On the Aragon trail.....

Once a powerful kingdom whose sphere of influence stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean coastal region of Spain to as far as Naples and Sicily in the east. Aragón is now one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions. The wines of Aragón have traditionally been quite heady with natural alcohol levels reaching levels as high as 17 or 18 per cent. The red wines are made predominantly from the Garnacha (or Grenache) grape, which had traditionally been sold in bulk for blending. Two DO's in particular are helping to raise the profile of Aragónese wines; Carinena, and Calatayud. These DO's are starting to benefit from investments in modern wine-making technology, which is revolutionizing the style of modern-day Garnacha. Throughout much of Aragón, large co-operatives continue to dominate production, buying in grapes from the small vineyard holders who would are mostly unable to do the marketing to get their wines to your table.

The D.O. of Cariñena is one of the oldest recognized appellations of Spain. Created in 1932, the D.O. has a long history of winemaking. During Roman times, the wines were mixed with honey before drinking, and during the Middle Ages, there are records of tremendous vine plantings in the zone. It is located in the province of Zaragoza, roughly halfway between Madrid and Barcelona.

Cariñena benefits from a continental climate, meaning very warm summers and much colder winters than found along the coast. Although there are large differences in altitude in the D.O., most of the best production is grown on the undulating hills in the central part of the zone, on red soil with a large amount of small stones and gravel. As such, the vineyards tend to be extremely well aerated. These rich and well drained soils combine with the warm summer temperatures assist the vines in producing some very intense grapes.

Although the DO of Cariñena has given its name to the Cariñena grape, the most important varieties are the red Garnacha which makes up 55% of vineyard plantings - used in both red and rose wines - and the white Viura comprises 20%. Tempranillo now constitutes 15% of the vineyard plantings and is growing, as barrel ageing or ‘crianza’ styles increase for red wines.
The first winery we will look at is Bodegas Pablo in Cariñena. The origin of the Pablo winery dates back to the XVIII century. Some of the most valuable assets of the Pablo winery are their vineyards that have a range of vines that average 30 years of age with some reaching up to 100 years old. The Pablo family has always been conscious of the local clones and has kept alive the indigenous grapes, mostly Garnacha and the unique Vidadillo grape which can be found blended into the Garnacha del Terreno. Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo owns 60 hectares or around 150 acres of vines.

When we first tasted the wines from their importer Frontier Imports, the Pablo wines were the first of the group to make us stand up and take notice. The Wine Advocate gave the Pablo wines Kudos in every review. That’s muchos kudos, I’d say.

'Vinedos y Bodegas Pablo is a family-owned estate, founded in 1760, emphasizing the use of indigenous varietals and biodynamic farming. This is an impressive portfolio from top to bottom.' The Wine Advocate


2001 Gran Viu Seleccion, a blend of 40% Garnacha, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Tempranillo, and 5% Syrah. It spent 12 months in used French and American oak and was bottled unfiltered. Purple in color and already emitting complex aromatics after 5 years in bottle, there are expressive scents of spice box, forest floor, earth, meat, and blue fruits. Medium to full-bodied, the wine has layers of ripe, concentrated fruit, supple tannins, and superb balance straight through to the 45-second finish. Drink this superb effort over the next decade. It is also an excellent value. Kudos to the Pablo family! 92 points Wine Advocate

Gran Viu Seleccion 2001, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $21.99

This next wine should have received a higher score. Sometimes a reviewer cannot get past the vintage on the label. There ends up being a glass ceiling pertaining to the score on a lesser-than-greatly perceived vintage. This wine has an amazing amount of dry extract and is stunning. Garnacha del Terreno is a cult wine in the making.

The 2002 Gran Viu Garnacha del Terreno is an outstanding effort in a difficult vintage. Aged 22 months in one-year-old French oak and bottled unfiltered, this full-bodied, showy, purple-colored wine offers fragrant aromas of kirsch, vanilla bean, and blueberry. This is followed by intense, layered cherry and blueberry fruit nicely concealing the moderate but silky tannins. The finish is long and pure. Kudos to the Pablo family! 91 points Wine Advocate

Gran Viu Garnacha del Terreno 2002, Retail $49.99 Warehouse $34.99

This next Pablo wine is a new one from Menguante and is a brilliant substitute for the often sold out Las Rocas old vines cuvee. The Garnacha Seleccion is deep, bright and is even better on day two.

The 2004 Menguante Garnacha Seleccion raises the bar a bit from the green label. It spent 8 months in a mixture of used French and American oak. Dark ruby in color, it is a bit more sophisticated than the two previous wines with its complex nose of vanilla, smoke, cedar, red currants and kirsch. It also offers more structure with ripe tannins nicely concealed by generous quantities of red and blue fruits. There is very good concentration and depth through to the pure finish. Give this outstanding wine several years in bottle for further evolution and drink it over the following 6-8 years. Kudos to the Pablo family! 91 points Wine Advocate

Menguante Garnacha Seleccion 2004, Retail $17.99 Warehouse $14.99

The unoaked 2005 Menguante Garnacha is produced from 80-year-old vines. Purple in color, it exhibits a fragrant nose of kirsch and blueberry. Medium-bodied, this wine is packed with ripe fruit and layers of flavor all the way through to the finish. This awesome value can be likened to a Cotes du Rhone on steroids. Kudos to the Pablo family! 90 points Wine Advocate

Menguante Garnacha 2005, Retail $9.99 Warehouse $7.99

Another find from Cariñena is Bodegas Victoria. Bodegas Victoria is a project of Juan Manuel Segura, the winery proprietor, and Miguel Angel de Gregorio, owner-winemaker of the highly regarded Rioja estate, Finca Allende. We have two wines from Bodegas Victoria, Pardina and Dominio de Longaz. The winery is ultra-modern where no stone is left unturned in an effort to produce top quality wines.

Victoria’s Pardina wine is produced exclusively from estate grown fruit. The grapes are night harvested for freshness, macerated for 18 days on the grape skins for extraction and then aged in French Allier oak casks for 4 months. The thrust of the winery is to combine tradition and experience while utilizing the most advanced technology in order to produce extraordinary wines. Pardina is produced from 70% Tempranillo, 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Purple-colored, it offers an attractive perfume of spice box, smoke, black currant and blackberry liqueur. Ripe and supple on the palate, it has enough structure to evolve for several years. This excellent value has a pure, 30 second finish. Drink it over the next 4-6 years. 89 points Wine Advocate

Bodegas Victoria Pardina 2005, Retail $11.99 Warehouse $9.99

The Dominio de Longaz is also produced exclusively from estate grown fruit. The hand harvested grapes were sorted and then macerated for 26 days on the skins. The wine was aged in French Allier oak casks for 12 months and is unfiltered. Produced from 30% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 10% Merlot.

It is similarly styled compared to its younger sibling (Pardina) but with more obvious oak, richer flavors and a slightly longer finish. It merits 2-3 years of cellaring and should drink well through 2017. 90 points Wine Advocate.

Bodegas Victoria Dominio de Longaz 2004, Retail $19.99 Warehouse $16.99

Off to Calatayud:

The region of Calatayud is located about 150 miles northeast of Madrid. One of the youngest viticultural regions to attain D.O. status in Spain (as late as 1989), Calatayud is comprised of some 8,000 hectares or 20,000 acres of vines, most of which are planted to red varietals.

Calatayud benefits from a continental climate with large diurnal shifts in temperature. Cool nights equate to later harvests and better retained natural acidity in the grapes. As most of the vineyards lie on an old river basin, the soil is comprised of brown limestone and loam over slate and gypsum. This particular soil has shown to be also quite good for production of olives, cherries, and other fruits as well as being a terrific host to the vines of the region.

As there are many growers with small vineyard holdings in the region, cooperatives are important here as well. The Maluenda and San Alejandro co-operatives have taken the lead in producing well-priced wines of an international standard in Calatayud. Importer Eric Solomon works with Jean-Marc Lafage of Domaine Lafage in France’s Roussillon on his Calatayud wines. Eric and Jean-Marc have convinced the directors of the San Alejandro co-op to bottle some of the extremely old-vine material separately. They make sure that these old parcels of vines attain the proper maturity levels with balanced extraction levels. The proof is in the pudding when the Las Rocas ‘VV’ or ‘old vines’ appears in our stores and disappears within a few days.

The Las Rocas regular Garnacha bottling is an old favorite and has been a staple at the Wine Warehouses for years.

‘The unoaked 2005 Las Rocas Garnacha is sourced from low yielding vineyards ranging in age from 70-100 years. It gives up attractive aromas of kirsch, raspberries, pepper, and damp earth. This is followed by a broad, full-flavored wine with a supple texture and no hard edges. Drink this pleasure-packed wine over the next 2-3 years.’ 90 points Wine Advocate.

Las Rocas Garnacha 2005, Retail $11.99 Warehouse $8.99

Bugey nights and a little 'Savoie'-faire

Being savvy about Savoie. Those of you who have experienced Patrick Bottex’s pink sparkling Bugey Cerdon are sure to be happy this week. It’s back! Also blog featured is a white wine that will certainly stump your friends at the next blind tasting, a 100% Jacquere. Both wines are from the Savoie region in France.

The region of Savoie is in the eastern French alpine region on the border with Switzerland near Geneva. This dramatic countryside is so popular with visitors for both winter sports and summer relaxation that only a small amount of the wine produced here ever leaves the region. Bugey was once part of Burgundy and under the medieval influence of monasteries. At the time the area was an important wine producer. Much of Savoie's terrain is too mountainous for viticulture and the vineyards tend to be spread out, concentrated in the flatter, more sheltered parts of the region. Some vineyards are on the banks of the Rhone River as it flows from Lake Geneva towards the the Rhone Valley.

The village of Cerdon is located along the river Ain which carries down the waters from the Alps to the Beaujolais area. This region is mostly known for its gastronomy. Few people are aware that the region produces a wonderful, sweet, fizzy wine. Brought in the Beaujolais region, the winemakers from Cerdon inherited the Gamay grape. From the Jura area they got the lesser known Poulsard. Poulsard is a grape that ripens well on the steep and sizzling mountain slopes but the color remains light and the acidity quite high, enhancing its fruity quality.

Bugey Cerdon is a pink, semi-dry bubbly and was made by spontaneous fermentation, otherwise known as the ‘methode ancestrale.’ Gamay and Poulsard grapes are picked by hand and fermented in chilled vats just reaching around 8 degrees alcohol. The young and light wine is then bottled, along with its active yeast and considerable unfermented sugars. The bubbles are a result of fermentation under pressure. Bugey Cerdon is a fantastic warm weather quaff. Watch out though, the bottle will be finished before anticipated.

Lively and lightly sweet raspberry and strawberry flavors jump from the glass and go down quite easily. 'As if' you needed another reason to buy a Bugey; Bugey pairs well with chocolate! Best to act quickly here as this wine sells very quickly and is allocated.

Domaine Patrick Bottex Vin de Bugey Cerdon NV, Retail $19.99 Warehouse $15.99

In 1988, Frederic Giachino took over his family’s very small 3.5 acre estate which has now grown to 18 acres. Although the domaine had been worked before his arrival using traditional viticultural techniques, Frederic took the leap towards organics. Possessing some of the poorest soils in France, the Savoie is primarily made up of clay and limestone parcels with some gravel and sand interspersed in the zone. The climate ranges from mild to quite cold in the zone. Many years grape maturity comes quite late in the season.

The grapes are harvested by hand and undergo a selection process before the crush. The wines are always fermented at cool temperatures to maintain the wine's primary fruit characters and aromas. More richness is imparted into the wines by being aged on their fine lees during the winter with some stirring.

The grape used here is Jacquere, which is the most common white grape variety in the Savoie. Jacquere tends to produce lightly scented, minerally and fresh dry white wines. Fresh, crisp and subtle. Refreshing for a warm summer day.

Frederic Giachino ‘Abymes’ Savoie 2005, Retail $14.99 Warehouse $9.99

As an extra option for your Savoie curiosities, some stores may still have a few bottles of another Savoie Jacquere white wine grown that is grown on 50 year old vines. Described by importer Kermit Lynch as: 'so expressive with plenty of fruit, some of it verging on the exotic, and the combination of minerality and fruit flavors is balanced just right. There is also a neat little sparkle barely tickling the palate, a lovely touch that you don’t realize was needed until you notice it.’

Quenard Les Abymes 2005, Retail $15.99, Warehouse $12.99


Bugey on down to your local WW today.

France’s culinary capital is also a very serious wine producer:

When keeping score in the world of haute cuisine, the Michelin star is one’s unit of measure. When I was in Alsace last, the region boasted having the most ‘three star’ Michelin restaurants in France. The third Michelin star puts one at the apogee of their culinary existence. This same dedication to quality is inherent in many of Alsace’s wine producers. These tidy vineyards are often farmed organically or biodynamically and the subsequent wines display a purity of expression that screams the grape variety and that the wine has a sense of place; it is from the region of Alsace.

Visiting the region of Alsace is like taking a trip to France and Germany at the same time. Because of its location it has been the subject of many territorial disputes between France and Germany. Now separated from Germany by the Rhine river, and from France by the Vosges mountains, the language and culture of Alsace seem to be a combination of both countries, but are at the same time unique. The hilltops of the lower Vosges are dotted with shells of castles and fortresses, casualties of past invasions. There are also monuments to WW2 battles that took place in the region.

The vinous history of Alsace is one of the oldest in France. Wine was cultivated in Alsace long before the Roman colonization. The Alsatian vineyard landscape covers approximately twelve thousand hectares (2.48 acres/ha), grouped in a hundred and ten villages, which produce on average a million hectolitres of wine.

It is certainly a real curiosity why the wines of Alsace seem to be so underappreciated. It may be because there is no easy way to determine the perceived sweetness level of the wine without knowing the producer’s style or vintage condition. There is now a not-so-obvious code on many labels to give an indication of sweetness. Also, all Alsace wines are mandated by law to be bottled in the region of production in tall bottles called flutes. Perhaps the shape of the bottles puts one in the mindset of an off-dry German wine? Don't be confused by the shape of the bottle! These may look like German wines, but they taste noting like them. For the price of a mid-tier California Chardonnay, you can enjoy a good, full flavored, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc or Gewürztraminer from Alsace.

Geographically, Alsace lies between latitude 47.5 degrees and 49 degrees north of the equator, which typically gives a long, cool growing season. The narrow vineyard strip runs from north to south, along the lower contours of the Vosges Mountains, and spans the Rhine River. As a general rule in the vineyards, Alsace’s heavier clay and marl soils produce wines with richer flavors, more body and weight, while the lighter limestone or sandy soils create wines with more elegance and finesse. Flint, schist, shale, and slate soils tend to give wines with a characteristic oily, minerally aroma reminiscent of petrol and sometimes described as ‛gunflint‚, especially those made from the Riesling grape. The harvest is always segregated by varietal, with the different varieties ripening at different times. Generally, harvesting starts in mid September, and often continues well into November. Riesling is the most widely planted variety, accounting for over 20 per cent of the area under vine. Gewürztraminer is grown on almost as much land but usually represents a smaller percentage of the production, which can fluctuate depending on the vintage. Gewurtztraminer’s average yield is the smallest of all the varieties. Pinot Gris is increasingly popular and accounts for almost 12 per cent of the total area under vine. Pinot Noir has also increased its share as the only red varietal of Alsace. Pinot Noir represents nearly 9 per cent of the total vineyard area. Because over 90 per cent of Alsace’s production is white, and because winemakers are emphasizing the primary grape flavors, most wine is vinified and stored in inert containers, and new wood is seldom used (although see Ostertag). Traditional cellars have large oval wood foudres, many over 100 years of age, literally built into the cellar. Traditionally the same cask will be used each year for the same varietal. The build-up of tartaric acic (tartrates) forms a glass-like lining to the cask, leaving no oak characters able to penetrate the must or mask the wine’s character. Most wines are bottled within a year of the vintage, to retain freshness.

Riesling

Riesling is well suited to a wide range of soils, such as clay-sand and classic schist soils. Riesling prefers soils that are well-drained and not especially fertile. Considered by growers to be their most noble variety, Alsace Riesling is almost invariably bone dry. Young Riesling can display floral aromas, although it is sometimes fairly neutral. With age it takes on complex, gunflint, mineral aromas, with crisp steely acidity and very pure fruit flavors. Riesling is dry, rich and strong, with nuances of mineral or flowers. It combines delicacy with elegance. Well-balanced and long in the mouth, it is a culinary match bar-none that displays all its character and originality when served with fish, sea food and any meal that demands a dry and fruity wine.

Gewürztraminer

A limestone core and deep, fertile soils are ideal for Gewurztraminer. Heavy soils containing some clay enhance the aroma of Gewurtz. Usually dry to off-dry, but its low acidity combined with high alcohol and glycerol, give an impression of sweetness. Gewürztraminer has a distinctive spicy aroma and flavor, with hints of lychees and grapefruit. The naturally high sugar levels of Gewürztraminer make it ideal for late harvest sweet wines, and this is the most frequent variety found as a Vendange Tardive or late-harvest wine. It is characterized by its complex fruity, floral and spicy aromas. It is ideally suited to foie gras, exotic dishes, spicy flavors such as Thai, sweet and sour foods, cheeses such as the traditional munster, also blue cheeses and desserts.

Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris prefers deep soils rich in minerals and is extracted completely dry, which is necessary for the development of interesting wines in the coldest regions. Pinot Gris was long underrated in Alsace. It combines some of the spicy flavors of Gewürztraminer with the firm backbone of acidity found in Riesling, giving a wine which ages particularly well. Young Pinot Gris is reminiscent of peaches and apricot, with hints of smoke. It is very successful in a Vendange Tardive style. Powerful, opulent, round and persistent in the mouth, this is the ideal companion to foie gras, white meat, poultry and roasts.

Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc likes deep soils rich in minerals. It has a distinct preference for light and fertile chalk soils rich in trace elements. Pinot Blanc is a round, delicate and fruity wine, well-balanced but supple. Pinot Blanc can easily be confused for Chardonnay. It has tropical elements and can be round on the palate. Pinot Blanc pairs well with virtually anything but is a particularly nice combo with grilled fish and roast poultry.

Let’s focus on a few producers. These wines have recently arrived via (of course) a refrigerated container and are presently at the height of freshness.

Domaine Ostertag is a fairly young winery, which began life in the 1960s. The wines are stunning. Andre Ostertag illustrates his attachment to the soil via his wine labels. Ostertag’s labels are pictures of the soil where the grapes for the particular wine grew.

André Ostertag is one of the superstar producers in Alsace, who is as radical as his wines are excellent. His 14 hectares are all farmed biodynamically, and include over 120 different vineyard parcels covering five villages, from which he produces 17 different wines. Since 1984 André has rejected official classification and instead created his own: Vin de fruits (wines that he thinks do not express a specific terroir in green bottles); Vin des Pierres ('stone' wines in brown bottles - terroir specific wines); Vin de Temps (sweet wines in clear bottles, 'Temps' indicating both time spent on vine and the right weather conditions). Andre was one of the first in Alsace to barrel ferment and age, and almost all wines are made in small barrels, even though oak influence is very moderate, partly due to using only Vosges oak - which has small cells, and a dense structure - and very lightly toast. "The power and quality of the fruit means oak does not dominate."

"If, however, his failures fall apart so spectacularly, his triumphs are utterly beguiling, complete and satisfying. Andre Ostertag is an eccentric, a wacky winemaking freak surrounded by the sanity and boredom of Germanic commercialism ..." --from the Committee Interprofessionnel du Vins d'Alsace.

From fruit picked on November 24, says Ostertag) Medium gold with a green tinge. Knockout nose of meat, spice and smoke, with a saline note; reminded me of foie gras! Big, smoky, spicy and full, with lovely ripe acidity framing the smoked meat flavors. Can't quite match the 2005 version for botrytis lift, but this is fat and very expressive. 91 points Steve Tanzer

Ostertag Gewurtztraminer 'Fronholz' VT 2004, Reatil $56.99 Warehouse $54.99

Medium bright yellow. Knockout nose melds pineapple, spring flowers and a whiff of honeyed botrytis. Impressively rich and dense but fairly dry, with soil-driven notes of crushed stone and petrol as well as an exotic pineapple aspect. The 14.2% alcohol actually serves to accentuate the sweetness from noble rot, and yet this wine finishes dry and firm, with more wet stone than fruit showing today. Very long and youthfully tight. 92(+?) points Steve Tanzer

Ostertag Riesling 'Muenchberg' VT 2004, Retail $74.99 Warehouse $69.99

Kuentz-Bas has its origins in 1795, when a winemaking business was founded by Joseph Kuentz. In 1918 a marriage between the Kuentz and Bas families resulted in considerable expansion of the domaine, as the two families combined their vineyards and changed the name of the business to Kuentz-Bas. From then on the family firm went on but had a few bumps in the road.. The buildings and cellars were severely damaged during the Second World War, and the family needed five years to get the business back on its feet. Currently the Kuentz Bas winery is enjoying their finest production in over a decade. On to a few of the wines.

This wine is a blend of several varieties. This wine is a fantastic entry level wine to get the idea of what Alsace can offer.

Kuentz Bas Alsace Blanc 2005, Retail $14.99 Warehouse $9.99

Lifted, penetrating aromas of smoked meat and spices. Medium-sweet and concentrated, with firm balancing acids and a core of spicy flavor

Kuentz Bas Gewurtztraminer 'Pfersigberg' Grand Cru 2001, Retail $59.99 Warehouse $49.99

Aromatic nose which combines cured meats and cinnamon oil. Rich and nicely spicy, quite aromatic in the mouth, with a strong character of lychee and smoke.

Kuentz Bas Gewurtztraminer 'Cuvee Tradition' 2005, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $21.99

Aromatic nose features peaches and spice. Very approachable, with fine fruit character and freshness. Nicely balanced.

Kuentz Bas Pinot Blanc 2005, Retail $14.99 Warehouse $12.99

Tropical notes. Soft and round, with ripe flavor complexity. Well balanced.

Kuentz Bas Pinot Gris 'Tradition' 2005, Retail $23.99 Warehouse $19.99

Lively aromas of orange peel, lemon, minerals and spices. Juicy, fresh, nicely delineated flavors of lemon and lime. Offering up a good intensity of fruit character with a crisp finish.

Kuentz Bas Riesling 'Tradition' 2005, Retail $14.99 Warehouse $13.99

Bright aromas of lime skin and white flowers. Has richness and depth, fruity balancing acidity giving the wine a refreshing juiciness.

Kuentz Bas Pinot Gris Cuvee Caroline VT 1998, Retail $69.99 Warehouse $54.99

Please do yourself a favor and take the time to check out a few of our other selections from the region such as Zind Humbrecht and Domaine Weinbach. These are both biodynamic as well.

Day-O, Verdejo……………..

‘Day-o, day-ay-ay-o

Daylight come and he wan' go home

Day, he say day, he say day, he say day, he say day, he say day-ay-ay-o

Daylight come and he wan' go home’

Actually I doubt that Harry was singing about Ver-dej-ej-ej-o because until the 1970’s, the Verdejo grape (pronounced ver-day-o) was vinified like a dry sherry and allowed to oxidize. This process and style was practiced to please the Spanish royal court, but was eliminated in the 1970’s when the taste in Europe began to change. The Verdejo grape has been grown in Rueda for centuries. Verdejo’s origins date back to the 11th century, to the time of King Alfonso VI.

Verdejo’s modern version is much hipper than the version from the 70’s. The modern version of Verdejo is akin to a racy Sauvignon Blanc or sexy Albarino. If these grapes are on your radar screen, Verdejo is your next stop. Modern Verdejo is fresh, green appley, peachy and zingy.

In the 1970's, it was Marques de Riscal winery who initiated a renaissance in Rueda winemaking. Riscal recognized that modern winemaking equipment could produce a fresh and delicious wine from Verdejo, a revelation, since the grape oxidizes very rapidly to naturally produce sherry-like aromas. Verdejo has a unique flavor, with a hint of scrub herbs, a fruity touch and an excellent level of acidity.

Rueda is located in northwestern Spain - just south of the River Duero and not far from the Portuguese border. Rueda was scorched bare by retreating Moors in the tenth century. The region lay fallow for generations. During this period, a wild grape, Verdejo, appeared throughout the district. As Rueda was resettled in the 11th century, the grape was gradually domesticated throughout the district. Rueda is an historic Spanish white wine zone named after the unprepossessing town which straddles the main road from Madrid to León in Castilla y León. In the Middle Ages, vineyards flourished on this bleak Castilian plateau and cellars were hollowed out of the limestone under the town, but after phylloxera ravaged the zone, Rueda went into rapid decline. The high-yielding palomino grape was used for replanting, a move that in this case was justified since the main local styles were fortified wines in the image of sherry.

Let me hit you with some knowledge: The Verdejo vine has a small to medium sized pentagonal leaf, with a medium-sized petiolar sinus which hardly opens out, a hairless back, and nerves and petiole with little or no hair. The clusters are medium-sized, with a very short stem. The berries are also medium-sized, short, usually spherical or elliptical, and the seeds tend to be somewhat large, and can easily be seen when the grape is held up to the light.

You will want to experience Verdejo within 18 months of its harvest. The 2006 white wines from Rueda display medium to medium plus aromatic intensity with 13 to 13.5 alcohol content, they have a nicely structured and complex mouthfeel, leading to a well balanced, refreshing, racy and zingy finish on the palate.

A few Verdejo’s to try:

For six generations, the Sanz family has been making wines in Rueda. In 2005, Ricardo Sanz created started producing his wines under the new Sitios de Bodega label in Rueda with US importer Eric Solomon. The project distinguishes his modern approach to Rueda wines from that of his father, who still produces traditional wines under other labels. To capture the essence of the Verdejo grape, which can easily oxidize, Ricardo began night-harvesting, putting the delicate fruit into small plastic boxes. Immediately after de-stemming, the grapes are covered with an inert gas to protect them from oxidation. Skin contact which draws out the racy perfumes of the varietal, is kept to a minimum and observed carefully. The must settles at a cool temperature (14 degrees C), and the must then ferments for 25 to 30 days, after which Ricardo will stir the fine lees periodically to give creaminess, complexity and a round mouth-feel.

From the Sanz’ Sitios de Bodega:

The 2006 Con Class Verdejo is 100% varietal from old vines. Light gold-color, it is rich, more intense, and longer in the finish than its less expensive sibling. It is a great value. This pair of custom cuvees is a joint venture of importer Eric Solomon and winemaker Ricardo Sanz. The wines are produced from organically farmed fruit planted on pure chalk at high altitude. 90pts Wine Advocate

Sitios de Bodega ‘Conclass’ Verdejo 2006, Retail $11.99 Warehouse $9.99

The 2006 Con Class Rueda is 80% Verdejo, 10% Viura, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Medium straw-colored, it reveals aromas and flavors of melons and citrus in a refreshing style. This excellent value offers surprising complexity for a wine of its humble price. This pair of custom cuvees is a joint venture of importer Eric Solomon and winemaker Ricardo Sanz. The wines are produced from organically farmed fruit planted on pure chalk at high altitude. 88pts Wine Advocate

Sitios de Bodega ‘Conclass’ Rueda 2006, Retail $9.99 Warehouse $8.99

From Blanco Nieve:

We have another Verdejo from Rueda coming in our warehouse in July called Blanca Nieva. This wine has a cult following in Spain as it has a vibrant character, a vivacious and focused combination of pear, lime and quince flavors that finish with a light herbal tinge. The Blanco Nieve is fabulously refreshing, delicate and yet complex. This is the beauty of the Verdejo grape when it is in its top form. Soon to be at a Wine Warehouse near you.

Blanca Nieva Verdejo Rueda 2006, Retail $16.99 Warehouse $12.99

Verdejo captures the vivacity of a fresh Pinot Grigio with the racy and herbal qualities of a juicy Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This style of wine is a perfect match for our tropical climate. A young Verdejo is refreshing and slightly cerebral, yet only as cerebral as you need it to be. Da-O……..

Back in the US of A, in plenty of time for Zin-dependence day……

Safely back from Bordeaux and the wine fair Vinexpo. It continues to amaze me that after all of the travel that I have done around the world that there are new scenarios that can make one’s travel experience very challenging as well as interesting. First there was a new technique for returning the rental car at the Bordeaux airport; the car rental company that I found at Vinexpo has no stand at the airport. I was instructed to go into the airport’s temporary parking lot, take a ticket, roll down the back-passenger seat window a crack and after locking the car drop the key into the back seat with the parking ticket. This is not exactly Hertz #1 Gold.

Like a somewhat sane passenger, I arrived at the airport at 5:45 AM for my 7:10 AM flight. It was then that I found out that my Bordeaux flight was booked to Orly airport in Paris when my return to the States was leaving through De Gaulle. My friendly Air France agent assured me that with three hours between arriving at Orly and my next flight departing from De Gaulle that I had plenty of time. This advise was given I presume in order to discourage me from trying to change my flight to the 6:10 or 6:40 to Orly or better yet, the 7:30 to De Gaulle. Madame Air France could tell by looking me straight in the eye that I was up to the challenge that she was about to have me embark on. Fortunately my 7:10 was on time to Orly, I collected my bag checked to Orly after another twenty minutes, it took me five minutes to pay sixteen Euros for my bus transfer to De Gaulle, waited another five minutes for the bus, unfortunately it was full with five people ahead of me still to go in the bus line. I read on the sign that the next bus would show up in Paris’ drizzling rain after another thirty minutes.

Rain on the Rocade means traffic. The bus driver was amazing and knew all the correct lane changes to make the most efficient ride to De Gaulle. I disembarked the bus, grabbed my bag from the cargo hold and walked for around a kilometer to the departing flight area. It was now 10:20 and the boarding for my 11:30 flight was about to close for security reasons at 10:30. I was fast-tracked to the Air France priority area and they very kindly gave me a boarding pass. Unfortunately there was another Monsieur Perkins on my flight and they printed me his boarding card. I was handed the card and was told that I had to hurry and get an agent to fast-track my bag or it would not get on the plane. When the agent was tagging my bag and called me Jeffrey, I knew something was wrong. Now it was past 10:30 and Jeffrey was checked in and I still was not. The plane was said to be overbooked and my seat had been given away. Some quirk made it possible for them to check me in as a stand-by passenger. I was told that Madame Air France in Bordeaux could have printed my boarding pass and much of this aggravation would have been avoided. Perhaps this was all part of her plan that must have been called ‘Mission Nearly-Impossible?’ Comment dit-on en Francais? Then I was off to get through security.

There were only two customs officials checking passports. After enduring the half-undressing, computer and liquids-out ritual, somehow I escaped being stuck in the next customs interrogation line. I was able to enjoy another ten minute drive on a bus to the boarding terminal. After finding the customer service booth, a very nice lady wanted to explain to me the situation that my seat had been given away and that the plane was overbooked. I very politely let her know my plight starting with the advice from Madame Air France in Bordeaux and she seemed to be sympathetic. I was directed to the gate where the plane was about to close the door. The gate agent wanted to explain the situation to me that my seat had been given away, bla-bla-bla (French accent) and then I felt obliged to claim victim status. The gate agent also seemed to turn sympathetic. After a phone call in which she had to raise her voice, voila, a boarding pass appeared and I was instructed to run like the wind towards the plane. As it turns out, the rainy traffic in Paris claimed fifty more victims on the flight and this supposedly overbooked flight had many empty seats. The real loser in my escapade was the poor guy that I sat next to on the flight back who thought he was going to have extra room to stretch out and sleep. I’d like to think that my yoga training had instilled in me a calm and zen-like demeanor which helped me through this ordeal. I just kept repeating to myself: international travel is glamorous, international travel is glamorous…….

The above scene just goes to show you just how far we’ll go at the Wine Warehouse to find you the latest and greatest from the world of wine. With next Wednesday being Independence Day, we thought that it might be a good time to bring up a July 4th tradition; barbeque and Zinfandel. I personally can’t think of a more patriotic combo for your 4th. Although grown as far away as South Africa, Australia, Italy and even a discreet plot or two in France, Zinfandel gained its popularity in the US and therefore either we have adopted Zin as our own, or Zinfandel has adopted us as its home. Zinfandel is from the vine family 'vitis vinifera' which is of European origin as are most of the grapes we are familiar with such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot etc. Zinfandel roots (pardon the pun) were traced back to Italy and then back even further.

Let me hit you with some knowledge: According to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Wine: ‘Only then was it irrefutably demonstrated what had been suspected, that Zinfandel is one and the same as the Primitivo of southern Italy (which may have been imported from the United States). (The relationship had already been sufficiently acknowledged by the Italians in the 1980s that some were exporting their Primitivo labelled, in direct appeal to the American market, Zinfandel.) Subsequent DNA profiling at UC Davis established that the variety Plavic Mali of Croatia is in fact the progeny of a cross between Zinfandel and Dobričić, an obscure and ancient Croatian variety found on the island of Šolta near Split. This suggested a probable Dalmatian origin for Zinfandel, and Croatian researchers Pejic and Maletic collaborating with Carole Meredith at Davis intensively searched the coastal vineyards for Zinfandel until in 2001 they discovered an ancient and almost extinct variety on the island of Kaštela near Split called Crljenak Kaštelanski (literally ‛red grape of Kaštela‚) that strongly resembled Zinfandel. DNA profiling established that it was Zinfandel, thus supporting a primary Croatian origin for California’s Zinfandel.’

Zinfandel was widely planted in Napa and Sonoma during the gold rush era of the mid 1800’s. The reason for its popularity is that the Zinfandel vine performs well in California’s climatic conditions and it seemed at the time to resemble the Claret (Bordeaux) style of wine. The most likely reason for Zin’s popularity was that it has the ability to be a hearty cropper and produce good quantities of grapes that produce a sturdy wine. During most of the 20th century Zinfandel was California’s most planted red grape variety. The California Zin acreage began declining in the 1970's as the variety seemed to be underappreciated just as was Australia’s workhorse grape at the time, Shiraz. Times have changed as Shiraz regained its popularity likely due to Rosemount’s top 100 Wine Spectator rating for a Shiraz under $10. Ironically, Zinfandel’s savior may have been the emerging popularity of White Zinfandel in America. The White Zin craze began in the 1980’s and subsequently Zinfandel plantings began to grow again in California. Plots of old vine Zinfandel were being sought out and vinified separately into special cuvees and the variety had gained a new respect from the wine cognoscenti. Let's take a look a some of the styles of Zinfandel available to you at the Wine Warehouse. Nothing better on the 4th than hanging out by the grill with a slightly chilled glass of Zinfandel in your hand.

Calamity Zinfandel 2005. This wine is a custom crushed cuvee. Produced from old Zinfandel vines in Calistoga, the nice thing about this Zin is the elegance and grace it has while showing off its overt fruit. Many Zins in the market give you over the top and raisiny character, this wine is a cross between the flavors and color of Zinfandel with the texture and character of a nice Cabernet. Cedar, vanilla and coconut macaroon aromas dominate, accented by plum and wild berry flavors ripe, cherry, raspberry and cassis flavor with a nice touch of earthiness, very good balance with a fleshy texture and a long, full, fruity finish.

Calamity Zinfandel ‘Napa Valley’ 2005, Retail $24.99 Warehouse $14.99

Chiarello Zinfandel Giana is produced from fruit grown on 95 year old vines, this Zinfandel vineyard is also sustainably farmed. The vines are farmed for high quality but for moderate yield. After green harvesting nearly half of the crop, these old vines continued to produce wildly large clusters, and large, juicy fruit. As a result, the 2005 Giana Zinfandel has a solid range of flavors ranging from notes of plums, black cherries, raspberries, to cocoa and licorice. Was an 88 pointer in The Wine Spectator.

Chiarello Zinfandel ‘Napa Valley’ Giana 2005, Retail $34.99 Warehouse $19.99

The Neyers 2005 Zinfandel High Valley is produced at a high elevation (1,600 feet) site in the Chiles Valley. This effort exhibits the tell-tale elegance, high acids, and lower alcohol of the vintage along with abundant quantities of raspberry and black cherry fruit in its more complete, concentrated personality. Displaying elegance and power, this beauty can be drunk over the next 5-7 years. It was good to see longtime wine enthusiast, national sales rep for Kermit Lynch Importers, vineyard owner, and wine producer, Bruce Neyers, who has one of the most important palates on the West Coast. Neyers, who utilizes the services of Ehren Jordan of Turley Wine Cellars as his winemaker, has consistently turned out beautiful Chardonnays as well as fine Merlots, Zinfandels, and Syrahs. 91 points Wine Advocate

Neyers Zinfandel ‘Napa Valley’ High Valley 2005, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $23.99

Dry Creek Vineyard's Beeson Ranch Zinfandel is crafted from grapes grown on vines over 100 years old. The 5-acre Beeson Ranch vineyard is characterized by spicy mint and eucalyptus aromas which combine with rich blackberry and raspberry flavors. The fruit is rich and opulent with soft tannins on a lingering finish.

Dry Creek Zinfandel ‘Dry Creek Valley’ Beeson Ranch 2002, Retail $24.99 Warehouse $14.99

Alderbrook's Old Vine/ Old Clones Zinfandel reveals blackberry, plum, black pepper and spicy clove emerge from this Old Vine Zinfandel. These flavors also come through on the palate with round and enhanced toasty flavors. This is a crowd pleaser at a crowd pleasing price.

Alderbrook Zinfandel ‘Dry Creek Valley’ OV/OC 2001, Retail $24.99 Warehouse $9.99

Seven Deadly Zins is an interesting Zinfandel from Lodi, an area not known for particularly high quality wine. The 2004 Seven Deadly Zins (you’ve gotta love the name) exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as a big, briery, spicy, peppery nose, excellent texture, very good fruit, and a medium to full-bodied finish. 88 points Wine Advocate

Seven Deadly Zins Zinfandel Lodi 2004, Retail $18.99 Warehouse $11.95

Plenty of Zintresting wines currently in the shop. Zincerely hoping that you have a nice 4th. Happy Grilling!