August Wine Night - Syrah/Shiraz

Host

Selina

Date

August 13, 2010

Bottles

2005 Little Boomey - Tim
2006 Oak Cask - Nicole
2007 Bogle Petite Sirah - Evan & Jess
2007 Boxcar Wine Company - Kevin & Matt
2007 Ravenswood - Sean & Tara
2008 Fat Bastard - Alissa & Brian
2008 Oxford Landing - Katie & Brett
2008 Rosemount Estate - Selina
2009 Steeple Jack - Derek & Joe

Syrah/Shiraz


Syrah or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines. Whether sold as Syrah or Shiraz, these wines enjoy great popularity.

Syrah is used as a varietal and is also blended. Following several years of strong planting, Syrah was estimated in 2004 to be the world's 7th most grown grape at 142,600 hectares (352,000 acres).

DNA profiling in 1999 found Syrah to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. It should not be confused with Petite Sirah, a synonym for Durif, a cross of Syrah with Peloursin dating from 1880.


The Results

WINNER: 2008 Rosemount Estate - 94.5 points out of 130
Producer: Rosemount Estate
Vineyard: Rosemount Estate
Country/State/Region: Nuriootpa, Australia
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Black pepper, Blackberry, Fig
Taste: Black pepper, Raspberry, Blackberry, Fig, Cranberry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 9, 8, 6, 8, 6, 10, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 6, 7.5



2007 Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah - 86 points out of 130
Producer: Bogle Vineyards
Vineyard: Bogle Vineyards
Country/State/Region: Graton, California
Price: $13.99
Aroma: Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Light - Medium
Nose: Vanilla, Raspberry, Cherry
Taste: Oak, Vanilla, Strawberry, Cherry
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 7.5, 4, 7, 4, 4, 5, 6, 5, 7, 7, 8, 10, 8, 5, 9.5

2008 Fat Bastard Wine Company - 84 points out of 130
Producer: The Fat Bastard Wine Company
Vineyard: The Fat Bastard Wine Company
Country/State/Region: Languedoc - Roussillon, France
Price: $10.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Light
Nose: Cherry, Rhubarb, Blackberry
Taste: Oak, Blackberry, Black pepper, Cherry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7, 4, 8, 7, 8, 5, 2, 8.5, 4, 3, 7.5, 8, 7.5



2008 Oxford Landing Vineyard - 80 points out of 130
Producer: Oxford Landing Vineyard
Vineyard: Oxford Landing Vineyard
Country/State/Region: Adelaide, Australia
Price: $10.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Vanilla, Blackberry
Taste: Raspberry, Vanilla, Cranberry, Oak, Black pepper, Cherry, Liquorice
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 6, 5, 6, 7.5, 7.5, 7, 7, 8

2007 Boxcar Wine Company - 77.5 points out of 130

Producer: Boxcar Wine Company

Vineyard: Boxcar Wine Company

Country/State/Region: Sonoma Coast, California

Price: $22.99

Aroma: Spice, Oak

Appearance: Ruby

Body: Medium

Nose: Cherry, Vanilla

Taste: Cranberry, Blackberry, Black pepper, Vanilla

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 5, 8.5, 8, 8, 6, 5, 8, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5

2007 Ravenswood Winery - 72.5 points out of 130

Producer: Ravenswood Winery

Vineyard: Ravenswood Winery

Country/State/Region: Sonoma, California

Price: $13.99

Aroma: Spice, Oak

Appearance: Ruby

Body: Full

Nose: Vanilla, Cherry, Raspberry, Pepper

Taste: Sugar, Black pepper, Blackberry

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 3, 6, 4, 3, 3, 6, 5.5, 6, 6, 7, 7.5, 6, 5

2009 Steeple Jack - 69.5 points out of 130

Producer: Ballast Stone Estate Wines

Vineyard: Ballast Stone Estate Wines

Country/State/Region: Currency Creek, Australia

Price: $8.99

Aroma: Spice, Floral

Appearance: Ruby

Body: Light

Nose: Cranberry, Raspberry, Cherry, Rose, Pepper

Taste: Blackberry, Rose, Fig

Finish: Short

Individual Points: 3, 4, 5, 7, 6, 3, 4, 4, 6, 4, 9, 5, 9.5

2006 Oak Cask - 64 points out of 130

Producer: Bodegas Trapiche

Vineyard: Bodegas Trapiche

Country/State/Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Price: $12.99

Aroma: Spice, Oak

Appearance: Ruby

Body: Full

Nose: Tobacco, Mold, Red pepper, Blackberry

Taste: Cedar, Red pepper, Raspberry, Cranberry

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 4, 5, 3, 3, 6, 8, 4, 7, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4

2005 Little Boomey Wines - 24.5 points out of 130

Producer: Little Boomey Wines

Vineyard: Little Boomey Wines

Country/State/Region: Adelaide, Australia

Price: $7.99

Aroma: Turned

Appearance: Ruby

Body: Light

Nose: Turned

Taste: Fig, Cedar, Mold

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 8, 4, 1, .5, 1, 0, 2, 3, .5, 0, 0, .5, 4

Comments

Until we realized that the numbers had been counted wrong and that Selina was the official winner of July's wine night, there was some major debate as to who won. Evan and Jess thought they had won with their bottle of Petite Sirah and some of us (ehm, see Tara's photo above) thought the bottle didn't even qualify to play. Sort of like Jesse's grape juice last month, but you know. Actually alcoholic. The Petite Sirah definitely ISN'T a Syrah/Shiraz, though it is related.

Still - it's a super good wine.

Oh, wine night controversies. How I love you.

Announcement for September Wine Night

For September's Wine Night:

Theme: Malbec
Date: September 10, 2010
Time: 8:00
Location: Sean & Tara's

You are all invited to Sean and Tara's house on the aforementioned date and time for our tenth wine club gathering. The night's theme will be MALBEC, a robust RED wine that has become uniquely identified with Argentina despite being produced throughout the world. As such, every couple/uncoupled individual is responsible for bringing a bottle of MALBEC, which you can find at any liquor store for under $25, to the tasting. Sean and Tara will be providing food pairings to accompany the wine.

GET EXCITED FOR ROUND 10 YOU CRAZY WINOS!!!

Don't forget to RSVP to the Facebook invite!

Meet This Crazy Wino - Selina

Name: Selina
Alias: Belina, Bean, Beanie
Occupation: Occu-what? Well, I am a sociology graduate student if that counts.

When you brag, you brag about: My family is very unique (well, mostly my father) in that we have an organic "farm" with chickens and fresh fruits/vegetables, and we also make our own wine (and it's all so good). Although I admittedly never help on the farm and I'm hardly on Long Island to partake in the wine making, I think all of it is pretty awesome and I feel super lucky to be able to reap the benefits.

What would you do if money was no issue? I would absolutely travel the world, I would actually get those front row center tickets to Radiohead next time around, buy a big boat, a house in New York and another home in Florence, Italy.

Favorite Vintage: 2009 Labriola - Zinfandel (red) OK, so we didn't even personally grow those grapes, but that's the answer I'm giving.
Why? I helped make it!

Your First Wine Experience: I have a terrible memory, so this was definitely not my first wine experience, but it's the earliest one I can vividly remember. It was Valentine's day my freshman year of college and my boyfriend at the time asked someone with a fake ID to buy us a bottle of red wine (how romantic). He wound up bringing us a bottle of Kelly's Revenge Shiraz. We sat down on my bedroom floor where we had set up an indoor dinner picnic of sorts (who knows why) and realized we didn't have a corkscrew to open the bottle. Ultimately we pushed the cork all the way down inside and every time we poured ourselves a glass the cork would obstruct the flow and red wine would spray out everywhere. I'm pretty sure I ruined my shirt, and probably the carpet.

What makes you a crazy wino? I think I read somewhere, "You know you're a wino when you brush your teeth and you spit out purple." True story.

Favorite Quote: "I saw this wino, he was eating grapes. I was like, 'Dude, you have to wait!'" - Mitch Hedberg.

Personal Motto: As the respected philosopher and great friend Darafucious always says, "You must be like the jello mold... just jiggle with it."

Top 3 items on your Bucket List: Get married, explore all 50 states, create a bucket list.

Top Choice Actor to play you for Our Monthly Wine Club - The Movie: Snooki

July Wine Night - Sauvignon Blanc

Host

Alissa

Date

July 9, 2010

Bottles

2006 Gordon Brothers Cellars - Kate
2008 Rapura Springs - Tom
2008 Chamarre Grand Reserve - Evan & Jess
2008 Bogel - Wil
2008 Nobilo Regional Collection - Ari
2008 Monkey Bay - Selina
2009 Francis Ford Coppola - Jon
2009 Puerta Viejo - Amanda
2009 Monkey Bay - Jamie
2009 Rock Rabbit - Derek & Joe
2009 The Infamous Goose - Tara
2009 Groth Vineyards - Sean & Tara
2009 Oyster Bay - Nicole
2009 Les Jamelles - Arianna
2009 Tablelands - Kait & Mike
2009 Monkey Bay - Dane
2009 Hay Maker - Nick

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape gets its name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France. It is now planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. Conversely, the grape is also a component of the famous dessert wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Sauvignon blanc is widely cultivated in France, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil and California.

Depending on the climate, the flavor can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. Wine experts have used the phrase "crisp, elegant, and fresh" as a favorable description of Sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley and New Zealand. Sauvignon blanc, when slightly chilled, pairs well with fish or cheese, particularly Chèvre. It is also known as one of the few wines that can pair well with sushi.

Along with Riesling, Sauvignon blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers. The wine is usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from aging, except for some oak-aged Pessac-leognan and Graves from Bordeaux that can age up to fifteen years. Dry and sweet white Bordeaux, typically made with Sauvignon blanc as a major component, is the one exception.

The Results

WINNER: 2009 Les Jamelles Winery - 131 points out of 190
Producer: Les Jamelles Winery
Vineyard: Les Jamelles Winery
Country/State/Region: Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Citrus
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Light
Nose: Butter, Apple, Lemon
Taste: Green Apple
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 8, 9, 8, 6, 7, 5.5, 8.5, 7.5, 4.5, 5.5, 8, 8.5, 7, 9, 8, 6, 5.5, 1, 8.5


2009 Tablelands Wine Company - 130.5 points out of 190
Producer: Tablelands Wine Company
Vineyard: Tablelands Wine Company
Country/State/Region: Martinborough, New Zealand
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Floral
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Light
Nose: Butter, Honey, Apricot, Rose
Taste: Rose, Honey
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7, 7, 6, 3, 6, 6, 6, 7, 6.5, 9, 8, 8, 7, 8, 6.5, 6.5, 7.5, 7

2009 Monkey Bay - 121 points out of 190
Producer: Monkey Bay Wine
Vineyard: Monkey Bay Wine
Country/State/Region: Monkey Bay, New Zealand
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Citrus
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Light
Nose: Lemon, Apple, Honey
Taste: Lemon, Honey, Apricot
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 7.5, 10, 6, 8, 5, 5, 3, 5, 6, 6, 2, 6, 6, 7, 7, 6, 8.5, 8, 9

2009 Hay Maker - 116.5 out of 190
Producer: Mud House Wines Ltd.
Vineyard: Mud House Wines Ltd.
Country/State/Region: Riverlands Estate, New Zealand
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Citrus
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Medium
Nose: Pear, Grapefruit, Honey
Taste: Grapefruit, Honey, Lemon
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7, 2, 5, 5, 7, 2, 1, 7, 6, 5.5, 9, 5, 10, 10, 9, 6, 7, 5.5, 7.5

2008 Rapaura Springs Ltd. - 115.5 points out of 190
Producer:Rapaura Springs Ltd.
Vineyard: Rapaura Springs Ltd.
Country/State/Region: Spring Creek, New Zealand
Price: $16.99
Aroma: Citrus
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Medium
Nose: Pear, Grapefruit, Orange
Taste: Grapefruit
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 3, 4, 4, 4, 7, 8, 6, 5, 7, 9, 5, 8, 8, 5, 6, 7, 5.5, 6, 8

2009 Groth Vineyards - 104 points out of 190

Producer: Groth Vineyards and Winery
Vineyard: Groth Vineyards and Winery

Country/State/Region: Oakville, California

Price: $18.99

Aroma: Floral

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Light to Medium

Nose: Blue Cheese, Rose, Butter, Brass, Hay, Cheddar

Taste: Cheddar, Almond, Vinegar

Finish: Short

Individual Points: 5.5, 10, 9, 7, 6, 5.5, 5, 3, 4, 6, 7.5, 5, 6, 6.5, 5.5, 6.5, 4, 2, 5

2009 Oyster Bay - 102 out of 190
Producer: Oyster Bay Wines
Vineyard: Oyster Bay Wines
Country/State/Region: Oyster Bay, New Zealand
Price: $13.99
Aroma: Floral, Citrus
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Medium
Nose: Rose, Orange
Taste: Orange, Vanilla, Grapefruit, Lilac
Finish: Short
Individual Points: 4, 5, 6.5, 8, 7, 2, 2, 6, 3, 2, 10, 5, 7, 6, 6, 5.5, 7.5, 6.5, 3

2008 Chamarre Grand Reserve - 99.5 points out of 190

Producer: Chamarre/EMB

Vineyard: Chamarre/EMB

Country/State/Region: Vin de Pays d'Oc, France

Price: $16.99

Aroma: Citrus

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Light

Nose: Grape, Apple, Lime

Taste: Apple, Butter

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 4.5, 5, 8, 4.5, 2, 1, 7, 2, 1, 5, 7, 8, 4, 8, 7.5, 6, 6.5, 6.5, 6


2008 Bogel - 99.5 points out of 190

Producer: Bogel Vineyards
Vineyard: Bogels Vineyards

Country/State/Region: Clarksburg, California

Price: $13.99

Aroma: Citrus, Oak, Floral

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Light

Nose: Butter, Oak, Rose, Honey

Taste: Butter, Oak, Lime

Finish: Short

Individual Points: 7, 9.5, 4.5, 6, 2, 6, 2, 6, 9, 4, 6, 6, 4.5, 5, 6.5, 4, 4, 3.5

2008 Nobilo Regional Collection - 98. 5 out of 190
Producer: Nobilo Wine Group Limited
Vineyard: Nobilo Wine Group Limited
Country/State/Region: Auckland, New Zealand
Price: $13.99
Aroma: Citrus
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Full
Nose: Grapefruit, Lemon, Grass
Taste: Pear, Grapefruit

Finish: Long
Individual Points: 3, 5, 8, 6, 6, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 5.5, 5, 7.5, 6, 7, 7, 6, 8

2009 Francis Ford Coppola - 97.5 points out of 190

Producer: Francis Ford Coppola

Vineyard: Francis Ford Coppola

Country/State/Region: Geyserville, California

Price: $14.99

Aroma: Floral

Appearance: Lemon

Nose: Pine, Rose

Taste: Lime, Apricot, Sour Apple

Finish: Short

Individual Points: 3, 2, 3, 6.5, 7.5, 7, 7.5, 2, 7, 8, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 6.5, 5, 7.5, 6.5, 7, 5

2009 Puerto Viejo - 93 points out of 190

Producer: Vina Requingua
Vineyard: Vina Requingua

Country/State/Region: Curico Valley, Chile

Price: $12.99

Aroma: Citrus

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Medium

Nose: Butter

Taste: Coconut, Pineapple

Finish: Short

Individual Points: 2, 3, 1, 2.5, 1, 1.5, 5, 4, 8, 5, 6, 8, 6, 7, 6.5, 4, 7, 8, 7.5

2009 Monkey Bay Wine - 91.5 out of 190
Producer: Monkey Bay Wine
Vineyard: Monkey Bay Wine
Country/State/Region: Monkey Bay, New Zealand
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Medium
Nose: Apricot, Jalapeno, Honey
Taste: Apple, Jalapeno
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 6, 2, 6, 6, 6, 2, 8, 1, 0, 6, 8, 5, 1, 6, 6, 6, 8.5, 6, 6.5

2009 Rock Rabbit - 90 points out of 190

Producer: Rock Rabbit Winery

Vineyard: Rock Rabbit Winery

Country/State/Region: Graton, California

Price: $9.99

Aroma: Citrus, Floral

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Medium

Nose: Lime, Grapefruit, Lemon, Butter, Rose, Nectar

Taste: Butter, Grapefruit, Lemon, Sour Apple

Finish: Short

Individual Points: 6.5, 8, 7, 9, 1, 1, 1, 5, 3, 4, 6, 7, 5, 5, 6, 4, 5, 3, 3.5

2009 The Infamous Goose - 81.5 points out of 190

Producer: Mother Goose Wines Ltd.
Vineyard: Mother Goose Wines Ltd.

Country/State/Region: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Price: $12.99

Aroma: Citrus

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Medium

Nose: Lime, Grapefruit

Taste: Pineapple, Pine, Grapefruit

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 4, 5, 2.5, 2, 2, 2, 3, 5, 3, 2, 4.5, 4, 8, 3, 5, 7, 5, 6, 6.5

2008 Monkey Bay Wine - 79 out of 190
Producer: Monkey Bay Wine
Vineyard: Monkey Bay Wine
Country/State/Region: Monkey Bay, New Zealand
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Floral
Appearance: Lemon
Body: Light
Nose: Pear, Grass
Taste: Grass, Butter, Sour Apple, Earth, Hay
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 2, 2, 6, 7, 5, 3, 2, 5, 3, 5, 4, 5, 2, 5.5, 5, 6, 5, 2, 4.5

2006 Gordon Brothers Cellars - 19 points out of 190

Producer: Gordon Brothers Cellars Inc.

Vineyard: Gordon Brothers Cellars Inc.
Country/State/Region: Pasco, Washington

Price: $14.99

Aroma: Spice

Appearance: Lemon

Body: Light

Nose: Sea Salt

Taste: Oil, Acetone

Finish: Long

Individual Points: 2, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1.5, 0, 0, 0, 0.5, 3, 0, 0.5, 1, 4, 5, 2, 1, 0, 0

Comments

By far the largest wine night we've ever had, with over 25 in attendance and 19 votes. (Derek and his friends left early because they were too cool for us, so their votes didn't count.) I have to say - we definitely hit the max amount of pours per bottle. 20 odd pours tapped each bottle out with a little more than a sip for each person.

Still, as evidenced by the photo above, everyone managed to still get pretty sloppy. And then they went in the pool! And then that ended really well! Just kidding - drunken swimming is safe and fine. You're sure to only have one concussion per. (WINK).

Jesse made his wine night debut - with a bottle of cider which he sneakily entered into the running. I mean, I thought it tasted great. A bit like green tea Snapple and I was all over giving that shit a 9.5. But Jamie and Evan weren't tricked. They both gave it a 0. Sauvignon Blanc doesn't taste like this, they said. (SNOBS) Still, the bottle came in FIRST PLACE. It was only then that Jamie read the label - 100% GRAPE JUICE.

Thanks, Jesse. Thanks.

19 Fabulous White Wines From The Kitchn

There are certain grape varieties and wine regions that I associate with summer days, such as Albariño from Rías Baixas in Northern Spain, Kabinett style Riesling from Germany, any white wine from Greece, Italy the South of France as well as their neighboring Mediterranean Islands. Torrontes from Argentina is also a great summer sip.

The possibilities are many, and this is not intended as a prescriptive or exhaustive list of worthwhile summer white wines, but rather a personal musing that I hope stimulates some discussion on what wines you like to drink over the summer.


Click through to read more!

Announcement for August Wine Night

For August's Wine Night:

Theme: Syrah/Shiraz
Date: August 13th, 2010
Time: 8:00
Location: Selina's

You are all invited to Selina's house on the aforementioned date and time for our ninth wine club gathering. The night's theme will be SYRAH or SHIRAZ, a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful RED wines. As such, every couple/uncoupled individual is responsible for bringing a bottle of SYRAH or SHIRAZ, which you can find at any liquor store for under $25, to the tasting. Selina will be providing food pairings to accompany the wine. Also, bring your bathing suits, as her pool will be open for drunken swimming.

GET EXCITED FOR ROUND 9 YOU CRAZY WINOS!!!

Don't forget to respond to our Facebook invite!

A Message From Our President

Just a reminder that you are all invited to Alissa's house on Friday, July 9 at 8:00pm for our eighth wine club gathering. The night's theme will be SAUVIGNON BLANC, a French-originated WHITE wine that is now most known for its cultivation in France, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil and California. As such, every couple/uncoupled individual is responsible for bringing a bottle of SUAVIGNON BLANC, which you can find at any liquor store for under $25, to the tasting. Alissa (and Nicole) will be providing food pairings to accompany the wine. Also, bring your bathing suits, as her pool will be open for drunken swimming.

GET EXCITED FOR ROUND 8 YOU CRAZY WINOS!!!