A Saturday Morning of Fresh Goodness

09 Monday Jan 2012

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The City Market is an old Indianapolis tradition

While this post is mainly for my friends in Central Indiana, I’d hope it also provides encouragement to anyone who reads the post to find Winter Farmers Markets in your community. But it’s not just about farmers markets either. Small retailers, especially wine retailers, need you more than ever in the first quarter of the year. Business falls off and they need your support.

One of my favorite Saturday morning activities year round is driving 45 minutes south to Indianapolis and visit several stops where I can buy food and wine items I just can’t get in a town of 16,000 where I live.

The farmers market delivers fresh produce in winter!

My Saturday started at the Indianapolis Winter Farmers Market inside the old City Market in downtown Indy. The City Market is worth the trip with its interesting food stands and variety of vendors. I bought a dry lentil/BBQ soup mix for the crock pot from U-Relish Farm before ever getting to the Farmers Market.

The winter market draws a huge crowd. I worked my way around the market then doubled back to buy some goodies. I picked up some very flavorful pastas at Your Family’s Pasta stand. I’ve found many flavored pastas I’ve bought in the past not very flavored. I had a bite of some of the pasta at the Rubenstein’s stand and the flavors popped.

The lemon/pepper pasta rocked.

I’m a sucker for chocolates, especially truffles. I picked up some chocolate-covered orange rinds from friend Julie Bolejack’s Chocolate for the Spirit. Julie was working a different market Saturday but I was able to visit briefly with her husband. But you can never have enough, so I stopped and chatted with Suzanne Litteral at Litterally Divine Truffles and picked up a couple of dark chocolate truffles.

One of the more interesting and fun stops was with a young man behind the Smoking Goose table. The smoke and cure meats from Indiana farms with an eye toward handcrafting their products. I bought a Duck, Pear, Port Sausage. Really! I can’t wait to try it.

I bought some fresh greens for a salad and was then off for other stops.

Buttercream icing to die for!

One of the real finds of the morning was Sweet Tooth Bakery on Indy’s Massachussett’s Avenue. I had driven by the place before but had the time to stop Saturday. Cupcakes! Oh my goodness, they have cupcakes. I bought some red velevet cupcakes with rich, smooth and creamy butter cream icing. Owners Jennifer Taylor and Anastasia Duis told me they feature speciality cakes – extreme decorations might be another way of putting it.

Just an interesting side note. I asked the two nice ladies how a tiny little business in the downtown area prepares for the Feb. 5 Super Bowl? They’ve already had one order placed for 5,000 snickerdoodles! Wow!

I had lunch and a glass of wine at old friend Jill Ditmire’s Mass Ave. Wine Shop. Then I picked up a friend and we drove to the far northside to Vine and Table – a gourmet grocery and wonderful wine shop. V&T has one of the best gourmet cheese selections I’ve seen in Indiana. I bought a bottle of Loire Valley Rose’ over on the wine side.

The next stop was at Ashley Lockwood’s Cork and Cracker. I mainly stopped in just to say hello but anyone reading this knows how that works! I left with three bottles of wine.

We stopped at Fresh Market to pick up some grocery items to wrap up our day. A stop I didn’t make Saturday but is normally part of my routine is just down the street from Fresh Market. I frequently buy pasta at Nicole Taylor’s Pasta and Market.

One of the most frequently asked questions on this blog and my newspaper column is where I buy my wine. I have about four shops I visit frequently but the two above are certainly great ones for value wines in the Indy area.

Additionaly, I hope this serves to motivate you to get out and support small businesses like these during these slow winter months!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Rico Suave in a Bottle … Errrr … Soave

06 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in Italy

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I became a big fan of Italian Soave on a hot Florida beach. It was very hot, I’m pale, I did what any self-respecting wino would do and that was head for liquor store.

I wanted a light white and found a Soave. I don’t remember the producer, but they had a chiller and chilled it down for me. I sipped it on the beach, by the pool, and reading my summer vacation novel. I loved it. I’ve bought several since and find them super hot weather wines and excellent sippers.

Tonight, I opened to share the 2009 Soave Re Midas with my wine Dudes. We’re doing an Italian night with some big red whoppers, so a nice light Soave seemed like a wonderful start to the evening.

First a little quick wine education. Soave is made from 100 percent Garganega grapes. Check the link if you want to learn more about this elegant little Northern Italy white wine.

The peach and pear on the front of the palate and the smooth mid palate made me easily forgive the disappearing finish. You’ll get a hint of mineral but this 12 percent white wine is a sipper. Don’t make it complicated at $10-$14 a bottle. Buy it, drink it and enjoy it.

Besides all that wine geeky stuff, how often do you get to post that famous Gerardo Mejía video?

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Big Sales, Michigan Thrives, Silly Labels

05 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in Wine Education/News/Updates

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Every now and then I stumble across some interesting wine stories that I think even novice wine drinkers might enjoy. And sometimes a post of “odds and ends” offers up tidbits that aren’t enough for a newspaper column or blog entry.

So let’s get to a list of interesting stuff:

Sales Are Up

Despite the economy and all the bad news you read daily Americans still enjoy raising a glass of wine. As a matter of fact, early indications are wine sales increased in 2011 by 14 percent! U.S. wine consumption took off in the early 90s. A surprising number of people credit the 60 Minutes television show and a story they did on French wine consumption and perceived health benefits.

Some of the buzz about Reservatrol has been silenced by recent science. But there remains boosters and believers that red wine in moderation does have health benefits. So keep drinking! My goal, is to live to 100. Ha!

U.S. Biggest Seller

You’ve seen it in your stores and it might not be everyone’s first guess. But Barefoot wines are now the biggest selling brand in U.S. food stores. The brand, owned by E.& J. Gallo. The Barefoot wines were up 23 percent in sales last year. That is remarkable growth. It sells in most groceries for around $7.

Michigan Wine Boom Continues

I was really fascinated with the Michian wine industry when I made a three-day in the summer of 2010. I wrote this piece for Palate Press. The wines will really surprise first time visitors. I’m anixous to get back. The state’s wineries are still getting good press, like this story in the Lansing Journal.

Sassy Bitch, Toads, Frogs & Other Critters

The proliferation of wine and savvy marketers has all sorts of funny, sassy, and risque labels reaching wine shop shelves. I stumbled across this interesting story in California’s Santa Rosa Press-Democrat originally published in the New York Times. It’s fun and educational on all things concerning wine labels.

Coming Soon …

– I hate making promises because they don’t always come true! But here goes anyway. I have several video interviews I conducted last summer in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with some fantastic winemakers. The interviews were originally intended for a Palate Press video story that never came about. So I’m going to clip those down a bit and start posting them within a week or so. There is some really great stuff.

– I’ve been chatting with a number of people who have reached out to me with story ideas, including: A Michigan state professor who’s bringing a new cold-climate grape to the state and a nationally known wine writer about value wine. I’ve made contact with a couple of Hoosiers in recent months for stories as well. If you like wine, you’ve seen the wine art – paintings, melted bottles and nicknacks. I met a woman in Indianapolis doing some nice pieces I hadn’t seen before. And, I’m trying to arrange an interview with Indiana’s top selling wine retailer.

– Now this one is really a tease. I’m waiting on word about a possible trip to one of the most iconic wine producing nations in the world. If this one works out, it will provide a real bounty of story ideas for all the outlets where I write. Stay tuned!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

A Long Time Between Chilean Carmeneres

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in South America

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Chile, Argentina and others in South America are producing some outstanding varietal red wines and red wine blends. I love Malbec and Bonarda from south of the border but I’m still developing a taste for Carmenere.

I popped open Falernia 2007 Reserva Carmenere the other night and it had that dark purplish color the grape is known for and a pleasant nose.

I liked the rich dark fruit and thought it was pretty smooth wine until I got to the finish. Then, someone lit a match! The alcohol seemed way too pronounced against the dark fruit flavors. I went searching for the bottle to find the wine comes in at 15 percent alcohol. For me and this grape, that’s a bit hot.

The grapes come from Chile’s Elqui Valley and the Vicuna area. It sees about a half year in oak. It’s a decent value at $15. The acid was still pretty strong 24 hours after opening.

The wine has a nice mouth feel until you get to that finish. Carmenere is a great grape for wine exploration. It’s usually very affordable, a bigger wine, but with a nice big fruit component. The alcohol in this one will scare some people off. Nevertheless, it’s a good value and a decent introduction to Carmenere. This arrived as a trade sample with another Carmenere, I’ll be anxious to try the other!

(Falernia 2007 Reserva Carmenere, SRP $15, Trade Sample, No Recommendation)

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A Personal Manifesto: Time to Step It Up!

02 Monday Jan 2012

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So I wrote the obligatory Thanksgiving wine column, New Year’s sparkling wine piece, and even the end of the year “best of” lists.

In the immortal words of the late Peggy Lee, “Is that all there is?”

I’m not about to write a New Year’s Resolution column, instead this is a bit reflective and even self-criticism: I haven’t done much with this blog and want to it move forward.

I just like this shot! Ha!

Penning 26 newspaper columns a year takes my best effort. I’m proud of my efforts and have even been known to brag a little. I’ve done some good reporting for the newspaper column while some wine writers don’t seem to know the meaning of the word.

My stories for Plate Press have been some of my best efforts. Most blog visitors and even newspaper readers probably don’t know I write a quarterly column for Madison, a quarterly magazine published by the Anderson Herald Bulletin. The magazine goes to higher-income homes in East Central Indiana. I write wine stories focused on higher-priced wines for that publication.

This is my 495th blog post so I’ll hit some sort of milestone soon. I need to be writing 3 times a week or more to generate serious interest. My blog has done very well when I’ve done wine trips, or some of my wine travel. But it languishes the rest of the time.

My wine writing is a profit-loss loser. But it’s supposed to be that way for a few more years. I’m paid for the Palate Press stories and the magazine efforts. I hope to do more with my wine interest in retirement, which is still a few years away.

I’ve read several prominent bloggers lately lament about wine blogs. Many have written how poorly written or uninteresting most blogs are. I agree. This blog falls into that category too often. My criticism is too much wine writing is for wine geeks like me and not the general public. That’s an entirely different topic for a soon-to-be future post.

My frustration with my blog is reflected in the numbers. I had 105 entries in 2011. But I managed 151 in 2010 and 184 in 2009. I started the blog in October of 2009.

I want to do better and bring more opinion to current issues, reflect on things going on in the wine world that will matter to readers. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m one opinionated SOB. Yet, I don’t bring that to the column and blog often enough.

The gloves are coming off and I think it will be fun. I’ll still do reviews and share wine news for those who don’t have time to digest all the stuff I see in my inbox. But I want to ad an edge of fun and opinion.

So no New Year resolution column or blog – I promise!

Instead, a pledge to work a little harder to bring more readers to Grape Sense – A Glass Half Full. The only way one can do that is to have something to say or share. Invite your friends. It should be fun.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Some Great 2011 Wines Above Usual Price Point

29 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Newspaper Column 2011, Uncategorized

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My newspaper column, and much of what I do, focuses on value wine – I still drink a good amount of better wines that many readers will enjoy.
My real price break for value wine comes at about $20. I define “the better stuff” for my budget  at $25-$50. I have always kept some ‘better stuff’ around the house but it’s not wine I usually open on a Tuesday night. These wines are for weekends and when having guests over for a glass of good wine.
I love some of the wines I wrote about in the newspaper column posted here, but there is no doubt there is a substantial quality difference when you double up the price.
Here are some notes and links on wines I enjoyed over the past year at a little higher price point. And, these are in no particular order.

The view outside Penner Ash’s tasting room
Penner Ash 2006 Willamette Valley – A great wine from one of Oregon’s signature producers. This is a $45 bottle of Pinot that just never disappoints. Penner Ash wines always have a beautiful lingering finish that is lush as it is satisfiying. This bottle is full flavored but a medium-style Pinot Noir. This wine scored a 90 from Robert Parker. Penner Ash is widely distributed. I drank this wine in January of 2011 and then visited Penner Ash in July. It’s a must stop if you visit Willamette Valley. Penner Ash has great Pinot and fabulous views for your camera!
Claudia Springs 2007 Zinfandel – I traveled to California’s Mendocino County in January and this winery was a real surprise. Bob Klindt is making some marvelous Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. On the front of the palate this $24 wine had cedar, cranberry, and currant. I liked the dusty feel in the mouth. They only made 292 cases of this wine so it’s not going to be easy to find. His Zin was a big hit at last year’s huge Zin-fest in San Francisco. Our press group had a delightful visit. Watch a video I recorded of Bob talking about his wines here.
Gary Eberle

Eberle Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah – This 50-50 blend is a big ol’ glass of beautiful wine. Big plum flavors, hints of vanilla, and a really plush mouth feel makes it easy to understand why it’s been honored time again in all the wine press. Eberle wines are widely available. This bottle sells for $29. Gary Eberle makes a great lineup of juice. He is also a real pioneer. Read more from this September newspaper column.

Ledgestone 2008 Frontenac – This was perhaps the biggest surprise of 2011 for me. I traveled Wisconsin in late April for a story on Wisconsin wines for Palate Press. I had never had Frontenac, a cold climate grape, and frankly was plenty skeptical. I was taken with its strong sour cherry flavor and great balance at Tim Abel’s winery. This is regional winemaking at its best. They can’t grow Cabernet and shouldn’t try. This $28 bottle of Frontenac was a real revelation.
Don Lange, chatting in July 2011

Lange 2005 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – I’ve written many times about Lange wines in my newspaper column, blog, and the quarterly magazine Madison. I’ve visited 3-4 times, including this July, and always come away very impressed. I opened this 2005 treasure this year and was again just blown away. It had dark blueberry, blackberry and a smoky spice that I just loved. And like all Dundee Hill Pinot, the Freedom Hill had that wonderful earthiness I love. It’s premier wine at a premier price worth every nickel at $60.

Justin Vineyards 2008 Cabernet – This was simply the best glass of Cabernet I had all year. And it comes in at a surprising $25. The wine had cherry, caramel,  and chocolate throughout it’s beautiful and rich mouth feel. The tannins were balanced and it paired magnificently with a grilled Bison Ribeye. I first had Justin Cab at a fine Paso Robles restaurant in 2010. I tasted the reserve which was $55. This wine is just as good. Go find some if you like Cabernet.
Oreste Strappiano 2009 Langhe Rosso – It’s really difficult to find affordable Nebbiolo wines. So when I wandered into Vino 100 in Columbus, Oh., and saw “Langhe” on a label I had to buy it. The Langhe region is known as the primo region in the Piedmont for the Nebbiolo grape. This $25 blend has Nebbiolo, Docetto, and Barberra. The wine was surprisingly light and nicely balanced. It just might have been the best Italian I tasted all year – and that includes a few much more expensive Tuscan Brunellos!
Oregon’s Willamette Valley, July 2011 – I spent three days in Oregon wine country and tasted more great Pinot than I can note here. I brought back a case of wine, and most of it remains in my wine storage cooler. Read about some great wines and experiences here, here, and here.Mendocino, January 2011 – Another wine trip that yielded more than a few remarkable wines was that visit to Mendocino. I loved the Claudia Springs wines and others. The real hit for me was Coro Mendocino, a Zinfandel blend. I wrote a piece for Palate Press but the wine is hard to get in the Midwest. A few of the producers do have midwestern distributors but its worth a try at $37 if you can find it.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Grape Sense’s 2011 Top Wine Picks

29 Thursday Dec 2011

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Top 10/year-end lists are unavoidable at this time of year. Grape Sense has featured a Top 10 list for three years so here it is for 2011.

The Top 10 wines are value wines and are widely available in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. The wines taste above their price point and represent great value. I’d gladly serve this 10-pack to any guest in my home.

You’ll find more white wine in this list than any previous year. Great, and unusual, white wines have become a new passion.

No. 10 – La Vieille Ferme Blanc – A French white wine made of Grenache Blanc, Rousanne, and two lesser-known French grapes  has nice acidity and a hint of lime. ($5-$9).
No. 9  – Bonterra 2008 Mendocino Zinfandel – Inexpensive Zin isn’t that hard to find in supermarkets or wine shops. But the Mendocino Bonterra label delivers one of the best full-flavored Zins you’ll find for the price. ($11).
No. 8 – Brassfield Estate Serenity – This is a very nice white wine blend.  Serenity mixes Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Gewurtztraminer and Semillon. It comes from Napa Valley. The wine has a distinctive pineapple and apple nose and taste. ($10-$14)
No. 7 – Buried Cane 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon – A great value Cabernet that’s 75 percent Cab and 25 percent Malbec from Washington state. It has dark fruit, richness, good acidity and finish. ($13)

No. 6 – Concannon Crimson & Clover – A new wine in 2011, the fifth to Concannon’s big-selling Conservancy line. A blend of Petit Sirah, Cab, Syrah, and Zin isn’t for the faint of heart. ($15)

No. 5 – Turtle Run Dry Traminette – Indiana’s wine industry has come a long way and, in part, thanks to Traminette. Most of the Indiana’s Traminette, similar to Gewurztraminer, is done in a sweet style. Jim Pfieffer at Turtle run is one of few to make a dry version. It rocks! ($12)
No. 4 – Chorum Sangiovese – Sangiovese is the great Italian grape at the heart of Chianti wines. This has sour cherry and a light feel on the palate. It’s one of the most drinkable Sangiovese wines you’ll find. ($10-$19)
No. 3 – Tikal Patriota – Bonarda and Malbec make up this wonderful Argentinian wine. It has cherry, raspberry, and goes beautifully with grilled or smoked meats. It is a critic favorite, consistently scoring 90-plus points. ($17-$19)
No. 2 –  Charles & Charles Rose – This is the first white or Rose’ to ever crack my year-ending Top 10 list. This Washington Rose is a collaboration between two premier winemakers. It’s 100 percent Syrah – big flavor with sage, raspberry, and a hint of Jolly Rancher. ($10-$12)
No. 1 – Alain Juame & Fils Domaine Grand Veneur Les Champauvins – This is one of the best value wines I’ve tasted in three years of wine writing. The Cotes du Rhone wine is 70 percent Grenache, 20 percent Syrah, and 10 percent Mourvedre – a traditional French GSM wine.  It has a wonderful red berry aroma. It’s rich, perfectly smooth, and silky with just the right amount of spice. It is fabulous French wine. ($15)
Just for fun, here are my picks from the past two years:
2010: George Deboeuf’s Julienas, Domaine de Niza Languedoc 2005, J. Lohr Cabernet, Etim Seleccion, Montebuena 2009 Rioja, Errazuriz Cab, Altos Malbec,  Il Fiorino 2008 Chianti, Este de Bodegas Alto Almanzora, and my 2010 No. 1 pick: Durigutti Malbec .
2009:Domain Lafarge Catalan Cote EST, Turtle Run’s Dry Tortuga, Burgan’s 2007 Albarino; Dona Paula 2007 Malbec, Creta Roble 2006, Pasanau Ceps Nous 2006  Priorat, Milbrandt 2006 Traditions Cabernet Sauvignon, Domain Lafarge Grenache Noir, Klinker Brick 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel, and my No. 1 pick:  Patrick Lesec’s Cotes du Rhone Bouquet. Howard Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes every other week for 18 Midwestern newspapers. Write him at:hewitthoward@gmail.com

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What’s New Year’s Without Sparkling Wine?

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Holidays

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A wine writer’s occupational hazards include obligatory New Year’s columns on sparkling wines and year-end ‘best of” lists.

It’s fun to review the previous year and pick out a Top 10 – something you’ll read in the next Grape Sense. It’s tougher to write about sparkling wines when it isn’t a favorite. Still, it’s the time of year a lot of questions come up about a New Year’s sparkler.

After a little more than three years and 82 newspaper columns, only two were about sparkling wines. Some of that is repeated here along with two best bet suggestions.

Any discussion about sparkling wine has to start with French Champagne. It’s not cheap, there is lots of it, and it can range from plain awful to magic in a glass. You can buy the Dom Perignon for around $130 a bottle. You can take a step up from that and go with Louis Roederer’s Cristal in a crystal bottle if you’re prepared to shell out $350.

But let’s face it; most of us aren’t buying that sort of wine.

If you want something more than the grocery’s usual Asti-Spumante (which isn’t bad), then you have to get into your nearest wine shop and rely on the merchant’s expertise.

A good place to start is with an Italian Prosecco. It’s generally lighter than champagne, less alcohol content, but you still get the bubbles! And you can find pretty decent Prosecco at $15-$20.

Another great pick is a Spanish Cava. Cava hails from the region around Barcelona. Cava sparkling wines have become very popular and can be found in the $10-$20 range.

If you want a good U.S. sparkling wine (only France’s Champagne region can call its juice ‘Champagne’) there are good options. California’s Korbel and Washington’s St. Michelle have value sparklers and more expensive bubbling wines that will be great for Dec. 31.

Roederer Estate in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley makes really beautiful sparkling wine at a higher price point. I tasted several of their sparkling wines during a January 2011 trip to Mendocino and all were really beautiful. The Roederer Estate sparklers range from $20-$150.

Probably the easiest to find and safest choice, that will delight your palate, is California’s Gloria Ferrer’s Sonoma Brut. The wonderful and affordable Ferrer Brut is made of the traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The bubbly has a nice soft or almost creamy feel in your mouth. It tastes much better than its easy-to-digest price point of $16-$20.

My top choice for your New Year’s Eve is widely available and one of the best wines I tasted this year. Banfi Rosa Regale is a delicious Italian sparkling wine. It has strong raspberry with a rich mid-palate. The bubbles are somewhat restrained. The dark cranberry color is festive and beautiful. The alcohol is a ridiculously low 7 percent. The suggested retail is $20.

You can’t go wrong with the Gloria Ferrer Brut or Banfi Sparkling Rose’. Try either or both and celebrate the New Year!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

A Very Merry Grape Sense Christmas

22 Thursday Dec 2011

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One of the joy’s of this holiday season was helping arrange the Holiday Greeting for work. I work at Wabash College, a private liberal arts college for men, in the marketing/public affairs department.

We don’t always do a lot of warm and fuzzy but I thought using the Glee Club made great sense for the holidays. The bosses agreed and we put together this greeting. I hope you do have a great holiday with family and friends. I hope this short video will make it feel a little warmer.

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Dudes Taste Four Pinot Noirs for the Holidays

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Dude Alex

There is nothing better than enjoying great wines with great friends. I’ve written before, and even done a couple of videos, with my wine drinking buddies. We call ourselves “Dudes on the Porch.”

We started about a year and a half ago gathering every 2-4 weeks and drinking some wines. We graduated to theme nights and dinners. We are still doing it and still having just as much fun.

We recently enjoyed our holiday edition of ‘Dudes’ by planning a Pinot Noir night. We had an inexpensive Burgundy, a mid-priced Napa Pinot, and two Oregon Pinots.

We had a spread of some Italian meats, cheese, a great French goat cheese, crackers, and were about as wine geeky as we ever get.

Dude in Training – Cameron

In other words, we had a ball. I constantly encourage wine newcomers to get a group of friends together and drink some new wines, old favorites and just try things!

Let’s go through the four wines and I’ll share the group’s thoughts. I was having way too much fun to play journalist and take “quotes.” But, I did take enough notes to get a good handle on the group thinking about each of the four Pinot Noirs.

We don’t always agree but we ended up with pretty similar feelings about each of our Pinot Noirs. We had four of our five regular Dudes and a 22-year-old college senior who has joined us on a number of occasions.

Bouchard Pere & 2008 Reserve Bourgogne – This would fall into the category of a basic entry-level Burgundy. There was very little wrong with it just not enough right to give it a recommendation.

We opened it shortly before drinking and that was a mistake. The wine did improve the longer it was open. At times the wine just didn’t seem to have much going on – typical of bargain Burgundy. But with a little time we all detected some strawberry. It was very light bodied and a nice cherry red. There was little finish and not the spicy or earthy finish you’d get on many Pinot Noirs.

Dude Patrick brought this one and couldn’t remember exactly what he paid for it but knew it was around $15-$16. (Not Recommended)

Beringer Napa Valley Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir – We struggled with this wine more than any of the evening. It had a short decant and improved with all the oxygen it could absorb. Many will see the Beringer name and think only of the supermarket wines. But Beringer makes wines at other price points as well.

Dude Alex brought the Beringer. I found it online anywhere from $16-$24 – and that’s a pretty wide range for the same bottle of juice.

I thought the wine was disorganized. There was no mid-palate but all of us got pronounced oak on the finish – big oak. That is something many people are not going to like but others will appreciate the added structure. For my palate, the Beringer’s oak was just too much. I love oak in Cabs and big, big red wines but want my Pinot really well balanced.

Alex got big strawberry after about an hour of having the bottle open and we all agreed. It had all the hints of expected dark fruit but not much terroir or spice.

Still, this might be interesting in another year or so and with a longer decant, perhaps up to two hours. It wasn’t bad. It’s just not that hard to find better Pinot in that price range. (Recommended)


The Dudes are admitted Pinotphiles and big fans of Oregon Pinot Noir. So we had two great Oregon Pinots at a big price point that really sparked some of our best wine conversation in a long time. Patrick brought a 2008 Cooper Mountain Vineyard Pinot. I dug into my hidden stash of great Pinot and pulled out a 2008 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot from the Dundee Hills.

Cooper Mountain 2008 Mountain Terrior 5 Element Series – We all loved this wine. This is a big fruit-forward Pinot with a really soft finish. The guys were getting a hint of citrus off the mid-palate and back of the palate that was delightful as it was unique.

Patrick described his wine as a Pinot “with layers of dark fruit with a bit of a bite on the back with acid.” I can’t really disagree with that.

Cooper Mountain sits in the Willamette Valley but is one of the closest wineries to Portland in all of the region. This bottle retails around $45 normally but Patrick picked it up as part of a case discount for $36.

This is fruit-forward wonderful Pinot Noir. It’s certainly more widely distributed than the next wine. (Highly Recommended)

The setup for Pinot night!

Winderlea 2008 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot Noir – In the sense of full disclosure, this one of my consistent favorites. I have several favorites actually, but Winderlea is a wonderful story and marvelous wine.

The Winderlea Pinot is a $50 bottle of wine. Alex was the first to utter an opinion and offered “supple” as an adjective. Alex also called it understated.

I loved the floral notes and beautiful dark fruit and finish. This wine shows the terrior of the Dundee Hills … you can just taste that wonderful red dirt that makes these great wines. I gush about the Winderlea because I think it’s just that good.

The Dudes thought the perfect wine would be Cooper Mountian’s fruit forward style with Winderlea’s supple, spicy, and earthy finish. I’d like to taste that wine but for now, I’m glad there is more Winderlea in the wine cooler.

(Very Highly Recommended)

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com