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wine journal<br />
July/August 2014<br />
ABC FINE WINE & SPIRITS WINE MAGAZINE<br />
A selection of French<br />
wines UNDER $15<br />
Hear from the<br />
family behind<br />
Napa Valley’s<br />
Whitehall Lane<br />
Winery<br />
Three wine trade<br />
shows in one<br />
trip to Europe<br />
IT’S POSSIBLE<br />
FOR BRAD<br />
LEWIS!
The ABC Fine Wine & Spirits<br />
Wine Journal is a bimonthly<br />
publication of ABC Fine Wine<br />
& Spirits. Copyright 2014 ABC<br />
Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved.<br />
Not all products are available<br />
in all stores. If the product<br />
you’re looking for isn’t available,<br />
ask us to order it for you!<br />
Hannah Grantz<br />
Editor<br />
hannahg@abcfws.com<br />
Meghan Guarino<br />
Contributing Editor<br />
meghang@abcfws.com<br />
Lorena Streeter<br />
Contributing Editor<br />
lorenas@abcfws.com<br />
OUR WINE EXPERTS:<br />
Ken Amendola<br />
kena@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwinekena<br />
Kathleen Anderson<br />
kathleenr@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwinekat<br />
Jim Greeley<br />
jamesg@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwinejimg<br />
Shayne Hebert<br />
shayneh@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwineshayne<br />
Atanas Nechkov<br />
atanasn@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwineatanas<br />
Paul Quaglini<br />
paulq@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwinepaulq<br />
Bill Stobbs<br />
wstobbs@abcfws.com<br />
@abcwinebills<br />
If you would like to ensure<br />
you’re receiving the Wine<br />
Journal each time it’s<br />
published, send an email to<br />
Lorena Streeter (lorenas@<br />
abcfws.com) and we’ll add you<br />
to the “always mail” list.<br />
Follow us on Twitter<br />
@abcwinecountry.<br />
We’re also blogging daily<br />
at blog.abcfws.com.<br />
Travel with us to Italy, France, Germany and California<br />
Enjoy your summer with the latest selections recommended by ABC’s wine team<br />
3<br />
DOES POP CULTURE HAVE AN<br />
INFLUENCE OVER YOUR WINE<br />
CHOICES<br />
Kathleen takes a look at iconic drinks<br />
mentioned in well-known films and music<br />
5<br />
WE CAN’T ALL TAKE A SUMMER<br />
TRIP TO BORDEAUX<br />
But Jim did. Travel along with him as he<br />
tastes his way through one of France’s most<br />
well-known regions<br />
6<br />
WHITEHALL LANE WINERY IS<br />
A FAMILY BUSINESS THROUGH<br />
AND THROUGH<br />
Hannah spoke to the father and son<br />
duo behind one of our favorite Napa<br />
Valley wineries<br />
8<br />
LOOKING FOR GREAT WINES<br />
THAT WON’T BREAK YOUR<br />
BUDGET THIS SUMMER<br />
Atanas shares his picks for top wines under $15<br />
10TRAVELING IS PART OF LIFE<br />
FOR ABC’S WINE TEAM…LUCKY<br />
THEM, RIGHT<br />
Paul most recently took a trip to the Valtellina<br />
region of Verona, Italy, to meet with the<br />
Rainoldi family<br />
11WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A<br />
“GREAT VINTAGE” WINE<br />
Shayne has the California harvest report<br />
for 2014<br />
12IF YOU’VE EVER WONDERED<br />
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO ATTEND A<br />
EUROPEAN WINE TRADE SHOW…<br />
ABC’s director of wine sales, Brad Lewis,<br />
visited three in a row this year and has some<br />
stories to tell<br />
14WHETHER YOU’RE OUTSIDE<br />
BARBEQUING OR LOUNGING<br />
BY THE POOL,<br />
Ken offers his recommendations for top<br />
summertime wines you should be enjoying<br />
15TASTING FROM 45 COUNTRIES<br />
AND FIVE CONTINENTS IN<br />
THREE DAYS<br />
Bill attended ProWein 2014 in Düsseldorf,<br />
Germany, and made a few winery stops, too<br />
16WINE TO WATCH<br />
It’s crisp; it’s fresh… try Château Tanunda<br />
Dry Riesling<br />
wine journal | | 22<br />
On the cover: Domaine de Pellehaut Rosé ($10) This delicious blend of<br />
Merlot, Cabernet, Tannat and Syrah exhibits a raspberry-pink color with<br />
aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries and lavender.<br />
Enjoy Domaine de Pellehaut Rosé this summer with grilled meats, grilled<br />
vegetables, fish and mixed salads.Cheers!
POP CULTURE IN WINE<br />
KATHLEEN ANDERSON,NORTHWEST FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
Istarted thinking the other day about how we listen to others<br />
about what to drink when we can’t decide for ourselves. One of<br />
the best places to look to for suggestions is pop culture. All<br />
sorts of characters are known for a particular drink or two in song,<br />
movies and/or literature. How many times have you heard your<br />
favorite artist sing about a drink and you race out to see if it is any<br />
good Or novelists discuss a particular wine in depth We even<br />
have a recipe for butter beer, don’t we As we delve into history, we<br />
see all sorts of characters drinking and discussing what they drink.<br />
I can go as far back as before Shakespeare, but for this little space<br />
in time, I will take us back to the 70s. How many of us have<br />
listened to rock music and fallen in love with a lyric Here is one<br />
that mentions a bottle outright—“Killer Queen” (Queen, 1974):<br />
“She keeps her Moët et Chandon in a pretty cabinet...” This is the<br />
first line of the song. You have to wonder how many bottles were<br />
sold off that one line “mirrors on the ceiling and pink Champagne<br />
on ice” from “Hotel California” (The Eagles, 1977). And that’s<br />
just to name two. Through the years there are mentions of single<br />
varietals, “It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay” (Alanis Morisette,<br />
1995), to specific names throughout history—“I’m getting better<br />
with time. I’m like Opus One young, ”(Jay-Z, 2006). I mean,<br />
even the Beastie Boys found a rhyme for Châteauneuf du Pape.<br />
Nowadays it is brand managing; pretty much all we ever see Jay-Z<br />
drink now is Ace of Spades Champagne, and then there is Rick<br />
Ross, who prefers Belaire Rosé. It seems like no matter what you<br />
like, there is a song about it somewhere. You just have to look, or<br />
try something new that you hear on the radio today.<br />
so by drinking the wines like it would be a main character. But<br />
besides that, he is actually still out marketing his book, and he does<br />
so with a great idea of drinking the wines his character drinks in<br />
the book! Next month in Ohio he is doing a whole night of wine and<br />
literature. What better way to find out if you enjoy the same wines as<br />
a character you have fallen for<br />
So no matter how you find your wines, either through music,<br />
movies or books, the pop culture references also reference our life<br />
in some way. I want you to find a wine you love and figure out how<br />
to make it jump out in this tech savvy world of ours. Tweet it!<br />
Facebook it! Pinterest it!<br />
Movies are no exception here either. When Bond, James Bond, isn’t<br />
drinking a martini “shaken not stirred,” you can see him in the<br />
discussion of fine Champagne. Depending on the movie, he seems<br />
to drink mostly Bollinger and Dom Perignon. Lately in Casino<br />
Royale (2006) we get to see Bond and Vesper Lind drink a bottle of<br />
1982 Chateau Angelus on the train to Montenegro. Who can forget<br />
the line in Silence of the Lambs (1991) where Hannibal talks of his<br />
wine pairing of human liver, fava beans and “a nice Chianti” (Side<br />
note: in the book he paired it with an Amarone.) Over the years<br />
there have been many movies in the mainstream that focus on<br />
wine, drinking, sales and production. After Sideways (2004), look<br />
what happened to Merlot and Pinot Noir sales! Bottle Shock (2008)<br />
was just a reminder of the humble beginnings of the fine wine<br />
explosion that was Napa Valley. This past year I found<br />
Somm (2012), a documentary following four friends through<br />
the Master Sommelier Certification exam. Just watch to see how<br />
difficult that is! And finally, we end with Red Obsession (2013),<br />
a film released last year about the Bordeaux first growths,<br />
trading Bordeaux futures and the will of China to own it all.<br />
Now we enter into literature; I could go on for days, but will<br />
mention only the latest book I am reading, Vengeance Follows by<br />
Scott Lax (2013). He is still out marketing his book, and he does
Wine List<br />
RED<br />
BORDEAUX<br />
l’Orangerie de Carignan 2010 (pg 8)<br />
GRENACHE<br />
Clos d’Alzan, Côtes du Rhône Villages<br />
Signargues 2012 (pg 8)<br />
RED BLEND<br />
Playtime Red (pg 14)<br />
Stone Church Red (pg 7)<br />
WHITE BLEND<br />
2012 Château Villa Bel-Air Graves Blanc<br />
(pg 5)<br />
2012 Clos des Lunes Lune Blanche (pg 5)<br />
Nadia Bianco (pg 14)<br />
SPARKLING<br />
Dom Pérignon (pg 3)<br />
Moët et Chandon (pg 3)<br />
SWEET RED<br />
Dornfelder (pg 15)<br />
ROSÉ<br />
Château Trians Rosé 2013 (pg 8)<br />
Domaine l’Ostal Cazes Rosé (pg 15)<br />
WHITE<br />
PICPOUL<br />
Château Petit Roubié, Picpoul de Pinet<br />
2011 (pg 8)<br />
RIESLING<br />
Château Tanunda Dry Riesling (pg 16)<br />
Valckenberg Madonna (pg 15)<br />
Villa L (pg 15)<br />
Weingut Langwerth von Simmern Just<br />
Riesling (pg 15)<br />
Weingut Liebfrauenstift (pg 15)<br />
Chateau Cos d'Estournelsm tower<br />
wine journal | 4
WHITE WINES LEAD THE WAY<br />
AT BORDEAUX EN PREMIER<br />
JIM GREELY, SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
Back in April, I was witness to the<br />
spectacle that is En Primeur Week<br />
in Bordeaux. Every year members<br />
of the wine trade arrive from the far flung<br />
corners of the world to taste barrel samples<br />
of the newest vintage. It was my very first<br />
visit to this fabled French wine region,<br />
steeped in tradition and legend, and it<br />
proved to be a considerable education.<br />
As projected after reports of an erratic fall<br />
harvest began to trickle in last October,<br />
vintage 2013 would prove to be a very<br />
challenging year for red wines. Château<br />
owners talked about conditions being<br />
the most demanding they’ve seen in a<br />
generation. Significant rain at the tail end<br />
of the growing season made severe grape<br />
selection in the vineyard and vigilance at<br />
the sorting table a prerequisite in order to<br />
make good wines. Fortunately, many of the<br />
classified growths had the manpower and<br />
the means to accomplish this seemingly<br />
daunting task.<br />
Unlike in typical years where the division<br />
of clear winners is usually defined by<br />
appellation, 2013 did not offer any such<br />
distinctions. This was not a Right Bank<br />
versus Left Bank year, for example, or even<br />
Saint-Julien versus Paulliac. Within each<br />
appellation there were relative successes<br />
and a few disappointments, the stark<br />
contrasts often on display in the wines at<br />
neighboring château.<br />
Tasting every wine this year and judging it<br />
on its own merits was a must. There were<br />
some general observations but no absolutes.<br />
Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc<br />
were the relative quality winners, while<br />
Merlot was less successful. But even here<br />
there were exceptions, notably in the Right<br />
Bank communes of Saint Émilion and<br />
Pomerol. Another surprise included higher<br />
than usual portions of Malbec and Petit<br />
Verdot in some wines.<br />
At their very best, the successful red wines<br />
displayed elegance and suppleness with<br />
fresh structures and pretty bouquets.<br />
Winemakers who tried to make powerful<br />
wines out of fruit that wouldn’t support the<br />
style ended up in over-extraction limbo—<br />
resulting in some unbalanced wines.<br />
A roundup of the best reds in 2013 included<br />
Château Ausone and Château Valandraud in<br />
Saint Émilion, Château L’Eglise Clinet and<br />
Vieux Château Certain in Pomerol, Château<br />
Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose in<br />
Saint-Estèphe, Château Leoville Las Cases<br />
and Château Ducru Beaucaillou in Saint-<br />
Julien and all five of the famed first growths:<br />
Château Latour, Château Lafite-Rothschild,<br />
Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château<br />
Margaux and Château Haut Brion.<br />
Even in a stormy vintage, some dark clouds<br />
contain silver linings. Good fortune<br />
smiled on the dry white wines of Graves/<br />
Pessac-Leognan and the sweet wines of<br />
Sauternes/Barsac. The results were favorable<br />
throughout much of Bordeaux for the<br />
earlier ripening Sauvignon Blanc and<br />
Semillon grapes.<br />
In Sauternes, conditions were ideal for<br />
full development of Botrytis cinerea, the<br />
beneficial fungus that naturally dehydrates<br />
the grapes, concentrating their sugars and<br />
intensifying flavors. Château d’Yquem was<br />
the best of many solid sweet wines with<br />
a sumptuous, thoroughly decadent grand<br />
vin. Other top names also excelled with<br />
amazingly rich offerings including Château<br />
de Fargues, Château Rieussec, Château<br />
Suduiraut and Château Coutet.<br />
Chateau Cos<br />
d'Estournel<br />
La Mission Haut Brion, Château Carbonnieux,<br />
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Domaine de<br />
Chevalier lead a host of dry white standouts<br />
in Pessac-Leognan, offering zesty citrus<br />
and juicy stone fruits with floral perfumes<br />
and wonderful minerality. These are finely<br />
tuned wines with lively cores, long, mouthwatering<br />
finishes and plenty of upside.<br />
They’ll be very user-friendly and refreshing<br />
in their youth, yet equally cellar-worthy too.<br />
Unfortunately, you can’t take a test drive of<br />
these terrific 2013 whites right now, as they<br />
are still in barrel. You’ll have to make do<br />
with the next best thing: pairing a vibrantly<br />
fresh bottle of 2012 Château Villa Bel-Air<br />
Graves Blanc ($25) with a chilled platter of<br />
les verts, the briny green oysters from the<br />
nearby Marennes-Oleron.<br />
Why stop there An equally delicious bottle<br />
of 2012 Clos des Lunes Lune Blanche ($18)<br />
would be a suitable partner for a fabulous<br />
terrine of skate and red mullet with saffron<br />
potato. You could easily substitute a roasted<br />
chicken with lemon butter or a cheese board<br />
with sliced fruit.<br />
Did I mention that good Bordeaux Blanc<br />
is exceedingly food friendly<br />
Historically, Bordeaux is a region defined<br />
by its reds. Perhaps the 2013 vintage may<br />
change more than a few minds with<br />
the outstanding performance of its<br />
versatile whites.
Q+A with the Men of<br />
WHITEHALL LANE WINERY<br />
HANNAH GRANTZ<br />
You’ve tried their wines, now hear from<br />
two of the five Leonardini family<br />
members behind Napa Valley’s<br />
Whitehall Lane, Tom Leonardini and his son,<br />
Tom Leonardini II.<br />
What was it about owning and running a winery<br />
that sparked your interest in Whitehall Lane<br />
Tom Sr.: I retired almost 30 years ago thinking<br />
I would never work again…and I had a downtown<br />
San Francisco piece of property that I thought<br />
would be fun to put a retail wine store into—<br />
that was in 1986.<br />
I said we wanted the store to have a focus; we<br />
can’t be all things to all people. So we started<br />
the Napa Valley Winery Exchange and we just<br />
had small production Napa Valley wines.<br />
I was in the store one day talking to salesmen<br />
and winery owners who would come in, and<br />
I just thought it would be a fun business to get<br />
into—so I said to the manager, ‘If you hear of<br />
any wineries for sale in the Napa Valley, let me<br />
wine journal | 6<br />
know.’ She mentioned one day that Whitehall<br />
Lane Winery was for sale…this was in 1992!<br />
And I said, ‘Really’ I drove up, walked around,<br />
went into their little tasting room, then the next<br />
day I phoned the manager…who had no idea it<br />
was for sale.<br />
So you knew before they did that Whitehall Lane<br />
was for sale<br />
Tom Sr.: (laughing) Yes. I drove to Sacramento<br />
and met with the corporate attorney on a<br />
Tuesday, and on Friday I owned it.<br />
I knew nothing about making wine or anything,<br />
which was a real advantage because I didn’t have<br />
any preconceived notions. I didn’t have someone<br />
say, ‘Well, this is what we do…’ and Whitehall<br />
wasn’t doing very well financially at the time,<br />
and I didn’t want any advice from them so I<br />
asked the whole crew to leave the first day. A<br />
young man had sent me a resume who said he<br />
‘knew everything about the wine business’…he<br />
was in his 20s… and I hired Mike McLaughlin<br />
on a Saturday and I was taking over the winery<br />
a few days later. He came in because he ‘knew<br />
everything’…well, he didn’t…but he did learn—<br />
along with me—and he’s still there today as the<br />
general manager.<br />
Is your whole family involved in the company<br />
Tom Sr.: Three of our children are partners with<br />
me now in the business. Tom II runs all of our<br />
sales; Katie is involved in the local stuff—the<br />
wine clubs, the tasting room, the hospitality,<br />
social networking. She focuses on operations.<br />
Our daughter Kristin runs the wine store in<br />
San Francisco.<br />
What do you think has surprised both of you<br />
the most (Tom Sr. and Tom II) about the<br />
wine business<br />
Tom II: Distribution is kind of the unknown<br />
part of it. There are thousands of labels from<br />
Napa Valley, and more coming all the time.<br />
What’s challenging for the consumer is that
there are so many popping up and sometimes<br />
the new kid on the block gets mentioned in<br />
the magazines, but if you go back to the core<br />
wineries in Napa that actually have a facility,<br />
a winery and barrel storage area—and most<br />
importantly, vineyards—those are the most<br />
important wineries out there. So that’s<br />
probably the biggest change I’ve seen in 20 years<br />
of selling wine—the proliferation of brands.<br />
Do you source any grapes, or are all of your<br />
grapes from Whitehall Lane’s vineyards<br />
Tom Sr.: We source a little. We love blending<br />
Syrah into our Merlot—a small bit. And we<br />
source that. When we find something good<br />
we have it under contract for a long period.<br />
We don’t source any Cabernet; every single one<br />
of our vineyards is a Cabernet vineyard. The<br />
reason we source other things—we’ll make a<br />
little Pinot Noir or a little Chardonnay—is they<br />
have to be from a cooler climate; it can’t come<br />
from a higher appellation. So I buy a small<br />
amount of grapes, but 80-90% of our grapes we<br />
grow ourselves. We make all the wine ourselves;<br />
we bottle it all ourselves; we send it all down to<br />
the warehouse by ourselves. We do everything<br />
other than make the glass.<br />
Are all of your vineyards in the Rutherford area<br />
Tom Sr.: We have three vineyards in Rutherford,<br />
one in Oak Knoll (adjacent to the Stags Leap<br />
appellation) and two vineyards in the St. Helena<br />
appellation. St. Helena is the best appellation<br />
in the world, because I think if you can jump<br />
across the Atlantic Ocean and say that we make<br />
better wines than Bordeaux makes (you can do<br />
a blind tasting and I can validate that statement<br />
just by tasting the wines). California makes<br />
the best wine in the US; the Napa Valley makes<br />
the best Cabernet in the US, and I think St.<br />
Helena has the best appellation in the Napa<br />
Valley. So you could say St. Helena has the best<br />
vineyards in the world. Yountville, Oakville,<br />
Rutherford and St. Helena…that’s the epicenter<br />
of great wines—all four. When you’re talking<br />
other varietals, there are some great vineyards…<br />
but for Cabernet, Oakville, Rutherford,<br />
St. Helena…that’s where you get Cabernet.<br />
How would you describe your wines and style<br />
to someone who has never tried them before<br />
Tom II: A good way to describe our wines would<br />
be ‘structured, elegant and balanced.’<br />
Tom Sr.: That sounds good, Tom. They’re<br />
soft, not high in alcohol content and not high<br />
tannins. They’ll age beautifully for 20 years, or<br />
you can open them up right away and say, ‘That’s<br />
really a great bottle of wine.’ If you’re sitting<br />
out on the deck or having a nice quiet dinner<br />
at home and you want a really nice glass of<br />
wine, ours will blow everything away.<br />
Robert Parker wrote a review on one of our<br />
Cabernets, and I wrote him a letter back because<br />
I thought it was so good. It had a nice score<br />
and the description was nice, but what he said<br />
was, ‘This isn’t a neo-European wine; this isn’t<br />
a neo-Bordeaux wine; this is an all-American<br />
Cabernet. And it’s from the Rutherford area<br />
of the Napa Valley,’ and I thought, wow, what<br />
a great description. We try to make wine that<br />
doesn’t have the high tannins, the European<br />
taste to it; we want to make a Cabernet that’s<br />
a fruit bomb. We’ve always tried to make<br />
Cabernets more in a feminine style. I want a<br />
Cabernet that when you drink it, you go, ‘Boy,<br />
that really tastes good.’ And that’s been our style<br />
for 22 years, and he (Robert Parker) captured<br />
that in his review.<br />
When you’re not drinking your own wine, what<br />
other California wines do you prefer<br />
Tom Sr.: I try a lot of different wines from our<br />
retail store. I like Coho Cabernet, Black Kite<br />
Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley; I like Emma<br />
Pearl Chardonnay—that was very tasty. I’ll<br />
try all kinds of odd ball stuff. I’ve tried French<br />
wines and I don’t care for those at all. And I’ve<br />
yet to find an Italian wine I enjoy.<br />
Tom II: Napa is a very small place and we have<br />
giant wineries owned by corporations—and it’s<br />
also mostly comprised of family wineries. What<br />
makes the wine enjoyable is connecting with the<br />
people who own the wineries or those who work<br />
there. So that’s my attraction.<br />
What can you tell me about Stone Church Red<br />
wine, the newest Whitehall product coming<br />
to ABC<br />
Tom Sr.: The Stone Church Red 2012 vintage<br />
was bountiful and not only big, but very good.<br />
We put together a red Merlot blend that’s<br />
predominately from the Oak Knoll appellation<br />
and the ’12 vintage was just great. This isn’t a<br />
big production wine, and I think it’ll be a big<br />
hit and sell quickly.<br />
Kristin, Tom II and Katie
Domain Wines,<br />
NOT-SO DOMAIN PRICES<br />
ATANAS NECHKOV, CENTRAL FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
Great wine values can be found in any wine<br />
region and at any price range, but it is the all<br />
popular $10 to $15 category that is the most<br />
challenging when it comes to finding value.<br />
This is also the most shopped category and<br />
the one with most abundant choices, and<br />
a plethora of ever-changing labels. What<br />
should the smart consumer look for The<br />
answer is domain wines instead of brands.<br />
A domain wine is produced and bottled in<br />
the wine estate, usually from grapes grown<br />
in the domain’s vineyards. Some would<br />
argue right away that a domain wine costs<br />
a lot more than $10; true in most cases,<br />
but not always. This is where wine experts<br />
and buyers come to play an important role:<br />
finding the best possible quality at the<br />
right price.<br />
Some wine regions offer more choices<br />
than others in this less-than-$15 category.<br />
The following three wine regions offer the<br />
most abundant choices for value in today’s<br />
market: Rhône Valley/Provence, Languedoc<br />
and Bordeaux.<br />
Bordeaux<br />
Yes, even Bordeaux!! Only the top tiers<br />
of classified châteaux in Bordeaux have<br />
reached astronomical prices driven by<br />
the high demand of emerging markets<br />
like China. But for the rest of the “petits<br />
châteaux” whose prices are often $20 or<br />
less, it has been business as usual and prices<br />
have not changed much in the past 15 years;<br />
quality, on the other hand, is higher than<br />
ever, especially with vintages like 2009/2010.<br />
A favorite and best-selling red wine from<br />
Bordeaux is l’Orangerie de Carignan 2010,<br />
Bordeaux, France ($13).<br />
There is a real château at Carignan, unlike<br />
many other Bordeaux wine domains,<br />
where “Château” is only part of the name.<br />
Carignan was first built in the 11th century<br />
on the site of a Roman villa.<br />
wine journal | 8<br />
It was given by King Charles VII of France<br />
to Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, who was a<br />
companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc and<br />
fought the English invasion in the Hundred<br />
Years’ War. In 1452 Poton de Xaintrailles<br />
rebuilt the castle in its present state, and a<br />
year later in 1453, he was victorious over the<br />
English troops led by Constable Talbot in<br />
the battle of Castillon, the battle that ended<br />
the Hundred Years’ War. He then reattached<br />
Bordeaux (Aquitaine) to the kingdom<br />
of France.<br />
L’Orangerie de Carignan 2010, a blend of<br />
60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and<br />
20% Cabernet Franc, is the best-selling wine<br />
by the glass (out of thousands) at restaurants<br />
and brasseries in the city of Bordeaux!<br />
And the reason for that is, besides being<br />
best value in its class, this wine shows well<br />
on its own and pairs well with red meats,<br />
light appetizers, poultry and aged cheeses.<br />
The 2010 Orangerie has medium intensity,<br />
supple palate, soft and ripe tannins and<br />
aromas of red currant and cranberry. The<br />
2011 Orangerie will also be available soon.<br />
Rhône Valley/Provence<br />
Some of the best values in wine today come<br />
from the Rhône Valley and Provence. One of<br />
our recent best-finds-ever was Clos d’Alzan,<br />
Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues 2012<br />
($13).<br />
Clos d’Alzan is a single vineyard of very<br />
old vine Grenache—some of the vines are<br />
over 80 years old! Situated right across from<br />
Châteauneuf du Pape on the opposite bank<br />
of the Rhône River, the soil is composed<br />
of the same galets roulés, large rolled<br />
stones, found in the Châteauneuf du Pape<br />
appellation. The consulting oenologist for<br />
Clos d’Alzan is Xavier Vignon, one of the<br />
most talented winemakers in the Rhône<br />
Valley today. The exceptional quality of<br />
the terroir, combined with the precise and<br />
skillful winemaking of Xavier, make Clos<br />
d’Alzan one of the best values ever!<br />
The 2012 is my all-time favorite Clos<br />
d’Alzan; the wine shows perfect balance,<br />
gobs of dark berry fruit, assertive tannins,<br />
and good minerality with a long-lasting<br />
finish in this exceptional vintage. Enjoy<br />
with your favorite Mediterranean dishes,<br />
pastas, grilled meats and vegetables and<br />
aged cheeses.<br />
From the neighboring Provence comes<br />
the latest addition to our fine selection of<br />
organic and biodynamic wines, Château<br />
Trians Rosé 2013 ($15).<br />
This wine is a spectacular achievement—<br />
quite possibly the best rosé ever; round,<br />
with rich texture, yet bright and fruity<br />
with a perfect balance!<br />
The vineyards at Château Trians were first<br />
planted to the vine 20 centuries ago when<br />
the domain’s lands were part of a large<br />
Roman villa, Villa Triana. Today the wine<br />
estate at Château Trians covers 49 acres of<br />
organically farmed vineyards in the Massif<br />
of Cuers, 30 kilometers north of Toulon<br />
in Provence, France. Most of the wine is<br />
produced under the Côteaux Varois en<br />
Provence Appellation.<br />
The 2013 Château Trians Rosé, a blend<br />
of 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 10%<br />
Syrah, exhibits light salmon-pink color and<br />
aromas and flavors of strawberry, cranberry<br />
and field flowers. The mouthfeel is rich<br />
and perfectly balanced with pure fruit,<br />
refreshing acidity, medium intensity and<br />
a long, round finish. Enjoy as aperitif or<br />
served with mixed salads, seafood dishes,<br />
grilled meats and aged cheeses.<br />
Languedoc<br />
The next favorite and top-value wine comes<br />
from the Languedoc region of Southern<br />
France, Château Petit Roubié, Picpoul de<br />
Pinet 2011 ($11).
Château Petit Roubié has been family-owned<br />
by Floriane and Olivier Azan since 1981<br />
and organically farmed since 1985. The<br />
winery is located in the small town of Pinet<br />
(population 1,300), a place that would have<br />
been totally unknown to the world if it wasn’t<br />
for the great white wine produced there from<br />
the Picpoul grape.<br />
Olivier Azan is a firm believer in organic<br />
farming; his Picpoul vineyards have been free<br />
of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers for over<br />
26 years. These happy vines are planted on a<br />
high plateau overlooking the Mediterranean;<br />
happy vines = good wine.<br />
The Picpoul de Pinet from Petit Roubier is a<br />
pure, honest, well-crafted and exciting wine<br />
that gives great pleasure when consumed<br />
as an aperitif and will enhance any seafood<br />
dish, particularly raw oysters! In fact, this<br />
area is also famous for some of France’s best<br />
oysters. The 2011 Picpoul from Petit Roubié<br />
exhibits aromas and flavors of white flowers,<br />
ripe citrus and sweet apple; the finish is<br />
clean, refreshing and long-lasting.<br />
There is not enough room in a single article to include detailed notes on all our<br />
favorite best-value wines less than $15; besides the four featured wines, here is<br />
a list of a just a few more great wines you don’t want to miss. Happy tasting!<br />
Gouleyant,<br />
Cahors Malbec<br />
2012 - $12<br />
Domaine de<br />
Pellehaut, Côtes de<br />
Gascogne Rosé<br />
2013 - $10<br />
Domaine de Pellehaut,<br />
Côtes de Gascogne Red<br />
2012 - $10<br />
Domaine de Pellehaut,<br />
Côtes de Gascogne<br />
White 2013 - $10<br />
M. Chapoutier,<br />
Bila-Haut,<br />
Côtes de Roussillon<br />
White<br />
2012 - $13<br />
Bila-Haut,<br />
Pays d’Oc Rosé<br />
2013 - $13<br />
Domaine Magellan,<br />
Vin de Pays de<br />
l’Hérault Red<br />
2009 - $12<br />
Domaine de la<br />
Chauvinière,<br />
Muscadet Sèvre et<br />
Maine<br />
2012 – $10<br />
Perrier, Vin de<br />
Savoie Apremont<br />
2012 - $13<br />
Veuve Ambal<br />
Crémant de<br />
Bourgogne Brut - $15
The Opportunity TO E X P LOR E<br />
PAUL QUAGLINI, SOUTHEAST FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
Over the years I’ve had the incredibly<br />
enriching opportunity to explore<br />
some of the most dramatic wine<br />
landscapes in the world. The Mosel in<br />
Germany and the Douro Valley in Portugal<br />
certainly rank near the top of my list.<br />
These regions are visually awe-inspiring as<br />
vines seem to cling onto perilously steep<br />
slopes. I’m often left wondering who it was<br />
centuries ago that thought these locations<br />
would be a good place to plant grape vines.<br />
I guess the ancient Romans, as well as<br />
civilizations before them, knew a thing or<br />
two about making wine.<br />
On my most recent trip to Italy, Brad Lewis<br />
and I had a meeting in Verona with Aldo<br />
Rainoldi, a winemaker from the Valtellina<br />
region. After a very positive presentation<br />
of his wines, Aldo suggested we visit his<br />
winery someday. Brad and I immediately<br />
took him up on his offer and set out the next<br />
day for Valtellina. I knew from reading in<br />
books that Valtellina was a mountainous<br />
region, but I had no idea how incredibly<br />
breathtaking it was.<br />
Valtellina is an alpine valley in the far<br />
northern reaches of Lombardy on the Swiss<br />
border. They have been producing wine<br />
here for over 2000 years. Just as in other<br />
wine regions where ripening grapes can be<br />
a challenge, only those vines planted on<br />
sunny, south-facing slopes have any chance<br />
of producing good wine.<br />
After a quick tour of the winery, Giuseppi<br />
was most anxious to show us the family<br />
vineyards. The best wines of Valtellina are<br />
produced from a narrow strip of vineyards<br />
on the north bank of the Adda River. More<br />
specifically, there are five sub-districts<br />
in valley: Inferno (the hottest), Grumello<br />
(named after a medieval castle), Sassella (the<br />
rockiest and considered by some the best),<br />
Valgella (most productive) and Maroggia<br />
(smallest). All the Rainoldi vineyards are<br />
in Inferno, Grumello and Sassella.<br />
We spent the better part of the afternoon<br />
doing our best to keep up with Giuseppe<br />
Rainoldi as he proudly showed us the<br />
vineyards he has been working on for more<br />
than 60 years. Most of the vines are planted<br />
on inclines so pronounced that just the act<br />
of walking, never mind tending to vines and<br />
harvesting fruit is nearly impossible. In some<br />
of the vineyards they actually use helicopters<br />
to get the grapes off the mountain after they<br />
are picked. At 77 years young, Giuseppe is<br />
a testament to what clean mountain air and<br />
good red wine do for one’s longevity.<br />
All Valtellina wines are made from<br />
Nebbiolo grapes known locally by the name<br />
Chiavennasca (named after the nearby<br />
mountain town of Chiavenna). The territory<br />
has two DOCGs: Valtellina Superiore, which<br />
is an elegant wine known for its bright,<br />
complex, cherry aromas and soft tannins, and<br />
Sforzato di Valtellina, a wine whose name<br />
comes from the traditional practice of drying<br />
the grapes before the wine is made, much like<br />
Amarone. The resulting wine is intense, dry,<br />
completely unique and delicious.<br />
The ancient Romans believed that wine<br />
was a daily necessity of life. This led to<br />
the desire to spread viticulture and wine<br />
production to every part of the Roman<br />
Empire. I guess I have to thank them for<br />
choosing some of the most sublime spots on<br />
the planet to grow grapes. Visiting a place<br />
like Valtellina confirms what I’ve always<br />
known: Making a career out of my passion<br />
for wine was a good choice.<br />
Paul Quaglini, Michela Benigni (wife of Aldo<br />
Rainoldi) and Giuseppi Rainoldi (uncle) in<br />
the Rainoldi’s vineyards<br />
Once Brad and I finally arrived at Aldo<br />
Rainoldi’s winery, we were greeted by<br />
his wife Michela and uncle Giuseppe.<br />
wine journal | 10
H A RVEST REPORT:<br />
CALIFORNIA VINTAGE 2014<br />
SHAYNE HEBERT, CENTRAL FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
Many books have been written<br />
outlining just what it takes to<br />
make a “great vintage” in a<br />
quality wine region. In addition to the<br />
obvious factors like rainfall, sunshine,<br />
viticulture practices, etc., there are the<br />
subtle influences of soil composition,<br />
vineyard aspect and one of the most<br />
important: matching grape varieties to<br />
the micro-climate. When you add all<br />
this together, no two vintages are really<br />
ever exactly the same, which has a direct<br />
influence on the resulting wine, helping<br />
create subtle variations that make wine<br />
appreciation so exciting! Some believe that<br />
if you have plenty of sunshine and fertile<br />
soil everything will be fine. Like California,<br />
right Not true! Even warm and sunny<br />
California has her ups and downs. Drought,<br />
rain and even heat all play their part in<br />
assuring that even mighty Napa Valley<br />
has variations.<br />
2011: This vintage proved to be of relatively<br />
mediocre quality, even in hot spots like<br />
Napa Valley. 2011 began with a wet<br />
winter and spring, delaying flowering and<br />
decreasing crops. A cooler than average<br />
summer created a longer, slower maturation<br />
of fruit, then autumn rains (and, in many<br />
cases, early harvesting) produced grapes<br />
with lower than normal sugars. Elegance<br />
is the norm in 2011. Some wines lack<br />
complexity and weight, and most are<br />
destined for near-term consumption.<br />
2012: The statewide total was pegged at 4.3<br />
million tons of fruit, and of seriously good<br />
quality—a huge sigh of relief from growers<br />
after the so-so quality in 2011. 2012 was<br />
back to California’s high standard, and with<br />
a larger crop. This will be a vintage to look<br />
for not only for drinking, but, in the case<br />
of Napa Valley, Sonoma and Lake County’s<br />
more well-situated sites, for short term aging.<br />
2013: Turned out to be quite similar to 2012,<br />
back to normal as it were, for most wine<br />
growers…much to the relief, again,<br />
of everyone. 2013 Cabernets offer the<br />
color, weight and flavors that we all<br />
come to expect. And to the consumers<br />
who demand wine at any level, since the<br />
“worldwide wine shortage” most likely had<br />
more than a few consumers worried it might<br />
be a beer year.<br />
2014: “Then came the drought”...harvest<br />
levels in California will most likely not<br />
follow the quantities from either 2012 or<br />
2013. It is looking as though the harvest<br />
2014 might be back to the same difficulties<br />
as in 2011, only for different reasons—but<br />
probably with the same outcome. Obviously<br />
the droughts experienced in California so<br />
far in 2014 have had a ripple effect on all<br />
farmers, not only wine growers, worried<br />
about smaller crop sizes. Typically, smaller<br />
crops/lower yields (in wine grapes) mean<br />
better quality in the wines, heightening<br />
concentration and flavors. But without<br />
sufficient rainfall, that may be in jeopardy.<br />
As important as agriculture is to California,<br />
water restrictions are a way of life and<br />
unavoidable…and worsened during less than<br />
average rainfall years. These restrictions<br />
are the main reason why new plantings and<br />
new winery growth has leveled out. Then<br />
came the drought! As much as almost every<br />
Californian relishes the proximity of its<br />
booming wine industry, many also believe<br />
that wine is still a luxury, where water is<br />
a necessity.<br />
Effect of drought on wine growing: The<br />
vine stress created from drought affects<br />
grapes in every stage of the growth cycle,<br />
and affects vines of all ages.<br />
New plantings need irrigation to develop<br />
properly, and severe water stress at this stage<br />
is quite dangerous to the vine. Survival is<br />
diminished, and those new plantings that do<br />
make it have a much greater chance of not<br />
surviving the winter.<br />
Young vines, 2-5 years old and already<br />
capable of producing quality grapes for<br />
wine in California are most susceptible<br />
to drought because of their shallow root<br />
systems. Most producers will severely<br />
reduce yields or drop all of the fruit<br />
entirely to save the vine. During drought,<br />
Napa Valley at dawn<br />
the vine typically suspends photosynthesis<br />
in favor or respiration/survival, and without<br />
photosynthesis the system breaks down:<br />
poor canopy, poor fruit set and the resulting<br />
poor quality wine.<br />
Older wines react differently, although<br />
problems do still exist. Old vines have<br />
developed deeper root systems, ensuring<br />
a constant supply of nutrients and water<br />
for their survival. They are more resistant<br />
to drought, but not unaffected. Again<br />
water stress alters the formation of leaves,<br />
and a quality canopy is imperative to<br />
quality grapes. Varietal flavors develop<br />
during the last few weeks of ripening, and<br />
this is also affected by drought. As for<br />
dry-farmed vineyards, where irrigation is<br />
not used, the vines still rely on both their<br />
deep root systems and average rainfall to<br />
sustain. Again quantity and quality are both<br />
impacted. Resulting wines could show little<br />
varietal character and less complexity.
The Spring Europe<br />
MARATHON<br />
BRAD LEWIS, DIRECTOR OF WINE SALES<br />
All of the trade shows in Europe happened<br />
in succession this year. I couldn’t do<br />
them all but signed on for three in a<br />
row. I flew out with Bill Stobbs, West Florida<br />
wine supervisor, on March 20th for ProWein<br />
in Düsseldorf, Germany. ProWein has become<br />
one of the most significant trade shows in<br />
the world. It lasts only three days and draws<br />
visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.<br />
The event is spread throughout nine buildings,<br />
so planning is essential to avoid backtracking<br />
and wasting time. We got our exercise and<br />
made some new contacts that will fill holes in<br />
ABC's selection. We had dinner one night with<br />
Wilhelm Steifensand, whose family has owned<br />
P.J. Valckenberg in Germany since 1786. I have<br />
known Wilhelm since the 1970s, and it’s always<br />
a pleasure to spend some time with him. He<br />
had us meet him at a restaurant that he heard<br />
was one of the best in the city, Tante Anna.<br />
With Julia Lergenmüller and<br />
her dog with the village of<br />
Burrweiler in the background<br />
We left the exhibition and headed for the<br />
Rheingau to visit three of the top, most<br />
historic estates in the region. Schloss<br />
Reinhartshausen was, until recently, the<br />
property of the princes of Prussia but was<br />
bought by the Lergenmüller family in 2013.<br />
The estate includes parcels in a number<br />
of the top sites in the Rhiengau, including<br />
the Erbacher Marcobrunn, and is the sole<br />
owner of the most unique vineyard, the<br />
Mariannenaue, an island in the Rhein. It’s a<br />
protected wildlife habitat but also has winery<br />
buildings and a vineyard. I have always wanted<br />
to see it but access is restricted and is only<br />
by boat from the estate. Scratch one from the<br />
bucket list.<br />
Not far from Schloss Reinhartshausen is the<br />
estate of Baron Langwerth von Simmern in<br />
Eltville. The estate has been in the family since<br />
1464 and is run largely today by Baroness<br />
Andrea Langwerth von Simmern. This estate<br />
also has prime vineyards in the region. We<br />
tasted through a number of the estate’s current<br />
releases, followed by three wines from 2002<br />
and 2003. The older wines easily dispel the<br />
myth that white wines can’t age.<br />
Last stop of the day was at the J. Wegeler<br />
Estate for a tasting and dinner with owner and<br />
manager Tom Drieseberg. This estate is one of<br />
a kind, with vineyards and wineries in the<br />
Rheingau and Mosel. With dinner we had<br />
a 1959 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Spätlese.<br />
The wine was incredible with years of life<br />
ahead still.<br />
The next morning we drove to Hainfeld in the<br />
Pfalz to visit the Lergenmüller’s home estate.<br />
Stefan’s brother Jürgen runs the Pfalz estate<br />
and we were shown the winery by him and<br />
his daughter Julia. They grow a number of<br />
grape varieties and produce some of the most<br />
distinctive wines of the Pfalz.<br />
It’s a short drive south along the Pfalz wine<br />
road into France and Alsace. We stayed in<br />
Colmar, the ancient capital of Alsace, that<br />
night and took a hiking tour around the heart<br />
of Colmar in the morning. The city is ancient<br />
with half-timbered houses along narrow<br />
streets and canals. We visited the Hospice de<br />
Colmar vineyard, a rare site within the city.<br />
The next morning I was off to Bordeaux<br />
for the annual tastings there and Bill<br />
headed home.<br />
Jim Greeley met me in Bordeaux and we<br />
did the annual grind of tasting young wines<br />
out of barrels. We started Sunday afternoon<br />
with a négociant at his house, went four full<br />
days in the tastings and finished Friday with<br />
four visits in négociants’ offices. The 2013<br />
vintage had a lot of problems and it’s the kind<br />
of year when the stars really shine. Work<br />
in the vineyards was crucial, followed by<br />
careful selection and cellar work. As usual,<br />
the top estates took the steps and made good<br />
wines—but many of the others suffered. The<br />
good news is that, on the whole, prices have<br />
dropped, in some cases back to the level<br />
of 2008.<br />
Jim went home from Bordeaux, and I moved<br />
on to Verona, Italy, for the big Italian trade<br />
show, Vinitaly. Paul Quaglini, our Italian<br />
expert, joined me there for four days. A lot<br />
of the time was spent with existing suppliers<br />
and owners discussing future programming<br />
and visits, and tasting the new vintages and<br />
wines. Aside from that, we always find some<br />
new and interesting things, and this year<br />
included a real revelation. We visited Aldo<br />
Rainoldi whose vineyards are in the Valtellina,<br />
a high valley bordering Switzerland, where<br />
the Nebbiolo grape rules. After tasting the<br />
wines we went to visit the Rainoldis. Giuseppe<br />
Rainoldi, Aldo’s septuagenarian uncle, took us<br />
on a walking tour through the vineyards. The<br />
vines are planted on extremely steep slopes<br />
and just climbing them is difficult. The sun<br />
is direct and so hot in the daytime that work<br />
stops at 1:00 p.m. The wines are unique and<br />
the drive to the valley was well worth the time.<br />
The next day we flew home with some<br />
new ideas.<br />
wine journal | 12
The vineyards and castle of Grumello
SUMMERTIME WINES<br />
KEN AMENDOLA, NORTH FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
After long months of cold, dreary weather,<br />
spring leads into the highlight months of<br />
the year: summer. With its long sunny<br />
days, time spent soaking up sun on sandy beaches,<br />
cookouts with friends and family, vacations and<br />
travel, summer is a wonderful time of year for most<br />
of us. I look forward to summertime for a number<br />
of reasons, like taking some weeks off of work to<br />
travel around with my son, getting to enjoy all the<br />
bountiful choices of fresh fruits and vegetables you<br />
can find along the country roads we sometimes<br />
travel, plus a chance to drink the light, refreshing<br />
wines that go so well with the rising temperatures.<br />
I have found a few summer wines that truly shine<br />
when the thermometer begins to climb.<br />
A fairly new wine from the Veneto region of Italy,<br />
made by the winemaking team at La Cappuccina,<br />
is Nadia Bianco. This ideal summer white is made<br />
from 80% Garganega and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.<br />
Served well-chilled as an aperitif, alongside a crisp<br />
salad of mixed greens or with what I think really<br />
shows what this wine is made of, a chilled Italian<br />
seafood salad of mussels, shrimp, calamari and any<br />
number of other in-season fresh jewels of the sea.<br />
The Nadia Bianco has such a wonderful balance of<br />
minerality, citrus notes and acidity that it makes<br />
the perfect choice for a refreshing, all-the-time<br />
white wine for the hot days ahead.<br />
Now if you can’t make up your mind on whether to<br />
go red or white, we have a new rosé offering from<br />
France, and it comes in a summer-sized magnum<br />
bottle from Domaine l’Ostal Cazes. If that name<br />
sounds familiar, it’s because the Cazes family<br />
are also the proud owners of the famous Château<br />
Lynch-Bages. Pair this bright pink Domaine l’Ostal<br />
Cazes Rosé with a thick, grilled piece of beef, a<br />
light salad of shrimp and scallops or just about<br />
anything in between. I enjoy nothing more on<br />
these sometimes oppressively hot summer days<br />
than a large glass of chilled, dry French rosé.<br />
Try a glass of this fresh-flavored wine with its hint<br />
of strawberry, spice and berry flavors that it gets<br />
from its blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah,<br />
and you will also see the need for a rather large<br />
wine glass!<br />
So go out and enjoy the sunny summer ahead,<br />
and be sure to visit your favorite veggie stand,<br />
fish house, butcher shop and ABC to make your<br />
summer days and nights ones to remember.<br />
On the red side is a wine that has made a huge<br />
impression on almost everyone who has ever<br />
opened—and then quickly emptied—a bottle:<br />
Playtime Red, a crazy red blend from Lake<br />
County, California. This is a blend primarily of<br />
Zinfandel, but it also gets its zingy personality<br />
from Grenache, Barbera and an extra little kick<br />
from Petite Sirah. I would tell you that this fruitforward,<br />
juicy red hits the mark with any type of<br />
barbeque, and it does, but I honestly cannot think<br />
of a summer table that would not benefit from<br />
having a couple bottles of this wine to go alongside<br />
whatever is being served. This red blend has big,<br />
ripe, fruit flavors of black cherries, blackberries<br />
and plums, with a little spice and enough acidity<br />
to match itself with so many different summer<br />
meal choices. At less than $10 a bottle, it is<br />
certainly a wine that should be bought by the case<br />
and shared whenever possible. If you haven’t had<br />
the opportunity to taste this snappy red blend, look<br />
for it at ABC! You’ll most likely go back for more!<br />
wine journal | 14
Florida Weather, German Wine<br />
– A Perfect Match!<br />
BILL STOBBS, WEST FLORIDA WINE SUPERVISOR<br />
It was a chance to spend some time tasting wine in<br />
Germany, and I grabbed it. Actually I hadn’t spent<br />
any real quality time in Germany in almost a<br />
decade, so it was a great chance to reacquaint myself<br />
with wines that I know I love but sometimes tend to<br />
overlook, as many of us do here in the USA.<br />
First stop was Düsseldorf for three days at ProWein<br />
2014. One of the best of the international wine trade<br />
shows and growing in stature every year, ProWein<br />
offered a chance to taste the wines of 4,500 exhibitors<br />
from 45 countries on 5 continents. Shows like<br />
this, though necessary to those of us in the trade,<br />
can be pretty grueling unless approached with a<br />
preconceived plan of who we would visit and what<br />
types of wine we were looking for.<br />
As it happened we tasted very little German wine<br />
during the show itself, though we did have the pleasure<br />
of meeting, and later having dinner, with Wilhelm<br />
Steifensand, the owner of Valckenberg. Founded in<br />
1786, P.J. Valckenberg Weinhandelshaus supplies ABC<br />
with the popular Madonna wines, a delicious dry<br />
Riesling from Weingut Liebfrauenstift, an excellent<br />
Pinot Blanc and the amazingly successful German<br />
semi-sweet red wine Dornfelder, among others.<br />
But now it was time for the most enjoyable and most<br />
rewarding part of a wine trip – visiting the wineries<br />
and getting out into the vineyards and talking with<br />
owners and winemakers in a more relaxed setting.<br />
First we visited the Rheingau and the historic<br />
Schloss Reinhartshausen, recently bought by the<br />
Lergenmüller family, where wine has been cultivated<br />
since 1337. This winery is unique in that one of its<br />
vineyards is situated on an island in the middle<br />
of the Rhine River – Mariannenaue Island. The<br />
microclimate here is mild and steady with very little<br />
frost during the winter and not too intense a heat in<br />
the summer; it provides unique wines that are light,<br />
refreshing and elegant. We spent part of the morning<br />
walking this mystical island, which is also a nature<br />
preserve of nearly 200 hectares. Soaking in the slow<br />
tranquility of the place made us appreciate the wines<br />
even more.<br />
Next a visit to another historic winery, established<br />
in 1464, Weingut Langwerth von Simmern, where<br />
we had the pleasure of tasting the wines and touring<br />
the ancient cellars with the very gracious Andrea,<br />
Baroness Langwerth von Simmern. The estate is<br />
currently represented at ABC with their extremely<br />
quaffable Just Riesling.<br />
We dined that night in the tasting room of Weingüter<br />
Wegeler with owner Dr. Tom Drieseberg. Besides<br />
producing some pretty impressive wine, Tom is an<br />
interesting and erudite conversationalist. For those<br />
of you who don’t realize that good Riesling is ageworthy,<br />
we enjoyed one from 1959 with dinner that<br />
was still fresh and vibrant.<br />
For our last stop in Germany we traveled to the Pfalz<br />
where we had lunch and a tasting at the Lergenmüller<br />
Family of Wines. This is the largest family-owned<br />
wine estate in Germany. Our host and guide for the<br />
afternoon was Julia Lergenmüller, who took us up<br />
to the beautiful Sankt Annaberg Estate to taste their<br />
splendid assortment of wine. Look for the regional<br />
boutique wines of Villa L and the German classic<br />
wines of the Möller Winery at ABC.<br />
Weingut Langwerth von Simmern<br />
Bill Stobbs and Andrea, Baroness Langerth von Simmern<br />
Bill Stobbs with Klaus Dillman at Marcobrunnen<br />
So why does a trip to Germany have anything to do<br />
with enjoying wine in Florida It often surprises me<br />
that the wines of Germany, Riesling in particular, are<br />
so overlooked in a climate that just begs for the fresh<br />
vibrancy of these wines. Not to mention the quality.<br />
We need to rid ourselves of the notions of cheap sweet<br />
wines and old men in lederhosen. Good German wine<br />
is classy, sexy, noble and delicious. It is also, at least in<br />
Germany, usually dry or off-dry, very refreshing and<br />
perfect for out-of-doors enjoyment. And it shouldn’t<br />
take a trip to Germany to bring that home to us here!<br />
Bill Stobbs, Stefan Lergenmuller and<br />
Brad Lewis on Mariannenaue
8989 South Orange Ave.<br />
Orlando, Florida 32824<br />
Valid July 1, 2014 - September 1, 2014.<br />
WINE TO WATCH:<br />
Château Tanunda<br />
Dry Riesling<br />
AROMA:<br />
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME,<br />
lemon blossom, gardenia<br />
BODY:<br />
Light, delicate and elegant<br />
WITH REFRESHING<br />
ACIDITY<br />
BEST TO DRINK WITH:<br />
Lobster<br />
and light<br />
pasta dishes<br />
FLAVOR:<br />
Bright citrus,<br />
green apple,<br />
light and tangy<br />
COLOR:<br />
SUBTLY GOLD<br />
with a touch<br />
of green<br />
FINISH:<br />
Crisp and lingering<br />
REGION:<br />
Barossa Valley,<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
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