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Domaine Rose-Dieu Plan de Dieu, 2014
Domaine Rose-Dieu 2014 “Plan De Dieu”, 14.5% ABV, Approx $16/bottle in 2016. Most wine lovers have favorites when it comes to Côtes du Rhône village-level wines. This one I found locally for about $16, but I’ve seen as low as $12 online! Domaine Rose Dieu’s Plan De Dieu, a full-bodied, spicy blend of Grenache, Syrah, […]
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Troon Takes Orange Wine to the Next Level
Troon Vineyards 2019 Kubli Bench Amber, Estate Orange Wine; Applegate Valley AVA, OR. 13.3% ABV, MSRP $30/bottle. Kubli Bench Amber is an orange wine from Troon Vineyards, a Demeter BioDynamic, Certified Organic winery in the Applegate Valley AVA, located in the southwestern region of Oregon. The Kubli Bench Amber is a blend of 74% […]
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Smith Madrone: Blurring the Lines Between Old and New World Wines.
I recently had the opportunity to join in a live tasting of four wines I’d highly enjoyed a year ago. The winery, Smith-Madrone, is one of the best under-the-radar labels you can find. I’m still surprised their prices have not sky-rocketed, but their wines are selling out faster every year and their value is among […]
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Wines of the Dão
When I think about wines with tremendous value, my first reaction is the Iberian Peninsula. But move over Spain, the wines of Portugal are coming through! OK, so is this really new? Maybe you’ve tried some Portuguese wines before. But this IS new, unless you have truly paid serious attention to the wines of the Dão […]
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Old World Flavors From a New World Vineyard: Lucas & Lewellen Toccata Classico 2015
Lucas & Lewellen Toccata 2015 Classico Red Wine, Santa Barbara County, California, USA. 14.7%ABV, SRP is $29/bottle. Sample Provided. Winemaker Megan McGrath Gates blended 50% sangiovese, 30% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% each of merlot, cab franc, petite verdot, and freisa , from Santa Barbara County’s Los Alamos and Valley View vineyards. Color is a medium […]
Recent Reviews
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Troon Takes Orange Wine to the Next Level
Troon Vineyards 2019 Kubli Bench Amber, Estate Orange Wine; Applegate Valley AVA, OR. 13.3% ABV, MSRP $30/bottle. Kubli Bench Amber is an orange wine from Troon Vineyards, a Demeter BioDynamic, Certified Organic winery in the Applegate Valley AVA, located in the southwestern region of Oregon. The Kubli Bench Amber is a blend of 74% […]
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Smith Madrone: Blurring the Lines Between Old and New World Wines.
I recently had the opportunity to join in a live tasting of four wines I’d highly enjoyed a year ago. The winery, Smith-Madrone, is one of the best under-the-radar labels you can find. I’m still surprised their prices have not sky-rocketed, but their wines are selling out faster every year and their value is among […]
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Wines of the Dão
When I think about wines with tremendous value, my first reaction is the Iberian Peninsula. But move over Spain, the wines of Portugal are coming through! OK, so is this really new? Maybe you’ve tried some Portuguese wines before. But this IS new, unless you have truly paid serious attention to the wines of the Dão […]
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2016 Aridus Graciano and Syrah from Cochise County, Arizona
Aridus 2016 Graciano, Cochise County, Arizona. %14.4 ABV, SRP $37/bottle. By Jim vanBergen, JvBUnCorked. All Rights Reserved. Copyright by Jim van Bergen, JvB UnCorked 2019. May Not Be Duplicated Without Permission. Color is an opaque purple center with dark ruby edging. The nose shows black and blue fruit compote, eucalyptus, and a subtle herbal blend. […]
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Pazo Torrado Albariño Rias Baixas, Galicia
Pazo Torrado Albariño 2017, D.O. Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain. 12.5%ABV, SRP around $11/bottle. All Rights Reserved. Copyright by Jim van Bergen, JvB UnCorked 2019. May Not Be Duplicated Without Permission. By Jim van Bergen, JvBUnCorked Color is a translucent medium straw. The nose offers a luxurious floral aroma, hyacinth, orchid and pineapple. […]
Recent Commentary:
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Evening Land 2011 Bourgogne Rouge
My love of pinot noir began with Burgundy and expanded rapidly around the world. More than ten years ago, I was attending an Oregon regional tasting and had been severely impressed with an Evening Land wine I tasted from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley. When I found out they were also making […]
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Enjoying Aged White Wine & Pierre Morey 2011 Bourgogne Aligoté
Let me start with a wine review: Pierre Morey, 2011 Bourgogne Aligoté, Meursalt, Cote D’Or, France. 12% ABV; Case purchase in 2013 for $17/bottle. At nine years of age, the color has only slightly deepened to a maturing pale gold. Aroma is light and mellow, reductive of dried wildflowers and lemon zest. On the palate, the […]
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New Year’s Bottles and my “Dry” January
Several close friends decided to have a dry January. Everyone understands the idea, you’re dieting off the weight that got put on over the holidays, and your liver could use a break. While I had some time off from work, I saw my doctor and had my blood work done- so I know my liver […]
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Flattery in Wine?
When people make fun of your passions, or when personal and professional interests crossover, it must be a sign your blog is doing something right. Right? A friend of mine texted me today with this gem: It was funny, in a laughing-at-Sideways kind of moment. But now I’m suddenly feeling like a glass of merlot! […]
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What You Learn When Pouring for Others
I love pouring wine for others. I recently donated several cases of wine to a fundraiser, and in addition to the wine, I poured glasses to the attendees. They walked up to a wine bar, I asked them what they liked to drink, and then poured them a taste. Sometimes I poured them tastes from […]
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There Are No Rules, There Are Only Possibilities!
23 JunI spent much of my teenage youth testing and stretching the rules. If you knew me back then, I’m sorry. If you still like me, then thank you for seeing the pearl in the proverbial oyster. As an adult, I know I’ve learned a lot from the mistakes I’ve made in my life and still have much more to learn. One of the important lessons I learned as a young child is that Our society is full of all kinds of rules. Laws, yes, but I mean social rules. As I got older, I learned that many of the social rules are easily broken, bent, ignored or excused. That is to say, they really don’t matter.
Wine is no different. There are all kinds of rules we learn, and then eventually unlearn as we gain insight and wisdom.
Here are a few hard and fast rules I was taught that I no longer believe:
-Not to refrigerate red wine. (I do it all the time to slow aging or to preserve a delicate red.) By the same token, if I’m drinking a white and it gets warm, I will not hesitate to drop an ice cube or frozen whiskey stone in my glass. Proper serving temperature can make a huge difference, and with whiskey stones, you don’t have to risk diluting your wine with water.
–Champagne first! Served before the appetizer as a toast. It’s also lovely with dessert, or between courses, is a great palate cleanser, and the bubbles aid in digestion.
–Dessert wine is served after the meal. It’s actually best with a savory appetizer. Fois gras and Sauternes…need I say more?
–The more expensive or rare a wine, the better it is. Maybe, sometimes. And other times, a $15 value bottle can blow away the $$$ really expensive bottle. But the inverse can also be true, and blind tastings have thrown the traditional beliefs out the window.
–White wine with fish, red wine with meat. My lovely wife just doesn’t drink red. It aggravates her asthma. I have some friends who don’t care for white wines, and others who don’t care for any wine. Drink what you like, taste and try new things.
The “aha!” moment that dispelled wine rules happened several years ago. I was working on a design with a close friend who suggested dinner at a lovely restaurant that specialized in Pacific Northwestern Cuisine. The evening special was cedar plank roasted sockeye salmon, and after we ordered it, the waiter highly suggested a Washington State pinot noir to complement the fish. I had carefully planned a Sauvignon Blanc from the list, and my face must have registered shock, as the waiter deftly and demurely suggested that he’d bring us both a taste (gratis) with the main course and then if we liked it, he’d bring either glasses or a bottle. It was my first time trying a red with fish, and it was an amazing pairing, far better than the glass of Sauv Blanc I’d gotten for the salad course. While I’ve long forgotten the name of the pinot noir, I’ve never forgotten the experience of having this rule plainly shattered. Later on, I searched NY’s finer wine stores near me for the wine. While I never crossed paths with it again, the owners turned me to several lovely Northwestern wines I’d never have even considered prior to this experience.
à votre santé!
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Tags: Commentary, Wine, Wine Commentary