Oh yeah, I have a blog... (and notes on the NextGen Wine Competition)

Wow, it has been quite a while since I've written a blog post! The few weeks have been busy, but mostly I've been lazy. I've got a lot to catch up on though! I was in California judging at a competition and made a few winery visits during my free time. I got back to Denver just in time for the Colorado Urban Winefest. And to top it off, I had a couple of great dinners with some impressive wines with friends and acquaintances the past few days.

I'll get to those stories in due time, but this post is about the NextGen Wine Competition. For the second year, I was invited by Vineyard and Winery Management (VWM) to judge at the NextGen Wine Competition. The competition was designed specifically with younger (and increasingly more important) wine consumers in mind, and was judged by qualified and knowledgeable wine industry millennials aged 21-35. Most of the judges were from California, but there were a handful from the likes of Colorado, Wisconsin and Illinois. One of the things that Rob Merletti, CEO/Publisher of VWM, mentioned in his speech at the judges' dinner was that he wanted to use the NextGen (and the other 5 competitions VWM owns) as a way to introduce the rest of the wine industry to the grapes and wines of the other 47 states not named California, Oregon and Washington. Being from the east coast, Rob explained that he was introduced to wine via the likes of Chambourcin, Norton and Baco Noir and he hopes that many of America's new wine consumers will discover wine via a similar path of non-traditional varieties from their local wine regions. I was pleasantly surprised that a few of the Cali judges knew what traminette was, but still too many were not aware of how brianna, muscadine and cayuga should be judged. Nevertheless, I applaud Rob and VWM for being so progressive with their vision of the future of the American wine industry. Oh, and vidal blanc made it to the sweepstakes tasting!

I ain't afraid of no ghosts (or Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc)

As I read a few old wine-related articles on the Internet this past week, two things struck me. First is the continual discussion about ethics and disclosure by wine writers. I reread Dr. Vino's post examining how much Robert Parker, Jr. supposedly spends on wine each year for review in his Wine Advocate. The common theme in the comments thread and many other blog posts since was that most people don't care if writers receive free samples or even trips. The thing that readers want is transparency and disclosure of a publication's policies (and I include blogs as publications). If you accept wine, money or other "services" to publish, don't pretend that you don't. If a reviewer is honest about his or her relationship with the wines and wineries he or she reviews, consumers will be able to judge the content on its merits and not suspect a hidden nefarious agenda.

However, the other side of coin reveals that some people believe that bloggers are shills that only give positive reviews to keep receiving free samples. The argument is that you never hear critics bashing wines when they drink with the winemakers, or when we lowly bloggers receive samples. Some might even give good reviews to keep the samples coming and are afraid to admit they didn't like a wine. Well, I have no problem with doing so. A few weeks ago, I received a sample of Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc from the Baddish Group in New York. I don't want to suggest that others won't like the wine, but I did not. In fact, a very similar sauvignon blanc was deemed best white at the NextGeneration Wine Competition. I did not like that New Zealand sauvignon blanc either. Actually, google the wine and you will find more than a handful of other bloggers that also posted (almost unanimously positive) reviews about the same samples. Both my wife and I barely could finish our glasses and we gave the bottle to my mother-in-law who did not find it as offensive. I'm sorry that I did not like the wine, but if a winery or public relations company wants my opinion, I'm going to give it.

2010 Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

I love screw caps and this wine does not disappoint in the ease of opening. It pours a normal bright yellow color. Only when I put my nose in the glass do I begin to wonder if I will like the wine. The usual grass and lime aromas are quickly overpowered by lots of green pepper. Not bad in and of itself, but when all I can taste is acidic and unripe green bell pepper and bitter asparagus. I know that New Zealand sauvignon blancs are known for those traits, but I prefer more mineral and grapefruit flavors as opposed to unripe vegetables. I actually left my glass to sit for an hour with the hope that the greenness would blow off. Nope, still undrinkable. We put the remaining 3/4 of a bottle in the fridge knowing that my mother-in-law was coming over the next night. Now, she's not a wine drinker, but does enjoy a glass of vino here and there. I let her try a sip before pawning it off on her and her response was that she might be able to cook with it. I do not recommend this wine and in fact, this was probably one of the worst wines I've tasted in the past few months. But, like I said, others might like this grassy and green style (see NextGen Competition) so take my advice with a grain of salt. 12.7% alc Sample $11. Below Average

A drive up Eastside Road (with stops at Copain, Marcassin and J Vineyards and Winery)

Tasting Room at Copain Wine Cellars

After judging the NextGeneration Wine Competition (results now posted), I had a an afternoon free in the Russian River Valley AVA. I only had one appointment made ahead of time, and planned to just drive around and see what I could find after my first stop. The day before the competition, I contacted Copain Wine Cellars via Twitter to arrange a visit. After the unveiling of the sweepstakes winners, I made my way up Eastside Road to one of the most beautiful views in Sonoma. The winery overlooks the Russian River and the vineyards that line the banks. Unfortunately, my appointment did not make it on to their calendar, but I did still get to taste through the wines that they had open. First up was 2009 Tous Ensemble Viognier from Mendocino County. This was a nice crisp and acidic viognier with notes of citrus, melon and honeysuckle on both the nose and palate. The highlight of the lineup for me was the 2010 P2, a blend of 50% pinot noir and 50% pinot gris co-feremented. This unique red wine was filled with strawberry and floral aromas. The flavors of tart cranberries were quite intense and complemented the zesty herb flavors of savory and thyme. It is a good thing that Copain decided to make more of this after the initial vintage was bought in its entirety by the Napa culinary mecca, The French Laundry. The Les Voisins pinot noir and syrah that I tasted were very good wines, but did not meet the expectations I had from comments about Copain on Wineberserkers.com. The 2009 Les Voisins Pinot Noir was a blend of vineyards from the Anderson Valley. It was a typical pinot with hints of brush, red raspberry, strawberry, hints of spice, nice tannins with just a touch of cherry cola and violets. It was very refined when compared to many California pinots. The Les Voisins Syrah from the Yorkville Highlands was bright purple, with big fruit, grippy tannins and woody herbs. Both were very good wines, just not anything special. The two single-vineyard designated wines that I did get to try did approach being special wines. The 2007 James Berry Les Copains was a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Mouvedre and 20% Syrah. This sample showed big, yet supple dark fruits along with smooth tannins. It was well balanced and provided a long, rather complex finish. Likewise, the 2007 Alder Springs "Spirit Rock" Syrah was impressive. It had a very aromatic, floral and fruity nose. The tannins were much grippier than in the GSM, but still refined. Blackberry and blueberry jam combined with a Rhônish meatiness and subtle herbs to produce a quite tasty wine. I can see why the buzz with Copain lies with their reasonable prices (all the wines I tried were less than $42 a bottle) and quality (higher-end) single-vineyard labels. The view alone is worth a visit.

A Drive Through Napa Valley (or how social media influenced why I visited Pine Ridge and Alpha Omega)

Last week, I was a judge at the NextGeneration Wine Competition in Santa Rosa, CA. Instead of flying directly into Santa Rosa via a 5 hour stop in Seattle for twice the price, I flew into Sacramento and rented a car for the remainder of my journey. I also flew in the day before to avoid waking up at 3 am the first day of the competition. Apparently karma is getting even and since I've been back, Ben has been getting me up at 3 almost every day. Flying into Sacramento the afternoon before the competition started allowed me to meander my way through the Napa Valley the afternoon of my arrival.

Caves at Pine Ridge Winery

A few days before my visit, I saw a tweet from Pine Ridge Vineyards (I believe my only Napa Valley winery follower at the time) announcing a vertical tasting of their top of the line Fortis label the evening after the competition. Unfortunately, my schedule precluded me from getting back to Napa on Friday afternoon, but I was able to schedule a visit on my way in. After a brief stop at my first In 'N Out Burger (well worth the two U-turns), I was greeted at the winery by the e-marketing coordinator for Crimson Wine Group (Pine Ridge's parent company). As I arrived only 30 minutes before the tasting room closed, I did not get to tour the winery, but did get to taste through most of the wines.

I started with two chardonnays, but the 2009 Petit Clos showed the crisp yet full-bodied flavors I enjoy in a chardonnay. It was very floral on the nose and provided flavors of pear, green apple, lemon and even a bit of grass along with fresh vanilla bean. Of the five 2007 cabernet sauvignons (Napa, Stags Leap, Oakville, Rutherford and Howell Mountain) I tasted, the Rutherford bottle stood out to me as providing the best balance between fruit and body. It could be great tonight or in 15 years. Those who want more assertive tannins might enjoy the big Stags Leap cabernet a bit more.

While I did not get to taste the Fortis, I did taste the 2006 Andrus Reserve, 2006 Epitome and 2008 Onyx. All were very nice wines, but the sweet cherries and plums of the Andrus were the tastiest of the bunch. The Epitome was (as it is no longer being produced) made from select blocks of estate cabernet and has gobs of raspberry, tobacco and tannins that will integrate even more with a few years of bottle aging. While the Onyx was nice, I'd rather drink (several) Argentinian malbecs for the cost of admission. Overall, I was impressed with both the wines and the use of social media at Pine Ridge. Having a good social network presence that is matched by high quality wines will lead to more success at Pine Ridge. Not shilling product, but announcing events and interacting with consumers who happen to follow on Twitter or like on Facebook is the way that wineries need to use these networks, and Pine Ridge gets it.

Alpha Omega Winery

Another aspect of social media PR is promoting others in your industry. As I was leaving, the tasting room staff recommended that I visit Alpha Omega Winery. I have read good things about this newish winery on the Wineberserkers.com online wine forum, but had not had the opportunity to try the wines. I don't know how many wineries monitor the conversations on forums such as Wineberskers, the Wine Spectator Forums or the Wine Library Forums (I used to read the bulletin board over at eRobertParker.com before the pay-wall went up), but I would highly recommend that they do so. Reputations can be made or lost with a only a few positive or negative comments on these sites. With the recommendation at Pine Ridge and the positive reviews from other digitally savvy winelovers, I made my way to the other side of the valley and up to the tasting bar at Alpha Omega.

Alpha Omega is a small (less than 5000 cases annually) winery that uses flying winemaker Michel Rolland as a consultant. The facility just off Highway 29 is exquisite and inviting. I started my tasting with a sauvignon blanc and chardonnay that did not impress me, but the 2010 Rosé was quite memorable. Pomegranate and strawberries flavors were present on the forepalate, but as I had a few more sips, a strange (but good) creamy yogurt flavor presented itself only to morph into a white chocolate covered cherries finish. Not the usual light and crisp rosé, but a tasty wine nonetheless. I did not find the 2008 cabernet sauvignon all that impressive, but the 2008 Proprietary Red Blend and 2009 Era (barrel samples because the 2008 is sold out) were both big and bold wines showing blackberries, raspberries, currants and espresso. The Era was slightly deeper, jammier and more complex than the Blend with sweeter fruit and more supple tannins, but both will undoubtedly impress those who like big Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon dominated blends. Neither are cheap, but might actually be steals considering what some other Napa wines are going for nowadays.

While Alpha Omega does not use Twitter or Facebook nearly as much as Pine Ridge, they definitely have a following on wine-centered social network Wineberserkers.com. Understanding how these marketing tools work, whether a winery chooses to participate or not, is important because consumers are participating regardless. Many consumers choose which wineries to visit and which wines to buy from recommendations via social networks. Even wineries in established wine regions like Napa can be helped or hurt through social media, but developing regions like Colorado have the most to gain from utilizing these tools to develop personal relationships with current and potential customers.

The NextGeneration: How Millenials do Wine Competitions

 Wine: the final frontier. These are the voyages of a group of Millenials. Our continuing mission: to explore, seek out and declare our tastes in wine. To go boldly where no one has gone before. Ok, well maybe it's not totally unexplored territory. Last week, I judged in the NextGeneration Wine Competition at the beautiful Santa Rosa Junior College's Shone Farm in Santa Rosa. The competition was marketed as a way for wineries to gain exposure through the various social channels that we younguns use. And guess what, it is working. Somewhat. I'll mention the few wines that impressed me from the sweepstakes tasting.

Ben's Bubbly: Gruet Winery Demi-Sec

I spent most of the past week in California, as a judge for the NextGeneration Wine Competition. The competition was organized by Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine and judged by a group of  Millenials (under 35-yrs old for this competition). It was a good time and I will have more on the event and the several wineries and tasting rooms that I visited during my free time in coming posts.

In the four days I was gone, it seems like Ben has grown so much. He is now sitting up without any help from us or other objects. However, he doesn't stay up for too long as he is extremely grabby and wants anything within an arm's (or dive's) reach. This means he is getting harder to hold on to and we can't leave him out of our view for more than a few seconds. Unfortunately, his sleeping schedule is still not getting any better either. He's still only sleeping for about 3 hours at a time and he fights his naps during the day. He starts daycare this week, so we're hoping that playing with his friends will tire him out!

Before I left, we opened a New Mexico sparkler from Gruet as I thought I would be tasting mostly California wines. I still don't know 90% of the labels that I tasted, but looking at the rows of open bottles after everything was finished, there were lots of labels from Virginia, New York, and Washington. I even spied a few from Wisconsin, South Dakota and New Jersey.

NV Gruet Winery Demi-Sec


While you won't confuse these New Mexican wines with a true Champagne, I continue to be impressed with what Gruet is producing. Semi-sweet demi-sec wines are rare when compared to their more popular brut cousins, but a welcomed change of pace. This bottle yields light aromas of tangerine and shortbread. Granny Smith apple, lime sherbert and sugar cookie rounds out the palate. The sugar is noticeable, but this wine is not at all sweet. Be aware of this if you're planning on drinking this as a dessert wine, because it is not. 12% abv Purchased $12. Good/Very Good