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Thursday, May 17, 2012
Feature: May 2006
Spit Worthy
Our experts rate regional varietals perfect for immediate consumption
Story by Douglas Curley
There’s nothing like watching eight regional wine experts spit into buckets. Granted, there was also a lot of professional swirling, sniffing and commenting going on, but it was the spitting that remains riveted in my memory.
The occasion was Comstock’s first blind wine tasting. Hosted by Firehouse General Manager Mario Ortiz in the basement of the Old Sacramento restaurant, the event drew wine buyers, executives and enthusiasts from area restaurants and distributors.
The purpose of the gathering was to rate nine wines from the El Dorado, Amador and San Joaquin appellations. Three varietals of regional note were selected by Ortiz for the tasting: Viognier, Syrah and Zinfandel.
“My idea was to select an array of pleasant, drinkable wines that fairly represent the wines produced in these local regions,” Ortiz explains. “These are not show wines. They are all moderately priced, stand up to good sauces, and could be easily consumed with comfort food two to three times a week.”
Though he admits that the pallets of the expert panel may be accustomed to wines that are a little more complex, Ortiz defends his selections as “wines that are ready to drink now.”
“Every restaurant and home coll-ection needs a house wine by the glass. These wines fill that bill,” he says.
Viognier, a regional favorite of mine, was the first varietal that our blind tasters quaffed, smelled, but mostly spit. Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers thought all three entries had faults. He said it appeared as if too many leaves had been pulled and the grapes were overripe.
“The colors are not pretty; they’re all dullish brown in color. There should be some green,” Corti said. “Which begs the question,” he continued, “is this the best place to grow this wine? It is a very difficult grape varietal. Ideally, this varietal should smell like white peach.”
While questioning whether a couple of the Syrah contenders were actually Syrahs and not blends, Dave Cancilla of David Berkley Fine Wines agreed with Ortiz’s assessment of pleasant drinkability.
“For the most part, these Syrahs are each a relatively nice glass of wine. Each had a brilliant color, some spice and berry flavors, and a soft finish. They would go well with backyard barbeque fare,” Cancilla said.
Ian Smith, proprietor of the midtown wineshop and café 58 Degrees & Holding, set to open this month, described the Zinfandel entrants as “good starter wines.”
“They are simple but quenching, the type of Zinfandel that commercially is very successful right now,” Smith said. “For the most part, they all have a fruit-driven nose, lots of berry flavors ... almost a cross between a Kool-Aid and a fruit punch.”
While perhaps not the type of wines that would show up on their must-buy wine lists, our judges did agree that many could have a place on Capital Region café wine-by-the-glass lists. And in the business of making and selling wine, these nine wines play a pivotal role in developing new buyers and gratifying budget-minded wine enthusiasts.
“It’s all about value,” Ortiz says. “And each of these wines offer a value as well as an interesting regional-varietal taste.”
For the record, I believe there’s greater value and taste in more quaffing and less spitting — which I did.
2004 Cooper Vineyards Viognier, Amador, $15, vrwinery.com
According to Corti, the Cooper Vineyards is the freshest of the lot by far. He says it has a candied pineapple taste with just a hint of overripe character.
“Melon in flavor; enjoyable nose; better finish with a decent color.”
— Chandler
“More exotic fruits present; good acid; good body, but balance was lacking a little.”
— Ortiz
“This would make a pleasant quaff. It had a tropical nose and a viscosity that the others did not. It was simple but pleasant.”
— Cancilla
2001 Van Ruiten Vineyards Reserve Syrah, Lodi, $15, vrwinery.com
According to Smith, the Van Ruiten has a ruby-red color and a Zin-like nose. It is juicy, jammy and plump. Overall, it was very fruit-driven.
“A lot of berry flavor, but uneven legs. It has a long, brambly finish.”
— Harris
“A pretty simple, relatively satisfying glass of light red wine.”
— Cancilla
“Dark-red-fruit beginning with a light spice finish.”
— Caldwell
2004 Di Arie Zinfandel, Amador,
$15, cgdiarie.com
According to Cancilla, the Di Arie tastes like what a lot of people are drinking for red Zin right now. It is fairly fresh, with definite commercial appeal.
“Herbaceous, with a little cherry-almond and cocoa.”
— Harris
“Slightly smoky with a touch of blackberries. Very harmonious.”
— Corti
“Young, almost hearty burgundy nose. Perfectly fine summer wine served
cool.”
— Biko
So you want to play sommelier?
There are a few basic guidelinesthat ensure a memorable wine-related business or social function. Accord-ing to Mario Ortiz, who has been hosting wine gatherings at home and at The Firehouse Restaurant for 30 years, the first matter to be determined is whether or not you’re going to offer a sit-down meal or a buffet.
“If it’s going to be a sit-down dinner, you really should consult a retail wine expert to closely match appropriate wines with the menu,” he says.
“Believe me, wine retailers — whether they’re at a grocery store, specialty shop or winery — want to leave a good lasting impression on you,” Ortiz says. “The last thing they want to be remembered for is simply selling you an expensive, traditional wine offering.”
If your guests are going to be treated to finger foods, Ortiz says variety is key. “Depending on the number of guests, you’re going to want to offer a wide variety of reds and whites,” he says.
When advocating variety, Ortiz likes to invoke the ABC Edict: Anything But Chardonnay.
“When hosting an event, I like to offer something other than the usual. Give your guests a taste of Viognier. You’ll be surprised by how appreciative people are to being introduced to new wines. It creates a wine memory and often leads to them increasing their wine knowledge and appreciation, which is what you want to achieve as a host.
“Now, if you’re going to have serious wine drinkers at your gathering,” Ortiz continues, “you’re going to want to offer some heavy reds, such as the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. But again, don’t be afraid to mix in a Zinfandel, Syrah and my personal favorite, a California coastal or Oregon Pinot Noir.”
Before selecting wines, determine your budget. Ortiz insists there are wine values to be had at nearly every price point.
“You don’t want to have the mindset that you’re going to purchase a $25 French Champagne. You’ll get a much better value and experience if instead you buy a good California sparkling wine for that price.”
Once the wine is purchased, storage is key. You don’t need a wine basement or a temperature-controlled container — just keep your wine in a cool, dark place.
Prior to serving, chill appropriately. White wine, Champagne and sparkling wine should be refrigerated or chilled on ice. Red wine is a little trickier.
“No red wine ever wanted to be served at room temperature,” says longtime local wine distributor Robert Biko. Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers agrees. “Many small new local restaurants are the biggest abusers of serving red wines too warm simply because they don’t have appropriate storage space,” he says.
If the bottle is not cool to the touch, Ortiz says it’s too warm. “To cool a red bottle down, put it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes prior to serving,” he suggests.
And finally, Ortiz says most wines don’t require decanting or even breathing.
“Seeing the bottle uncorked and then studying the individual wine bottle and label helps create a memorable wine experience.”
