2008 Finnzies Winners Named (Aaaaayyyy!)

For those of you who read this blog and who don’t live in the greater Memphis, TN area let me apologize for writing a blog that won’t really pertain to you unless you decide to vacation here.

With that said, it’s time to give the 2008 year-end Finn Wine Awards, better known as the “Finnzies”. (At this point, I need for Henry Winkler to say “Aaaaayyyyy!“) By winning one of these you receive nothing more than recognition, but really, isn’t that why you got into the wine business to start?!?

Category 1: Wine Shops and Wine People Who Pissed Me Off This Year

Surprisingly there were no winners in this category. Maybe my annual “kind to all” New Year’s resolution has actually softened up my heart. I’ve also elected to apply this resolution to people making Facebook friendship requests and now I accept all of these requests. It has made for some very strange bedfellows to say the least. I intend to keep this resolution next year even if it means accepting a friendship request from a certain N.Y. Times, Houston based writer if asked. Of course, the ultimate test won’t occur until my ex-wife makes a request (click on the link to see my ex-wife). Fortunately I don’t see that one happening.

Category 2: Novice Wine Drinker Of the Year

This year’s award goes to Mike Marshall, attorney-at-law. Mike has done several things to earn this award: (a) he has “gladly” offered up some of his personal wine collection to me, (b) he has offered up his home for wine tastings and parties, (c) he has attended Sip Around the World in each of the last two years with me (I would ask that you don’t judge him too harshly for this), and (d) he has offered me free off-the-cuff legal advice as needed. Congratulations Mike!

Category 3: Best Wine Merchant

This year’s winner is Josh Hammond, proprietor of Buster’s Liquors located at 191 S. Highland St., Memphis, TN 38111. Josh has always taken great care of me. Here are just a few examples:

• He has always carried out my purchases for me. Why he does this, I don’t know since I am larger than him, but it’s just one more example of the level of customer service he offers.
• Since I have purchased numerous cases from his shop — some when he was there, some when he was not, some with plastic, and some with cash — he almost always gives me a case discount even when I’m not making a case purchase from him.
• He will special order wine for me when his wholesalers can get it.
• He will let me in on some his very-hard-to-get stuff before it hits the floor.

In short, if you ever form your own wine group and make most of your purchases with Josh then he will take care of you. Also, since Buster’s sells more wine than anyone else in the State Of Tennessee (take that Frugal MacDoogal’s in Nashville) he usually has the largest and most varied selection since his wholesalers are usually going to give him first crack at anything they have.

Please make sure you tell Josh I sent you! It will help both of us.

Category 4: Best New Wine Merchant

Latham Oates is the owner and general manager of Forest Hill Wine Merchants located at 9087 Poplar Avenue, Suite 101, Germantown, TN 38138 (in the shopping center on the southwest corner of Poplar Ave. and Forest Hill-Irene Rd.). Latham is a reformed attorney and a great guy who is wonderful at helping the clueless masses in their quest to find the perfect bottle of wine (the right price, the right taste, paired with the right food). He has a selection of wines whose breadth is incredible and I love the layout of this rather large wine shop. In short, I really, really, really need this place to succeed, because I really, really, really like shopping there and it is convenient to my home. It is definitely a “destination” shop.

Once again, make you mention to Latham where you read about his shop so he can help you out.

Category 5: Best Winery Owner

I am officially retiring the owners of Adelsheim Vineyard from this category. As such, I feel obligated to make this statement one last time: they are the nicest owners of a winery I have ever met. The private tasting they gave me was so far beyond the call of duty I can’t even begin to describe it. Their Pinot Noirs are some of the best made on the planet and everyone should always have at least a couple of their bottles in their private cellar. 

I am also retiring Morgan Clendenen, wife of Jim Clendenen, owner of Au Bon Climat, from this category. A couple of years back Morgan ended up in a bidding war on some cigars against me and one of my friends at a L’Ete du Vin auction. At the time, we did not know who she was, but we told her we would quit upping the bid if she would give each of us a couple of cigars from the box. Although we figured we would never see her again she tracked us down and gave us the cigars. She was then promptly introduced from the stage for all of the wines she had donated to the charity auction. She is truly a class act. As a side note, the same friend once had lunch at Au Bon Climat a few years later with Jim Clendenen and he continues to rave about how nice he was and what a great experience he had.

With all of that said, this year’s winner is Dr. Michael Dragutsky, owner of Cornerstone Cellars. Dr. Dragutsky is a Memphis and he always donates, and more importantly shows up for Sip Around the World. Dr. Dragutsky is passionate about the great Cabs he produces. Year in and year out his creations consistently receive high ratings. On top of this, Dr. Dragutsky is always willing to patiently discuss his creations with both knowledgeable and novice wine tasters alike. In short, he is an extremely nice guy and a very good wine maker.

Category 6: Best Local Restaurant Wine List

There are a lot of Memphis restaurants deserving consideration in this category. Grisanti’s has always been noted for their wine list. I also like the wine lists at Encore, Spindini, Flemings, Ruth’s Chris, and Three Oaks, but my favorite wine list this year was found at Napa Cafe on Sanderlin. If you ever have a chance to dine in their wine cellar, I would encourage you to do so. Just be prepared to have your conversation interrupted by the wait staff coming in to find the various bottles which have been ordered by other diners. However, the ambiance and privacy more than offset these few minor interruptions.

Category 7: Best Wine Gospel Apostle

This one was rather easy. Carol Tidwell Simpson has created a Facebook group for oenophiles called “Folks Who Think Wine Should Count As A Serving o’Fruit in the Food Pyramid” that in a very short amount of time has grown organically by leaps and bounds. It has a comments section and discussion boards that are growing. It is well worth creating a personal Facebook page to check it out.

Category 8: Best Wine Critic (Outside Of Me)

Another easy category this year. The winner is James Molesworth of Wine Spectator. James was the writer who picked this year’s top WS selection, Casa Lapostolle’s Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005. If you click on the link to JM’s name you can see a video of him discussing this pick. By the way, James has an enjoyable blog on the Wine Spectator site that I would recommend reading, but only after checking to see if I’ve had a recent update.

That is it for this year. However, I will from time-to-time give “shout outs” to those individuals making a difference in the wine world who I deem worthy.

Now go out and Vici Vino!

Wine Education 101 – Wine Fight: New World v. Old World Wines

The following definition is from Wikipedia:

Old World Wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to “New World Wine” which refers primarily to wines from New World wine regions such as the United States, Australia, South America and South Africa. 

Anyone who has ever tried to purchase a french or italian wine for the first time already knows there is a significant difference between old world wines and new world wines. This difference is both significant and fundamental and not just because an old world wine label is more difficult for Americans to read and understand.

Since old world winemakers have been at this whole winemaking thing longer than most of the rest of the world, they have had quite a bit more time to figure out which vine stocks make the best wines based on the “terroir” of the “appellation”. In the wine world, these are two important terms:

Terroir – Wine critics disagree as to an exact definition of this term, however, in general terms terroir refers to the interaction of the climate, soil, and topography on the grapes and grape vines.

Appellation – A geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced. The term is often used interchangeably with viticultural area.

Each appellation in the old world has established strict rules and laws regarding both their blended and non-blended wines. For starters, these rules and laws dictate the grape varietals which can be grown in each appellation. For instance, a red left bank Bordeaux will always be a Cabernet Sauvignon usually with Merlot and Cabernet Franc blended in to soften the tannins. A right bank Bordeaux, on the other hand, will always be a Merlot usually with Cabernet Sauvignon blended in to give it more character and structure.

These same Old World rules and laws also dictate how the wines of any appellation are labelled. Continuing with our Bordeaux example, both bottles would contain the name of the specific Bordeaux appellation. The left bank bottle might be named something like Haut-Medoc or Margaux, while the right bank bottle might be named a Saint Emilion. The label would also indicate the winery’s classification. Traditionally those wines listed as first growths (Premiers or 1 er Crus) had the best reputations and the highest prices. Back then this equated to quality. These days a bottle of Petrus which is from the right bank Bordeaux appellation of Pomerol will cost you more than any of the five first growth wines.

Now I know some of you are asking is this really all that different from how new world vintners label their releases? After all, don’t most American wine consumers think quality is equated with the amount of information contained on the label? Shouldn’t a 2005 Finn’s Cabernet Sauvignon, C.H.’s Vineyard, Private Reserve Special Selection be far better than 2005 Finn’s Cabernet Sauvignon, California and isn’t that kind of similar to the classification systems found in the old world? Well, much like the old world, you can no longer equate quality with over simplified rules. Often times, The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator will rank a lower end wine higher than it’s high priced brethren. So in this way, yes, there is not much difference between the two worlds.

However, when it comes to taste and winemaking there is a general fundamental difference between the two worlds. If you were to taste a top-of-the-line Oregon Pinot Noir and a Vosne-Romanee (which is considered the best section of Burgundy, France where they make Pinot Noir wines) should you, as a novice wine taster, be able to tell a difference in most cases. Well, believe it or not the answer is yes. Old world winemakers want you to taste the terroir as part of the experience. When you taste them you should always pick up at least a hint of the soil in which the grapes were grown. Typically, these wines will be a bit fuller than their new world counterparts which utilize more science in achieving their taste.

This is due to two things. The old world winemaker is somewhat limited by the aforementioned appellation rules and regulations in how much he can alter his wine. He is limited in where the grapes can be grown, in how much he can blend in other varietals, and what he can do chemically to alter characteristics of the wine. In the new world, the regulations are looser and most vintners are interested in making the most appealing possible wine (i.e., the most profitable wine). Therefore, as a general rule, most new world wines will have a slightly cleaner taste with less earthiness.

Now, I had always heard this anecdotally, but wasn’t sure how true it was until I had a blind tasting one night with one of my wine groups. Our theme was Ryder Cup. We had U.S. wines tasted against their European counterparts. Since the tasting was done blind, nobody knew which wine was which. We tasted two wines at a time with each side being tasted against its counterpart. The results were consistent with the group: regardless of price, the U.S. wine “won” each tasting in seven out of eight categories.

This told me a couple of things. One, even a novice can tell the difference, and two, U.S. wine consumers do have a collective defined taste. See, I really do learn something new every day and I hope this helped you too.

In the meantime, go out there and veni, vidi, vici, vino!

Wine Reviews – Let the Stampede Begin

If you really want to have some fun, then go hang out at a wine shop the day after the Wine Spectator Top 100 list is released. You can watch person after person trying to find and purchase the same bottles of wine. Feel free to mess with the ones who appear to be wine snobs by saying things like:

• Yeah, that’s the bottle WS recommended last year and boy did it make me sick. I didn’t realize there was such a corking issue with their line of wines.
• I know you didn’t ask, but I really love that bottle’s overpowering gooseberry aroma (make sure you say aroma and not bouquet). I’ve had it with all these bottles that taste exactly the same with their subtle hints of fruit, spices and flowers. I’ll take straight forward any day!
• I’ve been tasting that one for years. It does the best job of capturing a true barnyard terroir of anything I’ve ever tasted. If you have a chance try it with raccoon or squirrel. You’ve never had a pairing like that.
• I had you marked as an oenophile with superb taste. I would have never guessed you were one of those losers who was beholden to the ratings of big and bold only fishwrap. Learn something new every day although I should have already known this by looking at your significant other.

Let it never be said I’m not willing to do my own little part to contribute to this. With that said, here are sure to be some of the most requested bottles from this year’s list which I think you should be able to find in and around Memphis:

• #10 – Seghesio, Zinfandel Sonoma County 2007, $24 – This pick was released back on Nov. 10th so you may be out-of-luck. However, it is usually on the wine list at Ruth’s Chris.
• #30 – Byron, Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley 2005, $25
• #40 – Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2008, $19 – I think they have the vintage wrong on this one. Even so, this wine consistently scores in the low 90s.
• #42 – Amavi, Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2005, $25 – Let me know if you find this one. I would like to pick up a couple of bottles myself.
• #51 – Fattoria di Felsina, Chianti Classico Berardenga 2006, $17 – This will be a sangiovese-based wine which I would personally love to try. Once again, let me know where to find it.

So there are five to get you started.

Veni, Vidi, Vici, Vino!

Wine Education 101 – Wine Reviews

(Editor’s note: I began writing this blog on Friday.)

Earlier today Wine Spectator released their wine of the year. Here are their Top 10 wines for 2008:

1. Casa Lapostolle, Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005, $75, 5,987 cases made.
2. Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux 2005, $100, 10,000 cases made.
3. Quinta do Crasto, Douro Reserva Old Vines 2005, $40, 1,500 cases imported.
4. Château Guiraud, Sauternes 2005, $57, 9,165 cases made.
5. Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2005, $55, 15,830 cases made.
6. Pio Cesare, Barolo 2004, $62, 7,000 cases made.
7. Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2005, $100, 20,830 cases made.
8. Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005, $95, 15,000 cases made.
9. Mollydooker, Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007, $90, 2,596 cases made.
10. Seghesio, Zinfandel Sonoma County 2007, $24, 68,000 cases made.

This list is part of Wine Spectator’s The Top 100 [Wines] Of 2008. The full list will be released on Monday. Although I did not include them here, the list also includes tasting notes and reviews for each of the wines. This list is the most read and closely scrutinized wine review of the year.

The timing of the release of the annual list couldn’t be better since it allows me an opportunity to voice my thoughts on the subject of wine reviews while illustrating some points using an actual list. Here are some things a novice wine drinker should keep in mind when reading wine reviews:

• The only opinion on wine that should matter to you is your own. Would you really care about someone’s opinion concerning the superiority of black cherry Kool-Aid to  orange Kool-Aid? As intimidating as the subject of wine can be initially, once you understands the basics you will quickly find out that most of your wine snob acquaintances are, in the words of wine critic Gary Vaynerchuk, “a bunch of douche bags” (his words, not mine).
• The most read wine reviews from from the print media are The Wine Spectator (James Molesworth, Bruce Sanderson, & James Laube are my personal favorites), The Wine Advocate, and Wine Enthusiast. Online there are two important sources of information. They are THIS BLOG and Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV. Other noted wine critics include Jancis Robinson (The Financial Times), Oz Clarke (author), and John Brecher & Dorothy Gaiter (Wall Street Journal).
• All of the above critics bring something unique in their wine opinions to the table. They also bring their personal taste and biases. If you find one who has taste similar to yours then a quick way to discover new wines you will enjoy is to read them regularly – duh.
• The Wine Advocate is synonymous with its founder Robert Parker who is probably the most famous and influential wine critic in the world although I should be passing him in popularity at any moment. The Wine Advocate is famous for not accepting advertising dollars. They do this to differentiate themselves from The Wine Spectator who they would have you believe are opinion slaves beholden to their advertising clients. In some wine circles it is popular to disparage The Wine Spectator by referring to it as The Wine Speculator. I have actually studied this and it is a myth. If you compare the reviews of both publications there is a very small variance in scoring. I never noted a difference of more than five points and in over 80% of the cases the reviews were within two points. Tell me this novice wine drinker, do you really think you can tell the difference between an 88 point and an 86 point wine?
• Most wine reviews do not apply to casual wine drinkers. How many of you are going to invest $100+ in a bottle of wine? If you do and and the bottle needs to be aged do you have a proper place to store the bottle? (Please note a dry, dark closet does not constitute proper storage.) If there were less than 3,000 cases either imported or made are you really going to be able to find a bottle at your local wine shop? In the case of the list published above, three of my wine shops had the Seghesio in stock the day it was released as part of the list. All three were sold out within an hour of opening. It is for all of these reasons that many of you should be reading this blog. For the most part, I only review everyday value wines.

With all of that said, as many of you already know I went to the Sip Around the World event last weekend and sampled about thirty wines. All of these wines can be found in the Memphis market. The following list are some of the more notable wines I sampled (all prices are estimates):

• Crowd Favorite Award (Red):337, Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, $15 – Although this was not my favorite wine of the evening, it was a runaway hit with many other drinkers. This is definitely an everyday wine which you would not want to age. It is rather light for a cab and would almost be described as medium-bodied in weight. Kind of simple, but enjoyable. Black fruits (black currants, blackberries, black cherries) with some floral and spice notes. 
• Crowd Favorite Award (White): Fess Parker, Santa Barbera County Chardonnay 2006, $18 – This wine is usually panned by wine critics (WS scored it 82), but just like most of the crowd, I liked this wine a lot. Unlike a lot of California chardonnays it was not full-bodied or overoaked. Yes, it is simple, but I loved the citrus flavors combined with a hint of butter.
• Personal Favorite Award (Red): Chateau Belregard-Figeac, St. Emilion 2005, $13 – Here is your french wine lesson of the evening. Basically all french wines are blends. Right Bank Bordeaux wines are primarily Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blended in to give it a bit more body. Left Bank Bordeaux wines are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc blended in to soften them. Although I generally prefer left bank Bordeaux wines, this right bank Bordeaux was out of this world — especially considering its price. I will definitely be stocking up on this little gem. Although it did exhibit many of the red fruits (cherry, raspberry, and red currants) you would expect in any Merlot, it also had a good bit of earthiness and spice which made it taste more like a Southern Rhone grenache-based wine.
• Personal Favorite Award (White) – Ipsum, White 2007, $9 – This is a great everyday bottle of wine. It is a blend of 60% Verdejo and 40% Viura grapes. The fruit notes include apples and pears. Picture a very good sauvignon blanc without gooseberry (also described as cat pee for you novices). Light and airy and great for fish, chicken, and light white-sauce pasta dishes.
• Off-the-Beaten-Path Award – Toad Hollow, Eye Of the Toad Pinot Noir Rose, $10 – Roses have taken a beating in most knowledgeable wine circles. We have white zinfandel to thank for that. However this “white pinot” continues to be one of my very favorite summer wines. Picture strawberries with spice notes.
• Some other wines I enjoyed were: Matua, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007, $12; Chateau Moulin De Tricot, Margaux 2004, $12; Cornerstone, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, $64; Domaine les Pallieres, Gigondas 2005, $30.

Now get out there and Vici Vino!