What To Do With All That Wine!

What to do with all the wine? That is a question my husband and I have been asking the last couple of months. As it stands now, we belong to four wine clubs and have a number of bottles that we collected on our trip to California last year. In a couple of months we will have more wine arriving from our trip to Oregon. Some of the wine is ready to drink now, but a good deal of it should age nicely over the next 5-10 years. Currently we have it stored in a cool section of our basement. Do we need to just buy more racks for our incoming wine shipment, or do we need to do more to protect our wine? In determining what type of storage we will need, I’m focusing on three things:  temperature, humidity, and bottle position.

Temperature can have a big impact on the wine that you store. The recommended temperature for cellaring wines is 55° Fahrenheit. Wines that are stored in warm conditions will age twice as quickly. So that great bottle of Brunello that you planned on lying down for 20 years will reach its perfection much earlier than you planned. Another factor to consider in regards to temperature is consistency. Temperatures that continually fluctuate can affect the wine more than a warmer, continuous temperature. So if you have a spot in your basement that stays 60-65° without fluctuations, your wine should be fine. Also related to heat is sunlight. Keep the wine away from the sunlight because too much sunlight can cause temperature fluctuations as well as wine spoilage.

Humidity is another element to consider when storing your wine.  The ideal humidity for storing wine is 65%. Room humidity that is too low can dry out the corks which can allow air into your bottle and wine seepage. This oxidization process will spoil that wonderful bottle of wine you have been so patiently (or sometimes not so patiently) waiting to mature. Also, be aware that most wine coolers bought at big box stores will regulate temperature only and not humidity.

The bottle position of your stored wine is important when cellaring wine for the long term or even for medium range storage of 3 months or more. Make sure to store your bottles horizontally so that wine from the bottle is always in contact with the cork. By keeping the cork moist with the wine, you can prevent getting a dry cork which can lead to air reaching the bottle and causing oxidization and wine spoilage.

So what have my husband and I decided to do with all that wine we will be receiving in the next couple of months? We decided that we basically have three options: a wine storage unit, build a wine cellar in our basement, or rent storage space for our wine. It was easy enough to throw out the idea of renting space because we have enough room in our home to either build a room or purchase a storage unit. However, renting a space can be a great option for those who live in apartments or lack extra space. Building our own wine cellar sounded interesting, but it is expensive and I’m not sure our collection will grow enough to warrant an entire room. So we have decided to purchase a wine storage unit. After much research – thanks to my hubby- we have decided to go with Le Cache wine cabinet. What we like about this unit is the refrigeration unit can be pulled out of the cabinet and replaced when it wears out over time. We also like the fact that by choosing a cabinet unit we can move it with us if we relocate in the future.

Remember, even if you are storing wine for a short period of time, avoid sunlight; lay bottles on their side; and avoid extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations. Now enjoy a glass of your favorite wine.

Cheers,

Beth

                                                      Wine Word of the Week

Oxidization:   White wines will darken and turn brown as they age.  Red wines lighten and turn brown as they age. Same as an apple turns brown when you cut it in half and it becomes exposed to air, this is what also happens to wine. A lot of brown in the wine is a sign that the wine may have prematurely oxidized, which usually occurs with poor wine storage or a faulty cork seal that allowed air into the bottle. An oxidized wine loses a lot of its fruit flavor, freshness, and scent.  Moral of the story? Proper storage :).

Creating Memories

     So have you ever had a bottle of wine and thought to yourself "I remember the first time I had this when......" and you drift off to those fond memories?  Tonight after driving for four days and dropping off our daughter at college for her freshman year, we opened a bottle of V. Sattui Winery's Sattui Family Red.  This wine has some great memories for us.
     When our little girl was only 12, that summer we dropped her (along with her 9 yr old brother) off at church camp in Central California for them to have a week full of exciting adventures.  While those two precious darlings had kid fun, my husband and I had BIG kid fun.  We drove over to Napa and Sonoma Valley!
     Spending a full week there was amazing and relaxing.  While driving up and down St Helena Hwy (Hwy 29), we found one of our favorite wineries - V. Sattui Winery. The atmosphere alone was quite enjoying.  At the deli and marketplace, we were able to find some wonderful salami and cheeses to pair with a bottle of wine in their delightful picnic area.  A few days later, we returned to pick up some more deli goodies and another bottle of wine to take with us as we drove over to the coast and had our picnic on the beach at Bodega Bay.  With so many wineries to chose from (and we sampled a number), this charming place still has a place in our hearts.
     So if you are ever in St. Helena, CA stop by, enjoy some goodies and make your own fond memories.  Since they don't sell to stores or restaurants, they will ship directly to you.  We enjoy the Family Red, which is a delicious blend, day in and day out.  They do have a other varietals, so check out their website at www.vsattui.com.

Cheers,
Lisa

WORD OF THE WEEK

AGING:  The process of intentionally holding a wine for a period of time so that the components in it can integrate and the wine can grow softer and possibly more complex.  Wines are generally aged first in a barrel and later in bottles, since wines evolve differently in each vessel.  The length of time any wine is aged is initially up to the producer, though many of the top European wines by law must be aged a certain minimum number of months or years.  Most wines worldwide are not aged at all.   (The Wine Bible, Karen MacNeil)

Wine Class August 14, 2012: Blind Tasting

Simi Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Color: Dark garnet

Nose: An oaky, woodsy aroma with hints of leather.

Mouth:  A bit of spice with full bodied tannins. 

Price: $17.98

Conclusion:   Excellent cabernet that is well-balanced and deliciously complex.

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel 2010

Color:  Inky purple 

Nose: Big jammy, berry fruit with a hint of cumin.

Mouth:  Big juicy raspberry fruit. 

Price: $9.77 (Regular price $14.69)

Conclusion: Nice balance of fruit with spice. Wonderful everyday wine for the price. 

Consilience Syrah 2010

Color:  Garnet 

Nose:  Toasty nose with chocolate notes.

Mouth:  Wonderful spice with juicy blackberry and raspberry.

Price: $18.00

Conclusion:  Still a favorite of us all. We love the beautiful fruit of this well balanced wine. 

Pairings

Cheeses:

•  Goat Gouda
•  Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda
•         Barber’s 1833 English Vintage Cheddar

Four cheese pizza

Final Thoughts:

Beth:  This class was divided into two sections, in the first part we had a componet tasting as described in Kevin Zraly's Windows of World Wine Course book. We tasted specific components of wine - acidity, sweetness, and tannins. It was very interesting, but I would not recomend a blind tasting following this lesson as your mouth already has so much going on with the component tasting.The second part was a blind tasting and congratulations to Mary Jo - she was able to identiy the varietal of all three wines.

I enjoyed all three wines. I have always loved the Consilience Syrah, but the Simi Cabernet is a new favorite. You can't beat the Bogle Zinfandel for the price either.  

Lisa: This was a fun class :).  Playing with the different components of wine heightened my awareness of each and now I feel I will be able to recognize each while enjoying the wine at the same time.  As for the blind tasting, I thought identifying each would be a breeze.  Not exactly!  Maybe because we had just tasted the components. I did however, enjoy them all! 

Mary Jo:  What a wonderful class!  It was so interesting to deconstruct the wines and determine how each component feels/tastes in the mouth by itself and with wine!  It is truly the only way to learn how to pick out these components while drinking wine.  All three varietals we tasted this evening were delicious!  Consilience is obviously my favorite, but I had to say I truly enjoyed both other wines immensely.  

Here's To Your Health and Mine!

     When one discusses the topic of philanthropy, wine isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind.  Most people think that wine can give two things, (hopefully) a great drinking experience and, sometimes if you have too much, a headache.  But believe it or not, in recent years there has been an increase in wineries supporting a variety of important causes.  Some wineries and wine stories donate a portion of sales to various causes, while others release wines that specifically support individual charities.

     The first wine that I will profile is by Cline Cellars and is called Cashmere (www.clinecellars.com/lbbc).  This blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre is not only delicious, but has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for those with breast cancer.  Cline Cashmere supports an organization called Living Beyond Breast Cancer (livingbeyondbreastcancer.org).  LBBC is a national education and support organization for those with breast cancer and helps those to strive to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.  Since 2004, Cline has partnered with LBBC to fund programs such as a 24/7 survivor help line, educational workshops and conferences, and informational newsletters and publications, among others.  What a wonderful resource for those afflicted with this horrible illness!

     Second, I found One Hope Wine.  (www.onehopewine.com)  One Hope Wine originated in 2007 and, since its inception, has raised over $750,000 for various charity organizations.  One Hope donates 50% of its profits to the partner charities, including autism, breast cancer, and AIDS, just to name a few.  Simply put in your zip code on their web site and you can see where One Hope Wines can be found near you!  There are several varietals and their web site provides how much will go to the chosen charity and other charity of the consumer's choice!

     

     Third, the Staglin Family Vineyard has chosen Music Festival for Mental Health (IMHRO.org) as its main charity.  The Staglin's son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1990.  At that time, they started a non-profit foundation to raise funds for mental health research.  The Music Festival for Health, which has raised over 135 million dollars for mental health research, brings together musicians, scientists, wineries and chefs to raise funds and awareness for the cause.  

     In addition, IMHRO joined with three other organizations to form Bring Change 2 Mind.  Their mission is to 'emerge as the world's most effective organization working to erase the stigma and discrimination around mental illness by creating targeted and powerful messaging'.  Find out more information at bringchange2mind.org.

     Finally, Garen Staglin joined with Congressman Patrick Kennedy in 2011 to co-chair the launch of One Mind For Research (1mind4research.org).  Its aim is to dramatically decrease the global burden of brain disorder disability in the next ten years.  

     Organizations such as Charitywines.com and Benefitwines.com partner charities with wines or celebrities with wines to benefit various causes.   For example, Charitywines.com has teamed up with sports figures to create wines that benefit a variety of charities. 

     These are just a few examples of the generosity of the wine community.  It demonstrates how people can come together for the benefit of others.  We proudly support these wineries and organizations and are happy to get the word out! 

Cheers!

Mary Jo

Word of the week:
Meritage - A US designated trademark referring to wines that are a blend of Bordeaux grapes. An example could be a wine made of a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Blended wines that meet the designation are not required to carry meritage on their label.

       

   

A Summer for Whites

     Wow, it has been a summer for the record books! Records have been broken for the number of days over 100° and the lack of rain. You know the heat has been extreme when 90° sounds refreshing. The silver lining of all this heat and drought – I have a new appreciation for white wines.

     Usually I’m a red wine drinker. I love Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Rioja from Spain, and Sangiovese from Italy just to name a few. A spicy Syrah or Zinfandel is great with BBQ. A Pinot Noir is perfectly paired with salmon, but unfortunately this summer has been so relentless in its heat that red wine just isn’t as appealing as usual. The solution – trying more white wines, and I have been quite pleased. I’ve already written about the fabulous Verdecchio from Fazi Battaglia. Here are a few more whites I’ve tried and fallen in love with this summer.

§  Sauvignon Blanc: I’ve sampled these from all over the world this summer-from California to France to Argentina. In this hot summer you can’t beat the crispness of this wine. It is wonderful as an aperitif or with a salad. Just think of lighter sauces, cooking methods for the hot summer and chances are you will have a match. It is also fun to share a couple bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from two different regions, say California and New Zealand or New World verses Old World, and discover the how the region and wine producing style affects the grapes. Some of my favorites right now: Portillo (Argentina), Kim Crawford (New Zealand), Joel Gott (California).

§  Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris: In Italy it is Pinot Grigio and Oregon it is known as Pinot Gris, but it is the same grape. You may find the Oregon variety to have a bit more body to it. I had a chance to sample some fantastic Pinot Gris while in Oregon earlier this summer. Arbor Brook was a favorite of mine. An easy drinking everyday Pinot Grigio I have enjoyed this summer is Riff Pinot Grigio. It is definitely light bodied good for sipping by the pool or served with antipasto or light seafood dishes. I found this treasure at my local Whole Foods for $11.99 a bottle.

§  Torrontés: If you haven’t tried this white wine from Argentina, you are in for a treat. Argentina is known for their Malbec, but the Torrontés is becoming more readily available with the increase in wine exported from Argentina. This white has moderate acidity with wonderful fresh aromatic nose. One that I love recently was Callia Alta Torrontés. When pairing this food think Asian, Mexican, and especially guacamole.

     Serving temperature of your wines is always important and that includes the whites. Serving your white wines straight from the refrigerator is too cold. Let them sit out for about 15 minutes. You want the serving temperature to be in the 45-55° range. If the wine is too cold you miss out on the full taste and aromas that the wines have to offer. Good Chardonnays can be served a little warmer according to Kevin Zraly, he suggests 55-60°. And don’t forget your reds need a bit of a chill too. He suggests serving lighter reds like Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese at 55-60°. Fuller bodied Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon at 60-65°

     This is just one more thing that I love about wines-there are so many to try and enjoy. Don’t be afraid to try different wines for different seasons. Six months from now when the temperatures will be at the other extreme you will probably find me by the fire with a rich, warm Malbec.

Cheers,

Beth

Wine Class, August 1 - Riesling

Kung Fu Girl Riesling Washington State 2011

Color:  Light gold

Nose:  Bursting with fruit on the nose-green apple, pear 

Mouth:  Lush, full mouth with nice minerality balanced with a light sweetness and lime. 

Price: $12.99 Whole Foods
Conclusion:  We all loved this off dry Riesling from Washington.

Gentil "Hugel" Riesling/Alsace France 2010

Color:  Light gold with a hint of green 

Nose:  Fragrant nose with a pleasant musty with hints of toasty apple.

Mouth: Loads of minerality, a surprisingly light body. Definitely the driest of the group.

Price: $13.99 Whole Foods

Conclusion:  Very enjoyable wine, that paired well with the cheeses.

Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2010

Color:  Golden with a hint of green
 

Nose: The nose bursts with fruit, especially green apple with a hint of smokey campfire. 

Mouth: Plenty of fruit with a nice balance between the residual sugar and the acidity. This was the sweetest of the group which was to be expected.

Price:  $19.99 Whole Foods

Conclusion:  A lovely well balanced wine. A little sweeter than we typically go for, although it paired well with Camembert cheese and apricot spread.

Pairings

Cheeses

• Camembert with apricot spread
• Edam
• Gruyere

Smoked trout
Buffalo Hot Wings
Guacamole with tortilla chips
Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate with caramel

Final Thoughts:

Beth:  What a fun class!! We had avoided tackling Riesling because of the stereotype "blue bottle" Riesling, but Lisa had a great selection of three styles that really showed how varied Riesling can be! My favorite was the pairing of Kung Fu Girl from Washington State with the guacamole. What a great summertime treat!

Lisa:  I used to only think of "sweet" when I heard "Riesling".  But when we were in Oregon this past June one of the wines at a tasting included a Riesling.  My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised!  So when shopping for the class I wanted to find all dry Rieslings and with the help of a sales associate at Whole Foods, he hit the nail on the head.  I enjoyed the Kung Fu Girl the most, especially with the smoked trout.  Maybe Washington state should be our next trip?

Mary Jo:  I have to admit, I went into this class with great trepidation.  We constantly joke about the "blue bottle" and how none of us wanted to be the one to host a Riesling tasting.  Well, I admit it, I was WRONG!  The wines were deliciously different from others we have tasted!  I can't say I would go to drinking them every night, but in the right setting, a Riesling is a true treat!  I have to agree with Beth, I enjoyed the Kung Fu Girl very much, and it was my overall favorite.  This is the very reason I love wine class.  It forces us out of our comfort zone and gives us the opportunity to enjoy wines we would otherwise not drink.  Cheers!