Winophiles

A Tale of Decanting

2008-02-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to pair my Punch "Siciliana" (prosciutto, picholine olives, basil and artichokes) pizza last night with a solid, everyday Burgundy (pinot noir) from the Marsannay appellation. It was the Louis Latour - Marsannay, 2002 vintage. As a general rule, I have found that pinot noir is a great pairing for pork meats. And the mineral and earthy tones of this wine are harmonious with the olives and artichokes of this particular pizza.

I have purchased/consumed this wine on two other occasions. On one occassion, it displayed the characteristics of earth and cherries, combined with nice minerality. A nice entry into Burgundy wines for a reasonable price ($16-17). WS's most recent issue designated this a "Smart Buy" and rated the 2005 vintage a score of 90.

I also purchased it for a Christmas party in Iowa and it was clearly "corked" (The presence of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole ("TCA") in the wine - tasting/smelling like moldy newspaper, wet dog, or damp basement.) The cork taint odors and flavors mask/dilute the true characteristics of the wine. However, drinking a "corked" wine is harmless.

Last night, I opened the bottle and feared that the "Corked Monster" had returned yet again. Fortunately, the wine opened up and evaporated its initial "wet funk" and vinegar like aromas after an hour of decanting. I can't say enough about what decanting will do for a wine - especially one that appears unpleasant immediately after opening. While decanting can't save a "corked" wine, it will do wonders for young and old wines to allow the true characteristics of a wine to be expressed.

Friday, February 8, 2008 Meeting / Domestic Zinfandel

2008-02-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Domestic zinfandel bottles were sampled at our February 8, 2008 meeting. The following bottles competed for the eventual three way tie:

Seghesio 2006
Seghesio 2006
Terraces 2001 Napa Valley Zinfandel
Rosenblum 2005 Paso Robles
2005 Lodi Old Vine Zin
Rosenblum 2005 Appellation Series North Coast
Joel Gott Zinfandel
Liar's Dice Murphy Goode 2005

The three way tie between the winning bottles was: both Seghesio 2006 bottles and the 2005 Lodi Old Vine Zin. Marky C. and Grace had their first win with Lodi Old Vine. Nick & Michelle and Pete & Emily both brought Seghesio. The majority of the bottles displayed classic zinfandel characters such as red and black fruit, peppery spice and hints of oak (suprisingly under control - no real "Oak Monsters").

Jen and Mike were excellent hosts and paired the zinfandel wines with wonderful appetizers including ground beef mini-sandwiches that contained blue cheese, red peppper and other spices. Tyson, the official canine mascot for the evening, kept everyone in line.

Winophiles Meeting No. 3 - 1 June 2007 / Napa Valley, CA Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-05-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

©Brent Miller photographer, WineCountry.com / URL: http://www.winecountry.com/

Meeting No. 3 of the Twin Cities Winophiles will meet on Friday, June 1, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be located at Art and Angie's house.

Art and Angie have selected probably the most well known domestic wine region - Napa Valley, CA - and probably its most famous varietal - Cabernet Sauvignon - as the subject of the tasting for this meeting. A nice resource to learn about this famed region is www.winecountry.com.

So, go get your Napa Cabs, and be prepared for purple stained lips, because, as our friend Gary Vaynerchuk would quip, this meeting is going to "bring the thunder".

Resource, Retail & Entertainment - www.winelibrary.com

2007-04-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Winophile Adam introduced me to my new favorite wine-related website - http://www.winelibrary.com/.

You can purchase wine online through the website, and each wine listing contains great information about the wine's price, reviews, etc.

But, the real reason to go to this site is to watch Wine Library Director of Operations, Gary Vay-ner-chuk's (you'll understand the spelling once you watch an episode) fifteen (15) minute, daily video clips containing reviews of a specific wine varietal and/or region. Vaynerchuk is informative, entertaining, and really demonstrates the proper order in which to taste and evaluate a bottle of wine. He scores the wines tasted and gives recommendations regarding their purchase. Plus, I like watching him because I want his job.

For example, the following is a great quote from one of Winelibrary TV's recent episodes wherein Vaynerchuk is describing how a particular $50.00-pinot noir from Australia tastes nothing ("goose egg") like it smells (smells "old world and tastes "new world"):

"...it smells like Cindi Lauper and tastes like Christina Aguilera, I mean it goes from Old World to New World that quickly..."

Great site. Check it out.

Winophiles Meeting No. 2 Report- 6 April 2007 / Red Rioja

2007-04-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Report and pictures from Meeting No. 2 of the Winophiles Wine Club

Rioja's unexpected effect on Senor DuBois

Winning Selection - Finca Valpiedra, Reserva 2001 (Producer: Martinez Bujanda)

Ganadores

Senor Peer gives Rioja "two thumbs up"

Senior Gallagher describing the virtues of his winning rioja to his group

Future Winophile

Meeting No. 2 of the Winophiles was held on Friday, April 6, 2007. Again, the unstoppable Winophiles, Adam and Mindy selected the winning bottle of red Rioja. Congratulations! Hopefully, if you keep winning, all Winophile members will be contributing to Laeney's college fund! Great work.

The following is link to a review of the Finca Valpiedra, Reserva 2001, from the Spanish wine website, http://www.aporvino.com/: http://www.aporvino.com/comprar_vino/finca-valpiedra-reserva-2001-p-1086.html. Basically, the review states that the aroma of the wine gives off a very fruity, toasty characteristics. On the palate, it is full and round with black fruit notes and has a long, persistent finish. For additional information, also see the Finca Valpiedra's website: http://www.bujanda.com/english/valpiedra/index.html.

The next meeting of the Winophiles will be on Friday, May 4, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. at Pete and Emily's home. Due to the fact that many club members will be out of town for the next meeting, the wine selection for the next meeting is any red wine that is produced in the United States. There are many great wine growing regions in our fine country, including areas in California, Oregon, Washington, etc. The Gallaghers will select the varietal/region for the June 2007 meeting. Until May 4, be well.

The "Light Saber" - Best Wine Gadget You Will Ever Purchase

2007-04-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

As a public service to all Winophiles members, I am posting to alert you to the best, and last, wine opener you will ever need to purchase. If you are like us, you may have three or four wine openers of different shapes, sizes and capabilities around your home.

For $19.99-$24.99 you can purchase the Oster Inspire Wine Opener. It contains the following features:

Cordless operation with recharging base for convenience and mobility (and apparently can open 40 bottles on one full charge)
Opens a bottle in seconds with no effort allowing you to spend more time with your guests (not an exaggeration)
Includes a foil cutter to remove seals with more ease (best foil cutter I have used)
Ergonomically designed soft grip handle to fit the palm of your hand for a firm grip

The Wanning "Light Saber" will be opening the bottles of Rioja at the April 6, 2007 Winophiles meeting. Seriously... Jedi Knights will be jealous.

Meeting No. 2 - Friday 6 April 2007/Red Rioja (Spain)

2007-03-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Meeting No. 2 of the Winophiles will be held on Friday, April 6, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be at Adam and Mindy's house.

The selection for Meeting No. 2 is red wine from the Rioja Region in Spain. Red Riojas are a bold blend of primarily four different grape varietals: tempranillo (fruity, jammy character), garnacha (bold, "spicy" grape), mazuelo (tannic) and graciano. The Rioja region is one of the most famous wine growing regions in Spain.

For more information, please see the following website maintained by the Consejo Regulador de la DOC Rioja: http://www.riojawine.com

Winophiles Meeting No. 1 - 2 March 2007 / Red Bordeaux

2007-03-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Winophiles Meeting No. 1 - 2 March 2007/Red Bordeaux

The inaugural meeting of the Winophiles was held Friday, March 2, 2007. The largest snowstorm of the year did not prevent Winophiles from tasting some excellent red wines from the famed Bordeaux region of France.

The following are tasting notes from http://www.wine.com/ regarding Adam and Mindy's winning selection for the 2 March 2007 meeting - 2003 Chateau Trois Moulins, from the Haut Medoc appellation:

Blend: 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

This Bordeaux has an intense ruby red color with a deep purple rim. It is concentrated on the nose with delicate hints of ripened fruits and toasty oak aromas. The mouth is ample and rich, containing an abundance of fruit and ripe tannins. A very well-balanced wine with a long and interesting finish. The average age of these vines are 25 years.

Château Trois Moulins is the twin of the famous Château Cambon La Pelouse in the southern Médoc region of Bordeaux. Although Château Trois Moulins is not as well known as its sister, it receives the same meticulous care in grape growing, winemaking and aging. The principal difference is that Trois Moulins is made to be consumed earlier and more attractively priced. The two estates are owned by Annick and Jean-Pierre Marie. Their winemaking facilities, as well as the their vineyards, are adjacent to each other.

Château Trois Moulins, which dates from the 19th century, is set between Châteaux Cantemerle and Giscours at one of the highest points of Macau. The estate borders the Margaux appellation and its outstanding terroir of quaternary gravel with large pebbles is similar to that of many top Margaux.

Finally, the Gallaghers have agreed to host the next Winophile meeting, Friday, April 6, 2007. More information regarding that meeting will appear in another post.

For now, enjoy the pictures from the 2 March 2007 meeting below. Cheers!

Winning Selection - 2003 Chateau Trois Moulins, from the Haut Medoc appellation

Winning Selectors - Adam & Mindy Gallagher

Morgue Winophiles

Winophiles partial group shot

"Men Loving Bordeaux"

2 March 2007 Winophiles Meeting Mascot - Hubert

2007-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Meeting No. 1 - 2 March 2007/Red Bordeaux

The innaugural meeting of the Winophiles was held on Friday, March 2, 2007. Although the weather was full of snow, the end of our night was filled with warm hearts and purple teeth from the great red Bordeaux selections brought to the meeting. Congratulations to Winophiles Adam and Mindy for their winning selection - 2003 Chateau Trois Moulins from the Haut Medoc Appellation.

Wine.com professional tasters provided the following description of the 2003 Chateau Trois Moulins:

Blend: 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

This Bordeaux has an intense ruby red color with a deep purple rim. It is concentrated on the nose with delicate hints of ripened fruits and toasty oak aromas. The mouth is ample and rich, containing an abundance of fruit and ripe tannins. A very well-balanced wine with a long and interesting finish. The average age of these vines are 25 years.

Château Trois Moulins is the twin of the famous Château Cambon La Pelouse in the southern Médoc region of Bordeaux. Although Château Trois Moulins is not as well known as its sister, it receives the same meticulous care in grape growing, winemaking and aging. The principal difference is that Trois Moulins is made to be consumed earlier and more attractively priced. The two estates are owned by Annick and Jean-Pierre Marie. Their winemaking facilities, as well as the their vineyards, are adjacent to each other.

Château Trois Moulins, which dates from the 19th century, is set between Châteaux Cantemerle and Giscours at one of the highest points of Macau. The estate borders the Margaux appellation and its outstanding terroir of quaternary gravel with large pebbles is similar to that of many top Margaux.

Winning Selection - 2003 Chateau Trois Moulins from Haut Medoc Appellation

Welcome

2007-02-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Winophiles official blog site, http://winophiles.blogspot.com.

Here you will find important information concerning the next meeting of the Winophiles.

Also, we will post the results of the wine tasted at the previous Winophiles meeting.

Thanks for visiting.

The following is general information concerning the inaugural meeting of the Winophiles:

You are cordially invited to attend the first meeting of the Winophiles wine club on Friday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m.

What you need to know:

-wine selection for the first meeting: (red) Bordeaux (the region)

-each couple or individual must bring a bottle of wine from the Bordeaux region and $5.00 for the "pot" (to be explained below)

-the permissible price range for the bottle purchase is $5.00 (minimum) - $100.00 (maximum, and highly unnecessary)

-the bottle brought to the meeting must be covered (paper bag, tin foil, etc.) and labeled with the couple or individual's initials

-each wine will be blindly sampled and rated by each couple or individual

-the bottle that receives the highest rating, or amount of first place votes, garners the purchaser of the "winning" bottle the "pot" of $5 meeting entrance fees

-the purchaser of the "winning" bottle is also responsible for selecting the next meeting's varietal or region selection

-each meeting will be held at a different club member's home and that host will be responsible for preparing a small amount of appetizers or snacks that pare well with the meeting's varietal or region selection

-each host is invited to provide a small amount of informative materials corresponding to the meeting's varietal/region

-the meetings will be held on the first (1st) Friday of each month

-suggestions for local wine shops: Wine Streets (Bloomington and North Oaks), Napa Jacks (St. Louis Park), Cellars (multiple locations), Haskell's (multiple locations), Surdyk's (Nordeast)

PWW