Category Archives: Newspaper Column 2012

10 of Grape Sense’s Top Wines of 2012

28 Friday Dec 2012

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Each year lists of top events, products, and moments dominate the media around New Year’s. Grape Sense has celebrated 10 top wines each year since 2009.

My list isn’t necessarily the 10 best wines tasted; it’s 10 of the best wines sampled at a value price point (under $25) in the past 12 months.

In no particular order, here are 10 of the most enjoyable and easy to find value wines of 2012.

Clayhouse Adobe White – The Clayhouse line of wines always deliver well above the $14 suggested retail price point. The white is 49 percent Viognier, 26 percent Sauv Blanc, 19 percent Grenache Blanc, and 6 percent Princess. The wine has floral, identifiable orange, peach, and honey flavors. It’s an awesome summer sipper.


Michel Gassier‘s Costieres de Nimes Nostre Pais White – I love Grenache Blanc.  Two wines make this year’s list featuring the grape. It is a smooth and light on the palate wine with hints of lime. It gets big scores from critics. $18, though I’ve seen it lower!

Gauthier Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – Finding under $20 Pinot Noir is a bit of a needle in a haystack. An aside, this wine normally retails at $30 but I’ve seen it on numerous occasions under $20. It has great strawberry, smoke and spice!

Sineann Red Table Wine – The words “Pinot Noir blend” normally should scare the heck out of you but this wine works. A noted Oregon Pinot producers dumps Pinot, Cab, Zin, with bits of Cab Franc and Merlot into this wine. It’s crazy good. No, make that – CRAZY good for $17.99.

Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc – Nothing beats a nice crisp Sauv Blanc with seafood. If you can pick this one up for $11.99 like I did you have an outstanding value. California still makes some the world’s most interesting whites.

Mondavi Private Selection Meritage – It’s one of the best ‘supermarket’ lines available and the Meritage might be the best of the bunch. It’s a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot from Monterey County. At $11, or cheaper, it’s great wine.

Ca de Rocchi Montere Ripasso – Ripasso has been hot in the wine world. It’s a Valpolicella region in northern Italy. Serve this Italian with pasta and your guests will think you spent much more. It’s big, rich wine for $18. (Couldn’t find a winery website.)

Obra Prima Reserva Malbec – I mentioned this wine in my last column but it needs to be on this list for great value. It’s a big wine with huge dark fruit, chocolate, and a balanced finsih. At $17, it’s good as Malbec gets in the price range.

Oliver 2010 Shiraz Reserve  – An Indiana wine makes the list again this year with an asterisk. I like this wine so much I’m breaking a rule. The wines here all retail under $25, except for this one at $26. You think you know Oliver wines? Taste the Shiraz blind with friends and see how many are surprised.

Domaine Virgile Joly Blanc – I stopped putting the wines in order a couple of years ago, but if there was going to be a No. 1 on this year’s list it might be this $12 white from France’s Languedoc region. This is goregous Grenache Blanc at a value price.

So there is the list for another year. I could review my blog posts and probably come up with an entirely different 10 on another day. But these are wines I’m confident would not disappoing any wine drinker!

Here are links to my previous Top 10 picks:

2011

2010

2009

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

How About Splurging for the Holidays

17 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by in France, Newspaper Column 2012, Uncategorized, Washington State

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If there is ever a time to splurge on something special, it’s the holidays for most of us. For five years now Grape Sense has focused on value wine under $20. That’s not going to change. But for one column, here are some suggestions that will range $10-$20 higher than the wines normally mentioned in the column.

One of the great adventures in a wine education is discovering price point differences relative to quality. There are many differences of opinion. My experience is that when you break about $15, there is a difference in quality.

Here are some wines for a special occasion that should deliver a real bang on the palate for just a 10 or 20 spot more than the usual $12-$15 bottle. It may take a wine shop to find them, but all should be available in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan.
Lange Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – The Lange Pinot at about $22 is one of the best ‘entry level’ Oregon Pinot Noirs on the market. Jesse and Don Lange deliver better fruit than most at this price.
The wine remains light bodied and well balanced the key characteristics of great Oregon Pinot Noir.
Klinker Brick Zinfandel – There are plenty of under $15 Zins on the market but few under $20 that provide the bang for the buck that Klinker Brick delivers. This is on my all-time list for great wines under 20 bucks. This is old vine Zin which delivers big fruit that balances the higher-than-usual alcohol. It’s dynamite red wine for winter meals.

Tamarack Cellars Merlot – The oft-maligned red grape is making a comeback of sorts. Washington state producers have been leading the pack in developing interesting Merlot wines with dark fruit, spice, and chocolate flavors. This wine has been a 90-point-plus entry from most of the critics. It can be found at $20-$25.

Ca’ De’ Rocchi Ripasso Montere – This is the best value Italian red wine I’ve ever tasted. Ripasso style wines from the Valpolicella district have been hot. It’s made from the Corvina, Rondinella, and Moliara grapes. The combination creates a fruit wine with some real depth. It’s perfect for food and friends who may not always be big wine drinkers. Look for it at $20-$24. The wine is an incredible value buy.
Obra Prima ReservaMalbec – As much as the Ripasso above is good for wine novices, the Obra Prima isn’t for newcomers. For the wine drinker who likes big dark fruit, dark chocolate, wonderfully balanced acid and tannin, here is a pick for you. The 2007 vintage in current release sells for $17.

Fleur Cardinale Grand Cru Saint Emilion – If you want to go all out for a special night or impress your friends, reach for Bordeaux. Wines from the world’s greatest regions are famously wonderful and expensive. This Merlot driven blend is a great way to see what the wine world swoons over when it comes to the iconic French region. Robert Parker rates it at 90 points, and I think it’s even a tad bit better than that. It really does taste well above the not-so-cheap price point of $45.

Billaud-Simon Premier Cru Montee de Tonnerre – Taste the terroir of Burgundy with this great bottle of Chablis (Chardonnay) from one of the region’s greatest producers. This wine is stunning with poultry or smoke salmon. Chablis has long suffered from poor imitators. It’s rare you can enjoy a bottle of some of the world’s very best wine for the average price of $25.
NEXT COLUMN: Check out the annual list of Top 10 Value Wines of the Year!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Put Some Air in It for Winelovers on Your List

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Holidays, Newspaper Column 2012

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From left: VinOair, Soiree, Vintrui Aerators
Buying wine for the wine lover on your Christmas shopping list is fraught with peril. Do you know their tastes? Do you know their favorite varietals? Can you afford their favorites?
A gift certificates for a nearby wine shop is a nice gift. But unless you are certain of the person’s wine tastes, stick with wine accessories. Glassware makes an outstanding gift. For wine drinkers, you can never have enough wine glasses or a good decanter.
There are lots of gizmos on the wine market. You can buy all sorts of devices to remove the cork, to chill wine, and more. There is one gadget though which can be a nice addition to any vino lover’s wine accessories.
Consider buying an aerator. While the gadget isn’t new to the wine world, it hasn’t been around all that long. And now there are several types, models, and price points. Aerators can be found at better wine and liquor stores and some household stores that carry wine glasses and decanters.
For years wine drinkers would pour their wines into a decanter to soften the bite of the tannins on the finish of the wine. But in our ‘no patience, no time, and can’t wait’ society sometimes that’s not good enough.
Enter Vinturi  the manufacturer of the original wine aerator. Essentially, you pour wine through an aerator and oxygen is infused into the wine as it enters the glass and softens the taste.
Vinturi offers a base model and a Vinturi Tower model (which holds the aerator), a white wine aerator, and a travel model. The base aerator is usually priced around $35-$40. The aerator with the tower holder will cost from $50-$60.
The success of aerators has resulted in more entries into the market.
The newer in-bottle aerators have an advantage as less messy. Both of the samples I tried have a rubber-sealed neck which goes right into the wine bottle.
Soiree has a number of party and wine home supply gadgets. The Soiree is a bubble with a spout. When you turn a wine bottle completely upside down the wine swirls over the bubble and into your glass. The Soiree offers a less expensive alternative at $20-$25.
The third aerator was an in-bottle type with a sleek spout for pouring. VinOair from CorkPops would be great for travel or taking to a party. The VinOair is the least expensive of the three at $16.
But do these things really work? Ask any regular wine drinker with aerator experience, and the answer may vary.
For me, they do a nice job of making a big red wine ready to drink. And I’ve been surprised an aerator  actually helps on some white wines that have a real acidic finish.
I received samples of all three aerators and tested them with wine drinking friends. All three worked just fine and definitely softened the wine. The Vinturi is elegant; the VinOair is the most convenient, while the Soiree was the pick of my wine buddies on taste.
An aerator is a gift a wine friend might not have in their collection yet. All three companies have good websites where you can find local retailers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: All three aeration products were provided as trade samples.

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Something New, Old for Holiday Turkey Pairing

18 Sunday Nov 2012

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The Golden Rule of wine and food pairing is a simple one – if you like it, drink it!
But when the family gathers for the turkey feast or at Christmas time something more is often expected. How about something different? Or maybe it’s time to serve up something a bit more extravagant!

An occupational hazard for wine writers is the expected column of wine recommendations for the holidays so who am I to disappoint?

The first rule of picking wines for a big meal is do not overly focus on the main protein. Think about all of those side dishes and the different flavors. That makes almost any wine a good pick. But with the Turkey and main course there are some certain winners and perhaps a few you’ve never tried worth picking up.
A good domestic Chardonnay will work every time. You can buy palatable bottles at the grocery or most liquor stores. I recommend value labels Robert Mondavi, Mirrasou, and flip flop as very drinkable wines if you want to keep you’re price point under $10 a bottle.

Dry Riesling is another outstanding choice. Frankly, there is so much good Riesling made in the U.S., you don’t need to think foreign to find a great bottle. New York and Michigan are areas really emerging with their Riesling wines. Washington state winemakers are producing great Riesling. Several Midwestern wineries are doing Riesling as well.

If there is a decent wine shop nearby there are several other great choices.
If you like drier wines but want a big nose of autumn in your glass try a Gewurztraminer or Viognier.  Gewurzt is one of the most aromatic wines in the world. It can be fairly sweet to off-dry. Viognier, my choice of the two, is a drier white wine with hints of apple, pear, and spice. For an even better pairing go drier with a Pinot Gris or Chenin Blanc.

For the extravagant dinner gathering, splurge for the world’s best white wine – Chablis. Better wine shops will have a few labels to choose from. Chablis is Chardonnay made in a dry, crisp style with tremendous minerality and acidity. Real Chablis comes from Chablis, France and nowhere else.

Frankly, don’t buy the other stuff. Chablis would be awesome with any poultry. You can find great bottles starting in the $20 price range and up. Domaine William Fevre, Billaud-Simon, and Drouhin are just three labels which consistently make outstanding French white wine.
Here is an option many people just won’t think about or consider, but Rose’ wines make a great pairing with poultry. Rose is that nice middle point between white and red wines and the quality continues to skyrocket vintage to vintage. Find a French Provence Rose or an Oregon Pinot Noir Rose for your Turkey.  Midwestern wineries make pretty good to outstanding Rose’ wines. Just go for the dry Rose wines regardless of region to match well with your dinner.

The red of choice has long been Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving. And again, if you are sticking with value look for the labels mentioned above.  But if it’s off to the wine shop, consider a French Beaujolais – and not that Nouveau stuff. Find a Beaujolais Cru wine from Julienas, Morgon, or Fleurie. The Gamay-based wines are very affordable at $12-$18 and great with food.

If you want to impress pick up any bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir above the $30 price point. It is sure to be a huge hit with your guests. (Lange is a personal favorite.)
Next Column: Gadgets for the wine lover on your Christmas list!
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A Little Wine News: Good and Bad!

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

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First the good news:

I recently announced that a shorter version of my newspaper column Grape Sense would soon start appearing in Indianapolis’ weekly news and entertainment paper, NUVO.

My first piece ran today and is up on their website. The editors very much want a local and Indianapolis focus. Since the column has never overlapped much of the Indianapolis market previously, they were fine with me re-purposing a couple of columns I suggested.

The first one running was my story about River City Winery winning the Indy International Wine Competition’s top honor. Here is the link to the NUVO site and my column.

The column, and an occasional feature, will run at least twice a month. It’s great to have Grape Sense in the Indianapolis market. NUVO is a free distribution paper of more than 40,000 copies.

And now the bad:

Vino 100, Columbus, OH., is closing its doors. The Vino 100 concept is a national franchise the plays heavily on flavor profiles and a consistent look from store to store.

Like any good shop, the Columbus store was driven by its owner Liz Avera. Liz is knowledgable and friendly. She had built a good customer base. The store was located in the affluent Westerville suburb of Columbus.

I don’t know what went wrong with my friend’s store or perhaps it was just a matter of careers as much as business.

But this seemingly successful store illustrates a point I’ve made over and over. Support your near-by wine shops. You don’t need to buy wine at big-box stores for $1 a bottle less. The small wine shops will educate you, inform you and make you a smarter wine consumer.

It’s a sad day when any small shop closes, even if so far away. But don’t think the Vino 100 story is unique. There are small shops in Indiana struggling to keep their doors open. Go buy some wine!

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Grape Sense Picks Up Indy’s Nuvo Weekly

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

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One of my goals since I started wine writing was to grow distribution to 20 newspapers. I achieved that just a few weeks ago, picking up the Huntington, In., newspaper and a free distribution entertainment newspaper in Michigan – Off the Water.

My second goal was to gain exposure in Indianapolis. I achieved that one today.

I will begin writing a twice-a-month piece on wine for NUVO, Indy’s Alternative Voice, beginning Oct. 19. I will custom write the columns for NUVO with a focus on Indiana, Indianapolis, and local issues. I will also do occasional features on wine.

Adding NUVO‘s 40,000-plus free distribution in metropolitan Indianapolis brings my total reach to nearly 300,000 homes monthly.

A big thanks to Entertainment Editor Scott Shoger for his welcoming to NUVO.

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Grape Sense Newspaper Column Grows to 20 Papers

11 Tuesday Sep 2012

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When I began the wine writing almost four years ago, I began with a goal. It seemed if I could get 20 newspapers to carry the column that it would be a success.

Well, today I picked up my 20th publication and I’m thrilled.

Grape Sense will start appearing in Off the Water, a weekly publication produced by four different daily newspapers in Southern Michigan. So not only has Grape Sense grown to 20 papers but expanded to a third state!

Off the Water is a weekly entertainment publication produced and distributed by the Niles Daily Star, Dowagiac Daily News, Cassopolis Vigilant, and Edwardsburg Argus.

It’s also pretty cool to think that the column now reaches more than a quarter-a-million homes in the Midwest!

So I guess the next goal is 30 newspapers and grow the column in surrounding states! Sure, why not? Thanks to all of you who read Grape Sense here and in print!

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Huntington Newspaper Becomes 19th With Grape Sense

10 Monday Sep 2012

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It’s been awhile since I’ve added a paper to my newspaper column lineup so I was thrilled last week to hear from Megan Greve, Editor of the Huntingburg Herald-Press in northwestern Indiana.

Megan had read Grape Sense in a couple of the sister papers to the Herald-Press and wanted to add it to her paper’s lineup.

That brings my roster up to 19 newspapers with a combined circulation now close to 240,000.

Thanks Megan!

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Newspaper Column: Wines I’ve Been Drinking Lately

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

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As Grape Sense nears the start of its fifth year, it’s time to return to the staple of any good wine column and recommend a few wines.

People always ask, ‘What are you drinking lately?’ So, here is a column on five easy-to-find wines that are all priced under $16. All five are light-bodied wines perfect for late summer evening dinners. 

Burgan’s 2010 Albarino – A great summer wine is a bit of an understatement with this $12.99 bottle from Spain. Albarino is a summer white wine with hints of lemon, nice minerality, floral characteristics and a beautiful freshness missing from way too many white wines. This wine has consistently scored around 90 points from the major wine critics. This wine is widely available at or near the price above. Serve this by itself, with appetizers or white fish and it will be a hit!

Graffigna 2010 Malbec Reserve – Even though many gravitate to white and Rose’ wines in the summer, meat off the grill deserves good red wine. An outstanding choice – even for those grilled steaks is Argentinian Malbec. The Graffigna really delivers bang for the buck for around $11-$12. The Graffigna is frankly lighter than most Malbecs making it a perfect summer wine with steak or even pork. You’ll get the typical beautiful dark berry flavors with a hint of vanilla. This is about as good as a $12 bottle of wine can ever get. 

Gerard Bertrand 2008 Minervois Syrah/Carignan – Here is another light bodied wine with a world-class pedigree. Bertrand is a much heralded Southern France winemaker who turns out several different wines under $15. But you will have to make it to a wine shop to find his wines. The Minervois region seems to always produce well-rounded and smooth-bodied wines. This is delightfully light-drinking wine than can use 10 minutes in the fridge – a very light chill – before serving. If you can’t find this one pick up any of the Bertrand wines and give one a try. This Minervois region wine is probably the lightest but the winery consistently delivers very balanced and drinkable red wine.

Clayhouse Adobe Pink – No summer wine column can go without a Rose’ wine recommendation. It’s a Grape Sense mission to spread the word on the delightful dry Rose’ wines. French Provence Rose’ and Pinot Noir Rose from California and Oregon fill the wine rack. But the Paso Robles Clayhouse label delivers consistently good red and whites. The Rose’ has done well with wine critics scoring around 90 points. This wine has a little bigger flavor than the French wines but it’s a nice blend of Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Grenache Noir, and Syrah. You get really drinkable wine with Clayhouse Adobe for $14. Be crazy, live dangerously and try this with bold flavored fish or a salad.

Ravenswood 2010 Napa Valley Zinfandel – Ravenswood is a name many will have seen in wine shops and grocery stores. They’ve been around a long time because they consistenly deliver good wine. The Napa Zin has big fruit with a balance and finish any red wine drinker will appreciate for the $15.99 price point. Ravenswood has a basic bottling that turns up in many grocery stores that’s also quite palatable for even less. Give that wine an hour or two in a decanter and it delivers for the cost.

All five wines are widely distributed in the U.S

 Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Gray Views Distribution from Little Guy’s Eyes

23 Monday Jul 2012

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With more than 6,000 U.S. wineries and around 20 distributors in Indiana it should not come as any surprise only a small number of wines reach the Hoosier state.

That was what struck Derek Gray, Graybull Organic Wines, back in college when sipping wine at Oliver Winery with some buddies. He realized there could be some money made in the wine business. He started as a home winemaker then moved toward a distributorship.

“A lot of wines were not available in Indiana,” Gray said. “I thought there was a business opportunity. I’ve always wanted to own my own business since I was a kid.”
So he started as a distributor hoping to sell 50 cases a month to cover his warehouse cost. He was starting his business while working at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis. He still does some work for the Indy drug company. A distributor is the middle man in the three-tier system. He buys from wineries and importers then resells to retail outlets.
 
Derek pouring at a private tasting.
Gray started in 2006 and cut back at Lilly in 2009. His business growth has been steady and impressive. “Even if you’re growing at 20 to 40 percent a year all of your money is going back into the business.” The business has grown 30 percent already in 2012, he said.
Starting a new distributorship is like staring down the neighborhood bully in Indiana. “Restaurants are horribly difficult to get into especially if they’re established with one of the big distributors,” he said. “The big boys will use everything they can to shut out everybody else. They will print menus for free, which is legal. They will give them corkscrews. They give them all sorts of stuff.
“They use the economic power they have and then put grocery store wines on those wine lists and they get away with it.”
Gray wanted to operate his business and portfolio differently. “We have an eco-friendly niche,” he explained. “We work hard on customer service. We now have retailers coming to us because they’ve heard about our customer service.”
Gray carries 400 labels in his portfolio. He stresses customer service and getting the details right for his customers. “I would argue our wines are solid across the board. If they don’t sell I weed them out. They are family-owned wineries, many are highly rated, and most get 85 points (from critics) or higher.”
Gray targets smaller retailers and wine stores.  He sought out the best organic wines in the U.S. and works with importers to get the best organic wines from abroad.  Gray admits organic wines are not going to be age worthy but for wines at the $10-$14 retail price point the wines will be fruit forward, easy to drink and low to no sulfites.
The business has grown from that necessary 50 cases to thousands each month. It recently led Gray to partner with another distributor to represent his wines. 
“I was an amateur wine maker. A bottle of wine is a living thing; it’s an experience. It is a connection to the land and connection to nature. To me, that’s the big part of the fun in the wine business. People in the wine industry are eccentric and interesting.”
Derek’s Picks:
The wine distributor enjoys a beer after work but when it comes to wine he recommends Washington State’s Columbia Valley to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. “The red blends of Washington come from great family wineries, small production, and they are really great wines at a great price point. The New Zealand Sauv Blancs used to be all grassy but are more complex now.”

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com