Confirming the Wine Status

 I wrote briefly about my FedEx troubles with recent wine delivery. The wine was delayed four days and not stored in good conditions. The condition of the corks seepage concerned me that the wines may have gotten "cooked."

Here is a good description of cooked wine:

If a bottle of wine has been exposed to extremes of heat, the wine might start to expand and leak out of the cork a bit. When you remove the capsule, you might notice a sticky mess. This is evidence your wine may have been exposed to heat, but it doesn't always mean that your wine is toast. A "cooked" wine's flavors will actually taste ... cooked. The fruit flavors might seem stewed, not fresh. There might be baked, burnt or caramel notes. The color may also have changed from deep red to more of a brown or brick tone.  (WineSpectator)

Well, I was concerned. But the only way to know if a wine is cooked is by sight and taste. But what, say, if I didn't want to open the bottle right now. I generally like to keep my bottles for a few weeks/months/years depending on the varietal and vintage. 

So, how to taste and evaluate the wines without opening them? 

The Coravin! 

I have had a Coravin for a few years but use it only infrequently. But, it provided a great way for me to sample the wines and make a determinations to whether they were cooked or not. 

Fortunately, the wines which appeared to have suffered the most were not cooked--by the definition above. They just got too warm and expanded in the bottle. This, of course, will lessen their shelf life, but again I am lucky in that none of the wines in this shipment were destined for long-term lay-down. One of the bottles, a solid CabSauv, was so good that I finished the bottle across three nights without ever removing the cork. 

That is the beauty of the Coravin. Chris and I are on divergent wine tastes at the moment, she likes whites more and I the reds, I will be using my Coravin a bit more because some wines go flat too quickly once oxidized.

I have contacted the winery and advised them of the results of my sampling and that I will not be requesting the replacements they graciously offered.

Ahh, wine. 

Life is too short to drink bad wine!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

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Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day

 

It is that day!

It is the day the first wines of 2023 are released and it, as always, happens in France.

Have a glass and enjoy the mystique of the day. 

Welcome to the first wine, it is Beaujolais Nouveau Day. 

Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

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Wine Tasting Disaster

Wine Tasting in Small Plastic Cups

Chris and I decided to visit a few local wineries and vineyards to enjoy the fruit of the vine and see how the wines are progressing. We ended up visiting two wineries that we had last visited a few years ago and one winery that we had never visited. 

I was disappointed in the quality of the tastings. And of course the wines suffered as well from poor presentation.

In my mind, winemakers should ensure that their wines are presented in the best possible manner for people to enjoy and hopefully purchase. 

All three of the wineries visited were doing tastings by the flight. Which, in my mind is the worst way to do a tasting. There is little interaction with the staff and almost no knowledge transfer regarding the estate and the wines. 

At one winery Chris and I tasted 12 wines--but they were served in small plastic glasses--single serving glasses not much larger than communion cups. It is impossible to enjoy the intricacies of wine in small plastic cups which provide no space for the bouquet to develop. At least when I had decided that I wanted to taste a couple of the wines in glass, the tasting room manager accommodated me.

At another winery we were seated outside, under alleged heaters on a cold November day, to taste wines in flights of four. At least they were serves in glass--although not wine glasses. And since the day was cold the wines definitely did not overheat. The reds may have been a bit cool. As the cold November wind blew, we definitely did not enjoy the wines in the same manner that could be done in a warm tasting room with knowledgeable staff to help us understand the vintages and processing. 

The final winery's tasting was probably the most egregious. The wine tasting was $20 for three wines. They were served in wine glasses and were a sufficient pour--but the server poured the wines, placed them in front of us and went back to her computer and continued shopping on Amazon. So much for as personalized tasting experience. We did not even get a written description of the wines. Did I mention that there was only one other two-some in the tasting room? Well, at least we were in the tasting room.

Based upon our experience we likely will never return to any of the three wineries. 

-- Bob and Chris Doan, Elkridge, MD

Central Loudoun County - Middleburg AVA

 

Tarting Room Casanel Vineyards
Leesburg, VA
August 13, 2021

Chris and I headed off to the Leesburg, VA, area this past weekend to sample wines from wineries and vineyards that we had not yet had the opportunity to visit.

Let me begin by writing that there are more wineries and vineyards in this region of Virginia than can possibly be sampled in a single weekend or for that matter likely in a month. Trying to keep the weekend sane and to truly experience the wines and ambiance of the vineyards we limited ourselves to three tastings per day. So for the weekend we visited six wineries or vineyards. We had alternates selected to account for unforeseen circumstances and, in fact, the first stop was at a winery we had previously visited, but forgotten, and so we went to our second planned stop instead and added the alternate to become the third stop of the day.

The six wineries or vineyards were chosen based upon a review of their websites and the types of wine offered. Two were chosen because they offered varietals not normally experienced in Virginia. One offered both a Tempranillo and an Albariño, while another offered a Vermentino. We were not disappointed at either vineyard, although truth be told, the Tempranillo was made with grapes sourced from Washington State. My understanding is that Tempranillo does not grow well in Virginia.

So the scorecard for the weekend was six stops at wineries or vineyards. Of there six, four were definite keepers, one is on the must revisit after COVID list, and one was truly disappointing despite having a magnificent facility and a seemingly diverse and exciting wine list. That said, we purchased wines from all six wineries and vineyards and joined the wine club at one of them. Yes, I came home with bottles of all three of the wines that most interested me and many more. 

So the top four, in no particular order:

Casanel Vineyards

Stone Tower Estate Winery

8 Chains North

Walsh Family Wine

Important safety tip: Check the websites at any winery/vineyard you intend to visit to determine how or if they are conducting tastings during COVID and whether reservations are required.

Important Safety Tip #2: Drink and drive responsibly. It is OK and desired for you to spit after tasting to avoid alcohol loading.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD