A Wine Journey

Portal 2 Labrat NoCo Stainless Chardonnay 2009

2011-04-22T07:31:00.001-05:00

I had my first opportunity to Labrat for Wine.Woot. So I did it Portal 2 style.

Portal 2 Labrat

I woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. How long had I been asleep? I noticed a box at my door. I opened it. A bottle of wine? Had I ordered it before going to bed? Did it arrive through some kind of dimensional shift? Does Aperture Science make wine? A voice said please chill the bottle for a few hours and go back to sleep. Not knowing what else to do, I followed the instructions.

Upon waking, the whole place seemed like it was falling apart. A voice spoke again saying all this was because of me--is that you GLaDOS? Then it said testing would begin.

Test 1--In viewing the label, I noticed this was a 2009 California Chardonnay (North Coast--hence the name NoCo). The back of the label clearly stated this was "grown wine" not "bulk wine" and that it was fermented with wild yeasts in 100% stainless steel tanks. NO OAK. That will be interesting, as my past experience with un-oaked Chards has been mixed.

Test 2--Opening the bottle was a simple task. Just a slight twist at the top and it was ready to pour. So far, these tests are easy--is the real challenge yet to come?

Test 3--In the glass, the wine had a very clear, pale straw appearance. Not nearly as golden as most Chardonnays I'm used to.

Test 4--OK, now things are getting more challenging. The nose is pretty vibrant. I'm noticing mostly floral components with some peaches. I like the nose and excitement starts to build for tasting it.

Test 5--Immediately, I'm surprised with a pretty bitter beginning. There is very little acid to speak of. The floral components come through again along with red apples (sweet, not tart). The mouth feel is very light. The finish is medium-length, but is probably the best part about this. No alcohol coming through and hints of blueberry at the end. Is that blueberry pie? It must be--the cake is a lie.

Test 6--Yet to be completed. Under Vacu Vin for the night, I'll try again tomorrow with some fish.

My overall impression is that this is interesting and definitely worth trying. While I don't like much oak in my reds, I do like it in Chardonnay--so steel Chards don't usually do it for me. I'm glad I was able to have a bottle and it would make a great summer wine. However, it fails the buy test for me, but did I pass (I'm still alive)?

Wine.Woot
NoCo Chardonnay 2009 discussion

Try a Vertical Tasting

2010-07-08T13:18:00.001-05:00

One of the best (and most fun) things you can do when getting into wine is to try a vertical tasting. This is where you taste (usually) three wines from the same producer, variety, vineyard, etc. from three different vintages. Usually you try to do three consecutive vintages, but that isn't necessary. I had the opportunity to do this in a wine class and was amazed by the differences.

If you think about this for a minute, conducting a vertical tasting is somewhat difficult. First, you have to find the three vintages. Typically, you can only buy the most recent vintage from a producer. You'll have to work a bit to hunt down the bottles or cellar them with a plan to do the tasting in the future. One trick is to look at bottles on the back of the shelf at your wine shop. If someone missed rotating the old bottles to the front, you can (rarely) find one from a previous vintage. The other issue is that it can be expensive and you have three bottles of wine to drink. While you can try to preserve them, you'll still have to drink them in the next couple of days. So it is best to have some friends to share the cost and fun!

The reason this is a really interesting thing to do is to begin to understand what age can do to a wine. You'll also see that the grapes have a huge impact on the wine. Was it a hot year? Did the particular vintage have a lot of rain? These things have a significant influence on the wine despite what the wine maker can do to control for consistency.

Give a vertical tasting a try to refine your palate and discover the differences. Gary Vaynerchuk did one on a episode of Wine Library TV. You can see his experience below:

Take notes and get organized

2010-04-17T15:05:00.004-05:00

As you start to try new wines and varieties, keeping track of what you have tried (and what you like and don't) becomes more difficult.

One easy way to do this is to buy a wine journal. There, you can take notes, write down wines and varietals you've tried and start to get a picture of what you like. Many journals have a place to write in a score. It is up to you to choose how and if you want to score. If nothing else, having a sense for how much you enjoyed a particular wine will help you as you form opinions about wines.

A Website that gives you the ability to peek into tons of other people's journals is Cellar Tracker (or its new version called Grape Stories). Both sites use the same database and contain over 1 million tasting notes generated by its user community. It is an absolutely great resource--it's free, but payments are encouraged if you use the cellar management aspects of the site.

Not only can you see which wines others are drinking and what they think, but it can be a great way to learn how to taste wine--what to look for in the aromas, flavors and finish. As you buy wine, it is great to check the site and see what the community thinks. Many times, you can find a hidden gem in a $9 bottle (or know to avoid an expensive bottle that isn't bringing what it promises). The site is a great place to keep your tasting notes as well.

Keeping track of what you've tasted and what you think really will help you expand your knowledge of wine and hone your skills in tasting.

Great time to gear up--Amazon 4 for 3 deal

2010-04-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

From time to time Amazon has a buy four items, get the cheapest one free . They usually run this in the kitchen and housewares category.

This is a great time to pick up some Riedel glasses or a decanter.

You can get four sets of glasses and only pay for three. Now you have no excuse to not have some decent glassware. These deals usually last less than a week so hurry over and stock up.

Amazon 4 for 3 deal

Get a Vinturi Wine Aerator

2010-03-20T15:20:00.001-05:00

Most wine gets better with some air. Some wines, like Cabernets get a lot better with an hour or two of air. However, when you get home from work, who has two hours to wait before their first sip?

That's where the Vinturi Wine Aerator comes in. This specially designed funnel has holes to aerate your wine as you pour it from the bottle to the glass. This process introduces air into the wine and simulates decanting for an hour or more.

I find this is an essential tool to have at my disposal. If I'm trying a wine for the first time and am forced to "pop and pour" (immediately opening and tasting), I will first try the wine right out of the bottle. Then, I'll pour my next taste through the Vinturi. I'll compare the two to see what I think. Over 90% of the time, running it through the Vinturi improves the wine. I have had some experiences where it just doesn't help, or even hurts, the wine, hence the reason I try it each way first.

I'll always decant when I can, but unless I'm drinking an expensive bottle or have time to plan ahead, the Vinturi is there to fill in and save me a ton of time.

Search Amazon.com for Vinturi products

Get some glasses

2010-03-20T11:54:00.002-05:00

Good glassware makes a real difference. Don't believe me? Well, you can do a side-by-side comparison. I did in a wine class and it was a truly eye opening experience.

Enjoying wine starts with the nose (bouquet or "sniffy-sniff" if you prefer). Most times, you take a 10 ounce glass and fill it within and inch or two of the top. If that is the case for you, you have almost no chance of smelling anything. You need a glass that will capture some of the aromas coming off the wine and trap them--allowing you to get them into your nose.

Next, you need a clean delivery from the glass to your tongue and mouth. Most inexpensive glasses have a lip that can deflect the wine. Also, the shape of the bowl (this is the part that holds the wine) can also affect the experience.

Is this all sounding a bit snobby? Maybe so, but you can maximize your experience with the wine if you have the right glass. This is true of inexpensive wines (you can get more out of them--or expose their flaws) and expensive ones (you can truly appreciate all of their subtle flavors and aromas).

I've been partial to glasses from Riedel. We've been using glasses in the O collection. They are cool and modern and happen to be more reasonably priced than the Riedels with stems. However, they aren't a purist's glasses as you normally shouldn't hold the bowl of your glass when experiencing wine.

For a great set of glasses with stems, the Riedel Vinum Collection is very nice. For a more affordable option, the Ouverture Collection is a good option.

Keep in mind that you'll need at least one red and one white option. If you drink a lot of Chardonnays or Pinot Noirs, you may want to opt to get the specialized glasses for those varieties.

Whatever you decide to do, just spend a bit of money and get some good glassware. For about $100 you can get a nice start on things and enjoy your wine all the more. Considering how much you'll spend on wine over the course of a few years, $100 really isn't too bad to improve your experience.

Search Amazon.com for Riedel wine glasses.

Great deal on a Lirac

2010-03-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Cinderella Wine has a screaming deal on a Lirac. This one is an '06 which normally goes for $20+. They have it for $15 with free shipping if you buy four bottles.

Cinderella Wine is a fun site that offers different deals every day. They can vary widely in terms of how good the deal is and how many you have to buy to get free shipping. Some deals seem too hard to pass up. This is one of those.

I just picked up 4!

Start drinking wine

2010-03-18T21:58:00.000-05:00

Maybe you are a big Cabernet Sauvignon drinker. Perhaps you always go for the house Chardonnay. Maybe you got way into Pinot Noir after seeing Sideways (like I did). Having your go-to wine is easy--you're always in your comfort zone.

However, by always staying with what you know, you are missing out on the entire world of wine.

My wine journey began by realizing there were other wines out there then Pinots and some of the major label, grocery store brands. I didn't think much of white wines. I liked buying wines from producers I'd heard of. But, how do you know what you do and don't like if you don't try something new.

If you drink Cabs, find some from somewhere other than Napa. If you are a reds drinker, try some whites.

Here are a few of the interesting wines I discovered as I started out trying new things.

Malbec -- A pretty hot varietal lately. Good values are available, especially from Argentina.
Vouvray -- Vouvray is not a grape variety, it is a wine making region in France. Vouvray is made with the Chenin Blanc grape. As a mostly red drinker, I found this white very interesting as there was more complexity than just fruit and acid.
Côtes du Rhône -- Again, not a variety, but a region in France (French wines are identified by region, not grape variety--like in America--which can be confusing to new wine drinkers. How to read wine labels.). These are made with at least 50% Grenache.
Barbera -- Many Barberas are from Italy and are a ton of fun. They are delicious and fruity. A nice departure from the Cabs that are so popular from California.