Zindfandel with a Barbecue

In the United States, the first weekend of September is a holiday weekend. Labor Day typically is considered the end of the summer season. A 3-day weekend to spend time with friends and family, have a barbecue, and prepare for the Fall season. What is better than barbecue and wine?

Like most of you, I too spent Monday with friends, and a barbecue. But, being the wine guy that I am, I added a little twist to our gathering. You see, I had just finished reading "Zin: The History and Mystery of Zinfandel" by David Darlington. While the book talks about a number of different Zinfandel producers, the "battle" for supremacy really came down to Ridge and Ravenswood. So, I thought it might be fun to see which one people thought was better. A blind tasting of Zinfandel, while eating foods off the grill would be the perfect taste test.

I purchased a bottle of the Ridge 2009 Lytton Springs and the Ravenswood 2008 Dickerson Zinfandel, then asked each guest to bring a bottle along with a side dish. We ended up with seven different Zinfandels (and actually only one duplicate bottle). All the bottles where put into tasting bags (except one, since I only had six bags). Each bag was numbered. Even I did not know what bottle was in which bag...though I had a clue to one bottle which showed up very cold, versus the others...a dead giveaway on which one it was.

In addition to the Ravenswood and Ridge, we had 7 Deadly Zins 2009, San Marcos Creek 2009 Estate Zinfandel, Tobin James 2008 Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, Earthquake 2010 Zinfandel, and Adelaida  2008 Zinfandel (not included in the blind tasting, but opened up afterwords).

There was no particular order to the tasting, so everyone kept track of which wines they tried, and were able to go back and forth to narrow down which was their favorite. We actually did the blind tasting before ever getting to the barbecue (I guess my friends just want to get down to business when it comes to drinking wine).

I took note of the comments made on each wine.

Number one was considered very unusual, and did not taste anything like the others. It had some smokiness to it, and a bit of mocha on the nose. For drinking on its' own, this was the least favorite of the group. However, when paired with the barbecue later, this was the second favorite food wine. It turns out that this was the only wine that also had Petite Sirah, and Carignane blended in. The wine definitely improved once opened for a while. If you are to drink this one, open it early or even decant it. It is a big wine. This was the Ridge 2009 Lytton Springs from Sonoma.

Number two in the tasting had mixed reviews. There was a certain minerality to it that some liked and others did not. After being opened for a while there was a bit of raisin aroma that presented itself. The finish was considered very short. This was the Ravenswood 2008 Dickerson from Napa Valley

Number three was the overall favorite. It was lighter than all the rest, and had a bit of finesse to it. On the nose there was a slight vegetal aroma, but not enough to detract from the palate. Lots of fruit forward notes, and the alcohol seemed more balanced than most. The surprise was that this was the least known winery of the bunch...it was the San Marcos Creek 2009 Estate Zinfandel from just north of Paso Robles

Number four had a nice mix of spice and jamminess, that everyone liked. I picked up some candied fruit on the nose. The alcohol was a bit more prominent, but still fairly balanced. This was the Tobin James 2008 Dusi Vineyards from Paso Robles

Number five was very fruit forward and jammy, with just a touch of spice. The alcohol was fairly aggressive, and some didn't like the bitter finish. This was the 7 Deadly Zins 2009 from Lodi.

The last wine in the blind tasting (#6) was by far the fruitiest, most jammy of the bunch. (and by far the darkest in color). This wine had the most noticeable alcohol content, and as a sipping wine was the favorite of the group (however the San Marcos won for best with sipping and food). This was the Earthquake 2010 Zinfandel from Lodi.

Lastly, we had the Adelaida 2008 Zinfandel with dinner (as we had finished off all the other Zins, so I opened up some of my private stock). This was a well balanced wine with some spice and fruit. It was not nearly as heavy as the Earthquake Zin, but not as light as the San Marcos Creek. It went very well with the barbecue.

We ended the evening with some Ghiradelli Chocolate Brownies, so I thought a Zinfandel Port might be a good finish. As it turned out, I didn't have any in my cellar, so we settled on a St Clair Port (a unique blend of Cabernet and Muscat), from New Mexico. Presented in a 500 ml ceramic bottle and a porcelain cap, the wine worked great with the brownies, and presented a nice finish to the evening.

I must point out, that most of the tasters in this group like fruitier wines, and when it comes to Zinfandel, you can find fruity to spicy and everything in between. I tend to enjoy wines that work best with the foods I'm serving. Remember, taste and wine preference is personal, don't rely on someone else's tasting notes, unless you know that you like similar style wines.

So what is your favorite Zinfandel? Try a  blind tasting with your friends, and see how your favorite stacks up. You might be surprised.

3rd Annual Cabernet Day

Did you know that August 30th is the 3rd Annual Cabernet Day? Yep, Thursday is the day we celebrate all Cabernet grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Pfeffer, and Cabernet Blends).

I looked back at my blogs over the years, and Cabernet is probably the most mentioned grape variety. This is not intentional, but just shows how this grape is so ingrained in our everyday wine conversation. Even when I look at the statistics on my blog site, I can see that “Cabernet Sauvignon” is the most searched phrase by a 4 to 1 margin, over the next most search phrase, “wine bottles”. The article about Cabernet Sauvignon is also the second most read article over the years.

So, it looks like you all really like Cabernet. Well who doesn’t? That’s a rhetorical question, as I know a lot of people who just feel there is too much tannin, or the wine is just too heavy. My suggestion…try some different styles of Cabernet. Yes, they do taste different if they are produced in France versus California, or Chile versus Australia. Not to mention Italy, Spain, Argentina and Washington.

Where did this annual celebration start? It appears to be something that was started on one of the social media sights, just hard to tell which one. You can check out Eventbrite or Facebook for more information on how to hook up on the social media networks, and share your cabernet experience. If you do a search for “Annual Cabernet Day” you’ll find events all over the country (and the world).

In celebration of this day I have decided to put a link to all the articles I have written that mention Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet Sauvignon - get to know the grape

Other French Wines

Blind tasting

Wines with Altitude

Wine Education - Back to basics

Blind tasting with a twist

What's in a name?

The lost grape of Bordeaux

A weekend in Paso Robles - Part 1

A weekend in Paso Robles - Part 2

Noble Grapes

Napa Valley

Wine and Cheese

Are you a wine snob?

Wine tasting versus wine drinking

Desert Wines

I hope you will go back and look at some of the articles I posted over the years, but most importantly, I hope you will join in the celebration, and share your cabernet experience. It is Labor Day weekend of course, and what would go better than a nice Cabernet with your end of summer BBQ?. What is your favorite Cabernet? Do you prefer it blended with other grapes?

I'll have the Merlot...

Ever since the movie Sideways came out in 2004, just the mention of Merlot has given me flashbacks to the scene where Miles is adamant about not drinking the wine ("If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f***ing Merlot") , instead preferring his much vaulted Pinot Noir. Now I must admit, I am a Pinot Noir fan, but I also love a good Merlot.

What do you know about Merlot, and do you still drink it?

Merlot is one of the original Bordeaux grapes. The first recorded mention of the grape occurred in 1784. It is thought that the name Merlot comes from a similar French word for Blackbird: "Merle". The lineage of the grape is not certain, but it is most definitely related to Carménère, which for years, was confused with Merlot in the vineyards of Chile.

Merlot is considered one of the Noble Grape varieties, and is used both as a blending grape, and a single varietal wine. When used for blending (typically with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec) it adds body (via higher alcohol), color, richness and certain amount of softness to the blend. Naturally low in acidity, Merlot can help balance out a higher acid grape variety. In the Bordueax region of France, Merlot is typically part of the blend, and is used as an "insurance policy" for the Chateau. If the Cabernet Sauvignon crop is marginal, they may be able to save their vintage with the addition of the  Merlot grape, which is the most planted grape in Bordeaux. On the right bank, which has cooler, clay soils (versus the left banks' gravel) and a slightly warmer climate, Merlot thrives, and produces a wine with more structure than those on the left bank. One of the most expensive wines in the world is Château Pétrus, and it is mostly Merlot...so much for the lowly grape from Sideways!

In the new world, Merlot has made inroads in Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand, but it is California and Washington where the grape has come into its' own. Originally grown in California, for single variety wines, it returned to its' roots as a blending grape, and found a home as part of the Meritage blend (the new world version of a Bordeaux). But, it is Washington that seems to be making waves with their style of Merlot (not to mention their great price points). The wines coming out of Washington are deep in color and well balanced. Columbia Crest and Chateau St. Michelle have been leading the pack. When those of us in the United States think of Washington state, we think it is just too far north to grow good grapes, but if you look at a map of the world, it is the same latitude as Bordeaux, France.

The flavor profile for Merlot will vary based on the vinification process, and the growing conditions (soil, climate, etc). But in general, Merlot is a soft wine, with mild tannins, and dark in color. The most common flavors and aromas associated with Merlot are black cherry, plum and chocolate. But, notes of  raspberry, figs, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg (often described as Christmas Pudding or Fruitcake) are also common. Under ripe Merlot can display vegetal (bell pepper) similar to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Most Merlots are made to be drunk young, due to it's low acidity and low tannins, but blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine can last for decades (particularly those from the Right Bank of Bordeaux). The best new world winemakers are producing Merlot with more "backbone" that should last longer than your standard fair.

Since Merlot makes soft, rounded wines, it is a good choice for many types of foods. It can handle herbs and spice (but not too spicy as the heat will accentuate the alcohol), as well as fowl and red meat. For a heavier version of Merlot, look for foods that would also work with Cabernet Sauvignon: steak, lamb, grilled meats. For lighter versions with more finesse, think like a Pinot Noir: salmon, pork, mushrooms. Stay away from light fish, and cream sauces, and also avoid blue cheeses (and strong cheese in general), which will overpower the wine.

The ultimate expression of the Merlot in your glass, is determined by the approach of the winemaker. If he/she treats it like a Pinot Noir, then your wine will be light, smooth and full of finesse. If treated like a Cabernet Sauvignon, then the the oak, and tannins will produce a heavier, more powerful wine. So, revisit Merlot, try different styles, and compare. If you have the money, try a St. Emilion or Pomerol, and compare them to the Washington and California styles. You may just rediscover what all the fuss was about, before 2004. Oh, and the wine Miles drank at the end of Sideways, you know, the one he had been saving, and drank out of a styrofoam cup in the restaurant....it was a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc (a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the right bank of Bordeaux).