March 10, 2006 - Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia

The Shiraz tasting was more like a party than a gathering of wine afficionados...oh who am I kidding, they're all like that! Below you can read about the wines tried, the comments that were made, and advise from yours truly about which wines to purchase because I tell you to.

1. Jacob's Creek, Southeastern Australia, 2003. Ok, this wine was a great example of how wineries, especially large corporate ones, try to deceive the wine buying public, and why knowledge is king. On the front of the bottle, under the varietal name 'Shiraz" there was only a date, and not the typical place information that usually appears. Then, at the bottom of the label was a little story about how Pa Jacob (or whatever the wine founder's name was) started the Jacob's Creek wine in the Barossa Valley 50 years ago. Now, this would lead the buyer to think that the wine was actually made in the Barossa Valley, with perhaps the grapes coming from there too. Not true. The story was just a deceptive little way around the system of place-naming. You see, the Barossa Valley is a well-known region for growing and making Shiraz grapes and wine, so of course, Jacob's Creek wants to make the buyer think that the wine came from there, but they can't out and out lie. So, hence the story. It's only when we turn the bottle around and see on the back label that these grapes came from Southeastern Australia, a very average region for Shiraz. Damn marketing.

Now for the tasting: Peppery, dark cherries. Very average, not interesting at all. Pointless. $10. About $9 too much.

2. Lindeman's, Padathaway, 2004. Although this tasting was originally just Barossa Valley, tasters found it hard to purchase a bottle and not have to take out a loan. So the requirements were broadand a little to include most of South Australia (not to be confused with Southeastern Australia).

This inky wine had a pleasant but extremely subtle bouquet and tasted of chocolate, tobacco, and cooked fruit with a stronger peppery aftertaste. I was in the minority, and enjoyed this wine a bit more than the rest of the group who were looking for more of a punch. Definitely worth trying for a more elegant style than the typical big Australian Shiraz. $10, great value.

3. Barossa Valley Estate, Spires, Barossa Valley, 2003. The name "Spires" threw many tasters, but lots of wineries name their wines like this. It's sorta cutesy, but it eliminates the class system of using terms like "reserve" or "vintner's choice."

This wine received the most varied notes, although "musky" was a common descriptive used. From full and smoky, to slightly sweet and acidic, to even woody, this wine had an identity crisis. I found that it craved food, but in the end was unbalanced. $10

4. Peter Lehmann, Barossa, 2003. Ok, I must take the credit for bringing the most popular wine (I just do my research, people!). A surprising creamy mouthfeel with hints of butterscotch (?) and a smooth lingering finish. Very full and truly satisfying. Yum. $15

5. Craneford, Allyson Parsons Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 2003. Very earthy and super bold. Spicy, fruity, and a bit cola-like. Almost sweet, with the usual hints of tobacco and pepper. This was interesting, but not great. Try for a kick. $14.

January 20, 2006 - German Riesling

This tasting, though smallest in number, proved to be the most "fruitful" (luv those puns) tasting yet. This is because: 1) it was more organized than previous tastings; 2) I like to think my "label tutorial" really gave a nice chunk of useful info; 3) to my giddy delight, everyone brought a different QUALITY of Riesling. Let me explain. When making Riesling, the winemaker uses one of many species of Riesling grapes to grow on the vine. Each species has an ideal point of ripeness, and that ripeness is reflected on the bottle with the determinants Kabinett, Spaslese, Auslese and QbA. Each ripeness level determines how sweet and/or full bodied the wine will be. For instance, Kabinett is the least ripe, so it is therefore the crispest and least sweet, or so we can assume from the bottle. In any event, I was ecstatic, and the wines we tasted were simlilar enough to determine a flavor profile, yet different enough to have a favorite.

Now the notes:
We tasted four official wines and one unofficially (more on that later). Starting with the lightest in body and least sweet, we paired them with four cheeses: Le Marechal, a very fruity and full flavored Swiss, Pere Joseph, a creamy young Gouda style, Ricotta, and Cambozola, a creamy mix of gorgonzola-like blue and Camembert with its bloomy rind.
The wines included were:

Carl Reh, Piesporter Goldtropfehen, Kabinett, 2002. Powerful aromas include grapefruit and apple. A very refreshing beverage with obvious sweetness and a good balance of tartness. Fresh pears with ricotta were the winning matches.
Baron Knyphausen, Kiedricher Sandgrub, Spatlese, 2002. An almost undetectable bouquet of citrus was a deceptive beginning to a very flavorful wine. However, the high price of $22 was not representative of this unbalanced wine. It was too acidic, to the point of effervescence. However, it also paired well with the ricotta.
Schlink Haus, Berech Nahetal - Nahe, Auslese, 2003. Golden colored and a light but very pleasant bouquet of citrus as well as golden raisins. On the palate, the citrus came through along with butterscotch. A rich body, quite creamy, but not cloying. The acidity and body were balanced nicely with a heavy does of sweetness. Personally, I loved this with the Cambozola, probably because of the sweetness of the wine and the saltiness of the cheese. This wine was a group favorite overall.
Carl Reh, Rheinhessen, 2004. This wine did not have a qualifier, so the contents inside were a real mystery. A strong bouquet of lime (there's that citrus again!) prologues an acidic, crisp, limestone-heavy wine. This wine seemed to get better as we drank it, and was dubbed "Anthony's Champagne" by the man himself. Probably due to the aforementioned limestone. By this time, the buzz was nice and heavy, and who knows which cheese won out...

We had a fifth wine to try that night. Miss Michelle Marvel happened to have a bottle of Washington state Riesling lying about in the fridge, so we went for it, and compared it to our previous four Germans.

Bonny Doon, Washington, Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, Bonny Donn Vineyard, 2004. Clean aroma, mineral, very light on the fruit. Slightly sweet and acidic. Seemed quite balanced and craving a food pairing. However, as the temperature rose, the flavors went flat, then just kinda, well, yuk. I'm not sure if all Rieslings turn like this one did when it had been out of the fridge for an hour, but the aftertaste was almost bitter, and everything sort of fell apart after that.

December 13, 2005 - Belgian Beer

The Belgian Beer tasting was a great success. Introduced by the hostess with the mostest, Maria DeSimone, we were guaranteed a good time. Although her spread was always in danger of toppling over, it was fantabulous. And we were lucky enough to be edu-tained by Joe Dougherty, homebrewer, certified beer judge, and all-around know-it-all when it comes to beer. Although I think the beers themselves stole the show.

Beers tasted that night include (in order):

Hoegaarden Original White Ale: Naturally cloudy, wheat beer with scents of lemon, coriander, and banana. Purely gulpable; palate cleansing. A fantastic example of a Belgian witbier.
Lucifer: Golden Strong Ale - young style with strong aromas of bubble gum. A second fermentation in the bottle means that this is made using the Champagne Method. This is an expensive and time consuming process, plus it gets all those cool little bubbles.
La Chouffe: This spiced and fruity beer is extraordinarily good. With wheat and Pilsner malts, the result is very balanced and delicious. Not to mention it's super terrific label.
Corsendonk: One of the 6 trappist ales: Dubbel with sediment floating in it's ruddy liquid. Hoppy with candy and sugar-spiced notes. Those monks are really onto something here...
Fantom: This unusual bottle called to me from the refrigerated case, but the goods inside didn't measure up. Smelly, hoppy, and just plain bad, this very expensive "boutique" bottling is better left to the hipsters in the Foodery.
Boon Oude Geuze: Ok, so it's a funny name. And some imbibers thought it to be funny tasting. But let me tell you my friend, as a wine lover, I couldn't help but enjoy this complicated elixer. Aromas of cheese and "wet horse blanket" as was coined at Maria's, this balanced unusual creation had me asking for more. I can only imagine what it would taste like with a plate of steaming mussels and duck sausage....
Stella Artois: This beer gets the stinker award for most unimaginative beer brought to a tasting. This European version of Budwiser tasted even worse than normal following all of those supurb beverages made with excellence. Yuppies are so annoying...

...so apparently I got a few things wrong according to my fellow "know-it-all" members. I left out a few beers: Delrium Noel: tasty brew that knocks you on your ass; and both Saisons, which were extremely refreshing and my new favorites.

On top of that, Corsendonk is NOT a trappist ale, but an abbaye. I don't feel like explaining the difference...just read the comment board for more info. Hey, I can't be held responsible for the notes I take while I'm drinking.

November 27, 2005 - West Coast Pinot Noir

For the inaugural meeting of Drinker's Heaven, we tried West Coast USA Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is the varietal name for a finicky, thin-skinned grape that prefers warm days and very cool nights. It is the only grape used in red Burgundy wine, although USA style is generally fruitier and bolder than most elegant and earthy Burgundies. Coincidentally, everyone brought a California bottle, while the highly acclaimed Willamette Valley in Oregon was wholly ignored. And the proof was in the pudding. This lackluster bunch was so uninspirational, that even the most standout bottle was described as "light retarded" from Kim Socha's tasting notes. And it's fair to say that Francis Ford Coppola should stick to filmmaking and pull out the vines. Bottles to ignore include:

Five Rivers 2003 Central Coast Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
Robert Mondavi 2003 Private Selection Pinot Noir North Coast, California
Francis Coppola 2003 Diamond Pinot Noir Central Coast, California


The rest were just as forgettable. I don't think it helped that we tasted in plastic dixie cups. This difficult grape shows exactly how hard it is to grow and make a decent wine for less than $20.

On the plus side, Anthony Santaniello got drunk and stupid, and Adam Greenberg was smart enough to bring Merlot.