Whether you are hosting a gathering in your backyard or attending a city-wide event such as our Taste of Hudson and Taste of Cleveland, long weekends such as Labor Day Weekend always centers around food and wine. While we may consider ourselves a progressive  society, simple pleasures never change. We all gotta eat and we all gotta drink; perhaps not wine, but you get the picture. When it comes to food - politics, race, gender and religion (to some extent) become secondary notions. Food & wine are the grand equalizers. In selecting the wines for this week’s events in Cleveland, I use special care to ensure that the wines will appeal to everyone and pair up nicely with most cuisines. Below you will find a two of my favorite equalizers:

Red Guitar Tempranillo: Crafted from old vines grown in Navarra Spain, this wine is great sipped alone or made into a batch of Sangria. Perfect for the last days of summer grilling.

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc: A nod to the sunny days of summer, this Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand has plenty of bright citrus fruit and crisp acidity making it a perfect partner for just about any light bodied cuisine.

Earlier this week, I tasted with Robert Hall of Robert Hall Winery in Cellar Door. He was visiting the area and brought several different flavors including a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc and a flavorfull Rhone Valley inspired blend called Rhone de Robles. While his wines impressed, it was the man himself that got my attention. A true grape farmer, Robert has been working among the vines since day one and knows exactly what is going on with each of his vines. He speaks passionately about the terrior of the Paso Robles region and was the  moving force behind the region’s SIP (Sustainability in Practice) vineyard certification program. Under this program, SIP farmers commit to protecting both natural and human resources. Rules for certification cover energy & water efficiency, habitat conservation, pest management, soil, water and air quality as well as vineyard and fruit quality. Today, consumers have many options when it comes to selecting “eco-friendly” products.

Sustainability in Practice (SIP): Meet today’s needs without compromising the neds of future generations including environmental health, economic viability and soical equity.

National Organic Program: Optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.

Biodynamics: Create and maintain a unique, self-sustained farming ecosystem. Or as my grandmother puts it “planting by the stars.”

It is up to individual farmers to make the right growing decision for their vineyards. Each program has its benefits and economic impact for the farmer, environment and consumer. But when push comes to shove, we just want good wine made from good grapes grown in good soil shared with good friends. Cheers.

This week starts my weekly blurb (Wine on the Wave) about wine on Cleveland’s WNWV 107.3 FM jazz station The WAVE. While I have chatted wine on the radio many times before, I am very excited about this weekly session as it has the potential to provide a strong platform for wine education. Talking about wine or sharing thoughts about wine is an important part of wine appreciation and I cannot wait to nuture and grow Wine on the WAVE. Clevelanders can catch it on air each Thursday at 8:15am by tuning into 107.3FM. Out-of-towners can listen to past blurbs by visiting the media page of my site or by going to the Ask the Expert page of wnwv.com Cheers.

Chatting about value wines became trendy when the economy took a fall ,but most of us have been chatting about value wines for years. While it is easy to build a cellar with a wad of cash in one hand and a Wine Spectator in the other, buying wines that offer quality at a reasonable price takes more research and time. In fact, I love it when someone comes into Cellar Door with a value bottle to try. Personally, I like to taste the wine first, write down my conclusions and then ask about the price tag. When the number hits the sweet spot ($10-$13) range, I get a little excited. With another sip, I quickly develop a  new appreciation for the wine. Most recently, my best value finds have been coming out of Spain.

2008 Vevi Rueda ($9): Crisp, light and packed with grassy, grapefruit aromas. This wine is a must for backyard sipping.

2007 Tortoise Creek, Central Coast ($10): If you like oaky Chardonnays with citrus, brioche and vanilla notes that sips easily with or without food than give this wine a try. It is not the best Chard you will ever sip but it is a crowd pleaser perfect for large-scale events.

2007 Chateau Virgile, Costieres de Nimes ($12): Exotic floral and citrus aromas finish with a slightly bitter edge. A blend of Marsanne Rousanne and a dash of Viognier, this is a nice little bottle of wine.

2007 Masia d Bielsa, Garnacha ($9): OK this is exactly what I am talking about. Layers of vanilla, herbs, dill, dark berries are forward and pronounced. The grapes are “vinas Viejas” or old vine and it shows. Not the best wine I have ever sipped but look at the price again and think about buying a case. Perfect house wine.

2006 Chateau Virgile, Costieres de Nimes ($12): This time, it’s red. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, the wine has firm tannins, vanilla, oak aromas balanced by yummy meaty/earthy notes and a chocolate finish. Simply a good value find.

Cheers

While I am not a fan of extruded corks (hate the work involved in getting them off the worm) ZaZa from Spain exactly what one might expect in a festively named rose. Deep cranberry hue with loads of red flower, strawberry and juicy cherry aromas along with a hint of pepper spice. Dry with crisp acidity, the wine was quaffable and fun. The alcohol was a bit high (14%) but thankfully the wine has enough fruit to carry the extra weight and heat. A crowd pleaser wine and a great value at $10. Cheers.

When discussing the legs or tears of a wine, I often joke that ”alcohol and sugar contribute to fat legs in women and in wine.” It usually gets a laugh, but more importantly it makes people remember the note. So what do we mean by the “legs” of a wine? Basically, the legs of a wine refers to the tearing effect on the side of a glass of wine due to surface tension. Here’s the Skinny Science you need to know:

If water molecules had it their way, they would travel up the sides of your glass the minute you turn off the tap. But they don’t, and for good reason. The attraction between each water molecule within the water is stronger than the attraction with the glass. So the water stays put. This is called surface tension. In the case of wine, the alcohol reduces this tension and permits the wine to cling to the sides of the glass as we swirl. With more swirling, the alcohol begins to evaporate, the tension increases again, and the tears are pulled back down into the glass - with the help of gravity. 

To see the legs, tilt your glass back and forth a few times. Then hold the glass straight up under good light. You should see streaks or tears of wine forming on the sides of the glass. If the wine is has alot of red extracts, such as California Zinfandel, you might even see light red to pinky color in the tears. (Hold a white sheet of paper behind the glass and you will see what I mean.)While legs are NOT an indication of QUALITY. They can tell us something about the wine.

1) Wines with thicker legs tend to be higher in alcohol.

2) Typically, wines with more alcohol are crafted in warmer regions. Stained tears confirm a warmer climate where grape can fully ripen and offer extra color and extract. Good clue for blind tastings.

3) The higher the alcohol, the fuller the body so we can anticipate the body of the wine from the legs.

4) Sugar also increases the viscosity of the wine creating fat legs to move slowly down the glass. Dessert wines always have thicker legs.

Who said science wasn’t fun? Cheers.

<a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/frm3wb2hcb” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

Italy produces a lot of wine, not all top quality, but each year it vies with France as the world’s largest producer. In a country where wine is part of everyday life, Italian winemakers commonly placed quantity over quality by producing jugs of table wine rather than fine wine. Lucky for us, that attitude has changed. Gone are the wicker-covered bottles of Chianti that doubled as candleholders. Today the quality of Italian wines has never been higher making it an exciting time to sip, savor and explore. Yet with twenty wine regions and hundreds of different grape varieties to choose from, deciding where to start can be difficult. Best bet, start small. Some of the country’s most interesting wines come from artisan producers that receive little attention. These are the boutique wines of Italy. Limited in production (a few thousand cases or less), boutique wines come from small estates that are rich in family history and hand-crafted to express the passion of the winemaker. How do you find these artisan gems? Look for specialty boutique importers such as Small Vineyards on the label. A relatively new company, Small Vineyards is dedicated to helping Americans explore

Italy’s undiscovered, family-owned wines. To do so, they provide retailers and consumers with lots of information. For example, each bottle carries a gold sticker on the front indicating that it is a boutique wine making Small Vineyard wines easy to identify. Further, bottles are marked as either Discovery Wines crafted from one single estate or Grand Estate wines produced from larger parcels of land. This information provides a bit of additional insight into the style of the wine. While both are good, Discovery Wines are very limited in production and offer a greater expression of the grapes, culture and tradition of the region. To learn more, the company’s website (svimports.com) invites you to “Meet the Winemakers” with printable notes on production and wines styles to have on hand next time you shop for wine.Whether you are sipping Sangiovese with pasta, Barbaresco with red meats or a bubbly Prosecco on the patio, the boutique wines of Italy are as varied as the country’s cuisine. After all, in

Italy it is food first – wine is there to simply wash it down. Mangé.   

NV TreTrevisiol Prosecco Extra Dry, Veneto ($17): Off-dry, light body with tiny frizzante bubbles. Crisp acidity, low alcohol balanced by white peach and citrus aromas offer a clean finish. Perfect starter wine for large or gatherings.  2007 Ronco Della Rocca Pinot Grigio,Friuli ($15): Dry, light body with high acidity, moderate alcohol and concentrated lemon, green apple, mineral and floral aromas. Try with a salad, fish or anything you would squeeze a lemon on.  2006 Forte Canto Salice Salentino, Puglia ($12): Dry, medium plus body with moderate acidity, mouth warming alcohol, soft tannins and a long, juicy finish of black cherry, stewed red plums, herbal aromas and brown spices. Try with grilled red meats or sipped alone.  2004 Poderi Elia Serracapelli Barbaresco, Piedmont ($53): Dry, full body with intense aromas of roses, tar, vanilla and black fruits. Medium plus acidity, medium alcohol and high tannins provide a long finish that dries your palate. Sip with fatty meats or cellar for a few years to soften.  2007 Fattoria Bibbiani Poggio Vignoso Chianti, Tuscany ($13): Dry, medium body with pronounced aromas of dried roses, sour cherries and spice. Crisp acidity, moderate tannins and moderate alcohol result in a medium plus clean finish. A classic food wine to pair with tomato-based dishes.  2007 Tre Donne Moscato d’Asti,Piedmont ($21): Medium sweet, medium light body with intense floral aromas and bright grapey fruit. Low alcohol and moderate acidity coupled with a good dose of sugar makes this wine a great dessert wine paired with a simple biscotti.    

Got a visit today from Ayra Campbell, daughter of Patrick Campbell - owner and winemaker of Laurel Glen. She was in Cleveland for the day and I was happy to have the opportunity to sample their wines.

 Known in the USA for their fantasticly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon, (think black fruit, velvety tannins, refreshing acidity, moderately high alcohol with a hint of Turkish spices and you’ll get the picture) I was excited to taste their line up from Mendoza which included:

Terra Rosa Malbec ($12): Garnet color with perfumed aromas of stewed plums, tobacco, spice, tar and black pepper supported by mouth warming alcohol and enough acidity to keep the finish clean. Sealed with a screw top,this wine is a great bottle for the beach.

Tierra Divina Old Vine Malbec ($18): Magenta hue and lush aromas of blueberry, black berry and licorice lets you know that this wine was grown in a warmer region such as the Valle de Uco. High alcohol, medium acidity and lots of concentrated fruits provide a long finish. Great value for the price and a good expression of Malbec.

Vale La Pena, Mendoza ($33): Made using 100% Malbec, this Magenta-colored wine is lush. Intense aromas of violet, blueberry, blackberry and orange peel are balanced by a good dose of alcohol, crisp acidity and ripe tannins.

Arya told me that La Pena means “worth the effort” or worthwhile and I can tell you from today’s tasting that she ain’t kiddin’. Cheers.

In just 12 days, summer’s sippin’ season will officially open and, for those of us living on the country’s north coast, that is reason enough to raise a glass. Heavily marked by outdoor activities such as patio parties, backyard BBQs and poolside gatherings, the first day of summer (June 21) also happens to fall on Father’s Day offering yet another reason to celebrate with friends and family. While we all enjoy sharing fine wine, hosting large gatherings can make it financially impossible to do so. Instead, we reach for “crowd-pleaser” wines. So what exactly IS a crowd-pleaser wine? They are the wines that can 1) easily be purchased by the case, 2) offer a yummy, refreshing beverage, and 3) appeal to both notive and wine aficionados in the group. 

What they are not: Crowd-pleaser wines are not the topic of conversation. They are not collector labels. They are not designed for longterm aging. These wines are not to be compared to cellar-worthy wines in terms of complexity, but instead should offer quality within their category. Crowd-pleasers are not Johnny one-note wines. They may be inexpensive, but they are never cheap wines.

Crowd-pleaser Wines  are the no-brainer wines. The quaffing wines. The summertime sippin’ wines designed to wash down food, beat the summer heat and please the palate with each freshing sip. They are fantastic value wines that offer good quality for everyday drinking. One of my favorite categories of wine - here are a few I have enjoyed so far this season:

Chivite Gran Feudo Rose$11, Raimat Tempranillo $10, Cristalino Cava $10, Poema Cava $10, Miguel Torres Santa Digna Rose $11, Terra Andina Chardonnay $10, Martorana Nero D’Avola $15, Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Village $14, J.Lohr Wildflower $11, Skouras Zoe Rose $13, Don Gallo Prosecco $14, Marquis de Glida Brut Cava $17, Paso a Paso Verdejo $10, Juan Gil, Jumilla $17, Michael Pozzan Cabernet Sauvignon $16,DeMartino Carmenere $15, Labrisas Rueda $11, Casal Garcia Vinho Verde $8 to name a few. More to come….Cheers.