Rugged Oregon Wine Country is a Bountiful Land

by Frank Mangio
I’ve never met a Pinot Noir I didn’t like that came from an Oregon winery.  It is the American home for this complex yet smooth, velvety, delicate varietal.  I have talked to many wine aficionados who either have gone though this magnificent state or who will be making plans to go in the next year, to visit as many of the more than 500 wineries as they can.

After California, which produces about 90% of all the wine in the U.S., Oregon is one of the top three U.S. producers of wine.  The wineries are dotted along quiet, twisting roads with small family-run operations, most of them along the rugged coastline led by the Willamette Valley.

Pinot Noir is king and is compared to the grape’s origin in the Burgundy district of Northern France. Sunlight and heat are in short supply making for a fragile harvest, which seems to fit the Pinot profile. So is Oregon a “one trick pony” with just one star wine?  I put that question to a couple of star owners of the leading wine and beer shop in Bend, Oregon, twin sisters Michele and Melanie Betti of the Wine Shop & Beer Tasting Bar. They agreed that “no, Pinot Noir  has been the grape that winemakers have done very well with and they are known for that, but whites do well here, like Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc in the Willamette Valley.  In Southern Oregon, they make quality Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and Tempranillo.”

Michele and Melanie Betti are owners of a leading wine and beer tasting bar in Bend Oregon.

I asked them how business has progressed since they opened 7 years ago. Melanie, who is the on-site manager, pointed out that “we opened only as a bottle shop, but found that our customers wanted the try and buy concept, so that we now have 6 different wine flights daily by the glass.  We serve wine in the world-class Riedel Stemware, fitting the glass to the wine.  We not only serve 30 plus wines, we now feature over 70 Belgian and other international beers with beer flights, plus ports, cider and sake.
We give our customers a European style experience, taking time to pass along knowledge and get to know the customer.”

Oregon’s winemakers are shooting for the high-end, focusing on customers that are willing to pay $35. or more a bottle.  If Oregon wines fit your taste, you virtually have to visit places like the Wine Shop and Beer Tasting Bar, winery web sites and plan a trip there.  Most wineries make just 1,500 cases of their wines, so they pretty much are not available at SoCal wine retailers.

In 2011, the Travel Oregon tourist bureau reported 1.5 million visitors to the state. The Bettis advise that Willamette Valley has 6 sub AVA’s, each one with its own exclusive taste characteristic.  They point out that “each of these sub-regions will give you a different tasting experience.  They are:  Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill-Carlton, Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills, McMinnville and Eola-Amity Hills.” Some wine names they recommend include:  Archery Summit, Domaine Druhin, Sokol Blosser, Bergstrom, Ayres, Ken Wright, Dukes Family and Cristom. Find out much more at www.oregonwine.org, and www.thewineshopbend.com.

ISOLA Revealed – Little Italy ’s New Pizza Favorite
Massimo Tenino is the owner of a recently opened Italian Restaurant in San Diego’s Little Italy where all menu items are baked in a wood-burning oven direct from Naples Italy.  It’s a bright fire-engine red cave that guarantees crunchy, smoky pizza, with one size, 12 inches, serving all.

From Anitpaasti and Bruschetta to 15 different pizzas, ISOLA with owner Massimo Tenino, bakes all his creations with simple fresh ingredients.

From the bread dough to the wines, ISOLA is a family operation.  “My Nonna’s name was ISOLA, a wonderful cook who inspired my passion for food and fresh, simple ingredients,” he said.  “ISOLA is proud to serve the savory ingredients from the vine and tree to the table.”

Tenino has a family owned winery in Piemonte, offering native grapes like Nebbiolo, Barbera, Barbaresco and Barolo, plus many other Italian made fine wines. See www.isolapizzabar.com.

Wine Bytes
Bacchis Wine Market in the Gaslamp downtown San Diego has wines from France Sat. Jan, 12 from 2 to 8:30pm.  For $30., taste 7 wines  from the major regions.  RSVP at 619-236-0005.

San Diego Wine Company on Miramar Rd. presents a Zinfandel Tasting Sat. Jan. 12 from 11 to 4pm. Charge is $10.  Details at 858-586-WINE.

Il Fornaio at the Del Mar Plaza celebrates Italy’s Friuli-Venezia District now thru Jan. 20, with special dishes and native wines.  Call 858-755-8876.

Encinitas Meritage Wine Market opens Rhone Valley wines Fri. Jan. 18 from 5 :30 to 8pm.  Check with the shop for pricing:  760-479-2500.

The biggest festival for Zinfandel in the world kicks off Wed. Jan. 31 and goes to Sat. Feb. 2, in San Francisco at the Concourse. Winemakers and executive chefs abound. Grand tasting 2 to 5pm.

Mourvedre Wines Will Move You

by Frank Mangio

Mourvedre is one of those wines that wind up in the back of a country’s list of popular wines with maybe a couple of paragraphs. Like Aglianico in the Campania District of Italy, Mourvedre tends to get lost and labeled as a blending grape with its more-well-known companion in the south of France, Grenache.

Although Grenache would be my first choice for a world wide break-out, lip-smacking, sultry Mourvedre (pronounced more-vehd-ruh) with its rich, visceral taste, could very well be the next big thing in the southern Rhone Valley .

Talk to Ted Plemons, a partner at Cass Vineyard and Winery in the Paso Robles district in the Central Coast of California, and he will underline that prediction. “We bottled the 2008 Mourvedre in January of last year and it surprised us how fast it sold out at $38. a bottle,” he said. At the recent Family Winemakers of California event in Del Mar, he unveiled a large box container with a faucet that was filled with a blend called Flying Nymph.

This sultry combination is the essence of southern Rhone, with Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. The vintage is 2009 so it’s still flying around with ripe cherry, strawberry and currants.

Ted Plemons of Cass Winery in Paso Robles uses the Mourvedre Grape as a blend in his oversized box wine called Flying Nymph.

A 750 ML bottle is $12.50 and the box, which is 18 liters of wine, goes for $100. That means with a 4 ounce pour, you could get 124 pours. The fruit is all estate and made by the Cass winemaker.

Just to set the record straight, Mourvedre is really native to Spain where it is called Monastrell and 2nd to Granache ( Garnacha in Spain) in importance. It was brought to the south of France in the 19th century and shortly after, found its way to California where there is now about 400 acres grown. Mourvedre seems to balance out at 15% alcohol. It is a late-ripening varietal that loves heat and produces high sugar. Tablas Creek is another Paso Robles vineyard that focuses on Mourvedre and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape southern French style of winemaking.

Their version has very thick skins and dark-as-night coloration, typically picked in November. Their club member price is $28. Find out more about Cass at www.casswines.com. The Tablas Creek website is www.tablascreek.com.

Firefly Revisited

Jim Barrasso, the cordial restaurateur of Firefly, that anchors the string of comfortable wine bar-restaurants along the El Camino Real Corridor in Encinitas, recently introduced his new chef with a Ferrari-Carano paired wine dinner. Paul Rinaudo, now creating entrees for Firefly, came from the Gaslamp San Diego, J-Six Restaurant. On this night, his main course was a Roast Pork Prime Rib that matched up with one of my Top Ten Wines from last year, the

A recent Firefly Encinitas gathering included: left to right, Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio, Ferrari-Carano rep Michael Hurst, Chef Paul Rinaudo and owner Jim Barrasso.

Ferrari-Carano Tresor 2007 Bordeaux style blend from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma ( $58.) Firefly’s next event is the Tolosa Winery dinner on Wednesday April 20. Check out others as well at www.fireflygrillandwinebar.com, or call 760-635-1066.

Wine Bytes

Bacchus Wine Market in the Gaslamp Downtown San Diego has all new releases Fri. March 25 from 4-8:30pm. Try 7 for $15. Details at 619-236-0005.

Meritage Wine Market has a lineup of “tooth-stainin’ reds for you to try Fri. March 25 from 4 to 7pm for $20. RSVP at 760-479-2500.

Vigilucci’s Seafood and Steakhouse in Carlsbad at the beach has an Antinori Italian Foie Gras Wine Dinner Fri. March 25 at 6:30pm. Wines include the prestigious Bolgheri Super Tuscan 2007 and the Tuscan Brunello Di Montalcino 2005. Don’t miss this. $120. pp. Reserve now at 760-434-2580.

San Diego Wine Company has a Saturday tasting on March 26 from 11 to 4:30pm. It’s all Italian wines. $10. ea. Contact them at 858-586-9463.

San Diego’s newest winery is Lenora Winery in Ramona. Every Sat. and Sun. 5 wines are poured from 10 to 6pm, including a souvenir wine glass. The phone is 760-788-1388.

Big Z Packs a Heavyweight Punch

by Frank Mangio
Zinfandel is California’s muscle wine. 2007’s are in abundance with some wineries introducing their 2008’s. Both vintages deliver big time. According to Wine Spectator’s Vintage Ratings, both years are up there with the best in a decade.

“Zin” as the varietal is affectionately known, almost became California’s official “native” grape recently until someone pointed out that genetically it was proven to come from Italy and known as Primitivo, with lineage extended to an obscure grape in Croatia. It was first planted in California in the 1850’s with original “old vines” still producing wine today.

As of 2008, Zin is the 5th most widely planted grape, behind Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
The Central Coast and Sonoma are two wine making districts that first come to mind as excellent Zin Countries. Not far behind is Amador County and Plymouth in particular, the home of Jeff Runquist Wines.

Jeff is known for his wide-ranging quest for just the right grapes for his wines. In addition to Amador grapes, he draws from Paso Robles, Carneros in Napa Valley, Lodi and Clarksburg. The 2007 Zins won Best of Class and Gold at the California State Fair and Pacific Rim International Wine Competition. The 08’s are off to a great start as they took Platinum at the New World International Wine Competition. Although ’08 was considered a challenging harvest, this “Z” has deep brooding color with a deep-seated aroma. Smoky oak and chocolate weave through restrained tannins. Alcohol level is down to 14.3% enhancing flavor. Zins commonly are over 15% alcohol. Price is $24. on the web site. The winery produces 14 varietals each with limited production. The Jeff Runquist Tasting Room hours also are limited: Friday through Sunday 11 to 5pm. See more at www.jeffrunquistwines.com.

How Much do you Get in that Bottle or Barrel
I am no different than any other wine lover who has a constant quest for great wines worldwide. Its’ a never-ending seduction of sight, smell, sip and sensory satisfaction. I get to write about these adventures in wine and I am constantly thankful for the privilege. I also enjoy the research side of this world, with a fascination for quantifying what I write about, so here are my latest facts and figures:

The tools of wine consumption start out with a popular size of wine bottle containing 750 mille liters of wine that holds 5 glasses of wine at 5.5 ounces per glass. That’s about 25.6 ounces per bottle, or 2.4 pounds of grapes. One case of wine holds 12 bottles, or 30 pounds of grapes or 60 glasses of wine. Winemakers can expect a barrel of wine to hold nearly 25 cases of wine or 1,180 glasses. A barrel gets very heavy at these amounts, weighing 740 pounds or 59 gallons of wine.

Thanks to my friends at the International Wine Guild in Denver Colorado, the most recent wine trends data from 2008 has this to say: wine consumption is up 3.5% worldwide, from 6.3 billion gallons to 6.5 billion.

Per capita consumption by country is surprising: Vatican City State leads at 17.6 gallons per person! Following closely is France, Luxembourg and Italy. What about the U.S.? We are #57 at 2.5 gallons per person, but we are up 14.5% For the total country, regardless of individual consumption, the U.S. is #3 behind France and Italy. The biggest producing country and the biggest exporter is Italy at 452 million gallons or 33% of their production. Salute Italia!

Wine Bytes
Alternative Wines in Carmel Valley brings Schafer Wines for a tasting on Fri. Oct. 22 at 6:30pm. New Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot are offered. Cost information by calling 858-780-9463.

South Coast Winery in Temecula hosts a Chefs and Winemakers Intimate Dinner on Sat. Oct. 23 from 6 to 9pm. Enjoy new releases and big winners, a 5 course dinner and a free bottle of autographed wine from the winemakers. $90. for club members, $95. for non members. RSVP at 951-9463, x 7210.

Dolce Pane E Vino wine bar and restaurant in Rancho Santa Fe is presenting a Premier Champagne Tasting of Perrier, Blanc de Blanc and M umm on Sat. Oct. 23 from 3 to 5pm.. $25. pp. Reserve your space at 858-832-1518.

90 Points or Higher is the wine tasting at San Diego Wine Company Sat. Oct. 23 from 11 to 4:30pm. Just $15. is the cost. Details at 858-586-WINE.

3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro in Encinitas has Wines of Argentina with a paired dinner on Tues. Oct. 26. Reception at 6pm. 4 course dinner includes rack of lamb and hangar steak. $50. ea. Call for an RSVP at 760-942-2104.

The New World Wine Experience presented by the world-leading Wine Spectator Magazine is planned for Las Vegas’ The Venetian and the Palazzo, Thurs. Oct. 28 and Fri. Oct. 29, 7:30 to 10pm. 220 top wineries will be there. Tickets are $250. pp. Order tickets at www.venetian.com.

Winemaker of the Year named at San Francisco International

by Frank Mangio
Amanda Cramer of Niner Wine Estates on the west side of Paso Robles, and some of her wine creations, have taken top honors at the recent San Francisco International Wine Competition. Her Niner 2007 Premium Bordeaux Blend ($58.) took Double Gold and Best Bordeaux Blend, and her 2007 Cabernet Bootjack Ranch ($28.) also took Double Gold.

Cramer has been with Niner since 2004 and came there from assignments in the Napa Valley, Australia and Chile. “Given the opportunity to help build a winery from the ground up in the attractive Paso Robles area was something I simply could not pass up,” she said. “I’ve always loved the combination of agriculture, chemistry and artistry that winemaking represents. The agricultural is the most important,” she said, pointing out that 2010 will be Niner’s first all-estate produced vintage. “As winemaker, the most important decision I make is the harvest date.”

Amanda’s background as a Washington DC teacher of math and chemistry provided solid preparation for the road out west and enrollment in the UC Davis School of Enology and Viticulture, considered the foremost in the country, while interning at Far Niente Winery in the Napa Valley.

After a series of high profile positions in winemaking at such names as Chimney Rock, Robert Mondavi, D’Arenberg and Casa Lapostolle, she took a job as Assistant under the great Heidi Barrett at Paradigm in the Napa Valley, who developed Cramer’s expertise in Bordeaux varietals. Then came the chief winemaker opportunity at Niner Wine Estates, and this year the Winemaker of the Year Award at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. See more about Niner by visiting www.ninerwine.com.

Wine Spectator Annual Restaurant Awards
Wine Spectator is the most circulated wine publication in the world and the most prestigious. Every year, they research restaurants worldwide for best wine list, pricing, sommeliers and food and wine presentation.

Three levels of awards are given: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and the highest, the Grand Award. The following are the San Diego area winners that I have reviewed in my column: Grand Award – Addison, Grand Del Mar Resort; The WineSellar & Brassiere, San Diego. Best of Award of Excellence – Amaya Bistro, Grand Del Mar Resort;

Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe; Donovan’s Steak & Chop House, University City. Award of Excellence – Bistro West, Carlsbad; Firefly, Encinitas; Firenze Trattoria, Encinitas; Island Prime, San Diego; Mille Fleurs, Rancho Santa Fe; Paradise Grille, Del Mar; Truluck’s University City; West Steak & Seafood, Carlsbad.

I have observed and commented that many more restaurants are upgrading their wine presentations and deserve consideration. Innovative offerings like direct sales by the bottle, lowering or even waving corkage fees, lowering prices by the glass and adding wine “flights” are just a few of the serendipitous findings on the wine list. Wine is helping to bring the customer back into the restaurants.

Wine Bytes
Relm Wine, Beer and Bistro, a new wine bar, has opened in Carlsbad at 2917 State Street, operated by Rene Fleming. A wide variety of small plates will be offered starting August 24 including soups, salads and unique sandwiches. Call 760-434-9463.

San Diego Wine Company has a Fritz Portfolio Tasting with owner Clay Fritz, Sat. Aug. 28 from 11 to 4:30pm. Fee is just $10. Details at 858-586-9463.

3rd Corner in Encinitas hosts the favorite Paso Robles Justin Winery for a 4 course dinner on Tues. Aug. 31 from 6 to 9pm. Includes the great latest-release blends: Isosceles, Justification and Obtuse. $70. pp. RSVP at 760-942-2104.

WineSellar & Brasserie presents a special yacht party “Sunset Wine & Cheese Harbor Cruise” Sun. Aug. 29 from 4 to 7pm. Limited guests. Total price $99. Call Amos at 858-688-1063.

The next “Drink Yourself Blind” wine tasting competition at Bacchus Wine Market in the Gaslamp District downtown San Diego is Fri. Sept. 3 from 4 to 8:30pm. They brown bag 8 wines. Prizes for those that are correct on 4 or more. Cost is $15. Call 619-236-0005.

Four Great Ideas for Holiday Cheer in San Diego

* San Diego Wine Company is featuring their favorite wines of the year in a tasting on Sat. Dec. 26 from 11 to 4:30pm. Tasting fee of $10. Details by calling 858-586-9463.

* 3rd Corner downtown Encinitas has a Prix Fixe Menu paired with 3 great wines Sun. Dec. 27 served from 5 to 10pm for $25. Entrée is Shrimp Scampi over Linguini. RSVP at 760-942-2104.

* Bacchus Wine Market in the Gaslamp San Diego is holding a New Years’ Eve Early Bird event on Thurs. Dec. 30 from 3 to 6pm. Sample 7 premium wines. Cost is $40. Get more at 619-236-0005.

* The Grand Del Mar is celebrating New Years’ Eve at Amaya with a 4 course dinner from 5:30 to 10:30pm, plus wine pairings in an elegant setting. Cost is $175. pp. RSVP at 858-314-2727. In the larger Addison, it’s a 7 course experience from 6 to 11pm. Chef Bradley has his brilliant touch in every step of the way, with live entertainment in the Lobby Lounge. $300 ea. with wine pairings. RSVP at 858-314-1900.