Wine & Words

Prices marked are the regular retail, followed by the Feature Price with a 20% discount.

Gruet Brut (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 750 ml bottle - Regular $15.50/ Feature Price $11.80; 375 ml ½ bottle – Regular $10.00/ Feature Price $8.00

I love to tell the story of how the younger members of the Gruet (grew-ay) family found themselves squeezed out of the family business in Champagne, France. They heard about a vineyard for sale in the foothills south of Albuquerque, New Mexico and went to see it. It reminded them of home, so they bought it. Now they grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir there and make wine in the bottle by the méthode Champenoise, just like they did back home. The result is an "American Champagne" that has some of the liberality and ease of the sagebrush set. The half bottle is a perfect two-glass, any occasion celebration. Happy Fourth of July and Vive la France!

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2005 (Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay) Regular $14.75/ Feature Price $11.80

California Chardonnay is the American white wine that took the wine world by storm in 1976 when the Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay (Napa) took first place against the best French whites. Now California Chard has flooded the market, much of it being bulk produced wine of no character or distinction. Wente Vineyards is California's oldest family owned and continuously operated winery. Founded in 1883 by C. H. Wente, the winery is now managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. It is the first winery to bottle a wine labeled "Chardonnay" and many of California’s Chard growers still plant the "Wente Clone." The vineyards, in the Livermore Valley above San Francisco Bay, benefit from the cool morning fogs that give good crisp acidity to the grapes. The wine is given more character by the addition of 2% Gewürztraminer and 1% Semillon and just a touch of oak. This wine was chosen as one of the "Top 11 White Wines under $15" at the 2007 World Value Wine Challenge. It’s a good example of what’s right about California Chardonnay.

Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington) Regular $11.25/ Feature Price $9.50

Pacific Winemakers is a group of Bonny Doon expats who up and moved to the Pacific Northwest to produce their beloved Dry Riesling. Winemaker Nicolas Quille claims to be a Riesling fanatic, but he has room in his heart for this lovely Chenin Blanc, a grape that grows very nicely in Washington’s cooler climate. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks (no oak, no malolactic) and has just a bit of residual sugar to balance the slight natural bitterness of Chenin (look for the grapefruit rind finish). I usually ignore back label descriptions of flavors. They’re mostly hype. But this one is right on the money: "an eruption of floral notes and flavors of pear, key lime and crème brulèe." Delicious on its own or paired with seafood or spicy Asian cuisine.

Milbrandt Traditions Riesling 2006 (Washington State) Regular $14.35/ Feature Price $11.38

At first glance, Eastern Washington is not your typical wine country. It’s a remote, windswept, high desert dotted with sagebrush and tumbleweeds. Brothers Butch and Jerry Milbrandt grew up there, working with their father and grandfather growing alfalfa and hay. In the mid-70’s they got in on the beginnings of the wine grape growing boon in the area and enlisted winemaker Gordon Hill to make both red and white wines of distinction. This American wine has the characteristics of a great German Riesling, with a fine balance of crispness and fruit that make it a beautiful wine with food.

Wine Enthusiast 90 Pts "Best Buy" - Elegantly captures the floral and mineral qualities that make the grape so exceptional. Exotic and delightful.

Adelsheim Pinot Gris 2006 (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Regular $22.50/ Feature Price $18.00

New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov wrote, "Oregon pinot gris is one of the least-talked-about, best-value wines on the market today." The Adelsheim family introduced this grape (and the Alsatian style of making wine from it) to the United States and it has now become the signature white wine of Oregon. This is the 26th vintage of Pinot Gris wine produced by the Adelsheim family. It’s long been a customer favorite in our stores because it is dry and crisp with a luscious layer of fruit. Asimov’s article about Oregon Pinot Gris rated the 2006 Adelsheim the "top wine" and "though it was at the high end of the (price) range for our top 10, we thought its quality made it the best value, too." I certainly agree with that.

Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington) Regular $14.95/ Feature Price $11.96

Another lick in my continuing attempt to turn American wine drinkers on to dry rosés for summer drinking. Husband and wife team Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard began making wine in 1983 and they’ve been winning awards ever since. This is a rosé even a "serious" wine drinker could love. It won the Sweepstakes Award/Best of Class from the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (the fourth year in a row!) It’s 100% Sangiovese (the great red grape of Chianti) and has depth, flavor and style. With only 12.4% alcohol, you can enjoy it before your meal, saving room for one of the big American reds we’re featuring. Try this one and discover that I’m not mad…I’m just mad about good rosé!

Peachy Canyon Incredible Red (Paso Robles, California) Regular $14.35/ Feature Price $11.48

Back south to California for the red wines. And what is more American than a shiny red Zinfandel? No, not that icky pink stuff. I’m talking real Zinfandel, made from the grape the Puglian Italians brought to California (they called it "Primitivo" back home). I’m talking summer berry fruit – cherries, raspberries, and blackberries (they’re not sweet if you eat them right off the bush). This one’s not a monster, like the "Ballistic" Zin of Tobin James. In fact, I sometimes use this as a "beginner’s red" to introduce people who think they don’t like red wines because they’re "bitter." Incredible Red is neither bitter nor sweet; it’s delightfully balanced and goes down easy. For a summertime treat, chill it lightly and serve it with berries and chocolate. Is this a great country, or what?

Castle Rock Monterrey County Pinot Noir 2007 (California Central Coast) Regular $14.98/ Feature Price $11.98

The Castle Rock story is typically American. A guy with a business degree sees that many premium California wineries are making too much wine to be able to sustain their high bottle prices in an ever more competitive market. So he hires a well-known "consulting winemaker," and they develop a label that will bottle that excess wine without giving away the premium origins of the product inside. The label on this excellent Central Coast Pinot Noir reads "Cellared & Bottled by Castle Rock Winery." "Cellared," not "produced." It’s "produced from grapes grown in Monterey County." Very clever marketing. We get one of those premium Monterey pinot noirs made famous by the movie "Sideways," but at a fraction of the price it would carry if it had the producer’s name on it. It’s a fine example of Central Coast Pinot Noir, more full-bodied than Burgundy but with a finesse and depth that make it just as food-friendly. Try this wine or any of the others we carry from Castle Rock. You’re not paying for California hype, just great California wine.

Cinnabar Merlot 2006 (Paso Robles, California) Regular $25.50/ Feature Price $20.40

Situated 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Paso Robles vineyards experience warm summers with occasional heat spikes. A break in the coastal range (the Templeton Gap) allows a marine layer to move inland and lower temperatures each afternoon, providing the cool nights that are common to all superior wine regions.

Cinnabar, a purple-red derivative of mercury, was thought by medieval alchemists to turn base metals into gold and silver. This was the idea of winemaker Tom Mudd…to turn the rich limestone soils and ample moisture of Paso Robles into "red gold." He has certainly succeeded with this velvety Merlot. Aged 18 months in American and Hungarian oak barrels, the wine is soft and almost chocolaty. This is a wine for sipping thoughtfully while you count the chirps of crickets or enjoying in an oversized glass around a summer feast table.

Sterling Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Napa, California) Regular $43/ Feature Price $34.40

No list of American wine is complete without a Napa Cab. Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa County is the red wine that won the "Judgment of Paris" in 1976 when the Stag’s Leap 1973 Cab beat out the Mouton-Rothschild. Since then a lot of California Cabs have gotten carried away with their own hype. In a recent Wine Enthusiast article about "The Best Cabs in the World" the least expensive wine on the list was $75 a bottle. Most were well above $100. I think this is good old American balderdash. But you don’t have to pay that kind of money for a good cab.

Sterling Vineyards is in Rutherford, the heart of Napa’s Cab country. The well-drained soil and warm, sunny days ripen the cabernet sauvignon grape to perfection. This 2004 vintage was the first of Sterling’s Rutherford-designated cabs and it shows well the brawny, bold audacity that characterizes a big American red. Let this one breathe a while when you open it, then serve it with a slab of beef or a sharp, hard cheese.

Tasting Opportunities…