THE NEXT BIG THING

I was reading Jo Diaz’s Juicy Tales this weekend, and she mentions that its Petite Sirah that she feels is the next big thing, contrary to Mr. Laube over at WS who feels it is Syrah. I’d have to agree with her on that point and strongly disagree with James Laube for two reasons:

Reason #1 is that I usually disagree with just about anything Wine Spectator says regardless of what it is about – with very few exceptions – just on principle alone, because I feel they (the magazine) are grossly out of touch with everyday wine consumers. Reason #2 is that Syrah has become a pompous, overpriced grape that seems more content on being exclusionary and less on being a grape of the people. More-often-than-not, the Syrahs – particularly from California – are ridiculously overpriced and do not deliver nearly what they should for the price tag they bare. Petite Sirahs on the other hand, usually overdeliver, and can usually be found at a much cheaper price than their Rhone brethren.

With that in mind, I am going to feature a number of Petite Sirah reviews this month, in the hope that you readers will be more inclined to give these delicious reds a try. It’s probably no coincidence that this month is typically referred to as Petite Sirah month by my purveyors so look for a plethora of great PS’s from all over.

And check out the site P.S. I Love You – a site dedicated to the love and promotion of Petite Sirah.

MANY THANKS

I hate being sick. Who doesn’t, right? Anyway, I really want to thank Michelle Lentz and Tim Lemke (of My Wine Education and CheapWineRatings.com respectively) for coming in on both days of our weekend tastings to share their passion, expertise, and their selections with our customers. It was a lot of fun and our customers really enjoyed it.

We’ll have Jonathan Seeds of Best Drink Ever and Mike Rosenberg of The Naked Vine next week so don’t miss it. And I hope to have a palate back later this week so we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled blog posts.

THE WINES OF OLVENA

I’ve said before that I can be a real S.O.B. to suppliers when I want something that is not available normally to me, so I was really excited when my supplier for Terlato Wines International (importer of Chapoutier and Santa Margherita, as well as broker for Cuvaison, Sanford and Markham, among others) told me “yes” (it was only after I asked twice) on getting the newest Michel Rolland project, the wines of Olvena, from the Somontano region of Spain.

Somontano is nestled in the northern portion of the province of Aragon, just south of the Pyrennes Mountains and the French-Spanish border. Its D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) was awarded in 1985, and its potential has been explored by such winemakers as Sarah Perez and now, internationally known enologist Michel Rolland, who has teamed up the Addas family in Somontano, a first in Spain for Rolland.

Though most known for such varietals as Tempranillo, Viuda, and little known Moristel (not the same as Monastrell), Bodegas Olvena has begun using such non-traditional Spanish varieties as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

Of the wines from Olvena I brought in – and none of these wines have been reviewed here in the states yet – I thought I’d share with you my notes on the four most affordable of the lineup:

1. Chardonnay 2007 ($13.99)
2. Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2004 ($13.99)
3. Crianza 2004 ($17.99)
4. Cuatro 2005 ($34.99)

First up, I tried the Chardonnay 2007, which is a light- to medium-bodied white, showing more in common with its Burgundian counterpart than something from California: ripe peach, apricot and Golden Delicious apples in the nose, and on the palate, hints of nutmeg and starfruit, with juicy apricot and nectarine flavors and well-balanced acidity. The presence across the tongue is vibrant, lively, and certainly one that would impress even the most die-hard New World Chardonnay fan. It is definitely not flabby, displaying only gentle nuances of oak and cream. Very nice!

Next, I tasted the blend – the Tempranillo (50%)/Cabernet Sauvignon (35%)/Merlot (15%) 2004. This medium-bodied red has a lot of dried cherry and cedar in the nose with hints of red flowers and dusty earth tones. Immediately on the palate, there are strong tannins that I would have expected to have softened being an ’04. Yet the cherries continue, with red and black currant, Darjeeling tea, mocha powder and espresso notes swirling around, with good acidity and leading into a dry yet sustained finish. A hearty meal featuring grilled pork chops or a beef empanada with chiles would lend well to this wine.

I was really anxious to try the Crianza 2004, a straight Cabernet Sauvignon aged 10 months in oak. Violets and black cherries float up from the glass, engaging the senses. I taste a lot more dried cherries, with hints of cocoa, chicory, Provencal herbs and cranberries. While dry, and possessing good tannic grip, it’s not overwhelming, with traces of pomegranate and currant peaking through. It is nicely balanced, and built for near-term drinking or short-term cellaring.

Finally, I opened up the Cuatro 2005 – a blend of 45% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Syrah. The price tag would bar this from being an everyday drinker, so obviously, my expectations are a bit high. Slight hints of licorice and red currants intermingle with plums, cherries and coffee. Its vaguely floral, though its fruitiness stands out. Its palate is livelier with more fresh red berry fruit, baking spices, red and black teas, and cloves. Strong, firm tannins grip the palate, leading you into a very lingering, cherry-berry finish. It’s a really nice wine that should fare well with a few years in the bottle.

All-in-all, these wines are not what I expected from Michel Rolland. Known for big, monster fruit bombs that go for the big Parker scores, these wines from Spain show excellent restraint and sense of place. And you’ll find these only at Liquor Direct.

LIKE TELLING KIDS THERE IS NO SANTA CLAUS

I have a pretty good job. I enjoy what I do, and even though it's pretty intense sometimes, it's still a lot of fun. Yet the one thing I hate about this job, I am having to do more and more all the time.

Raising prices.

It sucks to be quite honest, because for us, pricing is always an issue. As a bridge store, we are in constant battle with the other side of the river, trying to make sure that our prices are hard to beat. But with the economy all mucked up right now, our distributors are tacking on higher and higher fuel surcharges, and all the brokers, importers and wineries are raising their pricing almost weekly, so not only do I spend a lot more time in the office on our POS system, but I am "anti-green" by constantly making and remaking the shelf signs for every single brand that goes up in price.

I feel like if I were telling the kids there is no Santa Claus. And someone just ran over the Easter Bunny to boot.

Raising prices is no fun. Dropping them is fun, but not raising them. Keeping prices the same each week is proving difficult, but we are trying. Time's are tough and everyone is taking it on the chin. I just hope that things get better by Christmas, but I won't be holding my breath.

BEATING DOWN YOUR INNER WINE SNOB

This past weekend, our stores featured the wines of Stonebrook Winery from right here in Kentucky. While they produce the usual suspects (Cab, Chard) and the indigenous varieties (Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin), the big claim-to-fame for these guys are their fruit wines.

Now, most of you wine aficionados out there will almost immediately turn your noses up at the mere thought of drinking a Blueberry or Blackberry wine, and I am sure that most of you out there equate fruit wines with Arbor Mist or Mogen David. However, you would be pleasantly surprised at how balanced these wines are. No sugary Kool-Aid here – just unabashed fruit with surprising acidity that evens out the sweetness of the particular fruit. Available in Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Elderberry, Peach, Pear, Pomegranate, Raspberry, and Strawberry, we proudly feature them in our stores for $8.99/bottle.

Hell, I actually take them home to drink from time-to-time, which says a lot – because after all these years in the business, I have gotten pretty picky about what I drink. So part the snob at the door, and try one of these wines at your next party or just for a lazy night in front of the TV.

TASTINGS THIS WEEKEND

So this coming weekend (September 26th and 27th) at our stores, I have invited two fellow bloggers to come guide our customers through some of their recent favorites. Michelle Lentz [pictured left] (of My Wine Education) and Tim Lemke[pictured below] (of CheapWineRatings.com) will be by our stores to highlight what's been dazzling their palates and talk to you a bit about their blogs and wine writing as well.

Michelle will be at Covington on Friday and Fort Thomas on Saturday, walking us through a whirlwind tour of the world, while Tim will be in to regale us with Rhones on Friday at Fort Thomas and Saturday at Covington.

The tastings, as usual, are free, so come out and say hello, and taste some great wines with two of our good friends.

IN THE NAME OF TENACITY

I can be a real S.O.B. when I want to be. It comes from my stints across the river in Ohio, where pretty much everything is available in the wine world (although there are things like Shafer, Harlan, Pride, etc. that are severely allocated). However, as I have said before, here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I would venture to say that perhaps half of what is available across the river is available here.

Which drives me at times to not take “no” for an answer, much like my recent request for Mischief and Mayhem, the fairly new Burgundian project from former UK wine retailer Michael Ragg and Australian winemaking superhero Michael Twelftree (of Two Hands). Produced in very limited amounts, these wines are born out of Michael² love of all things Burgundy.
I managed to eek out 4 of the wines from this quasi-“cult” producer:

1. Chardonnay Bourgogne 2005 ($24.98)
2. Pinot Noir Bourgogne 2005 ($29.98)
3. Chardonnay Chablis Premier Cru 2005 ($38.98)
4. Chardonnay Meursault 2006 ($71.98)

All of these wines, with the Bourgogne red and white derived from the Aloxe-Corton, are regionally correct, wonderful expressions of the grape. I received only an “eye-dropper-full” of these wines, so they shouldn’t last long.