’s serious, folks.
– With women comprising the majority of U.S. winedrinkers these days, how are restaurants addressing the issue of who gets the wine list upon seating? Bloomberg.com interviews Master Sommelier Virginia Philip for an intriguing report.
– And because we all like to stump our friends with wine geekdom, the WSJ gives us a new varietal this week: “The Hairy Grenacheâ€.
Enjoy!
Out, damned taint! Out, I say!
There’s no denying one of Pinot’s hallmarks — and the reason many of us love it so — is its discernible funk on the nose. Barnyard stank, dung, smokey bacon, etc., charm us by wrapping with rose petals and fresh ripe cherries to create a delicate and earthy headiness only the best pinots can acheive. But what about a sniff of wet ashtray, or even worse, smoke taint? As reported in the Wall Street Journal, California winemakers from the Anderson Valley are battling to remove the odor in their 2008 vintages, caused as a result of severe forest fires during the growing season. Some have spent the last year adding milk byproducts, fish bladder powder, and egg whites, along with other fining tricks, to eliminate the smokiness. Is the adulteration justified? Our own Keith Wallace wrote about the manipulation of wine using these very methods for the Daily Beast in a piece that appeared last year, to the shock of many wine consumers (and the ire of some important players in the wine industry). As this article points out, some people do not find the aroma offensive, while others liken it to a corked bottle. My suggestion: read both pieces if you haven’t already, and weigh in with your comments.
America’s New Most Wanted?
Have Napa winemakers moved to the top of America’s Most Wanted List for their rumored long-standing practice of smuggling vine cuttings from Europe? It may not be snakes on a plane (or various other things both ridiculous and amusing), but the European grapevine moth, a native of Italy, has landed in Napa and is threatening to devastate several of the region’s premier vineyards.  As a result, the USDA and its scientific partners at UC Davis are taking the issue seriously. For the full low down, story here.
L’Angolo di Vino, April 7, 2010
Last October Wine Spectator had a feature on Sicily, the gist of which is that the island at the crossroads of the Mediterranean is undergoing an exciting transformation in its wine production. International favorites are joining indigenous varietals to create wines that reflect traditional styles as well as the “new” Sicily. Here are profiles of five I’ve recently sampled. The first three are the island’s most recognized native son – Nero d’Avola:
Valle dell’Acate 2006 “Il Morro” IGT…Dark, just ripening cherries predominate. Juicy “red” acidity, smooth texture. As it opens reveals fruit concentration. Sour cherry with some “amaro” on the end.
Firriato 2006 “Chiaramonte” IGT…Full aromas of dark fruit with dried herbs and chalk. Intense, warm flavors of berries, dark plums, raisins. Tannins have some grip but are offset by bright acidity. Depth without being overtly complex.
Planeta 2004 Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG…Adds the required 40% of Frappato to produce a nose of sweet fruits and medicinally astringent cherries. Soft and herbaceous with mildly tart strawberry flavors. Smooth and light, subtle Nero earthiness, cherry presence is persistant.
Palari 2003 “Rosso del Soprano” IGT …Truly Sicilian blend of Nerello Mascalese, Cappuccio, Nocera gives off perfumed aromas of jammy berries. Starts dry with spicy red-black fruits supported by youthful tannins, acidity opens up raspberry, dried olives, and foresty flavors. Musky and earthy finish.
Principe di Butera 2005 Syrah…Big dark plum and blackberry nose with wild forest fruits and tangy black olives. Full, dense, firm mouthfeel of jammy texture. Hints of Sicilian “macchia” and exotic spices. Ripe and fresh with barely noticeable tannins..varietal game and earth are on hold.
L’Angolo di Vino, April 3, 2010
File this in the”old dog, new tricks” category. I’ve never been a fan of Italian Merlot. The ones I’d had the misfortune to experience were thin, too vegetal, and in some cases gave off sour, vinegary scents and flavors. Not much to recommend there.
So…practicing what I preach, to never give up on a grape from a specific region without ample evidence, the search for a representative Merlot brought me to Friuli – and two excellent examples of the adaptability and diversity a varietal can offer.
The first came from Walter Scarbolo, a 2006 Friuli Grave DOC. Floral and herbaceous, it was more reserved and less concentrated than many of its New World cousins. Subdued tannins lurked beneath dark berry-cherry flavors in a smooth textured wine of typical Friulian depth and extraction, giving it a presence I hadn’t found in other versions from Italy.
The other was Livio Felluga’s 2000 “Sosso” Riserva from the Colli Orientali. From its opaque color to a dry, cedary finish it showed concentration and a solid tannic backbone that was still exerting a grip after a decade in bottle, but which faded quickly to reveal plummy dark fruits that were maturing well. The nose was ripe and pleasantly showing its age, with faint traces of slowly oxidizing. A stunning wine.
Nothing left to say except, “Bow wow!”
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