wine journalSeptember/October 2015

A B C F I N E W I N E & S P I R I T S W I N E M A G A Z I N E

The garagiste movement is here to stay

Clash of the titans: French vs Californian Chardonnay

What is Craft Wine?

The ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Journal is a bimonthly publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Copyright 2015 ABC Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved.

Not all products are available in all stores. If the product you’re looking for isn’t available, ask us to order it for you! Allie Smallwood Editor allies@abcfws.com Meghan Guarino Contributing Editor meghang@abcfws.com

Brad Lewis Contributing Editor OUR WINE EXPERTS:

Jim Greeley Southwest Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Shayne Hebert Central Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Atanas Nechkov Central Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Paul Quaglini Southeast Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Bill Stobbs West Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Dan Eddy Northeast Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor

Heather Burton East Florida Wine and Spirits Supervisor If you would like to ensure you’re receiving the Wine Journal each time it’s published, send an email to Jennifer Baker (JenniferB@abcfws.com) and we’ll add you to the “always mail” list.

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For every bottle of select wine purchased from now until September 30, a portion of the sale will be donated to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, a non-

profit organization with a mission to eliminate childhood cancer. PCF partners with leading hospitals and funds research to find less toxic,

more targeted therapies for children battling cancer.

During September you can also give back by donating $1 at the register.

Uncork FOR A CURE.

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SPANNING THE GLOBEWhether it’s wine from here, wine from there or wine from across the globe, our team searches far and wide to bring you a varied selection.

CLASH OF THE TITANSIn a battle between Californian Chardonnay and French Chardonnay, who comes out on top? WHAT IS “CRAFT WINE?”The craft beer pandemic is still coursing through the US. Is there room for craft wine too? THE FIRST WINE IN SPACE Space has already welcomed its first wine—read on to see which bottle made the trek.

ZINFANDEL’S DARK AND MYSTERIOUS PAST – A DETECTIVE STORYThis rainy day mystery is just the enigma you need to accompany a tall glass of red wine.

INSIGHTS FROM IRPINIA Paul did everything but play tourist during his trip to Irpinia. He recommends you do the same. SHANNON RIDGE VINEYARDS, A LAKE COUNTY STARShannon Ridge Vineyards creates incredible wines at their sustainably farmed vineyards.

THE GARAGISTE MOVEMENTFashionista or garagiste: which wines are the rising stars of the smaller vineyards?

CHÂTEAU CROIX-MOUTON 2011Celebrate the coming of the fall season with an elegant Bordeaux blend!

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SPANNING THE GLOBE FOR WINE

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Curico ValleyJ I M G R E E L E Y • @ A B C W I N E J I M G • J A M E S G @ A B C F W S . C O M

f you’re as old as I am (firmly established in middle age), you may recall the sports television program Wide World of Sports that ran on ABC-TV (no relation to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits) for much of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

The show famously opened each week with a stirring musical montage played over brief images of sporting events, locations and people. Narrated by longtime host Jim McKay, always with the catchphrase “spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…”

The “thrill” portion was often of jubilant sports teams and figures celebrating a championship or another seminal moment. The equally infamous “agony” footage was of an unfortunate ski jumper sliding off-course and crashing out of control. I still wince a little when I think of the image.

The premise behind the program was to cover sporting events great and small in every far-reaching corner of world. The gamut of televised events ran from the noteworthy to the unconventional. You might tune in each week to catch the Grand Prix of Monaco for instance, or the Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuhel. Maybe witness the Harlem Globetrotters in Hong Kong, the very first Little League World Series or the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race.

So how does this all tie in with our mission to bring new and exciting wines to you? Well, your dedicated wine professionals here at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits do a bit of “spanning the globe” too. We search far and wide to bring you a constant variety of wine!

How varied? Well, how about the obscure grape Tannat from Uruguay? Believe it or not,

Uruguay is the fourth largest wine-producing nation in South America and its signature grape, Tannat, may be the most heart-healthy red variety out there. It has the distinction of being high in procyanidins, natural flavonoid compounds believed to be beneficial to blood vessels. Basque immigrants first transported Tannat vines from southwestern France to Uruguay back in the 1870s and it’s been there ever since.

Bodegas Garzón Tannat ($18) is a full-bodied expression of blackberries, chocolate, plum sauce, loam and mineral with inviting freshness and round but ripe tannins. It’s perfectly suited to hearty stews or grilled meats, especially well-marbled cuts of beef or lamb. The bodega is the brainchild of vintner Alejandro Bulgheroni and his family. Their state-of-the-art facility is located near Uruguay’s Atlantic coast and benefits from the region’s maritime climate and varied terroir. The focus is on estate-grown fruit utilizing sustainable viticulture. Since its inception in 1999, noted Italian enologist Alberto Antonini has been associated with the project.

The latest portfolio additions from Chile are two reserva bottlings from 8 Rios, a new vineyard project from the venerable Viña Undurraga, one of Chile’s oldest, historical wineries. It’s a reference to the eight river valleys of Chile, a key aspect to the diverse microclimates of Chile’s wine country. The 8 Rios Reserva Sauvignon Blanc ($10) is refreshing with lime blossom, pink grapefruit and a juicy, lip-smacking finish. The grapes are predominantly sourced from Chile’s Leyda Valley, a coastal area known for producing lively, fresh whites. The 8 Rios Reserva Red Cuvee ($10) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenérè offering black currant, tobacco, plum and linzer torte. The fruit comes from the classic Rapel Valley appellation in the Valle Central, long considered a great

location for thick-skinned Bordeaux varietals.The next time you’re in one of our store locations, we hope that you find a “thrill” in our extensive wine selection and do a little globetrotting yourself. Or ask one of our wine consultants for an “agony-free” recommendation. We stand behind the quality of all of our Direct-to-You wines. Not satisfied? Simply return it for any reason with your store receipt for exchange or credit.

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WINE LIST

RED

AGLIANICO Tenuta Pepe Opera Mia Taurasi (p 11) Tenuta Pepe Terra Del Varo (p 11)

BARBERA High Valley Barbera (p 13) Shannon Ridge Single Vineyard Barbera (p 13)

BORDEAUX BLEND Château Croix-Mouton 2011 (p 16) Château de Valandraud 2010 (p 15) Château le Bon-Pasteur 2009 (p 14) Château Lynch-Bages 2010, Pauillac (p 9) Château Lynch-Bages 2012, Pauillac (p 9) Domaine de l’A 2010 (p 15) Mauvais Garçon 2010 (p 14) Virginie de Valandraud 2010 (p 15) CABERNET SAUVIGNON Cross Springs Cabernet Sauvignon (p 13) Cross Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (p 13) High Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (p 13) Shannon Ridge High Elevation Cabernet Sauvignon (p 13) Shannon Ridge Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (p 13) Vigilance Cabernet Sauvignon (p 13)

MERLOT Buoncristiani Osso Anna Merlot (p 7) Château Peby-Faugeres 2010 (p 15)

PETITE SIRAH Cross Springs Petite Sirah (p 13) High Valley Petite Sirah (p 13) Shannon Ridge High Elevation Petite Sirah (p 13) Vigilance Petite Sirah (p 13)

RED BLEND 8 Rios Reserva Red Cuvee (p 3) Buoncristiani OPC (p 6) Domaine de l’Obrieu Visan (p 7) Shannon Ridge High Elevation Wrangler Red (p 13) Shed Horn Nontypical Red (p 6) Tantini Bardolino (p 7) Tantini Ettore (p 7) Vigilance Cimarron (p 13) Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf du Pape red 2010 (p 9)

TANNAT Bodegas Garzón Tannat (p 3)

TEMPRANILLO Baigorri Garage Rioja (p 14)

ZINFANDEL Shannon Ridge High Elevation Zinfandel (p 13) Shannon Ridge Two Bud Zinfandel (p 13) High Valley Zinfandel (p 13)

WHITE

BORDEAUX BLEND Blanc de Lynch-Bages 2011 (p 9)

CHARDONNAY Buoncristiani Osso Anna Chardonnay (p 7) Cross Springs Chardonnay (p 13) Cross Springs Chardonnay Reserve (p 13) Maison Chapelle Mâcon-Villages (p 5) Maison de la Cabotte Montagny 1er Cru (p 5) Shannon Ridge High Elevation Chardonnay (p 13) Solitude Chardonnay (p 5) Vigilance Chardonnay (p 13) Whitehall Lane Chardonnay (p 5)

FALANGHINA Pepe Lila Falanghina (p 11)

GRECO DI TUFO Pepe Nestor Greco di Tufo (p 11)

RHÔNE BLEND Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf du Pape white 2010 (p 9)

SAUVIGNON BLANC 8 Rios Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (p 3) Cross Springs Sauvignon Blanc (p 13) High Valley Sauvignon Blanc (p 13) Shannon Ridge High Elevation Sauvignon Blanc (p 13) Vigilance Sauvignon Blanc (p 13)

ROSÉ

High Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé (p 13) Tantini Chiaretto (p 7)

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CLASH OF THE TITANS: A Chardonnay Story

here is no doubt that when it comes to white wine, Chardonnay is king. That is not to say that everyone loves Chardonnay. In fact, there are quite a few who belong to the “ABC Club”(no pun intended)—the “Anything But Chardonnay Club.” Honestly, Chardonnay has come a long way in recent years, and there are a few real gems out there.

Chardonnay is produced globally in many different styles, but two regions reign supreme: France and California. There is not enough time in the day, or this article, to discuss both sides of terroir and all of the subtle microclimate differences, but I would like to introduce you to a few of my favorite Chardonnays from these two regions, focusing on both the stylistic differences and the gray areas where I feel these two titans overlap.

TITAN #1: CALIFORNIA Solitude Chardonnay, Carneros, California ($28): This wine is truly one of my favorites. It is everything you are looking for in a California Chardonnay. The Carneros appellation lies in the southern portion of both Napa and Sonoma counties.

A maritime influence on the climate in Carneros results in cool breezes and early morning fog that help to extend the growing season, giving it the coolest possible climatic conditions for viticulture. The soil here is shallow and dense, and rainfall is a mere 20 inches, the lowest in the area. All of these factors help to produce fruit that is intensely flavored and provides excellent sugar to acid balance. Fruit for the Solitude brand comes from the Sangi-acomo farms (so does Rombauer), which has been farming in Carneros since 1927.

Solitude Chardonnay is barrel fermented in French oak, utilizing Burgundian yeast strains. Malolactic fermentation, yeast

contact and stirring occur during the seven months of oak aging. Traditional Burgundian techniques combined with California cellar practices produce the ultra-premium Chardonnay that is consis-tently marked with high quality and value. The body is full but not overbearing, the oak noticeable but not bitter and the finish is long and complex—simply superb.

Whitehall Lane Chardonnay, Carneros, California ($23): Whitehall Lane Char-donnay is barrel fermented in 75% French Burgundian oak barrels and 25% stainless steel barrels and aged on the lees for just less than 11 months. This is a Chardonnay with attractive honeyed tropical fruit and toasty oak. These flavors are beautifully balanced with distinct, tangy, tart apple and lemon giving the wine a refreshing, yet lengthy finish.

TITAN #2: FRANCEMaison de la Cabotte Montagny 1er Cru ($20): Montagny is in the south of the Côte Chalonnaise, a sub-region of Burgundy. Montagny was introduced in 1936 and is the only one of the five Chalonnaise appellations to be devoted to only white wine. These are produced only from the Chardonnay grape variety and are often fermented or matured in oak barrels to add depth and complexity.

Montagny wines are unique because they have a little more body and slightly higher acidity than the whites from other Chalonnaise appellations. This is the result of Montagny’s marginally warmer southerly location and the copious amounts of limestone in the local soils, which also brings a noticeable and welcomed minerality to the wines.

The Maison Cabotte encompasses the qualities described above and has entered a fantastic drinking window. This wine is clean, with just enough plump and

softness offered from the barrel. This wine is oaked, but not “oaky” due to its acidity, and the finish leaves you thirsty for more.

Maison Chapelle Mâcon-Villages ($13): This Mâcon wine comes from the same producer as the La Cabotte wines. It’s a steal for the vintage and appellation with bright apple and pear notes, light oak and bright acidity carrying the fruit through the finish.

Try one, but my advice is to try them all. You be the judge of which titan is the victor. Tweet me your favorite @ABCWineHeatherB!

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H E AT H E R B U R T O N • @ A B C W I N E H E AT H E R B • H E AT H E R B @ A B C F W S . C O M

What is “Craft Wine?”

ecently a friend asked me this question and it really got me thinking. We’d been talking about the craft beer craze and she wondered if there was a similar movement in wine, and the simple answer is yes, of course. There are producers of wine who parallel the craft beer phenomenon, but not as many as you might think.

Part of the problem is in production, but also in definition. For years, what we might now call “craft wine” has been called “boutique” or “artisanal.” These are smaller production wineries that generally have one owner, who may or may not be the winemaker, but certainly have a very particular style or vision. Generally these are not wineries owned by the giant mega-corporations, though many boutique wineries sell out to these big companies once they have a cult following. “Cult wines” are another category that can be crafty, but are not necessarily from smaller, indi-vidual producers. Recently some sites have begun touting their “craft wines” as a sales technique to ape the current beer trend… but are they truly “craft wines” or are they just smaller production wineries with a different distribution network? What wines do we sell at ABC that could be called “craft wines?” Again, we have to go back to definitions.

With the recent arsenic scare coming out of California from “mass-produced” wines, there is, of course, a renewed interest in smaller- production, as well as organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines. Only three major corporations account for half of the wine produced in the US and so much of what is produced is highly affected, using science to create flavor profiles (“You want apricot notes in your Chardonnay? We can manu-facture that!”). Though clever and crafty in a way, that is not what I would call “craft wine.”

The Brewers Association defines craft beer as small, independent and traditional. Here are the stats: small, as in 6 million barrels per year or less; independent, less than 25% of the company is owned by a beverage alcohol industry member; and traditional, meaning using traditional or innovative brewing methods and no malternatives (FMBs). Craft beer is growing in market share, so how are craft beer producers doing this? The answer is simple: They have mobilized their consumers around a set of shared principles to advocate on their behalf. Beyond drinking craft

beer, these fans demand it at restaurants, bars and liquor stores. Craft beer fans are all over social media, especially on Twitter, and they know how to network. Wine lovers tend to be an older demographic and are not as wedded to social media, so the impact isn’t as strong. Also it’s easier to make craft beer anywhere in the US, even in Florida, where wine is limited to places where grapes can thrive.

Boutique and artisanal wines should have similar definitional parameters, but there are no agreed upon rules to define these terms. A boutique win-ery can be owned by a much larger corporation, which would go against this “craft” definition put out by the Brewers Association. If we choose to define our own “craft wine” parameters we should exclude those boutique wines owned by larger megacorps, which make them a little harder to find domestically, but many of our partners in Europe would fit the bill perfectly. Here are four options that I think conform to these new crafty definitional parameters: Shed Horn wines from Lake County, Buoncristiani wines from Napa Valley, Domaine l’Obrieu from France and Giovanna Tantini from Italy.

Mike Wood is the award-winning owner and winemaker for Shed Horn and was the winemaker for Clay Shannon’s wines for many years until he started his own venture. He has a very particular style to his winemaking and has introduced his own vision through his Nontypical Red ($20) blend bringing Cabernet Sauvignon and Zin-fandel together (now a new trend in California). Generally he sources his grapes from other growers, such as Clay Shannon, but he’s instru-mental in how the grapes are grown, sustainably, and when they are harvested. He is hands on, and that is a criteria that all of our crafty winemakers should share.

Buoncristiani Winery is family-owned and run by brothers who grew up surrounded by Napa wines. As they say on their website, “Our motto is quality not quantity and we craft our wines without compromise. Handcrafting these limited production wines ourselves allows for the utmost attention to detail of every drop of every gallon in each barrel.” Their OPC blend, “Old Pa’s Cuvée” ($50), is an example of their innovative style: a Meritage blend with a good dose of Syrah to spice up the mix, providing ripe fruit up front but

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plenty of Napa minerality on the finish. All of their Napa wines, including their Osso Anna Chardonnay ($17) and Osso Anna Merlot ($20), are award-winning and incredible values from Napa Valley.

Two producers I have personally visited in Europe really jump out as examples of “craft wine” producers. From France, Domaine de l’Obrieu represents this sense of one individual house style, and Jean Ives Perez truly crafts his wines by hand. In the tiny town of Visan in the Côtes du Rhône, his Visan ($15) wine uses ancient vine Grenache and Syrah to create an incredible wine for under $15 per bottle. With a higher proportion of Grenache than most Southern Rhône blends, his wine shows riper and juicier fruit from vineyards they salvaged on a property that was in disrepair, including the farmhouse where the couple and their daughters lived while renovating. Every grape is handpicked and whole cluster fermented with no pressing, and they ferment the two varietals together like a “field blend.” Each vintage is a true expression of their terroir and their winemaking philosophy, using organic farming techniques creating a union with their land that is heartwarming to see.

From Italy’s Veneto, Giovanna Tantini makes a range of stunning wines starting with her Bardolino ($15) and a rosé, the Chiaretto ($14). She really comes into her own craft with her “Super Venetos” named after her two children, Ettore ($24) and Greta. How can one be craftier than that? Her wines are her children. I’ve seen her in the vineyards, and Giovanna is truly hands-on, spending much of her time working the vines as they hand select each bunch. She leaves some grapes on the vine longer, letting them prune up a bit (almost like an Amarone), to create her highly extracted Super Veneto, Ettore, a blend of Corvina Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. She is one of the first to create this blend and style of wine. She is also the wine-maker, forklift operator and B&B hostess, and that solo tendency really represents what I would call boutique or artisan wines, rebranded as “craft wines,” here.

Even though there is no objective definition for “craft wines,” if you are interested in handcrafted wines, there are plenty of options available in the marketplace. You might have to do a little research to find the ones that are truly crafty and not megacorp marketing ploys, but they do exist. These are just a few to start your explorations. Stop by your local ABC and begin a crafty conversation with your wine consultant and you’ll be surprised at how many “craft wines” are out there.

Giovanna Tantini (with a very serious Nadia)

Jean Ives Perez and his Cecile at Domaine l’Obrieu in the Côtes du Rhône.

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hâteau Lynch-Bages wines are considered among the best quality and value in Bordeaux. In the Pauillac appellation of France, the château was classified as one of 18 Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growth) in the 1855 Official Classification of Médoc and Graves. The vineyards of Lynch-Bages, located on the Bages plateau at the entrance of Pauillac, overlook the Gironde estuary as they are planted on one of the appellation’s finest outcrops of gravelly soil.

The château was owned by the Lynch family for 75 years. They descended from John Lynch, a young Irishman from Galway who was chased out of his country. His son, Thomas Lynch, inherited an estate in the village of Bages through his wife Elizabeth in 1749. Thomas passed the estate to his son Jean-Baptiste, who soon handed over the management to his brother Michel Lynch, who was also mayor of Pauillac during the French Revolution. Michel maintained responsibility for the Bages estate until 1824.

In 1934, Jean-Charles Cazes, highly respected in the Médoc for his experience in viticulture and winemaking, rented the property from its then owner and subsequently purchased it in 1938. In 1974 his grandson Jean-Michel set about restructuring the estate. He equipped it with up-to-date technical facilities, but kept the old vat room dating from the last century intact.

Jean-Michel was succeeded by his son Jean-Charles, who is now at the reins of Lynch-Bages and has been since 2006. The latest renovation was done in 2012 with the absolute best state-of-the-art equipment currently available, ensuring precision winemaking for the wines of Château Lynch-Bages.

Most recently, in June of this year, I was for-tunate enough to be able to attend the 30-year celebration of the Michel Lynch brand that took place on Monday, June 15, at the Cazes Distribution Center in Macau, Médoc. For this festive occasion, the metal cages filled with wine were pushed aside to free up space for a dining room inside the cellars, creating 20-foot tall walls of wine bottles lit by laser lights that changed colors periodically.

The chef, Jean-Luc Rocha from the Michelin two-star restaurant at Cordeillan-Bages, pre-pared an elaborate menu. The main course: Périgord veal “grenadine,” clear gravy, black truffle mashed potatoes and chanterelles mush-rooms, all beautifully paired with the spectac-ular 1985 Château Lynch-Bages from double magnums. Tasting an older vintage Bordeaux from large formats as these at the château is the pinnacle in a fine wine experience! The other wonderful highlight that night was the 2007 Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf du Pape white from the Cazes domain in the Southern Rhône.

The most intriguing piece of information I learned that spectacular evening from Jean-Charles Cazes speech was a “fait-divers,” or news story, about the one and only bottle of wine ever flown and consumed in space! Jean-Charles let his dad, 81-year-old Jean-Michel Cazes, tell us the entire story in detail, as it

happened back then in 1985: The fact is, 30 years ago, a 375mL bottle of 1975 Château Lynch-Bages, took off aboard the space shuttle Discovery with French astronaut Patrick Baudry, who wanted to demonstrate his attachment to France and the country’s way of life by taking along a half-bottle of wine on his space adventure.

The STS-51-G Discovery shuttle took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:33 a.m. on June 17, 1985, and Jean-Michel Cazes was there to watch the launch. It returned to land one week later at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. The Discovery mission was the first French-American collaboration in space and 29-year-old Patrick Baudry was flying as a payload specialist.

This shuttle mission also became a first-class gourmet flight, thanks to Patrick’s choice of food, which was definitely not selected from NASA’s space-shuttle menu (the kind of food that makes school cafeterias look like fine dining!). Patrick’s menu included wild hare, langoustine, crab, Cantal cheese and chocolate mousse, all packed with the half-bottle of 1975 Château Lynch-Bages. The French government initially disapproved the idea of wine in space because of the same symbolism viewed from a different perspective. NASA on the other hand had no objections and the green light was given after Jean-Michel signed a declaration of no commercial gain. That is probably why this story was such a well-kept secret till now!

To date, Château Lynch-Bages is still the only wine to have travelled in space. And though it will always remain the first, I have to wonder, which wine will be next in space?

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THE FIRST WINE IN SPACE

1749 – Thomas Lynch inherits an estate in the village of Bages, which would eventually be passed down to his son, Jean Baptiste, who would overturn management of the estate to Michel Lynch

1824 – Michel Lynch no longer manages the estate

1855 – Paulliac is classified as one of 18 Cinquièmes Crus in the 1855 Official Classification of Médoc and Graves

1934 – Jean-Charles Cazes rents the estate from Felix de Vial, the owner

ATA N A S N E C H KOV • @ A B C W I N E ATA N A S • ATA N A S N @ A B C F W S. C O M

Château Lynch-Bages

1985 Lynch-Bages 3L

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Currently available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits are the following wines from the Château Lynch-Bages and Cazes family of wines:

2010 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, $205, 96 points, Wine Advocate

2012 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, $128, 91-94 points, Wine Spectator

2011 Blanc de Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux, $55 (very small quantities in select stores only)

2010 Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf du Pape white, $46

2010 Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf du Pape red, $35, 94 points, Wine Advocate

1938 – Jean-Charles Cazes purchases the estate

1974 – Jean-Michel, grandson of Jean-Charles Cazes, begins restructuring the estate

1985 – A 375mL bottle of 1975 Château Lynch-Bages becomes the first wine in space

2006 – Jean-Charles takes over managing the estate

1975 Bouteille Lynch-Bages

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Zinfandel’s Dark and Mysterious Past – A Detective Story

was sitting in my shabby third story

office, cleaning my revolver while

watching the flashing neon sign of Nick’s

Bar & Eats light up the raindrops on the

window, all the while wondering where my

next glass of wine was coming from.

It was a wet, hot night and I was working

on a tough case, trying to put a finger on

Zinfandel’s nefarious past. To everyone

I knew it looked as if Zinfandel was

all-American. The American wine grape,

they would tell me, producing the greatest

American variety of wine. But I wasn’t so

sure. The Zinfandel grape wasn’t indige-

nous to California, or the good old USA

for that matter. Its roots were as inky as

the liquid itself.

Yeah, I know the popular viewpoint.

It was proven back in the late 1960s at

UC. Zinfandel is the same grape as one

called Primitivo di Gioia which is found

in Apulia, at the heel of southern Italy’s

boot. Okay, I said to myself, there may be

something in that, but where did the name

Zinfandel come from?

Then I got a lead that took me to the

catalogues of the most famous plant nursery

in America back in 1830 – Prince’s of

Long Island – which offered vines listed

as “Black Zinfardel from Hungary.” But it

didn’t stop there. Sure, it seemed possible

that Zinfandel was a misprint of Zinfardel,

but then I wondered if Zinfardel was also

a misspelling of a Hungarian grape called

Zierfandler. I did some quick checking.

Nope, apparently Zierfandler is a white

grape. But wait a minute! In western

Hungary there is a red grape known locally

as Blauer (Blue) Zierfandler. Suddenly

I realized just how deep this whole thing

really went. Blauer Zierfandler, I discovered,

is also known as Kékfrankos alias Blaufränkisch

alias Limberger. Somebody sure didn’t want

me to get at the answers.

Some experts say that Agoston Haraszthy,

the father of Californian winemaking in the

1850s and ’60s, was also the father of California

Zin. But I wasn’t buying it. He called himself

a Hungarian count and also a colonel, but

was he really? I had my doubts. Back in Frisco

he was charged with embezzling $151,000

worth of gold from the government mint.

Later he came to a bad end. Left California

for Nicaragua to make rum. Fell into a river

full of alligators. That was curtains for the

good count.

If Zinfandel is the same grape as Primitivo,

then it figures they both must also be the

same as Blaufränkisch. But where did it

all begin? Perhaps we’ll never know. My

guess is that Zinfandel had its origins not in

California, nor in Italy, nor in Hungary, but

in that far outpost of the Austro-Hungarian

Empire – Dalmatia, on the eastern coast of

the Adriatic (and only about a hundred miles

from Apulia). This often forgotten area saw

the origins of many fine wine grapes later

attributed to Western Europe and was once

part of a major trade route. It’s just possible

that Zinfandel had its origins there.

The trail was too confusing. And anyway did

it really matter? In America we all originally

came from somewhere else, yet we still call

ourselves Americans. I guess we can say the

same thing about Zinfandel. It still is the

American wine grape, producing the greatest

American type of wine. Try some.

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Zinfandel’s Dark and Mysterious Past – A Detective Story Insights from Irpinia

he Campania region is home to many of

Italy’s most popular tourist destinations.

Every year hordes of tourists flock to Naples,

Pompeii, Sorento and the Amalfi Coast to

enjoy the culture, food and wine of this

fascinating region.

On a recent trip to Italy I had an opportunity

to spend a couple of days in Campania.

I hoped to visit the Amalfi Coast for the first

time or maybe just wander the streets of

Sorento while sipping limoncello, but this

was a business trip so there was no time to

play tourist.

Arriving in the Naples central train station

from Rome, I felt fortunate that I didn’t have

to drive myself out of that chaotic city traffic.

My destination was about an hour’s drive east

into the hills of the Irpinia region, home to

some of Italy’s most compelling but least cele-

brated wines. Greco di Tufo, Fiano d’Avellino

and Taurasi have been granted Italy’s coveted

DOCG status but they are far from household

names here in the US.

Hosting me in Irpinia was Tenuta Cavalier

Pepe, a family-run estate in the heart of

this wine-producing paradise. For several

generations the Pepe family has been very

active in Irpinia growing grapes and selling

wines. Recently the Pepe family constructed

a state-of-the-art winery and has since been

producing award-winning wines that rival

the region’s best.

It is no coincidence that the awards and great

reviews started coming when Milina Pepe took

over as head winemaker. Milina was born in

Belgium (Belgian mom, Italian dad) and spent

years learning her craft at some of France’s most

famous estates. You only have to be in her

presence for a few minutes to feel the enthusiasm

and pride she has not only for her family

winery but for all the wines of Irpinia.

Milina greeted me when I arrived at the winery

and first apologized that we would not have

time to visit the coast. She then spent the

majority of the next two days giving me an

intense lesson on all things Irpinia. We began

with a wine tasting of her extensive portfolio.

We started with the white wines, Falanghina,

Coda di Volpe, Fiano di Avellino and Greco

di Tufo. Sorry no Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio

here. These are all indigenous grape varieties

that have been cultivated in Irpinia for cen-

turies. Milina explained to me, “The south of

Italy, called Magna Graecia, was the cradle of

our civilization and the land where the Greeks

cultivated vines that produced the wines that

were served at their banquets.” All four wines

are distinctly different yet all have a sense of

place. The soils of Irpinia are volcanic and this

gives the wines a lively acidity and distinct min-

erality. You can find the Pepe Lila Falanghina

($12), a wine with great floral notes, and Pepe

Nestor Greco di Tufo ($16), a more complex

and structured wine, in ABC stores.

The red wines are all based on the Aglianico

grape. Aglianico is thought to be the oldest

grape cultivated in Italy with a history that

dates as far back as the 6th century BC when

the Greeks brought it to Campania. It thrives

in the volcanic soils and can produce huge,

massive wines like Taurasi. In our stores you

can find the Opera Mia Taurasi ($40) (100%

Aglianico) and Terra Del Varo ($14) (85%

Aglianico, 15% Merlot) which is a more

approachable wine and a terrific value.

The cuisine of Irpinia is as distinctive as her

wines. Milina took us to her family restaurant

La Collina to sample the typical dishes of

the area. Caramelle, a pasta dish stuffed with

ricotta, porcini and truffles, was one of those

euphoric experiences sure to excite anyone’s

taste buds.

Of course it was not all food and wine. Milina

spent hours showing me the vineyards of Taurasi

and the surrounding area. I’ve seen a lot of old

vines in my years exploring the wine world

but never anything like in Irpinia. Many of the

vines looked like small trees and were estimated

to be close to 200 years old.

Italy has no shortage of awe-inspiring places to

visit. It occurred to me on my trip home how

fortunate I was to have missed out on visiting

the traditional tourist locations in Campania.

Most visitors almost never make their way to

Irpinia and don’t know what they are missing.

For wine enthusiasts or foodies who want to

explore a place off the beaten track, Irpinia is

a great place to indulge oneself in its beauty,

food and unique wines.

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PA U L Q U A G L I N I • @ A B C W I N E PA U L Q • PA U L Q @ A B C F W S . C O M

Milinia Pepe and I

Carmelle

Shannon Ridge Vineyards, A LAKE COUNTY STAR

met Clay and Margarita Shannon in 2005 in Napa. Clay wanted me to see his vineyards and what made Lake County special. I had only been once before and hadn’t seen much so I was ready to go. It’s a trek by car through the mountains north of Napa and Clay offered to fly me up by helicopter. I was at the Napa airport bright and early the next morning. The flight over Napa and the Mayacamas Mountains to Lake County and Shannon Ridge was spec-tacular. There is a lot more vineyard land in the area than you can see from the ground.

Most of the vineyards in Lake County are around Clear Lake, a deep and very old lake tucked into the mountains. The Shan-nons’ original vineyards are in the High Valley appellation above the town of Clear Lake Oaks on the east side of the lake. Clay had been farming

vineyards for other producers for years and he and Margarita fell for the vineyards in the area and decided to make Lake County home. The first vineyard, Terre Vermeille, or vermillion land, is named for the red, volcanic soil prominent in the region.

Clay planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel to begin. Terre Vermeille sits atop the ridge at elevations between 2,100 and 2,400 feet. Cool breezes from the lake and the surrounding mountains help create small berries that produce thick skins and concentrated flavors with deep color.

Expansion has been steady over the years. Clay was managing a vineyard on the west side of the lake near Mount Konocti, an extinct volcano that spewed most of the soil in the area millenia ago, and when the opportunity arose to buy the property, he took advantage. The Vigilance Vineyard overlooks the Anderson Marsh and wildlife sanctuary at the southeast corner of Clear Lake in the Red Hills appellation. The vineyard produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah and a red blend, Cimarron, of 45% Zinfandel, 39% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.

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B R A D L E W I S • @ A B C W I N E C O U N T R Y • B R A D L @ A B C F W S . C O M

Clay and Margarita Shannon

Red volcanic soil of the High Valley appellation

Clear Lake

On the east side in the High Valley appellation the Shannons have acquired the neighboring vineyards Caldwell Ranch and High Valley. Adding them was a natural fit as they share similar characteristics with the Terre Vermeille vineyard. In the hills behind Shannon Ridge is the Cross Springs vineyard, a property owned earlier by Tennessee Ernie Ford. The spring supplies water for the surrounding vineyard and some of the other vineyards on the ridge.

Clay has always been a big believer in preserving nature and applies sustainable farming to all of the vineyards. A herd of

sheep moves from vineyard to vineyard providing natural fertilizer and eating the low leaves and vine suckers that the crew would have to remove by hand. The sheep also reduce the use of mowers and tractors and the need for herbicides. As a byproduct, the sheep yield wool and grass-fed lamb. Of course, the sheep need watching so Clay added several specially-bred sheep dogs. It all fits harmoniously.

At ABC, we currently have a wide range of wines from Clay Shannon’s vineyards, including Shannon Ridge High Elevation, Vigilance, High Valley and Cross Springs.

THE ORIGINAL VINEYARDS

VIGILANCE VINEYARDS

HIGH VALLEY

CROSS SPRINGS

Sheep

Vigilance Vineyard overlooking Anderson

Clear Lake wine journal | 13

wine journal | 14

aragiste. Sounds French, right? It is... Kind of reminds me fashionista, although the two words are as close to polar opposites as you can imagine. A fashionista follows current style and trends from head to toe, sometimes, it seems, regardless of how crazy it is or how silly it looks on them; the garagiste follows a path completely against tradition in the wine industry. While larger Médoc estates work tirelessly to build their brand over decades of vintages and case productions that belie their image and (sometimes) their price, the typical garagiste wine is a micro production project with so few cases that building a brand is difficult. The point is to create something different and exciting in the status quo capital of the wine world, though a good score from Parker certainly goes a long way.

Jean Luc Thunevin began his winemaking with much more humble roots and a small plot of Merlot on the slopes of St. Émilion in the late 1980s. Since he owned vines but had no facility to speak of and no winemaking equipment to boot, he began his operation in a side room of his home. The project was a family affair, the largest expense being for a few new barrels. The direction he chose once harvest was complete would separate him, and his wine, from the typical Merlot-based reds of the village and give birth to the concept of “garagiste.” His basic idea was to create a ripe, fleshy and approachable wine with more fruit and accessible tannins, longer hang time, low yields, fermenting and aging in new oak (200% new oak, you might say). His wine was modeled after Thienpont’s famous Château le PIN. His first vintage was 1991, and he made a whopping 100 cases. But how far would a few barrels go? A hundred cases could probably easily be sold off at one of the many wine shops in the village, but Thunevin managed to get a bottle in front of Robert Parker, and he did the same with the following vintage. Parker gave a good note to the first vintage (where frost was an issue) and followed that up with a decent review for the 1992, another difficult vintage. And that’s all it took. Within a few vintages, his garage wine, Château de Valandraud was offered on the Place de Bordeaux, priced the same as Château Lafite-Rothschild and Château Margaux, and the trade was buying! It certainly upset the apple cart of en primeurs, and there would be more to follow!

Jean-Luc Thunevin was nicknamed the Bad Boy of Bordeaux.

Today, the garagiste movement has taken its proper place in the great order of Bordeaux. The wines have settled back into a more sensible price structure (behind the 1st Growths as you would imagine) than they had in the mid-90s, when wines like the 90+-rated 1996 la Mondotte shocked everybody by selling at 10 times the opening price. Brands were created, money was made and reputations were sealed by the likes of Michel Gracia and Château Gracia, Stephan de Neippberg and Château la Mondotte, Thunevin and Château de Valandraud, Tertre-Roteboeuf, la Gomerie and Peby-Faugeres, to name a few.

This new way of thinking about wines, back in the early 1990s, began in the vineyards, followed up in production, and hatched not only an exciting group of new and deserving wines, but also a new persona in the wine world: the consultant. Consulting winemakers will guide estates down the path of better vitification and vinification; better wines are the end result. Michel Rolland is arguably the best known, along with Stephane Derenoncourt, among others. These consultants are in huge demand and typically work not only in France, but in many wine-producing regions throughout the globe. Derenoncourt currently consults for Coppola in Napa Valley.

The 1990s were quite good to the garagiste and their wines, but during the 2000s things began to mellow, in part due to the bevy of top vintages in that decade for the Cabernet-based wines of the Médoc. The best garage wines from Bordeaux (not all were from St. Émilion) have risen to the top; others have disappeared. Besides Rolland and Derenoncourt, both heavily entrenched in Bordeaux, consultants in other regions had emerged, pushing the envelope, and today garage wine is coming from many other regions/coun-tries. Peter Sisseck’s Pingus, a top cult wine in Spain’s Ribera del Duero, is produced with these philosophies. Philippe Cambie has pushed the quality of Chateauneuf-du-Pape consulting with many producers there. Not long after the sudden rise of the garagiste, Jean Luc Thunevin was made an honorary member of the Commanderie du Bontemps du Médoc et Graves, the association of Left Bank producers. His methods “were a wakeup call which helped revolutionized Bordeaux” wines, said Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages.

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The Garagiste Movement: A Thing of the Past?

Baigorri Garage Rioja $60

Mauvais Garçon 2010 $22

Château le Bon-Pasteur 2009 Pomerol (Michel Rolland) $85

S H AY N E H E B E R T • @ A B C W I N E S H AY N E • S H AY N E H @ A B C F W S. C O M

Products are not available in all stores. These products are very limited. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, speak with an ABC team member for help locating these and similar products.

Baigorri

Other Garagiste wines available in select ABC locations:Château de Valandraud 2010 $330

Virginie de Valandraud 2010 $60

NOTE: the 2014 vintage is available en primeur at $190/case of 12; visit abcfws.com/BordeauxFutures for details.

Château Peby-Faugeres 2010, St. Emilion (Silvio Denz) $199

Domaine de l’A 2010, Côtes de Bordeaux Castillon (Stephane Derenoncourt) $38

8989 South Orange Ave.Orlando, Florida 32824

W I N E T O W A T C H : Château Croix-Mouton 2011A R O M A :

RED AND BLACK FRUIT, SPICE BOX, EARTH V A R I E T A L :

Bordeaux Blend F L A V O R :

Sweet, smoky barbecue notes along with blackberry and blueberry fruit, hints of licorice, incense and graphite

B O D Y :

medium C O L O R :

SATURATED RUBY

F I N I S H :

Rich yet focused R E G I O N :

BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR

P A I R W I T H :

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