Wine Peeps

It all began on April 8th of this year; a road trip through 23 states covering 12,360 miles. Since then, I’ve posted 16 times from the road as we visited almost too many wineries to count in search of that next great bottle. Obviously, I hope that you have read all of my posts from the road and that they have helped you find some new wines to try. But in case you haven’t read all of them yet, you will find links at the end of this post.

Along the way, we made some discoveries I’d like to recap.

Best new type of wine for us:
Port. We found good Ports in California, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, but our favorite was the NV Mount Pleasant Tawny Library Port from Missouri of all places.

Most promising of the newer wine states:
Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado, and Idaho.

Best of the wine regions we were visiting for the first time:
Central Coast of California and Lake Chelan County in Washington State.

Top Winery Discoveries (wineries we didn’t know before this trip):
Lincourt Vineyards—Solvang, CA
Mount Pleasant Winery—Augusta, MO
Watermill Winery—Milton-Freewater, OR
Stephenson Cellars—Walla Walla, WA

Honorable Mention Winery Discoveries (wineries we didn’t know before this trip):
Siduri/Novy Wines—Santa Rosa, CA
Andrew Murray Vineyards—Los Olivos, CA
Williamson Vineyard—Caldwell, ID
Nefarious Cellars—Chelan, WA

I hope you have enjoyed traveling with us by reading our posts during our road trip. If you are curious about any of the sights we saw in addition to our wine stops, leave a comment and I would be happy to share those highlights with you as well.

Previous Road Trip posts:
Sonoma and Napa (April 14)
Central Coast, California (April 18)
Arizona (April 25)
New Mexico (May 2)
Texas (May 9)
Tennessee and Kentucky (May 16)
Mid-America (May 23)
Ballpark Wine (May 30)
South Dakota (June 6)
Colorado (June 13)
Idaho (June 20)
Eastern Oregon (June 27)
Walla Walla, Day 1 (July 4)
Walla Walla, Day 2 (July 11)
Spokane (July 18)
Chelan (July 25)

The Rhone Rangers—Advancing the knowledge & enjoyment of Rhone grapes grown in America and of the wines produced from those grapes.

Last Tuesday, Dad (John) and I attended the Rhone Rangers Trade/Media Tasting in Seattle. The Rhone Rangers are a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines. To be members, wineries must produce wines from one or more of the 22 varietals that are native to the Rhone Valley in France. Rhone Ranger member wineries from Washington, Oregon, and California participated in this tasting.

Since it would have been impossible to taste all the wines that were being poured, we chose to focus on one varietal, Syrah. We tasted a total of 45 wines, 44 Syrahs and one Syrah blend. We gave a 4 star rating to seven wines. We especially liked the 2006 Cline Los Carneros Estate Syrah and the 2006 Cass “Rockin’ One” Red Blend. We look forward to picking up some of these and adding them to our blind-tasting lineup to see how they stack up against some of our proven favorites. Look for posts on these tastings in the coming weeks and months.

In order to keep these notes from being unwieldy as we tasted 45 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)
2006 Cline Los Carneros Estate Syrah, Carneros, $20, QPR: 5
2005 Snoqualmie Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $23, QPR: 5
2004 Sarah’s Vineyard Syrah, Santa Clara Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Tablas Creek Syrah, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Cass “Rockin’ One” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $42, QPR: 3
2005 Domaine Serene Rockblock “Seven Hills Vineyard” Syrah, Rogue Valley, $45, QPR: 3
2005 McCrea Cellars Boushey Grande Cote Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley, $45, QPR: 3

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Snoqualmie Columbia Valley Syrah, Columbia Valley, $10, QPR: 5
2006 J. Lohr Estates South Ridge Syrah, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: 5
2005 Kinton Syrah, Santa Barbara County, $20, QPR: 4
2005 Coyote Canyon Estate Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $22, QPR: 4
2005 Adelaida Cellars Estate Syrah, Paso Robles, $25, QPR: 4
2006 Justin Syrah, Paso Robles, $27, QPR: 4
2005 Novy Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands, $27, QPR: 4
2005 Sarah’s Vineyard Syrah, Santa Clara Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2005 Ecluse Lock Vineyard Syrah, Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 3
2004 Alexander Valley Vineyards Alexander School TOC Syrah, Alexander Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2003 Bridlewood Estate Syrah, Santa Ynez, $40, QPR: 2
2006 Walter Dacon C’est Syrah Magnifique, Yakima Valley, $42, QPR: 2
2004 McCrea Cellars Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Syrah, Red Mountain, $45, QPR: 2
2005 IO Ryan Road Vineyard Syrah, Paso Robles, $48, QPR: 1
2004 McCrea Cellars Cuvee Orleans Syrah, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 1
2005 Adelaida Cellars Viking Vineyard Reserve Estate Syrah, Paso Robles, $65, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2006 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz, Columbia Valley, $11, QPR: 5
2005 Sawtooth Syrah, Idaho, $13, QPR: 5
2006 Cline Cool Climate Syrah, Sonoma Coast, $16, QPR: 4
2005 Bonterra Syrah, Mendocino County, $18, QPR: 4
2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 3
2005 Alexander Valley Vineyards Estate Syrah, Alexander Valley, $20, QPR: 3
2005 Novy Sonoma County Syrah, Sonoma County, $20, QPR: 3
2004 Bridlewood Central Coast Reserve Syrah, Central Coast, $24, QPR: 3
2003 Valley View Anna Maria Syrah, Rogue Valley, $24, QPR: 3
2003 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley $30, QPR: 2
2006 Walter Dacon C’est Syrah Belle, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 2
2006 Walter Dacon C’est Syrah Beaux, Columbia Valley, $38, QPR: 1
2005 McCrea Cellars Amerique Syrah, Yakima Valley, $40, QPR: 1
2002 Arrowood Saralee’s Vineyard Syrah, Russian River Valley, $40, QPR: 1
2003 Terra Blanca Reserve Block 8 Syrah, Red Mountain, $42, QPR: 1
2004 Domain Serene Rockblock “Del Rio Vineyard” Syrah, Rogue Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2005 IO Upper Bench Vineyard Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, $48, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2004 Krupp Brothers “Black Bart” Syrah, Napa Valley, $45, QPR: NR
2006 Olsen Estates Syrah, Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: NR
2002 Terra Blanca Estate Vineyard Syrah, Red Mountain, $20, QPR: NR
2006 Volcano Vineyards Lakeside & Serenade Vineyards Syrah, Rogue Valley, $32, QPR: NR
2003 Zaca Mesa Estate Bottled Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley, $20, QPR: NR

Our hosts for the July edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, the blogosphere’s monthly virtual wine tasting event, are Erin and Michelle of the Canadian wine blog Grape Juice. They selected a very fun and original theme, Today’s Wine Brought To You By The Letter “S”, that takes us back to our childhood and days of watching Sesame Street. They intentionally left this theme vague and up to interpretation. The only requirement was that the word beginning with “S” must be directly related to the bottle(s) of wine selected (i.e. region, varietal, producer, winemaker, etc).

The Wine Peeps had a lot of fun with this theme. We set out to taste several super Sauvignon Blancs for summer. Obviously, our first “S” was the varietal, Sauvignon Blanc. Next, we chose four different Sauvignon Blancs from four different wine regions around the world with the common denominator being that the names of all four producers started with “S”.

We blind-tasted these four wines: the 2007 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand; the 2007 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley, California; the 2007 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc from Adelaide Hills, Australia; and the 2007 Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc from Columbia Valley, Washington. They all nicely complemented our light summer fare of grilled halibut, wild rice, and steamed broccoli. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc is our favorite summer white varietal whether we are enjoying it with dinner or just sipping it outside on the deck.

While I would not turn down a glass of any of these, the Seresin from New Zealand was the clear favorite of all four of us. In fact, this tasting was the rare occasion when we all ranked the wines exactly the same way.

In order of our favorite to least favorite:

2007 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Very fruity and sharp nose with aromas of grapefruit and hay. Grapefruit, green bell peppers, and jalapenos come through on the palate. Very spicy with ripping acidity. Crisp, refreshing, and smooth with a nice, long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $20; Available elsewhere, $15 to $24

2007 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley, California): Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, Granny Smith apples, and apricots. Good complexity and a nice finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $21; Available elsewhere, $18 to $23

2007 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills, Australia): Freshly cut grass and citrus fruits come through on both the nose and the palate. Good acidity but a short finish that just trails off.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $17; Available elsewhere, $15 to $23

2007 Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pleasant floral and pear aromas, pear flavors, and some acidity. Decent but definitely the weakest of these four wines.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle), $7.50; Available elsewhere, $9 to $10

“I’m a big fan of Shiraz…great quality and value.” –Francis Ford Coppola

While virtually every wine lover is familiar with Syrah from the Rhone Valley in France and Shiraz [sha-RAZZ] from Australia, I am more and more impressed with the quality of Shiraz/Syrah from areas not traditionally known for this grape, such as Washington and California in the United States as well as Chile and South Africa. It is beginning to look like Shiraz/Syrah might become the new Cabernet Sauvignon; a grape that dominates some regions but also makes good wine almost everywhere it is grown.

For example, legendary Penfolds Grange winemaker John Duval from Australia not only has his own Shiraz/Syrah label Down Under [Entity] but also has projects in Washington State [Sequel] and Chile [Pangea].

In California, the Wine Spectator’s James Laube says that Syrah is proving to be that state’s most versatile grape, with two dominate styles emerging. He says that “one features spicy, peppery, wild berry flavors, with tight tannins and pleasant earthy notes, modeled after the wines of Northern Rhone. The other is a riper, more opulent, berry-centered style, more reminiscent of Aussie Shiraz.”

Speaking of Australian Shiraz, many wine aficionados mistakenly think Australia is a newcomer to the wine production business because their imports to the United States have only exploded since the 1980’s. However, when you visit Australia, you quickly realize that the wine industry there is actually older than in the USA when you see winery cornerstones dated from the 1840’s and 1850’s. In fact, Australia has some of the oldest continuously producing vineyards in the world, some over 100 years old. The reason for these ancient vines is that Australia has been free from phylloxera, the pest that ravaged the vineyards of France and California making it necessary to replant vines in those areas by grafting onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock.

It will be interesting to follow the evolution of Shiraz/Syrah in the many new areas of production and see if it will in fact become the next Cab.

What is the best Shiraz/Syrah that you’ve ever had?

Wine country began again as we approached the Central Coast region around Paso Robles on Monday afternoon. We planned to visit a number of tasting rooms in the area on Tuesday, but we decided to go ahead and visit the Edward Sellers Vineyards & Wines tasting room since it is closed on Tuesdays. I’m really glad we made the stop because they had some good wines, and Kendall, the hostess, was very informative, not only about their wines but about other wineries in the area.

We tasted five Rhone reds at Edward Sellers, and as a group they were very good, especially for a new winery offering only their second vintage. Our favorite was the 2005 Edward Sellers Le Thief, a Rhone blend of 59% Syrah, 23% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault. We were also very impressed with the 2005 Edward Sellers Syrah Selectionne. The 2005 Edward Sellers Cuvee des Cinq, a traditional Rhone blend may ultimately be their best wine, but it needs more time to mature. Right now, it comes up a little short of the first two for us. The other two wines we tasted were the 2004 Edward Sellers Grenache and the 2005 Edward Sellers Vertigo, a 70% Grenache blend. Edward Sellers looks like an up and coming winery with a bright future. Right now, their distribution is on the East Coast as well as direct through their tasting room, wine club, and online store.

After leaving Paso Robles, it was on to San Luis Obispo and the ostentatious Madonna Inn, an over-the-top inn that we last stayed in over twenty years ago. Amazingly, it is still in excellent repair and still as gaudy as ever—in a good way. Every room is different with its own theme and décor. This trip we stayed in the Matterhorn Room with a balcony overlooking the mountains.

Monday evening we ate another take-out platter in the room and had a private tasting with two wines in the same price range, the 2005 Novy Christensen Family Vineyard Syrah we bought last Friday at our tasting at Siduri/Novy in Sonoma and the 2006 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz from Australia that we brought from home. Once again, the Aussie was the clear winner for us, although both were good wines.

Tuesday morning we drove miles and miles west of Highway 101 in the Paso Robles area through hills and down winding roads before we saw any vineyards. We saw quite a few trees, lots of working cattle ranches, walnut orchards, and olive trees. I kept asking myself, “Where are the vineyards?” Finally we found some but not the grand expanse of vineyards I was expecting. Rather, we found a vineyard here and a vineyard there interspersed among the trees. It was different than just about any wine area I’ve ever visited anywhere in the world.

Our first stop was Justin Vineyards & Winery, where we tasted five wines. The tasting room was nice, albeit remote. Unfortunately, the host was not very knowledgeable and yet quite cocky. Their best wine was the 2005 Justin Isosceles red blend, but we didn’t think it was worth the price at $62. The other four were the 2005 Justin Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Justin Chardonnay, the 2006 Justin Orphan red blend, and the 2004 Justin Obtuse, a port-style dessert wine. Justin sells primarily through its wine club and claims production of 80,000 cases per year.

Our next stop was Tablas Creek Vineyard. We were looking forward to this visit because they have a good winery blog, but they weren’t pouring any Syrahs, only percentage Mourvedre blends, so we moved on. A tasting room in the middle of nowhere that’s hard to find, and when you do find it wants to charge a $10 tasting fee yet you can’t taste what you came to taste, does not hold my attention, no matter how good their blog.

Not too far from Tablas Creek was our next stop at Adelaida Cellars. The tasting room had a nice hostess, and they had a couple of decent wines. Our two favorites at Adelaida were the 2005 Adelaida Syrah and the 2005 Adelaida Reserve Zinfandel. The other wines we tasted were the 2005 Adelaida Roussanne/Grenache Blanc, the 2005 Adelaida SLO Pinot Noir, the 2005 Adelaida Version Glenrose Vineyard (Rhone blend), and the 2005 Adelaida Cabernet Sauvignon. Adelaida has about 15,000 cases annual production, mostly sold through their wine club and online.

Next we went to Linne Calodo, a relatively new winery with wines we thought were too pricey for the most part. We tasted four wines, all red blends: the 2006 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones, the 2006 Linne Calodo Cherry Red, the 2006 Linne Calodo Leona’s, and the 2006 Linne Calodo Outsider.

After stopping for a picnic platter lunch, we visited Four Vines, a winery whose Zinfandels were already fairly familiar to us. We were blessed with a very knowledgeable host and tasted two of the best wines of the day, the 2006 Four Vines NAKED (no oak) Chardonnay and the 2004 Four Vines Phoenix (red blend), although we could only justify purchasing the Chardonnay. The other three wines we tasted at Four Vines were the 2006 Four Vines “Heretic” Petite Sirah, the 2006 Four Vines “Loco” Tempranillo, and the 2006 Four Vines “Anarchy” (Rhone Blend). Four Vines produces about 50,000 cases per year (30,000 cases of the NAKED Chardonnay and about 12,000 cases of their Old Vines Zinfandel). The rest of their production is small lot specialty wines like some of those we tasted at the tasting room. It’s obviously been a very successful business model for them.

Our last winery stop of the day was at Cass Vineyards and Winery. Carly, the hostess, was the highlight of the day’s tasting room visits. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful with directions and suggestions, she is destined for marketing stardom in this business in our opinion. We tasted seven wines at Cass and one was one of our favorites of the day, the 2005 Cass Rockin’ One, a GSM blend. Other Cass wines that we tasted: 2006 Cass Viognier, 2005 Cass Grenache, 2007 Cass Mourvedre, 2005 Cass Syrah, 2005 Cass Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Cass Cabernet Franc.

After our last winery visit of the day, we set out to see if we could find an old friend from our registered cattle business days in Texas, Bill Twist. Sure enough, we found the old Twist Ranch and had a great visit with Bill Twist and Walt Nielsen, his son-in-law. Bill is one of the sharpest 91 year old guys you’ll ever meet. We caught him mowing his yard as we drove up. We also found out that Bill and Walt are now growing grapes on about 30 acres of their ranch, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Wednesday may have been our best day in wine country so far on this road trip. The beautiful hillside vineyards along the Central Coast coupled with many good wines made for a great day. We started off in Santa Maria with a visit to the scenic Cambria Winery & Vineyards. There we tasted four reds and one white wine. Our favorites were the 2005 Cambria Syrah-Tepusquet and the 2004 Cambria Estrella Syrah. We also tasted the 2006 Cambria Julia’s Pinot Noir, the 2006 Cambria Bench Breaks Pinot Noir, and the 2005 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier. Cambria produces about 250,000 cases a year, mostly oaky, buttery Chardonnay in which we had no interest; however, their Pinot Noir has enough production to also be available at retail stores. All the other wines are available through their online store.

Our next stop was Foxen Winery & Vineyard. There we tasted five wines, our favorite being the 2005 Foxen Williamson-Dore Vineyard Syrah. The others we tasted were the 2005 Foxen Chenin Blanc, the 2006 Foxen Chardonnay, the 2005 Foxen Sangiovese Volpino, and the 2005 Foxen Merlot. Foxen produces about 10,000 cases annually, mostly Pinot Noir, with the other offerings in small lots sold at the tasting room or online.

Next we visited the Andrew Murray Vineyards tasting room in Los Olivos. Andrew Murray specializes in Rhone reds and does an excellent job if the wines we tasted are any indication. Our favorite was the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Santa Ynez Valley. A close second in our estimation was the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah South Slope. Other wines we tasted were the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Brave Oak Vineyard, the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Roasted Slope Vineyard, the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Zee Clones, the 2006 Andrew Murray Syrah Tours les Tours, the 2005 Andrew Murray Esperance (GSM), the 2004 Andrew Murray Enchante (Roussanne/Marsanne), and the 2006 Andrew Murray Viognier. Andrew Murray produces about 9,000 cases per year, the vast majority of which are Syrahs and Syrah blends. They sell primarily through their wine club and online. I would suggest that any serious red wine lover consider their wine club.

Down the street from Andrew Murray was Consilience Wines. They were probably the weakest lineup we tasted. The two best offerings at Consilience were the 2005 Consilience Syrah “Rodney Shull Vineyard” and the 2005 Consilience Petite Sirah. The other wines we tasted were the 2006 Consilience Viognier, the 2006 Consilience Grenache Blanc, the 2006 Consilience Pinot Noir, and the 2005 Consilience Grenache.

Further down Grand Avenue in Los Olivos was the Daniel Gehrs Wines tasting room. We tasted seven mostly undistinguished wines. Their best offering was a Daniel Gehrs 10yr Tawny Port. The others we tasted were the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Fireside (Ruby) Port, the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Syrah, the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Zinfandel, the 2006 Daniel Gehrs Vixen Vivant Dry Syrah Rose, the 2006 Daniel Gehrs Riesling, and the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Unoaked Chardonnay.

While we were in downtown Los Olivos, we stumbled upon the filming of a made-for-TV movie, Generation Gap, taking place at the Country Market where we were buying lunch. We were told it is a Hallmark movie. So if you’re watching TV this fall and your eyes do a double-take, yes, it’s us.

Moving on to the Solvang area, we visited Blackjack Ranch Vineyards and Winery which gained notoriety in the Sideways movie. We tasted seven wines at Blackjack with our undisputed favorite being the 2004 Blackjack Maximus Syrah. The others we tasted were the 2003 Blackjack Billy Goat Hill Merlot, the 2004 Blackjack Harmonie (Bordeaux blend), the 2005 Blackjack Double-Down Syrah, the 2005 Blackjack Allusion Cabernet Franc, the 2004 Blackjack Pinot Noir Alix de Vergy, the 2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Wilkening Vineyard, and the 2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Blackjack Ranch Vineyard Reserve. Blackjack produces 6,000 cases per year, mostly sold through their tasting room and also available online.

Our final stop of the day was one of the best, Lincourt Vineyards. They may have had the best combination of red and white wines of any winery we’ve visited so far on our road trip. Our favorite of their wines was the 2005 Lincourt Syrah Santa Barbara County. The other wines we tasted were the 2005 Lincourt Pinot Noir, maybe the best Pinot we’ve had on the trip; the 2006 Lincourt Sauvignon Blanc which according to LaGayle, who prefers New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, is the best domestic Sauvignon Blanc she has tasted; the 2006 Lincourt Chardonnay, pretty good for an oaky Chard; and the 2007 Foley & Phillips Dry Rose.

Wednesday evening we had another take-out meal in our room and had a private tasting between the 2004 Ravenswood Southeastern Australia Shiraz that we bought in Sonoma and one of our all-time favorites, the 2002 Peter Lehmann Shiraz. While the Ravenswood was pretty decent, especially for the price, the Peter Lehmann was still our pick of the evening.

Wednesday concluded our California wine tour. While we always enjoy visiting Sonoma and Napa, our Central Coast tour was a special treat because it was our first visit to the area to taste wine, it is so beautiful in its vineyard settings and quaint small towns not yet overrun by tourists, and the high overall quality of its wines, especially the Syrahs and Syrah blends. If you haven’t been to the Central Coast, you ought to do it before the thundering herds arrive.

In coming weeks, we’ll report again as our road trip continues and we taste wines from other regions of the country. Stay tuned!

In order to keep these notes manageable as we tasted 80 different wines, I have broken down the list into Quality rating categories. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Santa Ynez Valley, $25, QPR: 5
2005 Lincourt Syrah Santa Barbara County, $20, QPR: 5
2006 Four Vines NAKED (no oak) Chardonnay, $14, QPR: 5
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah South Slope, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Edward Sellers Le Thief, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Edward Sellers Syrah Selectionne, $32, QPR: 4
2004 Blackjack Maximus Syrah, $48, QPR: 3
2005 Cass Rockin’ One, $42, QPR: 3
2005 Foxen Williamson-Dore Vineyard Syrah, $44, QPR: 3
2004 Four Vines Phoenix, $64, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2004 Ravenswood Southeastern Australia Shiraz, $10, QPR: 5
2005 Adelaida Syrah, $26, QPR: 4
2005 Cambria Syrah-Tepusquet, $19, QPR: 4
2005 Lincourt Pinot Noir, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Brave Oak Vineyard, $28, QPR: 3
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Roasted Slope Vineyard, $34, QPR: 3
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Zee Clones, $34, QPR: 3
2005 Adelaida Reserve Zinfandel, $35, QPR: 3
2005 Cass Syrah, $36, QPR: 3
Daniel Gehrs 10yr Tawny Port, $44, QPR: 3
2003 Blackjack Billy Goat Hill Merlot, $40, QPR: 3
2006 Lincourt Sauvignon Blanc, $16, QPR: 3
2004 Edward Sellers Grenache, $25, QPR: 2
2006 Four Vines “Heretic” Petite Sirah, $40, QPR: 2
2004 Blackjack Harmonie, $35, QPR: 2
2005 Edward Sellers Cuvee des Cinq, $42, QPR: 1
2005 Justin Isosceles, $62, QPR: 1
2006 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones, $65, QPR: 1
2005 Cass Cabernet Franc, $42, QPR: 1
2004 Cambria Estrella Syrah, $48, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier, $16 (375 ml), QPR: 5
2006 Andrew Murray Syrah Tours les Tours, $16, QPR: 4
2006 Cambria Julia’s Pinot Noir, $20, QPR: 4
2006 Justin Orphan, $18.50, QPR: 4
2004 Justin Obtuse, $26, QPR: 4
2005 Daniel Gehrs Fireside (Ruby) Port, $36, QPR: 4
2005 Adelaida Version Glenrose Vineyard, $26, QPR: 3
2005 Consilience Petite Sirah, $24, QPR: 3
2005 Daniel Gehrs Syrah, $20, QPR: 3
2006 Lincourt Chardonnay, $18, QPR: 3
2006 Cass Viognier, $15, QPR: 2
2005 Cass Cabernet Sauvignon, $42, QPR: 2
2005 Consilience Syrah “Rodney Shull Vineyard”, $26, QPR: 2
2005 Daniel Gehrs Zinfandel, $24, QPR: 2
2005 Blackjack Double-Down Syrah, $26, QPR: 2
2005 Edward Sellers Vertigo, $30, QPR: 1
2006 Linne Calodo Cherry Red, $55, QPR: 1
2006 Four Vines “Loco” Tempranillo, $40, QPR: 1
2005 Foxen Chenin Blanc, $20, QPR: 1
2005 Foxen Merlot, $32, QPR: 1
2006 Consilience Viognier, $22, QPR: 1
2005 Blackjack Allusion Cabernet Franc, $30, QPR: 1
2004 Blackjack Pinot Noir Alix de Vergy, $48, QPR: 1
2007 Foley & Phillips Dry Rose, $20, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Justin Chardonnay, $19.75, QPR: NR
2005 Adelaida SLO Pinot Noir, $18, QPR: NR
2005 Adelaida Cabernet Sauvignon, $30, QPR: NR
2006 Linne Calodo Leona’s, $48, QPR: NR
2006 Four Vines “Anarchy”, $40, QPR: NR
2007 Cass Mourvedre, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Cambria Bench Breaks Pinot Noir, $48, QPR: NR
2005 Foxen Sangiovese Volpino, $30, QPR: NR
2005 Andrew Murray Esperance, $22, QPR: NR
2004 Andrew Murray Enchante, $22, QPR: NR
2006 Consilience Grenache Blanc, $24, QPR: NR
2006 Consilience Pinot Noir, $30, QPR: NR
2005 Consilience Grenache, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Daniel Gehrs Riesling, $19, QPR: NR
2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Blackjack Ranch Vineyard Reserve, $35, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2005 Justin Sauvignon Blanc, $15, QPR: NR
2005 Adelaida Roussanne/Grenache Blanc, $27, QPR: NR
2006 Linne Calodo Outsider, $45, QPR: NR
2005 Cass Grenache, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Foxen Chardonnay, $32, QPR: NR
2006 Andrew Murray Viognier, $25, QPR: NR
2005 Daniel Gehrs Unoaked Chardonnay, $18, QPR: NR
2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Wilkening Vineyard, $38, QPR: NR

Quality: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Daniel Gehrs Vixen Vivant Dry Syrah Rose, $20, QPR: NR

LaGayle and I embarked on a much anticipated, extended road trip this past Tuesday. This weekend, we toured the Sonoma and Napa wine country of California. In the coming weeks, we will be traveling to other wine areas across the country, so check back for updates on our experiences and opinions of wine country USA.

Friday was a great weather day, temperatures in the low 80’s, and it was made even better by some friendly folks and great winery visits. We saw our first vineyard of the trip in Mendocino County, Masuit Vineyards, along Highway 101. Next we passed Bantarra Vineyards with vines just showing bud break.

In Healdsburg in Sonoma County, we had the pleasure of meeting Jim Carlson, who we nicknamed “the Wine Ambassador of Sonoma County,” in the Kendall-Jackson tasting room. We just popped in to see if we could get a map of the area with winery and vineyard locations. By the time we left, Jim had given us several maps highlighted with too many recommended wineries and tasting rooms to count, much less visit, as well as coupons for complimentary tastings at about a dozen tasting rooms. Wow!

Our next stop was the Rosenblum Cellars tasting room where we tried eight or nine wines, including their Reserve Tasting (all complimentary, thanks to Jim). The tasting room folks were very nice and attentive. Our favorites at Rosenblum were the 2005 Rosenblum Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel and the 2006 Rosenblum Paso Robles Zinfandel.

Next we visited the Seghesio Family Vineyards tasting room (again complimentary, courtesy of Jim). The best wine we were able to taste was their 2005 Seghesio Rockpile Zinfandel. Seghesio’s Sonoma County Zinfandel has been a favorite in several of our tasting dinners but was not available for tasting when we were there.

Our final tasting of the day was at Siduri/Novy in a Santa Rosa Industrial Park. They do tastings by appointment only, but they are complimentary. The Siduri label is exclusively Pinot Noir and extremely popular, but once again we couldn’t find a Pinot that really excited us. Their 2006 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir was the best of the lot.

The Novy Family Wines label is primarily Syrah, and we found a couple that we thought were pretty good, the 2005 Novy Christensen Family Vineyard Syrah and the 2005 Novy Sonoma County Syrah.

In our ongoing efforts to find good American Syrahs that might match up favorably with some of our favorite Australian Shiraz, we had a private tasting Friday night in our hotel room pitting the 2005 Novy Sonoma County Syrah against a 2002 Peter Lehmann Shiraz that we brought with us from home. Both wines were good, but by the end of our tasting, both of us agreed that we preferred the Peter Lehmann which also gives you more bang for the buck at $14 versus the $20 price tag on the Novy.

Saturday was another scorcher day with a high of 87 degrees in Sonoma. Our first stop in the morning was at the California Champagne house, Korbel. I wonder how they can use the name Champagne instead of Sparkling Wine. They must be grandfathered since they’ve been in business since 1882. Our favorite was their Brut Champagne.

Next we visited DeLoach Vineyards, which has had a remarkable makeover since our last visit four or five years ago. Upon further inquiry, we were told that Cecil DeLoach got overextended a few years ago and had to sell out to avoid bankruptcy. Fortunately, the new owners have held true to his winemaking tradition while upgrading the facilities, tasting room, and so forth. At DeLoach, we tasted their 2006 DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel, the 2006 DeLoach Forgotten Vines Zinfandel, whose 2004 vintage was the winner of the Zinfandel Olympics in Kori’s post of March 17, 2008, and our favorite of the day, the 2004 DeLoach Gambogi Ranch Zinfandel from century old vines.

Then we made a quick stop at J Vineyards & Winery where I purchased another of their green monogrammed “J” sweatshirts (“J” for John). From our experience, the sweatshirts are the highlight of their offerings.

Then it was on to Mazzocco Sonoma in Dry Creek where we tasted three Zinfandels, the 2005 Mazzocco West Dry Creek Zinfandel, the 2005 Mazzocco Stone Zinfandel, and the 2005 Mazzocco Home Zinfandel. It was disappointing to find out that none of their wines are in general distribution. They are only available at the tasting room and through their wine club.

Next we went back to the Kendall-Jackson Tasting Room in Healdsburg, where we had met the remarkable Jim Carlson on Friday. Unfortunately, Jim was out on a break.

Our next stop was the Valley of the Moon Winery in Glen Ellen. We had heard good things about their Zinfandel, but it did not live up to our expectations. We tasted their 2006 Pinot Blanc, the 2006 Zinfandel, and the 2005 Syrah.

In the city of Sonoma, we visited Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery, one of our favorite Sonoma producers, looking for a Syrah which unfortunately they do not yet produce. We are very familiar with their Cab, Zin, and Secolo, which is one of our all-time favorite wines.

Our final stop of the day was at Ravenswood, where I picked up a bottle of their 2004 Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend Shiraz from South Eastern Australia ($11). When we taste it, I’ll share our opinion.

For dinner, we picked up Chinese take-out and ate while tasting the rest of our Novy Syrah and Peter Lehmann Shiraz from the previous night. The Aussie Shiraz extended its advantage over the Novy after both had been open for 24 hours, especially impressive since the Peter Lehmann Shiraz is quite a bit older than the Novy.

I never thought I would be one to complain about the heat, being a native Texan, but 89 degrees in early April is almost too much. After church early Sunday, we headed for the Napa Valley, first to Calistoga to revisit the path Kori and I took last September to take our Certified Specialist of Wine exam. I showed LaGayle The Lodge at Calistoga where we spent the night before the test, the Flat Iron Grill where we had dinner that evening, the Sutter Home Victorian Inn in St. Helena where we took the exam, and the Rutherford Grill where we had lunch after completing the exam.

Intertwined with those stops, we visited Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga, which has one of the most beautiful settings in wine country anywhere in the world. We rode the tram to the mountaintop winery and took the self-guided tour. It’s a shame that their wines are not as good as their tour experience. Many years ago the Sterling Merlot was one of my favorites. Today it does not stack up nearly as favorably as other merlots in its price category. I know I’m not having a good tasting experience when a Pinot Noir is the best of the bunch, but that was the case with their 2005 Sterling Cellar Club Oak Knoll Pinot Noir being the only wine I could recommend.

We were hoping to visit Buehler Vineyards next, one of our favorite Zinfandel producers, but we couldn’t get an appointment. So after our nostalgia trip to Sutter Home Victorian and lunch at the Rutherford Grill, we took in the Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) tasting room. Previous vintages of the BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon have done well in our tasting dinners in the past, and the 2005 we tasted yesterday continues in that league. The best wines we tasted at BV were the 2005 BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2005 BV Carneros Pinot Noir.

Our final stop of the day at Domaine Carneros was the most disappointing, not because of the quality of their sparkling wines, which in our experience have been good, but because of the service, or should I say lack of service, in their tasting room. It’s such a waste of money to have that beautiful setting and not wait on customers in a timely fashion. And we weren’t the only patrons being stiffed. I contrast our negative experience at Domaine Carneros with a great tasting experience we had at Mumm Napa last fall.

Last night, we ate in with a wine country platter of salami, cheese, and crackers while enjoying a private tasting of three California value Syrah/Shirazes: 2004 BV Napa Valley Syrah, 2005 Sterling Vintner’s Collection Shiraz, and 2004 Clos du Bois Shiraz.

Today, we’re heading south to the California Central Coast looking for a few good Syrahs. I’ll report what we find later this week.

Here’s a recap of many of the wines we tasted this weekend, in the order we tasted them. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices.

2005 Rosenblum Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $25

2006 Rosenblum Paso Robles Zinfandel
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

2005 Seghesio Rockpile Zinfandel
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36

2006 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $27

2005 Novy Christensen Family Vineyard Syrah
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $29 regular price, $22 sale price

2005 Novy Sonoma County Syrah
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $19.50

NV Korbel Brut Champagne
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10

2006 DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20

2006 DeLoach Forgotten Vines Zinfandel
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $32

2004 DeLoach Gambogi Ranch Zinfandel
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2005 Mazzocco West Dry Creek Zinfandel
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $27

2005 Mazzocco Stone Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $27

2005 Mazzocco Home Zinfandel
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $29

2006 Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

2006 Valley of the Moon Zinfandel
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $20

2005 Valley of the Moon Syrah
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $20

2005 Sterling Cellar Club Oak Knoll Pinot Noir
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $28

2005 BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2005 BV Carneros Pinot Noir
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2004 BV Napa Valley Syrah
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10 sale price

2005 Sterling Vintner’s Collection Shiraz
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10

2004 Clos du Bois Shiraz
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $11

Our 59th wine tasting dinner on Friday evening was one of our best ever. We enjoyed the evening with wonderful friends, Mom’s (LaGayle) delicious meal, and a fabulous set of wines. Not only were all the wines good to excellent but they are all outstanding values. Never before have all six wines from one of our dinners received a QPR score of 5 bangs for your buck. If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon blends, you can’t go wrong by picking up any one of these bottles.

Unlike many of our previous wine tasting dinners, this set of wines did not hail from any one particular country, state, or region. Three different countries (U.S., Australia, and France) and two states (Washington and California) were represented. The common factor is that all six wines contain some Cabernet Sauvignon. Although, as you will see below, the percentages of Cab and other varietals vary.

Remember, all of these wines are good, but here’s a rundown of the group consensus rankings from 1st to last (regions listed in parentheses):

2004 Sebastiani Secolo (Sonoma County, California): 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec, 7% Merlot, 1% Petite Sirah. Dense, deep purple with aromas of smoke, licorice, and green pepper. Dark fruits and pepper come through on the palate. Well-balanced with smooth tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winerz.com (California), $27.00

2002 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve (Columbia Valley, Washington): 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot. Blackberries and dill pickle on the nose. More black fruits revealed on the palate. Robust, lively acidity, medium to full-bodied, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $21.99

2000 Chateau Moulin Riche (Saint-Julien, Medoc, Bordeaux, France): 60-65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30-35% Merlot, and some Petit Verdot. A mix of barnyard and perfume aromas with a hint of nail polish. Tastes better than it smells. Flavors of mint and blackcurrant. Probably could benefit from decanting.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Our cost, $20.00; unfortunately, no longer available

2004 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s (Barossa Valley, Australia): 43% Shiraz, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Vegetal aromas and flavors, especially asparagus and green pepper. Some dark fruits emerge on the palate. Well-balanced.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Seattle), $13.99

2005 Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet (Columbia Valley, Washington): Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Much lighter and paler than the others. Aromas and flavors of cherry and caramel. A bit of funk on the finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: WinoWorld (Idaho), $7.38 [2004 is the currently available vintage]; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

2006 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet (South Australia, Australia): 78% Shiraz, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark fruits dominate. Bold tannins. A little young; could benefit from some more bottle aging.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $7.99; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

Our good friends, Ross of Decanted and his wife Alison, recently hosted the Zinfandel Olympics. Over the course of six weeks, a group of us gathered weekly to taste a number of Zinfandels. The rough format (with a few exceptions) was that in each of the preliminary five rounds, we tasted six Zins, each from a different appellation. Generally, five of the six were from California and the sixth was from Washington or Oregon. Being Washingtonians, we wanted to see if Washington Zinfandels could stack up with California which is considered the “home” of Zinfandel.

We tasted a total of 31 different Zinfandels (26 from California, 3 from Washington, and 2 from Oregon). Last Wednesday was the Championship Round which included the winners from each of the first five rounds plus two wild card entries. Considering that there were only five non-California wines in the entire event, I think that it is quite remarkable that one Washington and one Oregon wine made the Championships as winners of a previous round. While they did not medal in the Championships, they certainly made a good showing. So while California continues to make excellent Zinfandels, I encourage you to branch out and try some Zins from Washington and Oregon as well.

“Zinfandel is immensely successful and popular for all levels of wine from blends to fresh, light versions and to galumphing sticky blackstrap. The best have excellent balance, a lively raspberry flavor and seem to mature indefinitely.” –Hugh Johnson, wine writer

Here’s a rundown of the Championship Round from 1st (Gold Medal) through 7th place in the group rankings:

GOLD MEDAL
2004 DeLoach Forgotten Vines Zinfandel: Aromas open up and improve the longer the bottle is open. Nice red fruit on the palate. A lot going on in this wine. Smooth and well-balanced with ripe tannins, good acidity, and a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: PrimoVino (Colorado), $27.00

SILVER MEDAL
2004 Turley Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel: Lots of raspberry on the nose. Slightly sweet aromas. Fruit forward with bold tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Ranger Cellars (California), $57.00

BRONZE MEDAL
2005 Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard” Zinfandel: Blackberry and vegetal aromas. Medium body, good acidity, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: J.J. Buckley Fine Wines (California), $49.99

2005 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36.00

2002 Zefina Zinfandel (Columbia Valley—Washington)
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20.00

2004 Ridge Vineyards York Creek Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $33.00

2006 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel (Columbia Valley—Oregon)
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36.00

To learn more about Zinfandel—the grape, the wine, and its history, check out the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) website.

Through the years, we have taken a number of trips to different wine regions throughout the world. As you might expect, we have had a wide range of experiences, some great and others not so great.

We found visiting Australian cellar doors (wine tasting rooms) to be one of the great wine experiences in the world. First, there are virtually no tasting fees (at least as of 2005 when we were last there). The hosts are knowledgeable and extremely friendly. Rather than limiting you to three small tastes for a $5 or $10 fee, the Australians want you to taste all ten or 15 wines they have on display and are almost offended if you don’t. And they don’t hide the “good” stuff. We had free tastings of $70-$80 bottles of excellent wine. [I realize that Liquor Control Board laws in many states in the U.S. do not permit this same level of hospitality.]

“…I found in Australia a soulmate. And I sometimes feel as though purely by chance we’ve both been beating the same path to the same destination at the same time. Good wine; enjoyable approachable wine available to all, affordable by all. Sometimes seeking to provide the greatest pleasure for the greatest number and achieving it. Sometimes saying ‘We’re not frightened, we can equal those old-timers from Europe.’ But more often saying ‘We’re Australian, we don’t try to copy anyone. Take us for what we are and enjoy it.’” –Oz Clarke, Oz Clarke’s Australian Wine Companion

In North America, we have found the wineries and tasting rooms in Washington State and the Okanagan Valley of Canada to be the closest to Australia in their friendly attitude toward consumers.

In contrast, we have visited a number of regions that are very well-known for their wines but, for the most part, the people seem to fall short in their customer service skills. While I would recommend that any wine lover take a trip to France if the opportunity arises because of its rich wine history, many chateaus in France are not open to the public and some of those that are act like they are doing you a favor to let you taste their wines.

Napa tends to be over-crowded and charge high tasting fees. We even found some people at the tasting rooms in Napa who looked down their noses at us and their other guests while charging us all to taste their third label. [If you go wine tasting in California, we recommend that you visit Sonoma instead where we have found the wines to be just as good yet the people are much friendlier.] And finally, the most disappointing in all of our wine trips was the reception we got (or should I say didn’t get) in Oregon. Really, what do they have to be snooty about?

Now, in which of those environments do you feel an obligation to buy? For me, the easy answer is Australia. Even though I am not able to visit Australia frequently, the positive experience that we had there, not to mention the fact that they produce outstanding wines at reasonable prices, makes me want to buy their wines and encourage you to do so also.

What have been your experiences, great and not so great, as you have visited wine regions throughout the world? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts with us.

Last Friday evening, John and I attended the Great Value Wines program at Central Washington University led by noted wine industry professional Amy Mumma. It was one of the consumer courses offered through CWU’s World Wine Program. If you live in Washington state, these consumer short courses are well worth checking out.

The objective of this course was to identify wines that over deliver in quality for the price. For those of us that drink wine virtually every day, it is not economical (nor necessary) to spend $20 or $30 per bottle for everyday wines. The key is to determine varietals and styles that you enjoy, from brands that you can trust for consistency, at prices that you can afford on a daily basis, and that can be easily found at your local wine outlet.

We tasted seven wines, four white and three red. As John mentioned in his Most folks want a good deal post, two of the red wines were Mystery Merlots that we tasted blind, only being told that one cost twice as much as the other. We knew the identities of all of the others when we tasted them.

Here’s a rundown of the wines that we tasted in my personal order of preference:

Reds:

2005 Concannon Cabernet Sauvignon – Central Coast: An opaque purple with aromas of licorice and earth but not a lot of fruit. More fruit, especially black fruits (plums, blackberries), comes through on the palate than on the nose. Good acidity, not much oak, and a nice long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10.00

2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot: Pleasant aromas of chocolate and cherry. Fruit-forward, smooth, and well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $9.00

2003 Canoe Ridge Merlot
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18.00

Whites:

2006 Louis Jadot Macon-Villages AC (Chardonnay): Pear, apple, and a bit of minerality on the nose. Citrus fruits come through in the taste. Oak is not overpowering. Some acidity, moderate alcohol, and medium body.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $12.00

2004 Rancho Zabaco Russian River Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $11.00

2005 Voga Italia Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $9.00

2006 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Quality: 1 star (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
[Note: I am personally not a fan of very buttery and oaky Chardonnays. Therefore, I found this wine almost undrinkable. However, if you do like that style, this could be a wine for you. A number of people attending the course really enjoyed it.]
Price: $14.00

We have found that it is important to identify brands that you can count on for your everyday wines [see You can buy great value wines for under $20 (some under $10)]. For example, since I really enjoyed the Concannon Cab, I’ll be looking to try other varietals from Concannon. I have been a fan of Columbia Crest wines for years and I know that this holds true for them. Their wines across the board are made in a style that I enjoy.

I am interested to hear your thoughts on any of these wines as well as recommendations of great value wines that you have found.