Ben's Bubbly: 2006 Colorado Cellars Trinity Colorado Champagne

Last week was a big week for Ben. Mom went back to work for just this week to teach an interim class, so Dad got to babysit two days. Grandma also took him for one and he even went to class with Mom for one day! Then, this weekend Mom went out of town (Vegas for a bachelorette party), so Dad got him the entire weekend! But fear not, the other Grandma came out all the way from Wisconsin to help. He was a perfect gentleman the entire weekend (though he did poop on Grandma once...) and we even went to Colorado Springs to visit Ben's uncle and brand new puppy! After a busy seven days, Ben is eagerly awaiting Mom's return tonight!

This week is a big week for Colorado Wine, too. Governor John Hickenlooper kicked off Colorado Wine Week yesterday by touring Two Rivers Winery and Chateau in Grand Junction and announcing his proclamation at Canyon Wind Cellars in Palisade today. Colorado Wine Week culminates with the Celebration of Premier Colorado Wines at the Governor's Residence on June 9 and the Colorado Winefest at Northfield Stapleton on June 11. Almost 50 Colorado wineries will pour and sell their wines to Denver's thirsty wine lovers! To get into the swing of things, we chose one of only three (that I know of) sparkling Colorado wines for this week's Ben's Bubbly.

2006 Colorado Cellars, Trinity Colorado Champagne

With only three sparkling wines produced in Colorado, finding one may be a bit of a task and this is probably the only one you'll find in local retail stores. It is light yellow in color and emits fruity aromas with notes of toast on the nose. It tastes slightly sweet with lots of fruit: oranges, bitter strawberries and sour apple. It reminds me of Grand Mimosa (mimosa with a shot of Grand Marnier added). Overall, there is something not quite right with the wine. It is an average attempt at local sparkling wine (though I wished they'd drop the Champagne name on the label), but no where near the quality of other bubbly at even half the price. I definitely think that Colorado has the potential to produce quality sparkling wine, but we just need some more wineries to collectively raise the bar. 12% abv Purchased $30. Average (tasted 6/3/11)

J Vineyards and Winery Pinot Gris

Last week, I wrote about two different Pinot Grigios from Canyon Wind Cellars. The crux of that piece was how blending grapes changes a wine. I examined how blending two different grapes changes the varietal characteristics of wines made from only a single type of grape. Due to a lack of timing and planning, I did not discuss another aspect of blending, blending the same grape from a variety of regions. These types of blends often highlight (or hide) the characteristics of a wine from each sources' terroir. Days after tasting the Colorado Pinot Grigios, I enjoyed a Pinot Gris from California. While Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same cultivar, there is a noticeable difference between the Italian (Grigio) and French (Gris) winemaking styles of these wines. Pinot Grigio tends to be light, crisp and have citrus and mineral aromas and flavors. Unfortunately, many (not the Canyon Wind wines) are often light to a failing. Pinot Gris on the other hand tends to be heavier and fruitier. They also often have a spiciness that I really enjoy.

While the Canyon Wind Cellars' Pinot Grigio was from a single vineyard in the Grand Valley AVA of western Colorado, the California Pinot Gris was sourced from three distinct growing regions in California. 38% of the grapes were sourced from Clarksburg, 35% from Monterrey and 27% from the Russian River Valley. Each of these regions has a distinct climate that imparts different attributes that talented winemakers can use to blend quality wines that may not speak to a specific place but a style. All three source regions share the climatic characteristics of warm days and cool nights that allow grapes to ripen beautifully. Even though this wine is probably a result of bringing in outside fruit to make the Russian River based juice go further, this entry-level blend provides excellent quality for a small price.

2010 J Vineyards and Winery Pinot Gris, California

A brilliant yellow color in the glass, this wine yields exceptionally citrus aromatics. With slightly honeyed notes, lime and orange blossom dominate the nose. Fruity, yet crisp flavors of lime and spicy lemongrass dance across your tongue. The complexity and spiciness offered here are a few of the reasons I usually enjoy Pinot Gris over Pinot Grigio. This 14% abv Sample $16. Good/Very Good (tasted 5/25/11)

Ben's Bubbly: Moët et Chandon White Star

This past week, Ben discovered his hand and has been a slobbering fool. While he hasn't exactly figured out how to intentionally bring it to his mouth, he takes full advantage of it when he does. Also, this past weekend he slept through the night. It wasn't a sleep marathon by everyone's standards, but six hours is a full night's sleep with an eight week-old. We went to bed at eleven and were surprised when we both woke up for the first time at five the next morning. Unfortunately, Ben did not want to go back to sleep and we were up for the day. We thought we'd take a nap later in the day, but of course that did not happen. While we have been lucky that he is a good sleeper, we really need to start taking a few naps when he does.

Also this week, I learned that I passed the Wine Location Specialist Certificate Program offered by the Center for Wine Origins. The Center for Wine Origins was founded in 2005 by the the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), the grape growers' and winemakers' trade association of Champagne, France; and the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP), the trade association for the grape growers and houses in Douro Valley and Porto, Portugal. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., this organization aims to educate Americans about "the importance of location when it comes to wine, and to gain greater protection of wine place names in the U.S." According the the federal government, Champagne and Port are classified as semi-generic names and prohibited to appear on wine labels unless they also contain the true place of orgin - i.e., "Colorado Champagne" (see more about this next week) or "California Port" or are grandfathered in on labels already in use at the time of the international agreement with the European Union.

The Wine Location Specialist Certificate Program consists of a comprehensive study guide and a 50-question multiple choice exam exam and an essay question. This program is open to wine professionals and free to register for once you are approved by the Center for Wine Origins. I was inspired to take the exam by Joe Roberts of 1WineDude.com and was lucky enough to complete the exam with more than 45 multiple choice questions correct and better than 4 out of 5 points on the essay to pass With Distinction. I am now certified by the IVDP and CIVC to lead wine education seminars, tastings and dinners specific to the Port and Champagne regions. To celebrate this week's Ben's Bubbly, I decided to pop the cork on a true Champagne!

Moët & Chandon White Star, Champagne

Probably best know by their Dom Perignon label, Moët & Chandon is a large Champagne negociant that produces a range of sparkling wines. While I don't buy Moët wines often, this was a bottle with an extinct label purchased by my wife at a school fundraiser auction. Moët has rebranded White Star as Brut Imperial, along with a slightly drier dosage. This wine was light in color with fruity and doughy aromas. I mostly smelled apples and pears, but frosted cupcakes also came to mind. The sugar was definitely noticeable amongst the creaminess on the palate. This wine reminded me of cross between a cream soda and Celestial Seasonings' Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea. This was a nice wine, but a bit sweeter than I like my bubbly. I am glad that Moët decided to drop their dosage levels in the Brut Imperial. 12% abv. Purchased $50. Good (tasted 5/27/11)

Wine Blog Awards 2011

Wine blogs have become part of the mainstream wine media, and in fact there are more blogs than glossy magazines. Like this site, most bloggers write for the love and pure enjoyment of it. Sure, the occasional sample bottle or two is fun to receive but most of us are not officially compensated for our writing. Recognition is not measured in dollars and cents but by Twitter followers, Facebook likes and reader comments. There are a few organizations that seek to acknowledge the cream of the blogger crop and yesterday, the 2011 Wine Blog Awards nomination period began and will close May 31. The fifth annual Wine Blog Awards are now perhaps the most recognized resource for showcasing excellence in wine blogging. The winners are announced live each year at the North American Wine Bloggers Conference which will be held this year in Charlottesville, VA in July. Many wine enthusiasts eagerly nominate their favorite blogs with the hopes of helping them earn blogger street cred. Without nominating myself, as a few other bloggers have conspicuously done, here are my nominations for each category. I suggest that you nominate your favorite wine blogs, too!

Best Overall Wine Blog: 1winedude.com

Best New Wine Blog: terroirist.com

Best Writing on a Wine Blog: blog.wblakegray.com

Best Winery Blog: mesaparkvineyards.wordpress.com

Best Single Subject Wine Blog: coloradowino.com

Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog: dirtysouthwine.com

Best Industry/Business Wine Blog: fermentation.typepad.com

Best Wine Blog Graphics, Photography, and Presentation: swirlsmellslurp.com

Ben's Bubbly: Knipser Pinot Brut

Ben had several adventures this week. He had his first babysitting adventure while mom and dad went to the Colorado Corks and Cuisine event at the Four Mile Historic Park. Local caterers partnered with area wineries, breweries, distilleries and artists to provide a lovely event despite the rain. Grandma was very excited to look after the little guy while we enjoyed our first 'date' night out in more than two months. We sampled some tasty food (the lobster mac and cheese and the wild mushroom wontons stood out in my mind) and sipped on a selection of wines from Augustina's Winery, Bonacquisti Wine Company, Canyon Wind Cellars, Snowy Peaks Winery, Water 2 Wine and Wild Women Winery.

A few nights later we went up to Boulder to have dinner with friends. Ben was a perfectly behaved gentleman while we had dinner, which we started with a Sekt for this week's Ben's Bubbly, a 1999 Knipser Pinot Brut. We also enjoyed a far too young 2000 Cos d'Estournel alongside a 2001 Cottonwood Cellars Reserve Merlot and finished with a beautiful 1993 Weingut Gunderloch Nachenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Auslese Gold Cap that will hold for many years to come. Ben slept soundly as we drove home well past our bedtime.

Our final outing with Ben this week was to downtown Denver for EatDenver's Big Eat. We arrived thirty minutes before the event was supposed to end, but the vendors were all out of food and we were out of luck. Since Ben was asleep in our new Okkatots carrier, we decided to make the trip worthwhile and grab a bite to eat at Rioja. However, against my wife's better judgment, I left the diaper bag in the car six blocks away. Needless to say that was a bad idea with explosive consequences. Not three bites into my salad did I have to rush to the car to fix the problem. I have to thank our server, skinny Mike, for his awesome service and making an otherwise uncomfortable meal enjoyable even if we did have to finish it at home. We will definitely have to return more prepared to fully appreciate the restaurant.

1999 Knipser Pinot Brut, Pfalz

Hailing from Germany's largest wine, this wine was sort of an enigma. The back label said this was a rosé, but it definitely was a lovely golden color of a blanc de noirs. I assume that this error was due to the importer believing a sparkling pinot noir would be pink. Aged ten years on the lees, this wine was young at heart and would easily hold its own against much more expensive vintage Champagne. Slightly doughy and very fruit forward on the nose, this exquisite sekt tasted like brioche french toast with a strawberry compote. If you see this rarity from this world-class producer pick up a few bottles! 12.5% abv Purchased $34. Very Good/Excellent (tasted 5/21/11)

To Blend or Not to Blend: Pinot Grigio

A few weeks ago, Steve Heimoff discussed his tasting of the Harlan Estate and BOND Estates 2008 and 2007 lineup. He mentioned that he often prefers the *cheaper* blended Matriarch. Much of his post and subsequent reader commentary explored the "concept of whether a blended wine could not be more complete than a single vineyard wine." Steve's argument was based on the idea that blended wines might be better wines because a winemaker could accentuate the desirable characteristics of individual sites or different varietal characteristics. In fact, many wines use this concept to create "house" styles rather than wines of terroir. Bordeaux and the proprietary red wines of Napa Valley are blends that often vary from year to year. High-end reds aren't the only  wines made utilizing this concept. Champagne is another popular blended wine. While not as prevalent with white wines, several very popular blends, Conundrum, Evolution and Ménage à Trois, are made from different combinations of white grapes. Blending represents the highest form of a winemaker's artistic expression.

Although I have yet to receive my invitation to visit and taste Bill Harlan's grand cru portfolio, I still wanted to explore the differences of single-vineyard and blended wines. If any from Harlan is reading, I will accept said invitation! The simplest way to do so was to taste not a complex blend like those three widely marketed wines I listed above, but to taste a wine blended with only two grapes. I wanted to determine if a single-vineyard or blended wine is better. Obviously, differences would be highly specific to individual wines. For this endeavor, I selected two wines from Canyon Wind Cellars; a single-vineyard pinot grigio from the Cliffside Vineyard and a blend of 60% pinot grigio from the same vineyard and 40% chardonnay from the nearby Riverside Vineyard. I had my wife pour the two wines and I tasted them blind to determine the differences between these two similar yet different wines. I didn't want to be influenced by my preconceived ideas about what the wines *should* taste like, but the varietal characteristics were quite apparent and I was able to easily identify which glass contained chardonnay and which contained only pinot grigio. In this case, I preferred the lovely aromatics and crisp acidity of the pinot grigio to the blend, but my wife tried them both later and preferred the blend. Get them both and see which you prefer!

2010 Canyon Wind Cellars, Pinot Grigio, Grand Valley AVA, Colorado

Exceptionally light in color and almost clear on the rim, this wine is beautifully aromatic with scents of melon, apricot, citrus and hints of salt and minerals. The refreshingly crisp palate is redolent of kaffir lime and honeydew melon. As I tasted, I knew it had to be the pinot grigio and wanted to pair it with prosciutto-wrapped melon. I'm not usually a fan of pinot grigio, but this one I do like.12.9% abv Sample $15. Good (tasted 5/18/11)

2010 Canyon Wind Cellars, 47-Ten, Grand Valley AVA, Colorado

This wine is light yellow in color, but just slightly darker than the pinot grigio. The nose is slightly muted, but cedes notes of apples and apricots. The chardonnay adds body and alcohol to the bright and crisp pinot grigio. In no way out of balance, the alcohol is more noticeable in this wine than the other. This light blend offers flavors similar to white peach grape juice and apples. This is a nice wine that would complement a tasty summer barbeque or relaxing by the pool. 13.6% abv Sample $13. Average/Good (tasted 5/18/11)

Ben's Bubbly: d'Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Chambourcin

This week Ben met some of his future friends. Three of my wife's co-workers had babies within five months of Ben's arrival and this weekend was the first time all of the little ones "met" each other. We had planned on going to a park and lining the future class of 2029 up on a blanket, but the rain and cold weather forced us to meet at a McDonald's PlayPlace so that a big sister could be entertained. The infant crew includes a 6-month old, a 4-month old, a 2-month old and our 6-week old. It was amazing to see the differences that only a few months can make! And as much as Ben has grown these past few weeks, the changes are only going to more noticeable. Before we know it, he is going to be running laps around us and then take the car for a spin. :( Until then, we are still going to be enjoying our weekly bubbly.

d'Arenberg, The Peppermint Paddock, Sparkling Chambourcin, McLaren Vale

This is a not-so-typical sparkling wine from a not-so-typical grape. Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid known for lacking the unpleasant hybrid flavors. I never thought that a French-American hybrid would be found in Australia, but I can see why now. This deep dark purple bubbly coats the glass as you swirl. It might surprise people by being dry, fruity and losing its fizz after a short time in the glass. It smells like a bowl full of freshly picked red and blue fruit that hasn't been washed. This little bit of woodsiness adds some complexity, but this wine is mostly about fruit. After sipping on it for a while, it felt like I was munching on mocha dusted Bing cherries. This is a fun and good wine, but a bit pricey for the novelty. 13.5% abv Purchased $32. Good (tasted 5/12/11)