A Great, Great Glass of Pinot

I enjoy wines of all type, mostly red obviously. The last few years I've been able to buy some really nice wines and set them aside for special occasions.

I had my office co-workers over Thursday night and opened a bottle of Pinot Noir I had hand-carried back on my plane from a visit to California in 2006. (Yes, hand carried before the laws about liquid in the cabin were introduced!)

The wine was a 2004 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir. It was simply one of the better glasses of wine I have ever enjoyed. Four years in the bottle certainly makes a difference to these high end wines.

Farrell has long been recognized as one of the Russian River Valley's premier producers. This pinot was incredibly balanced and smooth. It was rich to the taste with a finish that had just a hint of tannins for balance. The wine is aged in 100% French oak barrells.

The winery, by the way, sits atop a hill in the rural Russian River Valley overlooking the valley. It's gorgeous.

I can't remember what I paid for it at the winery that far back, but found it on the internet for $43.99. That sounds about right. Some people just won't spend that kind of money on one bottle of wine and I understand that completely. But if they could indulge in just one glass of this well-made Pinot Noir, they might just begin to understand.

During the holidays we gather with friends and family. There's no better time to open a special bottle of wine. The Farrell Pinot was just delightful.

I took the photo at left during my 2006 visit. The winery is one of the area's most beautiful.

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Rockin Tempranillo in the U.S.A.

Tempranillo is THE wine grape in Spain. I became a big fan of Spain's tempranillo-based wines 2-3 years ago.

The wines are a great alternative to Cabs and Merlot for steak, or about any food really! The good ones have an herbal nose and similar taste characteristic. The great ones have a silky taste in the mouth and on the finish.

I was on a wine-buying binge this past week in Indianapolis picking up wines at three of my favorite stores. At Cork and Cracker, at 62nd and Keystone, it was actually other customers who pointed me to Twisted Oak's Tempranillo.

The shop owners had convinced me to buy a bottle of TO's Cabernet this summer. It is still in my wine rack. But when 2-3 different, unrelated folks say its a great wine - in a great wine shop - then that's good enough for me to try it.

I had not planned on opening it so soon, but Sunday night my curiousity got the best of me. The 2005 Tempranillo was one of the best bottles of wine I had opened in several weeks.

It was rich and smooth and it does go down with a silky finish. Wine Enthusiast gave this wine 90 points. It retails anywhere from $19-$24. I paid $23.

It's a great buy at that price and worth checking out.

By the way, Twisted Oak has a great and fun website. Check it out here.


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A Bad Bottle Will Happen from Time to Time

I've been lucky through the years. I've only opened a few bottles of wine that had gone bad.

I opened a bottle of 2005 Bordeaux from the Medoc region Friday night and didn't pay much attention to it as I poured two glasses. I took one quick whiff and thought the nose was rather odd. But it was a quick smell and I thought I'd let it open up a bit and then see what was going on with this inexpensive Bordeaux.

I handed my friend a glass and we sat down to watch television. I got my nose into the glass then and it was pretty clear to me it had gone bad. I took a drink and was convinced.

I had a bottle of corked wine. Read more here. It's not that difficult to tell. You don't have to be an expert.

I asked my friend if he smelled a vinegar-like odor .. and he tried again. He said "it smells like cider" and that was good enough for me. He also took a sip, made a squiggled face and then I poured the wine down the sink. I couldn't remember where I bought it.

It happens. There are wine professionals who say it can happen as often as once every 10-20 bottles. I have been lucky, I guess, because it's never happened to me at that rate.

Now, if it happens to you here is what you do. First, do not pour it out. Just stick the cork back in it and return it to the place of purchase as soon as you can.

Most retailers will replace the bottle or give you purchase price credit because their wholesalers will do the same for them. If they don't take the corked bottle and replace it for you, find another wine store.

Stinky wine. Corked wine. Spoiled wine. It happens.

The artwork above: Peter - The Family Guy - protected by trademark registered by Twentieth Century Fox.

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A nice, inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon

I once heard someone say its hard to find a nice Cabernet Sauvignon under $20. And, I would largely agree with that assessment. But there are some exceptions.

I stumbled across one recently. I find very few under $20 that I think are worth drinking. It's why I recommend Malbecs and Spanish wines to friends.

The wine was a 2006 Domaine Jean Bousquet Cabernet. Jean Bousquet was born in France where he worked the family vinyards until buying land at the base of the Andes mountains in the Mendoza region of Argentina.

I always research wines online and was mildy surprised to see Wine Spectator gave this wine an 87 .. a pretty high rating.

I thought the wine was nice, but rather unremarkable. It was very smooth and soft tannins and easy to drink. It would be a great Cab for a new wine drinker. I enjoyed it, but just didn't find anything memorable or remarkable about it. It wasn't the big bold flavors I love in a Cab. But that being said, I might buy it again and would heartily recommend it to anyone who is relatively new to Cabernet Sauvignon.

It is certainly better than anything you'll find in a grocery. I bought this one at Mass Ave. Wine shop in Indy for $12.99.

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