Brad Ballinger

Right now, most people are awaiting a Supreme Court decision on the topic. It had been a state by state battle, but those battles are "on hold" awaiting what happens on a larger scale. For even more information than you'll find on the thread linked above, go to Free The Grapes.

I'm pretty certain it is illegal in every state. But not that it hasn't been done (and not that I haven't been an accessory -- on the receiving end). But I'm not naming names.

Mead is a fermentation of honey and water, and is sometimes called Honey Wine (maybe this belongs on the wine forum). Some producers of what I'll call "fruit" or "alternative" wines use honey wine as a base for blueberry wine, chokecherry wine, pincherry wine, etc. I don't know of its origins, but I would guess that honey was something that would keep year round, where as fruit was more perishable. And people can be resourceful when it comes to making alcoholic beverages. I would think a Google search would reveal a lot of history and other basic information. You can buy Chaucer's Mead for about $10 in some liquor stores.

My first response was going to be to put yourself in their hands, and be open to being surprised by wines you've never heard of before. Then I click on the link to the web site and see the first wine they are promoting is the Doce Tanidos Rosado. It's a pleasant enough rosado wine, and has some nice spice. But unless it's being sold at a deep discount, I'm surprised to find it featured front and center. Clicking on the "vinos" link, here's what I like that I see. Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussiere. Mellot is one of Sancerre's best producers IMO. Delamotte Rose Champagne. Don't see this around much. Then I search for Spanish Reds. You can only look through 100, and number 100 is only as far as C in the alphabet. So I go back to my first thought. Give them a budget, tell them what Spanish wines (and other styles of wines) you've liked, and trust them. One smaller label to look for that I reallylike is Finca Valpiedra Rioja. Also look for Placet Rioja Blanco from Palacios. And if they have Bodegas Toro Albala P.X. from 1972, buy a bunch.

I had this same 1992 Leonetti Walla Walla about five years ago and it was showing age then. The Walla Walla wasn't meant to go the distance as the Cabernet to begin with, so that is certainly part of it. Also, these wines have so much oak. When the fruit starts fading, either with age or aeration, the oak is going to show more and more. I had a 1995 Cab that behaved similarly to your 1992 Walla Walla.

In addition to the word "Champagne" on bottles where the grapes come from Champagne, you will see premier cru and grand cru labeling, if the grapes come from such a cru. You will see Bouzy Grand Cru, Avize Grand Cru, Ay Grand Cru. These are all names of villages. They aren't Reims or Epernay, but they're not far away. This is the term the Germans use for "sparkling wine." It works for them. Why shouldn't it work for California? There is sekt made from riesling, pinot blanc, pinot noir, chardonnay, and some other grapes blended in on occasion. You will also see the name place the sekt comes from in terms of region, village, and vineyard (if appropriate). As Craig mentioned, prosecco is a grape. Italian sparkling wine carries many designations -- frizzante and spumante being the most prevelant. But in the Franciacorta DOC, as Craig mentions, the wines are made methode champenoise and carry associated words such as Brut on the label. Sparkling wines from other areas of France will identify them as sparkling wine through words such as petillant or cremant. In California, it's just plain old opportunism. Label domestic sprarkling wine as "Champagne" because the squareheads in America call anything with bubbles Champagne. The ignorance of the public is no excuse. They can change the name from syrah or shiraz on the label no problem because we're dealing with a grape variety (just like they can call a wine pinot grigio or pinot gris). But to use "Champagne" is just plain wrong. And what makes it worse is they know it but do it anyway.

Piggybacking on Craig's last two posts... Regarding the California Cabernets, the only one I'd decant for aeration is the 95 Jordan. I don't think you'll find much sediment in the Silver Oak. But you could decant the rest to remove sediment. Or just stand them for a couple of days and leave the last inch in the bottle, or use a funnel. People like those wide-bottomed decanters (and I have one). But I find them hard to pour from as it gets empty. I just like a standard carafe that restaurants use when they pour wine by the carafe or half-carafe. They are much easier to use. Sure, the wine smells better out of the wide-bottomed decanter, but you're not going to drink from it.

Seems to be two issues here. Wine versatility being one and approach to a BTO being another. Teh versatility issue has been covered well. Wines that go with many foods are Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cotes-du-Rhone, and Champagne. When the wine crowd gets together in the Twin Cities, we either pick a wine theme and the pairings end up being whatever they will be; or many of us bring more wine than we will ever open so we have choices. Just because a bottle is carried into the restaurant doesn't mean it has to get opened.

That's a fair comment about not stating what was wrong. I focused on getting the notes out quickly, and didn't include detail I should in some areas. But I will add that, for the most part, the impressions were consensus impressions of the group, and not just my own curmudgeonly comments. What's wrong with the Luminescence? Where do I start? No viognier character. Hardly any fruit at all. No vibrancy. Flat. Bitter. Wooden. If anyone else on this forum has had this wine, they will agree on just how bad it is. Don't believe Parker. What's wrong with the Privilegio? Taste it side by side to a glass of sugar water, and you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference. This was not an exercise in masochism. I like viognier. But what I like it for - floral, slight spice, perfumed citrus and stone fruits didn't show up in many of these wines. Or, if it was present it was marred by a heavy hand with the oak and a push toward higher alcohol. Several (not just the California ones) were made in the same way many California producers make chardonnay. It was disappointing to come away with only 2 or 3 that I'd like to try again.

Nowhere else in the world are sparkling wines labeled Champagne. In California, we've just about said goodbye forever to Chablis and Burgundy. We can do the same with Champagne. In another thread on this page a court has ruled that the use of Napa Valley should apply only to wine where the grapes come from Napa Valley. No winemakers making money on the success of the words Napa Valley. Why the double standard?

Mary Baker of Dover Canyon Winery sent me a six-pack of California wines made from Rhone grape varieties. One of her reasons was to show what California (particularly the Central Coast) is capable of doing with these varieties. Another reason might be because she thinks I’m a swell guy. I was happy to receive the wine and the opportunity to taste through six bottles I’ve never had before, and that are hard or impossible to find locally in Minnesota. But knowing my bias against just about any white wine from California, I assembled a “tasting panel” of wine board guys to help evaluate these wines. Making up the panel were Lee Short (who is known to be shocked and disgusted when he finds a bottle of California wine in his cellar, thinking he got rid of them a long time ago), Jean Brislance (who likely has more California wine – per capita – than the rest of us), Paul Campbell (who is balanced in his cellar inventory and appreciation for Old and New World styles), Jim Verlautz (who we learned holds onto white wines too long), and yours truly. This was the first time I’ve been with these people where we all were drinking the same wines simultaneously. Usually someone goes off and does their own thing. Of course, far be it for this crowd to show up empty handed. I would’ve been fine just tasting through the six bottles that Mary sent. If you quickly scroll through this post, you will see that was nowhere near the case. I needed to start spitting sooner. The wines in the six-pack appear in italics. We all brought delicacies we had cooked. The halibut with mango salsa was great, Paul. NV Champagne Gaston Chiquet, Brut Blanc de Blancs d’Ay, Grand Cru. Ho-hum, just another solid, well-crafted wine from Terry Thiese’s book. Subdued nose that struggles to reveal chalky mineral, lemon zest, and perfumed soap. The mousse is soft and cushy. The flavor profile prominently features pears. There is also a little lemon tartness. The wine finishes with lemon pith and a chalky texture. 2002 Dover Canyon Viognier, Fralich Vineyard, Paso Robles. Strange nose that some of us found off-putting with notes of bell pepper and squash. But aromas of orange oil and peach still came through. The attack was oily and the wine felt heavy in the mouth, as if weighed down by mouth-coating oak. The finish was all peach juice at first, giving way to an alcoholic burn. It’s a big and oaky wine. Warmth helped bring more of the fruit and less of the vegetables out on the nose, but it also showcased the oak more on the nose and in the mouth. 2003 Dover Canyon Viognier, Hansen Vineyard, Paso Robles. This was my second or third favorite still wine of the evening. One or two others thought similarly. Jim didn’t like it at all. Lighter in color than the Fralich, and more muted on the nose. Thankfully, nothing veggie-like whatsoever. Light citrus and stone fruit aromas, but also a whiff of alcohol on the nose. In the mouth, this wine shows much more balance than the Fralich – focusing on fruit and spice rather than oak. There is a bigger alcohol burn on the finish, though. Eating food with the wine helps control the burn on the finish, but it never fully goes away. 2002 Changala Viognier, Santa Barbara County. Lee’s first impression on the nose was canned tuna fish. I didn’t get it. I could struggle to get the can but not the tuna fish. My impression of the nose is that this is a viognier that wants to be a chardonnay. There’s a large vanilla component. According to the winery’s tech sheet, the wine was fermented 50% in stainless steel and 50% in neutral oak. All of us commented on the oak in this wine. The flavor profile was a combination of orange rind and white peaches in between the oak attack and oak finish. We all thought the wine showed some nice acidity, which helped keep the oak from dominating even more. 2002 Alban Vineyards Viognier, Central Coast. This wine was the consensus favorite, regardless of Steven Tanzer’s 86-point rating. This is the first wine that has shown some floral on the nose (other than the Champagne). Beautiful honeysuckle, peach, and citrus. Pretty seamless from attack to finish. Creamy texture than features oranges, peaches, flowers, and a hint of spice. As it warms, it loses some lift and becomes flatter. A tiny bit hot on the finish, but that resolves itself when paired with food. Paul called it his wine of the night, but I think he was forgetting about the Chiquet. There were two other wines in Mary’s six-pack, but they are blends. So we decided to drink some other viognier wines before moving onto them. 2001 Chateau Pesquie Viognier, Portes de Mediterranée Vin de Pays. This one, along with the Dover Canyon Hansen, was my second or third favorite still wine. But we wondered – bemusedly – how this producer could make a good wine without oak. Nose features tarragon in a large dose, but there is also lemon and stony minerals. Waaaaay more acid than any of the California wines. To nitpick, the wine is a tiny bit stem-y. I enjoyed the acid play with the citrus, minerals, and floral tones. 2000 Lys de Volan Condrieu. A Gerard Depardieu wine. Vegetables on the nose. Quite a bit of residual sugar. This wine is particularly sweet after the Pesquie. There is some complexity and dimension to the flavors of stone fruits, spice, and melon. But there is no acid or structure to make a good presentation. So it comes off as flabby and sweet. Dump and move on. 1999 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. Beautiful nose of peaches, apricots, and orange oil. Nice presentation of the fruit and spice on the attack, but it’s all downhill after that. There’s no “there” there in this wine. A low acid level causes the wine to entirely disappear in the mid- and rear-palate. I mean there is positively nothing that happens beyond the tip of the tongue. On the finish there is tired fruit and a bitterness that lingers. Onto the blends (and others)… 2002 Tablas Creek Vin de Tablas Blanc, Paso Robles. 36% viognier, 30% marsanne, 26% grenache blanc, 8% roussanne. Tarragon herb on the nose along with white pepper and melon. Thick and oily in its structure, low amount of acid play. A bit of vegetation that mars the melon, citrus, and stone fruits. 2002 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, Paso Robles. 70% roussanne, 25% grenache blanc, 5% viognier. Paul liked this wine more than the rest of us. I found it appealing enough. Nice nose of herbs and melon. Without food, the wine comes across as oaky and hot. Spice accents in the citrus and melon flavor profile. But the oak doesn’t appear to be very well integrated. I’d like to try the wine after (if) the oak integrates – or without the oak entirely. The fruit and acid components are quite pleasing in their own right. 1989 M. Chapoutier Chante-Alouette Hermitage Blanc. The nose is all fingernail polish remover. Dumped it. 1999 Domaine des Remizieres “Cuvée Christophe” Crozes-Hermitage Blanc. This wine suffered from being cooked at some point. Cooked aromas and oxidation on the nose. Cooked and caramelized fruit on the palate. 1994 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Cream and earthy minerality on the nose. Nutty and resiny in the mouth. On the decline. Tired fruit. 1993 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay, “Le Bouge D’a Cote,” Santa Barbara County. Lee wanted to get rid of this being shocked to find it in his cellar. He could’ve done so without subjecting the rest of us to it. Supposedly, this top cuvée from ABC is supposed to age well. Supposedly. This was DOA. 2001 Sine Qua Non Albino. California. 46% chardonnay, 40% roussanne, 14% viognier. Overwhelming oak on the nose. Even more on the palate. Can’t get past it. I take everything back I said about the oakiness in the earlier wines. This wine is the poster child for over-oaked white wine. 1999 E. Guigal Condrieu Luminescence. 375ml bottle. This is tied for the worst dessert wine I have ever had. The other was the 1997 Feudi di San Gregorio Privilegio. But if I tasted them side by side, this one may be voted worst. NV R.L. Buller & Sons “Calliope” Rare Liqueur Muscat, Rutherglen. We has to end the evening on a good note. This wine isn’t entirely like P.X., but you can see it from here. Liquid brown sugar buoyed by acid. Jim had a good description when he said “baked apple without the apple.” Jim also brought a white quaffer from the Greek producer, Boutari. It was a great summer deck white for about $6. But I didn’t write down any information or notes on it. Amazingly, not one red wine in the bunch. Jean also took notes, so he may have detailed comments to add.

What's Andrea Immer doing these days?

It's all about selling magazines. Emeril on the cover will sell more mags. Wine Spectator stopped caring what the food and wine lovers thought long ago. They are much more interested in what the masses think. It's a business.

Katie, I didn't think the 1992 Beaucastel was very bretty. I think brett manifests itself in a number of ways. Barnyard may be one, but I'm more with you on the band-aid component. And for me the wines taste metallic.

My guess is that the 2002 wine is the same wine as this producers Rasteau, but it has been declassified as a Vin de Pays. Many producers in the area did this sort of thing. There is a perception and expectation of quality based on how the wines are labeled, and certain laws governing how they can be labeled. This producer was not doubt following the written and unwritten laws.

See, your problem was that you just weren't drinking good wine. The wines of Marc Kreydenweiss are gaining in popularity by leaps and bounds. Kreydenweiss is a producer in the Bas Rhin area of Alsace. Most of the well-known producers are in the Haut Rhin. Kreydenweiss wines have been enjoyed for many years by me and others long before they started become darlings of the critics. They've always been hard to come by in the U.S. With word of mouth enjoyment, the distribution picked up a little. But hte points ratings will make them harder than ever to find in no time at all. I'm glad you got to enjoy the wine. You've had a treasure that not many years-long wine geeks have experienced.

Clean, of course. Solid, naturally. Super-fruity, pass. A few jab and run comments: 1) That's the 2000 vintage for you; 2) That's Sandrone for you; 3) That's Wine Spectator for you.

Coffee filters are sometimes tough to use. Some are just too thick. Many peole own a decanting funnel that filters out the sediment. You could position this above a glass as well as a decanter. As far as standing up a bottle goes, usually 48 hours is recommended. I don't plan my drinking that far in advance, so a funnel is a good tool to have.

I'm going to offer a contrary opinion here. Is this event about the wedding or about the wine? If it's like most wine receptions I've been to, no one gives a crap about the quality of the wine as much as the quantity and that it is free to them. Have your friend taste the wines (they'll let her do that), and pick one she likes. I don't care for any of these either, and if it was my wedding I'd go in another direction. But I wouldn't significantly increase my spending for guests that won't know or care anyway.

Three more to add. Nicolas Joly (Savennieres), Rene Renou (Bonnezeaux), and Francois Pinon (Vouvray).

I got mine in St. Paul Minnesota. You can find it at K & L, North Berkeley, and probably plenty of other places.

1997 Cline Zinfandel, Fulton Road Vineyard, Russian River Valley. This wine should be decanted – there’s about a shot glass full of sediment in the bottle. 1997 was the maiden bottling of this wine, and I picked it up for under $25. I’ve seen the 2000 as high as $42 retail and the 1999 as high as $79 on a restaurant list. The 1997 is 92% zinfandel, 5% syrah, and 3% alicante bouchet. It is also a damn fine bottle of wine. The aroma promises bright and bouncy zinberry fruit and the wine delivers on that promise. There are some secondary spice and herb elements, but thr fruit is the star here. It’s opulent without being overly jammy. There is still a tannic presence to provide structure and a good dose of acid to feed the finish. This is, by far, the best wine I’ve had from Cline, and shows that Cline is more than just a good QPR producer.

2000 Domaine Barmès-Buecher Riesling Hengst, Alsace Grand Cru. Zowie, is this wine a rockhead and acid lover’s dream! For those who think some wines can contain too much mineral character, this is not the wine for you. This is all about chalk and flint with a token nod to some lemon and lime citrus essence. At the present time, it is a wine in need of aeration before drinking. It would be best to let this sit in a decanter for 2-3 hours before enjoying it. I didn’t have that luxury or foresight, so I had to let it aerate in the glass as much as possible before moving onto the next course at dinner. It didn’t do much opening up, but as it warmed, it just started to fill out. Although I've raved about the mineral, this is by no means a one-dimensional wine, nor one that is too sleek. There is great body and structure here. Approximately $35

Looks like it's time to stock up.

Thanks, Mary. And this lends support to the balance issue. An alcohol percentage on the label is a federal requirement in the U.S., and maybe should be viewed as nothing more. Beverages are taxed according to the percentage of alcohol, which is one reason for including it on the label. But, as I mentioned above, wines can be labeled high alcohol and have great balance, and other s can be labeled low alcohol and still come across as alcoholic. So for the Argentine grower, it's not that he should harvest at lower brix or alcohol, but that the winemaker makes a balanced wine. Revisiting the title of the thread, sometimes it is certainly alcohol overkill. Other times it is ripeness overkill. But one comment on the following... I'll give you this point on tannin (edited to add: although some tannin comes from oak, so...). I can't give it to you on the others. Chaptalization jacks up alcohol. Overripeness jacks up alcohol. Roto fermenters and spinning cones jack up concentration.