Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 3

Posted by Richard Beaudin on Feb 15, 2012 in Lead Story | 0 comments

Taste new wine

In a previous blog “Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 1″, I described three options to help you find and taste new wines and varieties in 2012.

The options suggested included:

1. - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
2. - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
3. - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines

In Part 1 the first option was discussed “Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines”. This option requires that your state allows DtC (Direct to Consumer) shipments from wineries and/or retailers.

In Part 2 the focus was on tips when traveling to new wine regions to taste new wines and varieties (Time to taste New wines and Varieities – Part 2)

In Part 3 the focus is on identifying one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups in your local area where you can taste and try new varieties nad wines.

Let’s focus first on local wine shops.

So where can you learn about other local wine events?

LocalWineEvents.com

There are several ways. First, ask your wine advisor .. yes the person you ask for wine recommendations. He/she should be aware of all of their events and likely will also be aware of events in the area. Another way is to sign up with sites that allow you to indicate your location and then send you notifications of all activities in your area. Local Wine Events is good place to start. Registration is free. You will recieve periodic emails that contain local events as well as wine questions and quizzes to test your knowledge (or simply learn more about wine). If you visit the site, it will provide a list of local BYOB restaurants, wine shops, wine education/schools, wineries, wine groups and more. You can also friend LocalWineEvents on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, or if you have a mobile phone, you can download the Local Wine Event mobile app for iPhone or Android.

You may also want to try RetailMeNot for discounted coupon codes or a myriad of specialized sites that deal with wine and food events in your area. An example is Wine-Expos.com that provides details of wine expos in Newport, RI, Boston, Washington, D. C. and New York. You can also get listings of not only wine tasting events, but wine education as well at Totalwine.com.

Finally, if you are into wine and would like to meet like minded people, you can join or start a wine focused group on sites like Meetup. On the other hand if you have several friends that would also like to learn more, consider starting a wine tasting group locally. Should you decide on this option, here is some advice that might be helpful:

• If one of the people in your planned group is very knowledgeable, you may want to ask that person to help you decide where to start. If all are about the same level of knowledge, then you can ask your local retailer for some ideas or simply agree as a group on what would be of most interest to the group – a particular grape variety, a region, a style of wine, etc.
• Keep the numbers down to a max of 10 if possible. Larger numbers mean you can try more wines, but the tasting itself can get confusing.
• Use a good wine glass. This doesn’t need to be expensive. It should be fairly thin glass and it should be shaped so that the bowl is larger than the rim of the glass. It should also be clear rather than etched.
• Decide on how you want to taste the wines. There are pros and cons with each. I often will setup blind tastings, but I try to keep the ensuing discussion simple – Which wine did you like the best? Why? Which wine did you like the least? Why? This allows everyone to participate without feeling they are “wrong” or a poor taster. As time goes on once everyone is comfortable, then expand to what kind of wine do you think it is? How old do you think it is? Where do you think it comes from? ….
• In terms of cost, the simplest way is to set a budget and split it by the number of people at the tasting. It doesn’t have to be exact. If the budget is not fully spent at this tasting, you can buy a bit more at the next session. Take advantage of your local advisor to suggest a number of wines for the tasting. Another option is to set a target bottle price and region or variety, and have everyone bring a bottle. I prefer the first method. I find that if everyone brings a bottle they will often bring one that they are comfortable with rather than expanding the options for the group. However, either can work.
• You can choose from a variety of options for the tasting: wines from a particular region, wines made from a particular variety from the same or multiple regions, or horizontal tasting. Or, try a vertical tasting – wines from the same variety and producer from different years. You can also try tasting new versus old world wineries or flights of white versus red, sparkling, dry, or dessert.
• I tend at least at the first few tastings to avoid cards or similar since it can make people feel uncomfortable.

Bottom line…. have fun with it and don’t worry about “right or wrong”.  The federal Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) recognized 260,000 in 2010 (sold in the US).

So much tasting to do …. and so little time!

Time To Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 2

Posted by Richard Beaudin on Jan 25, 2012 in Lead Story | 0 comments

Taste new wine

In my previous blog “Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 1″, I described three options to help you find and taste new wines and varieties in 2012.

The options suggested included:

1. - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
2. - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
3. - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines

In Part 1 the first option was discussed “Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines”. This option requires that your state allows DtC shipments from wineries and/or retailers. As of the first blog, 38 states allowed direct to consumer shipment. I am happy to tell you that a 39th state (New Jersey) has passed legislation to allow direct to consumer shipments. (On a side note, Representative Kurt Schrader (D) Oregon has withdrawn his sponsorship of the CARE Act HR1161 – great news.)

We’re making progress!

In Part 2 let’s focus on the second suggestion, “Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties”.

Southern New England Coastal Wine Trail

First, you don’t necessarily need to travel to far off places in order to try new wines. All 50 states now have wineries that you can visit and many may offer varieties that you have yet to try.  For instance, in Southern New England you can follow the Coastal Wine Trail  which stretches from Westerly, Rhode Island to the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Keep in mind that not all wineries produce Vitis Vinifera wines although many wineries will purchase grapes that cannot be grown locally and offer these wines along with locally grown based wines. Some may offer only locally produced  or fruit wines. In any case, lots of options to explore.

If visiting wineries in North America often there is no need for a reservation, but you should confirm this by calling ahead or by checking locally before the visit.  As an example, there are many wine alliances or similar organizations that provide information about the wineries in their AVA or Region such as the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance that will have a listing of the wineries, location and often a description of the wines offered.

If on the other hand you plan on visiting international wineries, plan on making a reservation for a visit. Although some wineries are open during certain hours each day, many require a reservation. This may seem to be an annoyance, but the benefit is that you often will have the owner or winemaker pouring the wines and hosting a tour. One exception is that in some wine regions you will find cooperative tasting rooms. One example is in Gigondas in the Southern Rhone where you can stop in the center of town to taste. There are dozens and dozens of well made Cote de Rhones offered, both white and red. However, in order to remain neutral, the pourer will ask that you choose the wines you would like to taste. Simply indicate the type of wine you like – fruity, earthy, spicy, etc., and he/she will suggest several to choose from.

When is the best time to visit? That will depend upon what you are looking for … visiting off season means less crowds and more time to spend with the winery. Harvest time is very busy and often more crowds, but there are also many festivals or local activities. Several wineries will offer special dinners or celebrations. Often there are celebrations offered at holidays (Halloween). Lastly, there are opportunities to participate in picking and/or processing the grapes. Eagles Nest Winerey in Ramona near San Diego is a great example. Dennis and Julie Grimes offer multiple opportunities during the year to help in the harvest and vinification, design your own labels, celebrate a holiday or simply come by for an outdoor movie  where Julie will serve pizza and you can purchase a  bottle of their award winning wine to enjoy with the movie.

You might also consider staying at a winery or close by. For instance, in Sardon de Duero (approximately 100 miles north of Madrid) you can stay at Abadia Retuerta, where the old Abby has been fully renovated. There are many wineries in France, Italy, Germany and many other countries (including the US and Canada) that offer accommodations as well as fine food.

Abby at Abadia Retuerta

Another option for  tasting and trying new wines is to take a wine or river cruise that focuses on wine. There are literally dozens of companies that specialize in wine cruises including Food & Wine Trails, Arbaster & Clarke Wine Tours Ltd. , or Fine Food and Wine Cruises. Others focus on wine river cruises such as Avalon Waterways, AmA Waterways, and France Cruises.

In any case, expect to visit no more than say 4 wineries per day, and this number should be less if you are driving. If you only like white or red, most wineries will accommodate the request if possible. Sometimes you will be offered a choice between tasting the higher volume wines versus special reserve wines. Tasting fees are sometimes free, but much more common they will range from  $5 – $25 (reserve wines). Many will apply the tasting fee to the purchase of a bottle or some minimum purchase. Some will include the glass with the tasting fee.

Keep in mind that many wineries will offer six or more wines to taste, and several may offer a taste of wines not on the tasting list. The bottom line is that a visit to perhaps only two wineries could mean you are trying 12 to 20 wines. Assuming only a 1 ounce pour (29.6ml) that could be as much as 20 ounces (591.5ml) or approximately 3/4s of a 750ml bottle. Visiting 4 wineries could equate to 1.5 bottles. If these are 2 ounce pours, that’s 3 bottles of wine! Needless to say you may enjoy the wine but you won’t really be tasting much after the first few pours. So ensure you have a designated driver or hire a driver or service. These are available in every wine region

Regardless of whether you are driving or not, if you really want to “taste” new wines, practice the four S’s of responsible tasting, Swirl, Smell, Sip, Spit. Although the “spit” may seem vulgar to those who do not often visit wineries, it is the only way you can try and taste many new wines without getting tipsy. Further, many wineries appreciate the fact that you are there to taste their wines and not simply to get drunk. My suggestion: if you are traveling with a partner and  you are driving (and spitting), ask for a single serving and share the taste. The winery will notice that you are there to taste their wines (and perhaps offer special wines not on the tasting list), your partner will imbib only half as much (so will be able to taste the wine), and you will save quite a bit by spending only half as much on the tasting. Getting drunk and obnoxious is not good for you or the winery. Another suggestion when visiting is to plan on a picnic since many wineries offer tables and really nice views. You can pick up a lunch at your hotel, local restaurant, on the road or at the winery ( many wineries do not offer food).

Keep in mind that wineries offer a taste of their wines as part of their business – it is the best way to showcase and sell you their wines. Although not as easy today to buy and carry the wines back as it used to be, there are many options. Here are four to consider:

• Purchase wines at the winery and have them ship them to you. This may or may not be possible depending upon where you reside. Based on the plethora of wine regulations in the US (frankly easier to buy a gun than it is a bottle of wine!), one winery may ship and another may not.  Be aware, shipping from outside the US can be expensive.
• In many locations there may be other shipping options. For instance in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in Southern California you can use Safe Haven Wine Services. In this case you buy your wine and write down the name of the winery and number of bottles  bought. Do this for each winery. Provide the information to Safe Haven and they will pick up your wines and ship them to you. You can save 15% if you take the wine to your hotel and they pick it up there rather than picking up at multiple wineries.
• Your in wine country! Buy a bottle or two and enjoy with a picnic lunch or in the evening.
• If shipping is not an option but you want to bring some wine back (keep in mind that several wineries offer some wines ONLY at the winery or through their wine clubs), purchase some wine skins. You can purchase a few either before the trip or at many of the wineries. These are leak proof single bottle carriers that you can put in your luggage. I have used them several times and never had one break. But if it does, it won’t spoil your cloths. The only caveat is to watch the weight. You will find that fees on small airlines are quite restrictive and the extra weight can be costly (I purchased a lightweight Balanzza luggage scale that allows me to precisely weigh my bags.)

Trying and tasting new wines can be a real pleasure and often an experience to remember especially when combining it with a trip to some place new.

In Part 3 I’ll focus on how to find and taste new wines at local wine shops and events.