CarinaE Vinos Torrontés 2009

In a Shot:  The Mendoza Province puts out a fantastic 2009 Torrontés that exhibits flavors of honey, apricot, grass and minerals with a dry short finish.

Brigitte and Philippe Subra's CarinaE Vinos Torrontés, 2009 Mendoza Argentina

Everybody has their favorites.  I happen to have very many, so it's hard to just pick one of anything to call a true favorite for me when there is a time and a place for different things for very different reasons.  But easily one of my favorite whites right now is definitely the strong personality of the Torrontés grape variety.  A while ago, I was introduced to the Torrontés grape and fell in love with it's perfumey and very aromatic nose backed by it's complex and versatile palate ranging from stone fruits, to citrus peels, to spices and honey.  They're known for their versatile acidity levels, dryness and smooth textures.



A flagship grape of Argentina, Torrentés is shrouded in mystery behind how long it's been there or how it even got there, though stories do tell of it arriving with Spanish missionaries.  These large, pale loose bunched grapes love cooler climates with dry, windswept conditions and in Argentina there is no better place to meet the criteria than the arid Mendoza Province.  Found on the eastern side of the Andes continental mountain range, Mendoza's largest exports are olive oil and wine. 

Stock Picture of Calchaquies Valley.  Picture from gotolatin.com



It's here in  Maipu, Mendoza where Brigitte and Philippe Subra retreated to from France, rebuilt a run down winery, purchased a few vineyards and created CarinaE Viñedos & Bodega.  Philippe has a raw passion for constellations.  All of the parcels of Carinae’s vineyards, the one surrounding the winery and the two in the prestigious Perdriel region of Lujan de Cuyo are named after different constellations.  The seals around all of his bottles are designed with astronomy maps.  Even the location he chose for CarinaE Viñedos in itself is of particular reference.  Every night in the open southern sky, looking down on their vineyards is a chain of constellations formally known as Argo Navis (The Ship). A symbol of many famous ships (Noah's Ark for example),  In 1763, the constellation was further dissected into three; Puppis (The Stern), Vela (The Sails) and Carina (The Keel).  This constellation runs through the milky way and has a star with a luminosity that is four million times brighter than the sun, a star that is on the astronomical verge of becoming a super nova named Eta Carinae.  It's this group of shining stars in which Vinos and Bodega is named after.  Producing their own grapes in vineyards where some of their vines are 85 years old, CarinaE produces many wines from Malbecs, Carbernet Sauvignon Blancs, Sryahs, Roses and even olive oil.  On their Reserva line up, however, they produce a wine using grapes from the Calchaquies Valley in Salta (known to be the region of regions to produce Torrentés in the world).  CarinaE's Torrentés has won a gold medal from the Mendoza Hyatt Wine Awards and also has earned 87 and 85 points from International Wine Cellar and Wine Spectator respectively.  Their website recommends enjoying CarinaE's 2009 Torrentés with some soft appetizers, some fish and seafood dishes though I enjoyed my bottle all by itself!

Upon opening the bottle I am encountered with a slightly oxidized pear colored wine.  The nose is slightly floral, presenting notes of earthy honey, tart apricots, over ripe white peaches, sea spray, brine and minerals.  There is a short lemony dry finish on the palate finishing mostly on the sides and roof of the mouth.  A refreshing and soft expression of a fine Torrontés.  It is recommended by me, Johnny Cocktail and please consider it next time you desire a nice social white.

James Kellaris, representative for Roanoke Valley Wine Company adds:  "First off, the wine has good structure and “real” exotic fruit aromas. My theory is that it’s because CarinaE is sourcing fruit from a vineyard up in Salta. Seems to be a much better area for white wine grapes. A lot of the Mendozan Torrontes seemed a bit flabby and the exotic aromas of the variety seemed disjointed and almost synthetic at times.  [Regarding Brigitte and Philippe Subra] - Great couple own the winery and I visited a couple years back. We really like selling their wines."

Cheers!

Riesling Shown in High Definition

In a Shot:  Interview with James Kellaris and Thomas Haehn of High Def wines reveals further insight to a medium bodied, tart, tropical fruit, mineral packed summer daily libation great for raw, rich or spicy foods.

Earlier this season my wife and I took a day trip to Harrisonburg, VA and decided to check out the Court Sq. Theatre then came across this little beer and wine shop called Downtown Wine & Gourmet.  When scrolling through the different wine bottles in this warming little market I came across a familiar label.  High Def Riesling is a great value Qualitätswein (late-harvest or over ripe grapes) wine made by James Kellaris & Thomas Haehn (Co-owner of Von Schleinitz Estate, Germany).  They make this wine in the southern sloped Mosel Valley.

While only the third largest of the 13 wine regions of Germany, the Mosel is the most well known in the US. Certainly well known for it's light, tart and perfumey Rieslings, a very dynamic 15th century varietal. The grapes are known for their aromatic, spicy qualities and enjoy a perfect combination in the Mosel valley: slate soils rich in minerality and a cool long growing season which allows the grape to maintain higher acid and to reflect the minerals later in the wine.

There is something to be said about people who are professional and go extra miles to deliver information to those who ask for it in a humble manner.  I've had the opportunity to speak with James Kellaris personally as well as him and Thomas Haehn over the internet and was able to gather up this special interview for The Next Rounds on Me:

Johnny Cocktail:  As a guy who seems to get involved in many things, what first grabbed your attention to get involved in the wine business?

James Kellaris:  I’m a rare breed; I’ve been in the wine business since I turned the legal US drinking age! I started with Roanoke Valley Wine Company in 2002, though I’ve also worked for two other companies since returning in 2008. The story is simple; I graduate from University with a degree in French Lit and Modern European History. Frankly, I didn’t want to teach either of them by the time I finished my classes! I was working in a fine dining restaurant after graduation, and I ran into a wholesale wine rep that happened to work for Roanoke. I pestered him to get me an interview and the rest is history.

JC:  What lead you to securing a winery in Germany and why did you choose this particular region?

JK:  After working in wholesale for 5 years, I turned to the national import business to further my wine business “education”. I worked for the premier German wine importer in the US, Rudi Wiest Selections for almost two years. During this time, I was promoting the very best estate-bottled wines of Germany. While traveling the country, I began to see the demand for a high quality “entry-level” Riesling from Germany. Up until recently, most wines above 17.99 retail from Germany were very good/to great. But at the same time anything below that (and ESPECIALLY around ten bucks) was just awful. After leaving Rudi Wiest Selections, I returned to Germany with a partner to see if I could find a good source for a value wine; I found it in Bernkastel at a co-op facility called Moselland. Though it is a large winery, we were able to source some great juice and blend a wine we really liked.

JC:  What is your winemaking philosophy; that is, what are you trying to achieve with your wines?

JK:  The winemaking style is to preserve the varietal character of Riesling in a medium-dry style; this highlights the great minerality and fresh fruit and makes it a great pairing for food.

JC:  Currently what are the biggest challenges facing your winery?

JK:  Misconceptions about the quality of German wine; The reality is that the top wine educators in the world are obsessed with German wines, especially Riesling. But due to the efforts of some large corporate marketing in the last few decades, US wine drinkers in general have a poor impression of this region. The fact that those writing the wine books that consumers buy in Barnes and Noble all (almost unanimously) love these wines should tell us something!

JC:  Who or what other wineries or winemakers do you admire?

JK:  Hansjorg Rebholz of Rebholz winery in the Pfalz region of Germany. Christian Serafin in the Cotes de Nuits of Burgundy. Pierre-Cheval Gatinois in Champagne. The Foucault brothers at Clos Rougeard in Saumur, France.

JC:  What would you be drinking right now if you weren’t drinking your OWN wines?

JK:  Haha; I rarely drink my own wine, though I like it (of course!). My wine drinking depends on the season; It’s really hot outside, so I haven’t touched a red wine in quite awhile. I drink lots of dry French rose, prosecco, Loire valley whites, etc. If it has high acid and minerality and little to no oak, I like it! In the fall/winter, I begin drinking reds again; I like Rhone, Languedoc, Northern Italy, just about any wine that is well made and shows it’s regional personality.

JC:  Aside from wine, what are other alcoholic libations you enjoy endulging in?

JK:  Beer is a NECESSITY for wine guys. Think about it; we work with wine EVERY SINGLE DAY…ALL DAY LONG…I like light, fresh beers with low alcohol to cleanse the palate and refresh; Kolsch, Pilsners, Lagers, etc.

JC:  Besides making wine, what else does James Kellaris do?

JK:  I have two lives; I do the wine business during the day, but in the mornings and in the evenings I train in Thai Boxing. This has been a lifelong pursuit. Though I chose a career outside of the ring, I do fight about two to three times a year at either 170lbs or 180lbs. Though it looks violent and scary to the uninitiated, to those that train it is a beautiful expression of strength, heart, and skill. Plus, the shorts we wear in the ring are cool.  j/k

When asked about what else to expect from the HD wine camp in the future, James stated that there wasn't anything new in the works but when visiting the website I came across an add for an HD Sweet Red wine I was unfamiliar with.  I was able to contact Thomas Haehn and he added:

Sweet red was only released in a couple of states so far. We already sold out and the next shipment will arrive late September and hope to get better distribution in the later part of the year. We do not have distribution for HD sweet red in VA, the only places where it is currently available is Nashville TN and in the state of MN.

I will update the website as things change.

High Def Riesling is Straw/Yellow Chartreuse in color and is a light to medium bodied wine.  It has notes of orange blossoms, golden apples, cherimoyas and wet rock.  The wine is off dry (3.1% residual sugar per bottle) with a sharp tart finish and subtle hints of spice.  I enjoyed my HD with sushi which worked very well and based on the body, flavor and acidity I would highly recommend High Def with rich or spicy foods.

* UPDATE: I was in contact with James' partner, Thomas Haehn, recently regarding further understanding of the HD line. He added these additional comments post interview:


(Regarding blending)  While James and I play an important role in the concept and promotion of the wine, the true quality control is actually provided by Konrad Hähn, the owner and winemaker of von Schleinitz estate who works with us and the local coop Moselland to provide us with the high quality blend we desire. His 30+ years of tasting and blending experience in the Mosel region as the owner of von Schleinitz estate bring an important part to the HD concept. He also is responsible for the HD Sweet Red blend.

(Regarding Wine Style)  The idea behind James explanation is that in a wine with residual sugar it is important that the sweetness does not become the dominant part, but rather acts as a supporter of the rest that is provided by the wine. The about 3% risidual sugar provide the wine with enough to show off the fruit, but little enough, that the minerality and crispness of the wine is drowned, which is the case with many other value priced Riesling wines. The acidity that is a typical characteristic of Riesling grown in cool climate, like the Mosel is the true benefactor in the food pairing, acidity keeps the palate fresh and longing for food.
Click here to visit the High Def Riesling website!
Click here to visit the Von Schleinitz Estate website

Cheers!

How to Remove Labels from Bottles of Spirits

I was lucky enough during a Cameron Station yard sale to come across an unwanted leather bound wine dossier complete with space to place tasting notes, cellar locations, dates consumed, vitners/producer logs, types, regions, names, years, personal experiences with the wines ect, ect, ect and so forth. The best part of it however is the fact that you can take labels from your favorite wines and strap them on to the page across from all your notes in the event that if you forget anything, you at least have the label to look at to cross reference when you go to a restaurant or store.

That is, of course, if you are able to get the label off the bottle! Upon receiving this gift I did many a trial and error with tea kettle steam. Some bottles peeling off the labels like you would when removing a stamp from it's sticky film and others like attempting to remove bubblegum from a hand knitted scarf leaving both as you found them.

I've seen things on tv and in magazines that you'd pay money for to make things happen and I don't know if those things even do the job. I had several people tell me to use just steam from a kettle and that worked for them but it was a mess and many a failure for me.

The real solution I discovered tonight, removing three bottle labels for my dossier with very little effort at all and in two cases none what so ever. The very first step is to have a washed out bottle that has been left at room temperature for several hours (especially if dealing with a spirit that's been in the freezer or white wine that hasn't been left unrefridgerated for a few hours)

Fill a kettle up with enough water to fill almost an entire bottle of wine (700-725 ml) once the kettle boils, let the steam run over the label you wish to remove only for a few seconds while rubbing your finger gently over the label (This helps to loosen up the label without getting it too wet to handle) take the boiling hot water from the kettle and slowly poor it into the bottle until the water is directly over the level of where the label ends. Using a hand towel or oven mit, grab the neck of the bottle and hold sturdy taking your other hand and pick at the bottom left or right corner of the bottle until you have hold of a piece of the label and slowly remove.

This method is full proof! I've had problems with bottles in the past, but this way works without little effort and much less noise! If you have a dossier ready or another form of spirit journal, if you take the label and place it directly onto a page, the glue will almost instantly redry making little effort to preserve the label as well.

Hopefully you will take this information and begin your own dossier or use the labels for an artistic tangent.