Wine and Money

I am delighted to be partnering with Melissa Hotzoglou, Executive Director of Corporate Derivatives at JP Morgan Chase to present a Wine and Money event on Zoom at 4:30 EST on Thursday Sept 24th, 2020 hosted by the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in Trade (TBOWIT). 

This will be our first virtual tasting with this group and I look forward to sharing with you three international wines under $20.00 that can be purchased at your local Total Wine Store or through Instacart or Drisly. I won't reveal the wines here but if you like California Chardonnays, Cotes Du Rhone, or Malbecs you will want to register HERE.

Melissa will be sharing her insider tips and trends on international currencies and I will be sharing my tasting notes and sharing how Covid 19 and global environmental events have impacted the wine industry and how you can save big!

Hope to see you there!

2004 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast--Built to Last!

When I bought this wine I had no intention of holding it, but somehow it got stashed in the cellar with my "Big" pinots and it was forgotten.

So when I went to drink it I assumed it would be past its prime and opened it to drink with some leftover pasta and crawfish pie.

Wow! This wine showed beautifully. It was a touch clear of the rim but nothing alarming and from first sip to last it was exceptional, particularly for a pinot noir that once retailed for a modest $22.00.

It had enough fruit and acid to go against the spicy crawfish pie yet the the mouthfeel was soft and the bright fruit flavors remained through to the finish. Had I blind tasted this one I would never have guessed its age.

Would I suggest holding it a few more years? No. If there is any more of this wine lingering in your cellar, liberate it, drink it now, and enjoy!

Dom Gone Bad

I know you have one. That bottle you've been saving for that special occasion. What are you waiting for?

An special anniversary, your 50th birthday? A child's graduation?

Don't. Last month, friends used the occasion of an Easter pot luck to open a bottle of 1990 Moet & Chandon Cuvee Dom Perignon.

It was 24 years old and it could still been lively and delightful champagne, as many of these reviewers on cellar tracker have experienced. But sadly, it was not.

For every 24 year old bottle that survives and draws a great review there is another that gets dumped down the drain.

This bottle suffered the latter fate. While it still had some slow bubbles at first pour, it went flat soon after and was clearly oxidized. As you can see the color resembled a yellow diamond without the sparkle.

The moral: Don't wait. Surely you can find a good reason to drink a nice champagne at least once a year--First date night with Hubby in months, nasty boss got fired, pay raise that you didn't expect, a scratch lotto ticket that finally paid off. You get the idea...

Beautiful and Affordable Piedmont!

Piedmont was on the bucket list. Why? Because the region is rich with wine and food culture. Vineyards as far is the eye can see. Farm to table dining. The region that birthed the Slow Food movement. Need I say more?
I have been to Italy more than a few times. I love Italy. Who doesn't? But Piedmont offered the trifecta of grape, delicious food, and people who are passionate about all of it. And affordable dining and lodging.
Recently I had the pleasure of spending five days leading a tour of women from the US (We called ourselves the Grape Girls!).

We stayed at Ca Brusa, an agriturismo just outside of Monfort D'Alba, one of the 11 Barolo villages. We scheduled 3 tastings a day, shopped the local markets, toured the castles, explored the hill towns and ate our way through the villages. I will post the wineries on the website www.lovethatgrape.com so you can have access to the same great hospitality we experienced!

Don't just take my word for it. Read this article from Wine Enthusiast.
See what this region has to offer!

A Taste of Things to Come

Ahead of the Inaugural Grape Girls Wine and Food adventure in the Piedmont wine region, in Italy I bought a few bottles of the regions wine, including this bottle of 2010 Le Orme from producer Michele Chiarlo, a DOCG wine from Barbera d'Asti.

I found it to be very drinkable now. Fruity and light in body, it paired beautifully with New Orleans style crawfish pie and caesar salad. Even without food it presented well, with good balance and a lush mouthfeel.

I hope to try more from Michele Chiarlo when I get there. So far I have booked appointments with Tenute Rocca, Ceretto, Conterno Fantino, Rocche Costamagna, Vietti, Marchesi Di Gresy and Marchesi di Barolo. 

Check back with us on the www.lovethatgrape.com website to find our favorite stops posted, including our stops in Milan and Lake Maggiore.

Fino ad allora...

Grape Girls go to Piedmont Italy!

I am in the planning stages of organizing a women's trip to the Piedmont (Piemonte) wine region in the northwest part of Italy for one week Sept 14-21, 2013. This is the perfect time to go and visit this region as there are two major foodie and wine fests taking place during this time, and it's the prime hunting season for the famous white truffles that this region is known for. This package will be a land only package starting in Milan for one night then spending five nights in the heart of the wine country of Piedmont at and ending up in Milan for one night. We will be lodging at Agriturismo Ca Brusa in Montforte d'Alba which is owned and managed by the Ca Brusa wine-making family and home to one of the best restaurants in the area.
If you are interested in finding out more please contact Laura through the website www.lovethatgrape.com.

More details to follow... 

2011 Man Vintner Chenin Blanc

Here in Tampa, Florida we are finally starting to enjoy warmer weather and with it--white wines.

I recently featured the 2011 Man Vintner Chenin Blanc at two Wine Safari educational events to rave reviews.

This is not a steely, lean, minerally French Chenin Blanc but a South African. A different animal. Lush, viscous, made from free-run juice with a good amount of exposure to the lees, resulting in a hedonistic mouthfeel and a full expression of fruit flavors including tropical, green apple and guava.

And a great bargain too. I recently found this on sale at Whole Foods for $6.95, thought it normally retails around US$11. 

Touring with Travelogues

Outside of wine, travel, photography, and storytelling have been passions of mine. Recently I decided to combine all four in a series of travelogues I will present in Florida this spring, starting with a travelogue at The Wine Exchange in Tampa, FL on February 12, 2013.

In March, I will be headed to Estero, FL to present a wine safari travelogue and tasting at the Rapallo community. I look forward to the chance to share my travels and adventures in wine with other wine enthusiasts and travellers.

Below are some of the slides from trips to France, South Africa, Italy, Napa, and Spain. Check back as I update this site to include the details of these trips and links to help you plan your next wine trip. 

Cheers,

Laura

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Moves to Singapore, Parker Steps Down as Editor

If there ever was any doubt that Asia, particularly Singapore, is a big player in the wine business, this latest bit of news will vanquish it. Here’s what was reported recently in the Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Parker intends to phase out the print version of the newsletter [The Wine Advocate], which he built over the past several decades into one of the most influential voices on wine. He also said he intends to step down as its editor in chief, turning over editorial oversight to his Singapore-based correspondent, Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Finally, the fiercely independent publication—which Mr. Parker has often described as inspired by his hero, consumer advocate Ralph Nader—will start accepting advertising, though none that is wine-related. The moves in part reflect Asia's rise as a prime consumer of wine and other luxury goods. Mr. Parker said he is selling a "substantial interest" in the Wine Advocate to a trio of Singapore-based investors who will take over its day-to-day financial operations.

There are plans to find a new correspondent, likely based in China, to cover the emerging Asian wine producers. The 65-year-old Parker will continue to review the wines of Bordeaux and the Rhone for the newsletter, and will no doubt enjoy the free time in France and at his home in Maryland, his writing chair made more comfortable by a fat wallet.

2009 Domaine Marquis D'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Champans"--Too Legit to Quit

Burgundys are designed to spend some time in the cellar. Ask a Frenchman when he'll drink that premier cru burgundy in his cellar and he'll likely say "at my son's wedding."  His son is ten. You get the picture.

So it seemed a bit like infanticide to open a bottle of 2009 Domaine Marquis D'Angerville 1er cru Volnay at a recent tasting at Bern's Fine Wines and Spirits in Tampa but that is exactly what we did.

And it was delightful. The nose was intense, floral on top with dark red fruit and spice on the second whiff. Round and well-balanced on the palate with layers of ripe fruit and mineral and an incredible 40+ second finish.

This is a beautifully crafted wine, notable for the "hands off" approach this producer has adhered to in the making of this wine--biodynamic farming, cold maceration, no punchdowns, gentle extraction, and minimal new oak. 

Robert Parker gave a 95 point score for this Premier Cru wine and I suspect they didn't have to bring out the dancing girls to get it. Drink it now or wait until 2039. No wedding required.

2009 Rust En Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon

My local wine retailer in Tampa, Florida occasionally scores some amazing deals from their distributors and passes the savings onto their customers. One recent deal was the 2009 Rust En Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon, which was offered at an amazing price of $10.99.

I had visited this vineyard back in 2005 and was extremely impressed with their portfolio of new world red wines, so I bought two bottles, thinking unless it's cooked how bad can it be?

Not bad at all. In fact, quite exceptional for this bargain price point. I consumed both bottles over two weeks, pairing them with grilled lamb sliders and beef ribeye. In both I noted loam and dark fruit on the nose and the scent of the Stellenbosch cellar it came from. The palate was mouth coating, a bit jammy, with discernable but balanced oak. And the finish long, with hints of fig and vanilla.

Wine Spectator gave this wine a rating of 92/100. Drink Now or Hold. I concur. Don't expect to get it at this price, however, as I have bought out the stock in Tampa, FL but you can find it on-line from US $27-29. Very good at that price point too.

The USA is Tops!

Okay, we are no longer the economic superpower we once were, our congress is incapable of passing a law, and our federal government can't balance the budget to save its soul, but in one respect the USA is top rated!

In wine consumption.

Yes, we have surpassed the traditional wine quaffing countries like France and Italy in wine consumption. And although China is fast becoming one of the world's major wine consumers, this is one area where the US currently beats China hands down:

"By 2015, US consumers are expected to be drinking 13 liters per adult per year, while in China they should be drinking an average of 1.9 to 2.0 liters per adult," reports the New York Daily News.

Turns out Americans are increasingly choosing wine over beer and spending slightly more per bottle for wine than they have in the past, according to this article published by delish.com.

What does this say about us as a culture? To me it says that even in the hard times Americans will not, and do not, give up the grape.

God bless America!

Flickr photo by Gimme a Pabst

Yes, I am an officially certified wino!

This past fall I spent a week in Northern California training and tasting in preparation to take my exam for the Advanced Sommelier Certificate, granted by the United States Sommelier Association.

The blind tasting part of the exam was a killer, featuring two wines that rarely make it onto a US wine list — a Portuguese Albariño or Alvarinho (as the Portuguese call it) and a South African Pinotage (that was markedly uncharacteristic in its flavor profile).

My fellow classmates and test-takers and were visibly dismayed when the wines were revealed as we had all failed to identify these two varietals and we expected we had failed the blind tasting portion of the exam (which included only five wines).

So I was delighted and surprised when I was informed that I had passed the exam and I waited in anticipation for the actual certificate to be mailed to me as proof positive that I was officially certified.

What will I do now that I'm a certified wine educator and sommelier? I'm not sure yet. I have been very busy working towards another certification that enhances my executive, life and transition coaching business. This has nothing to do with wine, of course, but I joke with my friends that if I, as an executive, life and transition coach, I can't help my clients move towards their goals and desires I can at very least pour them a well-chosen glass of Bordeaux.

Cheers!

2000 Chehalem Ridgecrest Vineyards Pinot Noir

I've been working my way through 2000 Oregon Pinots in an attempt to put a dent in the cellar and pulled out two bottles of the 2000 Chehalem Ridgecrest Vineyards Pinot Noir. I had first tasted this wine shortly after its release on a trip to Oregon in September 2002 when we visited the winery and had the chance to taste a sample from every vineyard. I recall that this wine was a bit of a brat at release, tighly wound, and in a bit of a pout. But the structure was there, as was the promise of more accessible fruit, if given the chance.

These two bottles where the renmants of the case we left with that day and I wondered how this wine had held up over the many years. The first bottle showed beautifully with a deep garnet color. The only signs of age was a clear lip. The nose was a bit dusty but with hints of dark cherry,vanilla, and bramble. On the palate there was plenty of lovely, sweet fruit, velvety in texture, but with enough acid to keep it from being cloying or flabby.

The finish was long--40+ seconds--hot and slightly medicinal.

A week later I opened the second bottle, wondering if the first bottle was a fluke. Nope. Another pristine cork, terrific color, and almost identical characteristics, proving that this wine was indeed worthy of the wait.

Wine Cruises on the Waterways of Europe

AMAWaterways is offering 6 exclusive wine cruises this fall starting at $1,999.00 per person for 7 days (cruise only).

Chose your rivers (Rhine, Danube, and Mosel) and choose your hosts which include winemakers, wine educators and critics, and TV personalities. Included in the price are wine lectures and food pairings on board, with wine-themed excursions and winery visits offered at additional cost. You can also add nights in Paris, Prague, or Zurich, depending on the cruise itinerary.

AMAWaterways are known for their elegant ships, champagne breakfast buffets and gracious dining. As you might expect regional wines are included with dinner. No worries--if you overindulge, you need only crawl to your cabin.

Photo by Laura Scott

Bonterra -- A Wine Lover's Restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina

We should have felt just a bit uneasy about quaffy down a ridiculous quantity of wine in a former Methodist church, but something (maybe it was the quantity of the wine or the ghost of Reverend John Butt) said, "Jesus liked his wine too."

I was at Bonterra in Charlotte, North Carolina, a lovely restored church turned restaurant/wine room, and I was too busy marvelling at the extensive list of wines-by-the-glass and the mouthwatering menu to feel much trepidation about sampling Bonterra's many lovely offerings. It's not often you find a Veuve-Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne or a Patz and Hall Pinot by the glass outside of London's bubbly bars or Sonoma Valley's finest bar/restaurants. I did have a glass of the Patz and Hall Pinot and the value-priced (at $8/glass) Hill Family Barrel Blend which is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon. These paired nicely with the artfully conceived meat and seafood dishes which I shared with fellow foodies and friends Stephen and Carolyn Kwiatkowski.

The menu is built for sharing--the entree portions generous and a starter menu that includes cheese, charcuterie, and olive plates, mussels, and Fois Gras. The ambience and the well-trained servers invite you to linger and revisit the menu for dessert or a glass of port, or late-harvest wine.

Okay, if you insist...

Invino: Insider Access to Wine Deals and Events

Think you can only get wine deals offered by the producers by joining their wine club? Think again! Invino is a free-to-join member’s only website that gives you insider access to wines from noteworthy producers at a discount of up to 75%.

Recent declines in demand and uneven access to distribution channels has posed a challenge to small and mid-sized wineries. Tony and Danielle Westfall, wine industry entrepreneurs and founders of Invino (formerly known as Winery Insider), used their vast network of wine industry contacts and marketing and supply chain experience to create a site where value-conscious wine lovers could easily find and acquire quality wines offered at a significant discount by producers with inventory they want to move out of the cellars and into the glasses of appreciative wine consumers.

A recent offering included a 2004 Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia Super Tuscan Red Blend with shipping included at $74.99. This wine normally retails at $169.00. Also offered on the same day was a 2008 St. Supery Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley at $19.99, half off the $40.00 retail. Don’t think these are great deals? Find a better deal on the same wine you have purchased from this site and the folks at Invino will refund the difference.

Though Invino offers wines from around the world, this site features an impressive list of wines from Sonoma and Napa Valley, California where Tony and Danielle have developed key relationships with winemakers. These relationships result in exceptional deals and rare finds, such as large format bottles and small production single varietal wines. Members of Invino also have access to critic’s ratings, tasting notes, and information on winery events and special invitation tastings.

My first purchase of wine from Invino was a free shipping deal of half-priced cabs from Napa. Sure enough these wines arrived safely at my door, free of shipping charges and just as advertised. I love a deal!

You, too? Click here to become a member of Invino and see what limited-time sales are being featured today.

Aging Nicely: 2000 Bethel Heights Flat Block Reserve

American Pinots are often thought to be lightweights, not particularly cellar worthy. That may be true for some American Pinot Noirs but not true for the 2000 Bethel Heights Flat Block Reserve I had the pleasure of drinking over two nights recently.

The estate–grown grapes came from a three acre block of Pommard clone vines in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA in Oregon and the resulting wine was barrel-aged in 60 percent new French oak for 14 months. Built for the cellar, this is a big body wine and the color is a deep blood red.

On the nose there is dark fruit and earth and on the palate there is plenty of unctuous fruit—dark cherry predominates. The mouthfeel is smooth and the fruit yields to some nice acid and some licorice. The finish was medium to long with fine tannins and lingering cherry and chocolate flavors. Or maybe I was tasting the dark-chocolate caramel dusted with sea salt that I was nibbling on as I made my notes. Likely, but nonetheless what a dessert it made!

There were less than 500 cases made of this wine so I doubt you will still find it in circulation. However, it proves that some producers are making Pinot Noirs that do hold up and shine after close to ten years in the bottle.

To find out more about this family-owned and managed winery located in Salem, Oregon, click here.

Female Wine Drinkers Less likely to Gain Weight than Non-drinkers

Another good reason to drink red wine (as if we needed one!) comes from a ScienceDaily report of a recent study done by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, who measured the weight gain over an average of 13 years of women who started with a body mass index in the normal range. Here’s what they found:

Compared with women who did not drink at all, those who consumed some but less than 40 grams per day of alcohol were less likely to become overweight or obese. Women who drank 15 to less than 30 grams per day had the lowest risk, which was almost 30 percent lower than that of non-drinkers.

‘An inverse association between alcohol intake and risk of becoming overweight or obese was noted for all four types of alcoholic beverages [red wine, white wine, beer and liquor], with the strongest association found for red wine and a weak yet significant association for white wine after multivariate adjustment,’ the authors write.

The women who were least likely to gain weight were occasional to moderate drinkers. Forty grams per day of alcohol is a roughly a glass of wine a day. As always moderation is the key, as is your choice of food pairing. A big chunk of brie with your glass of wine will not lead to weight loss.


flickr photo by salvis.are

2009 Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon—A Crowd-Pleasing Value

My friend Linda recently brought over a bottle of the 2009 Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon for a pot-luck Christmas party I was hosting. I had tasted this wine before but it had been a few years ago and I was happy to be reacquainted with this good value cab.

On the nose there was some big blackberry fruit backed up by some pleasing vanilla and spice. The wine was wonderfully mouth filling with flavors of cherry pie and earth. This was a surprisingly complex wine for its price (under $12.00) and it lingered nicely on the finish, a bit hot, but tempered with yummy mocha and stone fruit.

As you can imagine, our pot-luck buffet offered many pairing options. It paired well with the yam casserole and Linda’s roasted pork loin. It was equally tasty with the chocolate-coated éclairs.

If you are looking for an accessible Cabernet that will please most palates you can’t go wrong with the 2009 Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon. And it’s cheap enough to share with all your friends!