Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Hess Select Pinot Noir ($20)

This Pinot Noir from Hess Select is from California's Central Coast. Specifically, the Sarmento Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands region. From the Gablian Mountains in Monterey, these grapes experience the cool afternoon breezes from the Pacific Ocean that result in an extended ripening over a long, moderate growing season.

This 100% Pinot Noir is aged in neutral French oak for up to 12 months. Dave Guffy, Winemaker at Hess, states "A flavorful palate is highlighted by warm vanilla notes and a touch of clove all wrapped up in smooth, velvety tannins."

Dave goes on to say "This wine invites you right in with bright aromas of cherries, raspberries and subtle hints of sweet spice."

To find all these wonderful flavors in a California Pinot for around $20 is spectacular! With a slight chill on it, this wine is just as excellent on its own as it is with foods.

This Hess Select Pinot Noir is another winning value feature in Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week that, as usual, is affordable and attainable. Look for this one! Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications

Think When You Drink

A co-worker who is into nice wines recently told me that she used to pour her mother nicer wines when she visited. The problem was her mother would down her glasses of wine like water. She tried to have her mother slow down and enjoy the wine, but to no avail. So, she now serves her mother inexpensive wines and pours herself the good stuff. Her mother doesn't seem to notice.

When people ask me about wine, I tell them that there is so much more to wine than simply drinking. One of the simple ways to get more enjoyment out of a glass of wine is to follow the Five S's. When you are served a glass of wine, take a close look at the wine and its color (See the wine). Then give your glass a gentle swirl to help release the wine's aromas. Then smell the wine and pay attention to what you smell. And, yes, use your imagination. Your brain stores lots of information on smells and the wine's aroma surely will spark memories of other smells.  Then sip, don't guzzle, your wine. Let it stay briefly in your mouth. Then, swallow and enjoy the immediate flavors and those that linger.

The five S's, See...Swirl...Smell...Sip...Swallow will help to better enjoy the wine that you are served. And, it makes you "think when you drink." I assure you, it will make your next glass of wine a better one! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon ($20)

This Cabernet from Hess Select is from California's North Coast. The wine is produced from Hess estate vineyards in Napa along with grapes from Lake County and Mendocino County.

Hess states that "The rolling hillsides and benchlands offer prime vineyard sites producing flavorful fruit with layers of agreeable acids and balanced tannins."  I would certainly agree.

This wine is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petite Sirah, 4% Malbec, 2% Syrah, 2% Merlot and 2% Zinfandel. It's aged in 35% new French oak and American oak for 18 months.

The wine maker, Dave Guffy, describes this wine as having "Bright and vivid aromas of roasted vanilla, mocha and baking spices meet layers of blackberry and ripe cherry flavors."

To find all these wonderful flavors in a California North Coast Cab for around $20 is a great find!

This Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon is another winning value feature in Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week that, as usual, is affordable and attainable. Look for this one! You will enjoy it. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications

How Does Wind Affect a Wine?

I recently had a friend return from doing some wine tasting in Napa. While he said he enjoyed the wine, he did complain that it was windy and cold. And, he said he was told that the wind helped the wine. So, he asked me "How does wind affect a wine?"

Luckily, I had recently been doing some reading, and this exact situation was described. It turns out that it's not just the wind, it a cool wind that helps.  And, as is true with many of the premiere wine growing regions, Napa is helped by the cool afternoon breezes that come in off the ocean.  These cool winds actually cause the leaves in the vineyard to close-down their tiny pores (stoma). Without going any further into plant botany, this slows down the ripening process during the growing season. And, slower ripening results in grape skins that are thicker along with smaller berries (i.e., grapes) and smaller bunches.  This produces concentrated flavors and, in red grapes, a bit more tannin. It can also help with increased acidity. All good stuff for making wine.

So, when you visit wine county and feel the cool afternoon breezes, don't complain. They are helping to make the wine even better. Cheers!

Yet Another Hard Lesson on Wine Gone Bad

On a trip to wine country earlier this year, I picked up several bottles of wine. Included in my wines was a Reserve Chardonnay that I had gotten in Alexander Valley.  In the tasting room it was excellent.

After purchasing the wines, I was very careful to control their temperature by not leaving them in the car or exposing them to significant sunlight. And, while on the road, the wines always spend the night in the cool hotel room, not the car.  Once home, the wines were moved either to cool, dark closets or to the wine refrigerator (always need a bigger wine refrig!) where they are stored on their side with the cork slightly down.

For a recent dinner, I brought out the slightly chilled Reserve Chardonnay, pulled the cork and poured a glass.  I immediately noticed the color of the Chardonnay. Instead of the usual pale straw color (like the one on the left in the photo), this wine was golden-brown in color (like the one on the right in the photo). That seemed really odd.  I then took a sniff. The aroma was not that of a fruity, tropical Chardonnay. It was noticeably off. I went back to examine the cork (a natural cork) and found the issue.  The cork was completely soaked all the way through.  It had leaked and air had gotten into my Reserve Chardonnay. Ruined.

I didn't have to taste it. I already knew from the golden-brown color, the odd aroma and the soaked cork that this wine had gone bad. But, just to complete my experience, I did taste the wine. As expected, it had a very nutty (oxidized) flavor. A real let down since it was so good in tasting room.

I believe that I did everything properly on the handling and storage of this wine that I just purchased a few months ago. I just got ahold of a bottle with where the cork did not properly do its job. 

It's always such a shame to buy a really nice bottle of wine only to find that its gone bad. So, if your wine has an unusual color, odd aroma and/or a nutty taste, you'll know it's not just a bad wine, it's a wine that's gone bad.

Here's to finding lots of great bottles of wine in your future! Cheers!