Where Good Wine Doesn't Come From

Beautiful places in the world may be fun, but don't expect
them to have awesome wine.  If grapes don't grow there,
you're probably not going to find great local wine. 

Sometimes things are just a little more evident than you want to admit. Things like just knowing that you should tie your shoes so you don't trip and fall. Another example that I learned at an early age is that you probably shouldn't trust canned food that doesn't have a label on it. Otherwise, your canned beans could actually be tuna.

In the wine world there are things that aren't so obvious on the surface, but when you really think about it you realize that wine that comes from certain parts of the world probably isn't the best wine. Chances are, it probably isn't even good wine.

I only say this because as I travel around the country, and see wine news and information from around the world, I see lots of places where wine probably shouldn't be getting made. I don't want to mention any particular wineries or specific regions, but let's think about this for a minute.

At the same time, wine grown and made in certain parts of the world really make sense. A few of those regions of success are Napa, Sonoma, Walla Walla, and Dundee. If you look at a label and it has one of those places noted on it as the area of origin you are pretty much looking at a good wine. Granted, bad wines happen from any area. But, the odds are in your favor.

What I'm talking about here is those times that you are driving through North Dakota and suddenly you see a roadside sign for Chateau Fargo. I'm not telling you to not stop. Heck, it probably is going to be a lot more entertaining than some giant ball of twine. However, please remember that you haven't just pulled into a farm in Bordeaux. You can't expect some deep dark Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of depth and structure.

Really, the same holds true of all the wineries that you experience as you drive along the British Columbia and Washington State coasts. So many times, when I'm in those areas, I see hundreds of cars pulled into these tasting rooms and lots of cases walking off the properties. When the wines are tasted though, the wine just simply lacks the ability to be called great. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate mail and letter bombs for saying this, but frankly you can't expect anything great from these wineries.

What can you expect from a winery from one of these areas? An “experience”. Nothing more and nothing less. You can't expect great wine. However, when you do experience great wines from these places you should shout about it.

One such vintners that I luckily found a couple of years ago was San Juan Vineyards. The Merlot there is time and again as good as any wine in the region. At the same time, I've found wineries such as the NOLA winery in New Orleans that offers great fruit wines from anything but grapes.

So, the next time you're traveling through Pennsylvania and you see road signs for a winery, go ahead and make a stop. I'm sure that the Amish make great wine from some alfalfa or something. Just don't expect the wine to taste like a fine Rhone. If it does, get the winery to send me a bottle. I'll taste it and if I agree I'll eat my words!

Cheers!

Don't Overlook This Chardonnay




Landmark Overlook Chardonnay

  A few weeks ago when I was out of town I received a familiar looking package. This particular bottle came from a winery located at the Northern tip of Sonoma’s Highway 12.

Landmark Vineyards, in operation since 1974 has been one of the bright stars in the Sonoma wine culture. The winery initially started in Windsor, California, and was relocated in 1989 to a state-of-the-art facility at the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain to get away from the urban sprawl. The facility is built in a beautiful Spanish style, and offers gorgeous grounds to its visitors.

In 1993 world renowned enologist Helen Turley came to work with then winemaker Eric Stern. The winery quickly gained world acclaim and has seen the Wine Spectator top 100 many times since. Their flagship wine, the Overlook Chardonnay has graced the list seven times since 1997.

The current winemaker, Greg Statch, works closely with Eric Stern as the winemaker emeritus. Statch, who was originally a journalist went back to school to become a winemaker, graduating from Fresno state in 2001. His specialty is clearly Pinot Noir, and he has brought a great amount of acclaim to the winery for his skill with this tough grape. He also works as Pinot Master at nearby Kanzler Vineyards.

Together, the winemakers crush, ferment, and bottle approximately 20,000 cases of wine each year at the winery. The secret to their success is careful shopping for grapes throughout the California Coast. Their mantra is “Your wine is only as good as your vineyards”. Their vineyard sources include names like Heintz, Rodgers Creek, Flocchini, Sangiacomo, and Bien Nacido.

The grapes are harvested early in the morning and delivered to the crush pad for a process of whole cluster pressing. They then rack the juice into French Oak and allow indiginous yeasts to ferment the juice. The wine spends 8-10 months in oak. A second, malolactic, fermentation softens the wine afterwards. The wine is then blended from the various lots and a special portion is set aside to sit in barrels for an additional time of up to 13 months. This is the juice that is used to create their Overlook label Chardonnay.

I received the 2010 Overlook label wine in its burgundy style brown glass bottle. It has a look and heft of a quality bottle of wine. The wine poured from the glass with a beautiful fresh straw color. Soft fresh bread notes, lemon, vanilla, and peach fill the nose. The flavors are creamy with peaches and warm toast mixed with baking spices. The finish was very balanced. Clean and yet softly lingering.

I served this wine with a baked chicken dish that I make with cream, bread crumbs, and pickled cherries. The wine paired perfectly. I would serve it with any poultry dish.

The question people always have from this region when I write up a Californian wine is “where can I get it?”. My answer is that it is full distribution in many areas around the northwest. If all goes well it should be available in our area. You can also get the wine direct through the winery. Contact them at www.landmarkwine.com.

Enjoy!

Clos du Bois A Tasty Californian Brand

As a wine writer at a small Northeast Oregon newspaper I figure that I have “arrived”. No, it’s not that I’m something spectacular, or that I’m even well read or respected for my opinion. Heck, I still rely pretty heavily on spell check. I know that I’ve “arrived” when people actually ask me to drink their wines.

As you have probably noticed, I usually write about Northwest based wines. However, this week I am making a pretty big jump to a California winery. The reason is simply that they asked very nicely.

Last week I was contacted by Kylie, a representative for the Clos du Bois winery located in Geyserville, California. Kylie suggested that I try a few of their wines, which I admit I had seen on grocery store shelves before but had never tasted.

Clos du Bois, pronounced CLO doo Bwah, originated in 1974 in the now famous Alexander Valley AVA of the Sonoma California region. Frank Woods, the originator wanted to name it “Woods Winery”, but his children who were studying French at the time came up with the name, which means “enclosure in the woods”.

Clos du Bois offers three tiers of wines to the public, including their Classic series, their Sonoma Reserve series, and their Proprietary series. The series that we are able to enjoy here in Northeast Oregon is the Classic series, which is what you will find in local stores.

Winemaker Erik Olsen does have local roots here in Eastern Oregon though. His past history includes being the winemaker for one of the finest wines ever produced by Chateau Ste. Michelle, the renowned 2000 Single Berry Select Riesling. As winemaker at Clos, he has put amazing energy into producing fabulous wines in all three tiers.

First I tasted the 2008 Pinot Grigio. It opened crisp on the nose with apples and citrus. As the wine warmed in the glass it opened up to reveal more melon flavors. The acidity on the finish was very nice. I tasted this with fresh cheve’ on toast and loved it!

The 2008 Sonoma Rose’ is made from 80% syrah and 20% merlot. It is filled with flavors and scents of strawberries, watermelon, and cherries. The mineral flavors in the finish make it very crisp. I had this with butternut squash soup and it was a perfect pairing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2007 North Coast Pinot Noir. It has flavors of cherry, blackberries, cranberry, and a wonderful earthiness of fresh chanterelles. Unlike other Pinot Noirs of its price range it remained very fresh through the finish. I would highly recommend this wine if you are serving duck, or veal. I had it with smoked oysters. Yum!

Last, I tried the 2006 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. A nice nose of dark stone fruits, vanilla, and blackberries led to flavors of baking spices and mocha. I was very impressed with the layered depth and finish of this wine for its price. I would serve it with red meats or as a glass by the fire in the evening.

The next time you are in the store I suggest picking up some Clos du Bois. It is definitely worth trying.

Enjoy!