Bring on the Whites

Spring brings with its arrival a bounty of newness. From the crisp, fresh smell of a spring morning to the weekend crowds gathering at the local farmer’s market to pick out the freshest produce, there is a certain brightness in the air. It also signals the release of a whole new slew of white wines. This spring brings with it the 2008 vintage and although it was a very difficult vintage for many growers in Northern California owing to late frosts, wildfires and other pesky factors, there are some amazing white wines coming from the 2008 vintage.

April frost kicked off what would result in a dramatic 2008 growing season in Northern California. Some growers lost entire crops to the frost. If that weren’t enough, the wildfires that raged through California in June and July took their toll on the grapes. Then a heat wave in late August left many rushing to pick their grapes as everything ripened at once. Despite these challenges, many are finding that the 2008 vintage is serving up some great wines and although we will have to wait a bit for the reds, some of the white wines are just now making an appearance.

One of the first 2008 white wines that I tasted this year was the 2008 Crocker & Starr Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Retailing for about $28 and with limited availability, this Sauvignon Blanc rarely disappoints. The style is a bit fleshy and floral with good crisp acidity and it has all the flavors we love – peach, melon, pear and nectarine. A great start to tasting our way through the 2008 vintage! www.crockerstarr.com

After spoiling ourselves with the Crocker & Starr, we decided to seek out some more widely available whites from the 2008 vintage and found ourselves trying the 2008 Cline Pinot Grigio. The fruit for this wine comes primarily from the Sonoma Coast and Carneros. This is a very approachable and refreshing white and a great buy at $12. www.clinecellars.com

Another great Pinot Gris, this time from the Napa side of Carneros, is the 2008 Etude Pinot Gris. Although the winery is located on the Napa side of Carneros, the grapes for this wine come from Etude’s estate vineyard in Sonoma Carneros and from a vineyard in Napa Carneros. The result is a bright, crisp wine with hints of citrus and peach flavors and good stone minerality. This is another one that is a bit hard to come by and a splurge at $24. www.etudewines.com

This is just a small sampling of what’s to come with the 2008 vintage. It seems that the vintage is off to a strong start and we’re looking forward to more to come. As we all taste our way through these wines, we’d love to hear your favorites from the 2008 vintage in Northern California.

Written by Linzi

A Springtime Sauv Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine to drink this time of year. Its crisp acidity and medium weight pair perfectly with a wide variety of foods, including all those yummy veggies that start popping up in the spring. And although the Napa Valley is known for its big Chardonnays and even bigger Cabernets, there are some great Sauvignon Blancs that come from the area. One of our favorites is the Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc from the Stags Leap District.

Cliff Lede Vineyards is located in the heart of the Stags Leap District, right off the Yountville Cross Road. It’s a beautiful winery built by Cliff Lede, a Canadian businessman who hired some top Napa Valley talent to make his wines, including viticulturist David Abreu, winemaker Michelle Edwards (formerly from Colgin Vineyards) and consultant Michel Rolland. All of the wines are good but the Sauvignon Blanc is my particular favorite…especially in the spring.

I paired the Sauvignon Blanc with my baked halibut and mango avocado salsa. The 2007 vintage has lush aromas of passion fruit and honeysuckle and crisp, vibrant flavors of citrus, melon and of course, more passion fruit. It’s a little fuller on the palate than other Sauvignon Blancs giving it a richer mouthfeel and long finish.

Find it online at http://www.cliffledevineyards.com/.

Written by Linzi

Put a Spring in Your (Wine) Step

Spring is here and it’s time to put away the big and hearty red wines of winter and turn to the lighter side of wine. That doesn’t have to mean white wine. There are many great red wines that are perfect companions to the best spring meals. This week we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite springtime sips to help put a spring in your step!

Domaine Carneros Brut Rose – this Napa Valley sparkler has loads of bright strawberry flavors. A blend of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay, this fruity wine is a perfect way to start an evening on the porch or kickoff a springtime dinner with friends. $36

Trefethen Riesling – Riesling is hard to come by in the Napa Valley with just about 130 acres planted in the entire valley (compare that to over 18,000 acres of Cabernet!). The fruit for this dry Riesling comes from their Oak Knoll Vineyard. It’s a surprisingly fragrant wine with bright fruit and good minerality typical in a dry Riesling. This wine would make a perfect accompaniment for Asian stir fry or Sushi. $22

Gundlach Bundschu Gewurztraminer – I think this one has made our list for favorite springtime wines in the past. We’re including it again because Gewurtz is always fun this time of year and there are not that many local Gewurztraminers. Another rarely found varietal in Napa and Sonoma. Gun Bun makes a fun Gewurtz with just enough spice and lots of great flavors of pear and lychee. $25

La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – La Crema wines are always good value for the money and this tasty Sonoma Pinot Noir definitely does not disappoint. Loads of bright cherry aromas and flavors make it a perfect springtime wine. $24

Written by Linzi

Sonoma Malbec

Malbec is gaining quite a reputation these days as American wine drinkers are discovering the intensely flavored Malbecs that come from Argentina. But there are also some wonderful Malbecs being made in our own backyard from some well-known Sonoma winemakers. They are hard to come by but they are worth seeking out.

A native to Bordeaux, Malbec is typically a blending grape that you will find blended in small percentages with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, often to bring a deep color and added complexity to the wine. Until recently, you didn’t hear much about Malbec standing on its own in California wine country. But there is a small area in Sonoma between Glen Ellen and Kenwood, where a few adventurous winemakers are creating wonderful Malbecs that definitely stand on their own.

Traveling on Highway 12 in Sonoma, you can find Malbec from Mayo Family Winery, Arrowood Winery, St. Francis Winery and what I consider the “queen” of Sonoma Malbec – Chateau St. Jean. This handful of wineries, along with a few more of their neighbors, are producing some exceptional Malbec wines that are unfortunately a bit hard to come by, typically only found in their tasting rooms or through their wine clubs. They’re worth seeking out though…and maybe splurging a bit.

Favorite Sonoma Malbec

Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Reserve Malbec – Only 500 cases of this wine are made each year and it’s definitely worth trying to get your hands on a bottle, even at $60. Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren has always held a particular fondness for the Malbec grape and has been a champion of the grape in Sonoma. This fondness for Malbec has translated into some truly outstanding wines. Blended with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot, this is a powerful wine with soft tannins and a lush finish. Definitely makes the top of our list!

St. Francis Vineyards McCoy Vineyard Malbec – The grapes for this wine are grown on twenty-five year old vines on a hillside vineyard in the Mayacamas, producing a deep concentration of flavor in the fruit. The wine is extremely limited and priced at $35/bottle.

Written by Linzi

Backyard Vineyards - A Hobby or a Money-Maker?

Have you ever wondered if you could actually make money cultivating your own small vineyard? While many people are allured into the romantic idea of growing grapes on their property and making their own wine, could that passion ever become profitable?

Although the volume growth of wine shipments to the U.S. market has slowed in recent months, California shipments still grew two percent last year, to an estimated 196 million cases, according to the Preliminary Grape Crush Report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. So there still is quite a demand for wine grapes today.

Here are some quick facts that I have learned. A vine typically takes 3 years before producing usable grapes, and the lifetime of a vine is 30-35 years. There are approximately 4-5 grape clusters in a bottle, 40 clusters on a vine, 500-1300 vines per acre, 13.5 barrels per acre, and 4,000 bottles per acre, according to Napa Now wine statistics. That seems like a lot of bottles of wine even if you just have a few acres! But can you make money on your own small vineyard?

Growing grapes is typically not a profitable endeavor if it is only a few acres. It usually takes a larger vineyard-around five acres or more to produce profitable quantities of grapes, according to reporter Broderick Perkins who has researched the value of small vineyards.

Lynn Wonderlich from the University of California advises caution when trying to make money with a small vineyard, and says that farming even at the best of times can be risky.

Finding a buyer for your grapes may be another large challenge for a small hobby vineyard, especially in this economy. A small grower might not have enough grapes to interest a potential winery.

But there is a growing number of small “backyard vineyards" that do manage to make some money. They are growers around the Bay Area with favorable terrain, soil and climate.

One reason many people choose to plant vines is that vineyards can boost the property value of a house. A property with vineyard landscaping can really increase the resale value and attract a larger clientele, according to Napa Valley property management owner, Don Buller. Especially in areas around wine country where people place a great value on a vineyard view. Besides the property boost, vines can help with erosion and water drain off.

Farming grapes can also be a more sustainable crop, with established vine stock reproducing grapes year after year, with very little plowing or other farming practices needed for other crops. Growing and harvesting your own grapes, can, however be a rewarding experience if you are in it for the love and not the money.

Before you start make sure that you have a few basic things needed for success. First, you need lots of sunshine, so make sure that you plant your vines where they can get a lot of sun. They also need a good water supply when they are actively growing in spring or summer. In areas of little rain, they should be watered at least once a week.

Second, you need to plant a grape variety that is suitable to your property, and to your climate. Some varieties will not survive cooler weather, while others can tolerate freezing temperatures. Some vigorous varieties need lots of space (at least 8 feet), while other vines might be planted six feet apart or less. So do your research before you plant.

Recruit friends or people you know in the wine or grape business to help you and consider taking a few classes on winemaking and business management.

So if you have the property, there are many good reasons for starting your own small vineyard. All you need for success is the property, a little grape knowledge, hard work, and of course, a great passion.

Written by Karen

Gru-Vee

This week I picked up a bottle of Singing Gruner Veltliner (pronounced GREW-nuhr Felt-LEEN-her) made by Laurenz V at Sunshine Foods in St. Helena. I haven’t spent much time exploring this predominately Austrian varietal but I always seem to enjoy it when given the chance. With a reputation for pairing well with food, I thought I’d try it out with our Super Bowl Sunday nachos. The result was a delicious pairing.

Gruner Veltliner is the most widely planted grape variety in Austria. You won’t find any Gruner in Napa or Sonoma. The closest wine growing region in the United States where you will find some plantings is in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The name Gruner is a German word that means green, referring to the crisp acidity and bright flavors that are characteristic of the varietal. Gruner has a characteristic white peppery flavor and is considered an extremely food friendly wine.

The 2007 Singing Gruner Veltliner from Laurenz V. has a beautiful perfumed nose with flavors of honeysuckle, apricot and a bit of the classic white pepper. It retails for $14.99.

Written by Linzi

Wine Shops for Wine Lovers

Are you tired of browsing the wine shelves at your local grocery store and not finding anything new or exciting? There are many great boutique wine shops with knowledgeable staff that can help you find just the wine you are looking for, whether that’s the perfect wine for your dinner party or just a new wine for any occasion. Small wine shops offer you the ability to discover rare and interesting wines that you probably wouldn’t otherwise come across. The Bay Area is full of great wine shops. Here are a few of our favorites but we know there are a lot more great shops out there. If you have a favorite wine shop, leave us a comment and let us know about it. We’d love to hear from you.

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant/Oxbow Wine Merchant – owners Debbie Zachareas and Peter Granoff have created a very hands-on environment in their two stores. The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant is located in the San Francisco Ferry Plaza and their second store is now located in Napa’s Oxbow Market. Both stores have a bar for tasting wines, ordering food and socializing. There are always at least 15 or 20 wines available at the bar by-the-glass or by-the-bottle. http://www.fpwm.com/

Groezinger Wine Merchants – this small, irreverent wine shop is located in the town of Yountville. They owners focus on small, boutique offerings primarily from Napa and Sonoma but also source many wines from throughout the world. Groezinger’s was founded in 1970, making it one of the oldest boutique wine shops in the Napa Valley. http://www.groezingers.com/

Wine Garage – you would drive right by this wine shop located in an old garage if you didn’t know its location just outside of downtown Calistoga on Highway 29. Owners Todd and Joy Miller have carved out a niche in the usually pricey Napa Valley to serve locals and tourists looking for great wines that don’t break the bank. All the wines in the store are under $25 and they have a great selection of Napa wines. There wine club is also worth checking out – 6 wines for $100 shipped six times per year. You can’t beat that. http://www.winegarage.net/

The Wine Exchange of Sonoma – located on the Sonoma Town Plaza, this shop offers a great selection of wines from Sonoma and Napa vintners. They have a tasting bar with a large selection of wine, bottled beer and draft beer that is open every day. They also offer a great wine club that you can sign up for in the store or online. http://www.wineexsonoma.com/

Vintage Wine & Spirits – located in downtown Mill Valley, this wine shop has a great selection of wines from all over the world. They’ve been in the same spot for over 50 years and can provide a firsthand recommendation on all of their wines. Their web site makes it easy to view their offerings and if you are looking for more than just wine, they also have a great selection of spirits. http://www.vintagewines.biz/

The Jug Shop – the Jug Shop is always a favorite for San Francisco wine shops. It’s been a destination for wine lovers since 1965 and offers a huge selection of wine from all over the world, with a special emphasis on Italy, Australia and New Zealand. The staff has been there for a long time and are extremely knowledgeable. Check out one of their frequent in-store tastings. They often have winemakers and vintners from around the world join them to pour their wines. http://www.thejugshop.com/

Written by Linzi

The Basics: Wine & Cheese Pairing

Wine and cheese have a long history as a pairing duo. The ancient Greeks were so enamored with wine and cheese pairing that they would grate cheese right into their wine glasses. While that may not be the preferred way to enjoy wine and cheese these days, a great selection of high-quality, artisan cheeses as an appetizer or dessert course paired with the right wines, is a great addition to any holiday get together.

The long held rule of thumb is that red wines should be paired with hard cheese while white wines should be paired with soft cheese. As our culture’s appreciation of cheese has grown over the last decade and many artisan cheese makers have popped up throughout the country, the variety of cheese available can be somewhat overwhelming. Just stop at the cheese section at your local grocery store or cheese shop and you’ll see what we mean.

With all of these cheeses available, do the same rules still apply? Yes and no. You’ll still find that a red wine pairs better with sharp, pungent cheese and that a mild white wine is a great pairing for soft, ripe cheeses. You’ll also find that the saltier the cheese, the sweeter the wine which is why most blue cheeses taste great with port or a late harvest dessert wine. Another great rule of thumb is acidity with acidity. That’s why Sauvignon Blanc and goat cheese are such a great match. But there are also many exceptions to the rules and the best way to find your favorite match is by experimenting.

Here are our pairing guidelines for some common wine varietals. Add your own pairings to the list and be sure to ask your local cheese shop or the expert at your grocery store for their advice. You’re sure to find a wine and cheese pairing that’s perfect for you.

Sparkling Wine: The ultimate indulgence is a glass of sparkling wine with a rich and creamy double or triple cream brie. We love Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam triple cream with our bubbles.

Sauvignon Blanc: Acidity with acidity makes goat’s milk cheese a great match with this varietal. Try Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog. Just be sure to stay away from blue cheese. The acidity of the varietal clashes with blue cheese.

Chardonnay: Oaky Chardonnay can be difficult to pair with cheese because the wine can exaggerate the buttery flavors in the cheese. Pair oaky Chardonnay with aged cheddar or mild blue cheese. Unoaked Chardonnay is great paired with mild cheeses and goat’s milk cheese.

Riesling: As with food and wine pairing, Riesling is one of the most versatile varietals and pairs with a wide variety of cheeses. If you’re drinking a sweet Riesling, try pairing with a mild blue cheese. For a drier style Riesling, steer toward cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses.

Pinot Noir: As another versatile pairing varietal, Pinot Noir goes with a wide variety of cheeses. However, we recommend avoiding blue cheese and goat cheese. These cheeses can ruin the flavor of Pinot Noir.

Cabernet Sauvignon: A big wine should be paired with a big cheese. We prefer aged cheeses with our Cabernet. Try aged gouda or aged cheddar. You may also want to try Prima Donna cheese – a mild cow’s milk cheese made in the style of Dutch Gouda.

Dessert Wine: Sweet and salty always make a great pairing and cheese is no exception. Try a strong blue cheese with your port or late harvest wines.

Serving Tip -- Most cheese tastes better at or near room temperature. Remove cheese from your refrigerator about 1 hour before serving.

If you really want to sharpen your wine and cheese pairing skills, consider a class at The Cheese School in San Francisco (www.cheeseschoolsf.com). They offer a cheese and wine pairing class as part of their Cheese 101 series.

Written by Linzi

Storing, Pouring and Enjoying Wine

We often get asked about the proper etiquette for storing, pouring and enjoying wine. When it comes to wine etiquette, think back to the number one rule of food and wine pairing – whatever works best for you is the best way to enjoy wine. With that said, there are some guidelines that can help make the experience more enjoyable (no more pouring corked bottles of wine for your guests!) and help you relax when you have a household of guests to serve. With the holidays upon us, we’ve prepared these handy tips.

Storing Wine
Not everyone has to have a world class cellar (or any cellar for the matter) to properly store and enjoy their wine. Just be sure to keep your wine in a cool place that is away from direct sunlight. A cool, dark closet is a great place to store wine. And although many of us keep wine in the kitchen, this is not the best place for storage. Those dreaded 6 bottle racks that sit on top of the refrigerator are the worst. They break all three rules of wine storage – avoid light, avoid heat and avoid vibration. Your hallway closet or garage are much better options.

The ideal conditions for long term storage of wine are 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit with about 70% humidity. You also want to keep your wine stored at a fairly constant temperature as temperature swings can affect the wine.

Pouring Wine
Having the right glasses on hand can enhance the aromas and overall experience of a wine. But don’t worry if you don’t think you have the proper glassware. Wine can be enjoyed in a tumbler just as much as it can in Riedel stemware.

If you open up an older bottle of wine, be sure to check that it is not spoiled, discreetly decant it (no one likes a big show of the decanting process) and make sure that the last person to receive a glass of wine doesn’t end up with a glass full of sediment. Decanting a wine can separate the wine from the sediment in an older bottle of wine or soften the tannins of a younger bottle of red wine. There is no need to decant a white wine.

You definitely want to avoid pouring a corked bottle of wine for your guests. The best way to describe the smell of a corked bottle of wine is a wet cardboard or moldy smell. If a wine is badly corked, you should be able to pick this smell up fairly easily. If it’s only slightly corked, you may miss it. A crumbled cork in a bottle does not necessarily mean a corked bottle of wine. If your bottle smells off, ask someone else for a second opinion. It may take a few tries to get it right but once you learn the smell of a corked bottle of wine, you will hardly ever mistake it again!

Enjoying Wine
One of the number one questions on people’s minds when they are hosting a dinner party is how much wine they should have on hand. If you are only serving wine, the rule of thumb is ½ bottle of wine per guest for every 2 hours. You can plan on less if other alcohol is being served.

Proper temperature can also be an important factor in enjoying wine. It’s best to err on the cooler side for both red and white wine. A wine that is served to warm will accentuate the alcohol in a wine.

Written by Linzi

Turkey Day Wines

How do you find a wine that will take you from appetizers through to dessert on Thanksgiving with the many side dishes and flavors that make their way to the table? There is no perfect pairing for the entire Thanksgiving meal (although we could argue that Riesling comes close). Instead, make it fun by bringing a wide variety of wines to your table. This is the perfect opportunity to open up a little bit of everything. Although there are certain wines that definitely pair better with turkey, the numerous side dishes that go along with your feast make almost any wine a great match for your meal. This week we scouted out our favorite turkey day varietals and some of our favorite wines.

Sparkling Wine – A little bit of bubbly is the perfect way to break the ice on Thanksgiving day. And it goes great with appetizers or a festive cheese plate before sitting down to your meal. We love Domaine Chandon’s Blanc de Noir. It’s made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and has strong flavors of strawberry, currant and a bit of blackberry ($22).

Gewürztraminer - Gewürztraminer really holds its own on the Thanksgiving table. This highly aromatic varietal is full bodied and flavorful yet versatile enough to pair with many dishes. We love Gundlach Bundschu’s Alsatian-style Gewurtz with loads of peach, pear and lychee aromas and flavors with a hint of spice that is classic for this varietal ($25). Another favorite is Claiborne & Churchill’s Dry Gewürztraminer ($18). A small, family-owned winery in Eden Valley, Claiborne & Churchill focuses on making Alsatian-style wines.

Riesling - As we mentioned before, Riesling may just be the ultimate Thanksgiving wine. It’s an extremely versatile wine with low alcohol and high acidity that can handle everything from salty appetizers to marshmallow topped sweet potatoes. And it makes for a great palate cleanser for all those courses. We recommend Beringer’s Napa Valley Riesling ($16). This is a dry Riesling with lots of citrus flavor and a long, smooth finish.

Rose - Rose is another great option for Thanksgiving dinner. Especially if you want to bridge the gap between red and white wine. Not only is the color festive but the fruity flavors of Rose tend to make a great match with turkey. We recommend one of our favorites - Etude’s Rose of Pinot Noir from Carneros ($20).

Pinot Noir – If you are not a fan of Riesling and prefer red wines on your Thanksgiving table, then the second runner up for best all around Turkey Day wine would be Pinot Noir. With its moderate acidity, lighter body and low tannins, it won’t overpower many of the dishes on your table. Select a Sonoma Pinot Noir from Russian River or Dry Creek Valley.

Merlot - Merlot has gotten a bad rap in recent years, but we love a good bottle of Merlot at Thanksgiving. It’s versatile, easy-drinking and often less expensive than Cabernet. We recommend Hall Winery’s Napa Valley Merlot ($28). The wine is sourced from estate vineyards in the Napa Valley and is outstanding for the price.

Cabernet Sauvignon – No Thanksgiving table would be complete with a bottle of Cab and this is where we usually splurge, either by bringing something special out of the cellar or trying out something new. We recently enjoyed an excellent Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Bremer Family Winery located in the Howell Mountain region of the Napa Valley. Their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) has great plum, berry and chocolate flavors with an extremely smooth finish. The tannins are not overpowering, making it a great wine for Thanksgiving.

The week before Thanksgiving is a great time to buy wine since many merchants will have specials on top selling wines. Take advantage of these deals and bring some variety to your Thanksgiving Day table, whether you are hosting or just bringing along a bottle for friends and family to enjoy. For more information on any of the wines above, be sure to visit their web sites.

Written by Linzi

Breggo Cellars

Anderson Valley is one of our favorite winegrowing regions and the varietals that come out of this region are perfect additions to the Thanksgiving table (think Pinot Noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer), making this a great time of year to revisit this small valley in Mendocino County. We’ve written about our travels through the winding roads of Anderson Valley before and on a recent trip, we discovered Breggo Cellars, a relatively new winery in the valley that is making some great Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer.

Breggo Cellars is located just a few miles north of Boonville on a 203-acre farm. The name literally means “sheep” and the property was once home to one of the oldest sheep ranches in Anderson Valley. The folks at Breggo are currently sourcing their fruit from several renowned vineyards in Anderson Valley with a focus on Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris. They have recently planted their own estate vineyard and eventually the fruit will come from their own farm.

We particularly enjoyed the Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley Gewürztraminer and Wiley Vineyard Pinot Gris. Any of these wines would make a great pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. Visit www.breggowine.com to learn more.

Written by Linzi

Sticky Sweet Wines

The holidays are a great time for bringing out those dusty bottles of wine that are hiding in the back of your cellar. And if your wine collection is anything like mine, there are usually a few bottles of dessert wine that have been collecting dust over the last year just waiting for a special occasion with friends and family to bring them out of the cellar. What better excuse for popping the corks on these special bottles than the holidays?

Dessert wines come in many forms from the fortified wines of Portugal (Port and Madeira) and Spain (Sherry) to the Late Harvest/Botrytis wines of France and the United States to the Icewines of Germany and Canada. In Australia, you will often hear dessert wines referred to as “stickies”. And that is what some of them can be…sticky sweet. But in that indulgent, wonderful kind of way. Even if you think “sweet” is not for you, you are bound to find a dessert wine that pleases your palate.

Fortified wines are wines that have additional alcohol added during the winemaking process to stop the yeast fermentation process. The result is a higher alcohol wine with residual sugars that make the wine sweet. Various grapes are used to make fortified wines but one of the common grapes is Muscat.

Late Harvest wines are left on the vines until they shrivel into something more raisin-like. Botrytis (known more formally as Botrytis cinerea and less formally as Noble Rot) is a mold that builds on the grapes while they are on the vine and causes them to rot, thus the term Noble Rot since the end result is anything but rotten. Late Harvest wines are often made from Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon although many California producers will also use Muscat. The famous Sauterne wines of France (Chateau d’Yquem being the most notable) are made from botrytis infected Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes.

Icewine, or Eiswein as it is known in its German birthplace is another form of Late Harvest/Botrytis wine. Winemakers take late harvest a step farther by allowing the grapes to stay on the vines far past the end of Fall until they are actually frozen on the vine. The grapes are typically not harvested until late December or even January. Eiswein has a higher concentration of sugar because the water is literally “frozen” out of the grapes. Many Eiswein’s are made from the Riesling grape.

Pairing & Serving Dessert Wine

Sweet wines are a great complement to your dessert or on their own as a separate course either before or after dessert. The number one rule for dessert and wine pairing is that the wine should always be sweeter than the dessert. For the holiday favorites that are sure to make an appearance at your Thanksgiving table, we recommend a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling with pumpkin pie and a Port or Late Harvest Zinfandel with pecan pie. And if anything chocolate makes its way to your table, we suggest Port. It’s one of those food and wine pairing marriages made in heaven. Always serve Ice Wines and Late Harvest Wines very cold. Port and most other fortified wines are best at room temperature.

Our Favorite Dessert Wines

Dolce – looking to treat yourself this holiday season? Get your hands on a bottle of Dolce. This “liquid gold” is made by Far Niente winery and is a Late Harvest blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. A 375ml bottle will set you back $85. But the holidays are for spoiling yourself, right?

Inniskillin Icewine – a Canadian treasure, Inniskillin makes a lovely Riesling Icewine. There are a lot of citrus flavors in this wine making it a great pairing for fruit based desserts and rich cheeses. $65 for a 375ml bottle.

Beringer Nightingale – the techniques used to make this wine were created by famed Beringer Winemaker Myron Nightingale and his wife Alice. The clusters of grapes are placed in single layers on a tray and gentle sprayed with carefully cultivated Botrytis cinerea spores. Sweet honey and peach aromas and flavors make this wine a great end to any meal. $40 for a 375ml bottle.

Charbay Ruby Port – the Charbay vodka makers also known how to make incredible wines and their French Oak aged Ruby Port is no exception. The port is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Spring Mountain and fortified with their 8-year-old hand distilled Charbay Brandy. $38 for a 375ml bottle.

Hall Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc – a 100% Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest wine with strong stone fruit aromas and loads of rich, honey flavor. Winemaker Steve Leveque makes this wine in the classic Sauterne style, harvesting the grapes in late November. $35 for a 375ml bottle.

Written by Linzi

Marin Wine Country?

When you think of Northern California wine producing areas, you probably think first of Napa, Sonoma or Mendocino. And if you like to explore outside of the more popular wine producing areas you may think of the Sierra Foothills or Lake County. But Marin? Marin most likely doesn’t even come to mind. Yet as we discovered this week, wine is definitely being made in Marin and some of the wines are really quite good.

Winemaking in Marin actually extends back to the early 1800’s when residents of Marin County planted their own small vineyards. But as Napa and Sonoma grew, Marin winemaking never really hit its stride. Today there are now approximately 200 acres in Marin County planted to Pinot Noir, Reisling, Gewürztraminer and even Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet and more vintners are coming to Marin to test the waters.

Marin is surrounded on three sides by the moderating waters of the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. This creates warmer winters than most North Coast winegrowing regions but overall a longer and cooler growing season. Some compare the climate and geography to the Burgundy region of France and with its more chilly temperatures from a strong coastal influence, it is a perfect location for growing cooler climate wines like Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Some of the wines coming out of Marin include Scenic Root which produces Pey-Marin and Mount Tamalpais Vineyards wines among others, Pacheco Ranch Winery and Sean Thackrey.

One of our favorite Marin wines that we have tried is the Pey-Marin Riesling. This is some of the first Riesling planted in Marin and it is extremely dry with a lot of great mineral flavor. It’s a fabulous white wine for food pairing and we paired it with Butternut Squash Ravioli with a cream sauce – delicious!

Written by Linzi

Rosé – Not Your Mother’s White Zin

For years, rosé has suffered a bad rap from wine drinkers who confuse it with the sweet tasting White Zinfandel. While White Zinfandel has many good qualities, it is a far cry from the intoxicating flavors and aromas of the many rosé wines that are now being produced throughout the world. A true rosé is characterized by its off-dry flavor and a delicious bouquet of raspberries and strawberries. And while many people consider rosé a summer patio wine, I start to enjoy it most at the start of fall.

While rosé has always been loved throughout the world, Americans have often stayed away from what they refer to as “pink” wine because of the association with the very sweet White Zinfandel. But that’s changing. With a 50% surge in dry rosé sales in the United States, Americans are finally discovering that they like the off-dry style and flavors of rosé wines.

Rosé is an extremely food friendly and versatile wine that pairs with a wide array of foods. Depending on the weather, or your meal, rosé can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature. These days you can find rosé made from almost any varietal – although the most popular tend to be Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache and Sangiovese. And you can also find rosé made throughout the world. In Italy, it’s called rosato, in Spain rosado. The French make a significant amount of rosé wine and you’ll hear it called both rosé and vin gris, which literally means “gray wine”.

So how exactly do you make a rosé wine? Although it’s common belief by some that a rosé wine is made by blending a white wine with a red wine, this is a practice that is forbidden is most wine producing countries of the world. A rosé wine is typically made by crushing red wine grapes and leaving them on the skin for a very short period of time – at most 24 hours. If you leave them much longer, you’ll have a red wine. The skins are then removed rather than being left in the juice throughout fermentation. The result is a delicate, dry wine with a light red or pink color.

For more information about rosé wines, check out the web site for the Rosé Avengers and Producers (RAP). RAP is an international group “dedicated to righting the wrongs done to dry rosé”. www.rapwine.com

Recommended Wines

Etude Rosé – One of my favorite Napa Valley producers of rosé wine is Etude Wines. Sourced from estate vineyards in the Carneros Region, they make a fabulous Rosé of Pinot Noir ($20). If you can find it, you should also try their Fortitude Rosé ($15) made from a little known grape called Valdiguie. www.etudewines.com

SoloRosa Rosé – Another Napa Valley rosé that is made from a blend of mostly Sangiovese with a touch of Syrah ($17). SoloRosa is the only winery in the United States that was founded on making dry rosé. The Sangiovese comes from grapes grown high on Atlas Peak. SoloRosa means “only pink” in Italian. www.solorosawines.com

Written by Linzi