Tannat preview

During my last shift at W.I.N.E. in NYC I got a little preview of what I might expect to drink in Uruguay. Coincidentally we featured a Tannat-based blend from the Irouleguy region of France, way down in the south-eastern corner of the country, as the wine of the day. Tannat is the national grape of Uruguay and it actually means 'tannin.' So naturally it has a reputation for being a tannic wine. In Uruguay I have heard it tends to be a bit softer than traditionally in France - I will be finding this out for myself next week when I tour Uruguay's wine country. In this Irouleguy wine the Tannat is blended with Cab Sauv and Cab Franc. It was a nice bottle with dark fruit and pepper - I could definitely notice the Cab Franc characteristics. As for the Tannat, I have no idea what it's like but I soon will. Happy New Year! Feliz Año Nuevo!

Que Syrah, Syrah

I had a great bottle of Syrah recently at the wine shop where I worked. It was from the Northern Rhone region of France, Crozes-Hermitage more specifically. The producer is Maxime Graillot, son of Adrian Graillot - a very well known producer in that area. Apparently Adrian gave his son a decrepit vineyard and said, 'Son, if you can't make wine from this, then get out of this business.' 2004 was Maxime's first vintage, and he didn't disappoint. Great wine starts in the vineyard, and notably he de-stems nearly all of the grapes in his small production. This prevents harsh stemmy flavors from entering the wine.

2007 was supposed to be an amazing year in the Rhone. This wine was bright with black fruit and tea characteristics. It prices in the mid- to high- 20s. Naturally I love the purple label.

Happy Holidays!

I've been obsessed with the Wiemer Magnums of 2008 Dry Riesling. They were a great way to spend the holidays, celebrating life with family and friends. Hope everyone had a great holiday season!

How funky is your Pinot

I recently tried the funkiest Pinot Noir. From Alsace, France, the wine is made biodynamically, unfiltered and unfined. Biodynamic winemaking processes rely heavily on nature and phases of the moon and such. The winemaker tries to interfere as little as possible with the natural process of grape to wine. This Julien Meyer 2005 Pinot Noir is a murky ruby red whose flavor profile evolves quite uniquely in the glass. It starts off with strawberry and a bit of that nice earthy funk that Pinots can be known for. Then you begin to notice fresh dill on the nose and palate, which eventually turns into dill pickle flavors. A fascinating wine! Also interesting is the fact that it is sealed with a glass cork (yes, it looks like a nipple) encased in a metal twist cap. I had never seen this before - very interesting. At around $35, this is definitely a wine I recommend if you like funky Pinot. It is available at Eli's W. I. N. E. on the upper east side.

Burgundies and such

The wine shop I am working in is geared mostly to Old World wines. Lots of Burgundy, NO Bordeaux, a good amount of Southern France, Italy, Spain; some Portugal, Austria, Slovenia.  There are a few Californias and a couple Oregon Pinots. Oh, and I should mention that the only New York label they carry is Hermann J. Wiemer. Coincidence? Of course not.

Anyway, it happens that I am one of those people who does not like oaky Chardonnay. Perhaps worse is the fact that I almost always make an exception for white Burgundy. White Burgs tend to have lower alcohol and higher acidity/minerality than their California cousins. Maybe they use older oak too? I should look into this further. Here's one that I tried on the job and liked for it's  crisp yet smooth taste of fig and apple:

Alcohol:12.8%
Price: under $25

Blizzard of '09 - a chili night

So the weather outside is frightful as we are getting a little preview of the snow to come tonight. Virginia and DC are getting the big stuff now and it's heading north. While my mom and I were out braving the malls today like the crazy people we are, my sister Zara was making turkey chili for dinner. We had it with some Wiemer 2008 Dry Riesling and it was a great way to come in from the cold and crazy and warm up. Who says white wine is just for summer?

Exploring the wine world

Happy Holidays! I'm back in the tri-state area and I've been busy planning my trip to Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay for the new year. I've also been working at a wine shop in Manhattan, which is a great way to keep learning and drinking. A couple interesting wines that I tried and liked included a 2007 Petit Rouge (similar to Pinot Noir) from northern Italy and a 2008 Tempranillo from northern Spain:

Both wines were light and easy to drink and retail for around $20. I'm finding that you can get a lot of good wines from all over the world at this price point!

Congrats, Peter!

Peter's Malbec got 90 points from James Molesworth in Wine Spectator! Here's the review:

Los Vencejos
Malbec Uco Valley 2007
90 points | $28 | 119 cases imported | Red
Very ripe and nicely rounded, with a lovely floral aroma leading
the way for enticing blueberry, fig and plum fruit flavors. Long,
lush finish has nice focus too. Drink now through 2011.—J.M.

Danke!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Oskar, Fred, and Maressa - and Tim and Sandy too - for welcoming me to their team at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard. I had a fantastic experience and its end is bittersweet. I learned a ton about winemaking, the industry, and myself. I met some incredible people and had a great time working with them - thanks also to the interns, sorters, tasting room staff, and the other essential players. Hermann truly left a wonderful group in place to carry out his legacy and I am honored to have been a part of it. As I move on to other experiences I will think fondly of the HJW crew and hope to have the chance to work with them again in the future.

You guys rock!
-Melanie

Spotlight: Every Man Joe

As I say goodbye to my friends at Hermann J. Wiemer, I dedicate this post to the guy who was there at the beginning and remains at the end - Joe. Every-man Joe was super helpful to us interns when it came to knowing how things are done at the winery, since he has been working here since March, and in general, since he worked a harvest in Oregon last year. Joe could operate every forklift, tractor, truck, press - you name it. He cleaned like a champ, even though his wetsuit was never sufficient to keep him dry. On a late harvest night we would often fight over the last slice of pepperoni pizza. When Peter and I would propose a bet to keep everyone going into the night shift, Joe was always good for a wager. He was also good for a chat on the labeling line, in the field, and on the sorting table. Hope our paths cross again in the winemaking future, Joe!