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Announcing WBW 71: Rhones Not From The Rhône

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Wine Blogging Wednesday is my favorite group tasting event mainly due to its global scope. And I’ve participated 45 times since joining the monthly virtual tasting back in WBW 7 some 6 years ago. The wine blog scene has changed a lot in those years but the core element that makes Wine Blogging Wednesday so special has remained the same. Each month a blog host picks a theme and anyone who wants to participate, wine blogger or reader alike, posts their notes on a wine that aligns with that theme. And we do this on an appointed Wednesday chosen by WBW founder Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report (formerly LENNDEVOURS).

After a return from hiatus last month hosted by my friends at Catavino, it is my honor to host Wine Blogging Wednesday 71 on March 16th. This is the fourth time I’ve hosted but the first in some 3 years since I asked everyone to return to the Old World and taste my favorite white variety, Riesling, with me. So I thought it only fitting to feature my favorite wine region this time out – The Rhône – but with a twist that makes WBW so fun.

The theme for WBW 71 is, “Rhones Not From The Rhône.” Pick any wine made from a variety best known in The Rhône but not made in that famous French region. It doesn’t matter if the wine is white, pink or red; still, sparkling or fortified. Whatever you choose just needs to be made from primarily a Rhone grape and come from a region not in France. This opens up a lot of possibilities. Want to stay Old World? Check out Spain where Mourvèdre goes by the local name Monastrell. New World more your bag? Pick up a Roussanne, Marsanne or a blend from California or Australia. I even hear they are making some pretty decent Viognier in Virginia these days so finding a wine should be pretty easy wherever you call home.

If you need some inspiration, just check out this link for all the varieties I’m talking about. Although your choice is totally up to you, I encourage you to look outside the familiar Syrah and Grenache and try something new.

The Details:

  • Choose one or more wines made from Rhone varieties but not made in Frances’ Rhône region and post to your blog, Posterous or Twitter stream by Wednesday, March 16th.
  • If you announce your entry on Twitter or Facebook, please be sure to add the hashtag #wbw71 to your status update.
  • Send me an email at winecast (at) gmail (dot) com and let me know where I can find your post so I can produce a summary after the event.
  • Don’t have a blog, Posterous or Twitter account? Just send me your entry via email and I will post it up on the WBW Posterous.

I hope you can join me in just 3 weeks for the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. Let’s get our collective Rhone on folks!

Emilio Lustau, Sherry Dry Amontillado, “Los Arcos” NV

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Lustau Dry Amontillado bottleLike a lot of American wine lovers, Sherry is a personal blind spot. It’s not that I haven’t had good or great Sherry – in fact the only wine I have ever rated 100-points is a Sherry – it’s just the style is hard to get your head around.  For starters, many Sherries are intentionally oxidized to create a unique beverage that takes some getting used to. But the main problem, as I previously blogged this afternoon, is that freshness is an issue. And, unfortunately, this is the situation we have tonight with my selection for Wine Blogging Wednesday 70.

Emilio Lustau is one of the better Sherry houses and is widely available here. In fact, it’s the only major producer that I have not yet tasted making it perfect for this month’s theme to taste Spanish wines we have not yet tried. To top off the trifecta, I can’t remember if I have ever tasted an Amontillado, a type of Sherry made in the same way as Fino but then oxidized either intentionally or due to the flor yeast dying in the barrel. These days most Amontillado is made by fortifying the Fino to 18% alcohol which kills the flor yeast and then aged for 6 or more years. The resulting wine is both dry and savory combining the best of the fresh and salty Fino with the nuttiness of oxidation and further reduction in the solera. But as I posted earlier, there is a shelf-life to Amontillado of up to 3 years past the bottling date.

Tasting notes:

Emilio Lustau, Sherry Dry Amontillado, “Los Arcos” Solera Reserva NV ($17) – Tawny-copper in color with aromas of orange peel, almond and raisons. Pecan and toffee flavors finishing dry with cocoa on the finish but a bit dried out and overly oxidized even for a Sherry. Seems like it’s best days are behind it but still interesting. Bottled May 17, 2007.

18.5% ABV
T-cork closure
[rating:3/5]
Score: 82

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adegga listing
CellarTracker note
Snooth listing

Thanks go out to Gabriella and Ryan Opaz from Catavino for hosting the revival of Wine Blogging Wednesday this month. And I will look to pick this very same wine up soon with a more recent bottling date to compare tasting note. Watch for the announcement of next month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday coming in the next couple weeks.

Wine Blogging Wednesday Returns February 16; Spanish Theme

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WBW logoIt’s been a long time since I’ve participated in Wine Blogging Wednesday, the monthly, worldwide virtual wine tasting started in 2004 by Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report blog. In fact it’s been over 2 years since I took part in WBW 52. But the event carried on for several more months until going on hiatus after WBW 69 this past May.

But the WBW train is starting up again with Ryan & Gabriella Opaz from Catavino hosting the 70th edition on February 16th. Consistent with their focus on Iberian wine, they have chosen a rather broad theme of any wine from Spain. Of course Spain makes a number of different styles of wine from the legendary reds of Rioja to the distinctive wines of Priorat to sparking wines and an entire world of Sherry. All the hosts ask is to post our notes by February 16th, tweet using the hashtag #wbw70 and email them a link to your post.

I’ll be podcasting again for this edition and already have an idea of what the wines will be. Join us if you can.

via Catavino

WBW 53: Wine for Breakfast!

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In the nearly 4 years I’ve been participating in Wine Blogging Wednesday I’ve never posted this late but I really wanted to take a run at the theme of “Wine for Breakfast!” Since our host this month seems fine with a bit of Wine Blogging Sunday, I’ll take a crack at getting this post published before the NFC Championship game is over.

First off, I don’t drink wine with breakfast. Never have. Sure, I’ve had plenty of sparkling wine or rose at a brunch or two but that is always about 11 a.m. which seems close enough to noon to be socially acceptable. Funny enough, I actually taste wine in the morning on occasion but it’s never with food and I’m always spitting. And finally, I don’t like breakfast food for dinner. This is probably mostly due to wine being not the best match for eggs, pancakes and maple syrup.

But that doesn’t mean there are no wines that would match with such fare; in fact, sparkling wine and rose — dry or off-dry — would probably work here fine. But El Jefe, owner of Twisted Oak Winery and our WBW host this month, has limited our options to dry white and red wines only. Nothing sweet, sparkling or mixed with fruit juice is allowed.

So this has become quite a challenge as my typical breakfast of bacon and eggs is not that easy to match with a dry wine. I like my eggs scrambled and mixed with a bit of cheese further complicating matters. The bacon, of course, would match with a lot of wines but those eggs can really overpower a wine. But I’m not eating huevos rancheros with a yolk to worry about so I think I’ll try to match this breakfast with both a white and a red.

French Maid Sauvignon BlancFor the white I’m going with a medium bodied Sauvignon Blanc I recently received as a sample from the White Rocket Wine Company called “French Maid“. As I’ve noted in the past, I’m not much of a label buyer but perhaps I’ll change my tune as this wine really delivers what you want in Sauvignon Blanc. Made in France’s Languedoc region, the wine is very similar in style with New Zealand SB which have mostly risen above the $12 price point. I think this wine has enough body and acidity to stand up to my bacon and eggs breakfast but I’d more likely enjoy this wine in the summer with a cold chicken salad.

Tasting Notes:

White Rocket Wine Company, “French Maid”, Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc 2007 ($12/sample) – Light straw in color with aromas of grapefruit, fresh hay and pineapple. Tart lime fruit flavors finishing clean and dry. A very good value to be compared with better New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

12.5% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
[rating:3.5/5]

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My red match has to be a wine with a lot of fruit and no tannins. Yes, a fruit bomb. I think Beaujolais would be a good match here but when I think fruit bomb, the joven blend of Garnacha and Tempranillio from Bodegas Borsao comes immediately to mind. Available in good volume across the U.S. for well under $10 a bottle, this wine continues to be a good value vintage after vintage. The juicy fruit profile of this wine pairs will with my bacon and eggs breakfast and would also work with more ambitious fare such as a frittata.

Bodegas Borsao Red WineTasting Notes:

Bodegas Borsao,  “Red Wine”, Campo De Borja 2007 ($7) – A blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillio this wine is medium ruby in color with aromas of strawberry and red cherry. Juicy fresh strawberry and cherry fruit flavors finishing with a touch of minerality and soft tannins. A fruit bomb, but I like it.

14% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
[rating:3.5/5]

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Thanks go out to Jeff from Twisted Oak Winery for hosting a very challenging WBW. I’m looking forward to reading the round-up post probably coming later this afternoon (hope I slip this post in).

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WBW Update

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Much has taken place in the Wine Blogging Wednesday world since I last posted about our monthly virtual tasting, so I thought it would make sense to gang up all the news in one post.

WBW (Current) LogoJack posted a great summary of WBW 41 over at Fork & Bottle. Many excellent whites from Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region are featured along with some from just across the border in Slovenia (like mine). I’m looking forward to trying many of these selections once the weather becomes more favorable for such vino here in sub-zero Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, my friend Andrew from Henley-on-Thames, announced the theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday 42 as Just Seven Words. Looking more closely, that’s an Italian red wine review in just 7 words. In a word, challenging. But I think I’ve cracked the code after a tough start and might actually try my hand at the more complex wine I started with in my short post tomorrow. As always, you can post your review on our WBW community blog if you don’t have a blog of your own.

And finally, WBW founder Lenn Thompson has announced a contest to create a new logo for Wine Blogging Wednesday. Aspiring creative types have until March 31, 2008 to submit their entries and the finalists will be put to a vote in April. Lots of great wine prizes are to be won along with the glory of being the designer of the WBW logo for the next couple of years.