Wino Info

WINO INSTITUTE WANTS YOU. . .BUDDY!

2009-08-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Aspiring wino's, accomplished wino's, all the wino's join me for the exciting first offering of Wino Institute!

BASICS for BEGINNERS

Taste FIVE outstanding wines. These ain't your mama's chardonnay or your daddy's cabernet. We'll taste some of the best grape juice you've EVER had, and it can all be purchased for $20 or less in a retail store.

90 minutes of personal class instruction from a guy with 13 years in the wine biz. I'm going to give you useful information, tell you great stories and history. . .and you're going to ask me everything you've always wanted to know about wine, but were too afraid to ask.

An opportunity to purchase bottles of all the wine we taste at prices below retail.

PLUS. . .snacks and surprises!

The Wheres, Whens, and Whatnots:

Besaw's Restaurant
2301 NW Savier St.
Portland, OR
*please DO NOT contact Besaw's for info. or reservations*

Monday, August 31, 2009
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
*Reservations Required*

$25 / wino over the age of twenty-one
Cash & Local Checks Only Please
*Wine tasted will be available for purchase after class*

To Reserve Your Seat, Contact Evan at winoinstitute@gmail.com

Salud!
Evan.

Basics for Beginners

2009-08-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

The first class at the Wino Institute is only 10 days away! The focus of the August 31 tasting is Basics for Beginners and we'll be sampling some amazing wines that we can all afford to drink regularly. Hope to see you there!

The wheres, whens, and whatnots:

Besaw's Restaurant
2301 NW Savier St.
Portland, OR 97210
*please DO NOT contact Besaw's for reservations or information*

Monday, August 31, 2009
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
*Reservations Required*
$25 / wino over the age of twenty-one
Cash and local checks accepted
Wine tasted will be available for purchase after class
For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Evan at winoinstitute@gmail.com

Salud!
Evan.

Wino Institute

2009-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Happy fun times. . .the Wino Institute is born!

Join me for the innaugural class of my joyful ambition, teaching the pleasure and detail of wine in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. Assisting others in the great quest to "get it" is the destination. Tasting ya'll on some really great wine will lead us down the path.

The wheres, whens, and whatnots:

Besaw's Restaurant
2301 NW Savier St.
Portland, OR 97210
*please DO NOT contact Besaw's for reservations or information*

Monday, August 31, 2009
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
*Reservations Required*
$25 / wino over the age of twenty-one
Cash and local checks accepted
Wine tasted will be available for purchase after class

For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Evan at winoinstitute@gmail.com

Salud!
Evan.

Suck It Up Buttercup

2009-06-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Need some fantastic wine at a fantastic price for copious summertime consumption? Of course you do. The following will do the trick for just about anyone.

2007 Bodegas Naia "Las Brisas"
Rueda, Spain
Retail Price: $10-14

Las Brisas is a wine absolutely perfect for hot weather drinking. It's loaded with bright, zesty citrus with grapefruit dominating. Fleshy, ripe melon makes the palate feel juicy for several minutes, and the acidity alone will keep you cool. Balanced, refreshing, and cheap.....what else you want?
Las Brisas is a blend of 50% Verdejo - 25% Sauvignon Blanc - 25% Viura
Bodegas Naia also makes two other great (though more expensive) bottlings: "Naia" and "Naiades"

Get cool.
Be cool.
Stay cool.

Salud!
Evan.

Back To The Future

2009-05-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!

Each spring, Bordeaux estates begin selling "futures" of wine from the previous vintage, which is still in barrel. The upside is that a buyer of futures can secure bottles at a much lower price than when the wine is released a few years after the vintage. The downside is that one must shell out cash for wine that will not be realized for a couple of years. This process is vitally important to the financial sustainability of the producers. Even serious collectors of Bordeaux and California cabernet sometimes forget the discrepency in production levels between the two regions as most high end (often called cult or boutique) Napa Valley cabernet makers produce and release a small fraction of their French counterparts. Most of the venerable Bordeaux estates produce 20-50,000 cases each vintage compared to 500-1000 cases released by many Napa houses. Due to their huge volume of highly priced wine, Bordeaux wineries must rely upon the sale of futures for financial success. The strongest factor in appealing to futures buyers is a great score from a major wine publication.

Wine reviewers such as Robert Parker now taste barrel samples and release projected scores for wine that is six to twelve months from bottling. These scores are expressed as ranges, such as 92-95 out of 100. In the age of "flipping" wine for profit, these scores are all important to collectors planning to sell their futures once the bottles are released. For collectors planning to keep and consume the wine themselves, the scores and tasting notes written during futures sales can provide valuable insight into the "future" success of the wine once aged in bottle. A favorable score range from a major wine publication can do wonders for the sale of futures, especially at smaller estates and larger chateau considered to be overpriced in recent vintages.

Where and how to buy Bordeaux futures:

Many wine shops offer futures either through a distributor or importer. If you have a shop that you trust, ask if they offer futures and check out their program. If you don't have local access to a futures purveyor, check out the following link to THE CHICAGO WINE COMPANY. It's a small, traditional auction house that can be trusted. I've personally done business with them many times and always with great success and integrity.

That's all for now. Enjoy the Spring weather!

Salud!
Evan.

I Break For Greatness

2008-08-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

Something wonderful happened just after my last post, I had a truly great wine. After my dinner party and I emptied the bottle, writing in this blog about greatness seemed quite natural. FORTUNATELY (no un) there is no standardized test for balance and beauty in wine. But how then can one claim with any certainty that a particular bottle is or isn't great? What does great mean? What does a perfect bottle taste like and where can we all get more? I needed to take a break and consider these questions.

Without a doubt, the single best way to learn to identify a great wine is to taste a lot of wine in general. In doing so, you will be forced to endure many bad wines at all price levels. Many that you taste will be quite fine and drinkable, and again, at all price levels. It will take time to recognize genuine balance as most wine today is made to WOW and DAZZLE the consumer rather than enrich ones connection to earth and fruit. What I can promise is that by the time you critically taste your first hundred bottles, you likely will have had about 5 really great ones that will stay in your blissful memory for quite a time. It's unfortunate, maybe even sad, but nonetheless true.

To me, a great wine is a balanced wine. It makes nearly any food you combine it with taste better. Great wine is courageous enough to stand alone and flexible enough to blend with its surroundings. The aroma fills you chest, throat, and mouth with excitement. The juice itself practically melting on the palate, but continually re-energizing itself with fresh acid, perfectly ripe fruit, and a structure that doesn't show any cracks or seams. Each flavor and texture becomes another, blending and actually making one another better. Once down the hatch, the lingering flavors and aroma continue to enchant, perhaps even giving the illusion of the liquid still resting on the tongue. Most importantly to me is that it feels a little like falling in love. The wine gives all its wonder and beauty, and in return, leaning into it feels completely natural. You are seduced and you must have MORE! (in some cases, this condition is known as alcoholism)

Where can you get your great bottle? Beats the hell outta me. Nearly every great bottle I've been privileged to taste has caught me by surprise, and I can recall almost all of them in detail. The same cannot be said about all the many bad and mediocre sips that have pierced my lips. If you'd like a start, the great bottle I had just a few weeks ago is listed below. The importer descibes it as "the kind of wine where you don’t need anything else ever, or so it seems."

Vintage: 2006
Producer: Hirsch
Grape: Gruner Veltliner
Country: Austria
Region: Kamptal
Bottling: "Heiligenstein"
Cost: $22

By the way, we ended up having this bottle with cheeseburgers and potato chips. Gruner Veltliner is a white wine known for its pairing with asparugus and all things spring and summer green. It's dry, even austere, and not at all a wine that most would consider for beef. We had cheeseburgers.......and the wine was perfect!

Salud!
Evan.

How About Them Tomatoes!

2008-08-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes are so bountiful in August, and many people scratch their heads all month as one wine after another doesn't seem to pair quite well enough. Sauvignon blanc and chardonnay rarely do the trick, and most red wine just smothers the ripe and juicy tomato flavor. Do not fear. There are many yummy and widely available wines to wash down your favorite heirloom. As you can tell, tomatoes have an abundance of acid. The key is to seek wines that balance that acid with softness. Some are cheap....er....inexpensive and some will cost you a few days work, but all will change your experience with tomato/wine pairing and hopefully, make your August a little cooler.

- VIOGNIER: Say it with me now, (vee-oh-NYAY). This grape is indigenous to Northern Rhone in southern France. Examples from France are more delicate (and more expensive) than those from North America and Australia, which can almost exclusively be attributed to alcohol content. The wine viognier grapes make is typically round and fleshy, loaded with VERY ripe fruit, and low in acid. Dry, table wine viognier is almost always meant to be consumed young so don't fall for special "deals" on older bottles from your local wine shop. The equation for pairing is simple; light and delicate tomatoes should pair with French viognier, big and meaty varieties with U.S. and Australian bottles.

- GRUNER VELTLINER: I'll put it this way, if you're eating a savory fruit or vegetable and you can't find a decent wine to pair with it, get some gruner veltliner. "GruVe" is famous for its ability to match with hard to pair summertime favorites such as tomatoes, asparagus, and brussel sprouts. Almost all gruner is from Austria and much of what's on the market in the U.S. is quite inexpensive. This juice is dry (although tremendous late harvest gruner is made in small quantities) and wonderful for summertime drinking with just about anything.

- PINOT GRIS & PINOT BLANC: In this case, I quite specifically mean gris and blanc from Alsace, France. Pinot gris from Alsace is considerably different than Italian pinot grigio. Alsatian gris is bigger and softer, ripe, and lower in acid. Just about any wine shop or grocery store carries inexpensive bottles, but the best will set you back $50 and up. Pinot blanc from Alsace on the other hand is cheaper, lighter, and drier than gris. Although it's more difficult to find than gris, the delicacy of Alsatian pinot blanc is worth the effort. As with different examples of viognier, pair pinot blanc with lighter, sweeter tomatoes and pinot gris with more muscular tahmahtahs. *If you must buy pinot gris and blanc from North America, choose those from Oregon. However, pay attention to alcohol labeling and select bottles listed as 13.5% or lower.*

- ROSE: Really, any will do. My favorites for tomatoes are from southern France's Rhone Valley, Provence, and Languedoc, as well as those from Spain's Rioja region. American bottles can work well, but are again usually higher in alcohol. Choose those with 13.5% hooch or less for maximum gratification!

I'll let you get going now. There are a lot of tomatoes to eat and not a moment to spare. But now you can drink some wine with them that actually tastes good. What a revelation!

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

Makin' Scores

2008-08-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

The perceived importance of wine scores from publications such as Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and many others has grown exponentially in recent years. Almost all reviewers and periodicals use a 100 point scale, with 100 points essentially being a "perfect" wine. For those who haven't seen a chart of how these scores break down, the following is the information listed in each and every issue of Wine Spectator.

95-100 Classic: a great wine
90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
50-74 Not recommended

First off, ya'll can see that the 100 point scale is really a 50 point scale. Below 50 will apparently kill you on contact or at least make you immediately spit up, as Wine Spectator can't even list a definition for a score below fifty. Many (including me) would argue that it's really a 20 point scale as wines with a score below 80 are basically written off as crap without so much as a sip by the average consumer. Furthermore, you'll be hard pressed to find a shelf talker at any retail store advertising a score below 85, regardless of price. Second, the translation of these scales is often misguided as the definitions of the score ranges are misleading.

A wine scoring 95-100 points from any serious reviewer can be relied upon as technically sound, and more than likely, a great candidate for mid to long term cellaring. But that's the key, these wines are rarely in shape to be consumed on release or even within a year or two. Most "classic" scoring bottles are tight and under-developed, needing time in the cellar to mature and flourish. Many a wine drinker (including me) has been terribly disappointed by a young 97 point wine that was never meant to be opened so soon.

The range that most wine drinkers should try to hit is about 87-92. Bottles with these scores are generally ripe and ready for consumption. In fact, you can be assured that most producers who achieve scores in this range quite purposefully make their wine to be consumed young as most wine is purchased and opened on the same day.

Most importantly, be aware that scores are very rough guides. The idea that only wines with a score below 80 from Wine Spectator "may have minor flaws" is absurd. Many wines with scores above 85 have minor flaws, both technically and aesthetically. If you want to use scores as your guide when selecting at retail, sample wines that different reviewers and publications select and recommend. Identify those that most resemble your palate and taste, then use their scores more frequently or exclusively.

Remember, scores are only an outline. You can't drink a score, and a big score won't make a wine that you don't enjoy or appreciate any better.

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

Readin' Makes Us Smart

2008-07-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wine sections in book stores seem to grow by the day as vino becomes more and more popular in the U.S. If one can only buy three for a lifetime of knowledge and reference, may I recommend the following:

- Wine Lover's Companion by Ron Herbst & Sharon Tyler Herbst

Simply put, this is a wine dictionary. The authors relate definitions to thousands of wine terms on topics such as winemaking, famous vineyards, producers, regions, tasting language, and much more. This book is a must have for anyone learning about wine, and comes in handy regularly for those with more advanced knowledge. For about $15 at nearly any bookstore, "Wine Lover's Companion" is worth every penny.

- Michael Broadbent's Pocket Vintage Wine Companion by Michael Broadbent

Twenty-Two bucks gets you historical vintage information for nearly every wine region in the world, some dating back three hundred years. It's a small book that packs a punch, offering weather and growing conditions, cellaring recommendations, and even specific information on top producers. This book is updated every few years and a new edition was released in 2007. One disappointing point of note is that Mr. Broadbent omitted Oregon and Washington in the latest edition. Why I couldn't say (especially as wine from these states is more popular than ever), but it's pretty glaring and not a welcome change. Otherwise, this little 400 pager just couldn't be better!

- The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson

The mother of all wine reference guides, this hefty book is a large 800+ pages crammed with more information than any of us will ever remember. You'll have to get your wallets out though kids as "The Oxford" will set you back about $70. Look for used copies online to save money if you don't have the clams. Either way, get this book and almost any wine question you have will be answered.

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

Beauty

2008-07-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

A former mentor of mine is Terry Theise. He works with an importer called Michael Skurnik Wines in NY, and in my humble opinion, is one of the worlds great experts on the subject of wine. No one has done more to popularize small production wine from Germany, Austria, and Champagne than Mr. Theise, and not many write so creatively about wine in general. To learn more about Terry Theise and Michael Skurnik Wines, please click the following link for skurnikwines.com.

Terry releases a catalog each year for the afore mentioned regions with oooooodles of information about the vintage and every producer in his portfolio. Below is the "Theise Manifesto," which appears at the beginning of each catalog. Enjoy!

"Beauty is more important than impact.

Harmony is more important than intensity.

The whole of any wine must always be more than the sum of its parts.

Distinctiveness is more important than conventional prettiness.

Soul is more important than anything, and soul is expressed as a trinity of family, soil and artisanality.

Lots of wines, many of them good wines, let you taste the noise. But only the best let you taste the silence."

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

The Wonder of Riesling

2008-07-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

The most flexible and diverse of all white varietals, rielsing is also the great divider among wine drinkers. Those who love this noble grape will tell you that much like Champagne, riesling pairs well with nearly any meal (or any rielsing). Others simply refer to riesling as "too sweet" and pass by on their way to chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. The wonderful truth is that there exists a riesling to satisfy EVERYONE if just a little bit of knowledge is applied. Once one understands a few simple tips about riesling, a whole new world of well priced, outstanding wines will offer their magic to you.

Most great riesling is produced in three places; Germany, Austria, and Alsace, France. The quality of riesling in places like Australia, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Italy is constantly improving, but alcohol is generally higher and its beautifully delicate nature is sometimes lost. Below is your handy guide to finding the perfect riesling for your taste, and hopefully, some motivation to drink outside the box.

GERMANY:
The original source, and certainly the nation that produces the greatest variety of riesling. Many wines are capable of aging for decades (yes, riesling cellars very well) due to a balance of sugar and acid found nowhere else. Expect low alcohol levels from Germany, mostly ranging from 7.5-10%. That means that one can enjoy a full bottle of 8% German riesling with equivilant alcohol to a half bottle of a typical California zinfandel or syrah. German riesling is labeled by ripeness level, so guessing as to the sweetness of your local selection is unnecessary. What's more, the following distinctions can be applied to many other white wines from Germany.

- Riesling Kabinett: Typically medium dry and of high quality. Kabinett level is commonly found at any decent wine shop and won't break your bank.
- Riesling Spatlese: Riper and sweeter yet, but most have enough acidity to create balance. The body and fullness of the wine typically increases at this level as well.
- Riesling Auslese: Higher sugar concentration and greater weight. Auslese is consumed by some as dessert wine, but is suitable as table wine for those who don't mind (or love) the sweet!
- Riesling Beerenauslese: Late harvest juice that's almost always considered dessert/after dinner wine. Sugar is way up, and so is the price tag. Half bottles are the norm at this level and above, and you should expect to pay $30+ for a good one at retail. Many are well over $100.
- Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese: It's a mouthful to say and even better to drink. Typically massive and outstanding wines with the cost to match. Not widely available, but VERY good for aging.
- Riesling Eiswein (Icewine): Rotten, frozen grapes........and I'm sure you'll agree, one of the best sensations to touch ones palate in a lifetime. Rare and expensive, Eiswein is the sweetest of all.

Caveats: German riesling also offers two qualifiers to further affect your choice. Bottles are sometimes marked Trocken (dry) or Halb-Trocken (half dry). Therefore, most Riesling Spatlese Trocken will be MUCH drier than most Riesling Kabinett. If you spot a Riesling Kabinett Trocken, oh baby, that's bone dry riesling from Germany. Beginners, try the under $20 Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett from the "Mosel-Saar-Ruwer" region (also available as Riesling Halbtrocken).

AUSTRIA:
If you like dry, you're going to like Austrian riesling. I'd call this riesling for the sauvignon blanc/pinot grigio drinker. Steely, rich, and powerful riesling is made with mid-range prices tags. Bottles are easy to spot as nearly all display a red circle with a white stripe over the cork. A sure bet for any first timer is Nigl "Kremser Freiheit" riesling, priced at 20 bucks or less at retail. Austrian wine in general is not widely available at retailers or restaurants in a smaller city or rural area, but that's why Al Gore invented the internets, right?

ALSACE:
Riesling for the chardonnay drinker, Alsatian riesling is generally rounder and softer than German or Austrian. Lower acid levels and a longer growing season make these wines more approachable for the newbie, and hey, who doesn't like soft melons?..........in their wine. If you have the 50 bucks, try Mure "Clos St. Landelin" Riesling. This one got me interested in Alsatian wine and I'll bet it does the same for you.

* Please click the title of this post for further information on this majestic grape variety *

So put down that big Cali chardonnay and try riesling again. Now that you're equipped with some knowledge, you can find the perfect rielsing just for you.

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

p.s. - Although it can be difficult to find, several producers of still German riesling also make sparkling wine called "sekt." Quite inexpensive when compared to Champagne, sekt is one of my favorites for summer drinking. Expect most to be dry, packed with stone fruit and focused acidity.........also, expect to go directly back to the store for more. Recommending a producer would be folly as you likely won't find a specific label with any regularity. When you find a sekt at a decent wine shop, buy it and enjoy all by itself on a sunny summer day. Wonderful juice kids, just wonderful.

Summertime Slurpers

2008-07-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Summer is fully upon us and crisp, refreshing white wines are on the menu today. Below you'll find a few suggestions for hot weather drinking. These bottlings are widely available at retail and won't set you back more than 10-25 bucks.

- Berger Gruner Veltliner ($11-14 / one litre bottle)
Gruner Veltliner is an Austrian varietal that's typically dry and crisp, and pairs well with just about any green vegetable, as well as chicken and pork. It's also great all by itself and generally has a lower alcohol content than chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot gris. This bottling from Berger has long been a tremendous value, especially since it's 25% larger than the standard 750ml.

- Verget "Saint-Veran" & "Vire-Clesse" ($18-25 / 750ml)
100% chardonnay direct from the original source, Burgundy, France. Jean-Marie Guffens is the very eccentric winemaker for this brand and has been making racey, focused wine from leased vineyards all over central France. Fin fish with medium fattiness, shellfish, veggie salads, dry cheese, and poultry do well with this wine.

- Copain "l'ete" Viognier ($15-20 / 750ml)
This producer bottles a series called "Saison des Vins" or "Seasonal Wine" of which the "l'ete" viognier is a part. The varietals are often not the same from year to year within each season, but the wines are wonderful and well priced. Expect lots of very ripe fruit and decent acidity to pair with ............. fresh fruit of course! Personally, I like drinking Copain wines with no food at all, they're that good. Be aware that Copain's non-seasonal bottlings are much more expensive, but if you can afford the goods you should give 'em a shot. The vineyard designated syrah offerings are magnificent! Also, Copain's seasonal bottlings DO NOT list Copain as the producer on the front label, but rather the French word for the particular season on a small, rectangular, cream colored label.

- Baumard "Cremant de Loire" ($15-20 / 750ml)
Sparkling wine from Loire, France is a must have for summer sipping. Nobody does it better than Baumard, a producer known more for high scoring, high priced late harvest chenin blanc. Choose from two very different bottlings: "Carte Corail," a pale rose made entirely from cabernet franc, or my favorite "Carte Turquoise," a generous load of fruit and acidity made from 100% chenin blanc. These are pure and balanced wines that don't need any food to enjoy. If you prefer some treats to accompany, keep it simple with strawberries, light cheese and bread, and even sweets such as custard and sorbet.

Get out there and shop lil winos. You absolutely can't miss with any of these wines. You will love them and friends will be most impressed by your exquisite taste. Happy summer ya'll!

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

Seeeeeeecrets

2008-07-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Little known amongst wine consumers is that alcohol labeling on bottles is rarely correct. For instance, a bottle marked as 14.2% alcohol may actually contain as much as 15.7% hooch! That's a mighty big difference when selecting the perfect wine for dinner. The reason you ask........taxes! Producers pay tax rates on their wine production based upon alcohol content. This includes ALL wine sold in the United States, imported and domestic. Because wine production is an agricultural business with yearly fluctuations in ripeness and consequent alcohol levels, the gubment allows producers some wiggle room for their labels. It breaks down like this:

- Labels marked up to 14.099999% alcohol (which would appear as 14.0%) allows producers .5% leeway. That means that a bottle marked 13.8% can be as low as 13.3% and as high as 14.099999.

- Labels marked at 14.1% and above allows producers 1.5% flexibility. Therefore, a bottle displaying 14.5% can be as high as 16.0% and as low as 13.6% (once the actual alcohol level drops below 14.1%, the afore mentioned rule for wines below 14.1% applies).

This flexibilty affords producers the option of printing labels for multiple vintages at once. If a winery has a ten year history of ripeness levels that always produce wines between 14.3% and 14.9%, they can print the next three or four years of labels ahead of time and at a great discount. Take note of your favorite bottlings from year to year as some producers display the same alcohol content on every label in every vintage.

It should be noted that these tax laws apply to the vast majority of table wine consumed around the world. Laws for very low alcohol wine, beer, and brandy fortified wine such as Port are different, but operate within a similar structure.

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.

p.s. - One of my favorite producers in Oregon, Adelsheim, actually ships their wine to California to be "de-alcoholized." The term is misleading as most of the alcohol remains afterward, but a wine considered to be a little "hot" can have a couple tenths of a percentage shaved off to create better balance. If you haven't tried the wines from Adelsheim, I highly recommend you do so and see for yourself what this handy little trick can accomplish.

Welcome Wine Lovah'

2008-07-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today I bring you the first post for a brand new blog dedicated to wine information. Now and in the future you can expect tasting notes, tips, tricks, and secrets. Hopefully, lots of fun conversation will occur amongst myself and the readers of this blog, and a community of wine lovers of all levels can enjoy discussing one of our favorite topics.

Today's Wine Tip:
Embrace screw caps and support producers who use them. An estimated 6-10% of all natural cork bottlings are infected with a bacteria called TCA (trichloroanisole). You may hear others refer to these bottles as "corked." It doesn't mean the bottles are open, but rather that they're "infected." Much of the infection is caused by chemical combinations used to clean winery cellars, unsanitary cellar practices at wineries, and cross contamination from a few tainted corks being washed in giant tubs with "clean" corks. The result of the tainted corks interacting with wine is a rather unpleasant scent and taste of mold and dirty-wet dog at it's strongest, and produce a rather lackluster wine with very little "pop" at lower levels. While TCA can still occur with screw caps, it's found in less than 1% of bottles. A pretty sweet shift for drinkers who won't be finding themselves opening special bottles with friends only to find them stinking of Rover and a moldy stack of newspapers in grandma's basement.

If you are unlucky enough to pop one of these funky monsters, take it back to the retailer ASAP so they can tell for themselves that it's a bad bottle. If they won't return your money, find a new wine peddler. Retailers and restaurants get their money back from the distributor who in turn recover the cost from producers and importers.

* To read more about cork taint, please click the title of this post for a link to a wikipedia article. *

Remember to tell your wine lovin' friends about this blog. It's open to everyone and I hope they all stop by. The direct URL is http://www.winoinfo.blogspot.com/ - Pretty easy hey? Good, now get 'er done!

Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.