it is just grapejuice

What are the DOCG’s of Lombardy?

Answer:  Franciacorta, and Valtellina Superiore.  Lombardy is located in the north of Italy between Piedmonte and Trentino Alto-Adige. 

Okay, so many of you have probably heard my ongoing rants involving the endorsement of Grower Champagne versus the often substandard product that you pay WAY TOO MUCH MONEY FOR from larger marketing dollar driven Champagne houses.  Yes folks, these rants have been going on far longer than my career as a wine schlepper as the case may be.  If you want to read more about Grower Champagne I would suggest checking out the following link, hopefully it will deter you from ever drinking that overpriced widow’s juice again!!

http://www.skurnikwines.com/msw/documents/2007Champagnecatalog_Champagne2007_working.pdf

At the Masters of Food and Wine at Pebble Beach where he is drinking lots of first growth Bordeaux, and hanging out with a bunch of great sommeliers and winemakers from around the country.  Suffice to say that I have been fielding this question from any number of Larkspur guests this week!! 

  With a profusion of native grapes and a wine industry that has been evolving seemingly in isolation, the country which has pioneered the discovery of so many others centuries ago, still remains to be discovered.  Quinta de la Rosa is among the new generation of quintas (literally “farm” or estate) making a variety of exciting wines and ports. Right in a sweet pocket of the Douro, near Pinhao, packed with the desirable schistous soils and steeply terraced rows of vines, the views aren’t so bad either. From the same river that becomes the Duero on the Spanish side and where some of Spain’s finest grapes are grown alongside. Check out www.quintadelarosa.com for some good information and photos of one of the most overlooked viticultural regions in the western winemaking world. Good schist.

 We are amidst the golden era of spanish haute cusine and this place pretty much sums it up. This is the new mecca near San Sebastian and if Ferran Adria and Alice Waters ever gave birth to a child his name would surely be Andoni Luis Anduriz. check out one day at MUGARITZhttp://www.mugaritz.com/english/restaurante/undiaenmugaritz.php

Where is the Port Phillip Zone?

Answer:  The Port Phillip Zone is in Australia, it is located in the area around Melbourne, Victoria, and also includes the Yarra Valley, Sunbury Geelong, Macedon Ranges, and Mornington Peninsula regions. 

What is a crown cap?

Answer:  A crown cap is a cap that is used during the fermantation process used for the production of champagne, or any sparkling wine made methode champenoise.  The crown cap (which looks like the cap for a beer bottle) has a plastic piece which fits inside of the bottle where the yeast particles settle during riddling (the process of shaking and turning the bottle to increase its tilt which will eventually lead toward the bottle being positioned neck down with the sediment toward the cap). 

we have, or most of us, been there.

Here is the line up-

Deutz “Amour de Deutz” blanc de blancs

Louis Roederer blanc de blancs

Pol Roger blanc de chardonnay

Taittinger comtes de champagne blanc de blancs

Beaune 1er cru “Bressandes” (Domaine Remoissenet Père et Fils)

Beaune 1er cru “Clos des Mouches” (Aleth Leroyer-Girardin)

Beaune 1er cru “Grèves – vigne de l’enfant Jésus” (Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils)

Volnay 1er cru “Champans” (Dominique Laurent)

Volnay 1er cru “Clos des Chênes” (Domaine du Village)

Volnay 1er cru “Taillepieds” (Roblet-Monnot)

This event is going to take place on April 10th.  Post a comment if you would like more information.  Thanks to Jack Vessey for putting this together. 

What is Colorino?

Answer:  A grape varietal grown in Tuscany.  It is dark in colour, sometimes blended with Sangiovese in the traditional manner of the region.  It adds colour and tannin to Sangiovese, but is used less often in modern winemaking efforts.