Frank Mangio's Top Ten Tastings for 2008

What a grand year for wine it has been! I attended approximately 250 wine events at wine shops, restaurants, hotels, wineries and special celebrations tasting thousands of wines and meeting hundreds of wine professionals with a passion for their wines.

I submit the following top ten tastings listed alphabetically without regard to rank. All were equally delicious and are an excellent representation of their varietals. Price to value and availability were also a consideration. Prices can vary and are generally what I have seen on web sites and in the stores that stock them.

This year I have listed two Sangioveses, one from Italy and another from Temecula. There are also two blends: an Italian “Super Tuscan” style from Temecula and a Bordeaux style from Paso Robles. A Napa Cabernet and Chardonanay, an Oregon Pinot Noir, a Central Coast Zinfandel, a San Diego County Viognier and a Sonoma Petite Sirah complete the ten. Enjoy!

Clos LaChance Hummingbord Series Zinfandel,Central Coast CA., 2005. $18. A rare Zin with moderate alcohol which gave it a delicious European style flavor. Aged in natural oak for 14 months. Notes of wild cherry and raspberry. Oak spice on the finish. www.clos.com.

Erath Pinot Noir, Dundee Oregon, 2006. $19. The cornerstone of Erath’s wine portfolio and that of Oregon, this Pinot floats into the palate with luscious ripe strawberries and a slight but beautiful hint of caramel. Buoyant acidity. An artful wine. www.erath.com.

Falkner Super Tuscan Amante, Temecula CA. 2005. $39.95. The signature blend of Sangiovese, with some Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Robust and elegant. Excellent balance. Medium bodied mouthfeel enhances a variety of food pairings. www.falknerwinery.com

Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay, Napa Valley Ca., 2006. $42. A venerable, legendary name and hero of the ’76 Paris Tasting that put Napa Valley on the world wine map, Grgich produces its first Chardonnay that is both organic and biodynamic with no artificial enhancers. Alive with delicious acidity. Notes of lemon zest, flowers and honey. Elegance shines. www.grgich.com.

Justin Isosceles, Paso Robles, 2005. $65. A banner vintage in Paso, carefully crafted pruning and perfect crop levels, produced a soft, fruit forward entry with complexity and promise. Aromas of boysenberry, mocha, mint and cassis make this blend an event to remember. This wine will get even better with more aging, up to 15 years.

Pedroncelli Petite Sirah, Sonoma, Ca., 2005.$15. Superb value for this vintage. Rich with ripe blackberry, concentrated flavors, deep and complex. Dry Creek Valley aged for 23 months. www.pedroncelli.com.

Orfila Estate Lotus “67” Viognier, San Pasqual Valley, CA. 2007. $23. The Rhone Valley white that is the talk of the industry and no one does it better than Orfila. A blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne. The perfect 40 acre hillside for this exotic varietal with its tropical aromas and tastes. Earlier vintage won gold in France. www.orfila.com.

Peppoli Chianti Classico, Tuscany Italy, 2005. $23. Delivers classic Chianti earth-taste. Pronounced floral and mineral notes. Medium to full-bodied, with silky texture. Lots to enjoy here. Wide distribution. Wine Spectator favorite. www.winespectator.com.

South Coast Winery Wild Horse Peak Sangiovese, Temecula CA., 2005. $34. Best of Class in California competition, the grapes are grown in 2,200 feet altitude and steep terrain. Unrestrained taste, concentrated and uniquely structured. Winery was awarded the state winery of the year at the ’08 California State Fair competition. www.southcoastwinery.com

Z D Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA., 2006. $50. Dark velvet, stunning Cab, with a heavy scent of berry nectar. Explosive entrance to the palate. Rich coffee, chocolate hints. Balanced and drinkable now and will age gracefully for up to the next ten years. Handcrafted, with two years in oak. www.zdwines.com.
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WINE BYTES

WineSellar and Brasserie in Sorrento Valley San Diego has planned a French Style wine tasting on Sat. Jan. 3 from 11:30 to 2pm. Taste Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone Valley favorites. $20. ea. Another $12.50 for lunch. Call 858-450-9557.

Il Fornaio in Del Mar beigns its 2009 “Festa Regionale” dinners from Mon. Jan. 5 through Sun. Jan. 18. Food and wine from the Trentino-Alto Adige region will be featured. Drink Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio. Reservations call 1-888-ITALIAN.

Bacchus Wine Market downtown San Diego has a Piedmont Italy wine event on Fri. Jan. 9 from 4 to 8pm. Wines featuring Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera will be tasted. Details by calling 619-236-0005.

Falkner Winery in Temecula offers a Wine Appreciation class taught by in-house Sommelier George Myers on Sat. Jan. 17 from 10:30 to 2:30pm. Cost is $45. pp. Call 951-676-8231 for more.

My dear friends and relatives… from Frank Mangio

This year has really been a blessed, big ticket ride for me!

The weekly wine column has boomed ahead and is now in six newspapers in Southern California and the world wide web at www.tasteofwinetv.com.

I have so many more friendships that have grown from my wine adventures. I have easily attended over 200 wine events and wineries, interviewing winemakers and writing on wines from around the world. When I can, I have been learning the art of Bocce Ball, a kind of Italian bowling game in a growing club in Encinitas.

My Sons of Italy Club hosted its annual summer Italian Festa, a public celebration to showcase Italian culture that I originated in 2005.

In the spring, a cruise took me deep into the Sea of Cortez in Mexico’s lesser known but exotic coastal ports. I drank some lovely Mexican wines from the Guadalupe Valley.

In the fall, I was privileged to be a featured attraction at a Food and Wine Benefit, showcased in an Italian style hillside villa in North San Diego Country at $1,000. per person. I performed the wine segment and my food partner was the Food Channel’s newest sensation, Chef Jeff Henderson. The upscale wine/food combination is magic!

My sincere best wishes for your joy and happiness this season and on into the challenges of the new year. And always remember…

“il migliore vino requello che si bene congli amici.”

(the best wine is the one you have with friends.)

La Habra Couple Wins First DePortola Wine Trail Contest

Chris and Danielle Darie of La Habra have been visiting Temecula's Wine Country for years. But it wasn't until last month that the couple discovered six wineries in the southern part of the wine region that make up the DePortola Wine Trail.

The Darie's discovery also proved to be their good fortune: they are the first winners of the monthly Follow the Trail contest sponsored by the six wineries. After tasting wine at all six wineries during a weekend trip, the pair entered a drawing for a free case of wine. The winning prize was two bottles of wine signed by owners and winemakers from Keyways, Robert Renzoni, Oak Mountain, Filsinger, Frangipani and Cougar wineries.

Chris said the case of wine is a great addition to their growing wine collection but the trip to the DePortola Wine Trail was an eye opener. "This is where we want to retire," he said. "You really feel like you are in the countryside."

Like the Silverado Trail in Northern California, the DePortola Wine Trail in Temecula is a rustic, off-the-beaten-path trip for wine lovers looking for a different Wine Country experience.

The six award-winning wineries are located on a three-mile stretch of a picturesque country road in the southern part of Temecula's Wine Country as it passes through Valle de los Caballos -- the Valley of the Horses. Visit the wineries to sample quality wine, great food and meet the people who make the wine.

From the 15 freeway, head out Highway 79 South/Temecula Parkway toward Indio, turn left on Anza Road and right on DePortola Road. Follow the signs to the wineries.

For more information go to: www.deportolawinetrail.com

A Book for the “Casual Wino”

Article by Frank Mangio, Photo by Mike Bragg

When San Diego wine entrepreneur John Alonge first opened his eclectic San Diego Wine and Culinary Center after years in the vineyards of France and the kitchens of some of the top restaurants in the U.S., he accomplished a first for wine retailers.

Under this big top of wine, he has a venue for wine sales, a bistro restaurant, a kitchen for cooking classes, an area for jazz and blues concerts and an array of public and private wine events. The place is strategically located across from the convention center and many hotels. The man has a unique perspective on the world of wine. But there was one more thing John had a burning desire to do.

“I took three months off to gather all this knowledge of wine and wrote a plain English book for the masses of people who are casual consumers of wine,” he declared. “I wanted the reader to get comfortable with the terms and expressions so they can then get their palates to feel comfortable with all the new wine discoveries in the world. Instead of drinking your mother’s Cabernet Sauvignon, I wanted people to get out there and try some of the other 5,000 grape varietals. So I named the book The Wine Heretic’s Bible, Plain English for the Casual Wino.”


John Alonge, author of The Wine Heretic interviewed
by A Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio.

John weaves a kind of hip, breezy English into his satirical chapters. Most authors will dedicate their books to their families, but John thought differently: “This book isn’t really dedicated to anyone in particular, except possibly Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. You’ve gotta love a god who loves wine.”

I’ll drink to that! John concludes his book with more common sense wine advice: “I will continue to battle against all of the pretension and snobbery surrounding the subject of wine. I only want everyone to be able to kick back and enjoy a little vino from time to time without having to make a big deal out of it. But to do so with some semblance of knowledge and a dose of daring. That’s’ the goal of The Wine Heretic.” Go to www.wineheretic.com to buy it on-line. Or e-mail John at john@wineheretic.com.


Other Wine Gifts for the Holidays
The Wine Heretic makes for a perfect gift for the entry level wine consumer; there are other attractive ideas that are equally perfect.

I love to display custom label wine bottles in my home and several wineries specialize in that for one bottle or a case with a personal label or etched design.

Orfila Vineyards and Winery in Escondido does attractive custom labels on bottles by the case and you can mix grape varietals. Some advance planning is necessary, so this could be a New Years holiday gift or I am sure they will give you a gift card to show your lucky recipient what’s on its way. Check with Brittany at 760-738-6500 x 28.

For etching and hand-painting direct on the bottle, San Diego Wine and Culinary Center provides custom designs on their wines or you can use your own bottles. Order on line at www.sdwineculinary.com.

Have you seen the Skybar Wine System? It keeps a limited amount of wines perfectly chilled and naturally preserved from a single system. Visit www.skybarhome.com.

The next level of wine aerators is out. The fill bowl is over 70% larger than its predecessors. It’s called the Respirer, available at North County Wine Company as low as $25.95 in quantity. Call 760-744-2119.

Wine Bytes
San Diego Wine & Culinary Center has two holiday style music concerts going: Mon. Dec. 22 starting at 7pm a jazz ensemble will spotlight the holiday ( $10.pp cover), and Tues. Dec. 23 at 7pm, a special Christmas performance ( $15. cover.) Call 619-231-6400.

For the month of December, ZD Wines of Napa is donating 50% of its winery sales to the UC Davis deLeuze Family Endowment Fund, supporting a non-toxic cure for Lymphoma Cancer. Their ’06 Cabernet Sauvignon has just released so it’s a good time to order. Details at 707-963-5188.

A holiday tasting is happening on Sat. Dec. 20 from 2 to 5pm at 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro in Encinitas. 10 lovely wines for $10, including Tablas Creek and Cambria. RSVP at: 760-942-2104.

Christmas and New Years Dinners are special at The Westgate Hotel downtown San Diego: Wed. Dec. 24 from 6 to 9pm, Christmas Day Thurs. the 25th a sumptuous buffet from 11 to 9pm and two venues for New Year’s Eve from 7:30 til past midnight. Get the full story at 619-557-3655.

Savory Casual Fare in Encinitas will have special prix-fixed dinner menus for the holidays. Christmas Eve is 5 to 9:30pm and New Year’s Eve has an early seating 5 to 6:45pm and a late seating 7 to 9:30pm. More info at 760-634-5556.

The Truth About Sulfite in Wine

by Frank Mangio

Right out of the gate, I don’t feel there is a problem with a trace of sulfite in wines. But it is the number one complaint I hear about wine consumption.

“I get a headache from drinking wine…must be the sulfite in it. I must be allergic. Is there a wine that is sulfite-free?” Enough of those questions and I had to do some digging so I could understand enough to answer this common misunderstanding.

If you have a consistent headache from wine, chances are good it’s not from the trace sulfite in it. Instead it is more likely coming from the alcohol or histamine-like compounds, mostly in red wine, so you should have an allergy check. Perhaps an anti-histamine tablet would solve the problem.

Sulfite is a natural bi-product of the fermentation process. Elements are also in bread, salad ingredients, meat, seafood and the list goes on. The human body itself contains about 6 ounces of natural sulfite, mostly in amino acids that help in making all sorts of body parts.

Most wineries add sulfite to their wines after fermentation to preserve flavor and help prevent oxidation. Oxidation is the enemy of wine in that it will sour it and turn it brown in a short time. The U.S. requires warning labels on wines because a small percentage of people (like asthmatics) can suffer from allergic reactions. Other countries don’t require the warning so consumers of these wines think they are sulfite-free.

I “Googled” the net and came up with one winery in Oregon that describes itself as “Eco Wine…Organic Sulfite Free Wines.” The winery is Amity and it specializes in Pinot Noir. Oregon has always been my favorite Pinot Noir appellation and Amity has been a medal winner with its version, most recently scoring at the San Francisco International Wine Competition this year with the highest rating for Pinot.

The winery describes this winning ’07 Pinot Noir as “eco-organic without sulfites.” The federal agency that polices such things made the winery change the label to “no detectable sulfites.” The price is $27. at the winery.

The website is www.amityvineyards.com. The phone number is 503-835-2362 ext #1. The winemaker is Myron Redford and he has been doing sulfite-free wine since 1991. He also has a Chardonnay/Pinot Blanc blend that is sulfite-free.

Aussie Wines Slipping but Rieslings Holding Up
At the recent San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival Sommelier Blind Tastings, one of the wines chosen was an Australian White Riesling from the Clare Valley.

It had most of the sommeliers baffled as they had just identified a Riesling from Germany, the birthplace of this delicious grape. I thought it was a smart stroke to place the spotlight on an Aussie white, as the reds just haven’t performed that well lately. This year’s harvest has had dismal weather to contend with and in the recent past, an ocean of wine has hit the U.S. from “down under.” Of course when we say Aussie Red, we mean Shiraz.

As of last year, about 50 million cases of surplus have been returned, exports have dropped 13%, and 12% by value. The rush to wine riches is the main culprit. The wines are too sweet, too much alcohol, a fake fruit taste and oh so similar.

I personally enjoy a great Shiraz, sister of the Rhone Valley French Syrah, grown extensively in California. But the trend in Australia is to get away from quality. But back to Rieslings, and this is the varietal that seems to bring back the Aussie charm in winemaking. They are well-made, structured wines with a hint of lime and a nice fullness. Try these: Killkanoon 2007, Clare Valley, $18.99; and Pewsey Vale Vineyard, 2008, Eden Valley, $13.99

Salut! To Italian Wines

article and photo by Frank Mangio

I’ve been doing a lot of saluting lately as Italian wines are bursting with new, beautiful releases up and down the peninsula.

There is no country quite like Italy with its varied complexity of varietals, from lovely whites at the northern border district of Trentino-Alto Adige to the dark, deep luster of Sicilian reds. There are over 300 regions sanctioned by the government, making wines from over 2,000 grape varietals.

Wine making has been going on for over 3,000 years. Unlike California which labels its wines by the grape, Italians label their wines by the district. A Sangiovese grape wine is labeled Chianti, a Nebbiolo grape wine is labeled Barolo or Barbaresco, favorite locations for the making of that wine.

Two recent wine tastings had me happily declaring the recent 2006 releases as the best since 2001: a gathering at When In Rome in Encinitas where Italian wine expert Marco Barat was holding court as special guest of G.M. Daniel Shaffer. Marco, in addition to his humorous one-liners, waxed poetic on five wines from Puglia, on the southeastern coast of Italy.


A Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio, When in Rome Manager Daniel Shaffer and Italian wine specialist Marco Barat.

As Daniel served Italian courses like “Grillata di Pesce” with halibut cheeks and scallops to add to the “Specialita d’ Puglia,” orichette pasta, broccoli and salcicccia, Marco poured the 2006 Feudi San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino and Ognissole Primitivo di Mandura. Both were beautifully balanced reds with light fruit to accent the floral, honey and coffee-like earthy flavors that are oh-so Italy. The capper was a 2001 Feudi San Gregorio di Aglianico Taurasi, a 94 point Robert Parker favorite. It retails for about $56.

Over to Wine Street in Carlsbad for their “Italian Harvest” of offerings, the two best bets from 2006 were: a Nero D’Avola from Chiaramonte, a delicious red from Sicily and a Taste of Wine previous Top Ten Taste ( $16.99); and a Romitorio Morelllino di Scansano ($19.99). Both are now selling at Wine Street. Ten of the top 100 wines in the world, as named by the influential Wine Spectator are from Italy. The highest rated was Pio Casare Barola, 2004 ( $62.)

A Journey Through Temecula Holiday Wine Country
Christmas and New Years Eve wine dinners, a light festival, hay rides, wine gift shops and much more will make Temecula Wine Country a must-enjoy for the holidays. Now through December 29, Keyways Winery has a holiday light festival from 6 to 9pm daily with hayrides and other activities. As with Ponte Winery which has theirs until December 23, you can marvel at over 200,000 LED lights that stretch over vineyards and rooftops. It’s family style fun and entertainment. For more at Keyways call 951-302-7888. For Ponte, 951-694-8855.

New Year’s eve is memorable as many wineries host special events:
South Coast Winery has its elegant dinner, dance and celebration at Vineyard Rose. You can also stay in one of the luxury vineyard villas. Reserve at 951-587-9463, ext 7230.

Wiens Family Cellars has “Jungle Boogie” with dinner, live music, dancing and animals from the Wild Animal Park. Call for RSVP’s at 951-694-9892.

Keyways has an all-star music concert with its dinner and dancing, including Ambrosia. Details at 951-302-7888.

Wilson Creek Winery has a “Sail Into the New year” extravaganza at their new events center. Call 951-699-9463.

Thornton Winery will have its gala including dinner, dancing and balloon drop. Get the full story at 951-699-0099. A good way to see all the Wine Country fun is by Going Grape and its holiday transportation tour packages. They are local and know the winemakers personally. For reservations, call 951-852-1923.

Wine Bytes
The Fallbrook Visitors Bureau is presenting a Wine & A Bite Holiday Walk through the historic downtown area, 4 to 7pm on Sat. Dec. 13. Sip wine, indulge in great food and shop the distinctive stores. Ten restaurants and Fallbrook Winery are providing nice food and drink. $10. pp, $15. at the door. Call for RSVP’s at 760-451-3282.

Big Bold Reds is the theme of the wine tasting at Vino 100 in San Marcos Fri. and Sat. from 5 to 9pm. Cost is $15. ea. For more, contact Vino 100 at 760-591-9113.

Holiday wine tasting is sure to please at the 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas Sat. Dec. 13 from 2 to 5pm. Tasting fee is $10. for 10 tastings. RSVP requested at 760-942-2104.

San Diego Wine Company on Miramar Road has its annual top ten values to taste on Sat. Dec. 13 during business hours for just $10. or just $1. with an unwrapped toy or gift card to benefit a childrens fund. More at 858-586-9463.