Wine Peeps

This event, held last weekend at the Dempsey Indoor on the University of Washington campus, brought together two of my favorite things, Huskies and wine. As a graduate of the University of Washington, I am a tried and true Husky fan. In fact one of my favorite pastimes is attending UW sporting events with my family. So an event that features wine and supports the Huskies is right up my alley. In its third year, Toast to the Northwest featured about 40 wineries or wine companies (distributors, importers, etc), food vendors, and even a few breweries that are all located in the Pacific Northwest. The proceeds from this event benefit the University of Washington’s Husky Marching Band. As you might expect, there was also fabulous live music.

As with any event like this, it is impossible to taste all of the wines offered. So Colby and I chose to visit the booths for wineries whose wines we had not previously tasted or had not tasted in a long time. We made a few discoveries and look forward to picking up some bottles and adding them to our blind-tasting lineup to see how they stack up against some of our proven favorites.

Our most exciting discovery of the day was Chandler Reach Vineyards. I had not previously tasted (nor even heard of) their wines. We tasted the two red wines they were offering, the 2005 Corella (72% Sangiovese, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah) and the 2005 Monte Regalo (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah), and loved them both. Chandler Reach is located in Benton City, Washington, along the Yakima River. Inspired to start his own winery during a trip to Italy, owner Len Parris set his sights on “bringing Tuscany to Washington.” Founded in 1997, Chandler Reach’s winemaking focus is on Italian-style wines and their tasting room resembles a Tuscan villa.

In order to keep these notes from being unwieldy as we tasted 20 different wines, I have broken down the list into Quality rating categories. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with appellation/region, price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2005 Chandler Reach Corella, Yakima Valley, $16.35, QPR: 5
2005 Chandler Reach Monte Regalo, Yakima Valley, $20, QPR: 5

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Patit Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $29, QPR: 5
2005 Saint Laurent Estate Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $22, QPR: 4
2006 Alamos Seleccione Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $14, QPR: 4

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Tilia Malbec-Syrah, Mendoza, Argentina, $9.50, QPR: 5
2003 Kiona Cabernet-Merlot, Washington State, $11.99, QPR: 5
2005 Sawtooth Viognier, Idaho, $8.49, QPR: 4
2005 Waterbrook Melange, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 4
2005 Zerba Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2006 Maryhill Viognier, Columbia Valley, $14.99, QPR: 3
2005 Glen Fiona Walla Walla Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $19.99, QPR: 3
2002 Kiona Red Mountain Estate Cabernet, Red Mountain, $35, QPR: 3

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2004 Sawtooth Syrah, Idaho, $12.99, QPR: NR
2006 Waterbrook Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: NR
2005 Zerba Columbia Valley Syrah, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: NR
2002 Glen Fiona Cabernet, Columbia Valley, $29.99, QPR: NR
2002 Terra Blanca Block 8 Syrah, Red Mountain, $40, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
NV Kestrel Lady in Red, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: NR
2002 Terra Blanca Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $35, QPR: NR

Protectionism was one of the main causes of the Great Depression, yet we seem to have to relearn that lesson over and over again in both national and state politics. Here in the state of Washington, our legislators once again this year failed to listen to the lessons of history and pass a bill (SB6384) to allow wine to be shipped freely from retailers to consumers in the state of Washington.

Instead they listened to the protectionist rhetoric of the large wineries and distributors and lapped up the money that their lobbyists so generously provide. When are our legislators going to think for themselves and do what is right for the consumers of Washington State? After all, this is a democracy. When we let the free enterprise system work without artificial restraints such as these, it functions best. Artificial barriers only seem to work in the short run, but they will kill those they are designed to protect in the long run, our Washington wineries and distributors.

I have been a big fan of Washington wines for many years, and we have touted them energetically wherever we go in our wine travels and on this blog. But I am embarrassed by the recent actions of our Washington Liquor Control Board which I understand has been writing threatening letters to retailers around the country demanding that they cease shipments to Washington wine buyers. I realize that the board is only trying to enforce the law, but do they, our legislature, and our Washington wineries and distributors not understand that life is a two-way street? We need retailers around the country touting Washington wines. Do you think these threats help the image of the Washington wine industry around the country and get wine retailers excited about promoting our wines? Of course not! And if we continue our protectionist rules, the Chateau Ste Michelle/Columbia Crest group, for example, may find itself not being able to sell in other states someday.

The straw that broke the camels back for me personally was when I could not find an Australian wine that I like in local Seattle area stores as I have in the past and went online to see where I might find it. When I found it at an online retailer I had purchased through before and placed an order, the order was rejected by the retailer saying that they could no longer ship to a customer in Washington State. I guess they must have received the infamous letter. That is nuts!

The State of Washington has a law that benefits in-state wineries, distributors, and retailers to the disadvantage of out-of-state competitors. In addition to being shortsighted, as I have said above, this kind of law should also run afoul of what constitutional lawyers call the “dormant Commerce Clause.”

In “dormant Commerce Clause” cases, the Supreme Court has held that the federal Constitution’s Commerce Clause, which authorizes Congress to regulate commerce “among the several states,” is more than a grant of power. Rather, according to the Court, the Clause also contains an implicit prohibition, insofar as the Clause reflects America’s intent to be an integrated and unbalkanized economic whole generally free from parochial tariffs and other barriers to trade that states might erect to try to protect their local industries from out-of-state competition. Thus, according to Court doctrine, if state laws that discriminate against out-of-state firms are ever to be upheld, it must be because of Congressional permission or some other unusual and compelling circumstance.

In simple English, if this is truly the United States of America, we need to eliminate these protectionist state laws, which are probably illegal and without question not of long-term economic benefit to the individual states, and instead, have laws that let me, you, and all other consumers buy whatever wine we want to buy, wherever we can find it, from whomever we want to buy it, whether in-state or out-of-state.

So what do you and other Washington wine consumers do in the meantime? Here are some suggestions:

1. Write your state legislator explaining your displeasure.
2. Write the big wineries and distributors explaining your displeasure and how this law may backfire on them in the future.
3. Buy one less bottle of Washington wine for every bottle you are denied buying elsewhere and notify the Washington winery that loses your business.

Have you had similar problems having wine shipped to you in Washington State from out-of-state retailers? Does this protectionist law upset you as much as it upsets me? Please share your story. We would love to hear if you have some better ideas on how we can restore the democratic process in Washington State on wine sales.

Our Texas wine tour consisted of visits to a couple of wineries just south of Lubbock, Cap*Rock Winery and Llano Estacado Winery. Prior to this trip, my only experience with Texas wines were with Texas Hill Country wineries west of Austin and one winery near Bryan/College Station. Quite frankly, those wineries had not shown me much. Our experience this time was much better.

Based on our experiences during this road trip, I would say that Texas wines are the best of Southwest wines, better than the wines in either Arizona or New Mexico. And as I guess should be expected in Texas, the tasting room personnel were super-friendly. We had to be careful to evaluate only Texas wines produced from Texas grapes because both wineries had some wines that did not qualify as true Texas wine.

Our first visit was to Cap*Rock Winery, where we received the VIP treatment for almost two hours from their winemaker, Alberto Marchetto, without him being aware that we write a wine blog. Cap*Rock has annual production of about 13,000 cases with most distribution within the state of Texas.

While their best wine by far was a wine made with imported Italian grapes, the 2003 Il Pralongo Amarone della Valpolicella, they had a couple of decent Texas wines, the NV Cap*Rock Palo Duro Canyon Red (a Merlot-Cabernet blend) and the 2005 Cap*Rock Cabernet Sauvignon. Other Texas wines we tasted were the 2005 Cap*Rock Merlot and the 2005 Cap*Rock Chardonnay.

Next we visited Llano Estacado, one of the oldest and largest Texas wineries, with annual production of about 150,000 cases. Their wines are fairly widely distributed, especially within Texas, and are also available through their online store. At Llano Estacado, we tasted six Texas wines; the best was a 2006 Llano Estacado Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We found a 2005 vintage of this wine, which might be even better, down the road at a beverage store for $16. We also thought very highly of their 2002 Llano Estacado 30th Anniversary Port which is only available at the tasting room.

The other Texas wines we tasted from their impressive lineup were the NV Llano Estacado Cellar Select Port, the 2005 Llano Estacado Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Llano Estacado Cellar Reserve Chardonnay, and the 2006 Llano Estacado Sauvignon Blanc.

Here’s a recap of the wines we tasted in Texas, in our order of preference. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices.

2003 Il Pralongo Amarone della Valpolicella
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $49.50

2006 Llano Estacado Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $22

2005 Llano Estacado Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

2002 Llano Estacado 30th Anniversary Port (full bottle)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $60

NV Llano Estacado Cellar Select Port (full bottle)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $22

2005 Llano Estacado Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $14

2006 Llano Estacado Cellar Reserve Chardonnay
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $22

NV Cap*Rock Palo Duro Canyon Red: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $13

2005 Cap*Rock Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

2005 Cap*Rock Merlot
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $15

2005 Cap*Rock Chardonnay
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $15

2006 Llano Estacado Sauvignon Blanc
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $9

Have you ever tasted any true Texas wines? What was your impression? Were they from Hill Country or West Texas wineries?

Tim Elliott of Winecast is our host for this month’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. He selected his favorite white variety, Riesling, as our subject. However, we were not to drink just any Riesling but specifically Riesling from the Old World, from places such as Germany, Austria, or France’s Alsace region. This area of the world is known for producing Rieslings that are very interesting and long-lived. If you think of Riesling as only being a sweet wine, think again. Old World Rieslings run the gamut from extremely dry to sickeningly sweet.

To be perfectly honest, my experience with Old World Riesling is extremely limited so this was a great opportunity to try something that has not been in my regular repertoire. I picked up two different bottles so that we could have a blind tasting. One of them, the 2006 Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Drachenstein Riesling “Dragonstone,” we had a couple years ago in a previous vintage. The other was new to us, the 2004 Studert-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, but had been featured in the newsletter for a local wine shop.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with both of these wines. They were both good but certainly nothing spectacular. The four Wine Peeps were split two to two on which one we liked better. Given that I have other white wines at this price point that I like much better, it is doubtful that I would buy either of these again. Since I have heard such great things about Old World Rieslings, and German Rieslings in particular, I do plan to try others in the future. I am not going to let this one experience color my opinion of all German Rieslings. And I do think people who have a different palate than I do, especially those new to wine, may find these two wines enjoyable (particularly the Dragonstone).

2006 Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Drachenstein Riesling “Dragonstone” (Rheingau, Germany): Pale yellow with green tinges. Aromas of pear, apricot, and lemon zest. Very fruity with flavors of pear and cantaloupe. Tastes a lot like sparkling pear cider. Off-dry (not too dry, not too sweet) with a weak finish. Probably very appealing to someone new to wine. A pleasant sipper on a hot, summer day.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $13 to $18

2004 Studert-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany): Golden with slight green tinges. Smells like spent firecrackers with a hint of dirty diapers. Citrus fruits (especially clementines) and minerality on the palate. Off-dry, good acidity, and a nice finish. More interesting and more to it than the Dragonstone.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $15 to $19

What is the best German Riesling that you have ever had?

We recently had one of our double-blind private tastings. All we knew when we sat down for dinner was that these two wines were red, but we did not know their region of origin or varietal. For a more complete description of how we set up these private tastings, please refer back to my Private Tasting: Rioja post from February.

All four of us Wine Peeps thought both of these wines were excellent. When we pulled off the sacks after dinner to see what we had been drinking, we found two Italian red wines, the 1999 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany and the 2001 Vietti Barolo Castiglione from Piedmont. You may remember that we had the Vietti for Wine Blogging Wednesday #42 in February. We loved it then and still love it now. The La Gerla was new to us. We had heard good things about it but had not had a chance to taste it yet. It certainly met our expectations. I would love to have either of these wines again.

We picked up both of these bottles at Wine Exchange a while back. At the time, the La Gerla cost us $20 and the Vietti $30. This was a classic example of Wine Exchange offering some outstanding wines at great prices. Unfortunately, they are now sold out of both and as you’ll see in the tasting notes below, the prices are considerably higher at other outlets now. I encourage you to sign up for the Wine Exchange’s e-list to receive email updates of specials as they come available. You can get some great deals from them before the prices skyrocket and/or the wines sell out.

Back to the wines for those of you that are not as familiar with the wines, grape varieties, and regions in Italy. Brunello di Montalcino is a red wine made from 100 percent Brunello grapes (a Sangiovese clone) produced in the vineyards around the town of Montalcino located in the region of Tuscany. Barolo is a red wine made from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes produced in the vineyards southwest of the town of Alba in the region of Piedmont.

1999 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino: 100% Brunello (a Sangiovese clone). Very dark, inky purple. Earthy aromas and strawberry flavors dominate. Balanced tannins with a medium-plus finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Black Tie Wine & Spirits (New York), $58.95

2001 Vietti Barolo Castiglione: 100% Nebbiolo. Bright red with slight browning around the edges. Very fruity with cherries and licorice on both the nose and the palate. Bold, robust tannins and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: WebWine.com (California), $37.25

Before this trip, the only New Mexico wine I had tasted was the NV Gruet Brut Sparkling Wine which finished a close second in one of our tasting dinners. I was disappointed that Santa Fe does not seem to be as infatuated with New Mexico wines as was Sedona with Arizona wines. In fact, New Mexico wines and wineries were not that easy to find, and several hospitality professionals admitted that most restaurants and bars feature imported wines rather than New Mexico wines. We were able to visit the tasting rooms for Santa Fe Vineyards and Ponderosa Valley Winery. In addition, we tasted wines from two other New Mexico wineries, DH Lescombes and Black Mesa, in our hotel room that we picked up at a local wine shop.

I thought the best wines at Santa Fe Vineyards were their two Zinfandel Ports, the 2004 Santa Fe Vineyards Zinfandel Port (full bottle) and the 2005 Santa Fe Vineyards Zinfandel Port (half bottle). The other New Mexico wines we tasted at Santa Fe were the 2006 Santa Fe Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Santa Fe Vineyards Chardonnay (no oak), and the NV Santa Fe Vineyards Tinto Del Sol Red Table Wine. Santa Fe Vineyards sells most of their wine through their tasting room and will ship out-of-state.

Ponderosa Valley Winery has been a grower for 33 years and has had their own winery for fifteen years. They produce about 4,500 cases a year, mostly sold through their tasting room and stores in the local area. They will also ship out-of-state. At Ponderosa, our two favorites were the 2004 Ponderosa Valley Merlot and the 2007 Ponderosa Valley Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon. The other wines we tasted at Ponderosa were the 2005 Ponderosa Valley Syrah, the NV Ponderosa Valley Light Port (half bottle), and the 2004 Ponderosa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

In our room that evening, we tasted a 2006 DH Lescombes Syrah and a 2005 Black Mesa Cabernet Sauvignon. Our limited sampling of New Mexico wines showed some promise but no great wines. I believe work needs to be done in improving the consistency of the wines and even more work needs to be done cooperatively in marketing New Mexico wines.

Here’s a recap of the wines we tasted in New Mexico, in our order of preference. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices.

2004 Santa Fe Vineyards Zinfandel Port (full bottle)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $50

2005 Santa Fe Vineyards Zinfandel Port (half bottle)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20

2004 Ponderosa Valley Merlot
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

2007 Ponderosa Valley Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

2006 Santa Fe Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

2005 Ponderosa Valley Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

2006 DH Lescombes Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

2007 Santa Fe Vineyards Chardonnay (no oak)
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $13.50

NV Ponderosa Valley Light Port (half bottle)
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $20

2005 Black Mesa Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $21

NV Santa Fe Vineyards Tinto Del Sol Red Table Wine
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $10.50

2004 Ponderosa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $18

Have you ever had New Mexico wine actually made from New Mexico grapes? If so, how did you like it? What was your favorite?

Last month, Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV hosted the 44th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. Over 50 bloggers participated. They all drank and wrote about French Cabernet Franc (see our post). Check out the links to all of the participants’ posts in the WBW Forum on WLTV.

In less than a week, the wine blogosphere will be convening again for WBW #45. Tim Elliott of Winecast is hosting and has selected Old World Riesling as the theme for the May edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. If you would like to participate, pick up a bottle (or two, or three, or ten) of Riesling from Germany, Austria, or France’s Alsace region (or somewhere else in the Old World) and then blog about it or sign up and post in the WBW Community Blog next Wednesday, May 7. And don’t forget to come back here to read about our Old World Riesling experience.

Today marks the second “virtual meeting” of the Wine Book Club, where bloggers and wine lovers all over the world come together for book reviews and discussions every other month after reading a selected text. Our host for this edition is Tim Elliott of Winecast and the text he selected was Noble Rot: A Bordeaux Wine Revolution by William Echikson.

Historically, Bordeaux, and the French in general, have been very stogy in their traditions and winemaking practices. However, over the past twenty years, innovators have made their mark, modernizing the production, evaluation, and marketing of French wine. The result has been richer, fruit-driven wines that can be drunk younger than in the past.

William Echikson spent six months in Bordeaux following the growing season and harvest of the 2001 vintage, studying the changes in Bordeaux.

Noble Rot reads like a novel but it is not, it’s true. It is fast-paced and tells some interesting stories about the major players in Bordeaux. Here are a few highlights from the book that I found particularly interesting. Some of these just might whet your appetite for more.

“We don’t want to become like Mondavi in the Napa Valley [and cater to tourists],” he [Count Alexandre de Lur-Saluces] said. “One must merit a visit to Yquem.”

“When I started out, the whole group of wine tasters were little more than parrots for the powers that be in Bordeaux, just repeating the accepted wisdom,” he [Robert Parker, world renowned wine critic] recalled.

In Bordeaux the wine trade’s more progressive elements view him as a savior of sorts. They have realized that the region has a lot of wine to sell and that Parker helps sell it. The American revolutionary could have championed California wines. Instead, his first love is France. He loves French wines, and Bordeaux wines in particular.

If Robert Parker is the leading fan of new wave winemakers, [Michel] Rolland [famous enologist known as the Flying Winemaker] is their guru.

As France became richer and its population moved from the land to the cities, wine became, as in Anglo-Saxon countries, a festive treat [rather than an integral part of everyday life]. Since 1960 consumption has fallen by more than half, from about forty gallons per person per year to about fifteen gallons. While that is still far more than the average two gallons a year drunk by Americans, consumption of more expensive, higher-quality wines has increased in both countries. “We’re drinking less but better” is a common phrase heard these days.

Although the economics of fine wine may no longer look so bright, the quality of elite Bordeaux has taken a giant leap forward. If innovators like [Yves] Vatelot and [Jeffrey] Davies retain their determination to keep improving despite the inevitable, often cyclical commercial setbacks, wine lovers around the world will benefit.

While I found this book to be a good read, it is not for everyone. If you are interested in learning more about Bordeaux, the people, places, and history, this could be a book for you, and you can head over to Amazon or your book retailer of choice to pick up a copy. However, if you are looking for a wine guide or basic wine information, I would suggest that you look elsewhere.

If you’ve already read the book, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought of it.

“The differences between wines are genetically inherited: the vines and the vineyard are the bloodline. They are also inherited: when the vine is pruned, as the grapes ripen, when they are picked, as they are fermented and matured and bottled and stored again.” –Hugh Johnson, A Life Uncorked

On two recent occasions, I have been asked about “reserve” wines. In both instances, the person asking the question logically assumed that wines labeled “reserve” must be better than those that are not. However, the word “reserve” on a bottle of wine doesn’t always mean that it is better than any other bottle from that vintner. In some cases it does, but in many cases it does not.

In 1999, Washington became the first state (and I believe still the only one) to define standards for “reserve” wines. According to a measure adopted by the Washington Wine Quality Alliance, the word “reserve” can be used for no more than 10% of a winery’s production or up to 3,000 cases and the wine must be of higher quality than most wines made by that winery. Thus, “reserve” wines in Washington (at least from wineries that adhere to the WWQA standards) truly are the best of the best. In other states and countries, the use of the word “reserve” is mostly a marketing gimmick.

Other terms on labels that sometimes cause confusion when used to imply superior quality are “estate grown” or “estate bottled.” In reality, estate vineyards are simply vineyards that are owned by the winery; therefore, “estate grown” grapes come from such vineyards.

“Estate bottled” simply means that the vineyard and the winery are located in the same viticultural region and the wine was bottled at the winery that owns or has direct control of the vineyard. There is nothing in this term that connotates superior quality.

Buyer beware!

What do you think the criteria should be for a wine to be labeled “reserve”?

This past Sunday we spent most of the day in the Sedona area looking for Arizona wines made from Arizona grapes because we had learned last summer that many Arizona wineries use California grapes in their wines. And that’s not what we wanted to taste. Our first stop was at the Art of Wine tasting room in Sedona. We paid a $15 tasting fee to taste what the tasting room host said were almost all wines made with Arizona grapes. After examining the bottles though, we discovered that only two of the six wines represented to be Arizona’s best were actually made with Arizona grapes, and we thought those two were the weakest of the six we tasted. The two Arizona grape wines were the 2004 Echo Canyon Cabernet Franc and the NV Sedona Red Wine.

Further down the street, we found a much more forthright sales clerk, Waynette, at Made in Arizona Wine and Gifts. She not only gave us the straight scoop on which wines were made with Arizona grapes and which were not, she also shared with us a copy of the Sedona Monthly magazine from November 2007 which had a nice article on Arizona winemaking. Based on that article, we visited two winery tasting rooms that had wines made from Arizona grapes, Oak Creek Vineyards and Alcantara Vineyards.

Oak Creek Vineyards is a six year old winery with production of about 1,000 cases per year, all sold through their tasting room or ordered by phone out-of-state. We tasted five of their wines, finding only one that we could recommend: the 2005/2006 Oak Creek Desert Flower Syrah. The other wines we tasted were the 2005 Oak Creek Viognier, the 2005 Oak Creek Sauvignon Blanc, the 2006 Oak Creek Zinfandel, and the 2005 Oak Creek Arizona Port.

Next we visited Alcantara Vineyards, a new winery on 87 picturesque desert acres with only 12 acres currently in production. Three of the five wines we tasted were produced with Arizona grapes, and they were the best true Arizona wines that we tasted. It’s a shame that their production is so small and their wine is only available through their tasting room. In our opinion, this winery has serious potential. Our favorite of their Arizona wines was the 2006 Alcantara Meritage (a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a touch of Malbec). The other two we tasted were the 2006 Alcantara Mourvedre and the 2006 Alcantara Grand Rouge.

From our limited sampling of Arizona wines, we believe Arizona has considerable potential for red wines but not necessarily for whites. However, the sooner more of them start using Arizona grapes for their Arizona wines, the better off they will be. Today, their credibility suffers because many wineries and tasting rooms are not being completely upfront about what they are producing.

Here’s a recap of most of the wines we tasted in Arizona, in our order of preference. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices.

2006 Alcantara Meritage
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2006 Alcantara Mourvedre
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $29

2006 Alcantara Grand Rouge
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $25

2005/2006 Oak Creek Desert Flower Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $24

2005 Oak Creek Arizona Port
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $20

2004 Echo Canyon Cabernet Franc
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $35

NV Sedona Red Wine
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $30

2005 Oak Creek Viognier
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $24

2006 Oak Creek Zinfandel
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $24

2005 Oak Creek Sauvignon Blanc
Quality: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $22

Have you ever had Arizona wine actually made from Arizona grapes? If so, how did you like it? What was your favorite?