Wine scoring… who is scoring and what do they mean?

You will see mostly Wine Spectator or Wine Advocate scores mentioned at most retail wine stores which is a great marketing tool.  What do the numbers represent?

v  95-100: Excellent, Classic, a great wine (never seen 100)

v  90-94: Outstanding, exceptional, and well made

v  85-89:  Very good to above average (may be a great value if the price is right)

v  80-84: Average little distinction

 Wine Advocate Robert Parker is a well recognize wine critic, tasting are done in peer group, single blind tasting, the scores represent the cumulative average.

Wine Spectator is scored by the editor in the wine region in his jurisdiction, all tastings are blind. 

If you know what you like, read the tasting notes, such as; spice, berry, smooth finish or mouth feel and other subtle characteristics. I notice that when tannins are mentioned as “smooth” this usually means the tannins are prevalent and so I personally tend to stay away from anything that mentions tannins in the notes…just me.  The wine score rating system is severely criticized and considered to be “globalization of wine” and downplaying the characters of the wine maker.  I believe we should try wine for the tasting notes not the score, learn your palette and what you like, however branch out and try something new once in the while. If you are one of those people that found that bottle that you like and don’t buy anything else but that….try something new. Next time you go to the market read some of the tasting notes and go for it!

Cheers…Denise

Cheers, Chin-Chin, Salute!

The sound made by the twisting of a cork, followed by a loud pop and the crackling of effervesce means there is a celebration to come, christening an important moment and memory’s to be made.  Significant occasions warrant a significant bubbly selection, here are a few notes to help you make your selection:

Spumante is Italian sparkling wine, means “foamy” which can refer to all sparkling Italian wines, tends to be sweet.

Presseco is an Italian sparkling dry white wine made from Grera grape primary grown in the Presseco region of Italy.

Brut is a term used sometimes for the driest sparkling wines which means it has less sugar than those labeled extra dry.

Champagne is a wine producing region in the far north of France near Paris.  Though used as a term to describe sparkling wine, true Champagne is aged longer than sparkling wine so can be dryer in taste.

The most prestigist brand of Champagne Don Perignon is produced by Moet & Chandon.  The story behind Dom Perignon is that around 1670, a Benedictine monk named Dom Perignon made some significant developments as cellar master at the abbey of Hautviller in Epernay.   He made a celebrated remark “I am drinking stars” however Dom Perignon did not invent Champagne.  He did have some ideas regarding harvest over a period of days rather than all at once to get the ripest of fruit.  He is also credited for the idea of using string to secure the stoppers in the bottles to retain the sparkle for longer period of time.

For a Celebratory toast or to enjoy with your New Year lobster dinner, here are some Sparkling wines we have tried and recommend:

Perrier-Jouet Grand, Champagne  Grand Brut, elegant gold color with enticing bouquet which is followed by soft apple notes, this Champagne is meant for a celebration.

Argyle, Brut Sparkling wine, 63% chardonnay and 37% pinot noir. Perfect fruit balance with a pleasant finish, absolutely wonderful.

Mumm Napa, Brut Prestige, toasty aroma with subtle Vanilla, rich peach color...... fabulous.

Botter Spago Prosecco, a nod to tradition the bottle is covered with a black string to hold the cork in place.  Once the bottle is opened the bright perfume of peach blossoms fills your nose, when tasting the mouth gets hit with a refined peach fruit flavor and a crisp close.

Tasting sparkling wine  by pouring about inch into a flute glass and wait for a moment to settle, and then pour the rest of the glass. Check out the bubble, sparkling wine bubbles vary, some have large bubbles that rise to the surface then fizz and explode and others have tiny sparkling bubbles.   The smaller the bubbles means there will be more of them, they release the flavor into your mouth, the more bubbles there are, the more flavor packed your sparkling wine will be when it hits your mouth Once the effervescence has subsided smell the sparkling wine.  Take a sip but before swallowing swirl it in your mouth sensing the taste, texture and weight.  After swallowing notice the aftertaste, the finish is a good indication of quality.  A better quality sparkling wine will have a bigger and longer the finish.

Celebrate the New Year with a glass of bubbly; Wine Lovin Women raises a glass to all of you for a wonderful New Year!  Denise

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is my first love, it happened in Napa Valley; I was at the Culinary Institute at Greystone for lunch.  They paired one of the courses with a Sangiovese from Charles Krug, and I have been in love with Sangiovese ever since.  Charles Krug does not make a Sangiovese anymore so I have been on a mission to find that special one again.

Sangiovese is one of the most planted red variety grapes in Italy. The Sangiovese grape changes in response to its environment, which is why it so diverse, elegant and complex when well-made. The flavor profile of Sangiovese is generally not assertive it can show a strawberry, blueberry, faintly floral, violet or plumy character. Some of my new discoveries are:

Walla Walla river winery by cougar crest Sangiovese has a soft nose and silky feel on the palate, with expressive fruit….a dream in a glass.

Elegance Winery Sangiovese is gorgeous and rich with body, persistence that is loaded with plush personality.  Showing layers of dark cherry and savory notes…compelling and lovely.

Tura Rita, Perlato Del Bosco from Tuscany. Deep purple in color, rich dark fruit on the palate with a lingering finish…..drop dead gorgeous.

For the Holidays try pairing it with an herb Pork tenderloin recipe (see my recipe under the "recipe" tab).  Season’s Greetings…Cheers!

Denise

Happy Thanksgiving! 

We suggest to pair with your holiday dinner would be a Pinot Grigio, Rose or Pinot Noir.  My favorite pinot's come from Oregon.  We are thankful for all our blog views...Cheers!

Sinister Hand
A gruesome tale for you in time for Halloween, sit back pour a glass and I will share the story of the Sinister Hand.

Two rival families had a rowing competition for rights to some highly regarded land, the first to touch the land, after rowing across the lake, would become ruler of the land. One boat was falling behind so a member of the crew grabbed his own sword, cut off his hand and threw it ashore, winning the title to rule the land.

Own Roe Winery in Saint Paul Oregon produced Sinister Hand with a beautiful full red color and generous fruit is expressed from the onset with a harmonious blend of  63% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 16% Mouvèdre and 2% Cinsault.  Fruity notes of raspberry and blackberry warms the palette with silky light tannins that persists thru the long smooth finish.
Sinister Hand is amazing wine with an unforgettable tale…..Happy Halloween
Denise
Read the entire tale and more on Owen Roe website
http://owenroe.com/

A sommelier friend once said, “Drinking wine should be about the emotions you experience as the wine crosses your lips; glides over the palate; slips down the throat and says farewell.”  I have always enjoyed tasting wine and the emotional experience that comes from each sip and appreciate the nurturing care and emotional structure the Vintner crafts into each bottle.

In the Walla Walla Valley, a couple of Vintners allowed me to tag a long one fall evening as they tended  their vats of fermenting grapes.  Harvest had just begun and I was giddy with the excitement of what I would see and experience by this unexpected adventure………

As the winemakers performed their punch downs of the grape vats, the CO gases were released and replaced by heady aromas of grapes and yeast working together.

Slipping my arm into a warm vat of fermenting grapes, I could feel the yeast and grapes working together to create the foundation of the perfect nectar.  A small cup in hand allowed me to siphon off some of the fermenting juice.  This was wine in its infancy and my first time tasting it at this stage in the process.  I loved the unsullied taste of the grapes and sediments. 

There were still round grapes that had yet to open but as I popped one into my mouth the intense flavors gave a rush that can only be experienced.  I compared it against tasting grapes strait from the vine and these grapes had already been affected by the winemaking process and held the greatness of what was to come.

The warm wine was tossed out of my glass and quickly filled with freshly pressed chardonnay juice.  Nothing can prepare you for this unbelievable flavor and taste.  I have had numerous fruit juices in my travels but freshly pressed chardonnay juice is the very best of all juices. 

I walked through the racking room where the barrels were staged and ran my hands over the smooth wood, wondering if the wine stains were from the wine seeping through the wood.  The Vintner was kind enough not to laugh at me but said it was spillage from over filling the barrels.

The adventure was too short lived but it brought back the words of my friend and it re-affirmed why I get that emotional rush and pleasure from drinking wine.  Till next time...Cheers! LD  

Wine Lovin Women set out for Walla Walla, WA again for another adventure.  This time was for Fall Crush, where we visited some of our old favorite wineries, Tero Estates and Dumas Station.  Both wineries had amazing releases to sample, if you haven’t been there yet or tried their wines you are missing out….so get started on making some plans to check them out. 

During our visit, we discovered a new favorite, El Corazone, which has a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla.  We walked into an eclectic, packed out showroom which made you realize great things were about to happen…no wine snobs here.

El Corazone has been producing since 2007 and during our visit we tasted:

♦     First Crush, Malbec (Walla Walla Valley) - Stronger tannins and bolder fruit flavor  

♦     Supernova, Malbec, (Columbia Valley) - Beautiful color, smooth tannins, full fruit and a slight spice on the pallet

♦     Pistalero, Bordeaux style blend - Marriage of bold fruit, which intoxicatingly rolls across the tongue

♦     Swordfight, Syrah - Deep color, subtle wild fruit aroma with rich texture in the mouth

♦     V-Neck , Viognier - Crisp and clean fruit flavor as a Viognier should be, the floral aroma leads you to believe it will hit sweet on the palette however it is dry and smooth with a soft lingering finish   

After two and half hours of tasting wine we were offered a barrel tasting….now the fun begins! 

We sampled a Cab Franc and Syrah to be released in 2013 and a Carmenere which is a grape that was presumed extinct for 150 years but found growing again in a field of Merlot grapes.  Everything we sampled was still a little young but oh so promising.  El Corazone does amazing things with grapes usually known for blending grapes, they have found a thoughtful way of bringing out great flavor.  What a great release 2013 will be!

El Corazone has a great sense of humor with refreshing liveliness to their attitude, their wine and even the labels on their bottles.  When I asked what grapes were in the wine, Spencer the winemaker, told me to read the back of the bottle.  The back label said……”stop reading, start drinking”.

Cheers! Denise