it is just grapejuice

Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Cot (Malbec). Touraine is located in the Southern Loire Valley.

Taragona is on the coast of Spain south of Penedes. They produce DO Tarragona Classico Licoroso, which is a sweet fortified red wine aged in oak for a minimum of twelve years. They also produce Tarragona Campo, Falset red and dry white and rose wines.

Minervois is located in Southwest France in the Languedoc Roussilon region. They are made primarily from Carignan, Cinsault, and Grenache but Mouvedre and Syrah may also be added.

Grappa is a high alcohol Eau de Vie distilled from Pomace, the grape seeds and skins left in the wine press after the juice is removed for wine. The styles range greatly both in quality and price. The most renowned grappa is called Ue and is made from grape juice and pomace and then aged in wood.

(more…)

CATHY COHN TRAVEL MEMOIRS>>>

I have an ongoing love affair with Burgundy, it is true. It began for me in my infant stages of wine buying one December evening when I happened to open a bottle of wine for a gentleman who turned out to be a master sommelier. He encouraged me to visit Burgundy during my spring trip to Europe and offered to set up a few visits for me in Beaune. Never one to shy away from a good wine opportunity, the next June I found myself looking out the window of a train heading south from Paris craning my neck at the sign for the Nuits St Georges stop. Little did I know that getting “set up” in Burgundy was going to mean a lot of visits and tours with important people in the world of wine who knew a hell of a lot more than my novice self. It also resulted in learning a boatload of information from both the estates I was visiting and the people I was touring with. That visit was a blur of vineyards, wine caves and what seemed like twelve course meals, one of which included a four tier cheese cart that I will most certainly never forget!
My most memorable stop was at the house of Drouhin, for a number of reasons, but mainly due to the fact that I had crashed a bike earlier that day into a cobblestone wall resulting in the loss of all skin on the right side of my face and a giant black eye. Flash to bike shop “Helmet, what do you need zee helmet for?” an indignant, eye rolling, very French, bike rental man queried??!! Apparently it might have been especially useful for little skinny tires and wet cobblestones as I was to learn about a half an hour and one pair of Dolce and Gabbana glasses frames later. Negotiating the French pharmacy was a real treat as well, as I know about ten words of French and none of them included antiseptic or gravel. I was determined though, as Drouhin is one of the largest and oldest negociant producers in Beaune and it’s downright hard to get an appointment there. Well, hard for buyers of very small wine programs anyway, I was going to that appointment come hell or high water.
Even their entryway was formidable, with only a small plaque stating the address and a large wooden door where you were required to push a buzzer to be announced. After my admission, I sat in the dark wood office with deep antique chairs waiting for my “group leader” to show up. Well, in true connected M.S. form (years later I found out they had been informed that a VERY important buyer would be stopping by for a visit, at which juncture I will point out that up until very recently our restaurant had kept exactly three Burgundy selections on the list, of which we sold about half a dozen bottles a year) my group leaders would prove to be none other than Veronique and Philippe Drouhin themselves. Needless to say, the impeccably well mannered Veronique and her brother didn’t say a word about my less than savvy appearance, even though I was basically cross eyed from my concussion. Unfortunately there was also an unmistakably dizzy and unsightly moment involving a spiral staircase descending into the cellar. Wow, and the cellar, it went on for what seemed like blocks underneath the streets of Beaune. The cellar is evidence to over a century of winemaking tradition and includes a wall that was constructed during World War II to hide their older vintage collection from Nazi consumption. The tasting room encompasses the portion of the cellar that was not walled off in the late 1930’s and detailed maps hang showing the vineyards that the Drouhins own along with the areas that they source grapes from, which encompasses what seems like most of Burgundy. It was in this venue that I had my first opportunity to try a 1999 Echezeaux, which was pretty much a life changing experience for me. It wasn’t even a sought after producer or vintage, but that wine was extraordinary and at the time a current release. Along with the memory of that wine lingers an affinity for many things Drouhin. It might have been the concussion, but I am quite sure it was the beginning of my ongoing addiction to Burgundy which now borders on obsession and near bankruptcy at times. The mystery and intricacy that is Burgundy remains a constant puzzle. There are times when I start to think that I am finding a solution, but then something happens to make me reconsider. After all, some days I feel like I don’t really know all that much more than I did standing in that cellar with my big black eye. That’s half the fun of it.

If I have to drink domestic Pinot Noir, I almost always choose Oregon Pinot. Oregon has made huge strides the last four to five years with their techniques. The vineyard getting a little more age helps big time. No other grape benefits from older vines than Pinot Noir. As Oregon Pinot vines get older, I think we will see many world-class wines.
One of the reasons why Pinot is so good from Oregon is the cooler climate, which lets the grapes mature slowly, which helps with the wines complexity. A little known fact is the Willamette Valley is on the same latitude as the world-famous Burgundy region, which is where I think the very best Pinots are made. There are a few great Burgundy producers that have purchased vineyards in Oregon, which is a sign of the greatness yet to come.
The first wine we are going to talk about is the 2005 Piedra Roja, which comes from several vineyards, then blended beautifully at Sineann Winery. The wine is actually a collaboration between a top notch boutique wholesaler here in Colorado and Sineann. The wine is blended so you can enjoy this tonight for $24.99
The next wine is the 2005 Shea Wine Cellars “Shea Vineyard.” Dick Shea owns the Shea Vineyard and sells off lots of Beaux Freres, Sine Qua Non (California) and others. Obviously, he keeps the best Pinot for his tiny bottling. The vineyard has more than 10 clones of Pinot planted to really give this wine great depth. Buy a few of those – some to enjoy, and a few for down the road at $45.99. Only a few wines from Burgundy can match this quality.

An extremely localized grape variety from the Piedmonte region of Italy. It produces very pale red wines with high acidity. It grows on the hills between Asti and Casale and is generally consumed locally at quite a young age, much like Dolcetto.

A Fiano is white wine from the Campagne region of Italy that must be at least 85% Fiano to be labeled DOC Fiano. As a varietal it is also planted in Puglia, where it is used in the blend for Martina Franca DOC, in the Molise, in Sicily and also in McLaren Vale South Australia. They can be discerned by their waxy texture and subtle hazelnut aromas (traditionally the vines were planted in hazelnut groves) generally having some acidity in the finish.

Montagne de Reims, Cote des Blancs, Vallee de la Marne, and the Aube. It should be noted that a fifth growing area does exist and is becoming more widely recognized and that is the Cote de Sezanne. It should be noted that to call a wine Champagne it must be from the Champagne region of France.