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Date: Wed, Nov 19, 2008 Winery Blogs

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America's Greenest Winery

Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 Winery Blogs

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Second Guessing

Date: Wed, Nov 12, 2008 Winery Blogs

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The Power of Diversity

Date: Mon, Nov 3, 2008 Winery Blogs

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Al Lageder Rocks

Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2008 Winery Blogs

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Whatta Whole Lotta Bubbles

Date: Thu, Oct 16, 2008 Winery Blogs

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Enjoyin' the Ride

Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2008 Winery Blogs

Never drink Champagne on a roller coaster. The bubbles will wreak havoc on your sinuses. Never drink red wine on a roller coaster. You'll never get the stains out, and the passengers behind you will fear that you are bleeding out. Never drink heavy, oaky white wines on a roller coaster. They're just not applicable to the wild ride. Never drink sweet wines on a roller coaster. What with all of the cotton candy and all, you've had enough sweets. While riding a roller coaster, be sure to drink a light, crisp white wine. Something Italian. The Italian winemaking regions known for their great whites range from Trentino-Alto Adige (producing the world's best pinot grigios) and the Veneto in the northeast, through Umbria (and it's Orvietos) down to Campania (Greco di Tufo & Fiona di Avellino - these are arguably Italy's best whites). A Sicilian Vernaccia would ride very well in a roller coaster. While you're having a wild ride, it's important not to splash these wonderful whites on your fellow passengers. Although it's true that there's enough soaking to go around these days, you don't want to add to it. Savor your wine while you ride the roller.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

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Worth the Wait

Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2008 Winery Blogs

On the other side of the pond, blended wines are the norm. Back when we Americans regularly slaked our thirst with locally brewed ales, the French, Italians and Spanish were imbibing rich, well-developed blends of cultivated grapes grown to complement each other in finely crafted wines. Today's vino babble focuses on one such wine from Bordeaux's Medoc. One of the wines that I had the pleasure of drinking this past weekend was the 2000 Chateau La Bessane from the Margaux A.O.C. in the southern Medoc. Side note - Wine Spectator gave the 2000 Left-Bank Bordeaux vintage 99/100 points, "Postmodern classic, Benchmark Bordeaux". It gave this particular wine 90 points. The wines from Margaux have been described as being "like an iron fist in a velvet glove". This wine is no exception. It is a very unique composite of 60% petit verdot, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. Petit verdot (petit because of the small berry size) is a very late-ripening grape, and wines made from it take years to reach maturity/drinkability. The 2000 vintage in Margaux was a very long one, allowing for the petit verdot's full development. This 2000 drank beautifully, and would have been great with a big, juicy Ribeye. The 2000 Chateau La Bessane Margaux is fully developed, and still richly tannic. Lush and silky with deep, dark red fruits finishing with spicy oak. I happen to know where to get some of this for under $20 a bottle. As they say, the best things in life are worth waiting for.
Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

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A trilogy of Blended Pleasures

Date: Fri, Oct 10, 2008 Winery Blogs

Why are Americans so afraid of blends? Our nation serves as a shining example of the power of the melting pot, gaining strength from our diversity. You'd think that we would be crazy for wines that expertly blend a number of varietals. We're not. Certainly in the cheap wine stratum, people accept that they'll be getting blended plonk for their pennies. At the other end of the spectrum, giant proprietary blends, especially from Italy and Australia (and Cali) are the most sought after reds. It's in the middle, where real, everyday wine drinkers purchase wines that blends are anathema. In my decade-plus experience selling wine, I've found general reluctance on the part of wine buyers when it comes to blends. White blends can tend towards the loony/loopy (see"Battle of the 'Poor Man's Conundrum'"10/08/08) putting too much in your mouth. Red blends, at least the well-made, well-balanced ones, tend to be synergistic affairs, with the wine's strength equalling more than a sum of its parts. All Bordeaux wines are blends, most Super Tuscans. In reality, Cali "single varietal" wines usually don't contain more than 75% of the stated varietal. One that recently hit my Tastemaker Radarscreen is the 2005 Flora Springs Trilogy, composed of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, in true meritage style. This edition of this world-class master-blaster of power and grace marks Flora Springs 30th anniversary of fine winemaking. Exhibiting cassis and dark cherry on the nose, the palate is pleasured with black cherry, cocoa, coffee & toffee. A stunning red to be cellared and enjoyed over the coming decade. This Rutherford/Napa gem is a blend that Americans can proudly consume, proud of the diversity that abounds here in the Good Old U.S. of A. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate agrees, giving this vintage 93 points. Also, a little bird (parakeet, actually) just informed me that the 2005 Trilogy can be found hereabouts at a deep discount. Look upon it as a safe investment, if you will. Serve this wine with cuts from the recently slaughtered Bull Market.
Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

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Sustainability

Date: Thu, Oct 9, 2008 Winery Blogs

I'm no farmer. Most wine drinkers aren't. Most of us don't know much about the various agricultural practices employed by wineries. Increasingly, many of us are rightfully concerned about the actual impact of how what we consume is produced. We are increasingly concerned about the deleterious affects that corporate agricultural practices have had on the land in the past 50 years. I don't presume to know much about the "healthiest" agricultural practices that a winery can employ, but I'm learning. As we concerned wine consumers are all learning about the correct, intelligent, healthy ways that grapes can be grown and wine can be made. You'll be reading a great deal here, and elsewhere, about organic, sustainable and biodynamic growing practices that wineries chose to employ. To me, the over-arching concern must be sustainability, in a larger sense. It is important to consider both the environmental and the economic sustainability quotients. If the land is farmed using the smartest, healthiest methods, and good (or great) wine is produced as a result of this, and the wine is marketed effectively, then economic sustainability should follow. Sure, there's weather, labor issues and a million other " Murphy's Law" factors to consider. I'm no farmer, nor am I an economist. I'm just another wino with righteous concerns. The wineries that address these concerns have a better chance of surviving than those that don't. They're unsustainable.

Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

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Battle the "Poor Man's Conundrum"

Date: Wed, Oct 8, 2008 Winery Blogs

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Land of the Giant Wine

Date: Mon, Sep 29, 2008 Winery Blogs

Legend has it that shiraz originally came from ancient Persia. Sadly, present-day Iran has outlawed the production of wine. So regardless of its true origins, the much heralded grape has no home there. My first experiences with wines made from the syrah/shiraz grape were rather infamous. Nasty, tight, low-end Croze Hermitage, from France's Northern Cotes Du Rhone do not do the grape justice. In the late-90's, I sumbled upon Australia's Giant Shiraz. D'arenberg. Henry's Drive. Jim Barry. The list is seemingly endless. Spicy, robust, long-lived and full-bodied, these not-so-gentle-giants will change the way that you think about wine. Not for the faint of heart, these masculine wines pair favorably with rich, spicy lamb and game dishes. All peppery meat dishes fare well alongside these monsters, with berry-fruited +/or mint-scented sides. Keep your eyes peeled for deals on two giant shiraz, Barossa Valley's Hazyblur and Killibinbin from Langhorne Creek. These 90+ rated wines would be a worthy addition to any cellar.
Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

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Land of the Giant Wine

Date: Mon, Sep 29, 2008 Winery Blogs

Legend has it that shiraz originally came from ancient Persia. Sadly, present-day Iran has outlawed the production of wine. So regardless of its true origins, the much heralded grape has no home there. My first experiences with wines made from the syrah/shiraz grape were rather infamous. Nasty, tight, low-end Croze Hermitage, from France's Northern Cotes Du Rhone do not do the grape justice. In the late-90's, I sumbled upon Australia's Giant Shiraz. D'arenberg. Henry's Drive. Jim Barry. The list is seemingly endless. Spicy, robust, long-lived and full-bodied, these not-so-gentle-giants will change the way that you think about wine. Not for the faint of heart, these masculine wines pair favorably with rich, spicy lamb and game dishes. All peppery meat dishes fare well alongside these monsters, with berry-fruited +/or mint-scented sides. Keep your eyes peeled for deals on two giant shiraz, Barossa Valley's Hazyblur and Killibinbin from Langhorne Creek. These 90+ rated wines would be a worthy addition to any cellar.
Cheers, Buckley Wineholt

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1977 Graham's Vintage Port Millenium

Date: Thu, Sep 4, 2008 Winery Blogs

Last August, I received the gift from a friend who mistakenly thought I was born in 1977. Of course, I didn't say anything because the gift was really outstanding.... 2 magnums of 1977 Graham's Vintage Port in pristine condition. I thought about putting them into my collection but hey, temptation got the best of me. I have an affinity to colheitas however after reading about 1977, I must say this person did well indeed in terms of gift giving. In no way do I expect gifts as it sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable but..... The 1977 Graham's is outstanding. Its still a bit young, but definitely complex, jammy, with a floral bouquet on the nose which really surprised me. On the palate its got structure and definitely displays hints of ripe plum, dark berries, anise, and some earth tones that really made this port finish well, however I think it could use a couple more years of cellaring so I vacuumed it up and put it back into safe keeping. Its really unlike any other port I've had with the exception of the 2003 Taylor Fladgate which I do not intend to open for another 20 years. If its on the shelf, and you have some extra bones in the pocket, snag it quickly!

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