Wine Whore Review:

How did wine play a role in your life this weekend?

The sun sets over another great wine weekend!

It's time for a new location...

After the last week's Optima Challenge, I am excited to move my tasting journey from Napa to New Zealand.



For this week's poll, I selected four varietals from a single winery from the region halfway around the world from my home. The winery: Murdoch James. If you have never heard of this winery, or want to learn more about New Zealand, be sure to read about this New York Street Vineyard before voting on any of the selections.

Ok, now on to my favorite part... drinking wine!

I have included a brief writeup of each of the Murdoch James wines below. Choose your favorite varietal for me to drink by voting in the poll located at the top of this page. The winning wine will be announced, tasted and featured in a review.

"The 2006 vintage exhibits intense dark plum and forest fruit aromatics, with savoury complexities of black coffee, black tea and sweet, smoky wood spice. In the mouth this wine is vibrant and full-bodied with rich, spicy fruit flavours. Complimented by elegant, mouth-watering fruit acidity and tingling spices, this wine demonstrates much grace and finesse on an even, lingering finish."

"Deep ruby in colour, the wine displays vibrant aromatics of dark chocolate, black cherry, forest fruits, wood spice and creamy, caramelised notes. There is richness on the palate, with flavours that build in the mouth. Showing the classic Pinot Noir ‘peacock’s tail’, the 2007 Blue Rock Pinot Noir is rich, with intense fruit, complexity and long, lingering finish. That finish has a silky, elegant texture, balanced acidity and fine tannins; demonstrating cellaring ability of 5 to 8 years."

"An elegant, multi-layered nose dominated by fresh pears and blanched nuts, with hints of strawberry flowers and spice. On the palate crisp mouthwatering fruit is followed by a rich, luscious mis-palate and a long, dry, mineral finish."

"The is full of crisp citrus fruit and lemon meringue with hints of lavender and spring flowers. The palate is well rounded and smooth textured. Delicate yet insistent natural acids are refreshing and provide balance and length. For those of great will power, this wine will reward cellaring for the next decade plus!"

Wine Whore Review:

New Zealand

Martinborough is a quaint wine village town in South Wairarapa, a district in the Wellington region. With only 1300 full-time inhabitants, this town sits 65 kilometers east of Wellington and 35 kilometers south-west of Masterton.

Martinborough began in the 19th century largely as a rural service town for nearby farms. It was during this period that early settler/farmer John Martin planned out the town. When laying out the city, he chose to name the streets after cities and towns he had visited on a world trip.

Today, Martinborough is known for its colonial architecture. A great example of which is the historic Peppers Martinborough Hotel, built in 1882. More importantly to us wine lovers, Martinborough hosts a large number of vineyards producing wines, notably Pinot Noir. Its warm micro-climate blends with the hills to the east and west creating an picturesque environment for making wine.

Murdoch James's first vineyard was on New York Street!

How do the wines of this town taste?

To begin my journey in wines from Martinborough, I am pleased to announce that the following selections have arrived directly from New Zealand for my review from Murdoch James Estate:

Murdoch James Martinborough Saleyards Syrah 2006
Murdoch James Martinborough Fraser Pinot Noir 2006
Murdoch James Martinborough Blue Rock Pinot Noir 2007
Murdoch James Martinborough Wairarapa Pinot Gris 2008
Murdoch James Martinborough Wairarapa Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Murdoch James Martinborough Blue Rock Riesling 2008

Will these wines stand up to the Sonoma samples I am already accustomed to imbibing?

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll get to taste and report how well these wines perform. You'll want to check back for my winery and wine reviews of these selections!

Also, very special thank you to Roger and the folks from Murdoch James Estate for their kindness, support, and willingness to share a glass of their wine for the rest of the world to enjoy.


(Read more wine reviews and info at The Wine Whore)
Photo of courtesy of Murdoch James Estate

Wine Whore Review:
Optima Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Unfiltered Petite Sirah 2006
Taste Score = 8.5/10 Points
Enjoyability Score = 8.5/10 Points (Additional stats below)



After the last week's Which White Will Win and the Battle of the Reds, I decided to try something new...

For this week's poll, four varietals were competing from a single winery: Optima Cellars. I chose this winery because I love the story behind how wine brought Mike and Nicol together. I like to call it 'Serendipity meets Sonoma!'

After another great Wine Whore turnout for the vote, a winner was unanimously chosen to step up to the plate, or in this case, the glass.

The winner: the perfectly purple unfiltered Petite Sirah from the Dry Creek Valley.

If you were with me for the virtual tasting via Twitter and Facebook you already have a good idea of how well this inky Sirah performed. If you missed it, take a minute to mark your calendar with next week’s tasting (Wednesday @ 6:30pm ET) and then continue reading below to catch on what you missed.

Thank you all for enjoying a virtual glass of wine with me… I look forward to seeing you again next week!


Vintage Info:
"Optima Petite Sirah is produced from fruit grown in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley. Traditionally used in blending for its dense body and dark color, rich blackberry aromas, and ripe fruit flavors by careful aging in small French Oak barrels." -Optima


Recommended Food Pairing:
I tasted this wine with a delicious Shepherd's Pie. Although this molten mound of mash potatoes may not have been the wisest choice for such a dry full bodied red wine as this Petite Sirah, it didn't seem to matter. The wine was far too enjoyable to let anything else get in its way.

Today's food pairing recommendation is brought to you in part by John from the wine blog 'Printer-Designer-Wine Lover'. During the tasting he mentioned a pairing to try that I'll be sure to remember. He suggested pairing this Petite Sirah with some nice fatty raw tuna. What a great idea! I can almost taste how the dry grip of this wine would sing harmoniously with this pairing... I am even getting a little excited just thinking about it.

You can bet I'll be having some tuna for dinner along with my next bottle of Petite Sirah!


Stats:
Producer: Optima Winery
Vintage: 2006
Varietal: Unfiltered Petite Sirah
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, California
Residual Sugar: N/A
TA: N/A
pH: N/A
Production: N/A
Alcohol %: 14.5
Aging: French oak barrels
Cost: $35/bottle


Wine Whore Score:

Click to Enlarge

WWW Winner:

Tampa Twitters Night Out

if you ever have the chance to attend a tweetup, you should definitely make it a point to attend. Twitter meet-ups are a great way to take time off from the computer screen and make some new friends. Take social networking to the next level. Bring the virtual world together with the real world and you are sure to have a blast!

Ok, now for the details...

The tweetup kicked off at 5:30pm with some Cajun spice at Harry's Seafood Bar, and Grille:

Cajun Curbside

Harry's took excellent care of us. Our waitress, Tiffany, and the rest of the staff were very accommodating. The table was ready before we arrived, we had plenty of bread and water, the food was promptly delivered, and the wine bottles were opened before our glasses had a chance to be emptied.

What more could you ask for?

Mound of Jambalaya

With so many great New Orleans style dishes on the menu, I struggled with the decision of what to order. After some deliberation, and several glasses of wine, I decided to go with my traditional Cajun favorite: Jambalaya accompanied by a bowl of Gumbo. I made the right choice! It was perfectly prepared and the portions were large and delicious! The gumbo combined with a little of Michelle's hot sauce was just enough spice to get the party started.

Pinot party starter

Being the Wine Whore that I am, I brought a box (check out how I bring wine to the party) of four bottles to dinner. The following selections (listed in order of appearance) were corked over dinner:

• Graton Ridge RRV Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2006
  
• Collier Falls Dry Creek Sonoma Private Reserve Zinfandel 2004
  
• Collier Falls Hillside Estate Dry Creek Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

We started with the Pinot Noir and quickly tore into the Zinfandel. Oddly enough, the favorite of the night was the Cabernet Sauvignon from Collier Falls which closed out the show. I could go on and on about the wine, but I'll save those details for a future post.



Buzzing from the wine and full of spicy food, we proceeded to the World of Beer. This cozy watering hole is home to an extensive selection of over 500 beers from around the world. You are always sure to find friendly and helpful staff, live music, and tons of other beer lovers.

My beer flight began with a Bolita Double Brown made from none other than the local Tampa Cigar City Brewery. This thick dark Northern England-style brown ale clocked in at 9.0% and was full of malty character and a slightly nutty finish. After one of these, it was time to switch back to my favorite: Rogue Dead Guy Ale.

My poker hand

Throughout the course of the evening, we had a great time talking, drinking, and playing a game called Apples to Apples. Although it was new to me, the rules were simple enough to be learned in a matter of minutes despite the fact that I had a few cocktails clouding my brain.

Rules:
Each player is dealt seven "red apple" cards; on each is printed a noun or noun phrase (such as "Madonna", "Canada", "The Spanish Inquisition", "Michael Jackson", etc.). Then each player (except the judge) chooses a card that they think is the best match for the green apple card, and places it face-down. The judge shuffles the red apple cards, reads them (often aloud), and decides which noun is the best match for the adjective. This decision is subjective; the official rules encourage the judge to pick the match that is "most creative, humorous or interesting". The winner is the first player to accumulate a pre-designated number of green apple cards; the more players, the lower the total.

I can't remember if anyone won, but then again, I don't think it really mattered. Things eventually started to wind down as people came and went. My night ended at about 2:00am after returning from a trip out to Shepherd's in Clearwater. A couple of glasses of water and ten hours of sleep later, I woke up with a smile.

I would like to thank you all for coming out and making this event a blast. This was a night I will never forget. Where will the next event will be?


To all of my other 'Wine Whore' friends, don't forget to send in your own fun pictures to be included in next week's post!

Cheers!
Randy Watson (a.k.a 'The Wine Whore')


(Check out last week's Weekly Picture Winners and other fun stories at The Wine Whore)

Wine Whore Review:

My empty shipping container collection

one of the many cardboard and styrofoam shipping containers laying around from wine that I have received in the mail...

Serves up to eight people

While this works great for red wine, it is not so good for transporting whites. Despite the fact that many people like their white wine only slightly chilled, I enjoy my whites deeply chilled and frosty cold. I am always paranoid the white wine will warm up before I get a chance to enjoy a glass at that perfectly frosty temperature.

Solution: What if there was a way to keep the bottles cold without lugging around a cooler?



If you are like me, you are probably sick of seeing this sleeved blanket. You may have even broken down and purchased one of your own. This blanket will not help you transport wine but there is a Snuggler for wine that will keep it cool, protected and looking sharp...

(Click for details)

These handmade wine carriers are as fashionable as they are useful. They are insulated between the lining and the front fabric so that the wine you are taking to a party stays the same temp as when it left your cooler. It has a convenient strap for easy transportation and best of all they are made from the highest quality machine washable cotton fabric so they will last forever!

These bags are a great way to gift a bottle of wine. Every Wine Snuggler made is a limited edition, as only 2 to 4 Wine Snuggler’s are made of the same fabric! You can also request specific colors and themes for your fabric.

These Snugglers are great for holidays, birthdays, or just carrying around a bottle of wine on the go!

Now I'll be able to bring white wine everywhere I go!


Want more fun wine accessories?

Check out my gift recommendations for summer, pet lovers and Earth day.



(Read more wine reviews and info at The Wine Whore)

Wise Wine Review:
Benziger Family Sonoma County Merlot 2005
Cost Score = 9/10 Points
Taste Score = 8/10 Points
Overall Score = 8.5/10 Points (Additional stats below)



This week's Wise Wine of the Week is a relatively easy to find Merlot from Benziger. Not only is this a great value wine, but it also goes magically well with the food pairing described below.

Try it out and you'll be amazed!


(Continue browsing below for the scores…)


Vintage Info:
“What began as a heartbreakingly difficult growing season with a cold, wet spring and periodic rains throughout the summer, would become one of Sonoma’s most surprising standout vintages. As harvest approached, we knew that a single rainy day could cost us the vintage. But instead of rain, we got a miracle: 30-plus days of perfect Indian summer. What’s more, the grapes continued to gain weight late in the year, which slowed and lengthened the ripening process. We picked the last grapes on November 11—the latest ever for us in Sonoma. A truly exceptional harvest, 2005 saw both exquisite quality and superb yields." –Benziger Family Winery



Recommended Food Pairing:
The best way to enjoy this wine is with a pecan topped with your favorite sharp white cheese. Hold a sip of this Merlot in your mouth, pop in the cheese topped pecan and enjoy!

The mix of flavors is magical... in my opinion, this is the best way to enjoy a Merlot.


Stats:
Producer: Benziger Family
Vintage: 2005
Varietal: Merlot
Appellation: Sonoma County
Residual Sugar: N/A
TA: .58
pH: 3.63
Production: N/A
Alcohol %: 13.5
Aging: American oak, 35% new barrels, for 14 months
Cost: ~$19


Wine Whore Score:

Click to Enlarge

Wine Whore Review:

How did wine play a role in your life this weekend?

The sun sets over another great wine weekend!

The contenders have been chosen...

After the last week's Which White Will Win and the Battle of the Reds, I decided to try something new...



For this week's poll, I selected four varietals from a single winery: Optima Cellars. As you may already know, I am particularly fond of wineries that have a fun or interesting backstory. I chose this winery because I love the story behind how wine brought Mike and Nicol together:



"Nicol and her son Tyler moved to Healdsburg where her son tried out for a traveling soccer team. Mike was the coach. Mike picked Tyler and so the three of them traveled quite a bit. One night she invited Mike to dinner and pulled out a bottle of Optima Russian River Chardonnay.

Mike explained to her that, that was his winery and he made that wine. Well she knew she had to marry him so in 2001 Mike and Nicol and the four boys married at a winery in Healdsburg.

Today, Mike along with his wife Nicol and four boys celebrate Optima Winery's twentieth year, while continuing the tradition of producing premium world class wines."

Ok, now on to my favorite part... drinking wine!

I have included the writeup of each of the Optima wines below. Choose your favorite varietal for me to drink by voting in the poll located at the top of this page. The winning wine will be announced, tasted and featured in a review.

Fun Friday Wine Fact:
The Zen of Wine: Part IV


Mastering the 'art' of tasting wine requires an understanding of the factors that contribute to its flavor and character. This series, entitled "The Zen of Wine," is dedicated to explaining those elements and their influence on the overall balance of taste.

If you are new to this series, here's what you missed:

Part I of 'The Zen of Wine' defined balance and how it influences the perceived quality of wine.

Part II of 'The Zen of Wine' discussed the astringent, tingling tang of acid in wine.

Part III of 'The Zen of Wine' revealed sugar's cloying contribution.


Some Like it Hot?


Although alcohol is not perceived by receptors on the tongue, its presence is still easily detectable. Anyone who has imbibed a 'shot' of liquor is familiar with the effects of alcohol.

As a shot of liquor is swallowed, the relatively high alcohol content creates a burning, fuming sensation that whips the throat. Kick back more than one and blood alcohol content increases impairing judgment and motor skills as the body becomes increasingly poisoned.


Deceased Yeast?

Alcohol is the waste bi-product of yeast. Wine is fermented by combining the sugar from crushed grapes with various types of yeast to create this desired bi-product. As the yeast consume sugar it produces alcohol.

Too much alcohol, and the yeast die.

Hold that thought, we'll get back to it in a moment...


Walking the Line

It is important to balance alcohol levels in accordance with acidity/astringency. This is especially important in red wines which already tend to be dry. If alcohol levels are too low, acidity and astringency will become overwhelming.

Ever taste a wine that seemed harsh or thin?

It is likely that this was caused by high acidity in relation to the amount of alcohol. Swing the pendulum the other direction and the presence of the alcohol will overpower acidity causing the wine to taste soft, heavy and flabby.


Summary of the Seesaw:

High acidity matches high alcohol content
Low acidity matches high alcohol if another element is present (i.e. tannin)


Control Your Buzz

There are several ways to manipulate alcohol content. The easiest way is to simply add alcohol to the fermentation process. This method is called "fortifying” and it actually increases sweetness of the wine. If you have ever tasted a potently sweet glass of port, you have experienced the product of this method firsthand.

Another way to manipulate alcohol content is to add sugar to the wine. This method increases alcohol content by providing more food for the yeast. More food equals more waste which, in this case, equals more alcohol. Residual sugar as a natural fruit byproduct can also be dramatically increased by stressing the grapes through drought or leaving them on the vines for extended durations often referred to as ‘late harvest’.

Looking to decrease levels of alcohol? Try cooling the wine down to the point where the yeast fall asleep. This will cease fermentation and therefore decrease alcohol content.


Next Steps

While this article is a excellent catalyst to the discussion on alcohol in wine, it is by no means the complete guide to tasting wine. The best way to learn more is by listening to your senses as you taste. The more tasting experiences you have, the more you'll be able to discern your tastes from these experiences.

Grab your favorite glass of wine, take a sniff and a swirl and share your thoughts on this matter using the comments section below. This is your chance to ask questions, tell your opinion, or just say 'Cheers!'


To be continued…



(Read more wine reviews and info at The Wine Whore)

Wine Whore Review:
Truchard Vineyards Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007
Taste Score = 8.5/10 Points
Overall Score = 8/10 Points (Additional stats below)

virtual tasting via Twitter and Facebook you already have a good idea of how well this Napa Valley performed. If you missed it, take a minute to mark your calendar with next week’s tasting (Wednesday @ 6:30pm ET) and then continue browsing below for my Truchard Twitter Tasting Part III (Triple T Part III) review.

Thank you all for enjoying a virtual glass of wine with me… I look forward to seeing you again next week!


Vintage Info:
"2007 was a dry, cool vintage that produced outstanding wines. A dry winter and spring allowed for a good set of exceptionally small berries. Cooler temperatures throughout the growing season slowly brought the lighter crop to full maturity. The wines of 2007 have intense fruit aromas and flavors, complexity, and great acidity." -Truchard


Recommended Food Pairing:
Just because you don't have time to prepare a gourmet meal does not mean that you can't enjoy a great bottle of wine. I put this theory to the test as I enjoyed this Chardonnay with an Italian BMT sandwich from the famous dinning establishment better known as Subway.

Jared never ate THIS well! :)

The spicy cold cuts combined with the creamy dressing lining of this sandwich matched surprisingly well with this tart yet buttery wine. Despite the fact that this meal cost less than the bottle, I enjoyed relaxing with a low maintenance but filling meal to go with my full glass of vino.

My advice- Don't let your food choices stop you from enjoying your wine... instead let your wine make your food choices even more enjoyable.


Stats:
Producer: Truchard Vineyards
Vintage: 2007
Varietal: Chardonnay
Appellation: Carneros Napa Valley, California
Residual Sugar: N/A
TA: 6.6 g/l
pH: 3.33
Production: 2930 cases
Alcohol %: 14.1
Aging: 100% barrel fermented in French oak (33% new) for 10 months
Cost: $30/bottle


Wine Whore Score:

Click to Enlarge

This Chardonnay's landscape and intricate wine making techniques by which it is crafted, directly contribute to its quality and character.

Truchard sources the grapes for this Chardonnay from the southern part of their Estate Vineyard. This part of the Estate consists of relatively old vines (11 - 33 years old) which are rooted in marine soils aided by the favorable terrain and climate of the Carneros region.

The grapes from these vines are then expertly handled to craft the wine's personality. First, Truchard's Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented in French oak. Following fermentation in the barrel on the lees (sur lie) partial malolactic fermentation is performed to lower its acidity. Truchard boasts that this partial malolactic fermentation combined with regular stirring (battonage) "allows the wine to retain its natural acidity, while giving added complexity and richness."

How does nature and nurture of Truchard's Chardonnay translate into my tasting experience?

To the eye: Pale golden luminosity like the edges of a sunset.

To the nose: Tastes like a grassy salad dressed with a mix of citrus, lemon and butter.

On the tongue: Tart woody oak blanketed in a glaze of sweetness!

Truchard has created an enjoyable and tasty interpretation in this vintage of the popular varietal. Thoroughbred grapes combined with skilled winemaking techniques boast a score of 8.5 for taste, a total score of 32 out of 40 points, and an admirable average score of 8 out of 10 points.

With just one sip, you can actually taste how a solid foundation of farming, proper aging, and meticulous fermentation are utilized by Truchard to craft a Chardonnay bursting with character… a delicious symphony to the senses!

Cheers!


Like this wine? Be sure to check out other Truchard wines reviewed by The Wine Whore!


(Read more wine reviews and info at The Wine Whore)

WWW Winner:

Thank you all for sending your awesome wine stories and pictures!

This week, I decided to choose an artistic theme to celebrate Wine Whore Wednesday.

After all, wine is art...

Like an artist with a paintbrush, winemakers craft their vision using grapes as their medium. The unique taste and label acts as their signature proudly adorning the glass bottle frame. The result of their passion is an interpretation of beauty. Its purpose is solely for other wine lovers to taste, enjoy, and learn from their work.


This week's winner:

CORKED by Robert Ives

Wine Whore Review:


Now that summer is here, there's no better time to get some cool new wine accessories!

Check out these fun items every wine lover needs this sunny season...


Think Outside the Box:

Wine barrels display and serve your favorite boxed wine.
(Click image for details)

This is one skeeter you won't mind buzzing on your wine!
(Click image for details)

Show your love for the grape with these great chairs!
(Click images for details)

Wine and drink glasses that are so large, they hold several bottles!
(Click images for details)