Winecast, a podcast by Tim Elliott

My first true Winecast in 5 years to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this podcast and wine blog. And there is no better theme than the celebrated, often imitated, but never duplicated sparkling wine region where the modern wine industry was born: Champagne.

Five years and one day after I started this blog and podcast I get back behind the mic and restart regular podcasting. This episode features an interview with Rudy McClain, the filmmaker of the documentary Merlove. I also pick three Merlot wines from my tasting log for review.

Show Notes:

00:30 – Welcome and show theme
02:22 – Interview with Merlove filmmaker Rudy McClain
15:25 – My review of the documentary Merlove (Buy DVD at Amazon: http://bit.ly/8BCTau)
17:35 – Review of Bodegas Osborne, “Solaz”, Merlot-Tempranillo 2006
18:43 – Review of Blackstone, Merlot, Sonoma Reserve 2007
19:18 – Review of Raphael, Merlot 2001
21:37 – Feedback & call for new theme music
22:13 – Next show theme

Tasting Notes:

Bodegas Osborne, “Solaz”, Merlot (65%) Tempranillo (35%), 2006 ($9) – Garnet in color with aromas of black cherry, white pepper, licorice and vanilla. Bold plum and black cherry fruit with black pepper finishing with just a hint of bell pepper and moderate tannins. A very nice table wine for under $10.

13.5% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Buy this wine online: http://bit.ly/57N3Bo

Blackstone, Merlot, Sonoma Reserve 2007 ($20/sample) – Dark purple with aromas of black cherry, dark current and sage. Rich plum and dark cherry fruit with some mint finishing with supple tannins.

14.5% ABV
Natural cork closure
Rating: ★★★½☆

Buy this wine online: http://bit.ly/5kjSFZ

Raphael, Merlot, North Fork of Long Island 2001 ($25/750 ml/won in Menu for Hope raffle; tasted from 3L) – Deep garnet in color with aromas of black cherry, currant and mint. Rich black current and black cherry fruit with white pepper, bell pepper flavors finishing with moderate but well integrated tannins. Has structure for another 10 years in the cellar in this format. Outstanding Long Island Merlot that I would guess was from Bordeaux in a blind tasting.

12.5% ABV
Natural cork closure
Rating: ★★★★☆

Buy this wine online: http://bit.ly/6EXF5w

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Voicemail: +1-646-495-9244 x 60514
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Copyright 2009 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Jeff Lefevere and I are back with another edition of the Unfiltered podcast after nearly a year in hiatus. We are joined by Tina Caputo, the Editor-in-Chief of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, Joel Vincent, Executive Director of the OpenWine Consortium and co-founder of VinTank, and Tom Wark from Wark Communications and FERMENTATION.

Show Notes:

00:26 - Welcome & Introductions
01:18 - Wine Bloggers Conference
07:31 - American Wine Blog Awards
15:55 - Social Media & Wine
23:27 - “Robert Parker’s Bitch” video
48:58 - Tina’s Blog, The Wine Broad’s Board
49:35 - Tom’s Blog, FERMENTATION
49:51 - Jeff’s Blog, Good Grape

Production note: My recording levels were not set correctly and attempts at adjusting this in post-production introduced a lot of noise. This has been corrected for the next episode. These things happen when you don’t podcast for several months ;-)

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
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Copyright 2009 Acan Media, Inc. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Another Quick Picks sharing a wine I enjoyed over the Holidays, an aged Bordeaux blend from Pomerol.

Château Clos René 2000 ($30-60) - Deep crimson-purple in color with aromas of black cherry, dark currant, pencil lead, fennel and mint. Rich black cherry fruit with black pepper and dark chocolate finishing with moderate, but plush, tannins. A delicious Bordeaux blend that has more years ahead of it.

13% ABV
Natural cork
Rating: ★★★★☆

Buy this wine online

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
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Copyright 2008 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under Creative Commons.

I’m back in action on the 4th anniversary of my first podcast with a high-end Carmenere-led blend from Chile.

Vina Santa Ema, “Rivalta” 2003 - ($68/sample) Dark purple in color with aromas of black currant, plum, blueberry, fennel, mint and vanilla. Rich and concentrated dark currant and blackberry fruit with black pepper and dark chocolate finishing with firm tannins. A delicious Carmenere-led blend that will age at least 4-6 more years.

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Copyright 2008 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

I'm back with an interview with Etienne Hugel of Hugel & Fils. This family winery has been passed from father to son for 12 generations and makes some of the best wines from France’s Alsace region. We also talk about a virtual tasting over Twitter organized by Bin Ends Wines later this month.

Show Notes:

00:25 - Introduction and background on Hugel & Fils
01:49 - Interview with Etienne Hugel
31:31 - Details of Bin Ends Wines Twitter Tasting
38:57 - Contact Details
39:08 - Next Show Theme

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Voicemail: +1-646-495-9203 ext. 19765
http://drop.io/winecast
Copyright 2008 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

The first of several shows recorded last year, this podcast focuses on the wines of Israel with an interview with blogger & retailer Richard Shaffer from Israeli Wine Direct and winemaker Zeev Smilansky from Meishar Winery.

Show Notes:

00:27 - Welcome & Background on Israeli Wine
02:10 - Israeli Wines Today
32:10 - Get Your Free Audible Book
35:44 - Feedback and Next Show Theme

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Voicemail: +1-646-495-9203 ext. 19765
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Copyright 2008 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

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Jeff Lefevere and I start our second season of Unfiltered with a panel of wine bloggers, podcasters, winery owners and retailers.

We welcome Ryan from Catavino, Jeff Stai a.k.a. El Jefe from Twisted Oak, Craig Camp from Anne Amie Vineyards, Kaz & Randy from Wine Biz Radio and Jill from domaine547.com

Show Notes:
00:25 - Welcome & Introductions
01:28 - American Wine Blog Awards
15:50 - Twitter: Waste of time or valuable tool?
23:14 - Amazon enters wine biz?
33:10 - Are high alcohol wines not such a bad thing?
39:17 - Who writes Wine-ing 2.0?
42:39 - Blog URL’s and Feedback

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Voicemail: +1-646-495-9203 ext. 19765
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Copyright 2008 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

I am back behind the mic for another podcast and this time I'm reading a post from last week and reflecting about the comments.

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Copyright 2008 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

As I begin my 4th year of podcasting I present the final Unfiltered show of it's first season.

Jeff and I welcome a panel of some of the top wine bloggers today: Alder Yarrow, Dr. Debs and Gabriella & Ryan Opaz. We talk about the state of wine blogging, where it is going and share some wine picks.

Show Notes:

00:25 - Introduction
01:40 - Question for Alder
04:21 - Question for Dr. Debs
05:46 - Question for Gabriella & Ryan
08:10 - Question for Jeff
09:19 - Are Wine Bloggers Having An Impact?
15:04 - Where Is Wine Blogging Going?
36:53 - Will Wine Bloggers Adopt A Common Rating Scale?
55:13 - Gabriella & Ryan's Wine Pick
57:17 - Dr. Debs' Wine Pick
59:13 - Alder's Wine Pick
60:00 - Tim's Wine Pick
62:30 - Everyone Plugs Their Blogs
64:00 - Jeff's Wine Pick
67:00 - Feedback

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

I’m back with another pick that I thought I hadn’t yet blogged but I wrote about the 2003 vintage for WBW 35.

Bodegas Castano, "Hecula", Monastrell, Yecla 2004 ($14) - Very dark purple-black with aromas of blackberry, bacon, licorice and vanilla. Ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with medium firm tannins, good acidity and a nice minerality on the finish.

14.5% ABV
Synthetic cork closure
Score: 89

Another Quick Picks just in time for the Thanksgiving table featuring two Roussanne-based wines from Tablas Creek Vineyard.

Tablas Creek Vineyard, Roussanne 2005 ($27) - Light straw in color with aromas of pear, pineapple and orange blossom. Crisp pear and pineapple flavors with nice minerality on the finish. Wow.

Score: 91
Rating: 4/5 stars

Tablas Creek Vineyard, Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, Roussanne/Grenache Blanc/Picpoul Blanc blend 2005 ($35) - Light yellow in color with aromas of pear, honey and spice. Pear, citrus and pineapple flavors finish long with refreshing acidity. A delicious Rhone blend that shows what can be done with these grapes in California. I will cellar a few bottles to see what happens with 5, 10 and 15 years of bottle age.

Score: 92
Rating: 4/5 stars

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

The first of several podcasts from the archives, this one recorded in late May and mid-June but not edited and released until now. I spent about an hour with Cameron Hughes in his San Francisco offices and captured an interesting portrait of what makes this New World négociant tick. Unfortunately most of these tasting notes are for wines now sold out but Lot 25 is still available and now on sale, along with Lots 42 and 26. All of which are recommended.

Show Notes:

00:23 - Introduction
01:53 - Interview with Cameron Hughes
26:53 - Tasting notes
27:04 - Lot 25, Carneros Sparking Wine NV ($19)
27:32 - Lot 26, Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($12)
28:00 - Lot 29, Lake County Meritage 2005 ($11)
28:28 - Lot 30, Chardonnay 2005 ($12)
28:57 - Lot 31, Syrah 2005 ($12)
29:23 - Lot 38, Shiraz 2005 ($20)
30:10 - Lot 42, Shiraz 2005 ($18)
30:42 - Best of Tasting: Lot 38, Shiraz 2005 ($20)
31:03 - Best Value: Lot 26, Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($12)
31:21 - Feedback
31:36 - Next Show Theme

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

Another Wine Blogging Wednesday and this time I’m podcasting for the first time since WBW 23. Neil from Brooklynguy’s Wine and Food Blog came up with a great theme this month: ‘Silver’ Burgundy. Instead of investing in a Côte d’Or (’gold coast’) wine, we are drinking affordable Burgundy from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.

Since I favor red wines this time of year, I selected a village wine from Mercurey made by the well known Faiveley family. Listen to the podcast for more details but here are my tasting notes:

J. Faiveley, Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet, Mercurey 2003 ($20) - Deep ruby color with aromas of dark cherry, fennel and sage. Rich black cherry and raspberry fruit with a touch of earth finishing with firm tannins and good acidity. The bold fruit balances the tannins so I expect this wine to improve with a year or two more in the cellar. Alternatively, you could give it a couple hours in the decanter to open up before enjoying. A very good value in Pinot Noir.

13% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 88
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

Jeff Lefevere and I return for another podcast after a hiatus of 6 months. We welcome Alyssa Rapp, founder and CEO of Bottlenotes and Mary Baker, owner of Dover Canyon Winery.

00:25 - Welcome and Introductions
01:09 - Background of Bottlenotes
16:28 - Dover Canyon overview
17:44 - Harvest 2007 discussion
25:06 - Is Bigger Better?
46:45 - To Cork or Not to Cork?
53:38 - Links and show conclusion

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

I’m clearing the decks this week of podcasts recorded earlier this year. I’m starting with a live show recorded on Talkshoe in April. Bill Wilson from Wine for Newbies podcast and blog joined me to talk about how he got into podcasting and share a few wine picks. Unfortunately nobody called with a live question but we’ll get to that next time ;-)

00:26 - Introduction
00:55 - Interview with Bill Wilson from Wine for Newbies
11: 24 - Most interesting listener questions
24:11 - Restaurants in Santa Ynez area
26:24 - Tasting Notes
26:31 - Kenneth Crawford Rose, Larner Vineyard 2006
29:09 - Laura Aschero, Pigato
31:07 - Tin Star, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2002
33:02 - Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2003
37:02 - Ballentine Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
40:40 - Contact Details
42.18 - Next Show Theme

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Another Unfiltered podcast recorded two weeks ago with co-host Jeff Lefevere and I welcoming guest Paul Mabray from Inertia Beverage Group and panelist Mark Fisher from the Dayton Daily News and Uncorked blog.

00:23 - Welcome and Introductions
01:15 - Inertia Beverage Q&A
07:33 - Florida may close direct shipping of wine
11:56 - Wine drinkers think more clearly than teetotalers
18:04 - Food bloggers free for all
26:46 - Sales of pinot, sparkling, rose & screwcaps up
36:42 - Freeze in east, midwest effects grape crops
41:36 - Everyone plugs their blogs & we sign off

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/

The third outing for the Unfiltered podcast with Jeff Lefevere and I welcoming guest Josh Hermsmeyer from Capozzi Family Winery & Pinotblogger.com and panelist Andrew Barrow from Spittoon & Wine Sediments.

00:23 - Welcome and introductions
01:04 - Capozzi Family Winery Q&A
05:52 - Wine collectors, "buyer beware"
07:54 - Bait and switch on Winesearcher?
15:35 - 100-point ratings and wine writing
27:05 - Twitter and wine
32:36 - U.S. Wine Exports Jump 30 Percent
36:56 - Contact details
37:10 - Next show guest and panelists

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under Creative Commons.

Quick Picks rolls into 2007 with a look at the standout Zinfandels from Chase Family Cellars tasted at last month's ZAP tasting in San Francisco.

Tasting notes:

Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2004 ($45) - Ruby-purple in color with aromas of raspberry, blackberry and spice. Ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors with black pepper finishing elegant and very balanced with medium-firm tannins. A real fruit bomb but has enough structure for further aging.

Score: 91

Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard "Reserve" 2004 ($75) - Dark purple in color with intense aromas of blackberry jam, raspberry and licorice. In the mouth, there is rich blackberry and black cherry fruit along with white pepper and spices finishing very smooth and long with well integrated tannins. Perhaps the best Zinfandel I've ever had. Only 100 cases produced.

Score: 95

Show Notes:

00:04 - Welcome and winery background
01:30 - Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2004
02:12 - Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard "Reserve" 2004
03:29 - Contact details

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under Creative Commons.

My second podcast with co-host Jeff Lefevere of Good Grape joined by Jason Korman from Stormhoek winery, Tyler Colman, a.k.a. Dr. Vino and Alan Baker, the Cellar Rat.

Show Notes:
00:23 - Welcome and introductions
01:15 - Stormhoek Q&A
21:10 - Why are NASCAR, NFL and LPGA fans drinking more wine?
29:33 - Regarding wine becoming mainstream in American culture…
35:23 - Is Costco, et. al. changing the 3-tier wine distribution system?
47:22 - Plugs for each participants’ blog
50:15 - Contact details
50:24 - Next month’s theme and participants

Feedback: winecast@gmail.com
Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

A new monthly podcast featuring a panel of wine bloggers and an industry guest. Co-host Jeff Lefevere of Good Grape and I welcome Tom Wark from FERMENTATION and Jeff Stai from the Twisted Oak Winery.

Show notes:
00:24 - Welcome and introductions
01:53 - Show format
02:16 - Twisted Oak Winery background
08:04 - Direct to consumer shipping trends
14:28 - Do wine blogs create demand?
15:47 - Tom's new role as Exec. Dir. of SWRA
22:35 - Current state of wine distribution
31:07 - Balanced, "Old World-styled" wines
39:07 - The "hot wines" of 2007?
45:36 - Round of plugs for participant blogs
47:32 - Contact details and next show participants

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/

I'm back and starting my third year of podcasting with the longest Winecast yet, a discussion and tasting of four wines from the Iberian peninsula with Ryan Opaz of Catavino.

Show Notes:

00:21 - Welcome and introduction
01:10 - Your Iberian wine questions with Ryan Opaz
26:17 - Don Olegario, Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain 2004 ($19)
30:27 - Sociedade Agrícola Casal do Tojo, "Lisa", Terras do Sado, Portugal 2004 ($11) +
36:07 - Bodegas 3 Suenos, "Sexto", Terra Alta, Spain 2004 ($10)
41:39 - Caves do Salgueiral, "Andreza", Douro, Portugal 2003 ($14) *
46:22 - Save The Duero and wrap-up
51:49 - Contact Details
52:04 - Next show theme

* = Best of Tasting
+ = Best Value

(Production Note: Unfortunately I set the gain too high on this recording and could not filter out this background noise out due to GarageBand's ducking feature. I recommend listening on speakers and not headphones as a result. Lesson learned; my apologies.)

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Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This week’s podcast is about the noble grape of Italy’s Piedmont: Nebbiolo. I also reflect on my first year of podcasting and talk about plans for making the show better in 2006. Show Notes: 00:20 - Welcome and show theme 00:41 - Nebbiolo background 03:34 - Tasting Notes Disclaimer 04:05 - G. D. Vajra, Nebbiolo, Langhe 2003 ($22) Score: 9/10. Best of Tasting and Best Value 04:48 - Paitin, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Ca Veja 2001 ($23) Score: 8.5/10 05:11 - Karmere Winery and Vineyard, “Empress – La Petite Morgan”, Nebbiolo, Shenandoah Valley 2003 ($15/Sold Out/Sent by listener Darrel) Score: 8/10 06:17 - Best of Tasting/Best Value: G. D. Vajra, Nebbiolo, Langhe 2003 ($22) 06:35 - Reflections on 1 year of podcasting 12:14 - Contact Details 12:38 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Another Quick Picks podcast highlighting two outstanding values from Spain’s Bodegas Borsao. Show Notes: 00:13 - Bodegas Borsao background 00:51 - Bodegas Borsao, “Red Wine” 2005 ($8) 01:29 - Bodegas Borsao, “Tres Picos“, Garnacha (Grenache) 2004 ($15) 02:01 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Another look at the Gamay Noir grape, this time focusing mostly on New World examples from Napa Valley and Oregon. I interview Drew Dickson from the Andrew Lane Winery and announce my raffle prize in the Menu For Hope III Campaign. Show Notes: 00:21 - Introduction and show theme 00:39 - Gamay Noir background 01:20 - Interview with Drew Dickson from Andrew Lane 08:22 - Tasting Notes 08:53 - Andrew Lane, Gamay Noir, Napa Valley 2004 ($18/sample) 09:15 - Amity Vineyards, Gamay Noir, "Anden Vineyards" 2004 ($17) * 10:07 - Laboure-Roi, Beaujolais-Villages, Saint-Armand 2004 ($11)+ 11:17 - Best of Tasting * 11:22 - Best Value + 11:29 - Menu for Hope III Campaign 13:23 - Contact Details 13:40 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Another Quick Picks podcast celebrating both my birthday and the release of Beaujolais Nouveau today. My favorite from my tasting today is featured. Louis Tete, Beaujolais Nouveau 2006 ($13) - Clear ruby/purple in color with aromas of strawberry, cherry and banana. In the mouth the wine is juicy with wild cherry and strawberry jam flavors finishing with good acidity and soft tannins. Textbook Nouveau from a reliable shipper. Drink with your Thanksgiving turkey and fixings. 12.5% ABV Natural cork closure Score: 82 If you want to hear more about Beaujolais Nouveau, be sure to check out Winecast 47 from last year. Show Notes: 00:05 - Welcome and show theme 01:18 - Louis Tete, Beaujolais Nouveau 2006 02:18 - Shout out to Joseph Drouhin Nouveau 02:31 - Contact Details and next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

I return to try to answer a listener question from 2005 and talk about Semillon, the great grape of Bordeaux. I also review three wines from the New World. 00:21 - Welcome and show theme 00:32 - Listener question 02:11 - Semillon background 04:56 - Tasting Notes 05:04 - Kaesler, Semillon, “Old Vines”, Barossa Valley 2004 ($14) * + 05:41 - Chateau Ste. Michelle, Semillon, Columbia Valley 2003 ($9) 06:33 - Stormhoek, “The Sixteen Barrel”, Semillon 2004 ($20/sample) 07:50 - Best of tasting * and best value + 08:23 - Contact Details 08:43 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

I get behind the mic once again to talk about two Rhone-style wines from the Curtis Winery in California. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

A return to the Quick Picks format last seen almost a year ago with a review of a value-price Zinfandel. Tasting Notes: Castle Rock, Zinfandel, Sonoma County 2004 ($10) - Dark purple in color with aromas of blackberry, sage and a touch of vanilla. Round and soft in the mouth with boysenberry and blackberry flavors, some spice and silky, sweet tannins. An excellent value drinking as well as wines more than twice it’s price. 13.9% ABV Composite cork closure Score: 88 Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today's show is a return to podcasting after seven weeks off this time focusing on Pinotage, the red varetial from South Africa. I also play a podsafe song about wine and make a couple of announcements. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and show theme 01:06 - Pinotage background 04:00 - Tasting Notes 04:50 - Zonnebloem, Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2003 ($12) *+ 05:14 - Robertson Winery, Pinotage, Robertson, South Africa 2003 ($9) 05:39 - Fleur du Cap, Pinotage, Coastal Region, South Africa 2004 ($12) 06:19 - Best of tasting (*) and best value (+) 06:51 - Show announcements 07:58 - Clip from Evil Genius Chronicles podcast 11:21 - Podsafe song from Mark Mallman 12:10 - Pandora's Bottle from "Between the Devil and Middle C" (buy on Amazon or eMusic) 15:18 - markmallman.com and tour dates 15:56 - Contact Details/Sign my listener map! 16:28 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today's podcast is a return to my vintner profile format with an interview with Jason Korman and Hugh Macleod of the Stormhoek Winery. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome 01:07 - Introduction of Stormhoek Winery 02:32 - Interview with Hugh Macleod and Jason Korman 29:16 - Tasting Notes 29:28 - Stormhoek, Pinot Grigio 2005 ($10) 29:46 - Stormhoek, Semillon, "The Sixteen Barrel" 2004 ($20) * 30:26 - Stormhoek, Pinotage 2005 ($10) + 30:51 - Best of Tasting * 30:56 - Best Value + 31:06 - Contact Details 31:45 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today's podcast is something completely different than I have ever attempted, a live recording from a podcast event held in Minneapolis on June 12, 2006. Although I am flying a bit by the seat of my pants before a live audience, I do talk about wine tasting tips, feature a virtual tasting of a wine and answer a few wine related questions from the audience. Back to a more normal podcast format later this week, I promise ;-) Show Notes: 00:22 - Introduction 01:13 - Soundboard recording from "Live to HD" event 25:00 - Contact Details Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month Wine Blogging Wednesday returns to it's normal first Wednesday of the month and host Vivi's Wine Journal has picked a very appropriate theme for July: Barbecue Wines (or is it BBQ, or Bar-B-Que?). The history of BBQ appears to be an American invention, but there seems to be some debate on this if you look closer. Whatever the derivation, today the term means either the slow cooked meats prepared across the southern U.S. from pork, beef or chicken or grilled meats in general. I took the latter definition for the purposes of this post and podcast and chose three wines I think would pair well with summer grilling. Different than in the other months I have participated in this event, my three wines will be a white, a rose and a red. All quite dry and loaded with fruit flavors to stand up to the heartiest summer fare. Since yesterday was Independence Day here in the U.S., my grilling choice was classic Wisconsin brats and traditional side-dishes, potato and macaroni salad. Whatever wines I select, they would need enough acidity to cut through the mayonnaise in the salads and brown mustard on the brats. I selected two different kinds of brats, the common “beer brats” and a new-age chicken with bacon and swiss cheese. Both presented an interesting flavor profile to deal with in matching wines, where in past years I’ve just reached for an IPA or dark beer. Of course, the best wine for Bar-B-Que or grilled meats depends upon the type of meat roasted. If I made steaks, for instance, I would have probably selected three red wines to match here. But since I had foods that were not overpowering in their flavors, I had a pretty open spectrum of wines to choose from. My strategy was to find wines with enough flavor to stand up to the food, but also enough acidity to enhance the flavors and not overpower the food. The rule of thumb at this time of year is to choose a dry rose, so my first match was a Wolffer Rosé 2005 the winery sent me recently as a sample. You probably remember Wolffer from my interview with winemaker Roman Roth in Winecast 56. Their rosé is made from 48% Merlot, 39% Chardonnay, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with the red grapes given a short time on the skins to minimize the color. The wine was totally made in stainless steel to accentuate the freshness of the fruit and retails for a reasonable $14 a bottle. This rosé is salmon in color with aromas of peach and fresh flowers. Rich and crisp in the mouth, showing cherry and citrus with a bit of white pepper on the dry finish. A very nice rosé for a hot summer’s day and nice accompaniment to my grilling yesterday. In fact, this might be the most versatile wine for grilled meats in the round-up. 11.5% ABV. Finished with natural cork. Score: 8.5/10 I usually don’t think of white wine and grilling, but I do think about white wines on hot summer days so I thought I would pick one from my cellar to see how it might work here. I’ve always liked the aggressiveness of Sauvignon Blanc, particularly from New Zealand, but I didn’t have any bottles handy from that country. What I did have was the 2005 vintage of Veramonte’s Sauvignon Blanc from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. I first tried this brand in my round-up on Winecast 12 last year and it has made it into my cellar ever since as a great value for hot summer days selling for $8-9 a bottle. The wine is light straw with a slight green hue. Fresh hay, lime and pineapple aromas with some gooseberry reminiscent of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. On the palate, there is tart grapefruit flavors with nice acidity to match with food. The match was especially good with the chicken brats adding an nice counter-point to the bacon and swiss cheese flavors. I’d recommend this one for grilled pork too, as long as there is not spicy BBQ sauce involved in the preperation. 13.5% ABV. Stelvin closure. Score: 8/10 Finally, I wanted to try a fruit forward red wine. After considering Syrah/Shiraz, I fell back on my old favorite Zinfandel, selecting a 2003 Chiarello Family Vineyards, Zinfandel, "Giana," which sells for $28 a bottle. I first tasted Chiarello Zin at ZAP this past January and was very impressed with all their wines. You might recognize the family name from owner Michael Chiarello’s Napa Style TV show, book and website. If anyone knows how to make food-friendly wines, it’s Mr. Chiarello, but I have to say that you need a steak or, better yet, Mexican food to match with this Zin. The wine is garnet-purple in color with powerful aromas of blackberry, plum and licorice. In the mouth it is substantial with blackberry jam, black pepper, spices and silky tannins. A hedonists Zin that somehow balances the substantial alcohol with fruit. Delicious, but overpowering to my 4th of July brats. 16.1% ABV. Finished with natural cork. Score: 9/10 So what did I learn this month? That a range of wines go well with grilled meats. If I had some true Bar-B-Que to match here, I think only the Chiarello Zin and Wolffer Rosé would have made the cut. For best wine, it easily goes to Chiarello Family Vineyards, Zinfandel, "Giana" 2003 and best value to the versatile Wolffer Rosé 2005. Thank to Joel over at Vivi’s Wine Journal for hosting this month and a great theme. I’m looking forward to seeing what founder Lenn has in store for the two-year anniversary of WBW next month. Show Notes: 00:21 - Welcome and show theme 01:10 - Matching wine with Bar-B-Que or grilled meats 03:56 - Veramonte, Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile 2005 ($9) 04:58 - Wolffer Estate Vineyards, Rosé, Long Island, New York 2005 ($14/sample) + 06:20 - Chiarello Family Vineyards, Zinfandel, "Giana" 2003 ($28) * 07:50 - Best of tasting 07:58 - Best value 08:15 - Wrap-up and contact details 08:50 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The podcast today is another dispatch from Beau Jarvis of Basic Juice on his Live Austrian Wine Adventure. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and introduction 01:09 - Beau's interview with Domäne Müller 14:25 - A conversation with the Neumeister winery 25:09 - New poll on the blog and contact details 27:06 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today's podcast is another vintner profile interviewing Willamette Valley Vineyards founder and President Jim Bernau. I also play a podcast promo and talk about a new poll on Winecast. Show Notes: 00:21 - Welcome, show theme and sponsor message 03:07 - Interview with Jim Bernau 19:44 - Tasting Notes 19:58 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Riesling 2005 ($12) 20:56 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Gris 2005 ($16) + 21:15 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Whole Cluster" 2005 ($18) 21:45 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Vintage Selection" 2003 ($22) 22:06 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Estate" 2003 ($40) * 23:04 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, "Freedom Hill" 2002 (~$45) 23:38 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Frizzante 2002 ($12/half bottle) 24:19 - Best of Tasting * 24:55 - Best Value + 25:25 - The Frank Truth promo 27:15 - New poll on the blog 29:02 - Contact details 29:31 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today's show is the first special edition from Beau Jarvis' Live Austrian Wine Adventure featuring interviews with Weingut Wohlmuth and Weingut Gross. You can find more information and stay up-to-the-minute at Beau's blog. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and Introduction 01:12 - Beau's interview with Weingut Wohlmuth 12:50 - Interview with Weingut Gross 21:49 - Wrap-up and contact details 22:23 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month, Wine Blogging Wednesday is on a Friday because founder Lenn Thompson of the Lenndevours wine blog has teamed up with Alberto from Il Forno a premier food blog and founder of Is My Blog Burning. So for IMBB 26 and WBW 21 the rules are fairly simple. For us wine bloggers, pick a bottle from your cellar and find a recipe to pair with it; for food bloggers it’s the other way round choosing one of their favorite recipes and then finding a wine. So when I read about this theme last month, I immediately thought of a food podcaster, Anne Bramley of Eat Feed, to give me some recipe ideas for the wine I chose. I spoke with Anne earlier today and she gave me several recipe ideas that might match with the White Rose Estate, Pinot Noir I selected from my cellar. After considering all of Anne’s suggestions, I picked the pork with apples and brandy cream we spoke about and cooked it for dinner this evening. Anne suggested a couple other recipes that can be found online here: - Pork Chops with Quinoa Pilaf and Dried Fruit - Pork Tenderloin with Gorgonzola and Figs Here are my tasting notes for the wine and match with the meal. Much more detail is available on the podcast: White Rose Estate, Pinot Noir, White Rose Estate Vineyard 2002 ($65/gift from Jay Selman from Grape Radio) - Ruby in color with powerful aromas of earth, black cherry and spice. Some people might be put off by the gamy, earthiness of the aromas of this wine, but I rather like this aspect. In the mouth its concentrated raspberry, black cherry and a little earth, finishing with supple tannins and good acidity to match with food. I really found this wine to be delicious, but I can see why others might not like this style at all. Score: 9/10 As for the match with the dish, I thought that the shallot cream sauce and the mild gaminess of the pork tenderloin matched almost perfectly with this wine, really enhancing the fruit. But when tasted with the sautéed apples, it really didn’t work too well. I think the next time I make this dish I’ll omit the apples or at least reduce the quantity down to a single apple. Thanks for Alberto and Lenn for a great idea to merge the two leading wine and food blogging events and to Anne Bramley for some great recipe ideas. I’ll see you next month for WBW 22, where I most likely will not have to cook ;-) Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and show theme 01:12 - Conversation with Anne Bramley of Eat Feed 15:03 - Selected recipe 16:58 - White Rose Estate, Pinot Noir, White Rose Estate Vineyard 2002 ($65) 18:14 - Wine and food match 20:12 - Contact Details 20:31 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW for short) is a bit different than normal for me as I’m the host wine blog this time. The theme I picked was also a bit of a change for both WBW and my podcast. I asked participants to pick a red wine with an alcohol content of 12.5% by volume or less. Sounds easy enough. No specific varietal or wine region; no fancy label or food matching required. This was a bit more of a challenge than even I expected, however, in this day and age of powerful, fruit driven wines that average 13.5% ABV and up. Tastes and technology in modern winemaking has changed quite a bit over the past 20 years or so. Most of this change has been for the good. No more are there thin, marginal wines with green flavors on the shelf and most red wines these days have concentrated fruit flavors and aromas. But this has also encouraged vineyard practices of leaving the grapes on the vine as long as possible to extract the most flavor possible. This long “hang time” also increases the sugar levels which is converted to alcohol during fermentation. There are things winemakers can do to deal with this such as watering back the wine or even removing alcohol from the finished wine but the most common approach is to release the wine with a higher level of alcohol that was thought excessive not so many years ago. So why is this a big deal? The first reason is the obvious public safety issue of drunk driving. These wines can start to cause impairment in the normal half bottle serving which commonly is the portion consumed by wine lovers at a restaurant. Even the old "2 glass" rule of thumb can go out the window with a 16.5% Zinfandel. The second reason is the deadening of the taste buds caused by the attack of alcohol and how it intensifies the wines flavors. Many of these high alcohol wines do not match well with food as a result, which for me is at least half the fun of enjoying wine in the first place. The final reason is the most basic from a winemaking point of view: balance. All the elements in a wine need to be in harmony; the fruit, acidity, tannins and, yes, alcohol level should be balanced in order to produce a fine wine that will stand the test of time and be enjoyable in it’s youth. I thought this would be an interesting challenge because when I first got into wine, back in the early 1980’s, it was rare that a wine got up to 13% ABV. I remember Sonoma Zinfandels that were 12.8% and even some Napa Valley Cabs right at or slightly under 12%. Yes, there were some green, vegetal aromas and flavors in some of them, but there were also plenty of great wines that never got out of the 12% range. Would there be any out there today? The first thing to do was look over my cellar. Right away I went for the cold climate wines, including a Frontenac from Minnesota that clocked in at 11.5% ABV. This was taking the easy way out and not something I thought would make for a compelling post or podcast (I’ve already covered local wines a couple of times here in the past). So I found some Bordeaux from the mid 1990’s that were 12 to 12.5% ABV. Again, nice to see, but how about some of the 2000’s or later? All my Zinfandels and Syrah’s were off the charts with the most moderate example at a "sensible" 14.4%; most were in the 16% range including one that was labeled 16.8%! So I began my search of the local wine stores reading the fine print and talking with the staff to find some acceptable wines. My goal was not to pick a cold climate appellation, but regions more typical of these high octane wines. This meant California, Australia, Spain, Italy and France’s Southern Rhone. Could I find a Zinfandel, Shiraz or Grenache that would come in under the limit? I guess the first thing that somewhat surprised me is there are quite a few wines in the stores these days that are labeled 12.5% from Bordeaux and the Northern Rhone. I also found some reds from cool climates that easily came in under 12%, including one from Germany that checked in at just 9.5% ABV! But I was after a more illusive prey; a hot climate region that produces a lite (alcohol) red wine. Sadly, I had to cross off my beloved Zinfandel off the list early with the lowest octane version coming in at 13.4%. Ditto for Cabs and Merlots, although some of these were closer to the mark. What follows are the three wines I picked up for tasting this month that I think meet both of my criteria. Here are my tasting notes: Viña Albali, "Altos de Tamaron", Tinto, Ribera del Duero 2002 ($10) – At 12.5% ABV, this bottle is at the limit, but I was intrigued to see what might be missing from this 100% Tempranillo at lower than normal alcohol levels. This wine is bright ruby in color with pleasant, but restrained, aromas of cherry, strawberry and a touch of violets. In the mouth, it has medium body with tart bing cherry and strawberry fruit flavors finishing smooth without noticeable tannins. Overall, a nice food wine but a little light in the aroma department. Score: 7.5/10 Vinum Cerbaia, "Il Valore", Toscana, IGT 2002 ($6) – I found this one on the shelf next to the $4 Primitivo from the same producer at the new Trader Joe’s market here. It was surprising to see that this 100% Sangiovese clocks in at only 12% ABV, so I thought it would be worth the chance for $5.99 (your price might even be lower). I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised here, since I did later find several Chianti that would also qualify that come from the same area and grape. The wine is medium ruby in color and has the classic Tuscan Sangio aromas of strawberry and violets. The flavors are typical of an inexpensive Chianti (think straw covered bottle), with plums and strawberry dancing over nicely high acidity and medium tannins. Not complex, but a perfect foil for tomato sauces and the kind of wine you drink from a water glass in Italy. This is also a nice value for six bucks a bottle. Score: 7.5/10 J. Lohr, "Wildflower", Valdiguié, Monterey 2004 ($10) – Finding a red from my native state of California proved most difficult, but I did notice this wine online and was pleased to see it in a store near my home I sometimes visit for their eclectic selection. Seeing that this vintage produced a 12% wine also piqued my interest here that outweighed my concern that this wine might be a little long in the tooth. If you are not familiar with Valdiguié, it’s a grape with a long tradition in California. For many years, wines made from this grape were labeled Gamay Beaujolais, Napa Gamay or Gamay Noir, the true grape of Beaujolais. These sometimes made for light, fruity and enjoyable wines but they never reached the quality level of most Beaujolais. Recent DNA testing shows that only a few acres of these vines were actually Gamay Noir and that most was actually Valdiguié or a lesser clone of Pinot Noir. This wine had a deeper color and a lot more aromas than the first two wines tasted. The rich ruby color and fruity strawberry aromas made me think of Cru Beaujolais. Bright flavors of strawberry and cranberry fills the mouth finishing with wild cherry cough drop flavors and tart acidity. No tannins are present to slow you down and the wine almost has too much fruit for it’s own good. Would be nice served chilled, a la Beaujolais Nouveaux. Score: 8/10 So the best of tasting will go to the J. Lohr, "Wildflower", Valdiguié 2004 and best value to the Vinum Cerbaia, "Il Valore", Toscana 2002. So what did I learn from this experience? It seems that most low octane wines available in the Twin Cities market are on the low end of the price scale, although I did see some $50 and $60 Northern Rhone wines I could have picked up labeled at 12.5% ABV. I also didn’t note any green flavors or lack of flavor concentration in any of the wines. The first two tasted were a bit shy on the aromas, so perhaps the alcohol does intensify that aspect a bit. Lastly, all three wines had pleasantly high acidity, which bodes well for a good food match. One note on the U.S. wine labeling laws. According to a great piece by Blake Gray of the San Francisco Chronicle, there is a 1.5% loophole in U.S. labeling that means that wines marked 12.5% ABV might actually be between 11 and 14%. Over 14% ABV, there is a higher tax rate so some wineries, particularly from France, label all their wines 12.5% regardless of the actual alcohol content as long as it’s under 14%. As I write this post entries are pouring in from around the globe. We even have some Shiraz that passes the low octane limit and several other surprises. I’ll be posting a summary of all entries on Friday, so if you are a day or two late in posting, you will still make it in my write-up. Thanks to Lenn for a great idea and for allowing me to direct the proceedings this month. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment in July and the two-year anniversary of WBW in August. Show Notes: 00:21 – Welcome and show theme 01:20 - Alcohol and wine styles 09:07 - Wine ratings and tasting notes 09:15 - Viña Albali, “Altos de Tamaron”, Tinto, Ribera del Duero 2002 ($10) 10:15 - Vinum Cerbaia, “Il Valore”, Toscana, IGT 2002 ($6) 11:59 - J. Lohr, “Wildflower”, Valdiguié, Monterey 2004 ($10) 14:04 - Best of tasting 14:09 - Best Value 14:15 - Wrap-up and contact details 17:26 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s super-sized podcast is an overview of the wines of Austria, featuring an interview with Beau Jarvis of Basic Juice as he kicks off this Live Austrian Wine Adventure. Show Notes: 00:21 - Welcome and show theme 00:36 - Wines of Austria 03:13 - Interview with Beau Jarvis of Basic Juice 14:50 - Beau’s first LAWA 06 interview - Hotel Rathaus Wien & Design 25:58 - Tasting Notes 26:31 - Schloss Gobelsburg, Riesling 2004 ($14/provided by listener Tony) 27:08 - Weingut Stadt Krems, Grüner Veltliner, “Sandgrube” 2004 ($14/Solo Vino sample) *+ 27:39 - Weingut Glatzer, Blaufränkisch 2004 ($14/provided by listener Tony) 28:05 - Best of tasting and best value *+ 28:24 - Contact Details 28:44 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is based upon last month’s WBW post that featured the Spainish white grape Verdejo, and I also welcome my first show sponsor, iBank 2 from IGG Software. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome 00:33 - iBank 2 Sponsorship 01:41 - Verdejo Background 03:42 - Tasting Notes 03:50 - Marqués de Riscal, Verdejo, Rueda D.O. 2004 ($8/provided by listener Tony) + 04:29 - Vina Sanzo, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain 2004 ($15/sample) * 05:26 - Garcia Arevalo, “Casamaro”, Rueda, Spain 2005 ($9/sample) 05:55 - Woop Woop, “V 2005″, Verdelho (Verdejo), Southern Australia 2005 ($9/sample) 06:43 - Best of Tasting * 06:48 - Best Value + 07:35 - Contact Details 08:32 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is a return after more than a month away from the mic with a look at Sonoma’s Russian River Valley AVA. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome 01:01 - Russian River Valley Background 02:20 - Tasting Notes 02:40 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Elsbree Vineyards 2004 ($45) 03:06 - Papapietro Perry Winery, Pinot Noir, Leras Family Vineyards 2003 ($45) * 03:41 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Tina’s Vineyard 2004 ($38) 04:23 - De La Montanya Winery, Pinot Noir, Christine’s Vineyard 2004 ($38) 04:51 - De La Montanya Winery, Syrah, Estate Vineyard 2004 ($30) 05:05 - De La Montanya Winery, Pin-up Series, “Cabaret - Series II”, Cabernet / Zinfandel / Syrah 2003 ($38) 05:59 - Felda Creek, “Pinot Squared” 2004 ($32) 06:36 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, “Barrel Select” 2003 ($22) + 07:18 - Moshin Vineyards, Pinot Noir, “Lot 4”, 2003 ($35) 07:37 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2002 ($28) 08:28 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, Lindleys Knoll Vineyard 2002 ($55) 08:46 - Davis Bynum, Pinot Noir, “Le Pinot”, Rochioli Vineyard 2002 ($80) 09:23 - Davis Bynum, Cabernet Sauvignon, Laureles Estate Vineyard 1999 ($50) 09:48 - J Vineyards, J Vintage Brut 2000 ($30) 10:24 - J Vineyards, J Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2003 ($32) 10:47 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole’s Vineyard 1997 ($40) 11:12 - J Vineyards, J Pinot Noir, Nicole’s Vineyard 1998 ($40) 11:30 – Best of Tasting * 11:43 – Best Value + 12:05 – Full Disclosure 12:44 – Contact Details 13:13 – Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is another vintner profile show with a discussion with Wolffer Estate Vineyards winemaker Roman Roth. Show Notes: 00:23 - Welcome and show theme 00:35 - Wolffer Estate Background 01:24 - Discussion with winemaker Roman Roth 25:03 - Tasting Notes 25:15 - Wolffer, La Ferme Martin, Chardonnay 2003 ($13.50) 25:39 - Wolffer, Chardonnay, “Reserve” 2002 ($19.50) + 26:06 - Wolffer, Chardonnay, “Estate Selection” 2001 ($29) 26:33 - Wolffer, La Ferme Martin, Merlot 2002 ($13.50) 26:54 - Wolffer, Merlot, “Reserve” 2002 ($22) 27:12 - Wolffer, Merlot, “Estate Selection” 2001 ($35) * 27:41 - Best of Tasting * 27:46 - Best Value + 28:20 - Contact Details 28:48 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s show is a bit different from my normal format of talking about a wine varietal or region, into what I hope will be a monthly feature I’m calling vintner profile. The idea is to give you the back-story directly from the people in the business, both winery owners and winemakers. In this first outing, I talk with one of the great gentlemen of the California wine business, Jim Concannon from Concannon Vineyard in Livermore, CA. With St. Patrick’s Day later this week, I though Concannon, America’s first Irish winery, would be a great place to start this series. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and Show Theme 01:22 - Jim Concannon Interview 16:28 - Tasting Notes 16:53 - Concannon Vineyard, Chardonnay, Central Coast, “Selected Vineyards” 2004 ($10) 17:53 - Concannon Vineyard, “Stampmaker’s White”, Livermore Valley 2004 ($15) 17:56 - Concannon Vineyard, Heritage Petite Sirah 2001 ($50) 18:26 - Best of Tasting 18:47 - Best Value 19:11 - Second winner of QPR Wines drawing (congrats, Greg) 20:19 - Contact Details 20:47 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month’s theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday, our monthly, global wine tasting event, is provided by Jathan from the Winexpression blog. He encouraged us to find wines made from Rhône varietals no matter where in the world they came from for his “When in Rhône” theme. Listed in his announcement were some 22 varietals common to France’s Rhône Valley, known for their blends of mostly red, and occasionally, white wines. Outside of relative well known varietals such as Syrah, Grenache and increasingly Viognier, most of the other 20 are rare outside the region. Longtime readers and listeners of my podcast will recall I have covered those more common Rhône varietals in the past, so I eschewed the “easy way out” and visited Chuck at Solo Vino in St. Paul for some recommendations. After all, they were the store that I found the bottling of Counoise for WBW 18 last month. After a bit of discussion and consideration of some of their many Rhône blends, and some other obscure varietals, we selected two blends for tasting this time; one white and one red. The first wine selected is a white from Domaine de Piaugier, their Sablet Blanc 2004, a blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 20% Viognier, and 10% Roussanne. The vineyard is located in the southern Rhône, where Sablet is one of the 16 villages that comprises the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Although 90% of the wines made here are red or rose, whites like Domaine de Piaugier can be found in many wine stores around the world. Grenache Blanc is the white version of the popular red variety while Clairette and Roussanne are common blending grapes of the northern Rhône where they are used in both red and white wines. Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2004 ($22) - Clear light straw in color with a tinge of green; peach, apricot and spice aromas. Stone fruit and honey flavors combine with a rich mouthfeel and lively acidity, finishing with just a touch of lychee. A big, dry white that will stand up to more substantial food matches than most whites. Don’t drink this one too cold or you will miss the considerable nuances of aroma and flavor. Score: 9/10. The second blend, this time a red from the southern Rhône, is from Domaine du Trapadis, their Côtes du Rhône from the 2001 vintage. The grapes used in this blend are 60% Grenache, 13% Carignan, 10% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 7% Mourvedre. While Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre are well known in the Rhône, Carignan and Cinsault are somewhat below the radar. In fact, Carignan is the most widely grown wine grape in France, mostly appearing in blends for its spice, deep color and full body or in vin ordinaire from carafes at bistros throughout the country. Cinsault is also grown in quantity in France where it is almost always used in blends for it’s high acidity and soft tannins. Cinsault was also crossed with Pinot Noir to create Pinotage, a varietal popular in South Africa. Domaine du Trapadis, Côtes du Rhône 2001 ($15) - Ruby color with pronounced aromas of black cherry and earth; raspberry fruit flavors with dusty tannins and nice acidity make this a good food wine. The nose may be too funky for some tasters, but I found this added to the overall experience. Score: 8.5/10. So the best wine of the two, is the Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2004, which I also found to be a nice value. The Domaine du Trapadis, Côtes du Rhône 2001 is another fine value for those looking for a red. Thanks again to Jathan from Winexpression.com for a great theme and for Solo Vino for providing the wines for tasting this month. See you all in April for a post and podcast actually appearing on Wednesday, if not before. Show Notes: 00:24 - Welcome 00:35 - Wine Blogging Wednesday background 01:15 - “When in Rhone” Theme 02:44 - Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2004 ($22) 04:30 - Domaine du Trapadis, Côtes du Rhône 2001 ($15) 06:21 - Best of tasting/best value 06:54 - Getting back to weekly podcasts 07:54 - First winner of QPR Wines subscription (congrats, Sandy!) 08:42 - Listener survey for chance to win iPod Nano 09:06 - Contact Details 09:30 - To sponsor Winecast contact Backbeat Media 09:35 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

On today’s podcast, I focus on the wines of France’s Alsace region and review, “The Emperor of Wine”, by Elin McCoy. Show Notes: 00:21 - Welcome 00:33 - Alsace Overview 03:19 - Tasting Notes 03:34 - Pierre Sparr, Pinot Blanc “Reserve”, Alsace 2003 ($12) # 03:53 - Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace 2003 ($17) 04:20 - Hugel, Gewurztraminer, Alsace 2003 ($18/gift) * 04:54 - Best Tasting * 04:59 - Best Value # 05:05 - Review of The Emperor of WIne 08:31 - QPR Wines Drawing 09:21 - Contact Details 09:57 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The theme this month was suggested by Tyler a.k.a. Dr. Vino who didn’t suggest a wine grape variety or region, but to buy wines suggested by the staff at wine stores “that feel the love”. This being February, it seems like a great pre-Valentine’s day theme for WBW. After this theme was posted, I immediately thought of Solo Vino, my current favorite Twin Cities wine store. The store is located in St. Paul conveniently near the university where I teach part-time, so when I am on campus, I generally stop by to pick up some wines. What I like about the store is the wine selection, which is hand selected by the owners. Many selections are only locally available at Solo Vino and they are always open to bring in new selections based upon customer demand. For example, I asked for Trinitas, Bigalow Vineyard, Zinfandel and it was in the rack a couple of weeks later. Solo Vino was founded and is run by three wine geeks: Dana, Robert and Chuck who are almost always in the store to speak with. I stopped by yesterday and chatted with Dana who provided me with a list of the top 9 values they have chosen from their current stock. She also suggested the Alsatian Pinot Noir from WBW 14, so I picked Dana’s suggested Rhone wine made from 100% Counoise. This grape is one of several that usually gets blended into the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it adds a bit of aromatics, fruit, acidity and soft tannins. It’s quite rare to see this bottled on its own, so I had to give this one a taste. Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise, Vignoble de la Ramiere, Vin de Pays du Gard 2003 ($13) – Medium ruby in color with aromas of violets, earth, fennel and other spices; plum, earth and spice flavors with a silky mouthfeel and nice acidity to match well with food. A delicious wine that balances the earthy characteristics and fruit perfectly. Also an awesome value. Score: 9/10 The second wine is one of Chuck’s picks and is a Spanish wine made from Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Garnacha (Grenache) grapes. It’s from Bodegas Ostatu, a small family winery from Samaniego, one of the fifteen villages of the Rioja region. Bodegas Ostatu, Crianza, Rioja 2002 ($18.50) - Deep purple color with ripe raspberry, black cherry and spice on the nose; black cherry fruit flavors with white pepper, minerals, a thick mouthfeel and fine tannins. Nice concentration and great balance make this a delicious wine in the fruit forward model I favor. Score: 9/10 So the best wine and best value go to Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise 2003 the most complex wine of the tasting. Thanks again to Dr Vino from a great theme and for Dana and Chuck for picking some killer values this time out. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is a bit of a change in the regular format and my first co-host show. It is with Alan Baker, the CellarRat from the Ratcast podcast released in what we think is an unprecedented format: the Simulcast. We talk about and taste a Syrah from Pax Wine Cellars. Show notes: 00:23 - Welcome and show theme 02:39 - Pax Syrah Simulcast 20:27 - Tasting Notes: Pax Wine Cellars, Syrah, Walker Vine Hill Vineyard, Russian River Valley 2003 ($60) 21:27 - An announcement about the future of Winecast 22:26 - Contact details 22:50 - Next show theme UPDATE, Jan. 10, 2006: Thanks to all who have pointed out that we were not the first podcasters to do a simulcast… I still think we are the first wine podcasters to do this type of show, call it a “simulcast” and creatively use Morse code ;-) Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is my first of 2006 and my second take on my favorite red varietal: Zinfandel, and I interview Alan Baker, the Cellar Rat. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and show theme 00:37 - Zinfandel background 02:42 - Tasting Notes 02:56 - Ridge Vineyards, Zinfandel, Geyserville 2002 ($27) 04:14 - Trinitas Cellars, Zinfandel, Bigalow Vineyard, Contra Costa County 2002 ($28) 05:45 - Peterson Winery, Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley 2002 ($18/sample) 06:54 - Best of Tasting: Ridge Vineyards, Zinfandel, Geyserville 2002 ($27) 07:35 - Best Value: Peterson Winery, Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley 2002 ($18) 07:50 - Interview with Alan Baker, the Cellar Rat 20:44 - Contact Details 21:07 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The theme for this month’s event is provided by Derrick at An Obsession with Food who asks us to Judge a Bottle By Its Cover. Basically, he just asked us to pick up a bottle only selected by its label art and not any other factor such as producer, reputation, vintage or critic review. I thought it would also be interesting to pick up only wines from producers I am unfamiliar with. So I went to the wine store and found my first selection right away from Nova Wines the producer of the famous Marilyn Merlot, the 2005 Norma Jeane Merlot. The label is a stunning shot of the young Norma Jeane Baker in a bikini sitting on a large flower. It certainly commands attention alongside more modest labels. It’s a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Syrah from the Tallerico Vineyard in French Camp, California. Here are my tasting notes: Nova Wines, “Norma Jeane”, Merlot 2005 ($10.50) - Clear ruby in color with explosive wild cherry and papaya aromas; simple wild cherry flavors with a hint of the tropical fruit on the finish. Quite quaffable, but not up to the latest crop of Beaujolais Nouveau tasted on my last podcast. Tasted at cellar temperature, but a bit better slightly chilled. Scores - Label: 10/10; Wine: 7.5/10 My second wine stood out from the rest on the shelf for it’s minimalist typography and 3-dot esthetic. This wine is an Eric Soloman Selection, who seems to always have great typographical label art. It is from a co-op of 15 wineries and growers in Portugal’s Duoro valley and is a blend of old vines fruit from all 15 producers. Being a typographer from the pre-computer days, I really appreciate the clean use of sans-serif font and white space; a very elegant label that attracted my attention. Lavradores de Feitoria, “Tres Bagos”, Duoro, Portugal 2002 ($16) - Deep ruby color with aromas of blackberry, earth and spices; nicely concentrated blackberry fruit and black pepper flavors with dusty tannins and high acidity. Another very good food wine and one of the best table wines from Portugal I have tried. Scores - Label: 9.5/10; Wine: 8.5/10 So both wines take an honor this time; for best label art, Norma Jeane Merlot 2005 and the best tasting wine is the Lavradores de Feitoria, “Tres Bagos” 2002. Thanks again to Derrick for the theme and I’ll see you all next month. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Tonight’s show is a celebration of the 2005 vintage with Beaujolais Nouveau, tasting four shippers wines from this great year. Show Notes: 0:21 - Welcome 0:35 - Beaujolais Nouveau Background 4:31 - Tasting Notes 4:41 - Francoise Chauvenet, Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 ($10) 4:59 - Antonin Rodet, Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2005 ($10) 5:25 - Mommessin, Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 ($10) 5:51 - Louis Tete, Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 ($12) 6:15 - Best of Tasting and Best Value 6:45 - Contact Details 7:10 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

A return after almost a month off with a podcast focusing on the great varietal of Tuscany: Sangiovese. I also talk about the Podcasting Expo and recommend a wine podcast to check out. Show Notes: 00:22 - Welcome and show theme 00:46 - Background of Sangiovese grape 04:26 - Tasting Notes 05:01 - Castello di Fonterutoli, Poggio alla Badiola, Toscana, Italy 2002 ($13) 05:37 - Lungarotti, “Rubesco”, Rosso di Torgiano, Umbria, Italy 2001 ($15) 06:09 - Jim Neal, “Chariot”, Sangiovese 2003 ($12) 06:44 - Peterson Winery, Sangiovese, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County 2001 ($16/sample provided by winery) 07:22 - Best of tasting 08:04 - Best value 08:15 - Podcast Expo 09:01 - Ratcast feature 14:43 - Frappr! map 15:45 - Contact Details 16:10 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

A new weekly side podcast highlighting some of the wines I have recently tasted and think you would enjoy. In this first installment I review two California Pinot Noirs for under $10 a bottle: - Mark West, Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2004 ($8) - HRM Rex-Goliath, “Giant 47 Pound Rooster”, Pinot Noir, California NV ($8.50) Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The theme for this month’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is provided by food blogger Fatemeh of Gastronomie who challenged us to pick up a wine that was made in a batch of less than 250 cases. As fate would have it, the day this theme was announced I received a sample from a small winery for an upcoming show on Sangiovese. The wine was made in a garage in a batch of just 84 cases, so I took this as a sign that this wine was meant to be featured this month. The fact that it came from a winery that donates their profits to charity sealed the deal. So, for the first time since I started participating in this event, I will feature just one wine: Humanitas, L’Huile du Garagiste; a non-vintage red blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon made from Napa Valley fruit. A sort of Super Tuscan, California-style. The bottle is quite distinctive with the first U.S. commercial application of the Australian Zork closure that appears to be almost like a wax seal on the top. After peeling back the plastic, it took a bit of work to get the closure off the bottle, but it was much better than a recent experience I had with a synthetic cork in a Chilean Carmenere. So here are my tasting notes for this unique wine: Humanitas, L’Huile du Garagiste, Napa Valley NV ($30/received as a sample) - Deep ruby in color with complex aromas of raspberry, white pepper and earth; bright raspberry and black pepper flavors combine with noticeable, but supple, tannins and a long finish. A nice balance between the fruit and tannin makes this a delicious wine now and one I will age for another few years to see what develops. Score: 9/10 I found this to be a very individualistic wine and wanted to get a bit more background on the winery and the winemaker, so I interviewed Judd Wallenbrock the winemaker, proprietor and head bottle washer of Humanitas. If you listen to the podcast, you will hear our conversation about this wine and his cause. I have placed an order for more of this wine and encourage you to check it out yourself. It is not often that we can combine our passion for wine and charity at the same time. Thanks again to Fatemeh of the Gastronomie blog for a great theme and for Judd to spend a part of his day with me today. I’m looking forward to the last WBW of 2005 next month. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is a return to the virtual tasting format first suggested by a listener back in February. I taste the “Big Three Whites”, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay “live” on the show and invite listeners to taste these wines as they listen. The podcast was also filmed to be the first wine related Vcast or what Apple has been calling “video podcast” released, optimized for Apple’s 5G iPods. Show Notes: 0:20 - Welcome 0:32 - Introduction of “virtual tasting” 01:10 - Review the three wines to be tasted 01:59 - Dr. Fischer, Ockfener Bockstein Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany 2003 ($14) 05:36 - Brancott, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 ($9) 07:29 - Los Cardos, Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 2003 ($9) 11:40 - Best of tasting 11:51 - Best value 12:15 - Contact details 12:37 - Theme for next show Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s show is my first podcast on France’s Burgundy region, I share an audio comment and play a song sent in by a podsafe artist relating to wine. Show Notes: 0:22 - Welcome 0:39 - Burgundy background 5:14 - Strategies to pick Burgundy* 6:18 - Tasting notes 6:30 - Louis Latour, Pouilly-Vinzelles, “En Paradis” 2003 ($13) 7:04 - Vincent Girardin, Santenay 1er Cru, “Les Gravières” 2002 ($30) 7:47 - Audio comment from Johnee Bee 9:22 - Further reflections on wines tasted in last 2 shows 11:36 - Hurricane relief PSA from Dave’s Lounge 13:12 - Virtual tasting wines 15:08 - Thanks to Steve for theme music remixes! 15:20 - Clare Fader’s “The Wine” from The Elephant’s Baby 19:44 - Contact details 20:08 - Next show theme * Strategy 1: Reds - Gevrey-Chambertin - Chambolle-Musigny - Savigny Whites - Meursault - Puligny-Montrachet - Chassagne-Montrachet * Strategy 2: - Saint-Aubin - Cote de Nuits-Villages - Santenay - Marsannay - Givry Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month’s theme is provided by Jens from the Cincinnati Wine Garage blog who has challenged us to sample Pinot Noir from outside of Burgundy, California or Oregon. So I first thought of a Spanish Pinot Noir I recently had at a tasting that really was different from my paradigm of Pinot from it’s more famous appellations. It was from Bodegas J Belda, their barrel fermented Pinot Noir from 2001. This wine was ruby in color with black cherry and oak aromas not unlike other ripe Pinot Noir, but the spicy dark berry fruit and hard tannins had me thinking more about the Rhone than Burgundy. I scored this an 8.5/10 on my scale. I looked for a bottle of this wine for this event, but couldn’t find one, so I asked for the most obscure Pinot from the hand picked stock of St. Paul’s Solo Vino, my new favorite wine store here in the Twin Cities. And obscure it was, but not from outside of France, it is from the Alsace region. What, you say, from the land of Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer? What on earth are they thinking? Actually, Pinot Noir has a solid track record of producing interesting wines in the vineyards of Germany, so why not the cool climate, northern province of France? Domaine Hering, Pinot Noir, Alsace AC 2003 ($19) - Very light ruby color with salmon edges, almost like a rose; has strawberry aromas and raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors that finishes with nice balancing acidity. An interesting and elegant expression of Pinot Noir, very close to the best Spatburgunder from Germany I have had in the past. Score: 8.5/10 My second selection came from my northern neighbors here in America, from the Henry of Pelham Family Estate, their Pinot Noir, “Unfiltered”, from Niagara Peninsula, Canada VQA 2003 ($20 CAN) - Ruby in color with a salmon rim; strong black cherry aromas with raspberry fruit flavors with some light tannins. I found this wine to be quite enjoyable. Score: 8.5/10 My final selection is from the Southern Hemisphere, but not from Australia as I had originally intended. Following the advice of new listener Graeme from the UK, I picked up a Kim Crawford, Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 ($12) - Bright ruby color with fresh Pinot fruit aromas of strawberry, raspberry and a bit of earth; raspberry and strawberry flavors, nicely balanced with a touch of vanilla. Conventional Pinot in style, but very nicely done and a great value. Score: 9/10 Best of tasting: Kim Crawford, Pinot Noir 2004 Best Value: Henry of Pelham Family Estate, Pinot Noir 2003 So this roundup reinforced that really good Pinot Noir can be made in many places outside of the regions for with it is famous. All these wines are from cool climates, so I guess that is a common thread that might be useful in choosing wines to try. But I do recommend the Pinot from Spain I mentioned earlier as a wine that is completely different from any Pinot you’ve ever had. Thanks to Jens for the theme and I’ll see you next month for whatever the host dreams up for WBW 15. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast features the great white grape of the Northern Rhone: Viognier, and I take a look at John Cleeses’ “Wine for the Confused” DVD. Show Notes: 0:20 - Welcome 0:34 - Background of Viognier 3:03 - Tasting Notes 3:36 - Cline Cellars, Viognier, Sonoma County 2004 ($10) 3:58 - Yalumba, Viognier, South Australia 2004 ($10) 4:18 - Elemental Cellars, Viognier, Deux Vert Vineyard, Willamette Valley, OR 2002 ($15.50) 4:41 - Best of tasting 5:04 - Best Value 5:21 - Review of “Wine for The Confused” 7:17 - Wines for virtual tasting 7:55 - PSA from Michael Butler from The Rock & Roll Geek Show 9:12 - Contact Details 9:36 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s theme varietal is the lead grape of the southern Rhone, Grenache, and I conclude the cellaring series with an interview with Eric LeVine of CellarTracker. Show Notes: 0:21 - Welcome and show theme 0:35 - Background of Grenache grape 02:34 - Tasting notes disclaimer 02:56 – Tres Ojos, Old Vines Garnacha, Calatayud, Spain 2003 ($6) 03:17 – Las Rocas, Garnacha, Calatayud, Spain 2003 ($7.50) 03:41 – Kaesler, “Stonehorse” GSM, Barossa Valley, Australia 2002 ($15) 04:34 – Rosemount Estate, GSM 2001 ($22) 05:04 – Domaine des Relagnes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2000 ($20) 05:33 – Best of Tasting 05:38 – Best Value 05:43 – Review of CellarTracker 07:54 – Interview with Eric LeVine 23:52 – Wines for next virtual tasting 25:02 – Hurricane Katrina PSA from C.C. Chapman 26:07 – Contact Details 26:32 – Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This month the theme is provided by celebrated food blogger Clotilde from Chocolate and Zucchini, who challenged us with theme of, “Like Wine for Chocolate“. Instead of just selecting a varietal or wine region, she has given us a recipe to match a wine; in fact, the most challenging match I can imagine: wine with a chocolate cake. When announced, this sent me to the basic rule of thumb to match a sweet dessert with a wine of more sweetness, and chocolate with a very fruity wine of high alcohol. All roads led to the great vintage wines of Porto. Since I assumed most WBW participants to go down this road, I thought slightly differently. First, in selecting a fortified wine from Clotilde’s native France, the somewhat cult status Banyuls, and then with a big, ripe Zinfandel from my native state of California. Since I am not well educated in the fortified wines of France, I trusted the advice of Solo Vino’s experts, Robert and Chuck, to steer me to M. Chapoutier Banyuls from the 1998 vintage. Similarly, I trusted the advice of listener Stephanie in suggesting I try Matt Cline’s wines at Trinitas, made from ancient 120 year old vines in California’s Contra Costa County. My theory was that ripeness and high alcohol would lessen the perception of sweetness and the jammy ripeness of the old vine Zin would match with the richness of the cake better than wines that naturally have chocolate flavors, such as Merlot. Here are my findings: Before cake: Trinitas Cellars, Old Vine Zinfandel, Contra Costa County 2002 ($17.50) - Ruby color with a subtle blackberry, spice and cedar nose; bold blackberry fruit with some vanilla and dusty, but strong, tannins. Not as rich and extracted and I would have expected in a 15.5% wine. Score: 8.5/10 M. Chapoutier, Banyuls 1998 ($24 / 500 ml) - Light ruby color with tawny edges; earthy raison and spice aromas; very sweet entry with rich black cherry fruit and some orange peel. Very much like a vintage Porto. Delicious on its own, but looking forward to trying with the cake. Score: 9/10 I made the recipe with bittersweet chocolate and the rich, sweet flavors are sumptuous in this moist cake. I thought that I possibly over sugared this, as the recipe did not specify whether the chocolate was sweetened or not, but it seems to be quite nice as it is. Next time I might cut the sugar in half or more, given the sweetness of the chocolate. With cake: Trinitas, Old Vine Zinfandel - The wine picked up a bit more aroma in the glass since the first tasting, now showing more sweet blackberry aromas with the cedar scents noted earlier; the flavors seemed to be toned down a few notches, with the tannins barely noticeable over the sweetness of the cake. Quite interesting, but not a good match, I’m afraid. The wine seems to be overwhelmed by the sweetness of the cake. Score: 8/10 M. Chapoutier, Banyuls - This wine also picked up more aromas, now dominated by prune and orange peel; the sweetness of the wine seems less when matched with the cake, with very nice black cherry flavors and now just a suggestion of orange. This is perfectly matched, but still garners the same 9/10 score (I might have given this a 93 on a 100 point scale). Two days later, before cake: Trinitas, Old Vine Zinfandel – After 2 days of Vac-u-vin with very little headspace for air, the wine is much more open and aromatic, suggesting mandatory decanting or some more time in the cellar. Strong blackberry and spice aromas are present with a bit of oak; ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors dominate the palette, followed by pepper and a touch of, yes, sweetness. Not the traditional, jammy-style but an undercurrent of fruit that finishes the wine quite nicely. This elevates the wine to a delicious, 9 out of 10 on my scale. M. Chapoutier, Banyuls – Not much different in aroma than the last time, dried dark fruit and a bit of orange; very port-like flavors and a sweetness that is nicely balanced by acidity. Very young now, but seems quite a bit more drinkable than a similarly aged vintage Porto. Still a solid 9 out of 10. Two days later, with cake: The cake is still quite moist and rich, as I remembered it from 2 days before. A bitter-sweet extravaganza of flavor… Trinitas, Old Vine Zinfandel – I really like the nose more and more on this wine, but the tannins of the wine and sweetness of the cake almost cancel out each other. Still not a good match. M. Chapoutier, Banyuls – This remains a very nice match with the sweetness of the cake. I really enjoy how the wine complements the cake and adds more dimension to the flavors. It remains a solid 9 out of 10. So the clear winner here is the Banyuls, not from its country of origin, but its level of sweetness (helped, no doubt from the level of alcohol and our perception of sweetness previously mentioned). I’m sure I would have come to the same conclusion had I chosen Porto or port-style wines from California or Australia, but it was nice to see a French wine come out on top this time. Although this has been the most demanding Wine Blogging Wednesday to date, I’ve had a great time researching and choosing different wines to try to stand up to a delicious recipe. Thanks once again to Clotilde for hosting and conceiving such an excellent theme. A high bar for those of us who will host this event in the future. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast features Spain’s Tempranillo grape and I continue the cellaring series looking at the many cellar management solutions available. Show Notes: 00:20 – Welcome and show theme 00:30 – Background of the Tempranillo grape 02:19 – Tasting Notes 02:31 – Bodegas Ercavio, Tempranillo “Roble” 2003 ($9) 02:54 – Bodegas San Valero, “Manyana”, Tempranillo 2004 ($8) 03:14 – Vina Albali, Tempranillo Reserva 1999 ($10) 03:33 – Tikalo, “Rubens”, Tempranillo 2003 ($10) 04:03 - Best of tasting 04:08 - Best value 04:14 – Cellar Management Solutions 06:25 – Hurricane Katrina PSA 06:57 – Appeal from Wichita Rutherford 08:00 – Contact details 08:23 – Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This week’s podcast is a bit of an experiment in the format, influenced by Jon Gordon’s, “Future Tense”, show and podcast. I introduce a hot new wine region in California, the Sonoma Coast AVA, and recommend some Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to check out from the area. Wineries mentioned on the show: - Williams-Selyem - J Rochioli Vineyards & Winery - Gary Farrell - Flowers Vineyard & Winery - Littorai - Hirsch Vineyards - Siduri Wines - Kistler Vineyards - Peay Vineyards - Sonoma-Cutrer - Marcassin Vineyard - Aubert Wines - Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Pax Wine Cellars - La Crema Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast is about Portugal’s white Vinho Verde wines, I continue the wine cellaring series*, talk about the recent listener poll and share some listener comments. Show notes: 00:20 - Welcome and show theme 00:35 - Vinho Verde background 02:59 - Tasting Notes 03:13 - Gazela, Vinho Verde NV, Bottled 2005 ($8) 03:44 - Portal do Fidalgo, Vinho Verde, Estate Bottled 2003 ($10) 04:28 - Vercoope, “Pavão”, Vinho Verde NV, Bottled 2005 ($7) 04:54 - Best of tasting and best value 05:11 - Starting a cellar with a mixed case* 10:15 - Poll results 12:03 - Listener comments 15:28 - Contact details 15:52 - Next show theme * The Winecast Mixed Case #1: - Champagne: Taittinger Brut ($30) from Winecast 3 - Cabernet Sauvignon: Clos du Val, Napa Valley 2001 ($25) from Winecast 22 - Chardonnay: Cambra, Katherine’s Vineyard ($16) from Winecast 16 - Zinfandel: Seghesio, Zinfandel, Sonoma County 2003 ($17) - Crisp, dry white: Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2001 ($15) from Winecast 27 - Gewurztraminer: Cuvee Anne-Laure, Gewurztraminer 2003, Alsace ($11) from Winecast 21 - Italian Red: Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 ($17) from Winecast 9 - Bordeaux-style blend: Peter Lehmann, “Clancy’s”, Barossa Valley 2002 ($16) from Winecast 26 - Riesling: WWE. Dr. H. Thanisch, Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2001 ($12) from Winecast 5 - Bodegas Javier Asensio, “Torsa” Tinto, Navarra, Spain 2003 ($8) - Beaujolais: Georges Duboeuf, Morgon “Jean Descombes” 2003 ($9) from Winecast 14 - Dessert Wine: Weingut Ochs, Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese 2001, Weiden am See ($15/half bottle) Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

When Lenn announced the theme for the first year anniversary edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, I immediately fired up Google maps to pinpoint the locations of all the wineries in Minnesota. Since I had already covered Minnesota wines recently on the show, I was concerned that the closest winery and vineyard, to abide by the theme of “Drink Local. Real Local.“, was the Alexis Bailly Vineyard that I featured in Winecast 28. As it happened, they are at 27.4 miles from my humble abode and recording studio. The next winery on the list was over in Cannon River, a pleasant town of 3,877 people, that clocked in at 31.4 miles; close enough for this purpose, I rationalized, as I dispatched an email to Lenn asking for dispensation (which he kindly granted). So for this month, I will cover the wines made at the aptly named Cannon River Winery. The Cannon River Winery opened it’s doors only last October, refurbishing a large downtown building that once featured a bowling alley. The large space is nicely laid out with the winery and barrel aging cellar on one end and the tasting bar and gift store on the other. The winery is owned by John and Maureen Maloney from the Twin Cities; they also have about 20 acres of vineyard land partially planted to French-American hybrid grapes in the neighboring town of Sogn. Their winemaker is a Columbian expatriate with previous experience making wine in Ohio; sounds like quite a story that I will have to investigate further. About noon a couple of weeks ago, I arrived at the winery to taste through their line of local wines. I was pleased to see an array of options on their website, that promised exotic varietals such as Edelweiss, St. Pepin, LaCrosse and Frontenac. All cold-hearty, French-American hybrid grapes developed especially for surviving the harsh winters up here. I also noted that they make wines from more familiar vinifera varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and my favorite, Zinfandel, but figured those grapes (best case), juice (most likely) and/or wines (hopefully not!) were trucked in from appellations further to our West. I was greeted by a helpful woman who informed me that two of the four wines I was most interested in (i.e. the locally grown ones) had, “sold out last weekend”. Great, I thought, why didn’t I make the trip earlier?! Undeterred, I tasted the other two wines with these impressions: Cannon River Winery, “Lorraine’s White” NV ($12) - Made from locally grown LaCrosse and Riesling of unknown origin (CA is most likely). Unfortunately, the woman helping me didn’t know the percentages of the blend. Clear in color with a tinge of yellow, pleasant peach nose, nice off-dry peach and green apple flavors that would have been fine for WBW 11. Enough acidity to complement light entrees or cheese. Score: 7.5/10 Cannon River Winery, “Minnesota Meritage” NV ($16) - Made from 50% Frontenac grown at their vineyard with the balance equally blended with CA Merlot and Zinfandel. Light ruby color with wild cherry aromas, mellow red berry flavors with a slightly tangy finish, an enjoyable blend that defies expectations given the grapes involved. Score: 7.5/10 Yes, I did taste their other wines made from out of state grapes, but will not review those here as this is not how I interpreted Lenn’s instructions. The wines should be both made and (mostly) grown near your house to qualify. So both of these wines are of good quality and a great accomplishment for the Maloney’s on their first release. I’ll give both best of tasting and best value to Lorraine’s White, as I thought this had a bit more interesting flavor profile than the Minnesota Meritage. If you have a chance to visit the winery, which is the only place I know you can buy these wines, pick up a bottle of each (as I did). This is a winery I will definitely visit again to taste their Edelweiss and St. Pepin-based wines and keep track of their progress. Thanks to Lenn for a great theme to cap off the first year of Wine Blogging Wednesday. I’m looking forward to another great year and to hosting a future edition. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

In this week’s show I focus on Soave from Italy’s Veneto region and start a series on cellaring wine. Show notes: 00:20 - Show theme and thanks to Adam Curry 01:20 - Background of Soave wines 05:50 - Tasting Notes 06:10 - Bolla Soave DOC 2004 ($8.50) 07:04 - Monte Tondo Soave Classico DOC 2003 ($8) 07:26 - Inama Soave Classico DOC 2003 ($10) 08:10 - Best of Tasting 08:16 - Best Value 08:24 - Cellaring wine 17:24 - Contact details 17:50 - Please vote at Podcast Alley 18:22 - Next show’s theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today’s podcast focuses on the grape from the Loire Valley: Chenin Blanc. I also talk about wine tasting etiquette and the poll at Winecast.net Show Notes: 00:20 - Show Theme oo:36 - Background on Chenin Blanc. Best wines are from France: Saumur and Savennières (dry), Anjou and Vouvray (off-dry), Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume (dessert), and Crémant de Loire (sparkling), South Africa (Steen) and California (Clarksburg and Monterey County) 02:20 - Tasting Notes 02:33 - Dry Creek Vineyards, Clarksburg, Dry Chenin Blanc 2004 ($10) 03:02 - Masbon, Vouvray 2002 ($12.50) 03:38 - Ballentine Vineyards, Napa Valley Estate, “Old Vines”, Chenin Blanc 2004 ($14) 04:20 - Best of Tasting 04:54 - Best Value 05:05 - Wine Tasting Etiquette 09:58 - Poll at Weblog 10:53 - Podcast Awards 11:09 - Contact Details 11:50 - Next Show Theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The third and final chapter in my recent tastings in California, this time reviewing the Pinot Noir of the Los Carneros AVA. Show Notes: 00:21 - Welcome and show theme 00:53 - Background and history of the Los Carneros American Viticultural Area 03:32 - Acacia Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Carneros 2003 ($25) 03:55 - Acacia Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Field Blend, 2003 ($50) 04:30 - Acacia Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Beckstoffer Vineyard 2003 ($60) 04:52 - Domaine Carneros, Pinot Noir 2002 ($27) 05:30 - Domaine Carneros, The Famous Gate 2001 ($50) 05:52 - Best of tasting 06:16 - Best value 06:32 - Please vote for Winecast for the Podcast Awards! 06:57 - Contact details and credits 07:18 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: 206-202-4696 Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The second in my 3-part series reviewing the wines tasted on my recent Napa Valley trip. This time I talk about the modern history of the Napa Valley and taste some surprising Zinfandel’s made there. I also announce a new poll at the blog. Show notes: 00:20 - Show theme and objectives 02:40 - Modern history of the Napa Valley 08:04 - Tasting notes disclaimer 09:45 - Neal Family Vineyards, Zinfandel, Rutherford 2003 ($22) 11:09 - Ballentine Vineyards, Zinfandel, Napa Valley, Estate 2000 ($18) 12:06 - Ballentine Vineyards, Zinfandel, Block 9 2000 ($27) 12:33 - Ballentine Vineyards, Zinfandel, Block 11 2003 ($25) 13:12 - Ballentine Vineyards, Zinfandel, Block 9 2003 (NYR) 13:49 - Ballentine Vineyards, Zinfandel Port, Napa Valley 2003 ($25/375ml) 15:00 - August Briggs, Zinfandel, Napa Valley 2003 ($28) 15:30 - Best of tasting and best value 16:50 - New poll open on blog 18:13 - Podcast Awards voting 19:29 - Contact details and credits 21:15 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: 206-202-4696 Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The theme this month is from Beau at basicjuice who picked off-dry wines. I picked three from the wine store and one from the cellar to fill the bill. What I looked for was a bit of sweetness, but not enough to be confused with a candy bar. The first selection is from Josef Friederich, a Deidesheimer Hofstueck Spätlese 2003 ($8.50) - From the Pfalz region of Germany, this wine is made from the Kerner varietal. Clear leaning toward straw in color, lean citrus nose, interesting herb, green apple and honey flavors with a dose of acidity and slightly mineral finish. Nicely off-dry and quite similar to Riesling in flavor. A good choice for a warm day on the patio that would benefit from some food. Score: 8/10 My second selection is from the Sokol Blosser Winery, their Evolution, “Lucky No. 9” NV ($14) - A great label that plainly states it’s “off-dry” flavors; I have wanted to find an excuse to pick up a bottle. Light straw color, peach and pear nose, pineapple and peaches with noticeable acidity make this a good choice with food. Seems dryer than the Deidesheimer Hofstueck Spätlese, but qualifies as off-dry I guess due to it’s high acidity stealth flavor thing. Score: 8.5/10 Further investigation found this wine to be made from 9 grapes: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muller-Thurgau, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Semillon, Pinot Blanc, Sylvanner and Chardonnay. Damn, I would have guessed a bit of Viognier in this blend Check out their website at: http://www.evolutionwine.com/ The next selection is from Beni di Batasiolo, the Moscato d’Asti 2004 DOCG ($9) - The shelf stuffer said, “perfect for the patio”, so I thought it would be great for this off-dry event. I should have read the back label, which refers to it as, “Excellent with all deserts.” Oh well, it was open, so I had to taste anyway. In fact, I had a heck of a time extracting the cork from this baby and found out why once I poured my first glass. Nice lemony straw color with creamy bubbles, yes, bubbles. I have had many wines with spritz in my day, but this one rivals some low carbonated sparkling wine. The nose is classic muscat: melon and peaches. Very spritzy melon and peach flavors with enough sweetness to rot your teeth without going over the top (I’m not going to drop “cloying” here DISQUALIFIED as an off-dry wine, but quite nice in it’s own right. Score: 8.5/10. Note: don’t store these in a warm room or in your car for fear of explosion; I’m serious. My alternative selection (to make three for Winecast norms) is from the Snoqualmie Winery, their Columbia Valley, Chenin Blanc 2002 ($5) - Light straw yellow with a bit of green color, lean nose of apple and pear, green apple, peach and watermelon popsicle flavors which finishes off-dry. Pretty good, but one-dimensional. Score: 7.5/10 Best of tasting: Sokol Blosser Winery, Evolution, “Lucky No. 9” NV ($14) Best value: Josef Friederich, Deidesheimer Hofstueck Spätlese 2003 ($8.50) Thanks to Beau at basicjuice for the theme and Lenn Thompson for the original inspiration (best wishes to Nena and you on Friday!). See you next time... Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: 206-202-4696 Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

I’m back after a great vacation in California with the first of three shows focusing on the wines of the Napa Valley. In this first installment, I cover the early history of the Valley, the Howell Mountain AVA and share seven Cabernet Sauvignon’s I tasted last week. Wines Tasted: - Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2002 ($35) - Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lone Canyon 2001 ($65) - Ladera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2003 (NYR/$65) - Neal Family Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2002 ($45) - August Briggs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2000 ($20/375ml) - August Briggs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2002 ($42) - Beaulieu Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, “Rutherford”, Napa Valley 2002 ($25) Show Notes: 0:00 - Opening theme 0:21 - Welcome iTunes listeners! 0:44 - Overview and objectives of Winecast 2:30 - Napa Valley history 4:23 - Howell Mountain AVA 5:50 - Tasting notes 9:55 - Best of Tasting / Best Value 10:39 - Contact details, theme music credit 11:03 - Please vote at Podcast Alley! 11:27 - Lost some feedback emails 12:17 - Next show will focus on Napa Valley Zinfandel Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: 206-202-4696 Copyright 2005 Tim Elliott. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Another show focusing on a wine region that doesn’t get much attention: the wines of Minnesota. I interview Nan Bailly of the Alexis Bailly Vineyard and recommend three of her wines. Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro and theme music 0:21 - Overview of Show 0:56 - Background on Minnesota wines 2:42 - Interview with Nan Bailly 13:36 - Tasting Notes 14:22 - Alexis Bailly Vineyard, Marechal Foch 2004 ($14) 15:08 - Alexis Bailly Vineyard, Frontenac 2004 ($15) 16:21 - Alexis Bailly Vineyard, Ice Wine NV ($25, 375ml) 17:06 - Best of tasting and best value 17:14 - Sorry if I missed you at Bailly Vineyard on Saturday 17:56 - Vacation in California will mean the next podcast will be on June 26 or 27 18:30 - Show contact details 18:50 - Next show will focus on the wines of California’s Central Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains and Napa and Sonoma Valleys

When I saw the post introducing Wine Blogging Wednesday #10 over at My Adventures in the Breadbox, I thought to myself it was about time we went back to the white side of the wine world after several forays into the red (or rose) zone. But “white pinot”? What’s that all about? It seems that our old red friend, the Pinot Noir, has mutated over the millennia and has produced another related white varietal most commonly known as Pinot Gris. Yes, yes, I know that “gris” translates to “grey” but the juice is quite white even with extended skin contact. The problem with this variety is that is goes by so many names depending upon where it is grown that it is hard to know what you are drinking without a scorecard. A Google search turned up the following synonyms: * Pinot Grigio (Italy) * Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France) * Ruländer (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet) * Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry) * Grauklevner (Germany) * Malvoisie (Loire Valley, France and Switzerland) * Tokay d’Alsace (Alsace) (currently being renamed due to EU regulations) * Auxerrois Gris (Alsace) * Fromentau (Languedoc, France) * Fromentot (France) * Fauvet (France) * Gris Cordelier (France) * Grauer Mönch (Germany) * Monemrasia * Crvena Klevanjka (Croatia) * Szürkebarát (Hungary) Yikes, that’s quite a list! Another interesting point is that the style varies depending upon the region. This can range from the light and lean Pinot Grigio’s from Italy to the more substantial full fruit Oregon style to the classic floral and silky Alsatian wines. For this event, started with a wine I spied on the by-the-glass selection of the local eatery where I just finished dinner. It was a 2003 Pinot Grigio from Stella of the Umbria region in Italy. I found this wine to be almost clear in color with the slightest hit of straw and a lean fruity nose typical of the varietal. On the palette it had nice citrus and apple flavors, good acidity and a dry, slightly minerally finish. A very good start to this evening’s festivities earning an 8.5/10 on my scale. A quick Google later I found this to be a fine value at only $6 a bottle. Next, I decided to pull a Pinot Grigio from California out of the cellar that a friend gave me last summer. It is from La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi of the 2002 vintage that retails for $15. This is another label from the prolific Mondavi family that was started in 1994 to, “celebrate their Italian heritage from California vineyards”; as usual, brilliant marketing The winemaker’s notes reveal that this wine is a blend of 98% Pinot Grigio and 2% Tocai Friulano, the top native grape from Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. He also points out the fruit came from Monterey County (87%), the Los Carneros (7%), and 3% each from El Dorado and Santa Maria Valley. Thankfully, the wine did not see any oak and was not subjected to the rigors of malolactic fermentation, so I expected it to be full in fruit flavors with a nice dose of acidity making this a good match for shellfish (oysters, anyone?!). This wine was also shy on the color with a bit of the old yellow/green, but had a much more powerful citrus nose than the previous Grigio. Nice lemon and pear flavors and bracing acidity finish bone dry. A solid 8.5/10. Pinot Blanc is a mutation of Pinot Gris that used to be widely planted in Burgundy. This was until the Appellation Controlee laws knocked out Pinot Blanc in favor of Chardonnay. The grape is most identified in France today with the Alsace region where it is the number 3 grape behind Riesling and Sylvaner. Pinot Blanc also has some identity issues, but they seem to be isolated to California where much of what is labeled Pinot Blanc is actually Melon de Bourgogne, also called Muscadet in France’s Loire region. Like Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc is quite malleable to the hand of the winemaker, taking oak well so wines can be light and fruity to big and oaky. As with Chardonnay, I prefer my Pinot Blanc unoaked, so I chose a bottling from the reliable Trimbach of Alsace. It is their 2001 Pinot Blanc that is blended with a bit of Pinot Auxerrois and sells for about $15 a bottle. This wine is straw in color with a hint of green, has a lean citrus nose and with apple and nut flavors. Another bone dry wine with high acidity, it would be a natural with food. I found this wine to be delicious and earn a 9/10. So what was learned in this tale of Two Pinots? That they are surprisingly similar in flavor and great food wines. I think I like the more elegant style of the Pinot Blanc, but as can be seen from my tasting notes, it was a close race. The best of tasting goes to the Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2001 with best value to the Stella Pinot Grigio 2003. Thanks to Alice from My Adventures in the Breadbox for a great theme; I can’t wait until the next installment!

Today’s show is focused on the red wines of Australia’s Barossa Valley. I also review the film Mondovino and share a listener comment. Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro and theme music 0:21 - Overview of Show 0:34 - Background on the Barossa Valley 1:12 - Tasting Notes: 1:45 - Peter Lehmann, Shiraz 2001 ($13.50) 2:06 - Kaesler, “Stonehorse”, Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre (GSM) 2001 ($16) 2:44 - Thorn-Clarke, “Shotfire Ridge”, Barossa Cuvee 2003 ($20) 3:11 - Best of Tasting 3:16 - Best Value 3:21 - Honorable Mention: Peter Lehmann, “Clancy’s” 2002 ($16) 3:45 - Review of Mondovino 10:37 - Listener Comment 13:00 - Greater Midwest Podcaster Gathering 14:43 - Show contact details 15:05 - Next show for Wine Blogging Wednesday 10

Today’s show is a bit of a departure from the normal format of the show, answering questions about wine from listeners. I talk about Porto, cellaring wines, tannins, wine “legs” and how to preserve wine once opened.

Today’s podcast focuses on another Bordeaux blending variety: Malbec. I also talk about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision opening up interstate wine shipments to more states and follow up on the wine and food matching challenge from Winecast 22. Wines reviewed: - Altos Las Hormigas, Malbec, Mendoza Argentina 2003 ($10) - Bodega Norton, Malbec, Mendoza Argentina 2003 ($8) - Finca El Portillo, Malbec, Mendoza Argentina 2003 ($13)

After trading emails with Sam over at Becks & Posh, I decided to reblog my entry for Wine Blogging Wednesday #9 themed on rosé or “pink” wines. It seems Sam’s day job is not leaving much time for podcast listening, so here are the CliffsNotes with a few timecode stamps to help her sort out the audio: (0:00 – 0:37) Introduction, theme music and show kickoff, thanking Sam for hosting WBW this month and the theme of rosé wines. Rosé is the “Rodney Dangerfield of wines”; they get no respect. This is probably due to indifferent blends of red and white wines we have had being passed off as rosé, as well as the sticky, sweet white zinfandels we have been subjected to over the years. In fact, I have not had a proper rosé or pink wine in a few years, so this theme was an excellent chance to check out three dry rosé wines. Before sharing my tasting notes, I spoke a bit about how rosé wines are made (1:16). The first method is to crush red grapes and macerate the must for only a few hours to impart only a small amount of the pigment to the wine. Then the winemaking process is followed the same as used to make white wine. For some unknown reason, I failed to mention that the French call this process, “vins gris”, even though my notes clearly state this fact. The second method is called, “saignée” or “bleeding”. This is where red wine is made, but a bit of the juice is drained off early in the winemaking process to concentrate the resulting red’s flavors. The bled juice is then made into rosé using the process followed to make whites. Next (2:17), I commented about the proper temperature to serve rosé (50 - 54F, or 10 - 12C) and launched into my tasting notes: Toad Hollow Vineyards, “Eye of the Toad”, Dry Pinot Noir Rose 2004 ($12) - Clear pink, beautiful strawberry/watermelon nose, strawberry/cherry fruit, bone dry, nice finish; serve a bit warmer than regular rose to fully reveal it’s aromas and flavors; I also like the whimsical, yellow plastic cork! Score: 8/10 Les Vignerons de Montblanc, Syrah Rose, Vin de Pays des Cotes de Thongue 2003 ($9) - Rose center with nice pink edges, watermelon candy nose, nice flavor intensity of light red berries, dry and refreshing; another plastic cork! Score: 8/10 Cuvee Catherine, Rose d’Anjou 2002 ($6) - Very light tawny red, light flowery nose, almost vegetal in flavor with bell pepper and cherry in a good way, off-dry, but not sweet, with a good dose of acidity; a bit bitter on the finish; drink ASAP as the wine is past it’s prime. The only cork in the bunch. Score: 7.5/10 (5:09) Best of tasting: Toad Hollow Vineyards, “Eye of the Toad”, Dry Pinot Noir Rose 2004 Best value: Les Vignerons de Montblanc, Syrah Rose, Vin de Pays des Cotes de Thongue 2003 (5:21 – 8:16) I then shared some final thoughts for regular Winecast listeners about sending in questions for an upcoming show, voting at Podcast Alley, Gmail and Yahoo! 360 invites and a poll I have open on my blog. Thanks once again to Sam from Becks & Posh for the theme and her upcoming summary write-up this weekend. I hope this extended post helps save you a bit of time Cheers!

This weekend’s podcast is focused on the, “Big 3 Reds”: Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon presented in the “virtual tasting” format. I also try to match wine to a St. Patrick’s Day menu of corned beef and cabbage and announce a Minnesota wine tasting meetup on June 11th. Wines tasted: - Meridian Vineyards, Central Coast, Pinot Noir 2003 ($9) - Columbia Crest, “Grand Estates”, Merlot 2001 ($12) - Clos du Val, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 ($25)

On today’s show I taste three wines made from the Gewurztraminer grape from around the world, provide background on the grape, talk about matching food with wine, play a clip from Podcast411’s interview with Senator John Edwards and announce the wines for the next virtual tasting. Wines featured: - Cuvee Anne-Laure, Gewurztraminer 2003, Alsace ($10.55) - Columbia Crest, “2-Vines”, Gewurztraminer 2003, Washington ($5.55) - Rosemount Estate, Traminer-Riesling 2004, South Eastern Australia ($4.95)

Today’s show is focused on the red grape of the Rhone: Syrah. I taste three wines made from this grape from 3 different continents, give you background on the origins of Syrah, why Aussie’s call their wines “Shiraz”, review the book, “Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion”, by Dottie Gaiter & John Brecher and share some listener comments. Wines tasted: - Greg Norman Estates, Limestone Coast, Shiraz 2002 ($11) - Cave de Tain l’Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, “Nobles Rives” 2001 ($14) - Vina Robles, Estate Syrah 2001 ($12)

On today’s show, the white wines of France’s Sancerre region, listener comments and some show announcements. Wines Tasted: - Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre 2002 ($19) - Pierre Prieur, “Domaine de Saint Pierre”, Sancerre 2003 ($20)

Another special, mid-week podcast for Wine Blogging Wednesday featuring the red wines of Sicily. I have selected three wines made from the native Nero d’Avola grape for another live, “virtual tasting”. I also share a bit of background on Sicilian wine. Wines tasted: - Firriato, “Chiaramonte”, Nero d’Avola 2002 ($12) Dark ruby color, beautiful, intense black cherry nose, fresh black cherry fruit with moderate tannins and a bit of acidity; a nice food wine. Delicious. Score: 9/10 - Morgante, Nero d’Avola 2003 ($11) Ruby color, earthy black cherry nose, a little musty, black cherry fruit and medium tannins. Very good. Score: 8/10 - Colosi, Dry Red Wine 2002 ($7) Medium ruby color, musty plum and wild cherry nose, plum and wild cherry flavors and moderate tannins. Very good. Score: 8/10

On today's show, some background and a tasting of Italy's Primitivo varietal, a review of the novel "Sideways" by Rex Pickett, I recommend a new wine and food podcast and mention the poll open for you to comment about the virtual wine tasting from last time. Wines Tasted: - Amano, Primitivo, Puglia, Italy 2002 ($12) - Feudo Monaci, Primitivo, Puglia, Italy 2003 ($9) - Canaletto Primitivo Puglia Italy 2001 ($9)

The theme of today's show is the great white grape of Burgundy: Chardonnay and I also feature a "virtual" wine tasting of three wines made from this grape. Wines tasted: - Antonin Rodet, Chateau de Chamiery, Mercurey blanc 2001 ($19) - Cambria, “Katherine’s Vineyard” Chardonnay 2003 ($17) - Gallo of Sonoma, Sonoma County Chardonnay 2003 ($9)

Today's show is about a wine from Chile made from the Carmenere grape and I'll share some final thoughts on the basic wine tasting series. Wines tasted: - Andean Ridge, Carmenere "Reserve", Colchagua Valley, Chile 2003 ($8) - Santa Rita, Carmenere "120", Rapel Valley, Chile 2003 ($8) - Concha y Toro, Carmenere "Casillero del Diablo", Rapel Valley, Chile 2004 ($9)

The wines of Beaujolais are featured on today's show, I finish the basic wine tasting series and mention my appearance on Garrick Van Buren's First Crack podcast. Wines tasted: - Louis Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages 2003 ($7) - Georges Duboeuf, Régnié 2002 ($8) - Georges Duboeuf, Morgon "Jean Descombes" 2003 ($9)

Today's show is a special edition for Wine Blogging Wednesday #7 whose theme is, "Obscure Red Grape Varieties". Thanks to Andrew Barrow of Spittoon for inviting me to participate as the first podcaster to join the fun of WBW! I had to stoop down quite a bit at some wine stores here in Minneapolis as I looked for varietals I had never heard of, let alone tried. I ended up picking 4 wines for tasting, all for $8 USD or less. Unfortunately, one of the wines was disqualified as it was a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvugnon and Merlot; my full tasting notes of that wine are posted here. What was great about this theme was it forced me to look for things I normally pass by at the wine store and I would have otherwise never found any of these interesting wines: - Castellani, Negroamaro, Puglia, Italy 2003 ($6) - Deep garnet, dusty berry nose, simple, peppery berry flavors somewhat like Dolchetto, good rustic finish with moderate tannins, nice pizza or pasta wine, very good value, plastic cork! Score: 8/10 - Castellani, Nero d’Avola, Sicilia, Italy 2003 ($7) - Garnet, pleasant fresh berry nose, deep, simple black cherry flavors, no tannins to speak of, good “quaffable” drinking now, another plastic cork! Score: 7/10 - Cortello, Estremadura, Portugal 2001 ($8) - Made from native grape Castelao (a.k.a. Periquita) and Argonez grapes; deepest garnet, lean berry nose, round plum flavors and silky mouth-feel, finishes a little bitter and funky but overall quite good. Score: 7.5/10 Best of tasting and best value goes to Castellani Negroamaro 2003. I will be looking for this variety from other producers in the future to share on Winecast. Thanks once again to Andrew from Spittoon for the invitation; I am looking forward to WBW #8!

This week's show is about Sauvignon Blanc, the grape of the Loire. I continue the basic wine tasting series focusing on aroma, showcase wine podcasts and share listener comments. Wines tasted: - Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2004 ($16) - Sterling Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2003 ($10) - Veramonte, Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley, Chile 2003 ($8)

Today's show is about Petite Sirah and I continue my basic wine tasting series focusing on wine's color and appearance. Wines tasted: - Foppiano Petite Sirah, Sonoma County 2000 ($20) - Concannon Vineyards, Petite Sirah, Central Coast 2001 ($13) - Bogle, Petite Sirah, California 2002 ($12)

Today's show is focused on the great grape of Bordeaux: Merlot. I also begin my basic wine tasting series and share some listener comments. Wines tasted: - Robert Hall, Paso Robles Merlot 2001 ($18) - Simi, Sonoma County Merlot 2001 ($16) - Markham Vineyards, Napa Valley Merlot 2001 ($22.50)

Today's show is a tasting tour of the wines of the northern Willamette Valley in Oregon and a discussion of alternative wine closures. Wines tasted: - Erath Pinot Gris 2002 ($13) - Erath Pinot Noir, Estate 2001 ($25) - Erath Pinot Noir, Reserve 1999 ($18) - Erath Pinot Noir, Prince Hill 1997 ($40) - Erath Pinot Noir, Anniversary 2000 ($30) - Erath Pinot Noir, Juliard 2000 ($40) - Ponzi Pinot Blanc 2003 ($15) - Ponzi Pinot Noir 2002 ($30) - Ponzi Pinot Noir, Reserve 2002 ($50) - Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine 1999 ($21.50) - Argyle Chardonnay, Nuthouse 2001 ($28) - Argyle Pinot Noir 2003 ($20) - Argyle Pinot Noir, Nuthouse 2002 ($40) - Argyle Pinot Noir, Spirithouse 2002 ($50)

This week’s show is all about Pinot Noir, featuring a wine lover's review of the film, "Sideways", and tasting three Pinots from California and Oregon: - La Crema, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2002 ($18) - Erath, Oregon Pinot Noir 2002 ($15) - Beringer Founders' Estate Pinot Noir 2002 ($9)

On this week's show I taste three Dolcetto from the Piedmonte region of Italy and showcase 2 podcasts. - Stefano Farina, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba 2001 ($9) - Cantine Giacomo Ascheri, Dolcetto d'Alba Nirane 2002 ($13) - Marchesi di Barolo, Madonna di Como, Dolcetto d'Alba 2003 ($16)

Today's show is all about Riesling from Germany, tasting: - Avelsbacher Hammerstein Kabinett 2001 from Weinbaudomaene Trier ($13) - Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2001 from WWE. Dr. H. Thanisch ($12) - Schloss Vollrads Spatlese 2001 ($25)

Today's show is about Chianti, Tuscany's famous red blend. I also talk about strategies to get the best wine-by-the-glass in chain restaurants, read listener comments and cover my own tasting preferences to help you calibrate your taste buds to the reviews on the show. Wines tasted: - Castello di Gabbiano, Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 ($18) - Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 ($17) - S.Michele a Torri, Chianti Colli Fiorentini 2002 ($10)

I review wine software for the Palm OS, a couple of stories from the wine world and taste three Australian Shiraz: - Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Shiraz 2002 ($10) - Yalumba "Y Series" Shiraz 2002 ($12) - Meerea Park "The Aunts" Shiraz 1999 ($16)

A special edition of the show devoted to sparkling wine, just in time for the New Year! I talk about the history of sparkling wine, how it's made, Champagne glass types and taste three wines from around the world: - Seaview Brut, 2001, South Eastern Australia ($9) - Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs, NV, Napa Valley ($16) - Taittinger Champagne Brut, NV, Reims, France ($30)

On today's show, I talk about wine accessories, a couple of stories in the wine world and taste three Cabernet Sauvignons: - Buehler Vineyards, Napa Valley 2000 ($24) - Kenwood, Jack London Vineyard, Sonoma Valley 2000 ($26) - Luis Felipe Edwards, Estate bottled, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2001 ($12)

On today's show, I talk about why I started this podcast, some podcasting influences, how I taste wine and tasting notes on three California Zinfandels: - Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Fish Net Creek 2001 ($10) - Rosenblum, Vintners Cuvee XXV, NV ($12) - Ravenswood, Amador County 2001 ($17)