Joel Gott Wines.....a new name in the grocery store wine market.....

Once upon a time, there was a great and greasy hamburger, shakes and fries spot in Napa called Taylor's Refresher. It was yummy, it was a hole and it was iconic. One day, a family with the name of Gott, bought that historic spot and changed its name to Gott's. Napa's citizens were sad. Then, their wine started to pop up around the country.

At first, I ignored this market take-over due to their mean takeover of such a well-known place and brand. But, one fateful night while eating sushi, I really wanted a Sauv Blanc and the only one on the menu was......Joel Gott.

Thus, my experience with Joel Gott began. And, to be honest, it was quite refreshing and surprising. Now, a year later, my go-to wine with sushi is the Joel Gott Sauv Blanc. I am typically a New Zealand Sauv Blanc girl (as are many of you, from what you have told me) mainly because I rarely find that crisp and grapefruit taste in a CA Sauv. Joel Gott does a very decent and enjoyable job at a CA Sauv Blanc. You can typically find it for $12-$15 at your local grocery store, along with a few other varietals from Joel Gott.

I have just, today, bought my first Joel Gott Zin and Cab and am very anxious to try them out. As I have mentioned, I am much more impressed with "cheaper" whites that reds but am excited to see what happens. Have any of you had them?

Joel Gott is quickly becoming another great grocery store go-to brand. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers! (while drinking my Joel Gott Sauv)

A Blind Tasting triumph.......

Studying wine has many forms but one of the hardest and most rewarding parts is tasting. Now, to become a certified sommelier, you have to blind taste 6 wines (3 white, 3 red) and be able to identify not only the particular wine but the year and where it was grown....and you only have 25 minutes to do it. 

I have had some tough times trying to correctly identify wine in a blind tasting. However, I feel as if I may have found a great learning curve to improve my skills. I won't always be able to use this format, but it is a big start for me........

Last week, myself, my dad and my hubbie visited our awesome local wine shop, Red or White, for a blind tasting of 3 reds and 3 whites. What made this trip different was the format. Instead of not knowing anything about the wines, we DID know the three red and three white varietals, but did not know which was which. This format not only allowed us to use our smell and knowledge skills in identifying the wines, but we were able to learn by tasting them against one another and comparing/contrasting. It made a WORLD of difference.

To be successful in a blind tasting, you do need to know the basic smells and tastes to expect from a certain wine varietal. That said, Kevin Zraly, in his Windows on the World Wine Course, recommends that you "memorize" the taste and smell of the most frequented varietals - Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Merlot, Cab and Pinot Noir. That will give you a basis and a start at learning to blind taste.

So, how did we do? (Note to the reader: no answers were given to each other until we were all done making up our minds)

We will start with the Whites:

First, we examined their color and they were all a very similar transparent yellow. It helps if you have a white sheet of paper to put behind the glass.

Next, we smelled and tried to make a call on what the wine was just from its bouquet (the smell of the wine).

Wine Momma: (L-R) Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Riesling
Hubbie: Riesling, Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay
Dad: Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Riesling

Finally, we took quite some time tasting the wines and comparing them to one another. Another fascinating note to make is how the bouquet and taste can alter based on its temperature. The longer was tasted, some small changes occured.

After tasting, here are our findings -

Wine Momma: Riesling, Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay
Hubbie: Riesling, Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay
Dad: Riesling, Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay

The REVEAL for the Whites:
(L-R) -  Riesling, Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay

To say I was excited was an understatement. We all correctly identified, after tasting, the three varietals. My dad and I had two of them switched from just smell, but changed once we tasted.

The Red's -

The color, L-R, seemed to go lighter to darker.

After smelling, here were our predictions:
Wine Momma: (L-R): Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet
Hubbie: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet
Dad: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet

So, we all agreed on the smelling, which was exciting! After tasting, we all felt the same way.

The REVEAL for the Reds:
(L-R): Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet

We were so pumped to have predicted the three reds, both by smell and taste, correctly. Our success, in my opinion, was due to the tasting format. It offered us the ability to cognitively discern what we were tasting in a great educational format. I have decided to stay with this format for, probably,  another year until I feel I have exhausted the format and have matured to full blind tastings. 

We have much to learn, but did some celebrating with some Champagne.

Friends, this was a great and fun way to learn how to taste wines. I truly hope you are able to partner with your local wine shop and do the same. It makes for a great wine date or fun afternoon!

Cheers!

NY Time Wine School Tasting - a very different French story and grape

The South Alabama Wine Club met again for our second month of the NY Times Wine School tasting. This month - the beautiful Beaujolais wine. As you might recall, last month's tasting was Bordeaux, which is most often very "old world" grape, earthy and strong.

We switched gears this month with Beaujolais wine, made mainly from the Gamay grape, which has thin skins and, therefore, low in tannin. It tends to be a very light red wine and fruit forward.

One cool thing about the region is that they ferment through Carbonic Maceration. In normal fermentation, the grapes are crushed and yeast is added to the must (grape skins and juices). However, with carbonic maceration, they allow the natural yeasts to begin fermentation within the grape and, therefore, not crushing it. But, as gravity can tend to do, some of the grapes at the bottom are inevitably crushed, thus creating a nice combo effect.

With that all said, carbonic maceration is supposed to create a stronger fruit taste due to its minimalist approach within the grape.

The outcome?

Wine Momma and South Alabama Wine Club Wine Review
Wine: 2011 Beaujolias
Smell: Fresh baby, strawberry, vinyl/leather, mildew (this can sometimes be associated with earthy and old world grapes)
Taste: spice, coffee, strawberry
Thoughts: medium acidity, very smooth, fruit is more pronounced when eating cheese
Wine Momma Wine Review - a solid 3 for both the price and the fact that it was a smooth, easy to drink table wine with a very cool fermentation story

You can pick up your own for any price between $17 - $75. 

Cheers!

If you love Zinfandel, you can't go wrong with this wine........

If I had to choose a favorite varietal right here and now, I would say Zinfandel. To me, its the perfect blend of fruit, spice and texture.

One of my current favorites is Saldo. It is a simple bottle with a very unique label.

The word "Saldo" is Spanish and it mainly refers to "balance on hand," and sometimes it can also be interpreted "from here and there."

Although the label may come across as minimal, the wine is anything but. Saldo is made by David Phinney, founder and wine maker of Orin Swift Wine Makers and The Prisoner. Many of you may have heard of The Prisoner wine, currently a "must have" to drink in the wine world. It is a great red as well, but more expensive than many may want to pay.

Then we get to Saldo - where you get the best "cherry-picked" and "legendary"grapes with half the cost. You can find Saldo anywhere from $20-$30 in a local wine shop but most likely not the grocery store.

With its dark fruity aromas and complex taste, be sure to buy and savor this wine for a special night. Wine Momma gives it a solid TWO on the Wine Momma Wine Review Scale, both for its taste and its affordable pricing for the value.

Cheers!

Are you more healthy or educated if you drink wine?

Study: Moms Who Drink Wine While Pregnant Have Better Behaved Kids « CBS Atlanta

A study out of London from January, 2014 poses its finding that women who drink one glass of wine per week while pregnant have better behaved children.

To be honest, I thought the study was a bit odd in that they were seeking information on behavior that is heavily influenced by your environment but what I was actually drawn to in the article was this - that women who drink at least one glass of wine a week tend to make healthier lifestyle decisions and are better educated. 

Why would this be? Is it affluence/ability to buy wine? Is it education about wine and knowing that wine is a healthier choice (in moderation, of course)? Or is wine considered to be an upper or middle class type drink? Is wine influenced on those in certain classes as an "acceptable" alcohol drink? Is it just all about money? 

I see the truth in all the above reasons but I personally like to think that it is because wine in itself is:

1. A healthier choice of alcohol
2. Wine has become so much more accessible and affordable in the last 10 years thanks to the great winemakers in this country and a few others

Great wine + low cost = smart person.

When you are in a great theological, philosophical, scientific, friendly, romantic, etc. conversation with some friends, spouses or colleagues, what is often in your hand? WINE.

Does wine affect what we eat? Does it pair well with fried chicken or baked chicken? Most would say baked. Wine helps me to be a better eater because I want what I eat to enhance what I drink and vice versus. Because of that, I have a healthier food lifestyle.

What other alcohol can you drink and learn about that is as diverse, complicated, complex, sensitive and yummy than WINE?

Answer: None.

Now, no arguing you Bourbon drinkers. Come to me when you develop a soft, fruity bourbon and maybe we can talk.

Personally, I do not buy this whole one glass of wine a week while pregnant makes better behaved children. I think it is much more credit to the environment a child grows up in. And, as all of us wine momma's know, a balanced lifestyle between fun, wine and family, lends itself to great kids......and maybe some future wine makers. (MY fingers are crossed at least!)

Cheers!

What experiences have defined your wine path?

When I met my amazing hubbie in 2007, I already had a general knowledge and love for wine. However, as I made mention in my first post, my palette had not yet had the opportunity to taste and experience a variety of varietals, both costly and not-so costly.

We received the opportunity to move to Southern CA in early 2010 and jumped at the chance. Lucky for us, our wonderful family friends, the Warburton's, lived in beautiful Manhattan Beach and opened up their home to us as our first place of residence in sunny CA. Now, their blending into our family started almost 10 years earlier when Gary and his wife, Terry, met my parents and were left to drink from the vines of France for a week after 9/11 but, for now, we will focus on our story.

Gary was already what he called a "garagiste" wine maker. He would travel to places all over CA for the best grapes, bring them home to Manhattan Beach and bring the wine making process to life in his garage. Gary and Terry were famous for their Paella and bottling parties. 20-30 people would show up to their home, bottle wine all day and end with a fabulous feast and wine-apalooza. Still, to this day, the best parties at which I have ever been.

Our first "be able to drink and know what is truly good wine" came when Gary and Terry left us to watch their home for them for a month. Before he left, Gary took us to his wine cellar and, pointing to a large collection of wine bottles, he said "You can drink these while we are gone."

Um, OK.

And we did. All of them.

It was one of the greatest wine education months of our lives.

Not only did I find out that Gary was, in fact, an amazing wine maker (his Tempranillo to this day is still one of my favorites and a Magnum of it signed by him sits in my home) but we enjoyed those kid-free and worry-free first weeks in CA learning about our palettes and wine.

Now, Gary had a birthday this past week and I miss him and Terry tremendously and I suppose I am a bit sappy today. But, I am so grateful for their hospitality and probably unbeknownst to them, their hand in our love for wine.

                                                                   Phifer-Pavitt Wines

                                                                    Gary and Suzanne

Today, Gary and his wife are a key part of one of my favorite wineries, Phifer-Pavitt. Terry's son, Shane, and his beautiful wife, Suzanne (a fellow Southerner - woo hoo!), own and manage the winery in Calistoga and, as a team, they are helping to preserve a sophisticated level of wine making in Napa and stewarding the wonderful grapes from that region. They make a dynamite Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. If you live in South Alabama, their Cab can be found at Southern Napa in Daphne. Their wines have a great tag line - "Date Night."

Now, Gary has a wonderful interview about a year ago from another wine blog and you can read it here.

Gary and Terry, thank you for your part in growing our love and education of wine.

Now, friends, what experiences in your life have defined your wine path?

Cheers!

NY Times Wine School - For April, we are drinking from the Beaujolais region of France

Last month's Wine School wine was Bordeaux, which, for me, I was not thrilled with but followed through. As Eric Asimov says, "Bordeaux speaks to the mind".....but, for me, I am looking for wine that "appeals to the soul." I am VERY excited about this month's wine - much more complex and more fruit.

You can read the Wine School article here.

Beaujolais - A French Appellation of wines made generally from the Gamay grape, which has a thinner skin and, therefore, lower in tannins. Beaujolais region is considered to be a Burgundy region but the climate is closer to the Rhone region. It is an individualistic region and is well-known for its use of carbonic maceration. I just recently learned about this technique during my wine studies. Carbonic Maceration is when the grapes are left whole and undergo fermentation inside the berry, without the help from yeast. It gives the wine a brighter color and a distinctive fruity taste. Isn't that amazing? Seriously, who thinks of techniques like that!?

Your three wines options are -

Domaine du Clos du Fief/Michel Tête Juliénas 2011 - $23.

Jean-Paul Brun/Terres Dorées Côte de Brouilly 2011 - $22.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2011 - $14.

The first two are cru Beaujolais, 10 villages thought to be distinctive enough that their names are appellations. They are: Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié and St. Amour. The third is a lower classification, Beaujolais-Villages, but is made in greater quantity and may be easier to find.

 

I stink at pronouncing French but I am hopeful that your local wine store owners can help you find what you need.  If you can't find what you need, look for a 2011 from one of these regions. 

The South Alabama wine group will be meeting next week to taste these wines and I will report on our palettes. Let me know what you think! 

Cheers!

The South Alabama wine club met again over a blind wine tasting....did we get it right?

Wine tasting is all about enjoying and learning. Some people are what is called "master tasters" and they physically have a larger number of taste buds on their tongues than others. For real. 

For others that are not so lucky, we do our best. And we did do our best. Fun was had, learning occurred and the best drink was enjoyed, wine.

My adorable hubbie set up a great blind wine tasting between two red wines. They were placed in decanters and we were not given any information about the wines before tasting.

So, let's cut to the chase - did we get them right? NO.
Did we learn something to help with our future blind wine tastings? Sure did.

Learning is a process and here is what we learned:

Wine #1
What we smelled and tasted - Spice, plum, cherry, tobacco
Texture - very dry, alcohol
Color - dark plum

What we thought it was - a Merlot
What it actually was - Bogle (CA) Petite Sirah

To save some face on this wine tasting, the Bogle is a lighter Petite than normal. With a Petite, you look for lots of spice on the finish and tannins.

Wine # 2
What we smelled and tasted - Strawberry, cherry, blackberry, leather, musty
Texture - medium acidity
Color - dark red

What we thought it was - we were split half and half on a Pinot Noir or a Zinfandel
What it actually was - Cupcake (Central Coast CA) Cabernet Sauvignon

Personally, I was SHOCKED by the outcome of this wine. It was so heavy on the fruit (mainly Strawberry) that I have never tasted in a Cab before. We were all shocked. It just goes to show you how difficult blind tastings can be.

We were so amazed at how different our assumptions were based on what actually was, that we are going to do a side by side tasting of three of the same varietals for our next meeting. It will be so helpful to taste the slight differences in wine that can be due to anything from terroir to weather to the year.

One step at a time in the world of learning, right?

Cheers!
 

Glass Wine Corks?? Yes.....and I believe they are going to soon be the preeminent method of bottle preservation

Wait?! What? Cork is not the end all, be all of wine bottle closure? Well, to many it still is and to many it always will be. But, about 10 years ago, the Glass Wine Cork started coming out of the European market and some US wine regions, like Oregon, are starting to take notice as well. It's not just better for the life of the wine in the bottle, but it is also reusable.

Have you ever heard of cork taint or when a wine is "corked?" Cork is a product from a living tree and can get quite spongy. In 5-10% of the bottles of wine bottled with cork, the phenols (carbolic acid) present in the cork can react to the wine, causing cork taint. Basically, mold forms and contaminates the wine. Sometimes the wine can smell or taste like mildew, but other times, the wine just might taste a little. “off.” 

Cork is an equal opportunity product and may choose to taint any bottle of wine - those that cost $10 or those that cost $2,000. In my opinion, that is a scary gamble. Think about those wines that are held onto by collectors for 20 years, only to open them and potentially experience "corked" wine.

Since the glass wine cork is made of smooth glass, there is no chance of its interacting with the wine in any way. The seal part of the cork is achieved with a small O-ring under the lip of the stopper.  This creates an air-tight seal. Another plus is that it is reusable - both for the bottle and for the winery or recycling.  If for some reason you don’t finish your bottle of wine, just reinsert the stopper into the bottle.  This again creates the seal, and you can finish your bottle the next day. Secondly, some wineries in Oregon allow you to bring back your glass corks and they sterilize them and re-use them or you can recycle them the old-fashioned way.

Now, I know many of you are sad that you may no longer be able to create all of your cute wine cork wreaths and placements but, never fear, I doubt that corks are on their way out. I just believe we may see much more of our glass wine cork friend in the next 5-10 years.

Cheers!

How to: Save money on wine while eating out.......

Date Night. A special occasion. A birthday. A Holiday.

American's eat out. A lot. Some choose to do so often and some do it sparingly. When I became a more serious wine drinker, my monthly play money went to buying wine, not clothes or make up or shoes or movie tickets. I do admit my fashion life has suffered because of it, but it is a sacrifice well worth it.

So, when you love wine, and good wine at that, how can you save money while drinking and eating out?

It's not easy in this day and age where the average mark up of a bottle of wine at a restaurant is 100%. That means that your favorite Pinot Noir just went from $20 to $40 in a flash. All for some table service and a nice (or maybe not so nice) waiter to open it for you.

Here are a few tips for you to follow:

1. Search for local restaurant(s) (most often locally owned) that are BYOB. Many small but great food establishments cannot afford or choose not to buy a liquor license. In those cases, you can bring your own wine that you bought at a decent price at the grocery store or wine shop. Some restaurants may charge a small corkage fee (to cover cleaning the glasses, etc.)

2. Call the restaurant ahead of time and ask if you can bring your own wine. Most often they will allow it. A corkage fee will be included (probably around $5-$10) but it will still save you that 100% mark up cost. I have even done this in chain restaurants. You never know until you ask!

3. Split the wine cost with friends at dinner. Going on a double date? Split the wine cost and still get a couple of great glasses to drink over dinner.

4. If you do choose to pay full price at a restaurant, check local laws and make sure you know if you can take the left-over wine home with you. Many states allow you to take wine home with you after dinner. They will properly package it for you. Don't lose money on wine you bought but did not finish. 

5. Eat at home. This has been my go-to budget saver for almost 4 years now. Cooking and eating at home is key for us. We can still get our wine at normal retail price and enjoy a home-cooked meal. Don't like to cook? You can still order in/pick up at your favorite restaurant and save money.

Cheers!