When you stop to think about it, most of the world’s classic wines have French names:  Cabernet Sauvignon.  Merlot.  Chardonnay.  Pinot Noir.  Petit Verdot.  You almost can’t say them without sounding like Maurice Chevalier.  If you were starting a winery and trying to decide what style of wine to make, the first thing you’d ponder is how the French do it, and then you’d go from there.

 Of course, France makes wines out of dozens, even hundreds of grapes, most of which are used for blending.  For the Grand Tasting, we’ll be sampling the major (or “noble”) varietals.  I won’t inflict something like Tannat on you, or Bourboulenc, or Vaccarese.  But you certainly can expect fine examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Bordeaux, Syrah from the Rhone, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Burgundy.

 This is not to say that we won’t throw in a nice Chardonnay from California or Australia, because you’ll definitely find those on the tasting tables, in styles that range from lean and racy to full and buttery.  But in the main, we’ll be concentrating on regions where each type of wine has its true home.

 The best thing about wine lovers is this:  they love to share.  Which is why, quite frankly, I try to cultivate friendships with people who have larger cellars than my own.  But as I review the possibilities for the Grand Tasting, I find my selections being driven more than somewhat by my own particular tastes and passions.  For instance, I’m a big fan of Chateauneuf du Pape.  In fact, I’m geeky enough to have memorized all thirteen of the grape varietals that can legally be used in the blend, and will recite them for you in punishing detail with practically no encouragement whatsoever.  As I review the suggestions from the various distributors, I do have an urge to include perhaps one or two more types of Chateauneuf du Pape than other kinds of wine.  I do this in the spirit of sharing something I truly enjoy with those who appreciate it.  That’s you.

 The science of ampellography uses DNA analysis to determine which modern grapes derive from what ancestors over time, and where they came from.  For example, there’s evidence that our beloved Zinfandel is descended from the Italian Primitivo grape, and that Primitivo originally came from someplace like Croatia.  So the Cabernet Sauvignon used in the soul-satisfying Bordeaux blends may originally hail from elsewhere, but the French have been stomping it into wine since Caesar divided Gaul into three parts, and have become pretty good at it.

Dinner in the Loire with winemaker Alphonse Mellot and French wine critic Isabelle Foret...very late in the evening

So Bordeaux will be one wine in the spotlight on the tasting tables, both the Cabernet-based blends from the left bank of the Gironde River, and the Merlot-based biggies from the right bank.  On top of that, there’s a good chance we’ll have excellent samples from the once-in–a-lifetime 2005 vintage, so you’ll be able to see what all the noise is about.

Then there’s the Rhone, divided into North and South, though there’s about 30 miles between the two sections.  In the North, in places like Cote Rotie, Syrah-based wines are predominant, and I hope to put some of those out for your pleasure.  In the South, the Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend is more traditional, so I’m looking for a decent Hermitage or two. 

 Lest you think that, in my travels southward, I’ve completely ignored Burgundy, I assure you that this is not the case.  However, Burgundy is so special, and so dear to my heart, that it rates a wholly separate installment of this rant.  So stay tuned.

 France makes wines in most regions of the country, though not all.  There’s Provence, the Languedoc, Champagne, and dozens of much more obscure regions.  We can’t drink them all (though we’re trying really hard), but since more people have heard of Pauillac than Pic St. Loup, and since most of us are more familiar with Bordeaux than with Bourgueil, we’ll all find many familiar friends along with new discoveries on the tasting tables in February.

 See you there!

Barrels in a 500-year-old cellar in Sancerre.

The Grand Tasting…Country by Country

We’ll start with New Zealand, and I’ll tell you why in a second.  But before we get into all that, I want to share a small moment of delight.  We joined friends for dinner last Friday night at a very nice restaurant in Caesar’s Palace called Bradley Ogden, which has three distinctions, at least in my mind.  First, the food is excellent.  Second, the wine prices are so stratospheric as to be laughable, and third, some of our friends have their wine on the list.

Gary Ochwat and Ricardo Cajulis, who will be among the featured vintners at the Friday night dinners and Saturday Grand Tasting, make a very limited-production wine called Garric Cellars.  (Gary and Ric…get it?).  I was delighted to see their 2003 and 2004 vintages on the list, right alongside the likes of Screaming Eagle (at $5,500 a bottle) and other distinguished wines of similar, if less costly, prestige.  Especially surprised because they’re so selective of their quality that we’re lucky if they wring 250 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon a year out of the vineyard.  We’re definitely looking forward to welcoming them in February, and I’m glad to see their efforts rewarded by inclusion on high quality (and high priced) lists. 

Gary Ochwat (L), Debi, and Ricardo Cajulis at Wine Experience 2006

Now, about New Zealand.  As I mentioned in a previous entry, our goal is to offer you wines that come from places where the fruit character and winemaking expression reach their apex.  While much can certainly be said about Sauvignon Blanc from California, Chile and other excellent regions, there are two places in the world where this particular wine really finds a home.  The first, of course, is the Loire Valley in France, where the grape is believed to have originated, and where it reaches a truly pure expression.  The second is New Zealand, where it is crafted in a completely different style.  We promise that you’ll have the opportunity to sample them both.

The vineyards of Cloudy Bay

Didier Dagueneau, the Wild Man of the Loire. 1956-2008

Now, these Kiwis are a whole different barrel of juice.  Their Sauv Blancs smack you in the face with fresh zingy flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, gooseberry, lychee, and grass, on a firm frame of bright acidity.  I’ve always thought that wine is a product of the culture that creates it, and this stuff sort of proves the point.  It’s a style of wine that expresses the New Zealanders themselves… friendly,  hospitable, and easy to like.  Best of all, some excellent examples (90-92 points) can be had in the $20 and under range.

So…there’s a lot to look forward to, and I’ll keep you up to date as we finalize our selections over the next few months.  Salud!

The Grand Tasting…it’ll be grand for sure!

Grape Vines at Spring Mountain Vineyard

Just now starting on assembling the wines for the much-anticipated Grand Tasting on Saturday, February 28.  I’ve asked the area’s major wine distributors (plus one or two select retailers) to put together a list of recommended wines from all major areas of the world.  From these, I’ll develop a master list that will offer the best possible representation of varietals, styles, winemaker interpretations, and regions.

Of course, I have a few specific goals in mind, and it just might do me a bit of good to list them, so I don’t get lost in all the fun of looking through hundreds of great wines.  Besides, making our wine-loving attendees happy is of supreme importance, and I don’t want to screw it up.

Okay….

First, there is the issue of quality.  I’m trying very hard to source wines that are rated at least 90 points (or “Classic”) by either Wine Spectator magazine or Robert Parker.  At the Wine Experience in New York back in October, I asked Senior Wine Spectator Editor Bruce Sanderson about his strategy when he rates wines.  What does he think about when he tastes wines and assigns a point rating?  “I’m tough,” he told me.  I’ll also try to hold my selections to the highest standards, and I expect to see a lot of heavy sampling and purple teeth on that Saturday afternoon in February.

Castello de Amorosa, south of Calistoga

Second, there’s the matter of variety.  While many wine geeks (present company included) love to discover obscure varietals that absolutely nobody has ever heard of (like Nerello Mascalese, grown only on the eastern slopes of Mt. Etna), I can’t count on the same high level of geekiness from all our guests.  Which, now that I think of it, is probably a good thing.  So I’m planning to stick to the major wine types of the world…recognizable varietals that will offer both familiarity, discovery, and enjoyment to everyone who swirls, sniffs, and sips.  (Of course, there will be some surprises, too.)

Vines at Castello de Amorosa

Third, I want to be sure that each varietal is characteristic of and native to its place.  That means I will most likely be choosing Pinot Noir (for example) from Burgundy and Oregon rather than from New Zealand.  And, speaking of New Zealand, you can be sure of a delectable selection of Sauvignon Blancs from that land Down Under.  If it’s Syrah, it’ll be the Rhone Valley and Australia.  Most of the wines will come from their native homes, and speak to us of those places.

So I’m working on it, and it seems like there’s a lot of time left, but there’s not.  The spreadsheet will be massive as I narrow the choices down to the highest quality selections.

I may have to taste through some of them (filthy job….), so the writing may become progressively less coherent.  It’s a hazard of the occupation.

Watch this spot…and come back soon.