A Trek Off The Beaten Path is Well Worth The Climb: Ladera on Howell Mountain

Just returned from Napa/Sonoma and it was a terrific trip. I'll be reporting on the wineries I visited and let you know my impressions with lots and lots of pics!

So let's start at the beginning...   

We started with a trek up to Howell Mountain to Ladera Vineyards. It's about 10 minutes off the Silverado Trail on the eastern side of Napa, in the Vaca Mountains. Howell Mountain was the first small area (sub-American Viticultural Area or AVA) carved out of the Napa Valley Appellation because its vineyards were so different from those on the Valley floor. The wines are intense, fruity, and tend to have lots of blueberry notes.

If I may dork out for a minute, let me clarify why the grapes from this mountain (and other mountains) are so unique.

If we think about mountains for a minute ('cause I know that's what you want to do in your free time), these areas are on sharp slopes, at altitude, and, importantly in Napa, above the fog line. This means they get sun hitting the grapes at an angle rather than beating down directly (less harsh light), they benefit from cool breezes higher in the atmosphere, and they get about 2 more hours of light than the vineyards in the Napa Valley, which are blanketed in fog in the early AM and late PM.

In general, mountainsides are cooler and have less dramatic temperature swings so the grapes ripen more consistently. These conditions are awesome for vineyards, because grapes can develop fruit flavor over time, but they won't generally get baked and lose their acid, tannin, or get too high in sugar, therefore alcohol (fermentation turns sugar to alcohol, BTW).

Ok, dork out done...back to Ladera.

Ladera, which means "hillside" in Spanish, is a beautiful, old property. The VP of sales and marketing, led me around and told me some cool facts about the place.

For starters, Ladera farms about 85 acres on this mountain. That's 12% of total production, the most of any producer. He jokingly called them the "tallest midget on the mountain." The Winery has changed hands many times over the years and gone by various names. It was actually started by some guys from Bordeaux in 1886, who sought to grow great mountain fruit in Napa.

In 1999, the current owners, wealthy cattle ranchers from Montana, allowed Robert Redford's "The Horse Whisperer" to be filmed on their ranch, and they took some time to live in Napa. They loved it, and then sold to some rich, prominent, famous Hollywood person (but don't ask who because they won't say) to buy Chateau Woltner, the property on which Ladera lies today. They also bought a vineyard on the western side of Napa Valley in Mount Veeder, which is at 1100 feet rather than 1800 feet. 

Sadly at the time the Montana couple purchased it, the Chateau had fallen into disrepair. They rebuilt the Winery, using the original facade and included miles of underground caves. The inner portion of the building was solid wood. They needed to modernize and clean it but rather than trash the wood, the owners kept and warehoused the slats and use them to make tables and other items when needed -- very green and smart! 

Ladera's winemaker, Karen Culler (whom I did not meet), seems to be a European style winemaker. She spends a lot of time in the vineyards, and directs the hand-harvesting (gentle on the fruit) each year, deciding row by row, which is ready for picking. The Winery uses pretty natural practices -- gravity to load the grapes into the tank (helps crush the grapes as they rest on their own weight, which preserves flavors), natural yeast that exists on the grape skins to ferment the wine, and they don't filter the wine at all. It's a very non-interventionist way of making wine.

The Winery makes 12,000 cases a year and most of it is sold to wine club members and in restaurants. You have to make an appointment to visit, but the view is magnificent and I bet the new tasting room they have planned for next year will be awesome. The grounds are gorgeous and these people have an incredible aesthetic. Although my tour guide was very corporate in manner and projected a bit of disdain for the whole Wine For Normal People thing (sorry to him, but I gotta be honest), I still had a great time and the wines were good. 

Here's my take:  

2010 Ladera Howell Mountain, Sauvignon Blanc, $25  

Color: Light straw in color, this was a very pale wine. 

Smell: It didn't have lush fruit or the floral character (like gardenias or jasmine flowers) that I usually find in Napa Sauvignon Blanc. It was a little herbal, fresh, and like cat pee (very common in Sauv Blanc!). 

Taste: They put 10-15% of the wine in an oak barrel, which I could sense in the taste and texture. The wine was a little creamy and smokey from the barrel.

Drink or sink? Drink. Totally refreshing, but it wouldn't be my first choice in Sauv Blanc, especially not for $25.

2007 Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $39  

This wine has 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec added to the Cab, and it represents 50% of Ladera's production. It's from the broad Napa Valley appellation because the fruit comes both from the Howell Mountain vineyard (70%) and the one in Mount Veeder. 

Color: It was nearly black and super fragrant. 

Smell: It smelled like blackberries, green pepper (from the Cabernet), tobacco, and dark violets. 

Taste: This was a very food-friendly Cabernet. It was medium-bodied, tasted like it smelled, and wasn't too complex. 

Drink or Sink? Drink. The staff opened a new bottle of this and I would have liked to have some time to let this one get air -- I think the wine could have used a little time to mellow out. It was pretty tannic and the fruit wasn't very lively. Still, a nice wine for the price.

2006 Ladera Lone Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, $65 From the vineyard in Mount Veeder, this was a totally different wine from the previous one.Color: It was lighter in color than the Napa -- it was crimson with a very pale, watery rim. Smell: It smelled like a ripe blackberry and like black currant. It also had a dirty, earthy smell, which I liked a lot.
Taste: The wine tasted like it was grown in a cooler climate. What does that mean? It wasn't all baked fruit and pie flavors. Although bolder than the Napa wine, this was still pretty restrained. It was earthy and had great mouth drying tannin and good mouthwatering acidity.
Drink or Sink? Drink. A very balanced wine -- again, I think this would be better with food than it was alone.

2007 Ladera Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, $70  

Color: Ok, so this wine was pretty much black-purple. It had a lot of sediment in it -- that's where it matters that it wasn't filtered! If you buy this, you may want to run it through a filter before drinking it so you don't swallow chunks of sediment!

Smell: It smelled similar to the others -- green pepper, some blackberry and earthy aromas. 

Taste: I expected this to be huge and over-the-top, but it was very restrained. There were some blackberry, black current, and even strawberry and cranberry flavors and a prominent earthiness. The tannins were balanced and the wine was kind of chewy, but still pretty medium bodied. 

Drink or Sink? Drink. I liked this because it was moderate, and pretty medium in texture and flavor. If you like big Cabs, this isn't for you, but I really dug it.  

All in all, these wines were good, but I would have preferred to try them with food. My impression is that alone, they were in a no-man's land. They were neither unabashed in fruitiness like a lot of Napa Cabs, nor were they really earthy like European Cabs. They were extremely clean-tasting with restrained fruit -- a recipe that goes better with food than alone. 

That said, I'd recommend a visit. It's beautiful and the prices for Napa Cab were super competitive. Thanks to Ladera for hosting me!!

Latest Article on Wine Travel in Travel Belles: Visiting Napa Valley

My latest article for The Travel Belles was published yesterday.

If you've been following on Facebook and Twitter, you know I was in Napa and Sonoma (be prepared for lots of coverage!). This one is particularly personal, since I wrote it from the road!

As a side note, I really adore Margo, the creator of The Travel Belles. She is so kind, supportive, wonderful, and completely NORMAL! I hope you'll poke around on the site. It's full of interesting, well-written articles and it's such a class act. I'm really lucky to work with this first class operation.

Here's the link: http://www.travelbelles.com/2011/10/visit-napa-valley-wineries/

Bordeaux 102: Tasting the Difference in Terroir...

Last week I went to a tasting of eight red wines from different communes of Bordeaux put on by the Guild of Sommeliers, the professional organization that's affiliated with the Court of Master Sommeliers (through which I'm certified. But I'd like to make the distinction that I'm certified, not certifiable since I have no desire to go through the hell that it takes to be "sculpted" by this fine organization into a Master Sommelier...story for another time).

I knew the event would be haughty, but I also knew it would be worthwhile: the wines were of exceptional quality and it gave me a chance to taste the differences between the areas (AKA communes) of Bordeaux, something that wine geeks talk about all the time.

In the Bordeaux Primer I discuss the geography of Bordeaux, but I don't get into specifics. Here I'll elaborate on why "place" makes such a huge difference in the wine. In other words, if you didn't know about terroir before or why it mattered, keep reading because this is the concept in action.

Let's start with a quick review.

1. Bordeaux is in the west of France, on an estuary that dumps out to the Atlantic Ocean and it's kind of warm, which allows red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to flourish.
   
   
2. The famous wines of Bordeaux are on two sides of the river Gironde and its tributaries (the Garonne in the south and Dordogne in the north). In terms of red wines important areas are:
   
   The Left Bank (or south side of the river Garonne, see the map). It has the big daddy, super-famous wines from five really important communes that are included in the famed 1855 classification (see the Primer): Saint-Estèphe, Paulliac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, and Graves.
   
   The Right Bank (north side, see the map). It has two famous areas: Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Saint-Émilion has its own classification and Pomerol doesn't need one because it has Pétrus, one of the most famous and expensive wines in the world.
   
   
3. Red Bordeaux is always some combo of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère.
   
   
4. Because of geology, location, soil, and sun, this area has wines that are, in many cases, totally distinct from one another.
   
   
5. A winery is called a Château.
   
   
6. The Bordelaise are OBSESSED with classifying their wines to prove quality and increase prices. The four main classifications are: the 1855 Classification (most revered, only Left Bank Chateaux), the Saint-Émilion Classification (only wines in that area, has faced problems recently), the Graves Classification (again only for Graves), and the Cru Bourgeois (includes about 250 Left Bank Chateaux not included in the 1855 classification).
   

The event was a blind tasting -- so I didn't know which wine was from where. But even without knowing, each was so distinct that I could pick up on the differences right away. Although from different vintages, most were about the same quality level.

Here are my findings...

Right Bank Wines (mostly Merlot, with few exceptions)

Pomerol
Typical description: Powerful wines that pack a punch of tannin and have a LOT of fruit flavor. They can be brutally harsh without time to age, but with some years in a cellar they can be soft, fruit-filled, and elegant. The most famous wine from here is Pétrus (frequently the most expensive wine in the world).
The Wine: Château Le Bon Pasteur, 2006, Pomerol AOC
About the Château: An excellent wine, cheap for Pomerol. Le Bon Pasteur has the reputation as an up and comer in the region and quality is said to improve every year. It's a good splurge!
Price: $75
The Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
My Notes: This wine had floral notes, it was full of green pepper, plum, and tobacco with medium mouth-drying tannins and noticeable alcohol. This was excellent but it wasn't joking around. A very strong wine with bold fruit and oak flavors, but still elegant. I think this is true to what Pomerol is all about. I want to get a bottle to age for a few years, because I think it would be pretty amazing with time.


Saint-Émilion
Typical description: Wines from Saint-Émilion come in all kinds of styles. The area has diverse soils and land, so it's hard to come up with a single description. Some producers let the grapes hang on the vines getting higher alcohol and fruit content (and making something closer to a California Merlot in style), and some focus on earthy, tannic flavors, which is more classic. The most famous wines of the area are from Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc.
The Wine: Château Magdelaine, 2004, Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Émilion AOC
About the Château: This is one of the finest wines of Saint-Émilion, but is a bit of a sleeper in terms of broad reputation. It's part of the Saint-Émilion classification, and is at the second quality level. It's no slouch and it's a great example of what wines from the area can be when the producer works to make a classic wine.
Price: $60
The Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
My Notes: I tasted this blind, but I knew instantly it was mostly Merlot. It was medium weight, subtle, and very soft feeling on the inside of my cheeks -- I always associate that feeling with Merlot. "Fleshy" is the word some people use. It was earthy, it had medium tannins, and had a great ripe bing cherry flavor. The wine was less about high alcohol and fruit and more about softness, acidity, and good tannin -- classic.

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Left Bank Wines (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, where all the 1855 Classification Chateaux are located)

Graves/Pessac-Léognan
Typical description: Graves is known for wines with an earthy, gravelly quality with smooth fruit flavors. The most famous Château here is Château Haut-Brion, a first growth (highest quality) in the 1855 classification and the only one in Graves.
The Wine: Château Olivier, 2005, Premier Cru, Pessac-Léognan
About the Château: This is classified in the Graves classification of 1952, but the Château has had some quality issues in the recent past. It seems to be recovering so it's another up and comer. They've got great raw materials and it shows in the wine.
Price: $45
The Blend: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc.
My Notes: This wine seriously tastes like gravel (they don't call it Graves for nothing). It was earthy, stony, and had little fruit flavor to speak of but I loved it. By Bordeaux standards, this is a young wine from an awesome year, so even though there was just a hint of plum and black currant and the tannin was a little harsh, the wine will be amazing in a few years when it mellows out and the fruit starts to show more. For $45 it's worth seeking out if you like that stony, earthy thing.

Margaux
Typical description: This is one of the most famous communes in Bordeaux -- mostly because Château Margaux, a first growth in the 1855 classification, has created a positive halo around the area. The wines of Margaux are known for fresh, floral notes and red fruit flavors, instead of being super powerful, rich, and full of dark fruit. You're going to have to pause to enjoy the subtlety, but it's well worth it.
The Wine: Alter Ego de Palmer 2008, Second Label of the very highly esteemed 3rd growth Château Palmer, Margaux
About the Château: Château Palmer is a third growth but a lot of people think it's as good as the first growths -- so much so that it sometimes garners the same prices. The second labels of these top Chateaux are AWESOME. They are made by the same people with slightly inferior grapes, but inferior is all relative. Second labels are amazing -- seek them out.
Price: $61
The Blend: 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot
My Notes: Dark in color, the wine smelled and tasted like potpourri or a floral perfume or flower shop. It tasted like flowers but also a little like minerals or dried dirt, and a pencil (thanks to the soils). It was a bit hot in texture from the alcohol, although this wine is ridiculously young and will mellow out with time.

Saint-Julien
Typical description: The wines from here are not as elegant as those of Margaux, but not as powerful as those of Paulliac (the next commune on the list). They are known for their spicy, fruity aromas, and for the consistency of quality. The most famous wines here are Leoville-Las Cases, Leoville-Poyferre, and Leoville-Barton.
The Wine: Clos du Marquis 2008, Second Label of Château Leoville-Las Cases, 2nd Growth About the Château: Leoville-Las Cases is called a "super second" meaning it's as good as a first growth, but since they can't change the 1855 classification, it is what it is. Clos du Marquis is considered one of the top second labels. I said it before and I'll say it again, 2nd labels are a normal person's gateway to the top wines!
Price: $45
The Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
My Notes: This wine was very different from the others. It was lighter in color than the Margaux and it smelled like baked cinnamon, toasted bread, a little bit of green pepper from the Cabernet, and flowers. There were some black cherry and plum notes too -- it was super aromatic. The flavor was delicious -- it tasted like it smelled, was mellow on the tannins, and it stuck around in my mouth for a long time. Completely different from the Margaux, which was so floral. Since this is from 2008 similar to the previous wines, the comparison between this and the Margaux was striking -- such different styles for places so close together.

Paulliac
Typical description: Paulliac is home of three Premier Crus from the 1855 classification -- Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, and Mouton-Rothschild. That said, it's got first growths and fifth growths and very few in between. Cabernet is the star of this show -- when it's grown here and aged it is powerful, flavorful, and bold. It's known to have aromas like pencils, cedar, and black currant -- which pretty much sums up Cab. For Cabernet lovers, look no further than Paulliac for your fix.
The Wine: Château Grand-Puy Lacoste, 5th Growth, Pauillac
About the Château: It's been around since the middle ages and today is considered a very undervalued property, probably because it has changed ownership so many times in the last century. Now it's got a top guy at the helm (Francois-Xavier Borie), so it's on the rise.
Price: $70
The Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc
My Notes: I don't consider myself a huge Cabernet buff, but this was my favorite wine of the day. EXTREMELY different from the others it was medium in color but so interesting in flavor. There was an Asian pear aroma with black currant and blackberry, then there was the spice. I loved the spice on this wine -- it was like being in India. Sandalwood, tamarind, and cumin were so heavenly to smell and taste. The wine was earthy and the tannins were very strong. I would love to see how this evolves in 10 years, since it's unbelievable now. Much fuller, richer, and spicier than the Margaux or Saint-Julien, this is a wine with cahones.

Saint-Estéphe
Typical description: St-Estéphe is probably the least revered of the famed areas of the Left Bank, but has the best values. Apparently in the past these wines were only for aging because they were so earthy and tannic, and took a long time for them to gel (reminds me of Barolo). But lately producers have stepped up the percentage of Merlot in the wine, making it drinkable earlier. One of the best wines I've ever had is from here -- Cos d'Estournel (which is $100+ but so worth it). Château Montrose is the other really famous place in Saint-Estéphe.
The Wine: Château de Pez 2006, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, St-Estéphe AOC
About the Château: The property is owned by the Champagne producer Louis Roederer. It's part of a classification that includes Château not inlcuded in the 1855 classification, Les Exceptionnels, with 9 other properties. Château de Pez is the oldest Château in St-Estephe and its wines are pretty fabulous.
Price: $42
The Blend: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
My Notes: This wine was floral and tasted like cloves and cedar. Less exotic and rich than the Paulliac, not as toasty as the Saint-Julien, and not as perfumed as the Margaux this wine still had beautiful balance and the flavors of oak, earth and flowers were delicious.

Haut-Médoc
Typical description: This large appellation varies a lot in quality. Like every place, the larger the area, the less you can pinpoint a style or character. You can be assured of the earthy essence of the wine but whether it's red fruit from Merlot or black fruit from Cabernet depends on the Château. Some are in the 1855 classification, some are Cru Bourgeois, others are just wine.
The Wine: Château Barreyres 2005, Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc AOC
Price: $20
The Blend: 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot
My Notes: After tasting the lineup, this final wine tasted horrible. My wine dork friend and I actually had to pick up wine from another table where no one was sitting to ensure our wine wasn't off. It tasted like a plastic band-aid and had no nuance or rich fruit flavor. 2005 had great weather, so almost all Bordeaux I've tried from that year have been awesome, but not so much here. Again, not sure if it's the wine or just that compared to the others it couldn't hold a candle.

So to sum up, here are my quick descriptions of each area:

• Pomerol: Bold, fruity, oaky
• Saint-Émilion: Subtle, soft, cherry
• Graves: Gravelly, stony, tannic
• Margaux: Floral, perfumed, minerally
• Saint-Julien: Earthy, toasty, floral and medium textured
• Paulliac: Exotic, spicy, dark fruit, bold, powerful
• Saint-Estéphe: Elegant, balanced, floral
• Haut-Médoc: Earthy, coarse, simple

I'd love to hear from you! Please drop a comment below or on the Facebook page!

South African Cabernet: Amazing Wine, Amazing Value

South Africa is at the top of the esteemed list "most underestimated wine regions of the world." For whatever reason, it seems like nothing has gained true traction in the American market and, as a result, the selection of wines from South Africa is not expansive, to put it nicely. My friends across the pond will need to comment and let me know what the situation is there, but my hunch is that it's not too much better (on the BBR web site in the UK, for example, only 24 selections are from South Africa).

Because I've traveled to South Africa and tasted stuff from some of its amazing winelands (although I was in Franschoek, not Stellenbosch, which I'll write about here), I'm a big fan. The country's got a lot of problems, but making wine isn't one of them. They've been at it since 1652, when the first settlement was established by the Dutch to re-stock ships with food and booze on their way from Europe to the Far East and back. 

In 1679, a dude named Simon van der Stel set up Stellenbosch, modestly translated as "Stel's forest." Why a forest and what does this have to do with wine? Van der Stel and his crew planted oak trees all over "his" town to absorb the punishing winds that ripped up all attempts at agriculture, including winegrape growing. It was an ingenious plan to fix the problem -- I can attest that the wind is really brutal there (I unfortunately found this out when driving in a friend of a friend's convertible with the top down while my hair slowly turned into a wasp's nest).

Stellenbosch is in the southwest of the country, on the western side of the Cape of Good Hope. Surrounded by mountains, with a Mediterranean climate, Stellenbosch is about 30 miles from Cape Town and is the hub of quality wine production in South Africa.

Today the town is full of students who attend Stellenbosch University (which has a big wine program, BTW). The best sites for wines are either near the town of Stellenbosch, where ocean breezes from False Bay cool the otherwise hot area, or on the slopes of the mountains, where the altitude cools the air and slows ripening.

Although whites, namely Chenin Blanc have dominated for years here, reds are gathering steam.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the clear front-runner in the world of South African reds. The ones I've had have been excellent values and really complex and, like many South African wines -- somewhere between a Bordeaux and a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The wine I had was a great mix of subtlety and texture. It is nearly the last bottle of a case of wine that I won from the Wines of South Africa, who had a competition for a trip there (I came in second and my consolation was a great case of wine, so I'm not complaining!). It was nice to enjoy my spoils!!! 

Waterford was established in 1998, and it may be young, but it's got experienced ownership and winemakers, and it shows.  Here's the review:

 

The Wine: Waterford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon (there is probably some Merlot and Cab Franc in it too, but I can't find the info anywhere!)

Where it's from: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2004

Price: $22.00

Color: A 7 year old wine is bound to be a little brown around the edges. This one was a garnet color in the center, then ruby and brown on the edge. It was definitely ready to be sipped...the old girl was starting to show her age. 

Smell: A classic Cabernet profile, this smelled like black currant and blackberries -- totally lush. It had a green pepper and green herb quality to it, very common for Cabernet. On the second whiff, there was a very delicate violet/rose smell and then a rich, earthy, wet soil thing, which I was surprised I didn't get on the first sniff. It smelled like a pretty elegant, not over-the-top Cabernet -- totally my style, so I was excited.

Taste: Texture reigned supreme in this wine. It had excellent, chewy mouth-drying tannins. The wine was a medium weight -- not too fruity or heavy. It was dry with a dusty, earthy flavor. I loved the spice -- cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper (I feel like I should try that combo on toast or something, since I love it so much in wine). There was fruit to be had, but it was super subtle. Plums, black currant, and black cherries were kind of lurking in the background behind the earthiness and texture.

Pairing: A lot of Cabernets are huge wines and need really flavorful meats or stews to stand up to them. Not the case here. This wine is elegant and subtle and earthy. It needs medium weight food -- lamb, game, or vegetables or meats in a thyme and mushroom sauce would be great. You don't want to lose the subtlety of the wine, so make sure the food is not over-the-top with flavor or heft.

Drink or Sink: Drink. This is a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon. It's not overdone and it's got all the components I think a Cabernet should have: fruit, earth, spice and amazing texture. If you can find it, drink it...but the real challenge is hunting it down!

Getting Up To Speed On Vintage: Start With 2011!

I've talked about vintage before, but as harvest time hits in the Northern Hemisphere (remember it's in March/April in the Southern Hemisphere) I've got an opportunity to discuss it again in a useful way. 

In the last month or so, the wine press has been going nuts, excitedly reporting on weather, like they were reporters being blown down in the midst of a coastal hurricane. It's amusing to see folks geek out on this, but besides the sideline spectator fun, there's a useful purpose to it. This is an annual event that as wine lovers, we can leverage: here is our opportunity to jump on the train and start learning about vintages. This is NOT so we can parlay with the snobs of the wine world -- it's so we can be good shoppers and get the best stuff from the best years when we see it.

As we know, wine snobs love to recite vintages for high end wines and talk about the extraordinary years for this one and that one, never acknowledging the super boring fact that this is almost identical to me talking to my grandma about how the weather was this year versus last year. 

Ruthie (that's her name and I LOVE her!) and I will often discuss how hot the summer was in Brooklyn (where she and much of my family live) or how much rain or snow they've been receiving and how that compares to the last few years. If my grandma and I took it one step further, and related the fact that she needed her umbrella every day she went out in September, to the vineyards on Long Island being waterlogged to the point that mildew and rot were going to start growing on the grapes, we'd be just like the wine rags.

To put it simply, if you can make a note of what you read about the weather in wine areas each year, you'll know a lot about vintage. 

The good thing is, you get a chance to start on this project each year. 2011 can be the first time you note something about weather/farming/vintage in wine. Below I've played weather girl and given a quick summary of how vintage 2011 is looking for some of the big places the Northern Hemisphere so far (sources below). Hope this helps!

Europe

Yuck! Most of Europe had crazy fluctuations in weather which means bad things for grapes. In general it was a hot, dry spring, so grapes got riper earlier than usual. Then it got cold and wet, so the berries kind of slowed in their ripening. Following that lovely period, it got ridiculously hot but it also rained again in August and early September so there was a big threat of mold and rot ruining the vines.  All over the continent, winegrowers are picking early to minimize the loss of the grapes to rot.

Bottom line: It's going to be the winemaker who determines whether or not the wine is any good. Mother Nature wasn't that kind this year. It looks like 2011 won't be a banner year to collect wines from Europe. This year, pay attention to the producer...the better ones will have selected the best fruit. The not-so-good ones will throw in the crap too.

More specifically:

FRANCE: 

In Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, and the Rhone, the story is much the same. The crop will be smaller than in previous years (like 10-30% smaller). Across France they're harvesting early to try to fight the growing issue of mold. This means the wines will have lower alcohol than usual and in some cases, less fruit flavor. 

Burgundy is probably going to have much better whites than reds, since Chardonnay is heartier/healthier/less susceptible to rot than Pinot Noir. 

Bordeaux is having a tough go of it, with the exception of Sauternes, home of sweet wine, where they are going to have a great year because of the proliferation of mold that is used in making the wine (botrytis).  

The Rhône is going to be patchy -- producer will really matter this year in both the northern and southern Rhône, so don't buy 2011 unless it's from a reputable brand.

ITALY

In Italy, heat and drought in the summer sunburned the crop. The Piedmont (home of Barolo) and Tuscany lost a lot of grapes to weather and are experiencing the same issues as France. Sicily, whose grapes, like Nero d'Avola (Planeta is an amazing Sicilian producer, FYI), need heat and dry conditions is going to make great wine this year.

SPAIN and PORTUGAL

In Spain, every place with the exception of Rias Baixas (REE-ahs BY-shuss, home of Albariño) had hot August/ Septembers and low rain, which reduced the crop by 30% in many places. The grapes will have lots of fruit, high alcohol, and low acid. It's not going to be a very balanced vintage unless the winemaker can work magic.

In Portugal, it should be a great year for Port, since they had hot weather but lower rainfall. 

The United States

California is having a rough year. Heavy rains in the spring killed off a good portion of crops in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino. Then a cool, wet summer didn't really help the grapes get ripe.  It's raining right now in these areas, so winegrowers are picking frantically to prevent grapes from becoming moldy. It will be a smaller harvest than in previous years and quality is anyone's guess. 

Oregon had a warm September and should have a great year!

In Washington, they are waiting for the weather to warm up. Without that stroke of luck, they aren't going to get a lot of fruit flavor and the wines may be light on flavor. The jury is still out.

In the Eastern US, Hurricane Irene and the excessive rain up and down the coast mean winegrowers harvested really early to prevent the whole crop from rotting. In many cases, from Virginia to New York, the precaution is going to mean wines with less fruit flavor. Not a great year for the East Coast. 

Let me know if this is useful by commenting here or on Facebook. If so, I'll do updates as more info becomes available about how the wines in these areas are shaping up!

Sources: Decanter, Wines & Vines, The Press Democrat, Wine Press Northwest

Wine For Normal People Radio : Episode 29 -- Just Dessert (Wines, of course!)

By popular demand, we finally did it. Hopefully you'll feel you got your "Just Desserts..." (cheesy, I know, but I gotta be me).

Here is the link: WFNP: Just Desserts

This is an OVERVIEW (yes, there are some dessert wines we left out...sorry Vin Santo and Australian stickies...we'll get you next time) of some of the major dessert wines available.

Rick and I hit some high level points and, in true Wine For Normal People fashion, we discuss everything from the NASCAR grape (NASCAR is US auto-racing for those of you abroad) to why rot is so awesome in dessert wine...

Here are the show notes:

1. Port: The big daddy of dessert wine
2. A shout out to sweet Champagne…en vogue again
3. Madeira: Thomas Jefferson’s favorite
4. Sherry: Not an old-lady drink
5. Vin doux Naturel – not really naturally sweet, but tasty nonetheless
6. Why moldy grapes make kick-ass wine everywhere from Germany to Hungary
7. A word on late harvest wines

I would love to hear from you! Write a comment below or on the Facebook Page. And please review us on iTunes and we'll give you a shout out!