Cafes & Wineries

For the last ten years, the final Saturday in February has become an important night for wine lovers around the world. Each year, this particular Saturday provides the excuse to open that special bottle of wine that you’ve got tucked away for that special occasion that never seems to arrive.

Open That Bottle Night was invented by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, the husband-and-wife team that writes the wine column for the Wall Street Journal. Here’s how they described their invention of this night in their memoir, Love by the Glass, after writing a column about how people should age their wines:

The response to “aging your wines” column was surprising. We received dozens of heartfelt letters from people who had one special bottle of wine. They all wanted to know whether their particular bottle of wine was still good and, if so, when it would be ready to drink. (The usually added, shyly, “How much is it worth?”) We answered all these letters the same way. Your bottle is priceless. It’s impossible to know if it’s still good until you open it. Stop waiting for a special occasion to open it and make the wine itself the special occasion. Make a special meal and celebrate the wine itself.

After we’d written this letter dozens of times, it struck us that if so many people wrote to us about this issue, it must be a widespread question. Instead of telling everybody individually about celebrating their bottle, why not just write a column with that advice for everybody…. We decided we’d set a date when we could all make a special dinner and open our bottles together. Saturday seemed like a good bet because people could spend the day preparing….Because we wanted people to open that bottle they’d kept forever, we decided to call it, simply, Open That Bottle Night.

The next week [after the column had run] was one of the most extraordinary of our lives. Remember that scene in Miracle on 34th Street, in the courtroom, when the mailmen come in with sacks and sacks of mail addressed to Santa Claus? Well, that’s what it was like. Kids from the mailroom kept arriving at our desks with stacks of mail. The tops of our desks were filled with envelopes. We took them all home and read. After the girls were in bed, we opened them and read them to each other. Each one was moving, or funnier, than the last. People from all over the world were sharing what was in their hearts with us, all because of wine. Most of the letters were long. Many were handwritten. Quite a few included menus and recipes and labels from the bottles. We responded to every one. John sat at the computer and composed letters. Dottie addressed the envelopes until her hand hurt so badly she had to stop. For almost two weeks we stayed up until two A.M. every night answering letters…. By the time the flood ended we had more than a thousand letters…. The Wall Street Journal nominated the column for a Pulitzer…. The ripples from “Open That Bottle Night” seemed to last forever.

They say good ideas only come around once in a blue moon. Ideas that can fundamentally change people’s relationships to wine come around even less frequently. Open That Bottle Night is one of those ideas. In its own small way, it achieves what wine writers toil over every day — removing the barriers to enjoying wine.

Every wine writer in existence has probably been asked about that “special” bottle that someone has, and the answer that Dorothy and John came up with is precisely the right one. Wine should be enjoyed with the people we love, whether it is a $10 bottle or a dusty treasure that we’ve been hoarding for the “right time” that never quite seems to arrive.

So if you can, grab one of those bottles you’ve been saving for a while. You know, the ones you always pass over in the rack because they′re a little too good to bring to that party, or a little to expensive to open with pizza, or a little too close to that perfect memory of your Tuscan vacation. Pop that sucker open with people that mean a lot to you and celebrate the fact that wine makes the world better.

I’m using the occasion to help a friend inaugurate his new restaurant in San Francisco, and Ruth, Sparrow, and I, along with our friends Jack and Joanne and their son Trent, will be opening a few bottles that have been crying out for drinking, including a late 90’s vintage Champagne, an old bottle of California Pinot, a strange bottle of southern Italian white wine made by a crank winemaker, and if we’re in the mood, an old Riesling as well.

If you’re reading this entry on Sunday, or even Monday, don’t worry. The event works just as well on any day of the week. Grab that bottle and something good to eat, and enjoy yourself.

Read more about the occasion.

Original post by Alfonso Cevola

Grape Light
The grape consists of three primary elements, the skin, the pulp, and the seeds. The skin is actually several layers of material: the bloom, a wax and cutin layer that prevents dehydration of the berry and the epidermis, which contains the pigments and tannins so important to wine color, structure, and flavor. The pulp is a grouping of about 40 veined cells that are connected in a vascular network to a central structure known as the brush, which connects the inner part of the grape to the little bit of stem known as the pedicel which in turn connects the berry to the cluster. The seeds (most often one or two), are connected to the same vascular network as the pulp, and vary in size and shape depending on the variety of the vine. — The Oxford Companion to Wine

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Original post by Alfonso Cevola

I had a conversation the other night with a fellow wine writer that unsettled me. We were tasting a number of different wines, and comparing notes on a few that weren′t so hot, and that’s when she said something along the lines of “Can you believe how cynical these winemakers must be?”

At first, I wasn′t quite understanding what she meant, but as we talked, it became clear that she meant quite literally, that many winemakers in Napa are making wine that they know is bad, just because they think it is what the public wants. She went on to say, when pressed, that she knows a lot of winemakers who don′t drink their own wine, and don′t think that the wine they make is particularly good. And she wasn′t talking about the Sutter Homes and Kendall Jacksons of the world, she was talking about folks that made wines that cost $40, $60, or even $150 a bottle.

I find this proposition both fascinating and disturbing. Fascinating because it illuminates the dichotomy of winemaking as both a business and an aesthetic pursuit, and disturbing because it doesn’t square with my experience.

Before it is anything else, winemaking is most certainly a business. At least for all but the most dilettante winemakers. But at the same time, the majority of people who make wine professionally bring to the task an aesthetic drive to make something great with the raw materials they have at their disposal.

Those raw materials as well as the other myriad constraints imposed by the business side of wine production most definitely force winemakers to make certain hard decisions. But within those constraints (some of which may be the stylistic preferences or traditions of the winery, winery owner, or brand) I believe most winemakers strive to make the best possible wine they can.

I do know some consulting winemakers that work for many different clients who have told me that sometimes they make a wine that suits their employer’s palate more than their own, but I haven′t yet found a winemaker who thinks the wine they make is bad enough that they prefer not to drink it. On the contrary, and sometimes much to my dismay, there are a lot of winemakers out there who are quite proud of wines that they think are great, but which to my taste are quite bad.

Bad vintages and problems in the winemaking process aside, most winemakers I’ve met seem to talk about their wines like most parents talk about their children. And just like parenting, I think the cost, time, and intensive effort required by winemaking generates a certain amount of investment in the final product that can even blind some winemakers to the faults of their wine. Telling a winemaker that the wine they just poured me is awful produces the same sort of facial expressions I would expect from mothers if I went around telling them their babies were ugly.

Of course, most winemakers are professionals, and know that some people won′t like their wines. But that professionalism, combined with ego, and the human tendency to strive for quality, is precisely the reason that I have a hard time believing that there are a lot of winemakers out there who spend their days making wine they think is bad. That’s as strange to me as the thought of a Michelin-starred chef holding a job churning out food that she knows is unhealthy and tastes bad in some fancy restaurant somewhere.

So here’s the question: am I just being naive?

I know a lot of people in the industry read this blog, as do a lot of wine lovers who have connections to people who make wine. I give you full permission, even encourage you, to comment anonymously or send me private e-mails and tell me if you know people who make wine they think is bad enough that they wouldn’t want to drink it themselves.

Where are all these cynical winemakers?

Original post by Alfonso Cevola

West of Napa ~ East of Eden

After spending a week in Napa Valley, we headed over the hill to Sonoma. Destination: Occidental, California. The sun that had been our companion for two days headed back behind the clouds. Driving, I was reminded of the John Mayall song, California.

Going back to California
So many good things around
Don’t wanna leave California
The sun seems to never go down

I remember that song playing in the eight track player of my Fiat sport coupe as I discovered the California of my youth. The saxophone solo, the guitar, the flute, the raspy, bluesy voice of Mayall.

There is something about the way the air of California caresses me. I grew up with it in southern California, but on a good day in the north, there was only one thing better for a California youth. I have never felt it in New York or Texas or Italy. It is unique for me in California. The place is a huge emotional caress.

Maybe that was why my son asked me to come visit him in Occidental. He was looking into a possible position with the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. What was once, in my time, the Farralones Institute, is now what I call a “think-farm”.

California - that is a good place for home
California - I’ll be back there before long

As we drove through the hills from Sebastopol to Occidental, getting a little lost along the way, there were signs of the early Italian immigrant. With names like Piezzi Road and Rossi Road, Mancini Road and Cuneo Court, I could feel the souls who had passed through Ellis Island and ended up eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. They had found their Paradise. Grapes, figs, apples, nuts, land, mud, sun, salvation.

“I don’t think I can live in a city right now, Pop.” My son is searching for his place in the sun, somewhere away from the big tree, so he can grow in his own right. There was no arguing, this was a beautiful place. Organic gardens filled with the most wonderful and edible plants. Tradition born from the dawning of the new age. I recognized what he was looking for was something our Italian ancestors had been looking for all the way back to Columbus.

California - there is a good place to be
California - that’s where I’m feeling so free

After a week in the high concept of Napa, which I admit openly that I love, here we were in this little pocket, this vortex of a place that is an original part of California. Grapes are everywhere, as are young women with long hair and long dresses. Such a departure from the day before, when we went to a special tasting of new releases on Howell Mountain. The new ultra-modern green building, a state of the art facility, a Leed certified winery on its way to becoming Leed Gold. The winemaker, from an Italian family that settled in Lodi.

Lodi, where in a week I will find my way from an airport, via a rental car, back on the road for this journey, retracing the steps of the Italian immigrant.

Some people may treat you ugly
Some treat you beautiful too
That’s the way life is all over
So look for the good things for you

Later that night in the City at a little eight table café, Weird Fish, with my son and his sister, we rediscover a little wine we first had in Paris, bought from our local wine store in the 14th where our apartment was. Domaine de la Garreliere Cendrillon, a Savignon Blanc and Chenin, bio-dynamic and a fair $36. A thrilling match with the buffalo girls - seitan with buffalo sauce and veganaise and a sustainable harvested steelhead with a lemon-caper tapenade.

The next morning, Sunday, as we headed out of Sebastopol on our way to catch a plane in San Francisco that never showed up, I silently wondered if I would ever get back to the garden.

California - I’ll be back there before long
I’ll be back there before long
I′ll be back there before long
I′ll be back there before long

Original post by Alfonso Cevola

The finalists for the 2009 edition of the American Wine Blog Awards have been announced, and I’m pleased to report that Vinography is up for three awards: Best Writing, Best Wine Reviews, and Best Overall Wine Blog.

I’ve been publishing this blog for more than 5 years now, and one of the most satisfying aspects of this (second) job of mine continues to be the support that I receive from readers like you. That support manifests in many ways: the comments you leave on the site, the fact that you even bother to come back here to read every day, and your (very sweet) willingness to nominate Vinography for such awards.

This is the third year of the American Wine Blog Awards, which were developed by Tom Wark, author of the blog Fermentation, to honor the best of the rapidly expanding field of literally thousands of wine blogs that have sprung up since I started typing away in 2004. I encourage you to check out each of the finalists in every category, as they represent an incredible variety of voices and points-of-view on wine. These twenty or so unique blogs number about the same as the major wine magazines published in the English language and have dramatically increased the quantity, quality, and diversity of writing available to wine lovers of all stripes.

And while you’re checking out all these blogs, I’d like to ask for you to take a couple minutes and cast your vote. I’d certainly appreciate your support and I know all the other finalists would as well. The voting will end on March 4th, at 11:59 PM.

Finally, on behalf of all the finalists, if you have the opportunity to spread the word about these awards (or better yet, write about them on your own blog) we would certainly appreciate it. The recognition associated with these awards is, for many, one of the few forms of recompense that ever come our way.

Vote for Vinography in the 2008 American Wine Blog Awards

Original post by Alfonso Cevola

One of my favorite events each year involves the opportunity to sample some of the best wines that Napa produces in a given vintage. At Premiere Napa Valley, an auction that serves as the world’s most expensive “bake sale” to support the efforts of the non-profit Napa Valley Vintners Association, journalists like me get a chance to sneak a taste of hundreds of unique wines that are purchased by the nation’s top wine retailers at staggeringly high prices.

This year, as every year, 200 member wineries each crafted a unique auction lot of wine that in most cases represents the very best wine that they are capable of producing. Some bottle five or ten cases of wine from their best barrel and some make a unique blend from their two best vineyard blocks. No matter what their composition, each auction lot must be a unique wine that will never be available anywhere else, and implicitly, it must be as good as possible, to ultimately fetch the highest price.

So what’s the good in me tasting wines that neither you nor I will ever get a chance to taste again, let alone purchase one day? As I swoon over some of these wines, I often ask myself the same question.

Some of these wines can actually be purchased by the public, though they require persistence to track down, plus a cavalier attitude towards the price of wine. When the 5 cases of Scarecrow that were purchased for $80,000 last Saturday eventually get sold, I shudder to think what the price per bottle will be.

Many of the lots are sold before the gavel falls — purchased by wine retailers and brokers who essentially take orders (and bundles of cash) from their best customers, and then show up to invest, as if they are managing a wine hedge fund.

For the rest of us, apart from offering a ringside view on the uppermost echelon of California wine buying, the Premiere Napa Valley auction provides three main insights:

1. The measure of demand strength for the luxury end of the Napa wine industry
2. A gauge of the quality of wine that a large number of Napa producers can make when they really try
3. A broad sense of the qualities of a particular vintage — in this case, 2007

I attend every year for these insights, along with the fantastic food and laid-back camaraderie that accompanies the event.

This year, of course, the question of demand was foremost on many people’s minds. In short, how much less money was the auction going to bring in, given the terrible state of the economy?

The bidding seemed no less enthusiastic to me this year than last, though many of the final prices of the wines were much lower on average, than in past years, and there were fewer winning bidders overall. This translated into auction proceeds of $1.5 million compared to $2.2 million last year — a drop of about 32%, not unlike my 401k, and much less a drop than I (and many others, judging from their reactions) would have thought. The Napa brand, it seems, retains its strength in a downturn.

The 2007 vintage appears to be, in a word, fantastic. Much smoother, rounder, and more balanced than the often tannic 2006 vintage, the 2007 wines from Napa are going to be truly excellent. The growing year in 2007 was full of ups and downs, with early flowering, followed by a relatively cool summer, a burst of heat in early September, and then scary rain in October that caught some people with fruit on the vine. A warm spell in late October allowed those whose fruit was not yet ripe at the time of the rain to avoid disaster, but all told, most people got less fruit, and smaller grapes than in previous years. For those who knew what they were doing, this reduction in crop meant an increase in fruit quality and complexity, and some people have clearly made exceptional wines with what they got.

The Premiere barrel tasting is quite a marathon, especially for a guy like me who sets out to taste literally every single one of the 200 wines on offer. I have to work my ass off for four hours in order to get through them all. This year, I got to taste all but one of the wines — the lot from Shafer ran out before I got a chance to taste it. Such work doesn’t leave much time for chitchat or musing, nor much reflection at the time on anything other than the individual qualities of each wine, one after another.

I do, however, get the opportunity to enjoy the fabulous work of 200 master craftsmen and women, and the occasional surprises and inventiveness that they produce. This year included several such occasions for wonder: another phenomenal late-disgorged sparkler from Schramsberg a Malbec from Cardinale that was truly awesome; and a Syrah from Freemark Abbey that came out of left field to knock my socks off.

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9.5 AND 10
2007 Hourglass “36-24-36″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Ovid Napa Valley “Apotheca” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9.5
2007 Blackbird Vineyards Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Cardinale Malbec, Napa Valley
2007 Meteor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Revana Family Vineyard “Premiere Cuvee” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Ehlers Estate “Three Clone” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
2007 Kuleto Estate “La Concha” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Scarecrow Wine “Toto’s Opium Dream” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Amuse Bouche Winery “Pomerol Blend-Merlot/Cabernet Franc” Merlot, Napa Valley
2007 Chimney Rock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Freemark Abbey “Beauty Tames the Beast!” Syrah, Napa Valley
2007 Schrader “Vieux Os” Wicked Stump”" Zinfandel, Napa Valley
2007 Flora Springs Winery & Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Lewis Cellars “Premiere Blend” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Realm Cellars “Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Cliff Lede Vineyards “Wild Roxanne” Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Lang & Reed Wine Company and Pahlmeyer “Dubious Duo” Red Wine, Napa Valley
1988 Schramsberg Vineyards” J. Schram Late Disgorged″ Sparkling Wine - Brut, Napa Valley
2007 Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Grgich Hills Estate “Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon” Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2007 Ackerman Family Vineyards Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Parallel Napa Valley “Parallel Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 John Anthony “Bordeaux Blend″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Corison Winery “Premiere Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Levendi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Ramian Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 The Gabrielle Collection “Estate Grown Apple Block″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
2007 Reynolds Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Terlato Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 Laird Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville
2007 HALL “Sacrashe Vineyard - Block A” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 JAX Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga
2007 Trinitas Cellars Cabernet Franc, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
2007 Robert Foley Vineyards and Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Napa Cellars “Dyer Vineyard” Syrah, Los Carneros
2007 Atalon Winery “The Peers” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2008 Covenant “Solomon′s Cuvée″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Emilio’s Terrace “Spike’s Blend” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 CONSTANT Cabernet Franc, Diamond Mountain District
2007 Frog’s Leap “The Rutherford Bench” Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 David Arthur Vineyards “Agatha 3″ Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
2007 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Cakebread Cellars Syrah, Los Carneros
2007 Barlow Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga
2008 Frias Family Vineyard “Mini-Me Cab” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 J. Davies Vineyards “Tierra Roja Block, Diamond Mountain District″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 V Madrone Cellars “Transition” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
2007 Diamond Terrace “Two Mountains” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Provenance Vineyards “Three Palms Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga
Non-vintage ZD Wines “Petit Abacus” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Cosentino Winery “Carpenter Vineyard” Cabernet Franc, St. Helena
2007 Dyer Vineyard “Dyer Straits Rocks″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District
2007 Cain Vineyard & Winery “Cain Five Reverse Blend” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Fantesca Estate & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District
2007 Chappellet Winery and Vineyard “Heaven on the Hill” Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Volker Eisele Family Estate Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2008 Saintsbury “Brown Ranch” Pinot Noir, Napa Valley
2007 Continuum “PNV Proprietary Blend” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Monticello Vineyards “State Lane Vineyard″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Viader Vineyards & Winery “Pirate” Petit Verdot, Napa Valley
2007 Benessere “Montalcino Clone” Sangiovese, St. Helena
2007 Alpha Omega Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Raymond Vineyard & Cellar “Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 Hudson Vineyards “Pick Up Sticks” 45% Syrah, 33% Grenache, 16% Petit Syrah, 3% Viognier, 3% Barbera, Los Carneros
2007 Sequoia Grove Vineyards “Lamoreaux Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Fontanella Family Winery Merlot, Mount Veeder
2007 Livingston Moffett Wines “Aidan’s Blend” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Ladera Vineyards “Two Mountains” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Coho″ SummitVine Ranch “Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Farella-Park Vineyards “Terrace Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Erba Mountainside Vineyards “Winemaker’s Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Sawyer Cellars “Rutherford Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2007 Etude “Vine Hill Ranch” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2006 Hopper Creek Winery “Proprietor’s Reserve - Estate″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Boyd Family Vineyards “Vintners Estate Selection″ Red Wine, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
2007 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder
2007 Del Dotto Vineyards “Vineyard 887 9 Oaks” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Vineyard 7 & 8 “Collaboration” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Versant Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Ideology Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Buehler Vineyards “Kindly Well″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Pillar Rock Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Anselmo Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Arietta” Variation Three: The “Boogie-Woogie”" Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Rutherford Grove Winery & Vineyards″ Proprietary Blend” Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
2006 Page Wine Cellars “Your Personal Stash” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Clark-Claudon Vineyards “The Clark-Claudon 2007 Premiere Cuvee” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Bighorn Cellars “Tetra” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Chateau Boswell Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Martin Estate Rutherford “Puerta Dorada Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2008 Reverie on Diamond Mountain Malbec, Napa Valley
2007 Summers Estate Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Trinchero Napa Valley “Mario’s Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Honig Vineyard & Winery “Campbell Vineyard″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Darioush “Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Swanson Vineyards “PFS” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Pine Ridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Roy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Oakville Ranch Vineyards “Nicoloa’s Notion” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Bressler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
2007 PEJU “Sara′s Choice” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 PlumpJack Winery “I Block Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder
2007 Elyse Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Lail Vineyards “Heimark Vineyard/ Mole Hill blend” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Renteria Wines “Complement Cab Blend” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Beringer Vineyards “Above the Fog” Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
2007 O’Brien Estate “Temptation” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Hendry “Vintner’s Barrel Selection″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Rubicon Estate “Clone 29 Blend″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Miner Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Signorello Vineyards “Big Rock Cuvee” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Mi Sueño Winery “Seleccion Herrera” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Silverado Vineyards “SOLO, Double Block” Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Terra Valentine “Phoenix Rising” Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District
2007 Oakville East Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Ahnfeldt Wines, LLC “Quid Pro Quo III” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Stags’ Leap Winery “Estate Vineyard - Block 7″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Jocelyn Lonen Winery “Krupp Vineyard” Malbec, Napa Valley
2007 Spring Mountain Vineyard “Vineyard Block 88″ Petit Verdot, Spring Mountain District
2007 Anomaly Vineyards “Randy’s Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
2007 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 Rocca Family Vineyards “Collinetta Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Waterstone “Study in Blue” Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Judd’s Hill, Salvestrin and Schweiger Vineyards “Friends at Harvest” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Jones Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Keenan Winery “Encore” Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2007 Girard Winery “Mountain Cuvee” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Tom Eddy Winery “Twin Peaks Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2008 Spelletich Cellars Pinot Noir, Napa Valley
2007 Bourassa Vineyards “Ethan’s Angel″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Antica Napa Valley “Townsend Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 La Jota Vineyard Co. “Hill Vineyard” Petit Verdot, Napa Valley
2007 Rombauer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak
2008 Elkhorn Peak Cellars Pinot Noir, Napa Valley
2007 Brandlin Vineyard “Bootleg Barrel” Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder
2007 The Hess Collection Winery “Elevation” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Sterling Vineyards “Peterson Ranch” Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain District
2007 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “The FAN” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Sullivan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Howell at the Moon “Knoll″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
2007 NARSAI DAVID “Cuvee Venus” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Paoletti Estates Winery Nero d’Avola, Napa Valley
2007 The Terraces Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 von Strasser Winery “Estate Vineyard” Petit Verdot, Diamond Mountain District
2007 Far Niente “Martin Stelling Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Larkmead Vineyards “Larkmead 125″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Rockledge Vineyards “The Old 110R Block” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Hill Family Estate “Wild Child” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Conn Creek Winery “The Finale″ Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Long Meadow Ranch “R Block Select” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Rutherford Ranch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Silver Oak Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak
2007 St. Clement Vineyards “Star Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 Paraduxx “Monitor Ledge Vineyard″ Red Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Truchard Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Los Carneros
2006 XTANT Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Louis M. Martini Winery “Premiere 254″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Cafaro Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2007 Beaulieu Vineyard “Barrel Fermented Clone 6″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford
2007 Work Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Merryvale Vineyards “Estate Vineyard Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Trefethen Family Vineyards “Sacada” Red Wine, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
2007 Yates Family Vineyard “Farmer’s Franc” Cabernet Franc, Mount Veeder
2007 Groth Vineyards & Winery “Reserve Vineyard″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Rutherford Hill Winery Merlot, Napa Valley
2007 Nickel & Nickel “State Lane Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville
2007 Steltzner Vineyards “RMS Block” Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 Thirteen Appellations “Meritage” Red Wine, Napa Valley
2008 Robert Mondavi Winery “Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot T Block” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 Clos Pegase “Tenma Vineyard - The Big Pond” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Bouchaine Vineyards “Auction Select Best Barrel” Pinot Noir, Napa Valley
2007 Zahtila Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville
2007 St. Supery Vineyards & Winery “Meritage” Red Wine, Rutherford
2007 Palmaz Vineyards “The Ultimate High” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Krupp Brothers Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Baldacci Family Vineyards “First Born” Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District
2007 William Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Oberon Wines “Hillside Reserve, Michael Mondavi Family Selection″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Bravante Vineyards Red Table Wine, Napa Valley
2007 Duckhorn Vineyards “Three Palms Vineyard” Merlot, Napa Valley
2007 Ghost Block and Markham Vineyards “Meritage Blend” Red Table Wine, Yountville

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8 AND 8.5
2007 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Tamber Bey “Rabicano″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville
2007 Soñador Cellars “The Dreamer″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Larkin Wines “Pritchard Hill” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8
2007 Amici Cellars “Old Toll Road” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7.5 AND 8
2007 White Rock Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Original post by Alfonso Cevola

Costa Rican coffee has changed, so give some a try. Changes in coffee production and an attempt to keep up with the growing market for coffee and gourmet coffee has caused some changes in the coffee coming out of this region.Because of the growning trend of small coffee mills, the variety of flavors coming from this region is even larger.

If you already love Costa Rica coffee, no doubt it’s for

Original post by Robert

Costa Rican coffee has changed, so give some a try. Changes in coffee production and an attempt to keep up with the growing market for coffee and gourmet coffee has caused some changes in the coffee coming out of this region.Because of the growning trend of small coffee mills, the variety of flavors coming from this region is even larger.

If you already love Costa Rica coffee, no doubt it’s for

Original post by Robert

By: Alex Singleton
Telegraph Blogs (UK)

The Fairtrade scheme reached its high water mark last year. Yesterday brought the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight - the annual drum beating for Fairtrade products - but, so far, it has been a remarkably subdued affair.

The recession means that many consumers, worried about their jobs, are looking to make economies, and are less willing to pay attention

Original post by Robert

If there is one public wine tasting event that rivals San Francisco’s yearly ZAP Zinfandel tasting for sheer size and chaos, it could only be the annual Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting. Every year the San Francisco Chronicle (with a lot of help) holds a wine competition, judged by more than 60 wine professionals, in which they award medals to their top choices from among over 4,700 wines from all across America. This competition has grown over the last 8 years to be the largest competitive tasting of American wines in the world.

The judges hand out hundreds of medals and awards. Those awards are released to the public, and then about a month later, many of the award winning wines, plus a lot more are poured for the public in a four-hour event that takes over Fort Mason for a Saturday afternoon. There are usually cooking demonstrations and food booths, and various other diversions.

Regardless of how I feel about such wine competitions, this tasting, like all such public events, represents an incredible opportunity to educate your palate and discover new wines to enjoy. This tasting in particular offers a unique chance to taste wine from a lot of less well known wine regions (i.e. not California, Oregon, or Washington) in addition to hundreds of wines from these more well-known wine regions.

So if you don’t have plans this Saturday and want to expand your oenological horizons, the experience is well worth the price of admission.

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting
Saturday, February 28, 2009 2pm - 5pm
Festival Pavilion - Fort Mason Center
Marina Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94123 (map)

Tickets are $60 if purchased in advance, $80 at the door. To purchase tickets visit www.winejudging.com or call 888.695.0888.

My usual tips for large public tastings: get a good night’s sleep; go with food in your belly; wear dark clothes; drink lots of water; and if you want to really enjoy yourself, SPIT!

Original post by Alfonso Cevola