Grape Sense

Wines from Italy's Organic Pioneers

2012-02-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Much of Europe is way ahead of the United States when it comes to the demand and supply of organic products.

Ivo Nardi, one of Italy’s leading organic wine producers, makes the Italian sparkling wine Prosecco and has become one of that nation’s organic farming method leaders.

Nardi’s Perlage label was one of 587 at Millesime Bio organic trade wine fair in Montpellier, France, Jan. 23-25. I attended the wine fair as part of a press trip sponsored by AIVB, the French Languedoc wine region trade association.

The Millesime Bio is in its 19^th year. It’s an international trade show allowing wineries to connect directly to importers from countries around the world. All participating wineries are certified organic by their national governing bodies to be eligible for participation.

Ivo Nardi, right, toasting sales manager Marcella Callegari.

Nardi and his brother Claudio have run Perlage since its founding in 1985. Prosecco is the far northeastern region about an hour from Venice.

The Nardi brothers began to use organic farming techniques in their vineyards from the very beginning. In 2005, Perlage began working in biodynamic agricultural practices.

A basic understanding of organic versus sulfite-free is necessary for U.S. consumers. The Food and Drug Administration has ruled, as recently as Dec. 2010, that wines sold in the U.S. can only be called organic if they are 100 percent sulfite free. Most European standards allow some use of sulfites to preserve the wine.

Therefore, a bottle of European wine will be labeled “produced with organically grown grapes” if it’s sold in the United States. And that’s a point that doesn’t set well with European producers. Still, European organic growers use the absolute minimum sulfites needed.

Nardi insists the demand for organic products is higher in Europe than elsewhere. He tells the story of selling 10,000 bottles of Perlage wines to a grocery chain in Holland. The buyers were reluctant worried if the product would sell. But the wines started flying off the shelves because the product was good – organic or not. That supermarket chain ended up selling 100,000 bottles in six months, Nardi said.

“We have a dream not just to be organic but that all of the production of DOCG Prosecco becomes organic within 3-4 years from now,” Nardi said. “We would like to increase our research on all of our production with the goal to reduce sulfites in all of our wines. The knowledge we gain helps with all of our wines.

“The philosophy in biodynamics is better responsibility and better relationship between man and the environment.”

But organic and biodynamic practices are difficult for farmers. They don’t use pesticides, herbicides, or any chemical products in the production of their wines. Cleanliness in handling the product, the exposure to oxygen, and cleanliness in bottling is far more critical than in traditional wine making processes.

During the Millesime Bio I tasted through the Perlage wines, particularly their Proseccos. We tasted the wonderful and groundbreaking Perlage Animae. It’s groundbreaking because it is 100 percent sulfite free. It was every bit as palate pleasing as the other four Prosecco wines we tasted. It retails in the U.S. for $29.99.

Prosecco is a delightfully affordable and refreshing sparkling wine made largely around the district of Valdobbiadene. Good Prosecco choices can be found from a variety of producers for less than $20. It has softer bubbles and a softer taste than many sparkling wines.

Perlage wines are widely available in the U.S. and imported by Chartrand Imports of Maine. Indiana’s Graybull Wines distributes Perlage. The label is also available in Illinois.

Perlage Sangiovese and two of its Prosecco sparklers are available in Indiana. Derek Gray said his biggest selling Perlage label is the Pinot Grigio.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes about wine for 18 Midwestern newspapers. Read his blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Wine Travel Really is Work

2012-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

The wine industry spends a lot of money worldwide to promote brands, regions, and wine tourism. One of the many ways the wine industry invests is press trips.

Depending on when you read this column, I’m either in France or just returned from a press trip.

Friends, co-workers, and acquaintances really lay it on thick when I’m off on one of these jaunts. I visited Paso Robles, CA. in 2010 and Mendocino County, CA. in January 2011.

The picture of a bunch of wine geeks with noses in a glass pontificating on aroma, finish, and terrior isn’t far off. And anyone who has ever taken such a trip will tell you it’s a pleasure to visit the regions and be given the royal treatment. The wine, food, and lodging are normally first class.

There are some ground rules almost every wine writer or journalist follows. First, there is no quid pro quo. Most marketing firms are pros who understand no journalist is going to promise to write specific stories or a story at all. It’s the same as free wine samples, which I do receive, there is no guarantee I’m going to write about the wine or certainly that I’m even going to like it.

But my response when approached by these trip planners is fairly simple. I write this column every other week for 18 newspapers. I have a wine blog, write for a quarterly magazine based in Anderson, In., and contribute a handful of stories each year to Palate Press – the National Online Wine Magazine. I have a lot of mouths to feed. I need content.

Chatting with Don Lange during a 2011 summer visit.

Such trips open my eyes to new wines in new regions and most importantly new ideas. Today’s column is the No. 85 since I started Grape Sense in October, 2009. That’s not counting more than 500 blog entries, two years of magazine stories and about a dozen major stories for Palate Press.

But that image of the wine geeks around the table being wined and dined isn’t totally accurate. On some trips the day is scheduled 8 or 9 a.m. until 10 or 11 p.m. Two winery visits in the morning and three more in the afternoon. That means five wineries times six to eight wines a visit to be tasted. A side note, you do learn how to judge and appreciate wine employing the spitting method.

My Jan 21-27 trip to Montpellier, France is something new for me. It’s my first wine junket abroad and it’s centered on the 19^th annual Millésime Bio - the world’s largest organic wine fair. All the wineries in attendance produce wine from organically grown grapes. It’s a private trade event where nearly 600 wineries pour wines for importers, wholesalers, and others who get it to retail shelves.

There is a pre-conference program to educate the journalists on the organic movement in France and I’ve been set up with a fabulous full day of winery visits Jan. 26 before I return home. On that Thursday I’m lucky to talk to some of the founders and leaders of the French organic wine movement which dates back to the 1960s.

So all that’s great for the wine writer but what’s it all mean for the reader? I think it adds credibility to my wine writing. It greatly expands my knowledge base. It allows me to tell readers to try the powerful and balanced red wines of Paso Robles that come at half the cost of Napa Valley. It allows me to recommend Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from Mendocino that will blow you away. And after this trip, I’m going to know a lot more about organic wines and how the movement is improving the environment while providing a truly natural product.

I think that’s a pretty powerful message.

I will be blogging daily from Montpellier. Follow along at: www.redforme.blogspot.com or go back and read those posts. I’ll also be doing updates throughout each day on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/howardhewitt

Italy's Favorite White Wine

2012-01-19T12:45:00.001-08:00

Winter is the time for hearty food and bold wines. But every once in a while a change of pace brightens the day.

Two bottles of Italian Soave reminded me why the wine really hits the spot on hot summer days and how it serves as a refresher during the months of Syrah, Cabernet, and Zinfandel.

But first, a little background. Travelers to Italy often visit Tuscany and the Piedmont wine regions. But Soave wine country, located in the north eastern part of the country near Verona, offers beautiful vistas, a historic castle, and a wonderfully drinkable wine.

Soave is made from the Garganega grape, new to many wine drinkers. Soave wines can be 100 percent Garganega or blended with Trebbiano or Chardonnay. The wine has a delightful fresh and smooth feel on the palate with good structure and hints of citrus.

Soave has been around for years. It’s usually quite inexpensive and easy to find. Soave is also growing in popularity. The Italian Wine Commission reports Soave exports to the United States increased by more than 20 percent from 2009 to 2010.

“The microclimates and diverse terroir in the Soave production zone give our wines unique personalities with balanced structures, beautiful bouquets and fresh acidity,” Giovanni Ponchia, a Soave Consortium oenologist, said in a recent press release. “Our wines are versatile, great to drink fresh and they pair well with international cuisines.”

In addition to the overall category growth, the number of Soave producers selling their wines in the US grew by 16 percent.

The other interesting press note was that Italian Soave producers have been convinced in recent years that young American wine drinkers just didn’t know much about its wines.

Furthermore, the so-called wine trade (or wine writers, distributors, retailers) just didn’t think much it. A concerted marketing effort seems to have changed all that.

Soave is planted on the southern slopes of the Lessini Mountains on the southern edge of the Italian Alps.

There are three different types of Soave:

- Soave DOC, which includes the sub-zones of Soave Classico and Soave Colli Scaligeri

- Soave Superiore DOCG (2001) which also includes wines with the “Riserva” designation

- Recioto di Soave DOCG (1998) a dessert wine not often found in the US

“The world is starting to embrace this complex yet easy-to-drink, food-friendly white wine,” said Aldo Lorenzoni, director of the Soave Consortium. “Enjoyed and highly regarded for centuries in Italy, we are eager to educate wine drinkers in America about the quality, elegance and romance of Soave wines.”

Soave is my favorite vacation wine. I discovered it a few years ago on a hot Florida beach. It should be easy to find and as inexpensive as most supermarket wines. It is a big change from the traditional Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs.

Soave wines are great for seafood and shell fish, grilled vegetables, some chicken and pork dishes.

Howard’s Picks:

The Suave Consortium sent two bottles of Soave for consideration. Bolla’s Soave Classico would probably be the easiest to find at a wine shop, liquor store, or even market. It has hints of pear and honey, light to medium bodied with alcohol at about 13 percent.

Re Midas 2009 Soave – This was outstanding Soave wine, one of the best I’ve ever tasted. It’s 100 percent Garganega grown on the hillsides of the village of Soave. It was very bright with citrus, mineral, and a nice lingering finish. The alcohol was 12 percent. SRP $9.99

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes about wine every other week for 18 Midwestern newspapers. Visit his wine blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

What's New Year's Without Bubby Wine?

2011-12-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

A wine writer’s occupational hazards include obligatory New Year’s columns on sparkling wines and year-end ‘best of” lists.

It’s fun to review the previous year and pick out a Top 10 – something you’ll read in the next Grape Sense. It’s tougher to write about sparkling wines when it isn’t a favorite. Still, it’s the time of year a lot of questions come up about a New Year’s sparkler.

After a little more than three years and 82 newspaper columns, only two were about sparkling wines. Some of that is repeated here along with two best bet suggestions.

Any discussion about sparkling wine has to start with French Champagne. It’s not cheap, there is lots of it, and it can range from plain awful to magic in a glass. You can buy the Dom Perignon for around $130 a bottle. You can take a step up from that and go with Louis Roederer’s Cristal in a crystal bottle if you’re prepared to shell out $350.

But let’s face it; most of us aren’t buying that sort of wine.

If you want something more than the grocery’s usual Asti-Spumante (which isn’t bad), then you have to get into your nearest wine shop and rely on the merchant’s expertise.

A good place to start is with an Italian Prosecco. It’s generally lighter than champagne, less alcohol content, but you still get the bubbles! And you can find pretty decent Prosecco at $15-$20.

Another great pick is a Spanish Cava. Cava hails from the region around Barcelona. Cava sparkling wines have become very popular and can be found in the $10-$20 range.

If you want a good U.S. sparkling wine (only France’s Champagne region can call its juice ‘Champagne’) there are good options. California’s Korbel and Washington’s St. Michelle have value sparklers and more expensive bubbling wines that will be great for Dec. 31.

Roederer Estate in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley makes really beautiful sparkling wine at a higher price point. I tasted several of their sparkling wines during a January 2011 trip to Mendocino and all were really beautiful. The Roederer Estate sparklers range from $20-$150.

Probably the easiest to find and safest choice, that will delight your palate, is California’s Gloria Ferrer’s Sonoma Brut. The wonderful and affordable Ferrer Brut is made of the traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The bubbly has a nice soft or almost creamy feel in your mouth. It tastes much better than its easy-to-digest price point of $16-$20.

My top choice for your New Year’s Eve is widely available and one of the best wines I tasted this year. Banfi Rosa Regale is a delicious Italian sparkling wine. It has strong raspberry with a rich mid-palate. The bubbles are somewhat restrained. The dark cranberry color is festive and beautiful. The alcohol is a ridiculously low 7 percent. The suggested retail is $20.

You can’t go wrong with the Gloria Ferrer Brut or Banfi Sparkling Rose’. Try either or both and celebrate the New Year!

Choosing Wine as a Holiday Gift

2011-12-09T09:22:00.001-08:00

A bottle of wine makes a lovely Christmas gift when attending parties, calling on friends, or for that wine lover next door.

But, what should you buy? There are a couple of things you can do to assure success.

- Does the person enjoy wine? Are they a regular wine drinker or just an occasional glass?

- Does the person enjoy red more than white or vice-versa?

- What are you willing to spend on a bottle of wine?

With no offense to grocery stores or even liquor stores with limited inventory, the first piece of advice is get to a wine shop or a liquor store with a wide selection and a knowledgeable staff.

Almost all good wine shops are a lot more interested in making you happy than just selling you a bottle $5 higher than you intended on spending. Small retail business of all type are totally dependent on repeat business.

Let’s talk in general about some wines that would be great gifts. In this Grape Sense, I’m only recommending wines I have tried in recent years.

If your friend is a Chardonnay fan try to find something different than the stereotypical California oak-laden Chard. Ask the sales person for an unoaked Chardonnay or a Chardonnay that is a blend of oaked and unoaked juice. There is a huge selection of good Chardonnay under $18.

If this is a special friend get to a wine shop with a higher-end inventory and buy a French Chablis or White Burgundy. The 2008 Domain Joseph Drouhin Chablis is outstanding wine lighter on the palate with bright acidity. The White Burgundy will be more expensive but be one of the nicest glasses of white wine your friend may ever enjoy.

If you’re feeling adventurous look for a nice white blend. Sokol Blossor, Oregon, makes a delightful white with intense fruit and lasting palate impression called Evolution. It can be found in most wine shops at $15. Caymus’ Conundrum is a sweeter blend of several grapes that gives you tangy green apple, tangerine, and floral characteristics. The Condundrum normally retails $20-$25.

It’s easy to pick a Cabernet Sauvignon off the shelf and throw a bow on it. But don’t overlook the many beautiful red blends that are easy to drink, affordable, and go with just about any meal. I’d direct consumers to Washington State red wines or California’s Paso Robles region. Paso specializes in the traditionally French Rhone grapes. It would be a unique gift that will impress your guests. You might look around for Ortman’s Cuvee Eddy, a wonderful Paso blend that sells for under $20.

I think of all red wine Pinot Noir makes the most beautiful gift. I’ve written often that good Pinot is very hard to find for under $20. There are a few labels that are nice wines – Robert Mondavi, Mark West, Drouhin’s La Floret, Mirassou, and Dashwood all come in under $15.

But it’s Christmas so splurge a little. Lange Winery’s Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is stunning for $22. It drinks far beyond its price point. There are many Oregon Pinot wines in the $20-$30 range which would impress.

And finally don’t forget the Rose’ wines. With the varied shades of red and pink they make a festive addition to your holiday table before they are ever opened. A dry Rose can pair with just about any food or appetizer and makes a great sipper for holiday parties. Rose is not expensive wine. Try Charles & Charles from Washington state for a wine that is worthy of any table. It sells for less than $15.

If you want a very special treat, again head to the nicer wine shop and pick up a Rose from France Provence region. Provence winemakers produce some of the world’s best Rose’ wines. They are typically a light salmon color. The wine is quite dry with beautifully balanced fruit and acidity.

Good to great Provence Rose’ can be found for $20-$50. If you’ve never had a great dry Rose’, one of the Provence wines will totally rock your wine world.

Guidelines for Your Holiday Turkey Wine Picks

2011-12-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

There are thousands of wine bloggers, many wine writers and still a handful of newspaper wine columnists. They’re all writing about Thanksgiving/Christmas and wine pairing this time of year. I’ve done the same in recent years, and think it’s important to offer a little help when it’s most needed

Instead of a long list of wine selections, (I’ll offer a few recommendations throughout), how about some general guidelines to help you pick the right wines for your turkey dinner whether its Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Thanksgiving is about family so make it a festive occasion. Try a light sparkling wine before the big meal. It’s sure to be a hit. Look for a Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, or Gloria Ferrer’s delightful Sonoma County sparklers. For something really festive and delicious, I love Banfi Rosa Regale. The Banfi wine sells for right at $20, has just seven percent alcohol, and is delicious.

Wines with a higher acidity are going to pair better with fowl. There will be lots of different flavors on your holiday table and you want something that will hold up to everything served.

Consider buying several different wines if you have a large guest list. Most Thanksgiving family feasts feature a veritable cornucopia of dishes, so why serve just one wine?

First, there are no right picks. If you like it drink it. With that out of the way, it’s a good idea to rule out big red wines. Cabernet, Petite Sirah, Merlot, and Malbec are going to overpower the bird and side dishes.

Speaking of side dishes, consider the flavors and spices used to make the sides when picking a wine – not just the bird.

Wines with a higher acidity are going to pair better with fowl. There will be lots of different flavors on your holiday table and you want something that will hold up to everything served.

Consider buying several different wines if you have a large guest list. Most Thanksgiving family feasts feature a veritable cornucopia of dishes, so why serve just one wine?

When it comes time for dinner there is such a wide variety of choices. Instead of a Chardonnay, which can be over-powering and boring, try a semi-dry to dry Riesling? Gewurztraminer has become a very popular Thanksgiving wine in recent years. The wonderful spicy and floral aromas and taste are perfect for light fall fare.

If you want to support local pour an Indiana-made Traminette, a close cousin to the Gewurzt grape. Most Hoosier winemakers produce a sweet to semi-sweet version of the state grape that will work well with dinner. Just go to the semi-sweet or dry side if possible. Turtle Run Winery makes a dynamite dry Traminette if you can find it available.

A dry rose’ would also be a bold and delicious pairing.

If you like red there are more choices than Pinot Noir, a classic pick. While many might suggest the seasonal Beaujolais Nouveau, I always suggest a Beaujolais Grand Cru wine. Pick up a Beaujolais Morgon or Fleurie. A personal favorite is Georges Duboeuf’s Julienas which is widely available at $11-$15.

If you insist on Pinot you can’t go wrong on the pairing. I’d recommend staying on the lighter side and going up to the $15 price point. There are several drinkable Pinots around $10. New Zealand’s Dashwood, California’s Mark West, and the classic Burgundy of Domain Joseph Drouhin. Drouhin’s LaForet Pinot sells for just $10. Pick up Lange Vineyard’s Willamette Valley Pinot for around $20 for a real treat. The 2009 Lange Pinot is unbelievable wine for a 20-dollar bill.

Finally, don’t hesitate to do something a little crazy. I’m not a big fruit wine fan but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find some well-made fruit wines. Consider pouring a little dry cranberry wine with dinner. Cherry wine might have the same fun factor.

Some Great (Cheap) Wine Picks

2011-11-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

The phone rings, then a text message, and sometimes I’m stopped at the grocery. It’s no sudden rush of fame but more likely after three years of wine writing I’ve become the ‘wine guy.’ And I admit I really enjoy it.

It’s usually a wine newbie, or even a really young (always over 21) wine drinker wanting a question answered or a recommendation. It’s happened a lot lately so that made me think it’s time again to offer up some really affordable choices and maybe repeat a few old ones.

All of these wines are under $15 (or less) and readily available in Indiana, Illinois and most Midwestern states.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection – This is the entry level wines for the iconic Mondavi line mentioned in my last column. I have tried one more of those wines since the last Grape Sense and the quality is very consistent. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay are all consistently good value wines for $11. And better yet, the Mondavi Private Selection label is really easy to find.

Here is the spot where I should also repeat an oft-suggested label or two. Mirrasou wines are another great pick from the grocery or a liquor or wine store with limited selection. Smoking Loon, Bogle, and Blackstone are also palatable wines well under $15.

Banfi Centine Rose’ – Summer is not the only time of the year for dry pink wine. The Centine label is the value line from Banfi – which promotes itself as the world’s oldest winery. They do make some remarkably nice wine for, again, the $11 price point. I recently enjoyed the Rose which was very light in body with nice fresh red berry flavor and a hint of strawberry. The alcohol was a low 12.5 percent which makes it a great party wine. The Centine line also include a nice white blend and a Tuscan red blend which features Italy’s signature Sangiovese grape and Cabernet. These wines are also very easy to find.

Georges Duboeuf 2010 Morgon – The Duboeuf label is widely distributed and something you really should try. Duboeuf is king in France’s Beaujolais district but most people only think of the Nouveau when mentioning Duboeuf. I’ve never been a big fan of the Nouveau (wines that are bottled and sold within months of harvest), finding them rather uninteresting and bland. The Grand Cru Beaujolais is another matter. The Grand Cru (specific growing regions) offer bright fruit, smooth drinkability, and a light mouth feel. The Morgon is one of the top appellations for Beaujolais, I also like the Julienas for its earthy characteristics. The Beaujolais red wines are made from the Gamay grape. These wines are found under $15 and often around the $11-$12 price point.

Domaine de Noire ‘ Chinon - This is another French wine but from the Loire Valley region. This recommendation is less about the bottle I appreciated and more about the grape. Chinon wines are made from Cabernet Franc, a grape that has gotten little respect and little notice for too long in the wine world. Cabernet Franc might be thought of as Cab Sauvignon’s little brother. It’s certainly lighter and has a nice spice or pepper finish. It’s often used in blending Bordeaux-style wines. But the grape has gotten much more notice the last year or two for its flexibility. The de Noire was $16 and it is a label that is also easy to find. But pick up a Cab Franc wherever you can find one and give it a try. If Cab Sauv is a little too big for your taste, you just might like Cab Franc. I tasted some wonderful Cab Franc in Michigan last summer and it’s always on the shelves of most wine shops.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., writes every other week for 18 Midwestern newspapers. Check out is wine blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Robert Mondavi's Impact in Perspective

2011-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

The Oct. 5 death of Apple founder Steve Jobs had many people grappling with perspective on his death. Many called him this generation’s Thomas Edison or Henry Ford.

At about the same time two shipments of Robert Mondavi wines arrived to my office. Mondavi has been a household name to many for decades. But the odd timing brought into focus that beginning wine drinkers or value wine drinkers should know about America’s most iconic wine name.

Anyone interested can certainly find ample material online about Robert Mondavi. The details shared in Grape Sense come from internet research and the marketing firm that handles Mondavi wines.

The wines are distributed in all 50 states and are always good representatives of the grapes and a safe choice when nothing else on the shelf looks appealing.

Robert Mondavi became one of the world’s biggest wine brands not just through winemaking but the man’s marketing savvy and business sense. He was the son of Italian immigrants and a graduate of Stanford with a degree in economics and business administration.

He worked at Sunnyhill Winery with his father before the family purchased Charles Krug Winery. At the age of 53 he opened Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa. He pioneered winemaking techniques, led blind tastings, and preached the pleasures of wine, food and the arts to anyone who would listen.

He co-founded the American Institute of Wine and Food with Julia Child and Richard Graff in 1981. He has been “man of the year” for more publications and organizations than there is space to list. Perhaps one of his most notable honors came in 2005 when he won the Legion d’Honneur award, France’s highest Presidential honor.

His story got complicated in the early 1990s when his sons took over the business. They were producing a half-million cases of wine a year but were buried in debt. The family business went public and production soared to nearly 5 million cases annually. The Mondavi empire ended in 2004 when Constellation brands bought Mondavi for more than a billion dollars.

But throughout the ups and downs of the business Robert Mondavi was the spokesman for American wine. He deserves considerable credit for showing the world great wines could be produced in regions outside of Old World Europe.

One of the great partnerships of the last decade was Baron Philippe Rothschild and Robert Mondavi combining efforts in 1979 to create Opus One. The wine became one of the first super premium wines with the two rock star winemakers at the helm. The Bordeaux style blend is currently in its 2008 release and retails for $210.

Robert Mondavi died in 2008 at age 94. His name should be alongside Edison and the light bulb, Henry Ford and the Model T, Michael Jordan and basketball.

I’m frequently asked what wineries one should visit when making a first-time trip to Napa. I always suggest hitting Mondavi’s Spanish style landmark. It is the “granddaddy of them all,” to steal a line from sportscaster Keith Jackson.

The wines are good value at the lower price point and great wines in the upper echelon.

Howard’s Picks:

Robert Mondavi Private Selections include nine different wines at value prices you’ll find in groceries, wine shops, and liquor stores. The wines are very consistent for the under $15 price point. Another good choice in the value category is Mondavi-owned Woodbridge wines.

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley wines are the real flagship wines. These wines retail around $20-$30 and represent great wines, good critic scores, and consistent value for the price point.

Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Cabernet is the top bottling, consistently garnering 90-plus points and measuring up to any Napa Cab. But it is a $100 a bottle of wine.

Blaze Your Own Fall Wine Trail

2011-10-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

There’s nothing better than an October weekend drive. The leaves are turning, the cider is fresh, and you might even find some frost on the pumpkin. Oh, and don’t forget the apples!

There’s also no better time to visit local wineries. Many Midwestern wineries turn fall into festivals with special wines, food, and entertainment.

Let Grape Sense be your weekend travel guide. One of my favorite journeys is to Southern Indiana to visit Turtle Run and Huber Wineries. Turtle Run has a big day planned Oct. 16 with live music. Huber winery has live music every Saturday and Sunday through October.

Turtle Run's Jim Pfeiffer

While visiting Turtle Run say hello to winemaker and owner Jim Pfeiffer. Try some of his uniquely blended red and white wines.

Huber has quite a festival each October. The apple orchards are full of fruit and the kids can pick out a pumpkin for that special jack-o-lantern.

Huber makes some of Indiana’s best red wines. Try there Generations and Heritage blends. They also make a really nice Cabernet Franc.

Turtle Run and Huber are only a few miles apart. If you go to one, it’s a shame not visit the other!

Jim Butler

On the way south or coming back north go through Bloomington and make a stop at Butler winery’s tasting room downtown or out at the winery north of the city. Jim Butler is one of Indiana’s most-respected winemakers.

Try his wonderful dry Rose, Chambourcin, and dynamite specialty wines.

If you want more of a trip head up to the southwest corner of Michigan. Stop in at the Round Barn Winery, Tabor Hill, and Domaine Berrien Cellars.

The Round Barn has a wide variety of wines and a brewery where they craft beer. I’d recommend the Gewurztraminer. Bring a bottle or two home for your Thanksgiving Turkey.

Tabor Hill is one of the area’s most visited wineries and also features a restaurant. The wines are very light in style but clearly loved in Southern Michigan.

Domaine Berrien is one of the most interesting stops. The winery is one of the only Rhone Rangers members in the Midwest. They grow traditional French grapes, best known from the Rhone Valley, like Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne and others to make wonderful blended wines.

In Illinois, there are a number of wineries in the southern part of the state. Explore the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail for a wonderful weekend.

Earlier this year I visited Wisconsin and became a big fan of Wollersheim Vineyards just outside Madison. If you make the trip to Southern Wisconsin, drive a half hour south of Wollersheim and visit Fisher King Winery in the charming village of Mount Horeb and enjoy its Norwegian heritage.

But wherever you live there are plenty of options nearby. It’s easy to find these wineries’ websites with a simple internet search. If you’re not sure or want to find some new spots use the state association websites. Here are the official names: Indiana Grape Council, Michigan Wines, Wineries of Wisconsin, and Illinois Wine.

Good Wine Will Cure National Syrah Sales

2011-09-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

There is a joke in the wine world that goes something like this: ‘What’s the difference between a case of Syrah and a case of pneumonia?’

‘You can get rid of a case of pneumonia!’

Syrah sales have stagnated or dropped in the U.S. in recent years depending on how the research numbers are crunched. But everyone agrees Syrah never lived up to its ‘next-best thing’ potential.

Steve Cass

“Supermarket sales are down and you look and see Syrah sales are down,” said Steve Cass, Cass Winery, Paso Robles, CA. “But also take a look and you see Australian sales are down. There is a massive amount of Syrah or Shiraz (same grape) in this country going out at a fairly low price point. It’s not going out as premium wine.

“Our Syrah is our number-one selling red wine. I don’t think people are turned off by Syrah, maybe they’re turned off to cheap Syrah.”

Gary Eberle

California’s Syrah pioneer Gary Eberle agreed. “I think everybody is always looking for the new hot wine. When Merlot died I think everybody started looking for the next hot red wine and everybody jumped on Syrah. I just don’t think the consumer was ready for that much Syrah.”

Jason Hass of Tablas Creek Winery put numbers to the perception. “If you look at the planted acreage of Syrah over the course of the 1990s, 1992-2002, Syrah acreage went from just under 900 to more than 15,000 acres in California. Even though sales were growing really fast throughout that period there was just no way the market was going to absorb that much new Syrah.

“I don’t think you should confuse the fact there is extra Syrah on the market with the fact Syrah is not a varietal gaining popularity. It’s just a case of supply growing so fast it was going to overwhelm whatever demand was there any way.”

J.C. Diesenderfer

J.C. Diesenderfer, Hope Vineyards, said Syrah never found its market niche’. “We’re all really passionate about Syrah. We always felt Syrah was the next king of California. But it never found its spot. Syrah can be bright, mineral, soft and elegant. It can be a big bruiser. It can be anything in between.”

If you are a regular wine drinker you might recall grocery and liquor store shelves with plenty of Syrah. In recent months, you see far less Syrah or Shiraz. These prominent winemakers hit the nail right on the head during a seminar I attended last fall. The market was just flooded with cheap Shiraz, largely from Australia.

“I think Syrah does beautifully in Paso Robles,” Eberle said. “But I think Syrah does beautifully in a whole lot of different areas as well. In our tasting rooms we sell 1,000 cases of Syrah a year. There are people in this area making spectacular Syrah.

Then there is former NFL safety turned winemaker Terry Hoage who said Syrah sells when consumers are educated and they taste good Syrah. “I think it is a matter of education because it’s difficult for people to know what they’re getting. The largest hurdle we have to overcome in our industry is not dumbing down for the audience but making the audience feel comfortable that’s its ok to try new things. Push the envelope; just don’t go for a safe Cabernet. That is probably our biggest challenge.”

Howard’s Picks:

Central Coast Syrah is some of the best I’ve consumed. The winemakers quoted above all make incredible Syrah but at a higher price point ($20 and up) than I normally include in this column. There is plenty of Central Coast Syrah below $20 from makers like Qupe’. Washington State Syrah is often found at very reasonable prices with soft and balanced fruit.

Mixed Ancestry Charbono Making a Comeback

2011-09-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

Is it Italian or French?

Is the wine a unique ancient varietal?

Or, is it the same grape as Argentina’s Bonarda or maybe a genetic cousin?

Charbono, a grape most have never heard of, is making a small comeback. It wasn’t long ago that U.S. plantings had dwindled to about 10 acres. The latest available statistics show Charbono’s plantings have grown to 80 acres, all in California.

As written here before, one of the great experiences in wine enjoyment is trying new wines. It won’t be easy to find a Charbono but it is worth the effort. The wine is a very inky, dark purple with a rich red-fruit flavor. Cherry and raspberry dominate the palate with a bit of spice on the finish. The tannins, or finish, tend to be quite smooth.

Sally Ottoson, Pacific Star Winery

The grape is interesting because of its confusing heritage. The grape was once thought to be related to Italy’s little Dolcetto grape from Piedmont. But it actually comes from the Savoie region in France. That explains how the grape migrated to Argentina along with Malbec.

The ancestral trail was tracked down by Department of Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis. Researchers there, the most prestigious U.S. research college for wine grapes, determined Charbono was the same grape as Bonarda and mostly likely the same grape under the names of Corbeau, Douce Noire, or Charbonneau.

There is quite a bit of Charbono grown around Calistoga in Napa Valley and some in Mendocino County. Names you might look for include: August Briggs, Turley, Chameleon, Shypoke, Joseph Laurence Shypoke, Robert Foley, Saddleback, Dunnewood, Tofanelli, Fortino, and Consentino Heitz. The wine tends to retail in the high teens to the low $30 range.

“All the winemakers in California who are bottling it have to fight over the grapes,” Sally Ottoson, Pacific Star Winery told INTOWINE.com. “But back in the ‘70’s Inglenook was doing a Charbono, and so was Parducci.

“John Parducci was really a mentor for me. I think Charbono is a very universal wine. It’s not too tannic and not too acidic — a real food friendly wine. People always ask me to describe the grape’s characteristics, but that’s a difficult thing to do because it doesn’t have a distinct flavor profile like other grapes. So I like to say, it’s like an old woman who puts perfume in the same spot every day and it kind of sinks into her skin and you get this essence that evokes memories.”

I met Sally during a press wine trip to Mendocino in January. Her stunning location on the rocky Pacific shore about 12 miles north of Fort Bragg is worth the trip alone. She makes a wide variety of wines and has worked in California wine since 1972.

Her winemaking style is blend-o-holic. “I like to add a little bit of this to a little bit of that,” she said during that visit. “We make a huge effort to make wine fun. Don’t agonize over it. I make wine the old-fashioned way. I make wine in barrels.”

During the same trip I met Maria Martinson of Testa House winery. Her family settled in California in the very early 1900s as Italian immigrants. She had a beautiful Charbono that was not yet released. We tasted the fifth generation winemaker’s juice straight from the barrel.

Finding Charbono might be a challenge in the Midwest. But you can usually find a good Argentinian Bonarda at better wine shops.

Synthetics & Screwcaps: Cork Fights Back

2011-09-02T08:07:00.001-07:00

Cork, synthetics, screw caps, and now glass closures can bring wine geeks to a furious debate.

For nearly 300 years cork was the wine closure of choice for the wine industry. But synthetic corks and screw caps have made major inroads in the wine market. Cork’s downfall started in the early 80s when a Swiss researcher discovered TCA – or cork taint. Even cork industry promoters will admit cork taint does exist. But the big debate is whether it’s in a mere fraction of all bottled wine or up to 10 percent of all wines using cork closures.

There is also the phenomenon of cork taint. Too often the cork is blamed for a bad bottle of wine when a host of other factors can cause the wine to taste bad. Another way to look at the argument is how much you care if your $10 bottle of Cabernet is corked? Sure, you are aggravated it has to be poured down the drain but it’s just $10. On the other hand, higher end wines use cork almost exclusively. Last winter I had to pour out a $75 bottle of Pinot Noir I was saving for a special occasion. I was not a happy wino!

“Taint is the most misunderstood and misreported issue in the wine world “contends a cork advocacy group, 100PercentCork.org. “The taint typically associated with wine corks is TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole). It’s a harmless but ubiquitous environmental compound that gives wine a must flavor at very low concentrations.”

The advocacy group acknowledges cork taint but points out the contamination can also come from bottling equipment, airborne molds or chlorine-based compounds in wineries and cellars. 100PercentCork has made use of research conducted by Purdue University ‘s Christian Butzke. His research was published in the May/June 2008 Vineyard & Winery Management.

“TCA is no longer a major problem for the U.S. wine industry,” Butzke said. The Purdue Associate professor notes many bagged vegetables can be affected by the same compound but consumers write off any smell to “earthiness.”

But for many wineries and consumers the cork is out of the bottle. Plastic closures were the rage not too many years ago but seem to have fallen out of favor recently. You’ll still find many wines with synthetic corks. I often found them too soft and easily pulled out of the bottle or so hard I had to go to the gym before prying a synthetic opener out. Screw caps offer a great alternative. A screw cap eliminates oxidation but the jury remains out on how well wines will age with a screw cap. Conversely, most wines in a screw cap are at the lower end of the price scale and unlikely to be put down for aging.

I purchased a wonderful and relatively expensive bottle of Pinot during a recent Oregon trip and it had a glass closure. Glass stoppers don’t require an opener and provide a tight seal with a plastic liner. Oxidation is still under testing but appears to hold up over time. It also provides a nice look of sophistication.

Cork has lost market share to these new closure products. But it’s hard to imagine the great wines of the world ever using anything but cork. There is plenty of scientific evidence, not to mention the romance, of popping a cork from a fine bottle of wine with little worry.

For consumers and Grape Sense readers, you are sooner or later going to buy a bad bottle of wine. But your concerns and efforts are better used on selecting a good value bottle than worrying about cork taint.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Plenty of Summer Left to Try a Dry Rose'

2011-08-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Dry Rose’ has become a cause for many who take wine seriously. No, it’s definitely not White Zinfandel and pink wine is not always sweet.

Rose’ wines are food-friendly and versatile. These pink wines are dry and a tremendous value. They are also some of the hottest wines, when it comes to sales, in the summer market.

Dry, pink wine really has skyrocketed the past few years. As a matter of fact, sale of Rose’ wines priced above $8 grew more than 53 percent between 2007 and 2008.
Dry Rose’ is affordable, delicious, east to pair with food and yet delightful on a summer evening with nothing but a cracker or snack foods.

Most Rose’ is made from traditional red wine grapes. The wine is simply left in contact with the grape skins for less time than red wine. You get less tannin in the wine and more balanced fruit flavor. Rose’ wines have hints of strawberry and other red fruit. Rose’ can also be made from just about any red wine grape.

Rose’ is my summer guilty pleasure. Here are the four best Rose’ wines I’ve found this summer. All of these are widely available.

Mas Donis 2010 Rosat – Spanish winemakers know how to make great Rose’. This inexpensive Rose is 80 percent Grenache, 10 percent Syrah and 10 percent Merlot. It is a full-bodied wine that will give you hints of red fruit, smoky flavors, and nice acidity. The Mas Donis stands out for its beautiful nose. Some Rose’ can be pretty flat when you stick your nose in the glass. You’ll love the wave of strawberry you get when you take a whiff of this $8-$12 wine.

Andieux & Fils Cotes de Provence – French Rose’ is every bit as finessed and delicate as you would expect. The A&F Rose’ is refreshing and lighter than the Rosat. The blend is 60 percent Grenache and 40 percent Syrah. It has a salmon color with beautiful hints of red raspberry, strawberry, and even a hint of apricot or maybe peach on your palate. Like most Rose’, this wine has low alcohol at just 12.5 percent.

Banfi Rosa Regale – And if you really want to try something different pick up this delicious sparkler. Banfi is one of the most recognized wine names in Italy. They make this beautiful sparkling Rose’ that would be a marvelous before or after-dinner delight. Strong raspberry is lush on the mid palate. The bubbles are really quite restrained. The dark red cranberry color is beautiful. The alcohol is a ridiculously low 7 percent. This is the most expensive wine on the list at $20.

Charles & Charles 2010 Rose – Rose from Spain, France and Italy, and of course now one from the U.S.A. Charles Smith, of the two Charlies in the name, is one of Washington state’s best known, controversial, out-spoken and talented winemakers.

This Rose’ is 100 percent Syrah and it rocks. It’s the best I’ve tasted this summer and maybe one of the best I’ve ever had. It is big in flavor – think sage, raspberry, and maybe even a Jolly Rancher. This wine is proof you can enjoy world class wine for $10-$13.

Finally, I’d also suggest seeking out Pinot Noir Rose for Pinot loves. Most Pinot Rose’ is going to be above the price points mentioned here Tbut the well-made Pinot Rose’ is a palate-pleasing treat.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes about wine every other week for 17 Midwestern newspapers. Read his blog at www.redforme.blogspot.com

Basking in Oregon's Pinot Noir Afterglow

2011-08-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

(Published July 28, 2011) - A wine trip to Oregon’s Willamette Valley July 18-22 served as a reminder why so many folks love wine country travel and good wine.

The trip was mostly personal vacation but also an opportunity to casually interview a few folks and gather some material for a few newspaper columns, Madison Magazine in Anderson, and the national online wine magazine – Palate Press.

Visiting 16 wineries in four days, and tasting approximately 50-plus wines, re-invigorated my love for sharing these stories. It’s not just the juice in the glass and the Willamette Valley’s incredible Pinot Noir but it’s the people, the food, the environment that makes a wine hobby so much fun.
As the resident wine geek for a number of folks, most requests revolve around Pinot Noir. Perhaps that’s because of Sideways, the run-away hit movie from 2004 which turned Pinot into a national sensation.

So let’s get that out of the way first. In the value Pinot category, I always recommend Mirrasou, Concannon, and Flipflop. All three labels have a nice, but very light, Pinot under $10. You can’t go wrong. If you want a little stronger Pinot flavor and will go up to $15, look for Mark West, Dashwood, or Castle Rock.

With that noted, I’ll put my wine geek hat on and head back to Oregon. Most value Pinot is very thin though some are well made. Oregon’s entry level Pinot Noirs start around $25-$35 price range.

But you really have to taste one of the wonderful Pinots at or near the upper price level to appreciate the grape. Additionally, I’d argue, tasting the upper-end Pinot will help you better select value brands.

Two suggestions that aren’t way off the price charts are Lange Willamette Valley and Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee. Both are widely available in the Midwest. The Lange wine retails around the $20 price point while Domaine Serene will range from $27-$32. Think of it as a special occasion wine if that is outside your normal comfort level.

The wine-writing thing opens doors. I chatted with three prominent winemakers, had appointments at several wineries and all were fantastic experiences. But it was the people behind the tasting room counters who made the trip. During our first three stops everyone recommended we visit Vidon Winery, a spot I knew nothing about. It turned out to be one of the best visits and awesome Pinot.

But that experience was the rule not the exception. We met two 25-year-olds at different wineries doing some of the grunt work who aspire to be winemakers. I was able to greet some old friends from two previous trips.
The people who make the wine aren’t just winemakers. Two columns ago I wrote about wine country travel and urged readers to talk to those people who are pouring the wine. The Oregon trip really drove that point home again.

Finally, for those ready to open their wallets here are a few recommendations or “Best of” from my trip: Lange Estate Vineyard Pinot ($60), 2009 Penner-Ash Dussin Vineyard Pinot ($60), Domaine Drouhin 2007 Laurene ($65), and Domaine Serene’s Etoile Vineyard Chardonnay ($40). All are available in better Indiana and Illinois wine shops and some liquor stores.

Finally, one of the most enjoyable stops was at Republic of Jam in Carlton. Two ladies take Oregon’s magnificent fruit and turn it into unbelievable taste combinations. Many of their savory delights can be used in cooking. Look them up online and order some jam!

Have a Plan for Your Trip into Wine Country

2011-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Planning a trip to wine country doesn’t require a tour guide, limousine, or a lot advance planning.

Many travelers are including day trips into wine country as they visit regions around the world. Then there are the real wine geeks among us who plan most of their vacation time around wine.

Columns like Grape Sense and many internet bloggers seek to demystify wine. Making wine travel simple and enjoyable can be a similar challenge. My wine travel includes two trips to Napa and Sonoma. I’ve made pre-planned trips to Paso Robles and Mendocino County. I’ve done three day trips into Michigan and Wisconsin wine regions and a single day in Tuscany, Italy.

I’ll be making my third trip to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in mid-July.
While not claiming expertise, I’ve certainly learned some things you should and should not do!

- You should spend time on the internet and read about the wineries you’re going to visit. Double check hours, tasting fees, and tours.

- Do take a full tour at one stop. If you want to learn more about wine there is nothing better than a vineyard to winery and then tasting tour. One is enough; tours usually last 1-2 hours and cost double or more the cost of a tasting. Tasting fees range from $5 to $20 depending on the wine region.

- Do ask a lot of questions. Anyone serving in the tasting room should be able to tell you the basics about the winery and each wine. There are no dumb questions. If the servers can’t answer the basics – the type of grapes and how the wine is made – leave and go to another winery.

- Don’t over-plan your visit. I always plan on going to two or three wineries a day. I have done my internet research so I know others in the area I might like to visit. It allows some spontaneity. Three to four winery visits a day is plenty.

- Do not think of winery visits as drinking. It’s tasting wine. If you can, learn to spit – it’s how the real pros can taste so many wines in a day. If you can’t fully appreciate a wine without swallowing it, learn to stop after a sip or two and pour the remainder in the dump container on the counter.

- Do think outside the box. Sure, if you’re in Napa Valley visit Mondavi. But ask people in the tasting room, other visitors, your motel clerk, the waitress about the smaller wineries that don’t have tour buses in the parking lot. Such wineries will often be your fondest memories.

- Don’t assume all wine vacations start and end with Napa/Sonoma, Paso Robles, Mendocino, Oregon, Virginia, Michigan, and Washington have outstanding wine regions. Check out wine trails in your state and states nearby. A great start is the Uplands Wine Trail in Southern Indiana. Or, get that internet map out and make your own wine trail!

- Do not drink and drive. Many wineries will offer designated drivers some bottled water or a soft drink.

- Do not try to taste everything at each winery. I ask the tasting room personnel to pour their biggest selling red and white, maybe something that interests my wine palate, and always end with, “Is there something you would have me taste?”

- Do have bottled water and some crackers or snacks to balance the alcohol throughout the day.

I will be in Oregon’s Willamette Valley July 19-22 tasting some of the world’s very best Pinot Noir. I will post a lot of photos and write about the experience each day on my wine blog.

Get in the car this summer and try some new wines!

Concannon Celebrating 50 Years of Petit Sirah

2011-06-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

There’s nothing better than a glass of wine with a great background story. Concannon of Livermore, Ca., offers both to consumers with an eye on the environment and great wine.

The Concannon family arrived in California in 1883 and has been operating continuously by the ensuing generations down to John Concannon today. John’s father Jim Concannon is a California wine pioneer. Jim is also widely credited for America’s first 100 percent Petit Sirah.

“This is our flagship wine,” John Concannon said during a recent Indianapolis visit. “My father was the first to make Petit Sirah in 1961 as a varietal. For years before, it was a blending grape used in Burgundy. We’ve actually trademarked ‘America’s first Petit Sirah.’ So, we’re celebrating 50 years.”

Besides the bold, rich Petit Sirah, Concannon is also known for helping lead a conservancy movement in the Livermore region, which is just east of San Francisco. Concannon and other area vintners have placed their vineyards in an independent trust that assures urban sprawl will never take over the historic area’s farm ground.

Concannon makes four wines, soon to add a fifth, from the Conservancy properties – Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Sirah, and Chardonnay. They retail at $15 and represent some of the best value varietals you’ll find at the price point.

But Concannon is best known for the small purple grape with all the big flavor. “This is actually a very sacred process how we make our Petit Sirah,” Concannon said. “We harvest the fruit at night, let it cool down, we bring it in and throw it on the sorting table. We sort out the berries, throw them through the rubber impalers and release the juice. We add some yeast and we’re making wine like the Egyptians did.”

The grape can be difficult to work with for a 100 percent varietal wine. “This wine is a little devil,” Concannon said. “What we’ve learned in 50 years it’s all about controlling the oxidation rate. During the first six months we lock it down in stainless steel and then the next six months we’re putting it in American oak, medium toast (that’s our spice rack). This is where the old school winemaking comes in because during the last six months we’re putting the wine in these 55-year-old vertical, upright barrels. They are French oak from Bordeaux. The wood is inert so it’s not giving off any flavor but the porousness of the wood accelerates the oxidation rate, speeding up the aging process. That gives it a nice soft mid-palate.”

The end result of all that hand crafting is a wine that’s anything but petite. “This wine is the St. Bernard that wants to sit in your lap,” John laughed. “It’s a very friendly wine but it’s big.”

And while many people shy away from big red wines it’s easy to recommend Concannon’s version because of the roundness. Concannon shared recent A.C. Nielson statistics showing Petit Sirah as the second-fastest growing varietal in California behind Pinot Noir.

He suggests pairing the wine with any food that has spice or pepper along with steak, barbeque, or Asian food. “If you have heat in the meal, bring it on. This wine can keep up with it.”

I love this wine with a nice charred steak.

Howard’s Picks:
Concannon Conservancy wines – At $15 each, you can’t go wrong with these wines distributed in all 50 states. The Cabernet and Petit Sirah are big flavored wines with a nice smooth mid palate and finish. The Merlot shocked me with its hint of spice. The Chardonnay doesn’t clobber you with oak. These are great wines. Concannon is about to release a new addition to its Conservancy lineup – “Crimson and Clover” to honor Jim Concannon. The crimson stands for the red wines and clover for the family’s Irish heritage. The red blend is expected in stores later this year.

A Great Story Behind Colby Red Wine

2011-06-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Few industries have proved more generous in recent years than the wine industry. Wine auctions across America raise millions of dollars for great causes annually.

But the story of 13-year-old Colby Groom touches the heart in a way different than corporate charitable efforts. When Colby was barely 10 years old he had back-to-back open heart surgeries. His remarkable recovery and generous spirit now drives his father and others to raise money for charities that promote heart health.

After recovering from the life-threatening challenges, Colby now promotes a red wine blend bearing his name – Colby Red. The boy asked his famous winemaking father if they could make a wine to help raise money for Heart Disease charities.

Daryl Groom is certainly no doting father humoring his ill son. Groom is a world class Australian winemaker who worked for Penfolds before coming to the U.S. in 1990 to work for Geyser Peak and Beam Wine Estates.

The project really took off after a February appearance on NBC’s Today Show. With Walgreen Drugstores on board as a national corporate partner, suddenly 20,000 cases of a California red wine blend didn’t seem like enough.

“Honestly we have been blown away and are quite humbled by the tremendous support Colby Red has received from consumers, trade and media,” Daryl Groom told Grape Sense. “People love the wine and they really want to support the cause. We get lots of emails and Facebook messages daily.

“Because of the support so far this year we have raised $115,000. This is a far cry from the $500-$1,000 my son and I were hoping to raise when he first conceived the idea. Of the $115K raised we have donated $72,000 and quite an additional amount of product to heart related charities across the country.”

The wine, with a suggested retail price of $12.99, can be found in wine shops, liquor stores, and in Walgreen stores across the nation. Of course with a “suggested” retail price, don’t be surprised if you find the wine at a lower cost.

All of the project’s profits go to Colby’s charity. But for a proud dad, there’s more to this project than selling a lot of wine for a good cause.
“Aside from raising the money for worthy charities, which puts a huge smile on our faces, my family has been rewarded immensely in watching our son Colby grow with the process,” Groom said. “From being so fragile post-surgery to a young man who gets on stage at heart benefit balls around the country and confidently and proudly tells his story to help others.”

You can learn much more about Colby Groom, the wine, and the project at colbyred.com and on Facebook at Colby Red Wine.

Howard’s Pick:
Colby 2009 Red Blend, $12.99 – There are no excuses not to try this fruit-forward red wine if you live near a Walgreens. The wine is a cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot and Petite Sirah. It’s big fruit with soft edges and very enjoyable finish. And by the way, it’s a very smooth and wonderful glass of red wine!

Butler Winery One of Hoosier State's Pioneers

2011-05-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

BLOOMINGTON, In. – Every state has its wine pioneers, those brave souls who started turning grapes to wine when no one else would.

It’s easy to come up with California’s iconic brands like Gallo, Mondavi, Fetzer, and so many more. But can you name Indiana’s leaders? Names like Oliver, Thomas, Easley, Huber, and Butler are sure to be on just about anyone’s list.

Jim Butler, Butler Winery and Vineyards, got his start at Oliver in 1976 and then after about six years opened his own winery just north of Bloomington. Today, he has tasting rooms in downtown Bloomington and Chesterton. The third tasting room is at his vineyard and winery just a few miles north of Bloomington.

“Our focus has always been doing Indiana-grown grapes,” Butler said. “There are a lot of wineries that establish their name, but base things on California grapes. There are Indiana wineries that do that. But my philosophy has always been ‘as long as we’re bringing grapes in from California and using the names Cabernet and Chardonnay we’re promoting California not Indiana.’ ”

Butler has proven to the world he knows how to make fine wine equal to any California producer. He holds the honor of being the first Indiana winery to ever win one of the top five awards at the prestigious Indy International Wine Competition. Butler’s 2008 Chambourcin Rose’ was named best Rose’ in the 2009 international contest. The annual competition draws more than 3,000 wines from 10 different countries.

“We sold out of that one very quickly and we raised the price twice,” Butler laughed. “That just kind of established the fact it can be done. I don’t know how long the good will lasts but it definitely is good for credibility.”

Butler started at its downtown Bloomington location in 1983 and then expanded to its current winery/vineyard site in 1991. The Chesterton tasting room opened in June 2008. Butler produces more than 2,500 cases annually.

The grape varieties he grows and buys from other Indiana vineyards includes Cayuga, Vignoles, Chardonel, Chambourcin, Traminette, Catawba, and Concord. He also makes a few fruit wines from Indiana growers.

“I think clean and fresh (describe our wines),” he said. “We try to never put anything in the bottle we’re not proud of. No matter where you go, what state, you’re going to find wines and wonder why they bottled it. That’s something I’ve always tried not to do. We’ve always focused on good sound quality.”

Butler wants to increase his red wine lineup and he’s looking north for one of the possibilities. He recently planted Marquette, a grape developed by cool climate guru the late Elmer Swenson from the University of Minnesota.

“It’s an early grape, a cousin to Frontenac, but the Marquette has a better tannin structure,” Butler said. He hopes to make a 100 percent varietal bottling of Marquette. The wine is usually described as one with a cherry, berry, black pepper, and spice smell and flavor.

Howard’s Picks:
2009 Chambourcin Rose’, $13.95 – All of the 2008 top prize winner is gone but this remains a beautiful Rose’ wine. You get hints of cherry and even apple from Butler’s signature wine.

2009 Chambourcin, $18.95 – This really nice dry red wine, aged in French Oak, is at the top of Butler’s grape varietal wines. But it’s worth every penny. I’ve tasted a lot of bad Indiana Chambourcin and a few pretty good ones. Butler’s Chambourcin ranks near the top.

Value White Wine Picks for Summer

2011-05-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

How can you go wrong with something light, refreshing, and affordable?

Summer time is white wine time for most wine-consuming Americans. There are so many affordable choices that are easy to find it would take two or three columns to list them all. Instead, here is a list of some of my most-recent favorites.

These wines are all available in Indiana and Illinois or will be soon.

Woodbridge 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($7.99) – This should be easy to find and even easier to drink. It’s a very light bodied Sauv Blanc with citrus and tropical fruit. The acid is milder than most Sauv Blancs. It’s actually a blend of Sauv Blanc, French Colombard, Semillon, and Verdelho. Try it all alone or with white fish.

Argiolas Costamolino 2009 Vermentino ($15.99 and less) – A very nice bouquet is followed by a mouthful of citrus and pineapple. It has a nice acidity that makes this Italian beauty pair well with food. Wine Advocate gave this light-colored wine 89 points.

Buried Cane 2009 Chardonnay ($14.) – This Washington State unoaked Chardonnay is a stunner for $14. The grapes come mostly from the Columbia Valley region. This would be great on the porch on a summer evening or with light fare. You’ll get hints of peach on this light and fruity wine. Currently available in Illinois and very soon in Indiana. Buried Cane is a great label with consistent wines.

Helfrich 2009 Riesling ($14.99) – This is an old French winemaker from the Alsace region that offers a beautiful Riesling for the price. Many U.S. Rieslings are a bit on the sweet side but the Helfrich gives you nice crisp green apple and medium acidity. I’d call it a ‘not too sweet, not too dry” type of wine.

Flipflop 2010 Pinot Grigio ($7) – Easy to find at an incredible price. This light-bodied white gives you a hint of pear and a nice clean finish. Pasta with white sauces, light snacks on the porch, or even a glassful on a hot day would be a great pairing!

E. Guigal 2009 Cotes du Rhone Blanc ($12) – For you Francophiles here is an inexpensive white wine than anyone can love. It’s mostly Viognier along with several lesser known Rhone white varietals. It’s certainly floral and a great pairing with spicy dishes.

Brassfield Estate Winery 2009 Serenity ($9.99-$14.99) – This was one of the nicest white blends I’ve tasted in years. The Napa wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Gewurtztraminer, and Semilon. You will taste the honey dew melon on the palate and nicely balanced acidity. It’s a very well-made and refreshing white wine.

Again, all or most of these whites should be easy to find at any wine shop or well-stocked liquor store. But if these aren’t on the shelves here are some additional suggestions.

Try Torrontos, it’s the latest rage out of Argentina. The wines are ‘hot’ right now with wine fans. They are very inexpensive and feature a very floral scent with a fruity texture. Check the alcohol level before buying one though, I’ve found some Torrontos higher than most whites in alcohol content.

I’ve written before about Spanish and Portugal’s Albarino. It’s one of my favorite white grapes. It’s lean and crisp with a minerality that is a great thirst quencher. Great bottles can be found under $15.

Finally, here’s another plug for Indiana Traminette. Most Indiana wineries make a Traminette in a sweet to semi-sweet or semi-dry style. It will remind regular wine drinkers of a Gewurtz, but if you’ve never tried or heard of that think of a mildly sweet wine that is very floral.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Will a Bottle of Wine Change Your Life?

2011-04-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

American wine icon Robert Mondavi wrote in his autobiography that wine is passion.

“It’s family and friends,” the California wine legend wrote. “It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living.

“Even more importantly, it’s wine, food and the arts. Incorporating those three enhances the quality of life.”

One might expect such pronouncements from the man who was a key figure in making Napa Valley a major player on the world wine stage. But Mondavi lived his ideas and talked throughout his long life about wine as an important lifestyle issue. His voice simply echoed the words of others.

"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and wellbeing and delight,” Ernest Hemingway once wrote. “Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary."

For some people, columnist included, wine can be transformational. Once wine drinkers move beyond the normal or the givens of Cabernet and Chardonnay and open their palate to the world, they are often transformed in the way they look at culture, agriculture, food and drink.

While this all might seem a bit gooey or tad too philosophical for a wine column, a single bottle of wine changed my perspective and many others writing about wine and marketing wine have similar tales.

Most wine drinkers start with grocery wine. A certain age group will remember Fetzer, Inglenook, Gallo, and many others as the staple of American wine. In some ways it’s not too different today. The brand names have changed but it’s now the grapes – Cab,Chardonnay, Merlot, and maybe Pinot Grigio or Riesling. For some people it was Riunite Lambrusco with pasta.

The constant message of Grape Sense has been to branch out, try something new, ask your wine or liquor store service people to recommend something different.

A single bottle of Spanish Tempranillo, in many ways, turned me into a wine writer and wine enthusiast. That happened about five or six years ago. Sharing the story always seemed a bit self-indulgent but I’ve heard it too many times from others.

I asked a wine shop owner to recommend something different. “Have you tried Spanish wines,” he asked. “Tempranillo?”

If I couldn’t pronounce it, I was pretty sure I had never tried it.

A single bottle of Montecillo Crianza red wine from Spain made me go ‘wow.” I don’t remember much of the detail other than it was rich, smooth, and delicious. And it was cheap. It’s available today at a range of about $9.99 to $12.99.

Spanish wines are great values because they are aged in oak and/or the bottle before being released. There are hundreds of great Spanish wines under $15. Tempranillo is the key grape for many Spanish wines. Tempranillo often combines the taste of dark berries, plum, vanilla, and herbs for a full-bodied wine. It is a great match for beef, pork, even a steak off the grill.

A bottle of the 2007 Montecillo Crianza, the latest release, arrived to my office recently. It was a media trade sample – yes, I get wine sent to me frequently for tasting. It brought back a lot of memories. I had never quite realized until that day, then reflecting on stories heard from others, that the Montecillo was my transformational wine.

After tasting that wine a few years ago I wanted to try other wines. After tasting it just a few days ago, I had to share the story. Find your transformational wine but asking for something different.

Red Wines and White Fish! Astonishing!

2011-04-15T12:15:00.001-07:00

Red wine and red meat, as well as white wine and fish, has served as the holy grail of wine/food pairings for decades. Well, it’s not your mama’s kitchen anymore!
The best advice anyone can offer on wine and food pairing is simply to drink what you like. But as wine aficionados get more into wine, it becomes inevitable the not-so-precise science of wine and food pairing becomes more interesting, challenging, and exciting.

“I’ve always been a big proponent of pairing rich seafood with light bodied reds (besides Pinot Noir) like our Mourvedre, Grenache and even Rhone blends,” said Terry Brady, Clautiere Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA.

“We produced the Mourvedre for several years as part of our blends,” Brady explained. “We saw the potential to do a single variety from the Mourvedre and began to make it in 2004. Stylistically, we wanted a food compatible wine, not a big fruit bomb - we picked our grapes at maturity and ripeness, but not overripe. Our Mourvedre often has the lowest alcohol of all of our wines, coming in at the low 13 percent levels.

“We like to say we make French style wine with California grapes. It became one of my personal favorites due to its distinct structure, smooth tannins and great earthy flavors. It pairs well with many different foods and I’ve enjoyed it with salmon as well as beef, lamb and spicy pastas. “

Brady poured his wine for a group of visiting wine journalists at a Paso Robles’ Italian restaurant in October. The Mourvedre was paired with a Chilean Sea Bass in lobster sauce. It was a gorgeous pairing and my first time for “fish and red wine.”

While you might not find Clautiere wines easily in the Midwest, there are plenty of the Rhone wines available in better wine shops and liquor stores with a nice wine selection.

Brady got into the wine business after building a Santa Monica restaurant. So he knows a thing or two about pairing wine and food.

“In researching a place to plant a tree nursery, we talked to a Realtor in Santa Margarita about some land and we were told there wasn’t sufficient ground water to grow there and we should look in Paso Robles - ‘where they grow vineyards!” It was an existing vineyard of about 33 acres that had been planted in 1989 with Syrah, Mourvedre and Cabernet - amazing enough, the owner had planted some very advanced and unique Rhone varietals for that time. Other wineries were making wine from this vineyard and so we were able to taste the wines produced and we realized that this was a special piece of land for growing these varieties. “

Personal experience suggests trying a Mourvedre or Grenache, especially a wine with a lower alcohol level, with lighter foods. If that scares you, go with the tried and true combination of salmon on the grill with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. But don’t be afraid to try new things. The Clautiere Winery and tasting room is all about fun. Brady’s medium-bodied Paso Robles wines, like others from the region, really pair beautifully with food.

The food-friendly Paso Robles wines are often as rich in flavor as any from California. They are usually about half the price. Brady’s Rhone blends are $25. You can find great Mourvedre and Grenache under $15 in many locations.

Checking Out the Latest Wine News

2011-03-31T10:01:00.001-07:00

There are many things happening in the wine world every day readers may not read but could find interesting. As a wine writer, I get e-mail updates of all types from various wine industry publications and newsletters.

U.S. House Legislation on Wine Shipping.
Wholesale wine and beer distributors stop at nothing to build and sustain their empires. There have been two bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in the last year that would be disastrous for wine consumers.

The New York Times published a story Oct. 18, 2010 concerning H.R. 5034 that demonstrates how passage of this law not only hurts wineries looking to serve their customers, but also dramatically effects retailers of wine too: “The bill, though, which is unlikely to come up for a vote until next year, would clearly mean a narrowing of choices for consumers.

Readers can find a wealth of information on H.R. 5034 online. Suffice it to say that wine consumers and wineries are strongly opposed to this contemptible legislation.

There was no real action on H.R. 5034 so the National Beer Wholesalers Association came back with H.R. 1161 this year. The details are slightly different but with the same effect. These stifling direct shipping laws and all of the efforts made to limit shipping prevent consumers from legally buying the wine of their choice and having it shipped to their home. Such legislation destroys free commerce and is job killing.

It’s impossible to go into detail here, but if you attend a local legislative breakfast let your U.S. Representative know you oppose any efforts to restrict direct shipping of wine.

The Silly Argument of Underage Drinking
The arguments about underage drinking and laws like the one above just don’t hold water. Proponents of laws like the ones mentioned consistently spread the fallacy they are trying to protect underage consumers.

Think about that for a second. I borrowed the following list from a fellow wine blogger. For an underage person to order wine online, and get it shipped to their door they must: 1. Obtain a credit card; 2. Obtain fake identification; 2. Order online and get past age verification services; 4. Wait a week or so for their booze to arrive; 5. Be at home when the delivery is made; 6. Convince the delivery person they are over 21; 7. Have a snappy answer ready when the parents find that cardboard box labeled “Contains Alcohol.”

Give the Lady a Drink
According to the Wine Market Council female wine drinkers have surpassed men for the first time since such data has been recorded. The report said 53 percent of ‘core wine drinkers’ are now women. Core wine drinkers are those defined as drinking wine at least once a week.

Future columns
I had the chance to visit with some of the top Paso Robles winemakers in October and ask some questions about Syrah. They have some strong opinions about why the grape never took off to be the “next Cabernet.”

Later this spring I’m planning to travel to Madison, Wisconsin to visit some of that state’s wineries. I did such a trip last summer in Michigan and really got a lot of material and learned about that state’s great cool climate wines.

I also have a tentative trip set for late July to Oregon’s Willamette Valley – home of some of the best Pinot Noir in the world.

Thanks for reading Grape Sense!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Some Great Affordable Wine Choices

2011-03-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

One of the challenging things in introducing wine drinkers to great value wine is directing them to find specific bottles of juice.

I review a lot of wine on my blog but not all are available where Grape Sense is published. And I do review wines on the blog at a higher price point.

So a few times a year I try to list a handful of wines that are widely distributed that I can confidently recommend.

Veramonte Pinot Noir – It’s very difficult to find an under-$15 Pinot. This Chilean Pinot out-performs most Pinot in the category. It has nice Pinot flavor with good dark fruit. I didn’t get much of the ‘dirt’ or earthiness found in higher-priced Pinot but this is very drinkable wine.

Veramonte is in many shops around the Midwest. But if you don’t find it, try a different Chilean Pinot. Many wine people believe the small South American country is the next ‘big thing.’ The Pinot vines are young but they’re only going to get better. Right now a lot of Chilean Pinot is finding its way into the U.S below $15. This one generally retails at $14.

flipflop wines – I’ll lump these wines together for a qualified recommendation. This is a value line of wines featuring a Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Moscato. They sell for $7, or less, and you might have already seen them in your supermarket. At the under-$10 price point, you just won’t find any better choices.

The company is also working with Soles4Souls, an organization that raises money to distribute shoes to needy children around the world. A portion of the proceeds from each bottle benefits the cause.

I tasted the Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio and was very pleasantly surprised. Remember to judge them for what they are - $7 wine. Not bad at all for the cost of a decent six-pack of beer!

Brassfield Estate ‘Serenity’ – This is a white wine blend from Northern California. The wine is a combination of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Gewurtztraminer, and Semillon. Wine drinkers shy away from blends but they should not. This is one of the most drinkable whites I’ve picked up in months. It has lovely pineapple, honey dew melon, and apple notes. The acidity is really quite mild. You can find it in wine shops at $10-$14.

Ortman Cuvee Eddy – Here is a red wine blend that is just making its way into Midwestern stores. I’ve become a big fan of Ortman wines because of the food-friendly style. This wine is fashioned, somewhat, as a French Cotes du Rhone. It’s a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Petite Syrah.

This wine has a jam-like blackberry flavor with a bit of chocolate. I like the spice. It is tremendous wine with food. It comes from California’s Central Coast region, specifically the Paso Robles region. It has a suggested retail price of $20.

7 Deadly Zins – Michael David winery’s Zinfandel should be very easy to find and even easier to drink. It’s definitely for the big red wine drinkers or a good introduction to bigger wines for the beginner. It offers up berry, pepper, spice and some earthiness that is just perfect at the $15 price point.

This producer also makes Zins which are much more powerful at a higher price. If you want a big Zin, try Michael David’s ‘Earthquake’ which retails for just over $20.

A Southern Indiana View of Traminette

2011-03-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

Jim Pfeiffer’s Turtle Run Winery sits south of I-64, just west of Corydon, in southern Indiana. It takes a little effort to find his nifty tasting room, but the unusual blends and his off-beat sense of humor makes the drive worth the trouble.

Pfeiffer is a self-described blend-o-holic. It should come as no surprise then he has a different take on Indiana’s Signature Grape – Traminette - than many others. He tends to ask his own questions and provide the answers.

“Traminette is one of my favorite wines,” Pfeiffer said. “I really like the spicy "gwertz" characteristics. I'll always remember the first Traminette I tried, which was an experimental wine I tasted at the Indiana Wine Grape Growers Guild meeting in 1999. I loved the flavors, and immediately decided to plant the vines, which we did in 2000.”

That doesn’t put Pfeiffer in unique company. As reported in the last Grape Sense column, Indiana wineries are rushing to plant Traminette. As a matter of fact, the Indiana Agriculture Statistics Service at Purdue estimates Indiana has 600 acres in vineyards. The top grape remains Chambourcin but Traminette has grown from 26 acres in 2004 to 65, second highest, in the most recent statistics.

“Traminette has been planted in Indiana more than any other grape variety the past few years,” said Bruce Bordelon, Purdue Horticulture Department. “Growers like the performance in the vineyard and wineries love the wine quality. Much more is likely to be planted over the next few years as its popularity with consumers rises. It will likely be the most widely planted variety in Indiana within the next five years.”

Traminette has no bigger fan, but Pfeiffer makes his “signature Indiana wine” in a dry style instead of the more prominent sweet versions. “I tend to think this grape really delivers as a dry wine grape,” he said. “First, the balance of acids coming in from the vineyard is flat out perfect. The total acids are completely in line with the strength of the acids, or PH. When that is aligned, you can go dry, dry, dry. Additionally, and uniquely, like many red wines, this wine stays in balance and maintains its flavor with higher alcohol.

“Folks who try our Traminette are very pleasantly surprised to see a dry one on the market. I get a lot of excitement from Traminette fans who first taste ours. I see the Traminette market growing, due to Indiana pride as the state grape, and, obviously due to the flavors. Is there a limit? Certainly, its flavors are alluring to me but certainly not as much to my wife. I think it was a good decision to name this grape the Indiana state grape, since it can perform in a number of different terroirs.”

Pfeiffer lauded Purdue’s efforts to promote the grape. Most all Indiana wineries were quick to jump on the bandwagon. “There are people who are ‘Traminette-o-philes’ who specifically want to try our Traminette. This has been great. However, there are folks who simply do not like the flavors. So will Traminette take on the rage, of say, a California Cabernet Sauvignon? Definitely not. Will it have the broad, universal appeal of say Merlot or Chardonnay? Probably not either. Its distinctive flavors tend to torque people towards it or against it. Rarely do we hear, ‘eh, it's okay.' "

Turtle Run 2009 Traminette – I haven’t tasted Pfeiffer’s 2009 yet, but I have had the 2008 several times. It sells for $12. It’s aged only in stainless steel. His website describes the 2009 as generous lime, lemon, and a hint of grapefruit. And, keep in mind it won’t be the sweet Traminette you may have tried elsewhere. The dry Turtle Run Traminette is my favorite Indiana wine.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Indiana Wineries Loving 'Try On Traminette'

2011-02-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Marketers know the best way to sell a product is to have a good product to sell. Indiana winemakers have struggled to find a niche beyond “sweet wines” for years. It seems “Try on Traminette” was the marketing campaign and grape to spur new-found success.

The Indiana Wine and Grape Council and Purdue University started a marketing campaign last year to introduce consumers to Traminette – a wine that is fruity and very floral. The grape is a hybrid that will remind regular white wine drinkers of Gewurztraminer – an annual Thanksgiving favorite. Cornell University is widely believed to be the developer of the hardy grape that grows well in Hoosier soils - best known for corn and beans.

The state designation of a “signature wine” has propelled Traminette to an Indiana tasting room favorite.

“We have seen "demand" for Traminette develop ever since the radio ads that Purdue is running,” said Mark Easley, Easley Winery, Indianapolis. “It is a great aromatic white wine that just needed to be discovered. Something ‘other’ than chardonnay comes to mind.”

The demand for Traminette has been felt all across Indiana’s 54 bonded wineries. More than 30 of the wineries are offering the wine, according to the Wine and Grape Council. The growth has challenged tasting rooms and vineyards. Just two years ago, only 15 Indiana wineries were producing Traminette.

“We are growing it in two of our southern Indiana vineyards,” Easley said. “Our Posey County vineyard gets a lot more heat in the summer months than our Jennings County vineyard. That creates an interesting difference in the amount of "fruitiness" we get from the fruit at each farm. The heat brings out a little more of the Gewurztraminer flavor.”

Easley markets its Traminette as a semi-dry wine with just over three percent residual sugar. It is going to be on the sweet side for most wine drinkers, but not overpowering by any means. Most Indiana wineries are producing Traminette as a sweet or semi sweet/dry white wine. But the grape can be used to make sparkling wines, table wines, ice wines, late-harvest wines, and standard dry to sweet wines.

“We are currently doing a varietal blend of the wine that we sold out of last year,” Easley noted. “Our winemaker also uses Traminette in the wine blends for both our Reggae White wine and our Barrel White wine. We find with the fruitiness and aromatic character of grapes like Traminette, Cayuga White and Riesling, that they step out into their own with a little residual sugar.”

Easley is quick to note Indiana wine drinkers still prefer sweeter wines and most Indiana producers cater to that market.

Christian Butzke, a Purdue associate professor of enology and a former commercial winemaker, is expecting most wineries that don't produce Traminette now will do so soon. He said the ongoing "Try on Traminette" campaign and its initial success would help those new Indiana wineries become recognized as agritourism destinations.

"Startups have the advantage of jumping into an existing campaign," Butzke said. "They can hit the ground running as many people enjoy local artisan wines even in a challenging economy."

That is another advantage the Indiana producers enjoy. Most of the Indiana-produced white wines, including Traminette are under $15 a bottle and low as $7 in some instances.

In the next Grape Sense, we’ll get another take on Traminette from a producer who makes a somewhat rare dry version of the floral grape.

Howard’s Pick:
Easley Traminette – This family winery is one of Indiana’s oldest, located in downtown Indianapolis. The Traminette is sweet but beautifully balanced. The wine retails at just under $15. The Easley folks suggest a bottle of Traminette with pork loin.

Don't be Afraid of French White Wines

2011-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Anyone who drinks even a little bit of wine probably has heard of ABC drinkers – Anything But Chardonnay! Or perhaps you know a “red only” wine drinker next door.

There is a revival going on with several white wines. Chenin Blanc is making a comeback. Chardonnay is becoming less oak-driven and more food friendly. Obscure French grapes are making Cotes du Rhone whites popular again.

Grape Sense focused on the geography of the Cotes du Rhone region in a July 2010 column. The Cotes du Rhone region sits at the very southeastern corner of France above Provence and below Beaujolais and Burgundy. The area is broken down into about 20 appellations or regions.

The reds offer a great contrast to many of the big and in-your-face wines of California, Australia, and even South America. The white wines are much lesser known but are a great alternative to Chardonnay and often a white that red lovers can appreciate.

You won’t find a Cotes du Rhone white wine in many supermarkets or liquor stores. You may have to go to a wine specialty shop. But I’ve found quite a few in Indiana.
The wines have a better balance and some of the earthiness you don’t usually find in whites. There is balance in the good Cote du Rhone whites that make them great as a standalone wine or with food.

There are three primary grapes. The first is Viognier, one of the most floral wines you will ever come across. Viognier is believed to be an ancient grape grown mostly in the northern Rhone region. The variety nearly disappeared in the 1960 before regaining some popularity.

There has been resurgence in Viognier in recent years even in this country. The California Central Coast has more than 2,000 acres planted in the grapes, thanks largely to a group known as the Rhone Rangers who plant red and white Rhone grapes.

A wine made of 100 percent Viognier can be quite delightful. The wine has a huge floral nose that might remind you of apricots or sweet fruit like an orange. Usually the wines are made in a dry style which makes them more interesting for the red wine drinker.

The other two grapes are more obscure. Rousanne and Marsanne don’t roll right off most American’s favorite wine lists. It’s not impossible to find a 100 percent bottling of either grape, but it’s rare.

The two are almost always blended. Roussanne is a bit sour or tart and usually gets some barrel fermentation. The characteristics on the nose and palate are floral but nothing compared to Viognier. Roussanne is a rich and spicy white that’s full bodied enough for winter meals.

Marsanne stands out for its deep golden color in the glass. The taste characteristics are often described as nut, spice, and pear.

Individually the wines are probably interesting for real wine geeks. But when the three grapes are blended together you get a rich white wine that will appeal to those ‘red only’ people, easy to pair with food, and introduce your wine friends to something brand new.

Howard’s Picks:
La Vieille Ferme Blanc – Here is a Cotes du Rhone white that’s pretty easy to find. It has a couple of other odd grapes not mentioned above (Bourboulenc and Ugni Blanc) but it’s a good representation of what you’ll find in Cotes du Rhone whites. It does have Rousanne in the blend. I found it easy on the palate with nicely-balanced acidity and a hint of lime. For $8.99, it’s an easy exploration into something different.

Grape Sense's Top 10 Value Wines of 2010

2010-12-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you combine Cabernet, Malbec, a Beaujolais, a Chianti, Syrah, and multiple Spanish grapes? You get the Grape Sense Top 10 Wines of 2010.

Are these the best ten wines I tasted in 2010? No, but close. These are 10 of the best wines tasted that were under $20 and purchased in Indiana. Last year, I ranked the Top 10 – this year the best are presented in no particular order.

George Deboeuf’s La Trinquee Julienas - The Gamay wine from Beaujolais has nice fruit structure, tannins, and well-balanced acidity. It will change your mind about Beaujolais if you’ve only had the Nouveau. ($12-99-$15.99)

Domaine de Niza Languedoc 2005 - The French wine is a blend of 60 percent Syrah, 35 percent Mourvedre, and 5 percent Grenache. It has a big nose, an herbal, spicy, and smoky taste with a long finish. Wine Spectator gave this juice a 91. I might not go quite that high, but darn close. ($13.99)

J. Lohr Cabernet - The wine is a rich and well-structured bottle of Cab. It can be found in wine shops from $13-$17. It can be picked up at many Indiana groceries for $14.99.

Etim Seleccion - This is a blend of 60 percent Garnacha, 30 percent Carinena and 10 percent Syrah from Spain. It's aged six months. The wine has an irresistable rich black cherry and spice flavor.($13.95)

Montebuena 2009 Rioja – The 100 percent Spanish Tempranillo is about as good as you're going to find anywhere for $9. Getting good European wine under $10 is always a challenge. Wine icon Robert Parker gave this great wine 90 points!

Errazuriz Cab – The Errazuriz gets its own listing because it’s that good. Chile is making some great wine and the Errazuriz is widely available. They also make a dynamite Sauv Blanc. The Cab is widely available for $19.

Altos Malbec – A consistent 88 to 90 point wine delivers a great punch. Altos offers a deep colored hue with earthiness and a silky smooth finish. You even get a little sour cherry on the mid-palate. ($10-$13)

Il Fiorino 2008 Chianti - This is a really satisfying and easy-to-drink Chianti. The Il Fiorino is the classic and traditional blend of 90 percent Sangiovese with 10 percent Canaiolo. The winery Poggio Romita ages the wine in stainless steel instead of oak. It has that smooth drinkability new wine drinkers are always seeking out. ($13)

Este de Bodegas Alto Almanzora – A critic’s favorite from Almeria, Spain. It's largely Monastrell (Mourvedre), with a little Garnacha and Tempranillo, plus smaller amounts of Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz. It is flavorful with bold raspberry and a hint of vanilla from the oak. ($9.99)

Durigutti Malbec - Last year I ranked my year-end wines 1-10. I didn’t do that this year, but if I did the Durigutti would be No. 1. This is rich wine with a peppery finish. And if you’ve never had Bonarda (traditional Argentinian grape), try Durigutti. The Malbec sells for $11-$14. They have a Reserva that is fabulous wine for $23.99

Howard’s Picks comes down to some personal highlights from 2010. I joined a group of 10 wine writers for a three-day press trip to Paso Robles, Ca, in October. I’ll be returning to California wine country in January.

For specific wines I’d list my discovery of aged French Vouvray (chenin blanc), Ortman Family Wines, Paso Robles, and my first excursions into Amarone from Italy as just a few of many highlights.

Thanks to you for reading Grape Sense and your local newspaper editor for carrying the column. I get lots of great feedback, usually when I least expect it.

Cheers to 2011!

If one of the above wines interests you and you can’t find it, write me at hewitthoward@gmail.com and I’ll tell you where I purchased the wine.

Simple Rules for Pairing Wine and Cheese

2010-12-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

Wine and cheese go together like Tom and Jerry, Sonny and Cher, and other iconic pairings.

I’m most frequently asked about pairing wine with food. I recently wrote about pairing wine with appetizers. I’ve written about pairing wine with chocolate.
Finding cheese you’ll enjoy is like finding wine you’ll appreciate. You have to taste and taste some more. But the same as wine, many people become intimidated if they find a large selection of cheeses.

And there is so much more to be enjoyed than simple Swiss, cheddar or Gouda.
“I like to introduce people to cheese by doing a cow’s milk, a sheep’s milk, and a goat’s milkcheese,” said Fred Roesner, cheese specialist at Vine and Table in Carmel, In. “And a lot of the people who come in the store, when I say goat, they say ‘no way.’

Those not familiar with goat’s milk have often tasted fresh and very pungent goat cheeses. “They think of the animal, they don’t like it,” Roesner said.

“When they’ve tasted a couple goat cheeses here they go ‘Oh, wow – who knew? There are some wonderful goat cheeses and not all of them are fresh, a lot of them are aged a little bit and they’re delicious.”

Roesner even recommends fooling your guests just a little. “If you’re going to do something, you don’t have to tell people what it is,” he laughed. “You put a good cow’s milk, a good sheep’ s milk or goat cheese out there and throw in some cheddar or something that they recognize and they’ll love it.”

Pairing wine with cheese is similar to pairing wine and food. Seek out cheese that complements the wine or a cheese that will accentuate the wine by contrast.
“If you have a Cabernet that’s a big wine with big tannins, I’d send over a triple crème, very mild and very creamy. If you’re into the medium reds it gives you a whole wide spectrum of inexpensive cheeses that will go nice depending on your tastes.

“If somebody says ‘I’m drinking a Pinot Noir tonight’ I’d say let’s try this and this and this. With Pinot, you can go light. There is a huge body of cheese right in the middle and a huge range of wine right in the middle.

Roesner might chuckle when asked about his “cheese specialist” title. After working in an unrelated industry in L.A. he decided to retire early. He wanted to work in wine but no openings were available. “So for me it’s been on-the-job training,” he said.

He’s spent the past four years learning about cheese and assisting customers in Vine & Table’s gourmet grocery.

“It’s educating people,” he agreed. “If I can introduce something new to somebody and they like it and their friends like it, that’s great to me. You should eat what you like and drink what you like.”

Howard’s picks:
Swiss Gruyere - Gruyere is often easy to find at a reasonable price. French Comte is the same cheese, but with a richer flavor to my palate. Comte is $12-$14 a pound, the Gruyere a little less.

Triple Cream Goat Cheese – A triple cream, or crème, is the other end of the spectrum. It’s the creamy and mild delicious cheese that Fred recommended above. A good creamy goat cheese is likely to cost you $18 a pound and up.
Don’t let the price scare you, often you’re only buying a quarter or half pound if it’s for nibbling with wine.

Wine Shops, A Sassy Bitch & Notes

2010-12-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

Anyone in the writing business knows sometimes there are ideas that don’t quite add up to individual columns. So, the following items are shared as Wine Briefs.

New Fishers Wine Shop
Any time a new retailer opens an Indiana wine shop, it’s worth a mention. Small retail is tough but wine shops and gourmet grocery stores really have to fight to find a niche.

Tasteful Times, at Olio Rd. and 116th St., Fishers, is a delightful shop with a big supply of gourmet grocery items and an eclectic wine selection. The store was opened by Ian and Linda Sadler along with their son Jonathan.

“We wanted to combine offering the finest products with having some fun,” Ian Sadler said. “We’re passionate about good food and good wine as a family and with friends.”
The British couple are delightful hosts. The grocery includes a wide mix of meats, cheeses, dairy products, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, flavored oils, and I was told a very popular Bloody Mary mix.

The wine selection included many labels not seen in other Indianapolis shops. “We’ve been very selective because we don’t want to carry wines that everybody else has,” Sadler said. “We also want to carry wines that we’d be proud to serve in our home to family or friends.”

Wines with Funny Names
Many a wine critic or writer will bash “critter” wines or wines with cute names. Much of the criticism is well founded. But I continue to stumble across some worth consideration. “Sassy Bitch” wines are available throughout Indiana.

Tami Fricks, a Macon, Ga., native started the company after talking with friends about how confusing wine buying can be for the average consumer. She and her husband wanted a good product with a catchy name and seem to have found both. They traveled to Chile and found boutique winery Casa del Bosque and then launched Sassy Bitch wines.

They are currently producing four wines right around the $10 price point - Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Merlot. The Cab was named a Wine Enthusiast “Best Buy” this year.

I received media samples of the Cab and Pinot. I would describe them as good $10 wines. The Cabernet is rather soft without much of a finish but better than some I’ve tasted at the price point. The Pinot Noir was the better of the two. It’s hard to find a Pinot under $15 that is drinkable. This one doesn’t have big fruit but it is nicely balanced and drinkable.

Obviously, they wanted to have fun with the name (enough said), but the wines are good $10 values.

Stand up for Shipping Rights
You’ll be reading a lot about Sunday liquor sales over the next few weeks. But nothing is stranger than wine shipping laws and Indiana’s laws may be the most ludicrous in the nation.

Did you know if an out-of-state winery has a Hoosier distributor it cannot directly ship to you if you visit their tasting room? Did you know it can cost more than $500 to get an Indiana license if they don’t have a distributor and want to send you the 12 bottles you just purchased? It goes on and on.

Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, introduced the bill to allow Sunday sales. His quote, as reported in the Indianapolis Star, is what really caught my eye.
“No government, in my opinion, should create a monopoly in any one area,” Boots said. “We need to have a free-market society. We need to have a free-market environment where everybody can compete.”

Well said and I couldn’t agree more. Write your U.S. House representative and ask him to oppose H.R. 5034 which would cripple wine producers from all states. Write your state representatives and senators to ask them to tear down the antiquated three-tier system and to allow direct wine shipments to Hoosiers.

Welcome Aboard
Just a quick shout out to new readers in Monticello, Indiana. Editor Trent Wright has added Grape Sense to the Herald-Journal!

J.Lohr Makes a Cabernet Easy to Find, Afford

2010-11-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

It can be hard to find a really good bottle of wine at the supermarket or local liquor store that delivers great quality for under $15. That’s why this column is about a single bottle of wine.

J. Lohr Vineyards is one of the iconic names in California wine, particularly the central coastal region. The chance to share comments from Steve Lohr, Jerry’s son and COO of the company, made it easy to focus one column on J. Lohr’s Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is a rich and well-structured bottle of Cabernet for its mid-teen price. The wine can be found online anywhere from $13-$17. It can be picked up at one of Indiana’s biggest grocery chains for $14.99.

The chance to share Lohr’s comments on the Cab adds a little education rather than a simple review.

“With over 20 years of experience in growing grapes in Paso Robles, we know what it takes to coax the best flavors from our vineyards,” Lohr said. “Our Paso vineyards receive only 12 to 14 inches of rainfall per year, with almost none of that occurring during the growing season. Thus, we are able to limit how much water each vine receives, encouraging the vine to put more energy into fruit maturation than cane and leaf growth. We work diligently to allow just enough sunlight to penetrate the grapevine canopy. If there is too much light, the clusters will suffer from sunburn and turn rosy or raisin – just like humans! If there is too little light, they will not develop their full berry flavors.”

A recent trip to Paso Robles, CA., provided the opportunity to talk with many of the area’s pioneers.

“We feel Paso Robles is ideally suited for Cabernet in part because of the large diurnal changes in temperature (the difference between the daytime high and nighttime low) that occur here,” Lohr explained. “Cabernet needs warm days to bake out the (chemicals) that can lead to green vegetable aromas and flavors, and cool nights to preserve the acidity and color in wine grapes. With a daily swing of 40 to 50 degrees during the summer, Paso has the largest diurnal shift of any winegrowing region in the country.”

The great thing about this inexpensive wine is it tastes like a $20 or $30 bottle. The mouth feel is comparable to a more costly wine.

“We don’t over crop our vines since that dilutes flavors; however, we don’t under crop our vines either since that leads to aggressive vegetal growth and a reduction in the length of time the cluster remains on the vine, leading to sugar accumulation before flavor development,” Lohr said.

“This attention to detail is carried through the winemaking process. We ferment in small to medium size tanks which allows us to closely monitor color, flavor and tannin extraction from the grape skins and seeds. Our focus on traditional winemaking techniques, such as the exclusive use of 225 liter oak barrels to age our Seven Oaks, is more akin to a boutique winery than a winery with good national distribution. Balance in blending occurs with the addition of other Bordeaux varieties to our Cabernet such as Merlot and Petit Verdot, as well as other red varieties which grow well in Paso such as Petite Sirah and Syrah. The finished Seven Oaks is a wine that expresses rich blackberry, black cherry and vanilla aromas and flavors with a plump, softly textured mouth feel and finish.”

J.Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet is easy to find. Try it with the next big beef dish you have planned.

Thanksgiving Dinner Pairs with Many Wines

2010-11-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

What wine to serve with the Thanksgiving turkey? It’s the most frequently asked question of the season and one with plenty of answers.

Let’s talk some turkey about white and red wines which will really highlight your holiday meal.

Chardonnay is a really easy choice. But if it was that simple, who needs a wine columnist? The way food is seasoned, cooked, and side dishes should always figure into the equation of wine-food pairing for any meal.

Recently, I gathered four good friends to evaluate six wines to pair with turkey and the trimmings. It’s a great way to pick holiday wines and great fun.

We tasted three whites and three reds with some sliced turkey, bits of cheese with cranberry, pecans, and crackers. We started with a Michigan Riesling - a classic choice. The wine offers nice fruit and acidity and will pair well with nearly everything on the dining table. Riesling is widely available, just check out a few because the wine does come in sweet, semi-sweet, and dry versions. It’s also acidic (a good thing), but if that turns you off – just read on.

One of the most popular Thanksgiving wines in recent years has been Gewurztraminer. The French and German versions are widely popular for their strong floral and spicy nose and taste. In Indiana, you can buy a Traminette at your local Indiana winery and get essentially the same flavor profile. It is a great choice. But note, the Indiana versions tend to be on the sweeter to much-sweeter side.

Our final white was a very nice California Sauvignon Blanc. The group was pleasantly surprised how well the wine went with the turkey and trimmings. Ask your wine shop for a Sauv Blanc with mild acidity. Many California Sauvignon Blanc wines will go really well.

Still, there are those who want red wine with food regardless of the occasion and there are plenty of choices that won’t overpower the bird. My wine buddies first tried a nice Beaujolais Villages gamay-grape wine. The Beaujolais Nouveau is a fun wine, but for better taste pick up a Villages or Grand Cru Beaujolais. The difference is only a few dollars for much better wine.

The Georges Duboeuf Villages wine was beautifully crafted, light, and balanced nicely against food. It’s also a wine even your non-wine drinkers are going to really enjoy. You’ll look like the sophisticated host serving one of the beautifully-labeled Beaujolais wines.

The final two wines were both Pinot Noir, but from different regions. The first was a light and tasty California Central Coast Pinot at $14. Pinot Noir and Beaujolais are probably the most frequently recommended Thanksgiving red wines. The light Pinot not only pairs with turkey, but again is a good choice if you’re not regular wine consumers.

We also tasted an awesome $30 Oregon Pinot that might be a bit much for non-wine drinkers but will really impress regularly red wine fanatics. The Oregon Pinot is more Burgundian, or lighter in style, but earthy and aromatic wine that is made to impress.

The cook in the house invests a lot of time on Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends. So take a little time to get to a wine shop, ask some questions and pick a really great wine for the holiday.

Howard’s Pick:You can watch video on my blog as my four friends evaluate six Thanksgiving wine choices. A new video will be up each night the week of Nov. 8-13. If you miss it, just search through the blog to find the six entries! You’ll see the exact wines I’ve written about here and enjoy the comments. www.redforme.blogspot.com

Wine Sales Bouncing Back Modestly

2010-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

The growth of U.S. wine sales stuttered only briefly in the recent years of economic downtown. Though dollars declined, bottle sales did not drop significantly.

Going into retail wine stores the last two years has meant a wider selection of value wines and more bargains on premium wines as the nation’s economy continues to struggle with recovery.

When the economy soured, wine drinkers didn’t stop drinking. The $20-and-up customer just moved to $20-and-under wines. Retailers are beginning to see modest overall recovery.

“There has been some recovery but I would say not as much as we all hoped,” said Ashley Lockwood, owner of Cork and Cracker, Indianapolis. “I felt like we were picking up earlier this year and then in early summer the media was talking about double-dip recession and our sales took another dip.”

But speaking in early October, Lockwood was regaining guarded optimism. “Now I feel like we’re inching up over last year’s numbers. But if I look at them side by side I’ll be very surprised if we see much more than low, single-digit growth over last year.”

Lockwood’s shop is dominated by wines $15 and under. A little farther to the north, Vine and Table in Carmel has a wider selection of high-end wine but also a large value selection.

“I see the market getting a little better every year,” Wine Manager Bethann Kendall said. “We are still a long way away from where we were. I think in coming months we will see a nice increase from last year from consumers who are comfortable spending money without the constant fear of losing their jobs.”

Both wine retailers see customers moving back slowly to premium wines. “Everyone wants a good value but they all have that wine they adore at whatever price point and they consume for special dinners or to celebrate,” Kendall said.

Lockwood agreed consumers who had moved to her less-expensive wines are back buying more premium bottles. “I have a lot more people shopping the ($15-and-over) walls than I did a year ago,” she said. “One year ago I couldn’t sell a bottle of wine for over $20 to save my life. They’re starting to buy off the walls again and even in bad months those wines are moving again.”

Indianapolis is obviously the state’s most competitive market. Lockwood has heard from distributors that many retail outlets are worse off than her sales. “We have seen several places go out of business in the five years we’ve been here, places similar to us,” she said “And, we’ve seen a lot of restaurants close.”

The slow wine business has resulted in a lot of wine in warehouses and retail shelves. Customers benefit from the wine glut with more deals for the savvy wine shopper. “There has been some adjustment in prices and for us there were a lot of closeouts,” Lockwood said. “You do see that but I still think there is room for readjustment. It’s mostly domestic and largely California.”

Kendall echoed the sentiment and offering a heads up to consumers to look for great deals from most retailers during the holiday season.

Howard’s Pick:
Instead of a specific wine, its back to the advice offered in my first column two years ago. Find a wine shop you like and establish a relationship with the proprietor. Good retailers will help you find wines you like at the best price.

Time to Break Out the Big Muscle Wines

2010-10-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

A chill is in the air and frost is on the pumpkin which means it’s time for steaming stews and hearty chili. Wine pairing for big foods really is not as difficult as for more subtle flavors.

When it comes to big-flavored foods the wine picks should match. ‘Go big or stay home’ works for wine too!

Syrah and Zinfandel are great matches with those steamy pots of hearty fare. Both wines are characterized by bold fruit, spicy and peppery flavors and enough tannin structure to match well with big food.

First, let’s clear up a common misperception Syrah, Sirah, and Shiraz is all the same grape. Petite Syrah is a different varietal. The U.S. and France use the Syrah spelling while the Australians seemed to have coined the Shiraz spelling with great marketing success.

The wine, regardless of how you spell it, tends to have dark berry, plum, and sometimes even an olive taste characteristic. They almost always have some spice on the palate. The better Syrah wines are often quite silky in the mouth despite the big and bold flavor.

Syrah is frequently blended with Grenache or Mourvedre to make the great Cotes du Rhone wines. Elegant and beautiful French Syrah wines are available in good wine shops. There are plenty of great California Syrah wines in any shop.

California Syrah tends to be bigger in flavor but still retain the smooth style. Look at the label closely because some Syrah can be high in alcohol content.

Petite Syrah is a different grape altogether. It has waned in popularity in recent years. It is often used in blending. Don’t let the name fool you. Petite Syrah is almost always a bigger and more muscular wine.

If you want a pairing with a little less fruit but equally powerful then try a California Zinfandel. Zins often exhibit dark berry or cherry flavors with a peppery finish. It’s very much a food wine and will go well with pizza, burgers, or that bowl of hearty stew. Zinfandel is a robust wine. It generally is not a sipper.

Yes, it is the same grape used to make the very sweet and cheap White Zinfandel. But that is where any similarity ends.

Zin is one of those wines that can vary greatly depending on region and style. They can be rich and silky but also powerful enough to make you blush.

These two red wines are a regular on most wine drinker’s dinner tables in cold weather months. If you are not already enjoying these wines, go to your favorite retailer and ask them to help you select an introduction to Syrah and Zinfandel.

Howard Picks:
Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel – This wine is rich in cherry flavor, big on the pepper with balanced tannins producing a glass that will hold up to any winter dish. It’s widely distributed in Indiana at $16-$18. This producer also makes a great Syrah around $15.

Columbia Crest Shiraz – This Washington state winery goes with the Australian spelling for its black cherry and silky smooth wine. It has a hint of the Viognier grape to add nuance. Columbia Crest wines are also widely available. This wine retails at a real bang-for-your-buck price of around $12.
Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, writes about wine for 12 Indiana newspapers, a national online wine magazine, and his own blog – www.redforme.blogspot.com

Two Great Fall Wine Road Trips

2010-09-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

One-tank trips aren’t just for the summer. There is no better time in the Midwest to take a one-day drive or weekend trip than the fall and enjoy locally made wines. You might even catch some fall harvesting action!

You can find wine trail maps for Indiana and all surrounding states readily available on the internet. In this column, I’ll recommend a southern Indiana trip and an easily-accessible Michigan trip.

Huber Orchard, Winery, & Vineyards in southern Indiana is a real destination year-round. But during the fall they have a Fall Festival with live music, lots of special activities, and big crowds. The kids can pick out their Halloween jack-o-lantern while Mom and Dad enjoy Spiced Apple Wine or Fall Sangria.

Plan your day so you can go a quarter mile down the road to Joe Huber’s Family Farm & Restaurant for lunch or dinner. If Huber’s doesn’t have the best fried chicken, served family style, you’ve ever had then I want to know where you found better.

Another great Indiana wineries is nearby Turtle Run, west of Corydon. The folks there also have a bounty of fall activities and some of the most interesting wines you’re going to taste in the Hoosier State. One thing I like about Turtle Run is you’ll find wines there you’re not going to taste elsewhere. Turtle Run and Hubers make good dry wines to go with the expected sweeter wines you find all over Indiana.

Other fun trips would be to French Lick or Brown County wineries, maybe with a short run down to I-64 to take in Winzerwald. Oliver Winery is the state’s most popular but a good day trip would also include a visit to Butler Winery nearby. Or if you want to visit the Indianapolis area go to Easley Winery downtown and Chateau Thomas Winery just off I-70 in Plainfield.

For readers in the northern half of the state, or those a bit more adventurous, there are great Michigan wineries not far from the Indiana border. I’d recommend you visit a small cluster of wineries situated between Highway 31 and I-94 around Baroda and Buchanan for an easy day trip.

Round Barn Winery, Tabor Hill Winery, Domaine Berrien, and Lemon Creek Winery are all within a couple miles of each other. I visited all but Lemon Creek this summer. Round Barn also has a brewery so you can taste their wines and handcrafted beers. The winery tasting room is in an old Round Barn purchased in Fulton County, Indiana, and moved up to Baroda, MI.

The drive from Merrillville to the Baroda area is just over an hour. From Michigan City, it is under 45 minutes to these four wineries.

Round Barn makes some great dessert wines and a fabulous Gewurztraminer. Domaine Berrien does some Old World varietals you won’t find anywhere else in the Midwest. Go to Tabor Hill for the fabulous Norman Love chocolates and their lighter-style wines.

The links to all of these sites are listed below. You can read about the wineries, check out the maps and plan your trip. If you want to experience the Midwest’s best wines in Northern Michigan, it’s not a one day trip but drop me a line and I’d be happy to make some recommendations. That will also be a future column.

Howard’s Picks - Huber’s Winery Joe Huber’s Restaurant, Turtle Run, Round Barn, Domaine Berrien, Tabor Hill, Two other great resources: Indiana Wine & Grape Council, Michigan Wine & Grape Council.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, writes about wine for 12 Indiana newspapers, a national wine blog – Palate Press, and his own wine blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

On Wine Storage & Wine Competitions

2010-09-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: As an old newspaper guy, with ink in the veins, I still like seeing my column in print. I was reminded of that today when I received a copy of The Chronicle from my friend Publisher Brenda Kleihege.

The Chronicle is a unique publication serving Portage, Valparaiso, Chesterton, and Hobart, Indiana. It is a nicely designed features publication in an area with some strong newspapers. I like this idea and think we're going to see more of this type paper in coming years.

Meanwhile back in the electronic world, here is my latest print column:

With the two-year anniversary of Grape Sense approaching, it dawned on me many readers missed some earlier columns that covered some basics.

I was reminded of that after the column debuted in Columbia City two weeks ago. I got an email from a reader asking: “Should wine be refrigerated after opening? And, how long will wine keep if sealed properly?”

The second question, in particular, is a frequent one. I have a couple of items for today’s column so thought I’d start with the Columbia City questions.

You will find conflicting opinions about both questions but through my years of enjoying wine I've decided to refrigerate white wines, which I think will keep 2-3 days and sometimes a little longer. I do not refrigerate red wines after opening though. I use the rubber seal and air pump device for leftover wine. I honestly don’t believe red wines are drinkable much past 24 hours. I have had a few good up to two days after opening but that’s an unusual exception.

I hope that helps.

2010 Indy International Wine Competition.

I was a guest judge at the Indy Wine Competition again this year and really enjoyed the experience. Just imagine tasting, spitting and trying to evaluate 50-plus wines in an hour-and-a-half!

Readers interested in Indiana wine can go to the Indiana Wine and Grape Council website for a full list of winners.

Several folks in Indiana really scored big. French Lick Winery was honored for its 2008 Traminette as the competition’s White Wine of the Year. Oliver Winery, Bloomington, won the Winemaker of the Year Trophy, which honors the winery winning the most gold medals.

Indiana wines compete with more than 2,700 wines from around the world. But there is also an Indiana grown wines division. Other Indiana winners included Huber for its 2009 Vignoles and 2008 Knobstone Blaufrankisch. Easley Winery was honored for its Pink Catawba.

Visiting Oak Hill Winery

Whenever I’m driving the Hoosier byways and have a little extra time I try to find a nearby Hoosier winery to visit. Recently I stopped in at Oak Hill Winery at Converse. Converse is about 15 minutes east of U.S. 31, on Ind. 18, north of Kokomo.

Rick Moulton has a small operation of about 1,000 cases a year. He makes mostly dry wines from grapes usually associated with Indiana’s traditional sweet wines. His style is very different than most. Not only does he make a dry Concord red wine, among others, but he makes them in a very light style.

Howard’s Picks:

Summer is winding down so instead of a specific wine recommendation how about some generic suggestions. Next time in the wine shop pick up a bottle of dry Rose’ and give it a try. Rose’ is great by itself and great with most foods. Pink Wine isn’t for wimps anymore!

The other summer suggestion would be non-tradition whites. More than a year ago I wrote about Albarino, which comes primarily from Spain and Portugal.
You can find good Rose’ and good Albarino at most Indiana wine shops. These wines also are great values ranging anywhere from $10-$15 for really good ones. You can buy great ones around $20.

Indiana-Based Wine Rack Maker Flourishes

2010-08-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

A growing appreciation for wine usually means buying more wine, drinking more wine, and sooner or later needing a place to put all that bottled goodness.

Wine storage systems and wine racks are everywhere with plenty of choices for wine consumers. Finding racks that hold more than a dozen bottles, though, can be a bit of a challenge in Indiana.

Radel Wood Products, Peru, IN., is a commercial wine rack production company that will still build a custom rack for any consumer. Radel’s products are in more than 40 states across the U.S.

“We’re mostly a commercial business but we’ll build a rack for the individual,” said Gerald Radel, a former newspaper pressman. “We do tasting rooms for wineries, custom tasting tables, products for wholesalers, but wine racks are our primary business.”

Radel was in the newspaper industry for years and after a couple of job moves decided to return to Peru to get into wood milling and custom work. When nearby Grissom Air Force Base closed its doors the enormous hangers became warehouses. Cost Plus World Market rented one of the former hangers to use as a distribution center.

When one of Radel’s friends saw wine racks in storage at the Peru base, they bid on building the 44-bottle racks and got the contract. Even with the ups and downs of the economy, Cost Plus remains Radel’s biggest customer. During a July visit, Radel and his six employees were busy finishing an order for 600 of the 44-bottle racks.

He started building wine racks in 1999 in his garage. He’s grown the business and operates now from a building on the west side of Peru on Highway 24.

“We’ve been doing wine trade shows the last five or six years with the last three years really starting to pay off,” Radel said. “Most of our business is in the eastern part of the United States. I have two big customers in Florida.”

He is getting ready to build racks for a tasting room in St. Joseph, Michigan. Earlier this year he worked a trade show at Grand Rapids.

His goal is to keep coming up with new ideas and ideas for custom racks. Though he has built doors for home contractors and even kitchen cabinets, wine racks are now his primary business. He builds racks in Pine, Alder Wood, and Oak in all shapes and sizes.

The wine woodworker became a wine drinker as his business expanded. “I like wine,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t drink a lot of wine until I got into this business but you have a tendency to accumulate a lot of wine. We like to visit wineries when we travel and you usually can’t leave without buying a couple bottles, maybe more if they’re a customer.”

He said Riesling was probably his favorite. Obviously, he doesn’t have any storage issues.

His products can be seen and priced on his website

A Primer on French Cotes du Rhone Wines

2010-08-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you like affordable and richly flavored wine you have to embrace the French.
Wine drinkers who want great fruit, a bit of earthiness, and smooth drinking juice, should try wines from the Cotes du' Rhone region.

The wines pair great with food, have a spicy and almost juicy fruit characteristic on the palate, and the better ones give you a taste of what the French call "terrior" - the earth or environment. These wines will give you a beautiful bouquet on the nose that will bring you back again and again.

The Cotes du Rhone region sits in the very southeastern corner of France above Provence and below Beaujolais and Burgundy. The area is broken down into about 20 appellations or regions.

If you're relatively new to wine or French wine, you know there is something different going on with the French. Well, in this case, we're just talking about the wine.

Very few French producers put the name of the grape on the bottle. The French labeling laws are extensive and confusing for the non-French. The wines are labeled by the region where they are grown. The varied and rich French soil, which has grown grapes for decades, produces very different wines from micro climate to micro climate.

Don't expect to see that change any time soon. Italy is the same.

So for great and inexpensive French wines keep your approach simple. Cotes du Rhone means it comes from the region. It might be a blend of grapes from different vineyards. Cotes du Rhone Villages wine comes from a specific region and is usually a little higher in price and quality. There are many great Cotes du Rhone wines under $15 and really great ones aren't unusual at $12.

The top of the line wines are the big, bold and earthy Chateauneuf-du-Pape or "New Castle of the Pope." You can read up on the 1300's and Pope Clement V's residency in Avignon in your spare time.

But the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines are generally the area’s best. They are pricey starting at $35-$40.

So let’s stick to the Cotes du Rhone. The area produces mostly reds but also some white and rose'. Grenache is the dominant grape. The wine is often blended to include Syrah, Cinsault, Carignane, or Mourvedre.

I've liked the Grenache-Syrah blends best. They deliver big dark fruit flavor from the Grenache with a hint of spice and earthiness from the Syrah.

Many of the producers are very small by Bordeaux, and especially California, standards. But in 2008/2009, the region produced nearly 400 million bottles. It is the second largest French wine-producing region in land mass and production.

Cotes du Rhone has become my fall back wine. When I don't know what I want to drink I grab one. If I want to give a gift of wine I can do so with the confidence the label may bewilder the lucky recipient but they'll like the wine.

Don't be afraid to ask questions at your favorite retail shops. Cotes du Rhone wines are easy to find.

Howard's Picks:
Domaine Lafage Grenache Noir - This juice is incredible. I looked back at my blog tasting notes and wrote "rich feel in the mouth, and very smooth finish." I've had it several times since that first bottle. It is a great introduction to the region, especially at $11.99.

Patrick Lesec's Bouquet - I've plugged this wine several times but it's for a reason. It was my 2009 'wine of the year' in my newspaper column and online blog. It's bigger in taste than the Domaine Lafage with more herbal notes and a bigger flavor. It has more of the earthiness and pairs great with food. It is dynamite wine for $12.99.

Argentina's Bonarda Making a Comeback

2010-07-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

Argentina means Malbec, right? For many people that is the logical and most accurate perception. But long before Malbec became the rage, Bonarda was the grape of choice in that South American country.

I’ve written many times about Malbec as a great introduction to new varietals and also written about Malbec as one of Argentina’s best-known exports. But it might surprise many to know there is nearly the same amount of Bonarda planted in Argentina as Malbec.

Bonarda has been a staple in Argentina’s wine industry for years, used mostly in blending and for table wines. It is believed the grape came originally from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region. One school of thought was that Bonarda was California’s Charbono but that theory has been dismissed.

There is another faction that believes the grape comes from Savoie, France. But whether it genetically got its start in Italy or France, it’s definitely known as Argentine today.

The wines are easy to drink, fruity and very inexpensive. They have a bright and fresh texture with just enough acidity and even a little pepper. In most cases you’ll get really rich flavor along the lines of raspberries and other dark fruit from this deep purple juice.

The wine is easy to drink and good with grilled meat and red sauces.
A little research shows the grape is frequently described as the “workhorse” grape. It demands heat and sunshine, provides big yields, and is usually less expensive than Malbec.

It’s all over the internet that many of Argentina’s winemakers are taking a second look. Malbec has really taken the world by storm over the last decade. Could Bonarda be next?

I first discovered Bonarda at a wine bar in San Francisco in 2006 and have searched for great ones since. It seems in recent months more Bonarda is turning up in Central Indiana wine shops.

It’s pretty easy to find a Malbec/Bonarda blend. There will even be a little Syrah thrown into some bottlings. It’s tougher to find the 100 percent Bonardas but worth the effort.

I like the wine’s richness, acidity, and it has a certain earthy or smoky characteristic that many wine drinkers will find enjoyable.

Besides my pick-of-the-week below, here are a few names of reliable Bonarda producers: Familia Zuccardi, Altos, Alamos, Argento, Caligiore, Sur de los Andes.

Howard’s Pick:
Durigutti 2007 Bonarda – This is one of the best Bonardas I’ve found since that first one in San Francisco. It has a big, earthy nose of dark fruit. I picked up a little plum and it has an astringency I like in red wine. Although I paid $14 for this at an Indiana shop, the wine is widely advertised for as low as $10-$11.

Many Great Wine Choices for Steak

2010-07-03T04:45:00.000-07:00

If you love summer grilling and struggle with a good wine pairing you’re not alone. Too many people fall back to the classic Cabernet Sauvignon or maybe Merlot when there’s beef on the barbeque.

I love a powerful Cabernet with a charred piece of beef tenderloin anytime of the year but many palates aren’t accustomed to the tannins and dryness of a big Cab. Perhaps you’re trying something new on the grill or just want something different.

There are lots of options and it’s fun to pair a familiar food like steak to a new wine. I think that’s a great way to find something you’ll really like.

Argentina is the great beef-producing country and if you have a steak there you’ll be served Malbec. I think Malbecs are a logical match for about any grilled steak. Malbec is almost always lower in alcohol than Cabernet too. The Malbec is going to be smoother, probably less tannic, and a great match for most beef.

How about thinking outside the box with tonight’s steak? If dinner was going to be a red-sauce pasta dish you’d probably reach for an Italian Chianti. If you’re putting a red barbeque sauce on beef ribs why not pair it with the Italian classic wine?

If you like to really coat your grilled beef with cracked black pepper and make a spicy steak, then a peppery California Zinfandel makes a lot of sense with its big fruit forward characteristics and spicy finish. Another alternative for those who shy away from big wines would be a jammy Australian Shiraz.

If the steak flavor is big, try an earthy Cotes du Rhone wine from France. If it’s a special occasion and your budget allows, go all out and serve an earthy but bigger Chateanuneuf-du-Pape from the Rhone. CdP wines were all the rage a few years ago but they’re not cheap. Entry point for a good one will start in the $35 range.

But there are lots of great Cotes du Rhone wines at reasonable prices. My top wine of 2009 was a $12 Patric Lesec Bouquet bottling from the Cotes du Rhone region that would be really good with grilled beef.

If your dinner guests are big Pinot Noir fans, yes Pinot can work with beef, use a Pinot Noir you know. The California Russian River Valley Pinots and some from the Monterrey area tend to be big wines that will hold up.

Traditional Burgundy and Oregon Pinot Noir made in a more delicate style are probably going to be a better pairing for a lighter grilled meat - think lamb!

And if your beef is hamburger don’t think the beverage has to be beer. Frankly, a grilled burger may give you the greatest flexibility to match a great wine. Hamburger and Cabernet will work just fine! A mild Italian Valpolicella would make great sense with a burger. If you want something even lighter, especially if you don’t know your guests’ tastes, try a French Beaujolais or South Africa’s Pinotage.

Howard’s Picks:
Alamos 2007 Seleccion Malbec – This is one of the best Malbecs I’ve had under $20. It has rich flavor and intensity you just don’t get in most value wines. It’s deep purple with hints of caramel and cherry. You can find it in bigger wine retail outlets for $16-$20.

Follow Along: I’ll be traveling Michigan’s wine country July 13-16 and blogging daily about the wineries and experience. Most of the visit will concentrate on the beautiful Leelanau County area in northwestern Michigan. Follow along on my blog - Grape Sense - A Glass Half Full.

The Rise of South African Wines

2010-06-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Sports have long been a catalyst for economic development. You don’t have to look any farther than Indianapolis. Indy city leaders built the RCA Dome, Conseco Fieldhouse, and now Lucas Oil Stadium not just for the sports teams but to lure business, improve the economic climate downtown and create new business.

As the eyes of the soccer world look to South Africa, the South African wine industry is trying to capitalize on all of the attention.

Wine production dates back to at least the 1600s but the years of apartheid stymied any international expansion. Right now South African wines are one of the “hottest things” in the wine world.

The World Cup has been the necessary impetus to build the wine brand in South Africa and around the world. Project Laduma started in 2008 aiming to create 2010 wine stewards by this summer’s World Cup. The wine industry’s marketing arm, Wines of South Africa, came up with the job-creating idea to welcome World Cup guests.
WSA funded the drive by having members create specific red wines to be sold to finance the steward training. The red wines sold to the consumer at the $15-$20 price point. About half of the 2,000 workers were identified as restaurant workers but the other half came from the nation’s unemployed.

But the country hasn’t been looking inward only. South Africa exports more than 10 million gallons of wine annually. Nearly 300,000 people are employed in the wine industry. The country produces less than four percent of the world’s wine, ranking it eighth in overall volume.

The country has nine wine regions with the most recognized being Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Constantia. The country grows a lot of Cabernet, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir. Riesling, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc are also plentiful. Chenin Blanc, sometimes called Steen, is the most widely grown grape in the Cape region. It is often cited as South Africa’s best white.

South Africa’s signature grape is Pinotage. It’s one wine many people have heard of and perhaps never tried. It is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. The Cinsaut grape normally adds a certain softness and fragrant nose to wine. Pinotage dates back to 1925 and has had its ups and downs. It’s not the most widely planted grape but it is South African’s best known original.

The wine has smoky, earthy, tones that are usually quite smooth. As a point of reference, I’d compare the taste of Pinotage to France’s Gamay grape. Gamay is the grape behind Beaujolais wines.

Now a bit of advice before you rush off to the wine shop, ask for advice. I had not purchased much South African wine before preparing to write this column. My purchases were hit and miss. Fairview is a big and consistent producer. Other names to look for are Neil Ellis, Nederburg, Ken Forrester, Kanonkop, and De Wetshof Estate. Those are just a very few.

Howard’s Pick:

Nederburg 2007 Pinotage: A beautiful, deep purple wine that has great dark fruit on the front of the palate, a solid mid plate that will keep you interested, and a little bit of oak on the finish for a well-balanced wine! Nederburg makes a very drinkable introduction to South African wines. You can find this bottling at many places in Indiana at $10-$14 a bottle.

Hosting Your Own Wine Tasting Party

2010-06-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

One of the great joys of wine is sharing it with others. Not only do you enjoy the companionship but you’re likely to learn something about the wine you’re drinking. You can read and even study about wine but drinking it and sharing your thoughts with friends is one of the best ways to improve your wine knowledge.

Hosting a wine tasting might sound pretentious or something you’d do in a fancy wine shop or fancy home. But all you really need for a great and unique evening is a few friends and a plan. I’m here to help with the plan.

Here is what you’ll need besides the wine: wine glasses, unflavored cocktail crackers, mild cheeses, napkins, paper plates, and a great sense of humor.

The wine obviously depends on the group. But for first-time wine tasting party, I’d suggest keeping it simple. There is no great guideline to how many wines. From experience hosting and participating in wine tastings, I would suggest that 6-7 wines are the maximum before the palate starts to go flat. Pour about a two-ounce amount into each glass and let the fun begin.

Someone has to lead your group through the tasting. If you have a friend who knows wine that’s great but anyone really can do it. Think of your leader as more of a discussion stimulator and less of a real oenophile.

Provide small notepads and pens so your guests and write down a few thoughts and ask them to rate each wine on a 1-5 scale.

Keep your wines consistent in price. A good starting point is the $12-$15 range. There are many choices of good wine at that price point. And choose some variety and new wines. There isn’t much use in hosting a tasting and doing nothing but Chardonnay, Merlot, and maybe a Cab. Try a Malbec, Shiraz, or Zinfandel. Be sure to include at least one white – A.B.C. – anything but Chardonnay!

Start by introducing the wine. What is it? Who made it? Where was it made? What is the alcohol percentage? The notes on the back of most bottles can be very helpful. Encourage your guests to swirl the wine in their glass and look and think about the color. The next step is one of the most pleasurable for me – really get your nose into the glass and enjoy the smell. Can you identify certain smells in the wine? Start with something easy. Get a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and ask if they can smell the grass. (They’ll think you’re a genius!)

When tasting the wine suggest your guests think about the wine as it hits their mouth, travels mid-palate, and then the finish when they swallow the wine. Do they taste fruit up front? Do they get something different as the wine lingers? Is it acidic or do they feel a bit of heat (alcohol) as they swallow the wine? Get everyone involved in the discussion. There are no wrong answers. If the bottle says the taste has dark cherry and currant, and someone tastes melon just encourage them!

Then it’s time to evaluate the wine. What did the group like or dislike about the wine? Have everyone make some notes and move on.

Having some plain crackers, bread, and cheese to cleanse the palate. Most supermarkets have Swiss Gruyere which works well with most wines.

The evening ends with a final discussion. Which wines did they like the best or least? You’ll find it fascinating to see the differing opinions.

Leading a group of friends through some new wines is one of my favorite activities. If you give it a try, I think you’ll agree.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., is a former career journalist who writes about wine. Read his blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Young People Moving to Wine

2010-06-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

As anyone even mildly interested knows, wine sales have been on a steady climb since the early 1990s. One trend which has been well documented by the sales people and through ever-increasing anecdotal evidence is younger people are drinking more wine.

The Nielsen Company recently issued reports on the drinking preferences for “millennials.” Millennials are generally described as the generation born in the late 1970s and into the 90s.

The first thing to keep in mind is that generation grew up with choices the Baby Boomer generation never thought possible. While Boomers were thrilled to choose from Pepsi, Coke, 7-Up or Dr. Pepper, the millennials have enjoyed convenience stores with a wall full of coolers with many choices of beverage.

For decades the adult beverage of choice has been beer within this age group. That’s still true but the numbers are changing. The beer numbers have decreased for more than a decade – though a frosty cold one still comes out on top. Millennial consumers spend 47 percent of their alcohol dollars on beer, 27 percent on spirits, and 26 percent on wine.

Growing up with all those choices mean the young adult consumer isn’t afraid to try Micro-Brew beers or wine from New World producers.

The younger consumer also likes the better-known and more expensive brands while Boomers are more likely to buy the value labels – at least when it comes to spirits.
The Millennials are red wine drinkers by a 51-44 percent margin. It’s not difficult to figure the favorites would be Cabernet and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay remains the favorite white. But the younger age group does buy more Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling than the older consumer.

Here is the opening for wine retailers and educators. One of the interesting facts I read in the story about the Nielsen report was many young consumers believe they know something about wine but more than one-third wanted to learn more!

Here are a couple of other interesting things in the wine news world:

- A recent report by the Wine Market Council reports women have surpassed men as once-a-week wine drinkers. The report said 53 percent of the wine drinkers in the U.S. are women.

- Guess who is buying up all those Bordeaux wine futures? If you guessed the Chinese, then you’d be right! The San Jose Mercury-News recently reported that California is gaining ground, though. China wine consumption has doubled since 2004.

The Chinese don’t bat at an eye spending big money for French Bordeaux and are a major players in Bordeaux wine futures. But California wine exporters are trying to target the middle class with California wines.

Still, the staggering numbers belong to the French. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, China imports 46 percent of its wine from France, 20 percent from Australia, 8 percent from Italy, and then comes the U.S. at 5 percent.

- I wrote a column in early March about all of the great values available, particularly through the internet, due to worldwide wine supplies and the economy. And, that’s still true. But the U.S. market seems to be recovering. Wines & Vines, a wine industry news site, reported U.S. sales of off-premise table wine increased 6.8 percent compared to the same period a year ago. That followed a four-week period of increases just over 5 percent.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast and former journalist. Read his wine blog, updated throughout each week, at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Warm Weather Means Time for Light Wines

2010-05-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Warmer weather is time to break out the lighter and refreshing wines. That means it’s white wine time even for you non-white wine drinkers.

If you are one of those people – and I admit to former membership – who ‘only’ drink red wine, it’s time to expand your palate. Instead of the usual suspects, today’s column is about exploring which might be new to you.

Let’s start with Pinot Gris. The grape is thought to be a clone of Pinot Noir and it’s also known as Pinot Grigio. I’d recommend you try Oregon’s Pinot Gris. Pinot Gris/Grigio is fast becoming one of the more popular white wines in the United States. It’s great with chicken, pork, and about any fish dish.

Pinot Gris is a light- or delicate-flavored wine with nice floral scents and the expected lemon citrus. Much of the wine from Oregon is stainless-steel aged so you get a clean, crisp, and slightly acidic white wine.

You can buy a Pinot Grigio from Italy and find an even lighter and drier white wine than many of Oregon’s examples. But you’d be missing out on some of Italy’s best white offerings. Soave is a personal favorite perfect for warmer months. It is close to Pinot Grigio but still has different taste characteristics. It’s grown largely in the Veneto region and is Italy’s best-selling white wine.

If you think of Spanish white wines, the signature grape is Albarino. This grape is much closer to a crisp and acidic Sauvignon Blanc than the others already mentioned. It’s very light in body, with hints of mineral, and its fabulous white wine with about any fish. Albarino will be acidic, but when paired with seafood you’ll find an enjoyable match.

If you want something not quite as dry or acidic, then I’d suggest Argentina’s Torrontos grape. This wine has a much sweeter mouth feel than matches my palate, but many are going to like it. It is intensely floral and a terrific bargain. You can find many great Torrontos wines at $9-$12.

If you’re a traditionalist and willing to spend a few more dollars, then you should be trying the really awesome Chablis whites from the Burgundy region of France. Remember Burgundy only grows two grapes – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Chablis is Chardonnay that is often done in a light style without ever seeing oak. Some of the higher end Chablis will have a combination of juice aged in vats and wood. They are beautiful wines but at a higher price.

I recently wrote about Indiana’s signature grape, Traminette - a great summer ‘sipper.” More than half of Indiana’s 40-plus wineries produce a Traminette wine. Most of those are on the sweeter side. They are all under $15 and great on the porch with friends.

Other great summer whites: Try a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, Italy’s very dry Gavi, an unoaked Chardonnay from New Zealand, or Gruner Veltliner from Austria. And, don’t forget the Reisling!

Howard’s Picks:
Lange 2008 Pinot Gris – This winery has been one of the pioneers for Pinot Gris in Oregon. This limited-production white wine has hints of orange, lemon, and a zesty citrus feel in the mouth. ($16)

Burgan’s 2007 Albarino – I love this wine. With strong lemon and a floral bouquet of a nose, you’ll have a hard time putting this down before the food hits the table. It’s extremely well balanced and affordable. ($12)

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast and former journalist. Read his blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Time to Stop "Dissing" Boxed Wine

2010-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

There’s boxed lunches, Jack-In-The-Box burgers, and boxed wine.

What do those three things have in common? Generally, they are best all avoided.

But that has changed with recent innovations in boxed wine. Yes, it’s okay to drink your Chardonnay, Cabernet, or red wine blend from a tap on the kitchen counter.

Now, before the purists drop their newspaper and wonder what wine that guy must be drinking, consider the uproar 20 years ago when screw caps started turning up on wine. Today the screw cap has become common place in the value wine market. As a matter of fact, I purchased a $40 California Pinot Noir a few weeks ago with a screw cap! That would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. And it was a great $40 wine.

Franzia, long the standard bearer for box wine, is one of the biggest selling names in wine. The good news is companies now pack wine in vacuum sealed containers that preserve the wine for up to six weeks.

I recently tasted two different wines packaged in the Octavin Home Wine Bar system. Ten different wines are being offered in the three-liter containers – or about 20 five-ounce glasses of wine. The price for the boxed juice runs $22-$24.

The Octavin system is a patent-pending design which prevents oxidation. Another huge upside to the wine box according to the Octavin folks is its green efficiency. By choosing boxed wine over heavy glass bottles, you reduce packaging waste by at least 85 percent and carbon emissions by 55 percent.

There are other innovations going on in the wine world. Wine is turning up in cans and experiments are going on with plastic bottles and how that might impact the wine. A revolution takes time but consider the possibilities. Anyone who has ever picked up a great bottle of Pinot Noir probably thought they were getting a bicep workout.

Another big advantage to box packaging systems is the convenience. For those who just want a simple glass of wine, the boxed wines provide just that without wondering what to do with the rest of the bottle or how to preserve it.

I was sent two different boxed wines by the marketing company for the Octavin Company. I have been sampling a Monthaven 2008 Central Coast Chardonnay since March 31. I last tasted the wine April 21. While Chardonnay isn’t my favorite varietal, and this one is a tad thin, the wine tasted no different over that four-week time frame.

I also have a box of Big House Red which I just opened recently. It’s a blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and about a half dozen more grapes. Big House Red is widely available and a nice every day wine. It usually lists around $11, but the Octavin box sells for $22.

I’ve tasted other box wines in retail shops in the last year and, frankly, been blown away at the quality of the wine. Now, make no mistake this isn’t wine you’re going to be reading about in Wine Spectator or from the nation’s top critics. But the wines I’ve tasted make a nice single glass of wine from a container which will keep it fresh for up to six weeks.

The idea is catching on across the nation. Last year box wine sales went up 24 percent, according to the Nielsen research folks.

Boxed wine is no longer a punch line for wine enthusiastists. Now, if we could just do something to reduce the calories in those great Jack-In-The-Box burgers!

Try Indiana's Signature Wine - Traminette

2010-04-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

It’s a fair guess most Hoosiers didn’t know Indiana has a “signature wine.” Sure, California has Cabernet, Oregon has Pinot, and Italy has Chianti – but Indiana?

Last fall Indiana’s Department of Agriculture, Office of Tourism and the Indiana Wine Grape Council introduced Indiana’s first signature wine – Traminette.

Would it help if it’s noted Traminette is much like Gewurztraminer? Hmm, guess not!
Traminette is a grape that is ideal for Indiana’s climate. Currently 23 of Indiana’s more than 40 wineries offer a Traminette. For many years Indiana seemed limited to the Concord, Niagara, and Chambourcin grapes but many wineries are really expanding their crops.

Indiana has a booming wine industry with more than a million visitors last year.
The great thing about this wine is it’s very likable. It’s incredibly floral on the nose with some spice. Most of Indiana’s Traminette is on the sweet to semi-sweet side of the palate. There are a few wineries making really interesting dry Traminette. (Note my picks at the bottom of the column.)

Indiana is up to 46 wineries with no end in sight. Most make wines based on the sweet grapes that have flourished here for so long. But there are wineries like Huber’s at Starlight now growing Malbec and Petit Verdot. Jim Pfeiffer at Turtle Run is experimenting with interesting blends unlike anyone else in the state.

As the vines in Hoosier vineyards mature, so are Indiana’s winemakers.

On recent visits, Easley (Indianapolis), Huber, and Turtle Run (east of Corydon) are pouring great Indiana wines. Recent tasting opportunities, including six to seven newer Indiana wineries last summer, has convinced me Indiana’s wineries are taking a big step forward. Most Hoosier wine remains on the sweeter side, but I’ve learned to appreciate well-made wine even if it doesn’t suit my particular palate.

There is a winery near you wherever you read Grape Sense. The Indiana Wine Grape Council has a website listing all wineries, wine events, and lots of other great information.

Indiana also has a couple of great wine festivals where you can taste the wines of many wineries in a really fun atmosphere. One of the two biggest is coming up at Story, Indiana, April 24. Story is near Nashville, Indiana. You can find plenty of details for the Indiana Wine Fair online.

The other big show is Vintage Indiana June 5 in downtown Indianapolis. It is held in Military Park near the Eiteljorg and IUPUI.

The great thing about these two festivals is almost every Indiana winery participates. For a flat cover fee, you can select from hundreds of different wines to taste.

These are all fabulous one-day trips. And with Indiana’s wine trails, you can easily visit four or five wineries in a single day!

Howard’s Picks:
Turtle Run 2008 Dry Traminette – There is a lot of Indiana Traminette I have not tasted, but Turtle Run offers the driest version I’ve found. This is going to be similar to a dry Riesling or a dry Chenin Blanc for someone who has yet to try Indiana’s signature grape. ($12)

Easley and Huber Traminette – I find both of these wines similar with strong floral hints and a beautiful balance. Both are semi-sweet wines that really express the grape boldly. Both wines are selling for approximately $15.
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast who writes about wine in this column and his blog – Grape Sense – at www.redforme.blogspot.com

You Must Try Chile's Wonderful Carmenere

2010-04-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

If you like a red wine with big, bright, and dark fruit flavor with a mild finish it’s time to try Chile’s signature wine, Carmenere.

Chile’s explosive growth and ever-increasing quality has been a major wine story in recent years. It’s fueled in no small part by Carmenere. The Chileans are also producing nice Cabernet, Syrah, and experimenting in some areas with Pinot Noir.
The Colchagua, Rapel, and Maipo valleys have long been the leaders in Carmenere production.

Like so many varietals, Carmenere is believed to have been originally grown in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France. It was used primarily for blending of the great Bordeaux wines.

Chile came by its signature wine somewhat mistakenly. For years many thought Carmenere to be Merlot or a Merlot clone. Scientific studies have shown it’s more likely to be a clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. Carmenere was believed to have first appeared in Chile in the mid-1800s.

The grapes were planted around Santiago. Chile’s light summer rain and warm temperatures allowed the grape to flourish.

The wine is incredibly delicious, approachable, ready to drink, and inexpensive. If that sounds like my description of Argentina’s Malbec from previous columns, you’d be right!

Carmenere is an extreme value buy. You can find good bottles for well under $15 in most wine shops.

The grape has almost disappeared from France while thriving in Chile. Italy, California and Washington state have limited Carmenere vineyards.

The Chileans have started to use Carmenere as a blending grape with their Cabernets. If you find a Carmenere, you’re likely to find a Cabernet/Carmenere blend from the same label.

The wine has a really bright characteristic to it. Some wine drinkers might use the word “freshness” to describe the palate. It often has characteristics of blackberry, blueberry, and a peppery finish. It pairs well with all kinds of food and is quite drinkable alone.

If you are expanding your wine palate, and taking Grape Sense’s advice to try, try and try new things – you need to buy a Carmenere.

Here are a couple of names to look for: Concha Y Toro, Cantus, Santa Alicia, Terra Andina, Santa Rita, Santa Ema, and Montes Alpha.

The wine is becoming more sophisticated with each vintage. Montes Alpha, one of Chile’s most respected producers, makes a premium Carmenere called “Purple Angel” which sells for $55-$65. I recently participated in a grand tasting of more than 40 wines with eight wine journalists. The Purple Angel was the top scoring wine of the group.

Howard’s Pick:
2006 Santa Ema Carmenere Barrel Select – This wine will just amaze you. It has a huge nose with really intense flavors of licorice and dark berries. It is often scored high in “Best Buy” categories by many of the major publications. The winery has been around since the early 1900s, so they know what they’re doing. The most amazing thing about this wine – the $10 price tag!

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a career journalist who now writes about wine. Read his frequently-updated blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Never A Better Time to Buy Better Wine

2010-03-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

We are in a golden age for value wine. Emerging New World wines have given $10-$20 wine drinkers more choices than ever before. And the economic downturn is now making high caliber wines affordable.

I recently purchased a $41.99 Spanish Garnacha wine for $17.91! Earlier this spring I bought a California Cabernet I’ve long wanted. I paid $50 for the bottle, something I very seldom do. But the wine normally retails for very close to $100. I’ll share how that happens below but how did we get to this strange place?

Everything starts with the economic downturn which has led to a suppressed market for wines over $25. The Nielsen Company reports wine sales at $25 and higher dropped 30 percent last year. And for the first time in 16 years, California wine sales decreased while global sales continued an upward trend.

Next California’s 2009 harvest was a bumper crop. Fruit prices dropped as much as 75 percent in some cases. So when you combine a decrease in sales and a bumper crop, you have a lot of California wineries sitting on wine.

One movement is to increase direct-to-consumer sales. I was shocked to see one report suggesting only 20 percent of California wineries had a presence on Facebook. But now wineries are creating mailing lists, Twitter accounts, and such to build a loyal customer base and skip the middle man.

But the more beneficial development is some wineries are cutting prices through internet clearing houses or off their own shelves to increase cash flow. There has even been speculation in the wine press (there is such a thing and I read a lot of it) this price suppression could lead to a re-positioning in the market for California’s higher priced wines.

But for consumers it’s a boom in quality for a few dollars more than we’re used to spending. Most people buying outside the supermarket but within the ‘value wine” category are spending $12-$16 for a pretty good bottle wine. Now with some of these internet sites (three are listed below) you can spend $12-$30 and buy incredible wine that might normally sell for up to $30-$60 or more. And the quality difference is very substantial at that price point.

Most of the sites are offering free shipping for a minimum purchase. That minimum purchase often gets you to around $50-$60 of wine. But, here is a way around that. I work in an institution with several people who enjoy wine. I saw a California Alexander Valley Cabernet, which is normally $40, on Wines Till Sold Out for $19. A 4-bottle minimum purchase included free shipping. I didn’t want to invest $80 in wine but ended up splitting the order with a friend to get the incredible price and free shipping!

There are several of these internet sites. I’m listing three that I know ship to Indiana, which is always an issue.

Howard’s Picks:

Cinderella Wine (www.cinderellawine.com) – This site is operated by Wine Library, New Jersey. That is Gary Vaynerchuk’s empire. I’ve watched these sites for about a month and this site probably has the best deals. Prices are often 50-70 percent off retail.

Wine Till Sold Out (www.wtso.com) – All of these sites post a featured wine and when they’re gone, they’re gone. I have ordered a couple of times from WTSO and been very happy with the service.

Cellar Thief – (www.cellarthief.com) – Here is another site offering up three different wines at a time, the other two feature just one. The operators have family in the Chesterton/Valparaiso area so they have some Hoosier roots.

News Note: A big welcome to readers in Shelbyville, Avon/Brownsburg, and the area of Portage, Chesterton, Valparaiso, and Hobart to Grape Sense.

Please, Anything But Another Chardonnay

2010-02-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

Specific wines come in and out of vogue every few decade. There’s been much debate about the movie Sideways’ impact on Pinot Noir and Merlot sales.

Argentina has re-introduced the world to Malbec, Chile to its Carmenere, and Australia to big, fruity styles of Shiraz. South Africa wine is emerging as ‘the next big thing.”

White Zinfandel helped launch the American wine industry. Chardonnay is now the dominant white varietal in the U.S.

But before all of these trends was perhaps one of the most versatile of all white wine grapes, Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc dominated California’s white wine scene until the late 1970s. The grape can produce wonderful dry table wines, sparkling wines, age-worthy wines, and even rich dessert wines.

Chenin Blanc is great by itself or with light foods. It pairs well with light fish dishes, salads, and like many others I love it with some cheese. The wine often has floral characteristics along with honey, peach, and melon notes. It is aged in stainless steel instead of oak to produce a light and easy-to-drink wine that almost anyone can enjoy. It’s relatively low in alcohol with modest to sometimes strong acidity.

The growth of the California wine market in the 80s and 90s almost killed off Chenin Blanc. Critics would say California killed off Chenin Blanc because the wines became sweet, too thin and just not very interesting.

A recent trip to two sizable wine shops found only two choices for California Chenin Blanc.

The grape remains celebrated in its birthplace, the Loire Valley in France. Keep in mind French wines are identified by geography and not the grape, I’d advise any wine drinker to try a French Vouvray or Saumur.

I tasted my first Vouvray in an Italian wine bar in Florence just a few weeks ago. Vouvray is a small wine-producing region in Loire that makes a delicious and rich Chenin Blanc. The wine can be aged with an incredibly rich and smooth-textured result. I drank a 1996 Domaine Freslier Vouvray with soft French goat cheese that was one of the best pairings I’ve ever enjoyed.

The Saumur region makes a bigger, drier Chenin Blanc that might please red wine drinkers. It is perfect for food with a stronger minerality than the Vouvray wines I’ve recently sampled.

The wonderful thing about these Chenin Blanc wines is the affordability. You can find great examples under $15 at most wine stores. As noted, you may have more success searching for a French Vouvray or Saumur than a California Chenin Blanc.

Howard’s Picks:
Dry Creek 2007 Chenin Blanc – This is one of the easiest to find California Chenin Blancs. I picked up a bit of apricot on the nose with a mildly acidic finish. I thought it was thin at mid-palate but worth a try. You can find the wine at $9-$12. Bonny Doon is a producer often cited for its great version of this wine. I bought a bottle I will be blogging but haven’t tried yet.

Remy Pannier 2008 Vouvray – This was a light colored wine with a beautiful nose. The richness of flavor will grab your attention. This wine is widely available and a great introduction to Chenin Blanc. It ranges $13-$16.

Domaine des Hauts de Sanziers 2008 Saumur – A strong nose of lemon and pear make you sit up and take notice of this $14.95 wine. It has tremendous balance between flavor and acidity.

Political Dollars Determine What You Drink

2010-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

If you love hazelnuts the best Oregon and Washington state producers would be happy to ship you some.

Whether it’s fruit from Florida, books from Amazon, or outdoor clothing from L.L. Bean – those companies will be happy to ship to your front step.

But if you want wine, just start banging your head against the wall now. Wine shipping laws vary from state to state, are contradictory, and unfair.

And one of the dirty secrets is the amount of money state legislators pocket from those wanting to keep the system in place.

Most states are governed by three-tier systems. Nearly all wine is sold producer to wholesaler to retailer. In other words, wholesalers have complete say over what product you can buy off the retail shelf not to mention the additional mark-up in price.

The laws concerning direct shipment to your door are even more convoluted. I was in an Oregon winery in April wanting to buy a case of wine but they couldn’t direct ship it to my home because they do have an Indiana wholesaler. I feel obligated to point out that you read the previous sentence correctly.

But lets’ go back to that dirty little secret.

Grape Sense runs in eight different Indiana communities. I looked up six or seven legislators from the varying communities, not everyone, and found every single lawmaker had accepted campaign contributions from wholesale distributors. As a matter of fact, it seems if you’re in the general assembly you’re guaranteed at least $500 from the booze lobby every campaign cycle. And if your legislator is in leadership, the dollar figure will be higher.

But don’t take my word for it! Check your Indiana legislator’s record at www.followthemoney.org

Every Indiana legislator I researched had contributions from one or more of the major wholesalers.

Legislators consistently repeat the incredibly inane argument promulgated by the wholesalers about “keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors.”

There has never been a single complaint, arrest, or incident of an underage person trying to buy a nice Cabernet for his or her Friday night binge. No, they find someone a bit older to buy their booze at the corner liquor store. Which seems to be the bigger problem?

By the way, to buy booze online you have to have a credit card – something most of us understand.

Between 2000 and 2009 alcohol wholesalers contributed more than $66 million to state campaigns. In Indiana since 2000, wholesalers contributed a minimum of $203,000 in even-numbered election years. They really twisted some arms in 2004 stuffing Hoosier legislator’s pockets with $678,389. (www.followthemoney.org)

What can you do? There is an Indiana website with regular updates and calls to action at wwwvinsense.org

But you can have an impact talking and writing to your state representative and senators. These laws are 70 years old and don’t protect consumers they just inhibit free enterprise. It won’t change overnight, but it starts by educating wine lovers about the self-serving interests who control what you can buy.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, writes regularly about wine. Read his blog at www.redforme.blogspot.com Contact him at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Finding a Really Nice Chianti

2010-01-27T11:33:00.001-08:00

Who hasn’t seen that fat-bottomed bottle of Chianti? It’s the one with the basket around the bottom of the bottle. Or, if you’re old enough, perhaps you remember burning a candle in such a bottle in your younger days.

Italian wine has come a long way from the days of those Chianti jug wines, but if you’re nostalgic enough you can still find those. Chianti and Chianti Classico are readily available with a wide range of value and quality. The history of the grape is a lot of fun. It’s a history that dates back to the 13th Century!

Let’s start with geography. Italy and France are the real “old world” wine countries and designate their wines by region. Chianti is an area just south of Florence, Italy, in the heart of Tuscany. The Chianti Classico region is the very best growing region at the heart of Chianti.

The great Italian red grape is Sangiovese (sän'jō-vēz', -vēs'), the most widely planted grape in Italy. The grape is at the heart of Chianti as well as the big and expensive Brunellos and Super Tuscan wines. Many U.S. west coast producers have started growing Sangiovese in recent years.

Italy, just like France, has a carefully governed wine industry. Wine regions are regulated and wines must contain certain percentages of certain grapes to carry the famous wine names.

Sangiovese is generally high in acidity and moderate in alcohol, which makes it a great food wine – especially with those red sauces associated with Italian food.
For years Chianti was seen as not much more than jug wine or a step above that derisive label. But in the 1970s and 1980 Chianti producers really took the grape seriously and started producing much better wines.

Sangiovese is a tricky grape so producers have experimented with blends. To be called Chianti, the wine must be 80 percent Sangiovese. A number of varietals have been, and continue to be, used to balance the wine. The two most popular choices are Merlot and Italy’s native Canaiolo.

As a matter of fact, there has been controversy in the last few years over the amounts of Merlot added to the bigger Italian wines to soften their taste.
Never hesitate to ask questions at your wine shop. If the bottle doesn’t tell you the amount of grapes used in the blend just ask. I like the traditional Canaiolo much better than Merlot. If you want a true representation of Chianti, I strongly recommend the Sangiovese-Canaiolo combination.

That combination gives you the rich and deep cherry flavor of classic Chianti. The Merlot blend tends to club the wine with overpowering blandness.

Howard’s Picks:
2008 Ruffino Chianti - This is a wine available in shops and many supermarkets. It’s a Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino blend. It’s got the cherry flavor with a hint of spice. The basket is gone but it’s a nice choice for $9.

Il Fiorini Chianti – This is an amazing Chianti Classico for roughly $13. It’s full flavored with cherry hints and very smooth tannins. This is great Sangiovese-based Chianti with 20 percent Canaiolo.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Two Great Winery Visits in Tuscany

2010-01-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

FLORENCE, Italy - One of the great joys of wine is great wine experiences. I just returned from 10 work-related days in Italy but had a full day in Tuscan wine country and a couple of great wine experiences.

The highlight was visiting two wineries in Tuscany. Tour companies wanted up to $200 Euro (or $300) for a day-long wine tour, so I kept looking. I found a U.S. transplant, Anthony Finta, who has lived in Florence for five years. He is trying to start a business bringing small production wines to the U.S. for internet sales.

He arranged visits at two small wineries deep in the Tuscan hills. So while the column is about my visit, it’s also to suggest getting off the beaten path and finding stops many will miss.

Neither winery has a current U.S. distributor, but there are hundreds of small wineries in Italy, and other old world countries, facing the same challenge. Our first visit was to Corzano e Paterno near San Pancrazio, about 30 minutes south of Florence.

The winery was purchased in the 1970s by a successful Swiss architect, Wendel Gelpke. His daughters Arianna, the wine maker, and Sibilla, who heads the cheese making, gave us a wonderful tour.

The estate included the ruins of three old homes the family has renovated as guest houses. They produce a Rosso (table wine), Chianti, Chianti Reserva, and a Tuscan. All Italian restaurants serve table wine but most during our trip was, frankly, terrible. The Corzano Rosso was better than many Chianti wines I tasted – and it sold for just 6 Euro.

The Corzano Tuscan wine was a big beautiful blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and, the traditional Italian grape, Sangiovese. The Tuscan was 23 Euro, aged in new oak, with 14.5 percent alcohol. It was a dynamic bottle of wine. The Chianti Riserva was equally outstanding.

Sibilla was a gracious host in the new cheese-making facility. The farm has 600-700 sheep at any given time. The sheep cheeses were smooth and not quite as earthy as a traditional goat cheese.

Our second stop was at Fattoria di Rignana, located in an old farmhouse that dates back to the eleventh century. The assistant manager was running late but still gave us a tour of the fascinating wine cellar. We tasted their wines in the kitchen of the main house.

Rignana’s Chianti and Chianti Classico were the best Chianti wines of my visit. They were well-structured wines with big cherry flavor and balanced tannins. Rignana makes less than 4,000 cases of wine a year. The two wines sold for $15 and $20 US dollars.

The great thing about both of the wineries was they make wine in a very traditional method. They use no additives, they age their wines in oak and much of the work is done by hand.

So the point is whether it’s Italy or Napa Valley the best treasures and experiences are off the beaten path. As my new friend Anthony put it, you want something that just tastes the same or something that is handcrafted and a little different?

If it’s Napa, visit Mondavi and all the big wineries but stop at some of the smaller wineries for a real treat. If you’re in Italy there is nothing wrong with finding Antinori and Frescobaldi, but the little places are making great wines and need your business!

You can do the same thing when you buy wine in the shop near you. Ask the proprietor for wines from producers who make small amounts. You might be surprised by the quality and the value.

Arrivederci!

In the photo: Arianna Gelpke talks about the wine of Corzano e Paterno with Howard Hewitt

HH's Top Ten Wines of 2009

2010-01-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

Looking for a great wine to start the new year and decade? Here is my first-ever “Top Ten Wines of the Year” culled from a year of writing about wine.

I reviewed my blog (www.redforme.blogspot.com) to refresh my memory and offer up the “best of” list from all the wines I sampled in 2009.

I also used a little geography in creating the list. All of these wines were purchased in Indiana wine shops for less than $20. Several of them are widely available!

No. 10 - Domain Lafarge Catalan Cote EST – This is a fabulous French white for a paltry $11. It’s 50 percent Grenache, with Chardonnay and Marsanne to finish it off. It’s a light flavored wine with lemon and green apple flavor. It will remind you of a cross between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

No. 9 - Turtle Run’s Dry Tortuga – I sampled a lot of Indiana wine this year and the best was Jim Pfeiffer’s Dry Tortuga for $15. It is a non-vintage Chardonel and Vignoles blend. The grapes come from Pfieffer’s property just east of Corydon. It’s great with food and has a hint of vanilla and orange. It will remind you of a dry Chardonnay.

No. 8 - Burgan’s 2007 Albarino – I fell in love with this grape over the summer. It’s a great alternative to the usual whites. This wine has strong hints of lemon with a little orange thrown in. It has an unusual – almost creamy – finish! Parker gave it 90 points – a heck of a buy for $12.

No. 7 - Dona Paula 2007 Malbec – I start wine newcomers, those emerging from supermarkets, off with Malbec or Tempranillo. This $13 bottle of Malbec is a beautiful wine with flavors of dark berries and it’s as smooth as a piece of chocolate.

No. 6 - Creta Roble 2006 – This 100 percent Tempranillo red wine rocks! It’s really smooth, easy to drink, with a bit of earthiness and a little spice. It comes from 70-year-old vineyards in Spain. It’s rather high in alcohol at 14.5 percent but very affordable at $13.

No. 5 - Pasanau Ceps Nous 2006 Priorat – This Garnacha, Merlot, Mazuelo, and Syrah blend was the best Spanish red wine I had this year. It’s a big mouthful of lively fruit with enough acidity for great balance. Robert Parker gave it 92 points! The wine retails around $19.

No. 4 - Milbrandt 2006 Traditions Cabernet Sauvignon – This Washington state Cabernet is great $16 wine. It is a blend of 75 percent Cab, 12 percent Merlot and a little Petit Verdot. It’s a big enough, but smooth enough Cabernet for any wine drinker.

No. 3 - Domain Lafarge Grenache Noir – Note this is the winery’s second appearance on the Top Ten! This $12 French Grenache has tons of “wow” for the price. It has big fruit with a rich feel at the mid palate. It’s a bit of a fruit bomb with some spice.

No. 2 - Klinker Brick 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel – This $17 bottle drinks like a $30 wine. It has an intense fruit-forward flavor of dark cherry and a bang of an alcohol finish at 15.8 percent.

No 1 - Patrick Lesec’s Cotes du Rhone Bouquet – This is my (drum roll please) 2009 ‘Wine of the Year.’ This $13 French wine is great alone or with food. It has herbal notes on the palate with a big, rich texture. You can almost taste the terroir (dirt) from the Rhone River Valley. Parker gave it an 89. But for a wine under $15, it makes the top of my list!

Thanks for reading Grape Sense. I’d love to hear from you with questions or comments!
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., is a wine enthusiast. You can write him at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Stuff Wine Lover's Stocking With Glassware

2009-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Wine is a great holiday gift but for the wine lover there is another option that is sure to make them smile.

How about a great crystal wine glass to enjoy their high end wines?
Picking up a gift bottle isn’t tough if you know what your wine lover’s vino preferences. Of course, gift certificates are great way to hook up your friend or family member with a great bottle of their own choosing.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to be wine to put a smile on those purple lips!
Wine glasses, particularly nice ones, are a great idea for any wine lover! There are plenty of choices from discount to department stores, to crystal from stemware manufacturers.

But for a real wine lover there is nothing more intriguing than fine stemware made by the Riedel family from Austria. Riedel is the dominant name in wine glasses worldwide. The company is widely credited with demonstrating how wine is best enjoyed in a glass shaped for a particular wine.

As goofy as that may sound, particularly if you have not heard it before, it’s been proven true repeatedly by skeptics in blind tastings.

There are many fine glass and crystal manufacturers but Riedel is the standard for wine glasses. The company dates back 250 years. The Riedel family has continued the glass-making tradition through 11 generations.

Riedel products are easy to find online and in most fine wine stores. The Austrian company has glasses around $10 apiece up through their finest crystal at more than $100 a glass. They have a glass for almost every common wine.

If your wine lover is new, buy the affordable “O” series that doesn’t have a stem. It will introduce them to the concept of matching the glass shape to types of wine. If they are a bit more sophisticated in their drinking and don’t own fine wine glasses, I’d recommend the Vinum line which runs about $20-$30 a glass. I’d suggest the Bordeaux-Cabernet Merlot glass or the Pinot Noir glass. You get two for $59.00 online.

These are special occasion glasses for the person really into wine. They must be handled and cleaned with great care. Unfortunately, I have broken a couple. But as silly as it may sound, there is something special about drinking nice wine from fine crystal. It just tastes better!

There is no way to convince anyone on the concept of the value of a particular shaped glass for a particular wine until they try it. But any wine lover will grin when they remove the wrapping and see “Riedel” on the box inside.

Riedel also makes the most beautiful decanters in the world at prices out of this world. The prices range $49-$495.

My second gift recommendation is a decanter but you don’t have to buy Riedel at all. A decanter oxidizes the wine and allows some of the bitter tannins to soften before drinking. Decant young wines an hour or two before you plan on enjoying it and you’ll be surprised how much the wine changes.

You can find decanters in any home store, wine shop, or specialty store. I have two which I paid $10 and $20 for a few years ago. Both of mine do the same job as Riedel’s $495 decanter, just not as stylish!

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast. He updates his wine blog throughout the week at: www.redforme.blogspot.com Or, write him at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

What's All the Fuss Over Beaujolais Nouveau?

2009-12-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Increasing wine knowledge requires stretching personal limits and tastes. The best advice received and repeated is to try different wines. Don’t hesitate to pop a cork on something new and embrace it!

And so that was my approach to France’s great gift to the holiday season, Beaujolais Nouveau. Any conversation about French wine starts with geography and ends with regulations – the French are really big on both!

The Beaujolais designation is north of Lyon, France, but very small. The region is just over 30 miles long and up to nine miles wide. But this tiny area packs in nearly 4,000 growers who nurture and harvest the Gamay grape.

Beaujolais Nouveau is a very light-bodied, fruity wine made to drink very young. The bottles on the shelves of your local wine retailer are made from the 2009 vintage and picked just a few weeks ago. By French wine laws, the wine is shipped and available for sale on the third Thursday of each November.

The wine’s selling point is its flexibility and drinkability.

“I tell people it’s a young vibrant, juicy fruity wine,” said Philip VanDuesen, proprietor of Pairings near Castleton Mall at Indianapolis. “If they approach it that way and not expect world-class wine they’ll enjoy it. It’s fun to drink with vibrant fruit and a deep dark purple color.

“It’s fresh and zingy and it has bright acidity. It’s beautiful with all types of food. It works well with all the holiday dishes. It has enough fruit to stand up to the cranberries and acid for the gravies but enjoy it with anything. It’s a fun beverage wine.”

Some suggest, not all agree, that Beaujolais Nouveau is a preview of each growing season’s grape crop. The word from many French vintners through various trade publications is 2009 is shaping up as a great vintage. Some Beaujolais reviews have called the 2009 less fruity but still a must buy for the holiday season.

The wine is low in alcohol, easy to drink, and affordable. It’s unusual to find one that isn’t in the $10-$12 price range.

Not only does the wine pair well with holiday meals of fowl and side dishes, it’s also a pretty good introduction to more serious wine for the wine novice.

The wine gets its easy-to-like characteristics from a different style of wine making. Do you wish to talk about carbonic maceration or whole berry fermentation? What that means is the process does not draw the tannins from the grape skins so you get a very refreshing wine.

Beaujolais producers also use the Gamay grape to make more traditional wines with a little aging and a little oak. I’ve recommended one of each below. Georges Duboeuf is the biggest producer in the region. His family has been involved in the wine business for more than 300 years. He works with more than 400 growers and produces about 30 million bottles of Nouveau annually.

Howard’s Picks:
George Duboeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau – This is the most popular and easiest to find of all Nouveau. It generally sells for $10-$12. The wine has a nose and taste of grape, not quite the Concord grape flavor of your youth but definitely grape. If you’re not sure your guests enjoy wine, Nouveau is a safe bet.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages 2008 – This is not a Nouveau but it is the Gamay grape. This is a better pairing with food if your guests are wine drinkers. It has the freshness of the Nouveau but has very mild tannins and a little more acid than the younger wine. This is a nice bottle of $13 wine.

Wine and Food Pairings for the Holiday!

2009-11-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Even non-wine drinkers find themselves with a glass of wine around the holidays. Many people will pick up a bottle for those bountiful holiday meals and social gatherings.

There is ample advice on which wine one should serve with turkey - remember Grape Sense Rule No. 1 – If you like it, drink it!

There are lots of great options. But, your wine selection for Thanksgiving dinner should not be limited to a discussion of just pairing wine with turkey.

“Usually I quiz people on what side dishes are being served and how is the turkey being prepared,” said Tena McClanahan, Wine Styles, Carmel. “If you have a turkey someone is deep frying and they’re injecting it with Cajun seasoning that’s a whole lot different than roasting it with carrots, onions and celery in the center.

“It’s generally all about the side dishes, personally I love Pinot Noirs. If somebody likes red wine I think Pinot Noir is the perfect Thanksgiving wine (for roasted turkey). If it’s Cajun injected turkey then maybe a Zinfandel. I’d avoid the really bold wines.”

McClanahan also has a great suggestion for white wine lovers. She recommends a dry Gewurtztraminer as a perfect pairing. Gewurtz is a spicy and often floral wine that is dynamite with food. There are dry and sweeter versions, but pick up a dry or semi-dry if you’re going to have it with dinner. You can find great Gewurtz from Germany and France! Don’t forget Indiana’s wineries because most make nice Traminette which is very similar to Gewurtz.

A dry Riesling is a great choice for Thanksgiving as well. If you go semi-dry to dry you’ll be happy with your choice. Washington State offers a lot of great Riesling choices. New York state Riesling is another good buy and good choice. Again, some of the Indiana Riesling is also tasty.

If you like white wine and want to make it a really special occasion, spring for a bottle of J.J. Prum Spatlese Reisling from Germany. You’ll only find it at better wine stores and it will be over $30 a bottle.

But you don’t have to spend much more than a third of the cost of Prum Riesling to find a great Riesling choice. Check out Dr. Loosen Riesling, Mirassou Riesling, and those great Washington state picks.

Some people can’t get away from Chardonnay with Thanksgiving and holiday turkey. But try something different that will make a better food pairing. Get to your favorite wine shop and ask for a Chardonnay which was aged in stainless steel and not in oak. The wine will be a bit drier normally and not nearly as rich. Instead you’ll get a clean crisp flavor that pairs great with roasted bird.

Tena was right on suggesting Pinot Noir as a great red wine selection. Pinot has more structure than most white wines but will not be over powering. And Pinot will probably pair better with most side dishes than the lighter white wines.

There are some good Pinot Noir wines under $15 easily accessible. Many supermarkets carry Mirrasou Pinot for about $10. In your wine store look for $10-$15 Pinot from Mark West, Dashwood, and Castle Rock.

And for those who want to make their red selection something special, try an Oregon Pinot Noir. Lange Willammette Valley 2007 Pinot Noir is available across Indiana at about $24.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., is a wine enthusiast who writes and blogs about wine. Check out his frequently updated wine blog at: www.redforme.blogspot.com Contact him with questions or comment at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Some Recent Great Value Wine Finds

2009-11-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

For many people who get into wine, a big part of the fun is the search! It’s about finding great wines at reasonable price points.

At the request of several readers, I’m going to offer up 3-5 great finds on a more consistent basis. The recommendations will always be wines I’ve purchased in Indiana. You can always send an email if you want to know where I bought a specific wine.

I’ve mixed up my buying lately trying to be a bit more broad-based in the wines I’m drinking. I have had a couple of really great bottles.

One of the best is a 2006 Creta Roble – a Spanish Tempranillo from the Rioja region. Many Rioja wines are blends with the dominant grape the noble Tempranillo. The Creta is 100 percent Tempranillo and a great representation of the iconic Spanish wine. This is a smooth and easy to drink red wine that is a bit juicy, a bit spicy, and an earthiness real wine lovers will enjoy.

The wine comes from vineyards more than 70 years old. It has a little heat at 14.5 percent alcohol but is a bargain at $12.99. This is a wine that will hold up to a steak or any beef dish.

I love the new world wines from South American but Spanish wines and traditional old world wines still have much to offer. I don’t recommend a lot of French wines or Italian wines but I’m working to improve my knowledge base.

French and Italian wines are tougher to get your hands around because of labeling and the great number of wines available. Wines from both countries are known by their region and not the grape. The wines of France’s Cotes du Rhone region are often Syrah and Grenache wines and varied blends that are rich, earth and spicy.

Domaine Lafage Grenache Noir is a great way to try a Cotes du Rhone. It’s made without oak, as French winemakers take a hint from the New World vintners, so the tannins are very soft on the finish. It’s a rich full-flavored wine with a smooth finish you have to try to believe. You can find it in many Indiana wine shops around $12.

Try the Grenache Noir with pork and mild to medium flavored dishes.

One of my earliest columns was about the Malbec grape. There are lots of great Malbec wines available but none better than Susana Balbo’s Crios Malbec. Her 2008 Malbec is dark purple with a freshness you’ll really enjoy. You’re going to taste cherries and a hint of spice.

Balbo isn’t just Argentina’s best known female winemaker but one of the country’s best known international wine stars. She prides herself on making young wines that are ready to drink.

My last recommendation for is for those with a sense of adventure and those who like Italian wine. The grape is Uva di Troia from Italy’s central costal region. At the recommendation of one of my favorite wine retailers I picked up a bottle of Santa Lucia Vigna del Melogram Uva di Troia.

The wine is certainly a typically dry Italian wine but it has a fresh taste that lets the fruit shine. The tannins are soft with a long and enjoyable finish. This is a food wine that would pair well with hearty pasta or red meat. I paid $14.99 for this wonderful experiment in something new. Try this wine with yr spicy pasta dishes. It would also work well with other spicy and rich foods.

Tempranillo Super Value Red Wine Buy

2009-10-21T10:55:00.001-07:00

There are so many great value alternatives to the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but it’s hard to cover them all.

Malbec and Tempranillo are the first wines many people will recommend as a full-flavored red wine that is easy to drink and affordable.

Both are favorites with similar easy-to-drink characteristics with price points at $9-$14. Tempranillo (Temp-rah-NEE-yoh) is Spain’s noble grape. It’s a small black grape that makes a full-bodied wine planted also in South America, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Spanish wines are making a huge impact in the domestic market. “I guess what I really like about the Spanish wines is the great "bang for the buck," said Donna Lattanzio, manager of The Bottle Shop in West Lafayette. “The whites are clean and crisp and go nicely with light food or are great by themselves. I especially like Garnacha (Grenache) by itself or blended with Tempranillo, which makes it more complex and full-bodied.”

Tempranillo is often suggested as an alternative to Cabernet and other big wines. I’d suggest it as an alternative to Merlot or other milder red wines. Of course, if you buy one above the $20 price point that has significant oak aging then you’re going to get a bigger wine.
Tempranillo often combines the taste of dark berries, plum, vanilla, and herbs. It is a great match for beef, pork, even a steak off the grill. It is also a great wine to open with some mild to even stronger-flavored cheeses. Tempranillo usually won’t be as big as a Cabernet but much easier to guzzle down and enjoy!

Spain’s famous Rioja region is the primary growing area for the grape. The Rioja wines usually feature Tempranillo, often blended with Garnacha and occasionally other grapes.

One of the signature producers is Miguel Torres. You can find Torres’ wines in many Indiana wine shops. Lattanzio has visited Spain and had the chance to visit Miguel Torres Sr.

“He was quite a gentleman and shared that most of their employees had followed in their ancestor’s footsteps and worked for Torres,” she recounted. “We had master sommeliers with us every night for dinner and had fabulous meals, but I guess I was pleasantly surprised how nicely all the wines went with the various meat and vegetables tapas and paellas. The wines have a hearty yet spicy flavor to them.”

Spain is the world’s third-largest wine producer with more than 4 million acres of vineyards. More California wineries are taking on Tempranillo each year.

Howard’s Picks:
Creta Roble 2006 – This is a 100 percent Tempranillo bottling that is smooth on the palate with a delightful hint of earthiness. The alcohol is 14.5 percent. Look for it at a number of wine shops in the $12.99 range.

Vina Salceda Rioja Crianza – This is a blend of 90 percent Tempranillo with two other Spanish grapes. This wine is aged for 15 months making it a little bigger with better structure than some young Spanish wines. You can find it at $12-$15.

Twisted Oak – This is a California winery with a sense of humor and great wine-making skills. Its Tempranillo is one of the best I’ve tasted. It’s slightly above the usual price point (just over $20) but well worth it!

Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a wine enthusiast writer and blogger. Read his wine blog at www.redforme.blogspot.com

1 Year of Wine Writing - What I've Learned

2009-10-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

One year of writing wine columns, blogging, and other wine experiences has been enlightening. It’s never been boring. It’s never felt like a burden.

It’s easy then to suggest following an interest often pays big dividends even if there is no financial reward.

I’ve probably learned as much about wine in the past 12 months as I had in several of the preceding years. I forced myself to drink a lot more white wine than I ever have before. I took on an additional wine challenge and spent the better part of a month tasting Portuguese wines which I probably would not have done without the added incentive.

Most of the white wines were more enjoyable than expected. Portugal’s wines are a different taste characteristic that’s really interesting.

So, put that Merlot and Chardonnay down and try something different!

This column runs in eight Indiana newspapers or their websites. The combined circulation of those papers is just over 90,000 households by the latest circulation numbers I could find. My wine blog - Grape Sense - A Glass Half Full - generates interesting feedback. I update it 2-3-4 times a week. I might get anywhere from 10-50 hits a day. From the blog, I’ve been asked to do wine tastings, promote sales of chocolate (which I declined), received wine samples, asked where to find certain wines, and a host of other interesting responses.

I mentioned an “additional wine challenge” which is Palate Press. That is a new national online wine magazine that has rounded up bloggers from across the nation and world. I am a contributor, meaning I’ll write something exclusive for them about once a month.
But this column is for the readers, not me. Some of the things I’ve learned or become more convinced of that might help you include:

- Talk about what you’re drinking. Whether it’s with your spouse, a friend, or in a group, talk about the flavors, the acidity, how it feels in the front or back of your mouth. Then think about what you really liked about that wine.

- It really helps to make a few notes about the wines you like. I blog about almost every wine I drink and that’s an extreme, of course. But I’ve also found it really helps me in future purchases.

- Try new wines. Don’t be afraid to pick up something new off the supermarket or wine shop shelf. I’ve found that many wine drinkers will try something new only to learn they like it much better than what they had been drinking the past 2-3 years.

- This column remains about value wine from $15-$20 and under. But I’d also recommend you buy a bottle for a special occasion that costs $5-$10 above your normal limit. Get a recommendation and try a little bit better wine. It helps you establish some parameters to guide your palate. If you like Merlot, buy one that is $10 higher from a name you’ve heard of before but never tried.

Future columns will explore more wine regions, a few planned wine experiences, and I want to do more frequent columns on good value buys – specific wines you can look for in your wine shop.

I’m always thinking about new ideas. Please visit the blog and leave a comment or write me with suggestions, your question, or a comment at hewitthoward@gmail.com

Portugal's Table Wines Becoming Widely Available

2009-09-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

There are many different journeys to the world of wine. Some people grow up with it, some become enamored with the lifestyle, and yet others make it a career.

Jill Ditmire, a Logansport native, is an Indianapolis wine shop owner who has an interesting career in wine and media. Some people would recognize the name or face from years working the Indianapolis television markets. She also has worked extensively in public television hosting and producing shows about wine and food for WFYI, Indianapolis.

But her varied career doesn’t end there. She is a nationally recognized judge for wine competitions. She also had participated and led wine tours to various parts of the world. It’s that experience I drew on recently for added knowledge about Portuguese wines.

Portugal has long been known for Port – a fortified wine or sweet dessert wine. But many winemakers in the coastal country are now using the same grapes to make interesting table wines at very affordable prices.

I knew Jill had traveled Europe extensively but had no idea she had visited Portugal. I wrote asking for some comment on Portuguese wines, which she carried in her Massachusetts Avenue shop, and learned she visited the country in 2007.

“I went to Portugal on a whim,” she replied. “I was asked last minute by a journalists group and, though I don’t know much about or truly appreciate Port. I decided to go. Wow - probably the last best thought I've had this century.”

Portugal’s wine country encompasses 13 growing regions from the northern areas of the country bordering Spain to the southern most areas. The Douro River valley is the country’s most prominent wine producing area in the north near Spain.

The wines featuring native red grapes are made mostly from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz. Douro’s Touriga Nacional is the primary grape used to make the sweet Ports.

Ditmire talked about visiting the vineyards and cork forests and how the younger winemakers are enriching the area’s history by using Port grapes to make great table wine.

“This handful of winemakers come from generations of wine, farming, and port making families,” she said. “But now, this generation is using money and knowledge to produce outstanding wine. “They blend bold, rich, lush red wines that are bursting with opulent red raspberry, black cherry, black pepper, and chewy tannins.”

Indeed, they are big flavored wines. They can be generally described as very ripe in flavor with spicy characteristics. They are also going to have a tannic finish.

The other outstanding region is the Vinho Verde where the Alvarinho – or albarino – grape is grown which I wrote about in my last column. The Vinho Verde wines can feature other grapes but are usually made from Albarino. The grape is a beautiful contrast to traditional Sauvignon Blancs and again, widely available.

You might have to look awhile to find Portuguese red wines but I have found some available in several Central Indiana wine shops. The flavor profile is different with an earthier and overly ripe feel on the palate. But if you want to try something new, try some Portuguese red wine.

You can find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, and she is currently re-building her homepage for Mass Ave Wine.

Howard’s Picks:

Quinta Do Alqueve 2006 Tradicional – This red is a classic blend featuring primarily Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. It’s a good introduction to the wines. This wine will have you thinking is it more like a Cab, Merlot, or maybe even a Pinot? ($11)

Grillo 2007 Vinho Tinto – This earthy wine is 75 percent Touriga Nacional with a huge nose and mouthful of flavor. It was very smooth drinking with moderate alcohol. ($13)

Turtle Run's 'Picasso' Making Interesting Wines

2009-09-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Situated along the Ohio River and Interstate 64 are seven new or relatively young Indiana wineries. The seven push the ever-growing number of Hoosier winemakers past the 40 mark this year.

I took a two-day vacation in late July to drive the Ohio River and make some winery stops. One easy conclusion is Indiana wines are improving. It was just a few years ago the Concord, Niagara, and Chambourcin based wines were too sweet or too bitter or just not balanced. It’s great to be able to report I tasted far fewer bad wines than anticipated.

I visited Winzerwald Winery, Bristol, Blue Heron Vineyards, Cannelton, Scout Mountain Winery and Turtle Run Winery, both near Corydon, Best Vineyards, south of Turtle Run, and Indian Creek Winery, just north of 64 in Georgetown. You can find them all with a simple internet search.

The boom of Indiana wineries, with more to come, is good news for most Hoosier vintners.

“Would you know of Napa Valley if there was only one winery,” Turtle Run’s Jim Pfeiffer asked. “If you go to a large city and you’re looking for a restaurant, have you ever noticed how restaurants align together? There is a synergy when you have them together, it builds a market. Right now it’s building and helping the market, not hurting it.”

Pfeiffer is a young breed of winemaker who laughs loud, shares his wine passion, and thinks of himself as a wine Picasso.

“Wine allows you to be creative,” he said with a really contagious enthusiasm. “Do you want to create the Merlots and Chardonnays of the world? No, that’s what everybody is doing. Or do you want to do the ‘one offs’ with some unique varieties that have some character? We do a lot of ‘one offs.’ We’re blendaholics.”

Indeed, during an afternoon visit he had several winery visitors watching him do a white wine blend. It was part Picasso and part mad scientist.

Turtle Run is like any Hoosier farm but instead of tobacco Pfeiffer grows grapes. He has a wine he calls “Red My Mind” which is part Merlot and Chambourcin that will remind you of a Pinot Noir. If you like white wine, try his dry Tortuga. It’s a blend of Chardonel and Vignoles that tastes more sophisticated and unlike anything you’ve had from other Hoosier wine makers. There’s his Summer Solstice white or Catherine’s Blend which are also a bit different.

Indiana winemaking legend Bill Oliver, Oliver Wrinery, mentored Pfeiffer through his early efforts in 2001. Pfeiffer is now up to about 4,000 cases of wine each year and hoping to hit 10,000 in the next few seasons. He and Ted Huber of Huber Winery are now often the mentors for the newcomers in their region.

“When you see an explosion of wineries the question becomes the due diligence side of knowing what the heck you’re doing in the winery,” Pfeiffer said. “We want to coach the wineries which need some additional assistance. But we get someone in every other week who wants to start a vineyard and winery. We give them a little bit of encouragement and discouragement.

“We see people walk in who just don’t think they are going to do the work and studies. They’re going to open a winery and be in way over their head. Great wine just doesn’t pour from containers.”

Albarino Will Rock Your White Wine World

2009-09-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time for white wine and lighter flavors.

If you have spent your summer sipping Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and perhaps Riesling, then it’s time to try something different. Spanish and Portuguese Albarino is a varietal you aren’t going to find in any supermarket but should find at any good wine shop. Most Indiana shops will have one or two, many will have several.

Albarino has become a new personal favorite. It is a ripe-fruit flavored wine with a clean taste, very crisp and refreshing. It is a dry white wine with moderate to high alcohol levels. Some Albarino will have more acidity or citrus flavors than others, but I’ve yet to have a bad one.

Spain grows a significant amount of the world’s Albarino in the Rias Baixas region, the northwest coastal corner of the country just north of Portugal. It is also found across the border in the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. For many years the grape was used to create blends with other lesser known white grapes but has emerged more recently as a white wine that pairs nicely with seafood and is great served cold on a hot day.

The wine has a big beautiful nose for a white. If you pick up a bottle you’ll read that it will have hints of peach, apricot, or floral characteristics. There are a few Albarinos aged in oak but the vast majority is aged in stainless steel producing the clean and crisp characteristics.

The wine, like most grapes, is grown in other places around the world. But I’ve found if you start your experimentation with a new grape at its origin, you’re going to appreciate the variations of it even more when you drink one from Australia or California.

The climates in Spain and Portugal where Albarino is grown are cooler areas of those countries allowing these finicky, thick-skinned grapes to mature. Albarino put Spain’s white wines on the world map.

Try Albarino with seafood off the grill, particularly white fish and shrimp. Asian foods would be another perfect pairing. Or, chill the wine a bit more than normal and take it outside to enjoy on a warm evening.

Albarino is a very affordable experiment. You can find value bottles in the $9-$12 range in wine shops.

Howard’s Picks:
Salneval Albarino – 2007 Albarino from Spain has a seductive nose that makes it hard to put down. You’ll pick up some minerality and floral notes. This wine consistently scores well with national wine critics. ($9-$13)

Burgan Albarino – Also a 2007 selection, the Burgan Spanish Albarino is a bit more fruit forward than the Salneval. I thought it had a lemon flavor with perhaps an unusual hint of orange. It also had a bit of a creamy texture to it. Wine critics tend to really like this one. It’s going to be less acidic than the Salneval. ($12)

Mirassou Carrying on a Family Tradition

2009-08-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

There are iconic names in the U.S. wine industry: Gallo, Mondavi, and Sebastiani. Those California family dynasties are joined by the oldest of the group – Mirassou family wines.

Pierre Pellier came to the United States in 1854 looking for gold, but fortunately brought along cuttings from vines in his native France. Pierre’s daughter married Pierre Mirassou and later created an iconic name and brand in California wines.
After decades of winemaking, the Mirassou brand was purchased in 2002 by wine giant Gallo. But David Mirassou, the sixth generation of the family, remains in the business today.

“I’m carrying on a great tradition,” he said during a recent visit to Indianapolis. “I’m the link to previous generations and the next generation.”
The Mirassou label is carried in Kroger supermarkets and represents an effort by Gallo to market premium wines. The average price point for a bottle of Mirassou is about $12.

David Mirassou is a Gallo employee with the title of National Sales Manager for the Mirassou brand, though he bristles at any suggestion that he’s just a spokesperson.
“I kind of do everything,” he said. “We do have winemakers, but I go back and taste the grapes and work with our team on blending. I’ve learned for me it’s better to get out and tell the story than dragging the hose (around the winery) all of the time. I help and give guidance to our full-time winemakers.

“I have direct input on every one of these wines, as much as I’d like to have. I sometimes have to set aside extra time because everybody wants me out doing different promotions.”

Mirassou talks of the Gallo purchase not as a buy-out of a smaller guy, which has happened often in California. He describes it as a partnership.
“I do everything that I used to do,” he said. “We don’t make the wines at our winery. It just wasn’t efficient to make wine there. Partnering with the Gallos made things easier.”

The Mirassou Winery was in the Silicon Valley. The vineyard property was more valuable for commercial development than vineyards. Gallo bought the name as developers bought up the property.

Mirassou likes to talk about the long relationship his family has had with the California icons, including Ernest Gallo.

“For 70-plus years we’ve been working together, my family was selling them grapes and helping them move the California wine industry forward,” he explained. “After my grandfather passed away, Ernest would tell me stories about my grandfather. Can you imagine having lunch with Ernest Gallo and he is telling stories about your grandfather!

“I’d drive home teary-eyed after hearing those great stories. It was always about how Ernest admired my grandfather. I sometimes wonder how I’m going to fill those shoes.”

He fills those shoes today with considerable time on the road promoting Mirassou Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet. He does tasting events and lots of media work.

But for David Mirassou it’s about family. “The most exciting time for me is when I take my son out to the vineyards,” he said smiling. “We go out and taste the grapes and we’ll talk about the vineyards. So I’ll ask, ‘Tristan, what did you think about tasting the grapes?’ And he’ll go, ‘Well the grapes were good but my favorite part was the reindeer with the big horns running up the hill.’”

He smiles and laughs. Even though young Tristan is not yet 10, David Mirassou knows the future of the family name lies in his young son’s hands.

Howard’s Picks:
Mirassou is best known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I thought the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc were very nice value white wines. Having spent time tasting Oregon’s higher end Pinot this spring, I thought Mirassou’s Pinot was surprisingly good for the price point. The Mirassou wines are not heavily oaked. They are fruit forward with mild tannins. They are available at wine stores and supermarkets at very reasonable prices.

Everyone Asks for A List - How About 10 Great Wines?

2009-08-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

People are always asking for a list of great wines, even a few editors. I’ve been reluctant because you’ll obviously find a few of these, but not others.

The wines listed were purchased in Central Indiana wine shops. I have decided to offer up a list of 10 great wines under $15. You really can’t go wrong with any of these.
These are some of the best wines I’ve enjoyed over the past 6-8 months.

Red Wine
Castano 2006 or ’07 Monastrell – I’ve called it the best bottle of wine I've ever had for under $10. I’ve seen this wine in many shops. It sells for an incredible $6.99 and had a 90-point rating from Wine Advocate. I would compare it favorably to Spanish Garnacha. It is fruity, yet dry, big-bodied wine with some spice.

Duck Pond 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - It comes from Eastern Washington. It is a complex and intense wine which seldom happens for $11. It has a big nose and a spicy, woodsy flavor. Alternative: 337 Cabernet, $12-$15; Santa Emma 2006 Maipo Valley of Chile Cabernet, $12-$15.

Spellbound 2006 Petite Syrah - While not quite the fruit bomb Syrah can be, it was big on the front of the palate with smooth tannins. It's an easy-to-drink but big and full-bodied Syrah, $12.99 to $15.99. Alternative: Shoo Fly Aussie Salute, $9-$11 (Grenache/Syrah blend)

Caligiore Malbec – This is an intense wine, very fruity - even spicy perhaps. It's 14.5 percent alcohol so it's a pretty serious red. It is a rich, mouthful for those who've tried Malbec and want to sample a bigger one. I paid $16 for this one but have seen it as low as $12. Alternatives: Maipe Malbec, $10-$14; Tilia Malbec-Syrah, $8-$11; Dante Robino Bonarda, $11-$13.

Santa Cristina Sangiovese - The great Italian producer Antinori first produced this wine in the 1940s. It has hints of cherry and herb. It's medium bodied with a smooth finish. It is fabulous with Italian food. The wine experts tend to praise this consistent Italian gem. You’ll find it in the $9-$12 range.

White Wine
Nobilo 2008 Sauvignon Blanc – This crisp Sauv Blanc became the biggest seller of its varietal in the U.S. earlier this year. It has lemon, lime, and a grassy/citrus flavor and feel in the mouth. It’s a bargain at $9-$12. Alternative: New Zealand’s Fire Road, $13-$15.

Basa 2006 Blanco – Another great value you can find from $9-$12. The wine has a lime/citrus tartness but mild acidity. Many white wines can have overpowering acidity and this is really just right. The acidity on this Spanish beauty will be less than your typical Sauv Blanc.

La Broia 2003 Soave Superiore - The $10 wine has subtle flavor of apple and lemon, very dry and very balanced. I think it would hold up great to lighter flavored seafood and is dynamite by itself on the porch or poolside! Soave wine is easy to find, but go for the Superiore designation which has a little more structure and flavor. Alternative: Salneval Albarino, $9-$11.

Rose Wine
Mas Carlot 2008 Rose' – This French wine is 60 percent Grenache and 40 percent Syrah. It has a big beautiful nose. It has a bright and light fruity flavor with some mineral, and lots of sweet spicy goodness for $10. Sip this on the porch and all your troubles slip away!

Calderona 2007 Rose' - I picked up this Spanish Rose for $11. It definitely has a stronger flavor than many Rose’ wines but it's an interesting blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, and Verdejo.

If You Haven't, Do Try Dry Rose'

2009-07-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

It is summer and time to think pink!

No, I’m definitely not talking about white zinfandel – that of the high sugar content and guaranteed headache. The hottest wine of the past few summers has been dry Rose’ made from a wide variety of grapes from every major wine producing region in the world.

A chilled dry Rose’ is a delightful summer beverage. They are refreshing and a super wine to serve at a summer gathering. Many Rose’ wines will hold up nicely with about any food. It’s like drinking a white wine with a bit bigger flavor.

The great thing about Rose’ is you can buy great bottles for under $15 – and sometimes a lot less. I opened a Cabernet Sauvignon Rose’ recently, which I’ll recommend below, that was just $6.99. You can buy the very best Rose’ wines and not spend more than $30.

The pink wine gets it color the same way red wine does. Winemakers leave the skins in contact with the juice to get just the color they want. Most Rose’ wines will have a hint of strawberry flavor. Most are soft and easy drinking wines.

For years no serious wine drinker would be caught dead sipping pink wines, but that has changed. Sales have jumped by double digits annually for several years. The Nielson Company reported U.S. Rose’ wine sales jumped 25 percent in 2008 alone.

Traditionally it has been France producing Rose’ and primarily from Provence. The Tavel region has long been known for its fine pink wines.

But now you’ll find Rose being made from every imaginable grape. Most of these wines have a light taste but you’ll find sophistication and enjoyable satisfaction in how easy they are to drink and share with friends. I’ve sampled Rose’ wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Grenache, Malbec and others.

These wines are not hard to find in any wine store. They are not only very affordable but generally low in alcohol. I’m constantly surprised how well they pair with food or appetizers.

I’m going to devote a little more space in this column to specific wines that I have purchased in Central Indiana wine shops. This is a bit of an expanded Howard’s Picks. Also, I have several in the wine rack I’ll be drinking over the rest of the summer. You can read about those on my wine blog: www.redforme.blogspot.com

Calderona 2007 Rose – This Spanish Rose is 70 percent Tempranillo with Garnacha and Verdejo making up the mix. It’s a bigger and bolder Rose that that pairs well with food. I bought it for $12.

Pavie Macquin 2007 Rose – This French dry Rose’ has a juicy quality that any wine love can appreciate. It’s definitely on the lighter side but a beautiful wine. I paid $10.95 for this remarkable bottle.

Crus de Piedra Garnacha Rosada – The Spanish make some great Rose from the Garnacha (or Grenache) grape. This wine is easy to find. I’ve spotted it in several Indiana shops. This one has a big strawberry nose and is a medium-flavored wine. You can often find this one under $10.

Miguel Torres 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Rose – This is a Rose’ with big flavor that wine critics have loved. It’s a beautiful transparent cherry color with incredible balance. This Rose’ pairs really well with food. You’ll find it for up to $12 but I got a deal in Indianapolis for just $6.99.

Have A Sparkler for Fourth of July

2009-07-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Tired of the same old Merlot and Chardonnay? Tired of that light beer with a burger?

If you’re going to try something different this summer, then really try something new.

How about a sparkling wine? Sparkling wines aren’t just for New Year’s Eve or weddings. They can be a refreshingly different beverage that is more flexible than you might think. And summer is a great time to try something light, refreshing, with some effervescence.

Sparkling wines can be delightful with fresh fruit. A nice light sparkling wine will surprise you with white chocolate. Sparkling wine with cheese or most appetizers will also work. And after you develop a taste for a sparkler, I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it with some grilled shrimp as an appetizer. Don’t rule out sparkling wine with grilled seafood or lightly seasoned grilled chicken for dinner either.

The tough part of any sparkling wine/food combination is finding a really good wine. Who hasn’t had a taste of the bubbles at a wedding only to find yourself looking for a place to set that glass down and go back to whatever else you were drinking?

I usually don’t spend an entire column on a specific wine but I’m going to write today about two that are widely available and very drinkable.

It starts with Cristalino Rose Brut from Spain. You can find this pinkish sparkler in many wine shops across Indiana. It’s 60 percent Pinot Noir, with just 11.5 percent alcohol, and usually is sold in the $9-$11 range.

The second is California sparkling wine icon Gloria Ferrer’s Sonoma Brut. This traditionally colored sparkling wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with just the right amount of bubbles. You can find it from $16-$20 everywhere.

I opened both bottles with a friend of mine and her daughter and wanted to share our impressions. The ladies thought the Rose Brut was too mild in its effervescence. They didn’t think “it had enough bubbles.” They agreed with me that it had a light taste and grew on them as they sipped more from our champagne flutes.

Both suggested this sparkling wine had enough body to hold up to appetizers and light food.

They just loved the Gloria Ferrer Brut. “It’s crisp without being too sharp,” one said. “It’s quite effervescent. It has a soft flavor profile … it doesn’t taste cheap.”

The ladies thought it would be nice with a fruit tray or a mild cheese. They thought it was a visually appealing and tasting glass of wine.

The three of us tasted the sparkling wines while nibbling on fresh strawberries in early June. We felt very continental!

We finished off the Gloria Ferrer but not all of the Cristalino. What else do you need to know? Wine Spectator consistently rates this wine in the upper 80s to 90 points!

Ferrer makes sparkling wines at higher price points. This entry level would be a huge improvement for most I’ve tasted at weddings.

There are other great options in most wine shops as well. Ask your wine shop helper for Spanish Cava or an Italian Prosecco.

Howard Pick:
Gloria Ferrer’s Sonoma Brut. This was by far our pick of the two, though I liked the Rose’ as well. The ladies appreciated the lighter and balanced flavor of the Sonoma wine. You will be surprised how much you’ll enjoy the bubbles with a creamy mid-palate and lighter-than-expected finish.

What Does a Blue Ribbon Mean?

2009-06-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

What does it mean when a winery advertises it’s “Blue Ribbon” Cabernet? Or another winery invites you to taste their “award-winning” wines?

I’ve always been something of a skeptic but got a brand new appreciation May 16 at the Indianapolis International Wine Competition. Indy’s wine competition is the largest in the U.S. outside of California. They had 3,064 wines entered this year from 42 states and 10 countries.

They invite members of the press and wine press to join the judging tables as “judges in training.” I jumped at the opportunity. I tasted 52 wines in about an hour and a half. I judged the wines, participated in the judges’ discussion, but my vote didn’t count. The personally rewarding part of the experience was that I was very close to what the other judges thought about the wines most of the time.

See photos from the Wine Judging Competition here.

But what does it mean for the consumer when you see “award winning wines?”

“To me it’s a signal you’re doing things right,” said Jeanne Burgess, VP of Winemaking Operations for two Florida wineries and someone who has judged wines for 20 years. “No matter what the medal is, if you’re consistently winning medals you’re doing something right in the winery. The competitions can vary but as long as your wines are winning medals that means your quality is at a certain standard.”

I was impressed with the diversity and qualifications of my judging panel. We had a wine distributor, a college professor teaching in the field of viticulture, an Indiana winery owner, and Jeanne – a winemaker.

“It’s eye opening the way the panels are designed,” said Michael Palmer, a wine distributor. Palmer grew up in the wine business in Madison, Indiana, where his father owns Madison Vineyards. “When you work on just the wholesale or retail or even production side you get a narrow focus. This gives you a different perspective to see what the consumer sees.”

The competition is amazing up close. There are five judges to each panel, More than 80 volunteers, largely Purdue University employees, prepare the wines and serve the judges who blind taste all sorts of wine. The judges never know the winery, just the varietal and the vintage. They blind taste the wines and rate each wine individually and not against each other.

Our table tasted Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Chambourcin, berry wines, and naturally flavored wines during my hour and a half of tasting.

The competition, sponsored and held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, began in 1973. It has grown to an international competition since the early 1990s.

The Indiana Wine Grape Council, based at Purdue, helps market and organizes the event. Jeannette Merritt, Marketing Specialist, said the competition is particularly important to Indiana’s 43 wineries.

“We use the term gold equals sold,” Merritt said. “If they get a medal here it helps sell their wine. For some of the wineries they can take that back and maybe mark it up a dollar because it now has a little more value. The wines have been judged by 80 professional winemakers, wine writers, and wine educators. For 80 other people to say your wine has won a medal, it’s probably going to move off the shelves very quickly.”

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, In., is a wine enthusiast who writes about wine for Indiana newspapers. Read his blog for more on the wine industry and the wines he’s regularly drinking at: www.redforme.blogspot.com

A Great 'One Tank Trip' to Southern Indiana

2009-06-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

Of the nearly 40 Indiana wineries, there isn’t another like Huber’s Orchard, Winery, and Vineyards in Starlight, Indiana, atop a hill just northwest of Louisville and across the Ohio River.

Huber’s family found its southern Indiana roots in 1843 and now is in its seventh generation of tending the land. Huber grows 18 different varietals leading to about 400,000 pounds of grapes each year.

I’ve visited Huber’s for several years now and their wines are getting better and better. “Most of the vineyards at Huber’s Orchard, Winery, and Vineyards are starting to show their maturity as the roots expand deeper into the limestone rich soils we find on the Knobstone escarpment,” Ted Huber said. “These vines typically start showing complex flavors developing in the wines after their seventh year in our soils giving the wines much richer texture and complexity. This allows us to better manage our barrel and blending program giving our Heritage and Generations a more interesting flavor profile.”

The Heritage and Generations wines are their two flagship dry red wines. Those two labels are easily the best dry red wine I’ve tasted from any Hoosier winery. Huber’s grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Blaufrankisch, Chambourcin, as well as many of the other grapes you’d expect from an Indiana winery. But in 2000 they planted Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Pinot Gris. It will be fascinating to see how Ted uses those grapes in coming vintages.

But Huber’s is much more than a winery. They have nearly 900 acres of Christmas trees, apples, strawberries, peaches, berries of all sort, pumpkins, and vegetables. They make their own cheeses and ice cream, jams, jelly, and they have a bakery.
They also have a Children’s Farm Park, café, gift shop, and a distillery producing Brandy and Grappa.

“In the mid 1970s as my father and uncle started to plan for the winery, they understood there was a much diversified need among our customer base,” Huber said. “They understood that having a variety and diversified product list would keep things interesting for our customers and for all levels of the wine-drinking public.

“We see approximately 400,000 people each year to our farm and the diversified wine list helps us retain repeat customers. We are not just focusing on Dry wines or Sweet wines – we have a range of wines to taste and select from.”

The Huber name is an iconic label in this hilly corner of Indiana overlooking the river and Louisville. But Huber will admit there are plenty of people north of Columbus, Indiana, still unfamiliar with their operation. “They are often customers that we refer to as the “one tank trip” customers. There is a complete different look and feel to our area than the central part of Indiana. Our growing conditions and topography are conducive to growing grapes much different than other wineries in Central Indiana.”

This is one of my favorite “one tank trips” for any Saturday and I try to make it 3-4 times a year.

Howard’s Picks:
2006 Generations – Huber’s basic dry red wine is full flavored and nicely balanced. It’s Indiana’s best dry red wine at the $14.99 price point.
2004 Heritage – I mention this particular older vintage of their best blend simply because it is the best glass of red wine I’ve ever had from an Indiana producer. The 2004 is $24.99 but the current 2006 release is available for $18.99.
2008 Traminette – Indiana’s answer to Gewurtztraminer is produced by most Indiana wineries. This semi-dry, floral and spicy white wine is awesome for $14.99.

Can Willamette Become the Next Napa?

2009-05-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Can Oregon’s Willamette Valley become the next Napa? Will the rolling hills and red soil be dotted with limousines and tour buses much like California’s famed wine region?

I made my second visit in a year to the Willamette in April and remain much taken by its simplicity and charm. I had the chance to talk to winemakers/owners in three different wineries.

Napa Valley has lost some of its charm because of tourism, many have argued. Indeed, during a 2006 summer visit to Napa, I was a surprised by the size of the tasting rooms, the number of tourists visiting.

The Willamette has big weekends similar to Napa around Memorial Day and the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. It certainly is more spread out than Napa and has a certain feel of agriculture and small business. The Valley features fabulous Pinot Noir, beautiful tasting rooms but in a 2008 summer visit and brief April visit I didn’t see near the crowds.

But do the wine people think further growth is a good or bad thing?

“If you’re trying to sell wine it’s a good thing,” said Craig Baker, who owns Ancient Cellars wine with brother Chris. “I think it will continue to grow. People have said the Willamette Valley is the next Napa-type thing. I guess we can always get too much of a good thing but now it’s more specific times.”

Baker just released a Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. He works for a large wine production facility but started his own label with brother Chris, who lives in Fishers, Indiana. Chris helps market the wine which is available in Indiana.
But not everyone is welcoming the tourist crunch.

“Fear,” is how Donna Morris and Bill Sweat, owners of Winderlea Winery in the Dundee Hills, answered in unison. “I think most people who are here are here for the love of the vineyards and the love of the grapes that these vineyards produce,” Morris said. “For a lot of the people it’s the attention to and the love of artisan winemaking. If you look around here everybody is making 1,000-5,000 cases. I think people are passionate about quality. It’s very hands on. It’s a very communal group of people and very collegial. People are willing to work with you but expect you to make a good product.”

Jesse Lange, general manager and winemaker for Lange Estate Vineyards, differs from both of the previous opinions. He just doesn’t think it’s going to happen. “I don’t know if those fears have any basis. Most of Oregon’s wineries are still very small productions. I think Kendall Jackson makes more wine that what we do as a state. Even our biggest wineries in Oregon are pretty small by California standards. We don’t make enough to ever be a drop in the bucket compared to our neighbors in California.”

Still, and particularly if you enjoy Pinot Noir, Oregon is a delightful place to visit. There is a less-rushed pace and I love that when you enter the tasting room it just might be the owner or winemaker pouring the wine.

I have more about Ancient Cellars and Winderlea in my blog (linked at above right) and reviews of wines I’m drinking each week.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, is a former newspaper editor and writer who considers himself a wine enthusiast.

Wine Shops Reacting to Tough Economic Times

2009-05-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Tough economic times require creative thinking, flexibility, and a business person’s best instincts. That list probably gets longer for small, retail wine shops.

Finding a wine shop or two you’re comfortable with is one of the best steps to improving your wine knowledge and broadening your palate. The economic downturn is tough for small business. You need to get into your wine stores and support them. On the other hand, many of those stores are re-thinking their product strategy that plays right to your pocketbook.

Ashley Lockwood and husband Rob Ventura own two retail stores in Indianapolis. Ashley worked in wholesale and retail wine sales in Los Angeles and Chicago from 1998-2005. When she moved to Indianapolis in 2005, she opened her Broad Ripple store and recently added a second location in Carmel.

The tough times have been reflected in her customer’s buying habits.

“Many of our "wall wine" (over $15) regulars are now shopping mostly off the floor (under $15.) Our under $10 wines are flying off the shelves,” Lockwood said. “When we first opened, I had a couple of $6.99 wines that just didn't move because people thought they were too cheap. Now we can't keep our $6.99 wines in stock.”

I’ve heard the same themes from other retailers –wine shop owners and buyers are working harder to find wines you can’t buy in the grocery store, but at grocery store prices.

“I quadrupled the number of under $10 selections, and discontinued many of the $14.99 and even $13.99 wines,” Lockwood said. “We dedicated an entire corner of the store to $6.99 wines. I am buying larger quantities of wines in order to get the prices down. When we find great deals on closeout (from wholesalers), we buy everything they have.”

Just like any other business, the wine industry feels the pinch from winery, to wholesaler, to retail. Most wholesalers have product to move so smart retailers can get good buys to pass to their customers.

“Often (close-out lists) are wines I already know so I grab them,” Lockwood said. “Sometimes I am looking for a particular bargain (under $15 Pinot Noir or under $15 Chianti). If there is a wine that fits that profile, I will do some research on scores and reviews and then request a sample. For a lot of the smaller distributors, they approach us with specific wines they aren't moving and offer a deal. Many of the wines we have that are under $8 weren't originally that inexpensive.”

I have recently found some great under-$10 wines. I got this column idea in Ashley’s store during a recent visit. Husband Rob talked up an Italian Chardonnay. It was light and tasty. I bought a full case of a Spanish Monastrell. That grape (similar to Grenache or Syrah) will be new to most of you, but it illustrates why finding a retailer or knowledgeable wine person is so valuable. Both of these wines were $6.99. I have tasted a lot of $13-$17 wines not nearly as balanced and full-flavored as these two examples.

“Finding under $8 wine isn't hard,” Lockwood mused, “but finding under $8 wine I would take home and drink can be!"

A Visit to Oregon's Lange Winery

2009-04-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

DUNDEE HILLS, Oregon – During a recent business trip to Oregon I had the opportunity to travel the Willamette Valley. The valley is home to some of the world’s best Pinot Noir.

I usually keep the columns and blogging to the under $25 price point, but I had a really special visit to the Lange Winery and thought I’d use that experience to explain price points and also to share a winemaker’s insights into great Pinot.

Many of the great Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc white wines made in Oregon are under the $20 price point. Most of the Pinot Noir is priced over $30, but many wineries have at least one bottling that will be $30 or under.

In virtually every public talk or conversation I’ve done on wine, I get asked about the difference between a $10 bottle and a $40 bottle of wine. It’s about the quality and craftsmanship that goes into the winemaking and it shows in the taste.

Industry publications Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast have praised Lange Winery as one of the best. I spent time with Jesse Lange, whose parents Don and Wendy started the winery in 1987. Jesse farms the vineyards and makes the wine with his father. He also serves as the winery’s general manager.

See a few extra photos from my visit by clicking here.

“It’s really critical in making Pinot Noir to make it in very small increments,” Lange said. “We do the farming in very small increments. You’re able to pay attention to things at a level I don’t think a lot of winemakers get to do. Pinot Noir is so expressive, there’s a range of flavors and elements of complexity. It’s the ultimate winemakers challenge to both grow and make.”

While large production wineries will blend wines in vats the size of a farm silo, Lange blends their Pinot Noir no more than three barrels at a time.

“I describe what we do as sustainable farming, small artisanal winemaking, focusing on quality not quantity,” Lange said. “We’re looking to make classical wines that have a lot of the fruit elements of Pinot Noir and the spicy elements of Pinot Noir. There is a hedonistic side to wine drinking that I think every wine drinker can appreciate from the total beginner to the expert.

“I want to make sure when people have a glass of our wine they say ‘Wow, I want another glass.’ I think our style really plays well because our wines are well balanced with a lot of fruit, great palate texture, and richness without being over the top.”

Lange produced 14,000 cases of wine last year. In comparison many of the big California winemakers, names you’d recognize, make more wine in one facility than all of Oregon’s wineries combined.

The secret of Oregon wines, and especially Lange’s Dundee Hills’ wine, is the environment. To wine geeks, that’s terrior. “That means place,” Lange said of the French term. “It’s a very broad all-encompassing term that includes soil, climate, heat units, elevation, but also encompasses the wine grower’s philosophy about farming. Certain wines from a certain place and a certain varietal really showcase that.

“The secret is the place, without question. You can only grow world class Pinot Noir in about five places. You just can’t grow world class Pinot anywhere.”

Fortunately for Hoosiers, you can buy Lange wines in our state. They have a beautiful Pinot Gris around $16 and an award-winning Pinot Gris Reserve at $22. The reserve was the best Gris I tasted during my two-day visit.

They also have a reasonably priced Pinot Noir. The 2007 Lange Willamette Valley Pinot can be found in Indiana for about $24. They have other bottlings of reserve and estate wines that range from $30-$60 which is consistent with most Oregon premium wine producers.

To progress in your wine drinking and to understand boutique wineries and real handcrafted wines, try a Lange Pinot Noir. Or try an Oregon Pinot Noir recommended at your wine shop.

For Jesse Lange the most important thing is creating wines that are correct to that terroir. “I don’t want anybody to taste our wines to say I really like it because it tastes like Cabernet or it’s like Syrah. I want it to be its own and be an Oregon Pinot Noir.”

His explanation on the attention to detail was probably best in an off-handed remark he’s obviously used before as we walked the grounds near the beautiful overlook of the valley. “We want to be more like Audrey Hepburn than Marilyn Monroe.”

Taste, Taste, Taste

2009-04-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Any wine shop owner, winery hospitality worker, and even a newspaper columnist/blogger will tell you the best way to learn more about wine is pretty simple.

Taste. Taste. Taste.

There are lots of ways to do that but don’t overlook the simplest approach. During the warmer weather months many of us have friends over for a cookout or gathering. How about adding a couple different bottles of wine and spend some time before or after just talking about what you’re drinking? That is a wine tasting in its easiest form.

But if you are serious about your wine or just would like to be more serious you need one person who has a little more knowledge. You might have a friend who fits that category but the easiest way is check with any retail wine shop. There is no better way to sell wine than let people taste wine.

The base of my wine knowledge started with wine tastings. One of the very best is Dean Wilson in Indianapolis. Deano has been doing tastings since 1997. And he has some definite opinions about what people should look for at a wine tasting.

“We take the guess work out of it for the consumer,” Wilson said. “We keep it seasonal. Right now we’re doing heavier style whites and lighter style reds. Come summer time we’re still doing lighter style reds and lighter style whites like Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Grigio. In the summer we do bigger bolder whites like chardonnay. In the fall, we’re getting into ports, tawny ports. At Christmas time, we’re doing ports, and bigger style reds and obviously the bubbly or champagne right before the New Year.”

Wilson said it’s sort of like wine for dummies – taking the guess work out of what wines work best with the season.

Jill Ditmire, owner of the Mass Ave. Wine Shop in Indianapolis, has a similar approach to the taste, taste, and taste philosophy. “You can read reviews, watch videos, listen to others but your palate is your best buy indicator. Go to tastings.”

Both wine shop owners said encouraging people to try new things is the real key. “Too many people think all there is in the wine world is Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay,” Ditmire said. “I love it when someone samples a Tempranillo or Malbec and says ‘wow, that tastes so different.’ “

Deano takes the wine drinkers moving away from entry level wines and tries to ease the transition. “We like to let them know that some of the top entry level wines are over sugared,” he said. “So when people say they get hangovers or headaches from drinking wine, I say life is too short to drink cheap wine.”

But Ditmire and Wilson agree there are so many easily affordable options.

“I try to steer the consumer to new world wines like Australian Shiraz because the fruit is sweeter up front and you still have the dry residual finish on the back,” Wilson said.

In the end, the best wine is the wine you like.

“Anyone who tries to tell you what you should drink doesn’t know much at all,” Ditmire added. “We each experience wine differently. A good wine is one you like. A bad wine is one you don’t like.”

So check with your nearby wine shop and get to their tastings. It will open up an entirely new world of wine for you and really pique your interest in discovering new wines.

Howard’s Pick:
Deano’s Vino : Dean Wilson offers the most education-based wine tasting I’ve attended in Central Indiana. He does tasting every Wednesday night at 6 p.m. There is a $5 charge but you get to taste anywhere from 5-7 wines and he usually has some crackers, cheese or meat as part of the tasting. His shop and restaurant is located in Indianpolis’ Fountain Square District.

Others: Mass Avenue has tastings on Tuesdays at 5:30. Cork and Cracker on the north side does weekly tastings. Vine and Table in Carmel has wine open for tasting many days, but especially on Saturday mornings.

Advice From Someone Who Is Selling Plenty

2009-03-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

After nearly six months of writing a wine column and related blog, the response has come mostly from wine novices or people who want to take a step up into better $10-$20 wines.

That’s why offering advice from many different sources continues to be a goal.
I’ve written a couple of columns of general advice and will continue to seek the opinions of others with varied backgrounds. My background is from buy, drinking, and tasting a lot of different wines. I think someone who is selling wine every week certainly has an even more credible and broad-based experience to offer.

You can almost always find such people in area wine shops and increasingly they’re turning up in grocery stores. But it’s not just grocery stores in high-income metropolitan suburbs. Reggie McConnell is helping Baesler’s Grocery in Terre Haute move wine you don’t normally find in the supermarket.

Target and a few other stores have a wider selection of wine than most of the big chains, it’s still rare to find a wine steward, advisor, or host in most vino aisles. McConnell ended his business career in 2008 with early retirement. He had always been a wine buff and loves talking wine.

When Bob Baesler approached him about helping stock the shelves of his family-owned grocery, answer questions, and help sell more wine, Reg enthusiastically agreed. Now you can find him on hand Thursday, Friday and Saturdays helping customers select wine and try new wines. He has boosted case sales to nearly 15 percent of the store’s total and more than doubled the wine selection.

The grocery still carries plenty of Yellowtail and other brands you’d expect to see, but McConnell has also brought in an eclectic mix of other wines up to about $25-$30. Operations like Baeslers remain rare and you may not find one near you, but the trend is for more stores to hire wine stewards with the ever-increasing wine sales across the country.

A few metropolitan Indianapolis markets have wine help on hand during busy times of the week.

“While I think it’s a good strategy to find a wine consultant one is comfortable with (whether it be at the retail level, or even a nationally known critic) don’t make the mistake of placing too much emphasis on your advisor's opinions,” McConnell said.

“Wine consultants can be enormously helpful as general guides for the hobbyist. Most folks don’t have the time, money, or inclination to devote untold hours to seeking out new wines. Find a consultant or reviewer whose tastes seem to dovetail with yours and let him/her be your guide. This method can save hobbyists considerable time and cut down on costly mistakes. Should you find that your consultants’ recommendations are not passing muster then find a new consultant.”

Reggie took time out on a recent Saturday morning to talk wine and the wine business. He said the key to any grocery selling more wine was better selection and simply someone there to answer questions.

Too many people find wine to be a mystery. When there is someone there to help buyers out, they buy more wine. Generic advice doesn’t always work, but simple things like reading labels, read the shelf notes, and try lots of different wines, will broaden your wine appreciation.

McConnell has another piece of advice I can heartily endorse.

“Wine’s ability to enhance the taste of food (and vice versa) cannot be overstated,” he said. “I suggest folks new to the hobby begin their journey by introducing wine with the evening meal. It’s amazing how pairing the right wine with the right food can turn one’s everyday dining experience into something truly special. Europeans have known this for centuries, while Americans are just catching on to the notion of enjoying a glass of wine each day.”

My suggestions would be a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with fish, Riesling with simple chicken or turkey dishes, Cabernet or a Zinfandel with steak off the grill, perhaps a Syrah with BBQ, and a nice Sangiovese-based Chianti with your pasta. If you have a food pairing question, go to my blog (www.redforme.blogspot.com) and send me an e-mail.

Howard’ Pick:

Klinker Brick – This is a label instead of a wine. I recently had the Klinker Brick Zinfandel, at about $18, and their Syrah, which was $16. The Klinker Brick label is relatively new but comes from a vineyard that has long sold its grapes to other producers. I thought both wines tasted well above the price you’ll pay for them. Both were great representations of the grape and big, bold-flavored wines. You won’t find Klinker Brick in any market, but I have seen the label in Indiana wine shops.

Cabernet - Even the Name Sounds Royal

2009-03-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

Cabernet Sauvignon – even the name sounds royal. That’s appropriate for a wine often thought of as the King of Red Grapes!

Cabernet, or “Cab”, is the world’s best known grape varietal. It is the big wine that gets all the attention, headlines, and often sells for really big bucks.

Now let’s be honest here, Cabernet is not what I’d recommend for beginning wine drinkers or even novices. It’s very difficult to find good ones under $20 and it is generally a big-flavored, very tannic, red wine.

But it is the wine most people have heard of and read about. It is the primary grape in the great French Bordeaux wines and it dominates California’s Napa Valley. It is the one red wine most often put away in the cellar to age for a few years, or many years, before drinking.

It’s a hearty grape that is easy to grow, at least in comparison to many others. It likes warm climates and has spread to every major wine growing region of the world.
And you can’t go to any grocery and not find a Cab on the shelf. In a wine shop you’ll find Cabs from around the world. There are many big wines that are actually blends with Cabernet. The traditional Bordeaux blend has long been Cab, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Now days you might find just about any red wine grape blended with Cabernet to soften the big grape’s flavor.

Being a big and brawny grape it’s the wine you want with a great steak. Cabs are usually very dark wines with a flavor of cherry, bell pepper or even green olive. You can almost always taste the oak used in the aging process on the finish as you swallow the wine.

And frankly, there are a lot of bad Cabs out there on the super market and wine shop shelves as well.

I waited 10 columns into this adventure in wine writing to just tackle Cabernet. I’d suggest if you have been drinking Merlot, Malbecs, Syrah and other varietals and have not yet tried Cabs then you are ready to get started.

I’d point you toward Washington State Cabernets initially. I’ll recommend what I think is a very good one below. The Washington Cabs seem more “ready to drink” than many you’ll find from California. They are a bit softer and smoother.

General guidelines never work, but if I was to offer just one I’d say buy a Cabernet that is at least three years old. If you’re not prepared to buy red wine and set it aside for 2-3 years, minimum, then the 3-year rule works well. The bigger the Cabernet the smoother and richer it will become with age.

There are some very palatable Cabs coming from Argentina and Chile. You won’t find many Indiana Cabernets but there is one I can recommend. Huber Winery’s 2006 Cabernet is surprising for a Hoosier Cab at just under $20.

There is nothing better with a steak off the grill than a really big and smooth Cabernet. For most of us the really good Cabs are going to be at or above the top end of what we want to spend on wine. The greatest glass of wine I’ve ever sipped was the iconic Joseph Phelps Insignia from Napa Valley. The current release, a 2004 Cab blend, retails at $225 a bottle! And, that isn’t the top end of what you’ll pay for the signature Napa Valley wines but it does give you a clue.

If you want to buy a really good Cabernet for a special occasion, there are many really great Napa Cabs in the $40-$60 range. Joseph Phelps, Cakebread Cellars, and Chappellet are three I have tasted and think are superb. All three are found in better Indiana wine shops.

But most of us aren’t buying too many bottles at that price point, especially in these economic times. There are good Cabernets out there under $20. And I’d love to hear your recommendations. I’ll include your favorite Cabs in a future column. Just drop me a line with the winery name, vintage year, and where you bought it, with your comments at: hewitthoward@gmail.com

The best two Cabs I’ve ever tasted under $20 are below.

Howard Picks:
Duck Pond 2004 Cabernet – This Washington state Cabernet tastes like $30-$40 wine. It’s big and smooth and ready to drink. I paid $10.99 at an Indianapolis shop and was astonished by the quality.

Green Lion 2005 Cabernet – This Napa Valley Cabernet is a bit bigger than the Duck Pond but also unbelievable wine for around $20. It’s a little harder to find than the Duck Pond but it is available in Indiana. Look for the funky and color label done by the same artist who once did album covers for The Beatles!
Remember to check out my wine blog for regular wine reviews.