Spotlight on a Winery Mark West Winery
 I've been a fan of the Mark West winery since its early days in Sonoma on Mark West Road. The tasting room was modest, but so were the prices of the wines, which is why my wife and I went back so many times. There are few wineries that have produced quality Pinot Noir for as long and certainly not at Mark West's price point.
Their website proclaims, "Pinot for the People", which might confuse those that are not wine lovers. And also, ". . . real Pinot should not have to cost more than the meal you're having it with." Amen to that. Established in 1978, Mark West has proven over time to be the most popular Pinot in California and rightly so. Most Pinot drinkers are familiar with the orange-labeled California Pinot Noir, which sources grapes from many locations in California. However they also make a Carneros Pinot, a Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot and a Russian River Pinot. They also have California and Central Coast Chardonnay wines. The 2010 Mark West Russian River Pinot Noir was awarded several gold medals and a double gold and Best of Class at the California State Fair with 98 points. Most area wine shops will carry the 2010 California Pinot Noir. Fruit for this wine was sourced primarily from vineyards in the Central Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA), including Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties. Grapes from vineyards in Mendocino, Sonoma County, and Lodi rounded out the finished blend. For an everyday Pinot, if such a thing is possible, you can't beat it. When searching for the specific region Pinots, however, it is best to inquire at your favorite wine shop. |
 Wine Question of the Month: How long should one open a red wine before drinking it?
I get this question asked nearly every wine class I do, and it's a complex one at that. It depends on knowing the wine, how much time you have before the guests arrive or dinner is served, and what auxiliary wine devices you have on hand to accelerate the process.
When the Vine & Wine Society holds the annual State Fair wine competition for local wines, we allow the red wines to open for approximately three hours. What, you say you only have ten minutes before your guests arrive? Then you better hope you have a wine breathing device, which is described in the wine tip of the month.
Some red wines do open up fairly quickly, such as Pinot Noir and Beaujolais. However a big Napa Cab is going to need a lot more time as will other full-bodied red wines, such as Syrah and Zinfandel. The problem with not allowing enough time is that the drinker is only getting a fraction of the flavors, complexities and nuances the wine can deliver.
Let's say you have a good $50 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and decided to drink it as soon as it opened. Most wine lovers would say you only got $20 worth of the full potential of the wine. Of course, if you are OK with throwing away $30, maybe it doesn't matter.
I will mention that some drinkers prefer the flavor of a tightly wound red wine, before the tannins are integrated, the wine has been aerated and the wine comes into balance. If that is your palate and your money then you are probably already discounting this article. I should also add that when I evaluate a wine I taste it at ten minute intervals, which allows me to experience the various stages it goes through before it is completely aerated. A point I've never reached when I'm doing the testing.
|
Jim's Picks of the Month
Black Mesa 2008 Coyote is a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel that is berry-rich and spicy with black pepper, white pepper and a satisfying earthiness that makes this a top pick for New Mexico wines. At $32.95 it is not cheap, but it is worth the money and represents the fine art of winemaking like few others in our state. The '08 Coyote is good for years, but is drinking just fine right now for those that need instant gratification. Castoro Cellars 2005 Syrah Blind Faith vineyard is no longer available unless one is in the Castoro Cellars wine club and possibly is available as a library selection. I recently had this wine with a beef roast and it was outstanding. I can always tell a great wine because the juice disappears way too fast. What I wanted to point out, however, is that any Castoro Cellars wines you happen to grab are going to be wonderful on the nose, wonderful on the palate and great with food. Particularly check out the Zinfandel and Primitivo wines, as well as the Syrah and Barbara. This Italian family has been crafting fine wines in California's Central Coast for decades and they are my first stop whenever I'm in that wine region.
|
 From the Mailroom: Questions from Readers
How do I get that fat cork back in the champagne bottle?
The answer is; unless you are incredibly strong, don't even try it. I recall in the past I tried slicing bits off the cork and jamming it back in, only to have it pop out again. Better one has an appropriate champagne stopper, which is designed to snap closed over the bottle's lip. Yes this is another wine gadget expense. I have also just put the bottle, uncorked, back into the fridge with good results. Forget the silver spoon (or stainless) approach as this is an old wives tale. Hmm, I wouldn't think old wives would typically be doing this kind of research.
The real question here, of course, is what to do with leftover sparkling wine. The most common answer on the Internet was; who needs a cork when the bubbly is all gone? To which I'd add, if it's Gruet, the bottle should already be empty. Although champagne cork stoppers do properly seal the bottle, there will still be a loss of carbonation, and many sparklers are far less exciting when they are flat. Sparkling wines that use the methode champenoise to create the bubbles, such as Gruet, will also hold that carbonation the longest.
Have a wine, winery or wine accessory question for Jim? Email your question to Jim.
Due to volume we cannot guarantee that all answers will be posted to the newsletter; however, all questions will receive responses from Jim.
|
|
Tip of the Month: Breathing new life into your red wines
Assuming one prefers their red wines to be fully open, how can one speed up the process? Plan A would be to remember to open it 1-3 hours before imbibing. It's been my experience that most wine drinkers fail at Plan A, so what is Plan B? That would be using a device that aerates the wine, reducing the time one must wait. There are several devices on the market that do just that.
Wine carafe or decanter:
A decanter was originally used to decant wines to remove the sediment, but since most wines are fined and filtered, only an older wine that has thrown off sediment, such as old red Bordeaux requires decanting. However the very wide base of many decanters provides maximum surface area for the wine to open up. Also a flash decant, pouring the wine directly into the decanter or carafe adds 20 minutes or more to the breathing time. The last thing one wants to do is leave it in the uncorked bottle as it has little surface area and access to oxygen.
Wine Aerators: The Vinturi™ Wine Aerator
The first popular aerator on the market was the Vinturi™ wine aerator, which is available with or without a stand. Its small size also makes it ideal for travel. Utilizing the venturi effect, the device draws in air as wine is poured into the top. In fact it makes a great sucking sound that will amaze your friends when you demonstrate it. It does agitate the tannins so I typically do not use it on very tannic wines, but it's a very handy little device. There are also wine aerating pour spouts that attach to the wine bottle, making pouring easier as well as helping open up the wine. The Vinturi™ base model goes for about $40 and aerating pour spouts about $10.
The Wine Breather:
This is my favorite aerating device; a well-designed carafe with a nozzle top that mates into a wine bottle. The wine is directed into the carafe, streaming down its sides and providing a gentle aeration of the wine. It can be poured from the carafe as it has a thumb depression on the underside of the carafe that makes pouring much easier than a conventional carafe. The really neat part is that the carafe can also be turned upside down to perform a second decant back into the bottle. This permits several bottles to be decanted and aerated.
|
|
Around New Mexico with the Southwestern Wine Guy
I am holding a book signing at Bookworks on February 16, starting at 3pm. I am bringing an aroma kit and will offer a presentation: It's all in the nose: How to get twice the enjoyment drinking wine. Bookworks is located at 4022 Rio Grande Blvd, right next to the Flying Star. Click here for more information.
|
I lift my glass to all who follow me and wish all of you health, wealth and plenty of wine in the new year! Please find wine ideas and more by going to my blog or website.
Happy 2013!
Your Southwestern Wine Guy
Jim Hammond
|
|
Jim Hammond has been exploring wines in North America, Europe and Australia for more than 20 years. A published author, he includes information about wine
in every book. |
|
"Wines of Enchantment the Centennial Edition"
| |
| |
Wines of Enchantment, 2nd Ed
ISBN # 978-1466453432
$12.95
Available through Amazon.com
Please do me the favor to go to Amazon and rate my book.
|
A Unique Party Idea
Spend an entire evening with Jim, the Wine Maestro, and learn fun facts, such as the difference between a Bordeaux and a Burgundy, or what the ritual of tilting, swirling and sniffing a wine before taking the first sip is all about.
You and your guests will delight in Jim's light humorous and information-packed style when you include a Wine Maestro presentation in your
party plans. |
Wine Trivia
Do You Know the Answer?
Where was wine first successfully made from vitis vinifera grapes in the US?
- Florida: French Hugenots in 1562.
- Jamestown, Virginia 1607.
- Near Socorro, NM 1629.
- California with the Mission grape planted by Franciscan missionary Father Juniperro Serra.
To find the answer,
click here.
|
|
