Gary and Nancy Andrus founded Napa Valley stalwart Pine Ridge Winery more than 30 years ago. In the time they ran that winery, they not only produced a steady stream of excellent wine, but they also were on the precipice of innovation. Long before the public at large was aware of the potential in Napa Valley they introduced quality initiatives in planting and cooperage that were ahead of most of their peers. They were even among the first to hire a female winemaker, long before it was commonplace. Their offerings range from high production wines like their Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend…
Author: Gabe Sasso
Pinot Noir is one of the great varietals of the world. The well-made versions of it can be awe-inspiring. The poorly made ones, well not so much. The problem can be that what some producers label as Pinot Noir isn’t really made in a style true to this grape. While blending is acceptable (and often wonderful) with almost any other varietal it’s rarely a good thing with Pinot. Sometimes producers add a dollop of Petite Syrah or Syrah to make the wine darker or firmer in structure. In other cases they add so much that it completely alters the flavor…
The sheer number of different grapes planted and used to make wine in Italy is absolutely mind numbing. Just when I think I have a handle on it, some obscure varietal hits my radar and seems to deserve attention. Some of the better-known (and a few lesser-known) examples are planted in other parts of the world. In California, Cal-Ital is the term often used for growing and making wine from grapes of Italian origin or pedigree. The success rate, not surprisingly, varies greatly. There are some excellent examples out there, and I’ll take a look at three of them. Caparone…
If you go wine shopping and get anywhere near the South American section, you’ve likely seen Malbec on the shelves. This grape, with its roots in France as one of the five Bordeaux varietals, has really come into its own in Argentina. Many red varietals grow well and produce lovely wines in Argentina. Malbec, however, is the grape that shines brighter in Argentina than it does elsewhere. They not only bottle it as a stand-alone wine, they often generously blend it with other varietals too. What really gets me excited about Malbec is the versatility of styles it’s made into.…
From Bordeaux to Napa Valley, and almost every major wine region in between, Cabernet Sauvignon is treated like a King. The style, taste and intent can vary greatly. There are several things incredibly appealing about making Cabernet Sauvignon. First of all, the grape can make approachable, food-friendly wines ready to drink from the word go, and it can also produce blockbuster wines capable of aging for many decades (not to mention just about everything in between). When they are big, structured wines sure to improve with age, the price can rise dramatically — and let’s face it, commerce is an…
I love drinking expensive (and well-made) wine as much as the next guy. But what really gets me excited is a bargain, and in these tough economic times, a bargain is more important than ever. Most of us can’t spend $20 or more on a bottle of wine every night of the week, but if you like some vino with your meal, you want something decent. There are plenty of wines out there whose taste is as cheap as their price. The key is to find wines that over-deliver for their price. So I’m recommending three Reds that can usually…
World-wide, Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape. Take a look at the shelves of your local wine shop, grocery store or virtually anywhere you can buy wine and it’s likely to astound you how many Chardonnays are on the shelf. This is a wine that knows no price boundaries. Careful shopping will unearth examples for less than $5, or well north of $100. Within that range is a host of differences. Real estate is the first thing that will affect the price. Chardonnay planted on prime property in Burgundy France is going to command more than wine from an…
Zinfandel has been called many things, including “America’s Heritage Grape.” While in truth Zinfandel has roots that go back to Croatia, and it’s also the sibling of Italy’s Primitivo, the U.S. has as much claim to Zinfandel as any country — maybe more. While other wine regions have started growing Zinfandel, and Italy and Croatia are home to its ancestors, no region has embraced Zinfandel the way California has. Maybe it’s because the wines it produces are often brash, bold and scream “look at me!” Things people blame us as a country of doing. Perhaps it’s because they are often…
This time out I’m looking at three red wine blends. Many wines these days have some percentage of various grapes in the mix. To legally be labeled with a varietal name, Syrah for instance, the bottle must contain a minimum of 75 percent Syrah. If they’re not at least 75 percent of one particular grape, then they are a blend of some sort. In France, of course, Bordeaux is one of the better-known regions for blends. In the New World, wineries that make a Bordeaux style blend sometimes use the name Meritage. However, to label a wine as such requires…
There are certain types of wine that always get my attention. Whether at a friend’s house, a public wine tasting or at a winery, if someone offers me a taste of Cabernet Franc, my response is sure to be, “yes please.” Cabernet Franc is a tremendous grape, but it really gets short shrift in the U.S. It’s mainly used for blending, most often with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. But let it shine on its own, or at least as the starring component (as it often is in France), and Cabernet Franc has the potential for great things. I recently tasted…