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!

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