It was one of those crazy Saturdays in wine country where in the tasting room required me to project my voice so much that I sounded like Betty Davis by day’s end. It was also a day when a few of us winos shared some wine and debated about random stuff. We had actually begun with a few wines from Monterey brought back by a coworker who had made a recent visit and done some swaps. (It’s pretty typical for us to send our wines with anyone heading to a wine region to trade them out so everyone gets a new experience from the deal. For the most part…I am finding that the wine industry is like one big extended happily dysfunctional family.) Anyhew, there was a great Chardonnay done my favorite way-50% aged in oak, 50% in stainless. I am not a big white wine drinker but the complexity of a heartier white grape done this way just turns me on. It had fruit…melon, apple….but it had some serious butter too. And the finish went on so long I couldn’t decide at first if I like it simply because it surprised me.

There was a weirdly heavy Tempranillo, and a somewhat forgettable Cabernet. Then we sipped a taste of our wineries currently barreled Reserve Tempranillo/Petit Syrah (the barrel is currently tapped to sell some futures on this amazing blend), and that’s when things got interesting. Once again, I personally was blown away by our wine when positioned next to another wine regions “best” wines. The reds we just tried, while fairly good, did nothing to make my taste buds dance the way this humble locally grown number did. So I commented on how sad it is that many local wineries made such crap when this kind of stuff was obviously not only possible, but consistently made by our winemaker, Doug. There are quite a few other craftsmen (wish I could say I knew of a female winemaker out here but I don’t!) making some great elixirs….but there are at least as many helping perpetuate our bad reputation.

So I comment that it’s a shame that many local places were kind of forced to “water down” their wines to stay in business. You see, it has been my understanding that because of the party crews that started coming to Temecula by the busloads (literally) it was not lucrative to manage a vineyard in the way necessary to make some truly drinkable wines. Good wine ALWAYS starts in the vineyard. You cannot make good wine from less than good grapes. But it’s costlier, and requires a knowledgeable and creative hand with a commitment to caring for the entire process. I know this because I have worked in both kinds of wineries, and the wines are dramatically different. Point is, I thought that the bad wines came about as a reaction to the massive numbers of people within an hour’s drive that saw us as nothing more but a place to go for bachelorette parties.

So, then my fearless leader who knows more about wine, the history of wine, the history of Temecula, and is a virtual walking wine encyclopedia who hails from England and has been everywhere, says the bad wine actually came first. He says that although there were always a few winemakers that were making good stuff, its mostly been in recent years we are seeing a lot more winemakers who know what they are doing and that the proof is in the pudding, or well, the wine. I usually defer everything to Bob, and my first instinct is to take his word as law. He’s my wine mentor, and one of the neatest people you will ever meet. But I am still not convinced…which came first? Was the crappy wine in our beloved valley the beginning of our history or a reflex to the lack of wine buyers that would make producing good wines feasible, if not extremely lucrative?

And then someone said what I guess may be obvious to you….who really cares? For me, it’s an important point to ponder because I want to see “us” succeed as a wine region. I want us to not repeat any part of a history that earned us a sketchy rep. I plan on doing more “research” on the subject, and hopefully will find some answers and some good wines along the way. There is great wine out here…and more to be made. So next up, lets talk varietals…we got ‘em.

When I am working on the floor at a restaurant, and I approach a table to talk about the wine list and their preferences, I have a very brief amount of time to determine a vast amount of information. However, perhaps of equal importance to what they are eating and what style of wine they prefer, is … do they want to “play it safe” or “take a risk on something new and different.”

At home, when I am entertaining and purchasing wine for a dinner or event, I have to make the same determination. If I play it safe, I can get something that I have had many times before that I know has the ability to pair with many foods and ‘plays well with others’ as well as having a general affinity for pleasing people.

As I stood at my local retailer and thought about my plans for the weekend, I decided to try a bit of both.

MY “SAFE” PICKS

Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells 2007 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley – Although I have had this wine before, it has been quite a while. Chateau Ste Michelle is a great winery and usually a very safe pick. I found this wine to be quite pleasant but it did not really excite me. I would definitely order it by the glass or drink it at a party if offered (as opposed to dumping in a house plant or empty sink), but I did not find it interesting enough to rush out for a case. I will say that they have done a nice job balancing the components in this Chardonnay, and it did have a pleasant finish.

Cline ‘Cashmere’ 2008, California – This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre (which you may know as GSM (Australia) or Cotes du Rhone (France). I am a pushover for Rhone varietals. This was a safe pick for two reasons – the first is that Syrah/Shiraz always comes across well with red wine drinkers. The second, is that Cline is an extremely reputable producer of Zinfandel in California. It is retailing for $21 from the vineyard. I picked this one up at $13.99 (if you are in the Tampa Bay area email me and I will tell you where). Although I purchased it at a great discount, I happily would have paid the $21. This wine offered the big ripe fruit and jamminess that made Cline a household name in Zinfandel. It had a beautiful, elegant finish. This all helped the wine to come off as very luxurious and the winery described the wine perfectly when they decided to name it ‘Cashmere’. The biggest problem with this wine, much too easy to drink and the one bottle that I purchased seemed to evaporate in record time. I definitely recommend this wine. I have just made a note in my new IPod Touch to grab some more today. Visit Cline’s website at http://www.clinecellars.com for more information.

MY “TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT” PICKS

Peter Lehmann ‘Layers’ 2009, Adelaide -In a word this wine left me “irritated.” We have all been to those movies where the trailer has promised us 90 minutes of action packed edge of your seat movie experience, only to realize that the best part of the movie was seen at home in your living room during the commercial trailer. This wine from Peter Lehmann (a solid producer of Shiraz from the Barossa), is a blend of Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, and Semillon. Sounds like a nice mix for a tasty wine. It promised “Layers” of complex tastes and aromas. Simply stated this wine did not deliver. We even aerated, which I don’t usually do for white wines. Nothing. It is possible that it may be going through some sort of ‘dumb’ period. So, to be fair, I guess I should give it one more try at another time. But, I will be doing so reluctantly. At around $14 a bottle, I have had better white blends.

Casa de la Ermita Viognier 2007, Jumilla – Several of my wine “geek” friends have mentioned to me lately that thy have had an opportunity to taste Viognier from Spain. However, it seems to be absent from most retail locations in my area. I had just about given up hope when I came across this one. I may be slightly prejudiced because I LOVE Viognier. I love Viognier from France, California, Virginia, and Australia … and now I love Viognier from Spain as well. This was aromatically brilliant, had a great texture and overall was very tasty. If you love ripe luscious stone fruit (think peaches, nectarines, and apricots, with a slight scent of warm hay, and beautiful minerality (think clear stream water running over wet stones) then grab this wine. Don’t be intimidating by its deeper gold color. This wine was like taking a field trip out to a country farm. Under $15 a bottle. As a side note, Viognier can be a challenge to pair with food, but when you find that pairing that makes both food and wine “sing” it is worth the effort.

With 2010 literally around the corner, remember to get outside of your comfort zone and try something new whenever you can.

Cheers!

tampawinewoman

Since the last few webisodes of Wine Time TV have covered Sommelier James King, I thought it appropriate to share a little information I originally found (by accident) at SFSommelier.com. Good stuff and should give everyone yet another understanding of the role a Sommelier might play on the ‘wine stage’.

What is a sommelier, let alone a Master Sommelier, and how do you become one? The dictionary’s definition of a sommelier is a bit lame. However the the job of a sommelier is no secret within the industry; To manage the wine selection, purchasing, receiving, storage, sales and service for a restaurant, club, hotel or other institution. Did you know there is no legal requirement in the U.S. to be certified for this position? However, there is one internationally recognized organization for certification; The Court of Master Sommeliers which was founded in London in 1977. The organization conducts general education and testing for restaurant wine professionals. There are at least 3 levels of certification within the organization: introductory, advanced and Master Sommelier Diploma (MS).

The Introductory Course is a two day educational seminar. It covers wine regions of the world, viticulture, viniculture, appellation rules for various countries and regions, production methods for beers and spirits, cigars, food and wine pairing, service and blind tasting techniques. At the end of the seminar is a multiple choice exam for which a score of 60% is required.

The Advanced Course is a big step up from the Introductory. It covers all of the same material but with far greater detail. The pace is also faster as it is expected that you are prepared for the exam before you get there. The seminar is also one day longer than the Introductory Course. The biggest difference is the test itself. It is a two day test split in to three sections.

The first section is theory. It is an 82 question test with 20 multiple choice and 62 short answer questions. One hour is allowed for completion.

The second section is blind tasting. Which personally I would suck at beyond differentiating between a Chard and a Merlot! The candidate enters a room with a table with six glasses of wine on it and two Master Sommeliers sitting on the opposite side of the table. They listen as you swirl, sniff, taste and comment about each wine. You have 25 minutes total to identify all the varieties set before you. These wines may be from anywhere in the world thogh sticking to classic examples. Points are given for your analysis and deductive reasoning as well as your identification of the wines.

The final section is the toughest of all; Restaurant service. Master Sommeliers judge your skills at opening still and sparkling wines, decanting, cigar service, freehand pouring, wine and food pairing, proof reading of wine lists, setting tables for a variety of menus, conversing with the guests and even complaint resolution. You can also expect test questions which need to be answered correctly during all of this. A passing score of 60% is required on all three sections.

The final test is by invitation only. You are also required to wait at least one year between passing the Advanced and your first attempt at the Master. The test is the same as the advanced but the theory portion is verbal instead of written, with far more detailed answers needed as well as a 75% passing score. An example of the difference between an Advanced question and a Master question might be: name six of the Anbaugebiet (high quality wine regions) in Germany for the Advanced versus name all 13 Anbaugebiet for the Master.

Though very few people pass it on their first attempt the pass rate for this exam is approximately 4%. As of the first 29 years of testing, only 142 people in the world had completed the Master Sommelier (MS) level. It’s likely safe to assume that 2 years later (now) there are still less than 150 Master Sommeliers on the planet.

Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Kamary

Welcome back to Wine Time TV.net! And as you can see we’re still milking our great interview with Sommelier James King from King’s Group Events and with much success! Thanks for the tremendous number of hits to the blog and content.

If you had only one case of wine with you while stranded on an island somewhere, what would be in it? Got an answer I can share on the show? Shoot! I know, not an easy question for many. James King managed to share his dream case with us and much more! Tune the heck in!

*Music by Sir Charlie London’s “A Forest Might Be Black” and “Zimpala” edits.

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