Peter Nicolay Erdener Treppchen Off-dry 2015

“I don’t think I like people period. I mean, you guys are okay... I’m just trying to be honest about being a misanthrope.” – Dazed and Confused (1993)

The first time I heard that quote, it rang so very true for me, of course I was a rather angst-y, antisocial teen at the time so that was understandable. It also gave me a new favorite way to describe myself (much to my mother’s chagrin):

mis·an·thrope. noun. A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

So then, you might wonder, what the hell am I doing working in customer service? Simple… my love for wine is stronger than my distaste for humanity. I really do enjoy talking to people about wine and I love being able to convince them to try something simply based off my enthusiasm for it. Obviously not every person I talk to gives a damn about my opinion and there are days when I only deal utterly unpleasant people (who probably think I’m full of crap), but those just serve to make the good interactions that much better.  And sometimes it’s not just about finding someone a wine to suit their tastes, occasionally they also need a wine to suit their issues as well. It happens often enough that I’ve gotten rather good at wine and woes pairings (maybe even better than I am at wine and food pairings). It also tends to make them more willing to let me steer them towards something that might be outside of their comfort zone.  

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of these “therapy” sessions involve relationship issues. Usually I run into someone desperately checking every bottle in our Moscato section, because even though that’s their drink of choice they’d never before realized how low the alcohol content was and really need something with a little more kick to properly drown their sorrows in… and that is all I need to introduce them to the awesomeness that is Riesling!*

Riesling is my go-to in those situations because the wines made from it vary in sweetness, but no matter if its dry, sweet or somewhere in-between the complexity of the grape still shines through. My favorite suggestion these days is Peter Nicolay Erdener Treppchen off-dry Riesling from the Mosel in Germany. Mosel is one of Germany’s thirteen quality wine regions, or anbaugebiete, and is one of Germany’s oldest winegrowing regions, known for its light, delicate Rieslings. The Peter Nicolay has bright acidity with crisp notes of white peach, green apple and a hint of honeysuckle. Even though it’s on the dryer side, there’s still enough sweetness that I’ve found it to be a good starter Riesling for Moscato junkies.

*For the record there is nothing wrong with drinking Moscato, (I started off my wine journey drinking Boone’s Farm and thinking Yellow Tail was the height of class) therefore I have no right to judge anyone on their preferences… but there’s still better stuff out there to explore!

Ampelos Pinot Noir Lambda 2012

Yesterday was my best friend/roommate, Kye’s birthday and in celebration we raided our box of wines we brought back from our California trip back in September and opened up an Ampelos Cellars Lambda Pinot Noir 2012. We randomly stumbled on the Ampelos Cellars tasting room while checking out the Lompoc Ghetto our first day there and were really impressed by the wines, especially their Pinot Noirs and a Grenache/Syrah blend they called "Syrache".  

It was also our last stop after a very long day and I wound up making a terrible faux pas. We'd had a 5am flight and I hadn't managed much sleep since insomnia's a bitch, so in my tipsy, exhausted haze I accidentally wound up leaving the very nice and knowledgeable girl who handled our tasting a 20 cent tip instead of the 20% I'd actually meant to. It was pretty damn mortifying since there's nothing I despise more than crappy tippers and 20 cents isn't just crappy, it's downright insulting. I didn't stop feeling guilty until I mailed her a real tip along with a letter apologizing profusely. The owners, Peter and Rebecca Work, wrote me back to reassure me I wasn't the first person to make that sort of mistake which was very nice of them and helped assuage my guilt somewhat. 

From Ampelos Cellars website:

“In 1999 we  purchased 82 acres in what would later become the Sta. Rita Hills appellation (Santa Rita Hills in California is legally Sta. Rita Hills), and named it “Ampelos”, the Greek word for vine. The name has a two-fold purpose. First, we believe that all great wines start in the vineyard. Secondly, we have close ties with Greece; we were married there and own a small bed & breakfast, called Ampelos Resort, on the island of Folegandros. We bought the land with dreams of someday watching the nightly sunset over the hills and our dogs running through the vines.

[...]

A cancelled meeting at the World Trade Center on the morning of September, 11, 2001, brought us to the realization that it was time to pursue our dreams of growing grapes as if tomorrow might never arrive. We quit our corporate jobs and moved permanently to our fledgling vineyard in the southern Sta. Rita Hills AVA to start learning about farming the land from Jeff Newton (Central Vineyard Care).”

We didn't really have high hopes of finding any of their wines in Texas, so I was super thrilled when I started a new job with Spec's and found not one, but two of the Ampelos Pinot Noirs on the shelf (Lambda and the Sta. Rita Hills). There's a fairly decent chance that I did a happy little jig when I saw those bottles, because I am ridiculous like that sometimes.

The Lambda 2012 was still everything I remember it being. A blend of six different clones, 33% aged for about two and a half years in new French oak. Light bodied with bright red fruit, vanilla, cloves and a hint of black pepper. It's a fairly complex wine with moderate acidity and very well balanced. Definitely still one of my favorite California Pinot Noirs!

Birichino Malvasia Bianca 2012

Just in case it's bothering the multitude of people who read this blog (aka: my parents), I am well aware that it seems like I rarely ever touch red wine. The reason I tend to favor whites is mainly due to the fact that I live in San Antonio, Texas where it’s hot as hell for at least eight months out of the year. I really do love red wines, but after moving back home four years ago I started leaning more towards whites simply because it was too damn hot for me to enjoy the bold, spicy reds I typically bought. Once it gets cooler the color in my glass will change and I will regale you with many tales of red wine, but for tonight I’m sticking with white: Birichino Malvasia Bianca 2012.

The Birichino winery was founded by Alex Krause and John Locke in 2008, but only showed up on my radar about six months ago when Kye (the Quarry Whole Foods wine specialist) took an interest in them. His passion for wine has led him to develop a knack for tracking down little-known and rather unique wines from all over the world. He wound up bringing in several of Birichino’s wines (Malvasia, Vin Gris, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Muscat Canelli to be exact) and not a single one disappointed.

The lovely white wine I’m discussing tonight is from Monterey in California. It is 100% Malvasia Bianca (a varietal of ancient origin, most likely Greek) and aged for five months in stainless steel. A beautiful pale gold color with greenish tinges displaying aromas of tangerine, wet limestone and floral notes on the nose. The palate is light-bodied and racy with flavors of lemon peel, lime zest and white nectarine followed by hints of jasmine, fresh ginger and bright minerality. Crisp acidity cuts through the floral and fruit to deliver a clean finish. Really enjoyable for this summer weather we’re still having in San Antonio... in the middle of October.

The Birichino Malvasia Bianca is a truly lovely, complex wine and a rather hard to find varietal (in Texas at least). I've no doubt that will be enjoyable even after the weather decides to cool down. In case I've managed to peak your interest I would suggest hightailing it to either of the Whole Foods Markets in San Antonio.

… Except of course for puppies, puppies are better than everything ever.

Abbazia di Novacella Kerner 2012

I got to try some absolutely stellar wines from Alto Adige today that inspired me to pick up Abbazia di Novacella Kerner after work. The last time I bought this wine I loved it and left about half the bottle at my parents’ so they could try something new and fun. I realized my mistake when I found out later that they’d thrown it into a batch of sangria which is a sure sign that they didn’t like it. I still haven’t let them live that down. Now every time I leave good wine with them I make them promise not to mix it in with sangria. Luckily for me they tend to only make sangria around Easter so most of the hand-me-down wines I give them have escaped that fate.

Just to give you a little background: Kerner is a cross of Schiava (also known as Trollinger or Vernatsch) and Riesling. It was bred in Germany in 1969 and named after the German poet, Justinus Kerner, whose works included songs and poetry about wine. In the 1990s it was, for a time, the third most planted grape in Germany, but plantings since then have fallen. In fact the few Kerners I’ve seen in store were all from Alto Adige in Italy. Alto Adige was part of Austria-Hungary before it was ceded to Italy after World War I which can explain the distinct German and Austrian influences on the wine industry in that region.

This wine exhibits a clear and light gold color with aromas of lemon zest, honeysuckle and grassy notes on the nose. Medium-bodied and spicy with zesty flavors of key lime, orange peel, pineapple, beeswax, cream fraiche and fresh jalapeno. Hints of wet slate combine with medium acidity that creeps up on you slowly to lead to a longish finish.

As my parents proved it’s not a wine that appeals to everybody, but it is definitely worth it if you want to try a cool, rather unique varietal. 

NV G.H. Mumm & Cie Champagne Carte Classique Extra Dry

When my sisters and I were born my grandparents bought each of us a bottle of Champagne that we were supposed to save and open at our weddings. Unfortunately my parents weren't too wine savvy at that time and lacked a decent place to store any of these bottles so they were left in the kitchen pantry, which didn't end too well. I know of at least two times when my parents were forced to secretly replace a ruined bottle, before finally deciding it wasn't really worth the hassle. My oldest sister, Alicia, and I somehow still had intact bottles, and luckily my middle sister, Teresa, grew up to be more of a beer drinker so it didn't seem to bother her. I don’t remember if Alicia opened hers at her wedding (open bar and I was still drinking liquor back then… it’s a rather hazy memory altogether), but mine is the only one left.

Since I’m rather ambivalent about marriage, not to mention way too young (or too old according to some of my relatives), I've decided waiting for a wedding that might never happen is just plain silly. So I've decided that my bottle of G.H. Mumm Carte Classique Extra Dry is getting opened tonight after work. Chances are it’s not even good, but even a terrible bottle of wine can be good material for a post. Hurrah for late-night experiments that probably won't end well! 

Later that night...

I opened the would-be wedding Champagne after getting home tonight and was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't horribly spoiled. Had this been the original bottle my grandparents bought when I was born it probably would have been a much less pleasant experience. Of course you never know, maybe after being stored in a kitchen pantry for 27 years it would have had lovely notes of breakfast cereal, uncooked pasta and almost every cooking spice you can think of.

This bottle was perfect after a less than stellar week. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but it’s a really lovely deep golden color. On the nose it has baked peach and red apple with yeasty characteristics. Smooth and medium-bodied with flavors of baked pear, dried apricot and orange zest which are quickly taken over by hints of clove, toasted almond and honeysuckle. The honeysuckle notes lead flavors of rich honey that coats the mouth before being balanced out by crisp acidity.

I really didn't expect much from bottle, so actually enjoying it has been a pleasant surprise. Even so I doubt this family tradition will be carried on. I plan on starting a nice collection of birth year and age-worthy wines for my niece so she can be a classy drunk when she reaches the legal drinking age (20 years from now). I don’t think she’ll be missing out too much if I don’t include a NV champagne that’s been kept in rather questionable conditions for 20-plus years. 

Vigilance Petite Sirah 2011

Petite Sirah (aka: Durif) was one of the first red varietals I really and truly enjoyed. Michael David’s Petite Petit was probably the first wine that opened my eyes to Petite Sirah (and yes, I bought it because I thought the label was utterly adorable). It was definitely one of the better wines tucked away in the rather pathetic excuse for a wine room at the liquor store where I was working at the time. I wish I could say that after that I fell head over heels for the complexity, uniqueness and blah blah blah that this wine displayed, but sadly no (it would’ve been such a good excuse for what followed). I definitely enjoyed the majority of wines I had from that varietal afterwards, but my overall obsession with it didn’t start until after an adorable toy Australian Shepherd came into my life.

I’d originally wanted to name her Rogue after my favorite X-Men character, but Sarah Palin’s book (‘Going Rogue’) had just come out so after hastily scrambling to come up with a new name, I settled on Petite Sirah. At the time I had no idea that she was a toy so it wasn’t until later that I realized how fitting a name it was. She is the world to me and despite sometimes feeling like a pretentious (but clever!) bastard whenever I have to explain or pronounce her name for people, I still love it. I have a Petite Sirah who is literally petite… it is ridiculous how happy that makes me.

Vigilance is from the Red Hills AVA located at the base of Mount Konocti in California. It is 100% Petite Sirah with a vibrant ruby color and aromas of blackberry, vanilla and cedar. Medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with fruit flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and plum nicely balanced with notes of vanilla, clove and white pepper. Finishes with some slightly earthy notes and low tannins, definitely had more finesse than I’ve come to expect from California Petite Sirah.

PS is a grape that I enjoy rather immensely and love introducing to people for the first time. Vigilance is one of the more unique wines I've had of this varietal and it’s one I highly recommend. It is available at Whole Foods Market Vineyard in San Antonio.

Martian Ranch Grenache Blanc 2012

I really enjoy living vicariously through my friends, especially when they vacation in California wine country, a trip I simply cannot afford to make right now. One of my friends, Kye, managed to make it out to Santa Barbara a couple of months ago and since he absolutely adores me (and I laid a major guilt trip on him), he brought me back some rather awesome souvenirs. I’m sure it’s no surprise that ‘Sideways’ is a film that’s very near and dear to both our hearts, so my favorite present was the napkin he snagged after eating at The Hitching Post:

Of course the wines Kye brought back were fantastic as well, especially the Martian Ranch Grenache Blanc:

Martian Ranch is located in Los Alamos California, owned and run by Nan Helgeland, who is dedicated to making Rhone varietal wines with little manipulation. She is also the wife of writer/producer Brian Helgeland (‘L.A. Confidential’ is right up there with ‘Sideways’ for both of us) and while that association may have been why Kye chose to stop at Martian, Nan and her wines are the reasons he fell head over heels for it. After tasting a few of the wines brought back from there I can totally understand why. If I’d gotten to try them while surrounded by the beautiful scenery in which they were created, I’d be enthralled too.

I’d been listening to Kye rave about Martian Ranch for at least a week so when their Grenache Blanc was one of the three wines he brought me back it wasn’t too hard to decide what to open first. I’ve never found this varietal to be overly complex, but this wine created elegance out of simplicity. Tropical fruits, citrus and almonds on the nose, with bright pineapple, lemon peel, passion fruit and lemongrass flavors coming through on the palate. Crisp acidity and subtle minerality led to a refreshing, yet short finish that made me wish I had more than one bottle of it.

Endless Crush Rosé 2013

Finally got my act back together (meaning I stopped being lazy and procrastinating) and am ready to introduce you to the wonders of rosé!

Earlier this year I had the good fortune to meet Kathleen Inman, the owner and winemaker of Inman Family Wines in Russian River Valley, while she was in San Antonio. Getting to meet and chat with friendly, passionate winemakers is one of the things I love most about my job. So combining those invariably interesting conversations with really great wines makes me a very happy little girl. I had heard that Inman’s natural and environmentally responsible winemaking style produced well-balanced, terroir-driven wines so it was awesome getting to taste that for myself. We sampled the Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Endless Crush Rosé, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir and Thorn Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir. They were excellent: the Chardonnay was crisp and bright, the Pinot Noirs were simply elegant with subtle, unique differences in each, but it was the Endless Crush Rosé that I fell head over heels for.

This exceptional wine is made predominately from organically grown Pinot Noir from their Olivet Grange Vineyard in Russian River Valley. An “intentional” rosé (rather than one made with the run-off juices from red wines, the saignée method), first made in ‘04 to celebrate her and her husband’s 20^th anniversary.  It is a delicious dry wine with red cherry, strawberry and floral notes on the nose, followed by refreshing strawberry, orange zest and watermelon flavors balanced by crisp acidity, hints of honeysuckle and spice that linger pleasantly on the finish.

Endless Crush is one of the most elegant and unique rosés I’ve ever tasted, I am thrilled that we finally have it in our wine set. It’s especially perfect for these ridiculously hot days we’ve had in Texas lately. Plus it has a pretty label! That way if you wind up not liking the wine (which is highly unlikely), you’ll have a pretty empty bottle… so no matter what you win! That is, assuming I’m not the only weirdo who keeps empty wine bottles to use as home decorations. Anyways! You should start walking at a very brisk pace to find this wine at Whole Foods Quarry in San Antonio.