Podcasts about mouvedre

In this episode, I sit down with Jason Haas, proprietor of the renowned Tablas Creek Vineyard, a leader in California's Rhône varietal revolution. Join us as we explore the fascinating journey of Tablas Creek, founded in partnership with the iconic Château de Beaucastel from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France. Jason shares his deep knowledge of the unique characteristics of Rhône varietals that thrive in California's terroir. Whether you're a Rhône enthusiast or new to these varietals, this episode offers insights into the grapes behind one of the world's most revered wine styles. And a special thanks to Coravin, our sponsor for this episode, for giving wine enthusiasts the chance to explore wines one glass at a time without uncorking the entire bottle. Tune in for an inspiring chat, and don't forget to pour yourself something special! Cheers! If you want to skip ahead: 02.23: How the relationship started between Tablas Creek and  Château de Beaucastel 07.15: Why choose Paso Robles wine region for planting Rhône Varietals 10.55: Terroir differences further inland in Paso Robles where more  Bordeaux, Spanish varietals and Zinfandel are being planted 13.09: How does the Adelaide AVA region where Tablas Creek is, compare to Châteauneuf-du-Pape 15.17: The best advice recieved from The Perrin Family of Château de Beaucastel 18.00: The Challenges of importing cuttings from Château de Beaucastel and the complications of them passing their quarantine 23.32: Muscardin - the final grape to be imported and soon to be released as a single varietal 25.12: Tasting the flagship red - Espirit de Tablas Rouge 2020 and what each varietal adds to the blend (Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Counoise, Vaccarese, Cinsaut) Vinvm (2017 vintage) £50.30 30.12: The benefits of Mouvedre being the lead in the wine 31.31: Vintage differences, the fires of 2020, and five year drought 36.04: Tasting the flagship white- Espirit de Tablas Blanc 2020 and what each varietal adds to the blend (Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Picardan) Vinvm (2019 vintage) £44.05 40.22: Comparing the 2019 vintage to 2020 41.50: Discussing the single grape varietal wines 45.48: Growth of Rhône Rangers in California and the Tablas Creek Nursery supplying them   Any thoughts or questions, do email me: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat If you fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Until next time, Cheers to you!   ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.

High temperatures and extreme weather events can have numerous impacts on wine grapes and ultimately wine quality. Dr. Andreea Botezatu, Associate Professor and Extension Enology Specialist at Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLife Service finds that changes in ripening patterns are the most common. In high heat, sugars accumulate faster, acids degrade, ripening happens earlier and the result is higher alcohol wines. The challenge is that ripening is not linear. Tannins and maturation of the seeds do not progress at the same pace. Plus, high pH causes color and flavor instability. Andreea is experimenting with verjus, the juice of green grapes. In North America, grapes from crop thinning are traditionally considered waste. However, in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, green grape juice is used in many culinary practices. Verjus has little sugar, high acidity, and low pH making it a perfect addition to unbalanced wines. Learn about her current experiment testing both red and white grape verjus against three other acidification methods. Plus, Andreea gives listeners tips on how to prevent that green pepper flavor caused by ladybug taint. Resources: 145: New Class of Compounds Linked to Smoke Taint in Wines (Podcast) 143: Can Barrier Sprays Protect Against Smoke Taint in Wine? (Podcast) Dr. Andreea Botezatu's LinkedIn page Dr. Andreea Botezatu ResearchGate Dr. Andreea Botezatu Google Scholar Malo-Lactic Fermentation in a New Climate Sustainable Wine Practices Texas A&M Facebook page Texas A&M Foundation Texas AgriLife Extension Enology YouTube Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  And my guest today is Andreea Botezatu She is Associate Professor and extension enology specialist at Texas A&M University, the Texas AgriLife Service. Thanks for being our guest today.   Andreea Botezatu  0:11  Thank you for having me.   Craig Macmillan  0:12  We're very interested in some of the work you've been doing recently around effects of warming climates on vines and on wines. You're in enologist. In particular, you've been doing work on wine quality. That Correct? And you've been doing work in Texas, obviously.   Andreea Botezatu  0:26  Yes, for the past seven years or something. Yeah.   Craig Macmillan  0:30  And would you say that temperatures during the growing season in Texas overall have been increasing?   Andreea Botezatu  0:35  I would Yes, the temperatures historically have been increasing. And furthermore, we see a lot more extreme weather events. So temperature records being broken, as well as like I said, extreme weather storms, winds hail, a lot of hail we, we've been having quite a bit of hail in Texas. So these can affect the process of grape growing.   Craig Macmillan  0:58  Absolutely. So definitely, there's been some changes, how has this been affecting one quality, what particular parameters are being most affected?   Andreea Botezatu  1:04  Right. So this is not straightforward answer for this question. Because because several things can happen when you have extreme weather events and temperatures rising. The biggest one that we see here is a changing ripening patterns. So sugar accumulation and acid degradation, they kind of change sugar tends to accumulate much faster, because of the earlier heat we tend to see earlier ripening. So earlier, harvesting sugar accumulates faster acids degrade quite a bit, the ripening is not linear anymore. So we see ripening in terms of sugar, but we don't see that in terms of tannins or aroma compounds or maturation of the seeds. So there's a bit of disconnect there. That's one thing because of the higher sugar accumulation, we tend to see higher levels of alcohols in wine, which is not necessarily a good thing. There's only so much so much alcohol that you want to have in wine that becomes overbearing and unpleasant and the wines will be unbalanced. Most importantly for us in Texas, and I'm sure for any other grape growing region that deals with high temperatures is an increase in pH because of acid degradation. We see grapes coming in with very low titratable acidity, we're talking three four grams per liter, and then pH is of four and above.   Craig Macmillan  2:31  Wow.   Andreea Botezatu  2:32  Yeah, yes, wow, indeed, very, very high pH is that we have to deal with as winemakers as I'm sure your audience knows high pH can cause a host of problems and wine quality problems from microbiological instabilities, compromising one quality that way to color, instability, aroma, and flavor, balance all of that. So that's a big thing that's happening.   Craig Macmillan  2:56  And those high sugars are also problematic just for getting your fermentations done.   Andreea Botezatu  3:00  Absolutely. You can have problems starting your fermentation, you can have problems finishing your fermentation,   Craig Macmillan  3:05  What kinds of things are winemakers doing to try to manage these factors, but and what kinds of things are you looking at to try to manage these factors?   Andreea Botezatu  3:13  Right, so my researcher at A&M, is focused on acidity and acidity management, again with a focus on pH more so than titratable acidity. So over the past six years, we've been looking at two alternative acidification methods. One is enzymatic, it employs the use of glucose oxidase that is a is an enzyme that helps transform glucose into Gluconic acid, thereby increasing the acidity of the wine and increasing the pH. So we've done some research on both reds and whites. And that research has been published in peer reviewed journal. So those are links that I can share with you and now we are working with verjus and that falls within the sustainability category as well because a little bit of background on what verjus is and how it can help. Verjus is the juice of green grapes. It is produced from unripe grapes that are pressed and the juice obtained is called verjus which comes from French, the French language jus vert, green juice. So basically it means green juice. And because it's made from unripe grapes, you can imagine there's little sugar in it, the acidity is quite quite high and the pH is quite low. Traditionally, grape growers can practice this crop thinning practice to manage their crop and crop quality. What they do is they drop some of the grapes on the vine before they ripen in order for all the resources of the vine to be directed to the grapes that are leftover. So the grapes that are getting dropped are traditionally especially in North America considered waste nothing is done with them. They are left on the vineyard floor. I have a European background right and I I grew up with these grapes being turned into virjus, we have a different name for it in Romanian, but same idea. And this juice was used quite heavily for various culinary practices in Eastern Europe and throughout the Middle East. So remembering that I thought, Well, why not try to take these grapes and make verjus out of them and you start to acidify? It is a natural product that comes from the vineyard and it gives added value to the grapes, right?   Craig Macmillan  5:29  And these grapes, are we talking just past verasion, are we talking still in the in the berry green hard pea stage?   Andreea Botezatu  5:36  So verjus traditionally is made pre veraison. There's not a set date for grape thinning or verjus production. It can vary anywhere from 30 days post bloom to 45 days post bloom and the beginning of verasion there.   Craig Macmillan  5:53  So tell me more about this. We make some verjus we collect some berries that haven't been through verasion yet, and then they're crushed, repressed or something. I'm also curious, is this done? Can this be done with both red and white varieties?   Andreea Botezatu  6:03  Again, a very good question. So last year, we had our first experiment with verjus and we made it with white from white grapes on Muscat Canelli. This year, we are making it from both white and red, we're using different varieties. And we're looking a little bit differently at it. So still, we want to see how it affects one quality and wine sensory profile. But what we're doing extra this year, so we're doing red and white. And on top of that we are comparing this method with three different acidification methods, three other acidification methods, both from a chemical and sensory perspective. So we're looking at, you know, the traditional tartaric acid addition that most wineries do, we're looking at verjus addition, we're looking at the GLX glucose oxidase that I mentioned earlier. And we're looking at ion exchange, which is becoming quite popular for pH reduction.   Craig Macmillan  6:57  Tell me more about that.   Andreea Botezatu  6:58  So ion exchange resins are widely used in water treatments, soft water, hard water, depending on what you're trying to achieve. Basically, there, there's resins that have been charged, and they can release either cations or anions. In our case, the resin that we use releases protons or hydrogen ions, and then the potassium in the wine gets reduced. And by releasing protons, increases the number of protons in solution, thereby decreasing the pH. And you basically pump your wines through this ion exchange column that holds the resin and it comes up on the other end.   Craig Macmillan  7:35  If I understand correctly, that's also removing the potassium, which is the buffer that's keeping it high. All right.   Andreea Botezatu  7:40  Some of that, yes, not all of it. Yes.   Craig Macmillan  7:43  Are you doing this at the juice stage, we're doing this just after fermentation. During aging?   Andreea Botezatu  7:48  We are doing this at the juice stage, from everything that I've heard in the industry, it is better to have it done at the juice stage, it has less impact on the final wine quality, but it's gentler, so yes, at all the treatments that we're doing, we're doing them at the juice stage and then fermentation follows sterilization and everything else.   Craig Macmillan  8:08  What kind of quantity or ratio of verjus might we need is in liquid or by weight to get these kinds of impacts that we're after?   Andreea Botezatu  8:19  Right? So it depends on what we're trying to achieve. We asked that question with our study last year. So we had two treatments last year one to see how much verjus we needed to add to drop the pH by one point. So let's say you start at 3.6, we're gonna bring it down to 3.5. How much verjus do I need to add to achieve that and the other one, the other treatment was to target pH. So again, you start at 3.6, but you want to drop it to 3.3. We did both. And it turned out in our experiment that we needed to add 2% by volume verjus to drop the pH by one pH point. And then for the target pH we needed, we added about 10 to 11% verjus to get to the target we wanted. So you know it depends on what you're starting with the pH you're starting with a depends on the pH of your verjus. And that makes a big difference. We're working with lower pH verjus this year compared to last year. So that might change things a little but this is what we got so far between two and 10%. With a pH is that we worked with.   Craig Macmillan  9:24  If I remember correctly during that latter phase before verasion when we get past like lag phase or so what's happening with the reduction in acidity is that the malic acid is getting metabolized basically as an energy source tartaric may come down a little bit during that period, if I remember right, so if I am picking things early, like pre raisin, I'm assuming there's going to be a quite a bit of malic acid in that juice.   Andreea Botezatu  9:50  That's right. Yes.   Craig Macmillan  9:52  And is that going to affect what I do from winemaking perspective?   Andreea Botezatu  9:55  Well, for whites, very little for reds. I think it's absolutely a positive thing because most winemakers will want to put their reds through malolactic fermentation. And that's problematic. Now here with a high pH is because if you have a malolactic fermentation with a high pH wine, you can run into a million different problems and have really serious quality issues. So by adding this natural malic acid from the grapes, you allow then your winemakers to run their malolactic fermentations at a safe pH and get that effect of roundness and softness and all the sensory properties that come with it.   Craig Macmillan  10:34  Are there things that growers can do in the field, we're talking about the bears up, so the things that other things that we can do in the vineyard to help ameliorate some of these are things that people experimenting with, or winemakers are interested in having vineyard folks experiment with.   Andreea Botezatu  10:48  I mean, in the vineyard, there's only so much you can do once your vineyard has been planted. Water management is very important. And it helps a lot makes a big difference. Water stress can can have quite the impact on grape quality and Vine health as well. So water management is a big thing. And then canopy management is another one, you want to make sure that your grapes are a little bit shaded, they're not completely exposed to the sun, so you avoid sunburn and heat and light exposure. These are things that some grape growers can do. Some grape growers in Europe, as far as I know, plant grass coverings to reduce the evapotranspiration, the soil level to maintain water in the soil as well some modify their canopy structure, raise the trunk. So there are a few options. But I would say water management and canopy management are the most important ones. However, there is something that can be done and is actually being done actively in various parts of the world. As temperatures change. grape growers are changing the varieties that they're planting to adapt to these higher temperatures and different weather patterns. So they're looking at varieties that are a lot more heat tolerant. And that's a big change, that's a big change. And that's going to have a big impact.   Craig Macmillan  12:07  Just to go back for a second, when we talk about irrigation management, what you're talking about is not stressing the vines overly you want them to be happy,   Andreea Botezatu  12:14  You know, vines, like a little bit of stress. So but not as much as we see with these types of temperatures here. So yes. Keep them somewhat happy.   Craig Macmillan  12:25  So there's some things that we need, we need to stay on our game, basically in the vineyard - monitor, monitor your your evapotranspiration, and also the plants status and all that kind of thing. Because I have seen vines and heat, you know, basically collapse. Yes. And, you know, it's all the chemistry in the grape just goes nuts. They're like at the last minute, you know, and you're like, Oh, we're doing great and everything goes to heck. what Oh, what about shade cloth? Are people using shade cloth?   Andreea Botezatu  12:51  Yes. So the answer is yes, you can use that. And another thing that they are using this has nothing to do with temperature but rather hail they use hail netting to protect their vines from from hail.   Craig Macmillan  13:03  Oh, interesting. Interesting. I've heard about that in Europe, and I've never seen it in the United States.   Andreea Botezatu  13:07  Yeah, well come to Texas.   Craig Macmillan  13:08  I'm gonna I do I need to come to Texas. I got a friend there who's a bit of culture tonight. He keeps saying you gotta come check it out. You gotta come check it out.   Andreea Botezatu  13:14  Well, I feel sometimes that like we are the main lab for grape growing in the world, because we've we've already done all this work because it's hot here anyways. So we started this 20, 30 years ago. Like we can teach the world a thing or two about grape growing in hot climates, really.   Craig Macmillan  13:34  And that's a really good point is that there's resources in other parts of the United States or the parts of the world that that may apply to your world. If you're in a different region as your region changes, then I've definitely learned that over time, I will look out for other sources outside of California. I'm in California, I'm on the Central Coast, California, which has traditionally been a very cool area. And we're gonna see if that continues, which then leads back to your point. So changing varietals, or varieties, I should say changing varieties, what direction are people going in? What's the what are people thinking?   Andreea Botezatu  14:09  Right, So people are looking at heat tolerant varieties. And these two, again, both come from hotter regions, southern regions, so we're looking at Spain, southern Spain, Southern Italy, Greece, some of the Georgian varieties as well. Some seem to be doing quite well. I can give you some examples of varieties that we have in Texas,   Craig Macmillan  14:30  Please.   Andreea Botezatu  14:31  We've planted a lot of Tempranillo, Mouvedre, Vermentino, Aglianico, Montepulciano, Sagrantino does fantastic here Tannat. does very well here as well. Albarino on the wine, white side, I said Vermentino we have some Russanne and Marsanneare doing okay, but southern Italian Spanish Portuguese varieties are quite the stars.   Craig Macmillan  15:00  That's interesting, and how are how are winemakers feeling about this? I mean, are they excited? Are they? Are they having a great time? I mean, Tannat was a very exciting variety about 10 years ago and have made some really nice wines in California, are people getting into it? Are they excited about it?   Andreea Botezatu  15:15  So winemakers are very excited about all of that the problem is not the winemakers, it's the consumers who are not not familiar with these varietals, they don't have name recognition, so convincing the consumers to try them and buy them and come back for them that that is the main problem that we are having now. But I think we're making a lot of progress. And actually, some of my research is focused on that as well. So name recognition and pronunciation and comfort in purchasing or choosing a wine that's hard to pronounce and submitted an article for publication, or looking at that just today.   Craig Macmillan  15:49  Just today, timely as today's headlines. Well, I'll be looking for that I'll be looking forward to that yet to people, you know, people will have to be kind of familiar with it, you know, they have to kind of recognize it over time, I think that can can definitely happen. I mean, I was thinking about SSangiovese  in the United States, I'm thinking about Syrah, even in the United States, that was one that wasn't that labeled that much 30 years ago. And now we've got a whole fan base nationwide for that variety. And so maybe that same kind of thing will happen. And I hope so finding the plant for the place is huge, you know, and so if things are changing, we may want to think about finding different plants for that place.   Andreea Botezatu  16:25  I mean, look at Bordeaux, right? They Bordeaux, in France, they were approved to use six new varieties, which is extraordinary considering how long they only stuck with a traditional Bordeaux varieties. So now they are allowed to grow six new varieties, four reds and two white. So that's that's quite something. And that's not the only place where that is happening.   Craig Macmillan  16:47  Yeah, that's, that's very interesting. It will also be interesting to see if we have breeding plant breeding programs along these lines as well. That's an even harder road to hoe, because there's no history with it with a plant like that. But it's an interesting idea. I need to find a grower I need to find a plant breeder to talk to. So changing gears a little bit. There's something else that you've been working on that I'm really fascinated by. And that is Ladybug taint. And we are talking about the ladybug, we're talking about high sparrow.   Andreea Botezatu  17:14  Yeah, we're actually talking about ladybugs and this has been the subject of my PhD research and my postdoc work. So I've spent six, seven years looking at ladybugs and how they can affect wine quality. So for a little bit of background I have to start and be with some science. There is a group of compounds called methoxypyrazines that are naturally occurring in the world naturally occurring in plants. Many vegetables contain them bell peppers, for example, will have high levels of methoxypyrazines Peanuts, peas, green beans, some fruits contain them as well and grapes within a category of fruits, some grape varieties will naturally produce methoxypyrazines. These compounds smell like bell pepper in green beans like the vegetables that couldn't contain them. So at low quantities, low concentrations in grapes. These compounds methoxypyrazines can contribute to the paucity of the wine to complexity of the aroma profile and flavor profile of the wines. If however, these quantities increase, the concentrations increased, they can become overpowering and dominate the profile of the wine and you don't want your wine to smell like bell peppers and nothing else. Really, that's no fun. Another source of methoxypyrazines in the world is insects, in particular, lady beetles, ladybugs, and within the ladybugs category there are some species that are more apt at producing them but also infesting Vineyards, one of these species is called Harmonia axyridis, or the multicolored Asian lady beetle also known as MALB. Now this is a species that has been introduced into North America from Asia as a method of bio control against aphids in the 1960s mistaken and in time, it has established populations here and it has begun to spread so as the bio control method is very successful, it does what it's supposed to do but once the aphids are gone and the soybeans are picked harvested, then it looks for other sources of food and it can migrate into vineyards so these are the beetles will fly into vineyards they don't damage the grapes they don't bite into they don't want the grapes but they do feed on grapes that happen already open or cut for the sugar is you know is exposed in any way the flesh is exposed in anyways. And what happens is that if you pick the grapes with these lady beetles in them and you bring them into the winery with lady beetles in the menu, process them with lady beetles in these way they will also secrete something that's called hemolymph. It's basically their blood and this hemolymph will contain again Methoxypyrazines at quite high concentrations, these Methoxypyrazines get into wine, they tend to wine. So the wine will smell like bell pepper and green beans and potatoes and peanuts. And what's also interesting is that the ratio of these Methoxypyrazines is different in the hemolymph of lady beetles, as opposed to the ones naturally occurring in grapes. So there's one particular Methoxypyrazines , that's dominant in grapes, that's isobutyl Methoxypyrazines  IBMP, whereas in ladybugs, it's the isopropyl Methoxypyrazines , and that's dominating. And that can be also a method of diagnostic, you know, if you're looking at a wine that smells like that, and you're not sure, where did they come from, if IBMP is the dominant one, most likely there was a lady beetle infestation there, if IPMP is the highest one, and it's just the grape and weather conditions or whatnot.   Craig Macmillan  20:51  Arectheir control measures, cultural things are their chemical things in the vineyard. And then the subsequent then moving to the next step is what what can wineries do when the grapes come in? Can they inspect the fruit?   Andreea Botezatu  21:05  Absolutely. So in the vineyard, there are some sprays that can be applied to get rid of the lady beetles. However, you have to be careful as a grape grower with pre harvest interval there. SO2 has been tested as a spray in the vineyard against a lady beetles as well and used to be very effective, which you know, it's very helpful because it's SO2 we sprayed and it was already added anyway. So that helps to have some natural products natural essential oils that have been tested, they were shown to be quite effective at repelling lady beetles. And then there's the same yo chemical, the push pull traps. So you want to have compounds that repel the lady beetles in the middle of your vineyard, and then compounds that attract the lady beetles outside of your vineyard. So it's a push pull system. That's what can be done in the vineyard. And then once grapes are harvested on the winery side, we need to make sure if we are aware that there was a lady beetle presence in the vineyard, we want to make sure we sort our grapes, very, very careful. I mean, it doesn't take much to taint the wine one lady beetle per kilogram of grapes is more than enough. So you got to be very careful when sorting to make sure we get rid of all lady beetles. And also what's important to remember is that even dead lady beetles can taint the wine. So even if you spray them kill them, if they're still coming in, they still have the potential to taint the wine. And that's one thing that's the first step that you can do as a winemaker, if still after that you have an issue with Ladybug tainting your wine, there are some things you can do. They're not extremely effective. So juice clarification has been shown to help a lot. Thermo vinification has been shown to help actually one very good method at reducing pyrazine levels in wine is Flash détente. That is very, very successful. And we have that here in Texas. And we have some wineries that use Flash détente are not necessarily for methoxy partisans for other purposes as well. But very successful at doing that. Some refinding treatments more or less successful. In my research, I looked at my plastic polymers and silicone and they worked, but you need to find a form of application to apply them industrial, you know, commercially. So right now we're not there yet.   Craig Macmillan  23:20  And these techniques were wondering would apply to both red and white wines.   Andreea Botezatu  23:24  Well, fining is more difficult with reds because of the loss of color. So it's easier with whites, but Flash détente on the other hand is better with reds than with whites. So thermo identification Flash détente would be better suited for it.   Craig Macmillan  23:38  In your experience. Do you think you're seeing an increase in Ladybug infestation? And is that possibly tied to the changes in climate?   Andreea Botezatu  23:46  Well, yes, we see a change in patterns. I don't know if necessarily an increase they seem to be moving from certain places and arriving in other places. So places that didn't used to have ladybugs have them now and then they move out certain areas. So yeah, there's a shift so people need to know about them. grape growers need to be aware of this problem and monitor their vineyards for ladybugs, you know, you don't think about it. They're cute little things and people seem to like them, oh, they're just ladybugs, but they can be quite quite detrimental, especially in particular species, which is quite easy to identify it has that M on the pronoun. So very easy to spot and to be aware of. So yes, grape growers need to keep an eye out for lady beetles in places where maybe they never used to have them before. Just something to be aware of.   Craig Macmillan  24:39  If we're talking about one particular species, is this an issue with other species in the order of Coleoptera?   Andreea Botezatu  24:47  To a much lesser extent, this one is worst one Coccinella septempunctata the seven beetle can summon spot beetle can also taint wines but we just don't see them in vineyards as much they're not as much of an issue as Harmonia.   Craig Macmillan  25:01  Interesting, we're getting close to our time here on both topics. Let's start with climate winemaking. And then let's talk about lady beetle. What is one thing that you would tell growers or winemakers regarding that topic and let's start with, with the warm wine.   Andreea Botezatu  25:17  Growers, I would advise them to choose their varieties carefully. When they initiate a vineyard when they start on the plan of vineyard and be very careful about their water treatment. To winemakers, I would say focus on pH rather than sugars focus on acidity. And also for those winemakers who look at malolactic fermentation in red as a given, I would urge them to reconsider. I personally don't see a reason why malolactic fermentation has to happen, especially if you have issues with acidity, it doesn't always benefit the wines. So and there are there are options out there to inhibit malolactic fermentation if you choose to do so there are several compounds that can help with that and help stabilize the wines from from that perspective. So I really, really encourage winemakers so at least think about that, start considering that as an option. Maybe start experimenting, you know, small amounts not necessarily go full on on not running malolactics, but start slow and see how it goes and see how that affects or changes the wine quality and wine stability.   Craig Macmillan  26:23  What about the lady beetle? What's the one thing you would tell both growers and winemakers about the lady bettle.   Andreea Botezatu  26:28  Do your best that so that it doesn't get into winery it's much easier to prevent than to fix the wines. So be very, very careful in the vineyard. Watch out for ladybugs and take them seriously if you see them.   Craig Macmillan  26:43  Action, early, early action, I think it was under chilled shift the closer to the crusher and the farther from the bottle you can fix a problem the more success you'll be. Well it looks like no farther from the crusher ahead of time. And closer to the crusher, after the crusher might be the solution. Where can people find out more about you?   Andreea Botezatu  27:04  Oh, I can share links to my Texas A&M page, my YouTube page. I have a YouTube channel where I post I have several different playlists where I post different videos related to enology wine quality, I can share with you the links to my peer reviewed papers on ladybug taint and pH management so they can find them on your website.   Craig Macmillan  27:27  That would be great. Yeah, but at least things will be on the show page. As always. Folks, I want to thank you for being on on the podcast. Our guest today was Andrea Botezatu. She's Associate Professor and extension technology specialist with Texas a&m University, Texas AgriLife service. This has been very enlightening. I think a lot of us are thinking about this, especially places that have been growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for a long time. A lot of people are thinking about this.   Andreea Botezatu  27:52  Well, you're welcome. And it was a pleasure being here. I just want to finish if I may with an observation that I had winemakers and grape growers from California contacting me about verjus research so they're very excited about that. I'm glad that we are getting to talk about this and maybe more people will hear about this and start thinking about about these options.   Craig Macmillan  28:15  Absolutely. Absolutely.   Transcribed by https://otter.ai Nearly Perfect Transcription by https://otter.ai

Indie Wine Podcast episode 15 - David Teixeira - Lusu Cellars. David brings his Portuguese heritage to the way he thinks about and makes wines. He makes California versions of traditional Portuguese styles like Vinho Verde or a Sercial like "Mad-Era" as well as California heritage styled Zins, Mouvedre and Carignane. Lusu Cellars is located on Camelia St. In Berkeley California, this winery location has been home to many important wineries over the years from Fretter Wine Cellars to Edmunds St. John to Ladd to Broc. David works mostly with fruit from El Dorado and Lodi making wines that go wonderful with food. You can find David's wines at www.lusucellars.com and follow his instagram https://www.instagram.com/lusucellars and follow the podcast https://www.instagram.com/indiewinepodcast or email indiewinepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments or feedback. If you'd like to support the podcast further, please tell your wine friends about it and rate the podcast wherever you're listening if you like what you hear or donate on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/IndieWinePodcast or Spotify at - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support https://linktr.ee/indiewinepodcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-wood4/support

We want to help you drink your feelings on a rainy day, so on this episode of Pinkies Up, we find the perfect wine to drink on a rainy day! Our "normal" wine drinker Bridget lays out some guidelines and the question, and our wine expert Nick picks a few bottles to try. Here are the types of wines that we thought would work well for your rainy day drinking!FULL BODIED WHITE WINES LIKE CHENIN BLANC-----If you are looking for a wine that lifts your spirits on a rainy spring day, a full bodied white wine that has some tropical fruit notes will fit the bill perfectly! They're not so light that they feel better for beachside drinking, but they also have  delicious fruit flavors to put you in the mood of a beautiful summer day.We tried a bottle of Secateurs Chenin Blanc from South Africa. It's a great value, and you should be able to find a great bottle of South African Chenin Blanc for about $10 - $15 that will fit the bill perfectly. Other types of wine that would fit this bill include White Rhone varietals or blends from grapes like Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne, or an Albariño from Spain or California.LIGHT BODIED RED WINES LIKE GRENACHE-----Another way of trying to lift your spirits on a gloomy day could be drinking a light bodied red wine. We particularly like Grenache (or Garnacha in Spain) because the yummy red fruit flavors are balanced by a bit of spice on the backend. It'll let you feel the rainy mood, but also be refreshing instead of heavy.We enjoyed a bottle of Little James Basket Press made by St. Cosme in the South of France. It's under $15 and easy to find, but you shouldn't have a hard time finding good wines made from Grenache in the South of France or value priced and delicious Garnachas from Spain.Other types of wine that would fit this bill include Pinot Noir (not Bridget's favorite!) or a Gamay from Beaujolais in France.CABERNET FRANC-----Cabernet Franc is the less well known parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. It has more vegetal notes and a ton of aromatics - particularly notes like graphite or pencil shavings. These aromatics perfectly match the smell of rain falling on concrete and if you want to have a full bodied wine to warm you up that also heightens the aromatic intensity of sitting on the patio drinking wine, Cabernet Franc is a great pick!We drank a bottle of Zuccardi "Q" Cabernet Franc from Mendoza, Argentina that is an exceptional value. You can also find excellent Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux, France, the Loire Valley in France, California, and even Northern Italy!RICH FULL BODIED RED WINES LIKE MONASTRELL-----If you really want to lean into the "sad" feelings of a rainy day and just want a big, bold red wine to enjoy with the rain, a Monastrell is a great pick. This is a full bodied wine with plum, blackberry, smoke, earth, and tobacco notes. It also packs a punch with wines made from Monastrell (aka Mouvedre) usually clocking in around 15% ABV.We sipped on a bottle of Albacea Monastrell from the Juan Gil family. These wines are super values and incredibly yummy. They're also great with BBQ in addition to rainy days!Other types of wine that would fit this bill include a rich Malbec from Argentina, or a jammy Old Vine Zinfandel from California.We hope you enjoyed this episode and if you aren't already, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes. You can subscribe and follow along with us on the following channels:Watch on YouTube Visit our websiteGet links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite appOr email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ comCheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!

Since we're buried in research, Andi decided to hide away in her closet and drink! And today, she's drinking Dirty & Rowdy's 2015 Mouvedre! It's delicious, it's fascinating, and she needed to tell you all about it. Drink fun, and Cheers Winos! Find the wine: https://www.dirtyandrowdy.com/ www.woundupwino.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/woundupwino/support

Hø, stald, brændt gummi og læder! Det kunne lyde lidt som en krydsning mellem ræs på Jyllands ringen og landmand søger kærlighed. I virkeligheden er det "bare" Sommelier-Lasse som er på besøg i podcasten, hvor vi blinder vin på hinanden.   Et skønt nørdafsnit, med masser af hygge og utroligt spændende vin.  Da afsnittets vin er fuldblinder, får du ikke navne eller priser i beskrivelsen (vi vil nemlig gerne have dig til at gætte med).  Hvis du er nysgerrig på, hvor vinene kan købes, kan du altid skrive på vores sociale medier, så vender vi tilbage.  Tak fordi du lytter med. Uden dig, ingen vin i glasset! 

*Julekalenderen kan også ses på YouTube.* Hver dag frem mod juleaften smager vi en ny vin, og vi giver vores vurdering af den. Vi kårer den bedste vin i kategorierne Champagne, hvidvin og rødvin. Skål og glædelig jul! *Til jer der støtter os på 10er.dk: Tusind tak for støtten! Denne julekalender er ikke en del af 10’er, så I vil ikke blive trukket pr. afsnit. Betragt det som en gave - fra os til jer* Gæst: Frederik Ørbeck Vin: 2016, Le Clos du Caillou "Bouquet des Garrigues", 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Carignan og Mouvedre, Côtes du Rhône, Frankrig. Vinen kan købes hos https://www.hjhansen-vin.dk/ ——————— Facebook: @blindsmagerne Instagram: @blindsmagerne Kontakt os på: Blindsmagerne@gmail.com Støt os på: https://blindsmagerne.10er.dk/

Listen, before you get mad… have you considered that we’re baby? MICRO EP ft two insanely nervous boys discussing their wines before a sold out dinner at vinegar hill house. What fun it was. Everyone who WAS there got a secret extra 3 hours of content and hot takes, so like, next time come to our events?? Also, please note that this was supposed to be longer but some olds tried to eat dinner and gave Duck anxiety. Pray for Duck. Don’t worry, fans of long podcasts! We’ve got some INSANE guests in the works and some serious heat coming into this season. Please do catch us at Wild World October 28 and Niche Niche Tuesday December 3rd. Love you, remember to drink water etc. LIST///Jess Miller, Pet Sounds, 2018//A los Vinateros Bravos, Itata Blanco, ‘Granitico,’ 2018//La Clarine Farm, Mouvedre, ‘Cedarville,’ 2017///Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Disgorgeous)

In this episode, I'm riding with Glen Jaggard of Cline Cellars.  We discuss everything from Jacuzzi's and Medici's to Mouvedre and Marijuana.  Do not miss out on this one! No Take Five this episode - still trying to find a better method of recording phone calls.  Will be back soon, promise! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

No episódio de hoje, Luca e Luis nos levam ao sul do Rhône, uma das principais regiões de produção de vinho na França. Lugar hoje famoso pelo vinho, mas outrora notório por ser a residência do papa. Mas enquanto nosso podcast inteiramente dedicado a debater o legado papal não sai do papel, vamos conhecer um pouco mais sobre os potentes vinhos do sul do vale do Rhône! Os vinhos do Rhône são classificados da seguinte maneira: Prestige Crus – são 4 áreas de denominação controlada neste que é o mais alto nível de prestígio na região. Três delas estão norte do Rhône, e uma no sul: a famosa Châteauneuf-du-Pape. São os vinhos mais classudos da região. AOP Villages - são 13 áreas no total. Vacqueyras e Gigondas são mencionados como grandes referências, e o clássico blend GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) predomina.Côtes du Rhône Villages –95 áreas no total. Nesta categoria, Grenache predomina como a principal varietal.Côtes du Rhône – denominação mais básica. O vinho de mesa da região.E o que vai no suco? O Rhône é majoritariamente produtor de vinhos tintos, mas também existem alguns vinhos brancos de muita qualidade - os Châteauneuf-du-Pape brancos são excelentes vinhos para acompanhar frango e peru por exemplo. Os tintos da região são dominados pelo Rhône-blend, também conhecido como Grenache, Syrah, e Mourvèdre (GSM). No Châteauneuf-du-Pape são permitidas até 13 varietais diferentes, mas a dominante é a Grenache.Anos-estrela: 2000, 2001,2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016Produtores:Clos des Papes – produtor espetacular, sempre figurando na lista de melhores vinhos do ano. https://www.clos-des-papes.fr/ Château de Beaucastel – uma das famílias mais tradicionais da região, produtora de vinhos emblemáticos (brancos ou tintos). É um dos poucos produtores que produzem todas as 13 varietais permitidas no Châteauneuf-du-Pape. http://www.beaucastel.com/en/ Château Saint Cosme – excelente produtor de Gigondas. Château Rayas, como a lenda francesa que é, não tem um website. Super cult. Domaine de la Janasse Domaine de la Veille Julienne Domaine de la Barroche A loja Mistral tem uma excelente seleção de sul do Rhône, com muitas das áreas mencionadas aqui. Confiram! Vinho vorazmente consumido:Domaine du Ferrand, 2012 - um CdP encorpado e excelente.Dica cultural: Hoje recomendamos o álbum Earfood do Roy Hargrove, um excelente trompetista que era um dos grandes expoentes do jazz contemporâneo, capaz de navegar em urban music e produzir baladas clássicas como as que vocês podem conferir neste disco. Infelizmente, Roy nos deixou em 2018 aos 49 anos de idade.Como sempre, sigam nosso podcast, deixem seus comentários no nosso Instagram @podcastwine ou mandem suas perguntas e sugestões para podcastwinenot@gmail.com. Um grande abraço e até a próxima!

This is a first for us! South of France & North of Africa, there is a little known country making amazing wines! (Well, okay... not really "little known" but people don't generally name it in the first three wine growing areas they think of, so close enough!)It's savory, dark and sensational! It's a revelation in the glass! It's SOMM-Thing to Drink About with Christi the Yoga Mom & Alex the Somm! What have they got in their glass this week?!Finca Ventura Monastrell Old Vines 2014 Jumilla, Spain

Vi har endnu engang inviteret DR-journalist Morten Brink Iwersen i studiet for at tale om Languedoc, der har en særlig plads i Mortens hjerte. Hør hvorfor i dette program, hvor Morten gør os klogere på Languedocs historie, bl.a. hvorfor Languedoc blev kaldt ”Frankrigs vinsø”, tilladte druetyper og meget andet! * I hvert afsnit af sæson 5 trækker vi lod om et værdibevis på 500 kr. til webshoppen hos Distinto Vinimport blandt jer der støtter os på 10’er.dk. Du kan deltage i konkurrencen på www.10er.dk * Gæst: Morten Brink Iwersen Vine: 2018 Chateau Guery, Languedoc, Carignan 2016 Vaïsse, ‘Pur’, Languedoc, Carignan 2014 Mas d’Alezon ‘Montfalette’, Côte Grille.  Faugéres, Languedoc, Mouvedre (80 %) ——————— Facebook: @blindsmagerne Instagram: @blindsmagerne Kontakt os på: Blindsmagerne@gmail.com Støt os på: https://blindsmagerne.10er.dk/

South of the town of Sonoma, in the southern end of Sonoma Valley, is a wide open plain with farmland, vineyards, and the flat and wetlands of San Pablo Bay. Nestled back against the tip of the Sonoma Mountains, in the midst of unexpected lush surroundings, is Cline Cellars. It’s a favorite wine and destination for many across the U.S. For 15 years the director of winemaking, Charlie Tsegeletos, has been crafting a great number of wines back behind that oasis, which also includes the Italian varietals for Cline’s other property, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Fortunately for him, the winery sits across the street. Both are enjoyable to visit but are individually unique properties. I reached out to Charlie during a busy harvest but he managed to carve out some time for me.

Daniel Brunier is a partner in the Vieux Télégraphe and Domaine la Roquète wineries in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Les Pallières in Gigondas, and Château Massaya in Lebanon.

Hard to believe it’s Thanksgiving again.  The change in the seasons, holiday get togethers with family and friends, playoff baseball and football games give us many opportunities to share some of our favorite foods and wines.  The variety of foods that can be found on holiday dinner tables are numerous.  The taste sensations can range from, sweet to sour, savory to umami and salty.  Trying to find one wine that pairs well with your families honey glazed ham or smoked turkey, your sisters cornbread stuffing, Uncle Jim’s stuffed mushrooms and Grandma’s pumpkin pie would be a fools errand.  The key to making a good impression with respect to wine choices is diversity.  You’ll have a better chance of success by offering several bottles with a wide range of flavor profiles.  Just open up a few of your favorites and some of our suggested bottles, place them all on the table and let your guests pick which wines they want. Our first suggestion a 2012 Moscato D’ Asti “Bricco Quaglia by La Spinetta is an excellent way to welcome your guest to your home.  This Moscato is the real deal and not some quickly rushed to the market mass produced bottom shelf pretender.  La Spinetta is most famous for their Barolo and Barbaresco but those wines are way too serious for most holiday gatherings.  100% Moscato at 5.5% ABV the “Bricco Quaglia” has an intoxicating aroma of green apples, apricot and white peaches.  On the palate it’s slightly sweet with a good balance of acidity and a delicate sparkle.  Priced between $18 - $22 you’ll want to stock several bottles in the fridge because we guarantee this wine will be a runaway favorite. The 2012 Conundrum is a proprietary blend of California white wine.  This wine is from the house of Wagner Family Wines, makers of the iconic brand Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.  A bottle of their Cabernet will set you back $130, but for about $20 to $24 you can buy into all of their excellent winemaking expertise and bring a bottle to the table that everyone will offer a comment on.  The website www.wagnerfamilywine.com tells us the wine is made up of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscat Canelli and Viognier, although they don’t tell you the percentage of each varietal.  The Wagners have farmed in Napa Valley since 1906 and they source the grapes for this wine from Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties.  If we had to use one word to describe this wine it would be “exotic”.  The Conundrum name is appropriate as it is a truly unique wine.  Honey baked apples, musk melon, peaches and vanilla spice on the nose followed by more of the same on the palate.  The wine has a thick and rich mouth feel with good acidity for balance.  Try not to open this one up before dinner is served because it just might disappear before the turkey is carved.  The 2012 Philo Ridge Vineyards Gewurztraminer from Ferrington Vineyards Anderson Valley is a 100% vegan wine.  Not everyone is a carnivore: now you’ve got all the bases covered.  You’d be surprised how many wines can’t meet the vegan designation.  Philo Ridge is 5.5 miles up an all weather dirt/ rock road, two miles off the electrical grid and it’s 100% solar powered.  If you find yourself in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley you don’t need a four wheel drive vehicle to taste their wines though, they have a tasting room right on highway 128 in Boonville.  At 0.049 g/l of residual sugar (that’s dry) and 14.1 % ABV this Gewurztraminer will amaze your guest with its strong floral aromatics and its rich full bodied texture.  It’s packed with flavors of stone fruits, lemon, lychee and spice.  The pescatorians in your group would enjoy this Gewurztraminer with seared scallops or broiled salmon.  Philo Ridge’s Gewurztraminer will most likely be the most polarizing wine at the table.  Watching your friends and family debate over the best pairing combinations and the merits and shortcoming of the wines will be a lot more fun than bringing religion or politics to the table.  Fred Buonanno aka Tractor Butt owns the winery with his wife Heather and they only produced 195 cases of this wine so it will require more diligence to track down, but it’s well worth the hunt.  $15 to $19 If you’ve listened to some of our pod casts you know that Bill’s wife is a huge Pinot Noir fan.  Obviously Bill gets to try lots of Pinot Noir and this is one of his favorites.  Pinot Noir is right at home on your holiday dinner table because its naturally high acidity matches well with most holiday fare.  We discovered this wine several years ago.  The first vintage we tried was 2009 and I believe that may have been the inaugural vintage for the Cazar label.  The 2012 Cazar Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a declassified/ second label for Chasseur.  Bill Hunter is the winemaking savante and owner of Chasseur wines.  A declassified wine is a wine that does not meet the prescribed standards of the first or top wines of a producer.  For example in Bordeaux France, Chateau Latour’s second label is Les Forts de Latour.  A current vintage of  Château Latour will cost you about $1600 and the Les Forts de Latour cost about $250.  Is the Latour six times better than the Les Forts de Latour?  Not hardly, but at these elevated price levels, scarcity, marketing and prestige enter into the equation.  Chasseur is best known for their Pinot Noirs from the “true” Sonoma Coast areas around Freestone, Occidental and Sebastopol, but they also make some wonderful Chardonnays.  Chasseur Pinots retail around $60 a bottle and the Cazar Pinot Noir retails at  $20 to $23.  The 2012 Cazar Pinot represents a chance for you to show a little insider knowledge and offer your guest a fantastic bottle of wine at the same time.  Displaying a beautiful medium ruby hue Cazar’s Pinot on the nose exhibits a red fruit profile of pomegranate, cranberry, cherry and earth notes.  On the palate you’ll notice raspberry, black cherry, spice, cola and that hallmark of structure and silky texture that you find in all of Bill Hunter’s wines.  From the blockbuster 2012 vintage in California, a farmers delight, don’t miss out on this one.  The 2012 Meiomi Pinot Noir pronounced “may-oh-mee” is another wine from the Wagner family.  This is a tri- appellation Pinot Noir with grapes sourced from Monterey, Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties.  It’s deep garnet color is complimented with a very forward rich and ripe fruit nose.  In the mouth, candied cherries, black cherry cola, vanilla and lots of oak,  Not a shy Pinot Noir: this one’s more of a hammer and a crowd pleaser amongst those that like big fruit forward Pinots.  At $18 to $22 a bottle it is a great value.  La Bastide Saint Dominique’s 2010 Cotes Du Rhone Villages is composed of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mouvedre and 15% Carignan.  The estate was founded in 1976 and the winemaker Eric Bonnet is in the process of converting their vineyard holdings to organic farming.  This wine features a red fruit aroma of cherries, plum and kirsch.  On the palate those flavors are accompanied by some pepper, sage, licorice and earth notes.  At 14.5% ABV this is a full bodied wine with just the right amount of fruit, rusticity and tannin to compliment a variety of fall season dishes.   Our last recommendation is the Yalumba Muscat Museum Reserve.  This is a late harvest wine whose fermentation is arrested by fortification with neutral grape spirits.  The Aussies affectionately call these types of wines stickies.  You’ll want to hold this wine in reserve and not put it on the table with the other wines.  After the table has been cleared most of your guest are by now in sensory overload and are trying to digest all the different types and amounts of food and beverages.  Once the cakes, pies and other desserts make their way to the table that’s when you break out the Yalumba Muscat.  Remember it’s a fortified wine and it clocks in at 18% ABV,  so a little goes a long way.  This is a wine for sipping and savoring.  In the glass it features a deep amber color that runs clear at the edge.  The nose shows over-ripe raisins, burnt sugar, caramel, dark molasses, with a hint of Vick’s Formula 44.  It’s very sweet but has great acids that hold the balance beautifully.  The finish last forever and it’s lip smacking good.  It’s packaged in half bottles and cost $17 to $20.  Make sure the cooks and the dish washing crew get a glass before the rest of your guest.  It’s a nice gesture and a great way to say thanks for all their hard work.We hope you find our seven wine suggestions for the upcoming holiday season helpful.  Listen to our pod cast to get more insight and learn about a few more wines we recommend.  Cheers!  

Liquor Plus Radio 10: Tasting Notes Mainetes 2006 Seleccion Two things of note about this wine… where it’s from and the fact that is a blend. Jumilla is an often overshadowed region of Spain, at least in our market. Jumilla is just south of La Mancha and is relatively non-desript. For years it produced wines for blending when other regions had short falls, but now with some serious care and attention the terroir is finding its stride. The climate can be very dry and warm and the soils pretty austere and this means that there is not much in the way of green dropping of shortcropping- the climate does it for you. The climate seems to concentrate the colour, aromas and flavours of the grapes… once they have had a chance to develop early in the season. The risk in the area is that it is too dry at the beginning of the season and the viticulturalists are playing catch up all season. The good news is that this is not the case in 2006. Secondlty this is a blend… I love blends, some of my fav all time wines are blends so… Blends are the bomb… when they are crafted well. Take for instance the Cal Y Canto red blend. Greater than the sum of its parts for sure. This wine is no different, in fact it really strikes me that this is a dialed up version of Cal Y Canto, afterall it is a blend of Merlot, Monastrell (Mouvedre) and Syrah. Punchy aromas of herbal, minty blackberry with a full bodied palate that offers some nice sweet tannins and a long juicy finish. Definitely let this wine breathe for 45minutes; I left if open for a day and it was even juicier and expressed more flavour after 24 hours open. Almost black in the glass this wine serves up power and robust flavours. The vintage says 2006 and I would say that not only is this wine enjoyable now, but will be even silkier in 6 years time. PRICE: $16.99 PAIR WITH Steak, Prime Rib, Lamb, Pork Tenderloin, BBQ, Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, Beemster Cheese, Pasta with meat sauce and Chocolate shavings. Availability: This is a one time buy SCORE 8.6/$1 Liquor Plus Radio is hosted and Produced by Rod Phillips with technical assistance from Steve Jobs (RIP) via GarageBand, Mike & Cheryl DeWolfe and Mike Vardy. You can subscribe to Liquor Plus Radio by either going to our website www.liquorplus.ca clicking on View Community, then the LP Blog, and subscribing by RSS, Or you can subscribe through iTunes or at www.BluBrry .com. Liquor Plus Radio is sponsored by Liquor Plus. Liquor Plus has 5 Island Owned and Island Operated full service locations to serve you better. Liquor Plus Discover the Plus As always please let us know what you think as we know we can improve but need feedback to do that right. That’s all for now so take it easy and drink responsibly so we can all improve our quality of life… one sip at a time. Cheers

The Rhone Valley lies in southeast France.  From the town of Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south the Rhone River runs south for roughly 120 miles.  The Rhone Valley is actually two valleys with Syrah being the main varietal grown in the north.  In the southern Rhone region the king grape is Grenache, which is usually blended with Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsault and Carignan. On this podcast we review five Cotes Du Rhones and two Cru wines from the villages of Gigondas & St. Joseph.  Once again we convened a panel of tasters to help us evaluate the wines.  Open up a bottle of Rhone wine and join us as we explore the rich red wines of the Rhone Valley.