The Oenophile Network Wine Blog

Wine 2.0 - A terrific tasting event

2008-04-25T21:04:01Z

A colleague of mine, Spencer Jackson, and I attended a great wine tasting event last night called Wine 2.0. Wine 2.0 was founded by Cornelius Geary and is run by Cornelius and Smoke Wallin. (Full disclosure, Cornelius's company, Radcru, is a client of mine.) Wine 2.0 brought together 200 wine industry, technology and venture capital folks for a wine tasting with over 40 different wineries and producers. Some of the wineries were well known (like Chateau St. Jean), some were unknown. It took place at Crushpad. The attendance was unbelieveable and Cornelius was a great host. Oh, and the wine? Yummy too. I recommend keeping your eye out for future Wine 2.0 events. Here are some pics: Cornelius and Smoke Stephen and Spencer more pics after the jump... ]]>

A quick lunch at left bank

2008-04-19T22:09:33Z

Had a nice simple lunch today at left bank. Good graves and poullet. They did say bon soir three times, though, and it was noon.

SF Giants have good wine at the ballpark?!

2007-04-14T17:02:41Z

I've never (ever) had a glass of wine at a baseball game. But, after reading a recent SF Chronicle article about how Giants crush A's in wine pairing, I just might. I don't care much whether the wine at the A's park is worse than the wine at the Giants park, but I do like the fact that I might be able to find a decent glass of wine at PacBell, err, AT&T Park. Now, if I can get over my phobia of looking a little less than cool at the park with a glass of vino in my hand...and perhaps find some good cheese too...

Wine Pronunciation Guide

2006-11-11T23:12:00Z

I often struggle with the correct pronunciation of wine names and terms, like Chassagne-Montrachet. There are a bunch of resources on the web to help with that, including audio clips and text pronunciation guides. There are also a couple of pretty good wine-dictionaries too, which explain wine tasting terms and other things like masceration. Robin Garr's Wine Lovers' Page Lexicon A pretty good general dictionary of wine terms. Also has audio recordings of basic wine terms like Auslese, Charbono, Chianti, Gewurztraminer, Pauillac, Pinot Meunier, and Verdicchio. Most of the audio recordings are French. A good smattering of tasting terms are defined, too—like chocolate, hazelnut, leather, ripe, etc. Louis Latour Louis Latour's page is perhaps the best place to go to find Burgundy-related audio clips of pronunciations. Berry Bros. & Rudd BBR.com has audio clips demonstrating the proper pronunciations of virtually all of the Bordeaux Chateaux. (It appears that there should be links to other areas here, but I couldn't find them.) Strat's Place Living Audio Wine Dictionary The Living Audio Wine Dictionary has many audio clips and definitions of wine terms—best to go here if you aren't finding it at the others listed here. It does have a more diverse set of terms, but I found the site difficult to navigate and it did contain some dead links. Definitely worth visiting if you're not finding it elsewhere. Tasters Guild New York Tasters Guild New York has a pronunciation glossary, but no audio clips. If you're looking for a dictionary-style text guide to pronunciation (i.e. Chambertin (shahm-bear-tan)), this is the place to go. The number of definitions is very limited, however. You might have more luck with a traditional dictionary site if you're not finding it here. Other wine dictionaries include: Epicurious - A good dictionary of commonly used terms (and some less common too). Terroir France - A short guide to French terms. Interwines - One of the few dictionaries that helps translate Spanish wine terms to English. ]]> November 11, 2006 Wine Notes article. Unfortunately, WSJ is subscription only.

Champagne Favorite Election Day Wine?

2006-11-07T06:15:45Z

Google news search for "champagne election day" returns 137 current news stories. The most frequent reference seems to be "popping the champagne" in reference to, depending on the point of the story, "democrats not popping the champagne yet" or "they're getting ready to pop the champagne". Regardless of your political affiliation (or the results of the election), I think sparkling wine is definitely the best wine to enjoy election day. On election day (and maybe the 4th of July), it just doesn't seem right to drink the French stuff...though...the best stuff does tend to come from French producers. Want a great compromise? Go with a Roederer Estate sparkling wine. Roederer is the California outpost of Louis Roederer, and they make great wine in Anderson Valley. The Roederer Estate 1999 L'Ermitage Estate is terrific (about $45), as is the the Roederer Estate NV Brut--probably the best deal around right now, going for $20 or less at most places. And, if you just have to go French, the Louis Roederer 1999 Cristal Brut is stellar. But, at $200-$240, I'd stick with the domestic stuff, especially on Election Day. Regardless of your political affiliation, I urge you to vote on Election Day. And enjoy the bubbly Tuesday night...no matter the results...celebrate democracy.]]> (Keeping my fingers crossed on election day!)

Robert Parker Tastes Pinot Noir at the CIA (and I miss it)

2006-10-28T15:49:34Z

My favorite wine grape is pinot noir. (See my Facebook group as evidence.) I was flipping through the internet this morning and noticed that there is a wonderful sounding tasting event scheduled at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Robert M. Parker, Jr. was scheduled to taste 12 new- and old-world pinot noirs together with an audience of 100 guests....three days ago, on Thursday October 26, 2006. Darn. I missed it. I was pretty bummed about missing it (though I can't say I mind not spending the $500), so I dug around on the internet to see if I could find anyone's tasting notes from the event. Here's why I found the internet reports especially interesting: Robert Parker isn't known for his Pinot Noir tasting skills. He's had Pierre Rovani writing about Burgundy for the Wine Advocate for years (and Pierre's leaving), and his reputation for picking out big powerful wines seems almost the antithesis of a good Burgundy. I'm really curious to see what he says about these wines. Part of the idea of the tasting was to taste the wines blind, and to see how well folks could pick the new- and old-world pinots correctly. Would the audience get them right? Would Parker? How do the new- and old-world wines stack up against each other? I almost always favor Burgundy, but of late there have been some pretty Burgundian attempts at Pinot Noir in the new world too (Brewer-Clifton comes to mind). I found three sites with some pretty good information, and I've listed them below. Here's the executive summary of what's interesting in these posts: 1. The top pick of the entire group was the least expensive wine ($50) -- 2004 ROAR "Gary's Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. 2. The $550 DRC. Wasn't. Good. The group tasted the 2002 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanee. As Pinotblogger wrote: "Forest floor and a little Brett. Parker called it “dirty” and I remember agreeing. Thin. Moderate and unremarkable acidity. Ho hum." 3. Parker loved the Kistler 2002 “Cuvee Catherine” Russian River Valley. Not a surprise that he'd like Kistler, but it is interesting to note that even in a blind tasting he picked it out when some thought it was so rich as to be almost syrupy. Not my idea of a Pinot Noir. 4. Looks like everyone struggled more with identifying the new- vs. old-world; even Parker. I'm slightly surprised at this, but I guess I shouldn't be. Blind tasting should be mandatory. 5. Wow. Burgundies have gotten so expensive that it isn't worth the risk anymore. Here's hoping that Allen Meadows decides to lower the subscription price to Burghound. [Update on 10/29/06] The thread at Mark Squires' Bulletin Board has become a very interesting one. There have been posts by some of the attendees, many of whom, themselves, are well known interesting folks including: Frank Ostini (owner and Executive Chef of the Hitching Post II Restaurant and co-owner of Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Winery )

I felt privileged to be there. But I would rather enjoy these wines at their prime with food and not with 11 others.

Adam Lee (owner, Siduri Wines and the winemaker the Roar that was tasted) -- Adam goes through and provides his own tasting notes in the thread. They're extremely enlightening, as is the entire thread. Others in the thread have remarked that the '02 Burgundies are 'closed' and that it isn't fair to compare them to wines that have less aging potential. Worth a click. [END update] If you want more details -- in order of useful information (most to least):

Pinotblogger

Vinography

Mark Squiers' Bulletin Board (on eRobertParker.com)

Tasting - Affordable - 2002 Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac (Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande)

2006-10-20T07:58:00Z

The second wines from Pauillac can be affordable and delicious, even with todays sky-high prices. Pichon-Lalande, in particular, frequently produces very pleasing second and sometimes even third growth wines. They generally reflect the typical Bourdeaux character of cedar, smoke, black currents and often a bit of tobac. However, unlike some in Bourdeaux, Pichon-Lalande can taste "supple, fruity and smooth enough to be drunk young" (Parker, Bourdeaux, 3rd Ed., p. 283). Pichon-Lalande's second growth often rivals the best clarets out there, regardless of growth. I recently shared a bottle of the 2002 Réserve de la Comtesse Pauillac (Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande). Worth noting before you read further: this wine was only $25. In Pauillac, 2002 was a very good vintage, though not a classic. Most of the first growths aren't ready to drink yet, but the second wines, like the 2002 Comtesse, are often very approachable and perfect for a weeknight or even a special occaision, depending on your budget and likes. This is probably not an ageworthy wine (<7 yrs), but it certainly will go well with your meal. Here's what I tasted: intial aromas of smoke and current; upon hitting the tongue, I was initially hit with a slightly gamey taste (which some might dislike--I enjoyed it), followed by a cedary/smokey blast amid a taste of black currents. Perhaps most importantly for a wine in this price range, I found it to be well integrated and balanced, with smooth but present tanins and a soft finish. Definitely ready to drink now--you'll love it with pasta, roasted meats or probably something more exotic like roasted boar. This is the sort of wine that I think I'll remember for a while. For only $25, a pleasant surprise.]]> A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this wine is excellent. With a dense ruby/purple color, a complex nose of cedar wood, spice box, black currants, and smoke, and abundant plumpness and flesh, it is ideal for drinking over the next 7-10 years. He gave it an 89 in the Wine Advocate # 158, April 2005. Here's what Wine Spectator said, online:

Aromas and flavors of blackberries, cherries and minerals follow through to a medium-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fresh finish ... Best after 2006.

Some helpful links: K&L Wines has it at: http://www.klwines.com/product.asp?sku=1016103 Winemaker: http://www.pichon-lalande.com/