My Story on Wine Chains Featured on Palate Press

My second story for the national online wine magazine, Palate Press, went up this morning.

I wrote about the two biggest national wine retail chains - Vino 100 and Wine Styles. It's nice that it is the featured story on the site today! Palate Press has been getting in excess of 3,000 hits daily nationwide and has some really great contributors making it happen.

The story of the two chains is interesting. I discovered Vino 100 on work trips to northeastern Ohio for football. Liz even recognizes us now when we make our first stop each fall. I had not been in a Wine Styles before researching for this story. There is a franchise store at 146th and 31 in Carmel, just south of Westfield.



Both "concept stores" are helping bring more people to wine. I think that's a good thing! Check out the story and leave a comment!

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Ok, So You Haven't Tried Tempranillo Yet?

I have several bottles of young Spanish Tempranillo in my wine rack and lately it seems like they've all been really great bottles of wine.

Tonight I opened a bottle of Legon 2007 Ribera del Duero Roble. And, wow! This was one great bottle of wine!

I've found a couple of great bottles of 100 percent Tempranillo this fall and here's another. There is some woodsy flavor and some vanilla. The tannins are strong enough to hold up to food and it has that distinctive tartness that I use to describe Tempranillo.

The Valtostao Legon comes from 35-year-old vines, providing the layer of flavors and taste beyond the price point.

You'll find this wine up to 15 bucks. I paid $13.99 at Kahn's Fine Wines, Keystone Ave., in Indianapolis. The wine has its fans. Robert Parker gave it a 90 and Wine Advocate called it a Top 100 Value of the Year.

The nice thing about this label is its not hard to find.

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Domaine Drouhin: An Oregon Winery I Missed in Two Visits

If you go to any wine region its really tough to get to all of the great wineries. That happened to me in the summer of 2008 and spring of 2009 when I visited Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Domaine Drouhin was on my target list both times but for a variety of reasons I never made it to the winery. Drouhin is a well-respected French name that bought property in Oregon early in the rush to start producing Pinot in this great area. They even sell their French wines in the Oregon winery.

I finally tasted their Pinot Friday night and it certainly lives up to its reputation. A young man at Wabash College, from Portland, brought me a bottle as a gift for allowing him to store a lot of his personal items in my home over the summer.

I opened the 2006 Domaine Drouhin Willammette Valley and immediately got week-kneed at the nose. I think if I keep drinking Oregon wine - which I will - I could blind sniff Oregon wine and pick out the soil from just the nose!

The wine was a very clear and ruby red color that was beautiful in the Riedel crystal I dug out for the occasion. On the palate it was medium-bodied with a spicy and earthiness that only great Pinot can deliver.

There was a sense of muskiness that I love in a Pinot along with a hint of strawberry.This is a very well-make, silky wine.

This wine consistently has been rated 89-91 by the national review publications. This is what I call the classic "next tier" of Oregon wines. Most of the wineries have something around $30 or just under and the next price point tends to be $40-$45. This retails at $39.95 though I did find it up to $44.

It's a great representation of the better Oregon Pinots. If you can't find Drouhin, find an Oregon Pinot Noir.

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Ottimino Zinfinity Will Get Your Attention for $17

If you like your Zinfandel with some pepper, tannins, and a medium flavor you'll like Ottimino "Zinfinity."

Ottimino is a Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, winery known for its Zinfandel. The winery recently releasted its first Zin blend or "Zinfinity" of 93 percent Zinfandel with seven percent Petite Syrah.

I liked this wine a lot. I was suprised at the balanced flavor against the peppery finish and rather big tannins. The wine is aged 20 months in French Oak creating the big finish.

The Zin grapes come from a number of vineyards including some old vine Zin. I picked up the peppery finish, a jammy dark fruit flavor with a hint of vanilla. This is not a wine for wine wimps.

It's not huge like many California Zins and suprisingly low in alcohol at 13.9 percent. This is handcrafted wine with just 1028 cases produced. The suggested retail price is $17 but I did find it online for as low as $14.

It's a luscious, rich wine with a big wine finish.

I tasted this wine as a sample. I'd pay for it any time. A great glass of wine. I had it with some pasta that included ground veal and mild Italian sausage. The wine was a great pairing and would have held up just as well against seasoning stronger than I used tonight!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com