Palamà Arcangelo 2008 Salice Salentino

*Bottle #95: Palamà Arcangelo 2008 Salice Salentino, Puglia
*Price Tag: $15
*Running Tab: $1,280
*Retailer: None – gifted by my work hubby!

Winemaker Cosimo (aka Nini) Palamà made this wine in honor of his father, Arcangelo. Winemaker Nini Palamà’s family has been making small lot wines in the highly underrated southern heel of Italy, Puglia, for almost 75 years, rooting with his father.

Like most producers in Puglia back in the day, Palamà was pumping out bulk wine from the get-go in the small town of Salice Salentino, now a designated DOC region of Italy. Scattered with intermixing olive orchards and vines, homes and history were thrown in the midst, allowing families to thrive off the land.

Given this land and the fields of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera surrounding them, Arcangelo’s original production of bulk wine gained finesse enough to be enjoyed and distributed to restaurants in the area, acquiring positive publicity and praise.

Bottleology – Lange Estate Winery with Winemaker Jesse Lange

An old soul, a go-getter, a bull-by-the-horns kind of fellow, a hot shot, a hard worker, an athlete and a winemaker who makes Oregon Pinot Noir exactly how it should be made: perfect.

Jesse Lange is a man that deserves a hug, a handshake, a pat on the back and your applause.  This arranged gratitude that I encourage is due to the fact that his winery, Lange Estate in Dundee, sets the bar for Oregon Pinot Noir–ask just about anyone.  Jesse has dedicated his life in no small way to delivering us pinot-philes the chronic pleasures that these grapes possess. Out of pure respect, I’m here to offer you his story and a glimpse into his world and the making of this fine wine.

Home Sweet Home: Jesse is a second generation winegrower and winemaker at his family’s estate winery in the heart of Oregon wine country: the Dundee Hills. He’s been growing grapes with his family since 1987 on their 60 acres, reserved especially for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. LUCKY!

Neat Freak: Wine has some really neat aspects! Jesse was drawn to wine because he’s “always loved the way wine incorporates agriculture and science. And it’s such a compelling beverage.” He reflected on his first wine experience and said, “It was drinking a Pinot Noir straight from the basket press in our garage in Santa Barbara. Circa 1984.”

Haras de Pirque 2009 Maipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc

*Bottle #94: Haras de Pirque 2009 Maipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc
*Price Tag: $13
*Running Tab: $1,280
*Retailer: Village Wines

My statements usually come in pairs or triples. Pairs because I usually only have two reasonable points and triples because journalism school merited it as giving rhythm to words. Likewise, my glasses of wine also usually come in pairs and triples.

Statement #1: This wine has three different names. Front label identifies the wine at Haras Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Maipo Valley, Chile. Back label gives a Web address citing the name to be Haras de Pirque. Web address calls the wine Vina Haras de Pirque.

The issue here is product packaging/brand management. It’s like when you misspell the varietal on the label. Does no one check for consistency or copy-edit in the wine world?

*Please mind my type-os…

Bottleology – Dominio IV Winery with Patrick Reuter

The subconscious of the winemaking mind, aloud:

A fist full of dirt is not to be taken lightly in this world of wine; it is the essence of all that you help to harness.  A face full of sun today helps to mother and nurture your offspring of tomorrow, from seeds to grapes and juice to bottles.  The morning dew, an afternoon rain shower, the temperate night, the fog and the ocean, all rear the identities of your land and your fruit.  Your role, and that of your equipment, is to what? Ask yourself, “Do I play the role of the interpreter?” Or “Need I become the messenger?”  What’s the difference?  Here is a message from a winemaker in Oregon with a rather holistic approach, who’s well aware of his role:

Now and Then: Patrick Reuter is the winemaker and co-owner of Dominio IV Winery in Mosier, Oregon.  The winery began in 2002 and he has been working with fruit from Viognier, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo ever since. Patrick has learned about winemaking while working harvests in Chile, New Zealand, Napa, Burgundy, and of course Oregon.  He’s also a graduate from UC Davis where he studied “terroir” while his wife simultaneously studied viticulture.

Art Imitates Life: I had asked Patrick what he enjoyed most about winemaking. Here’s what he had to say:  “I love the full circle aspect and necessity to integrate into the process. It’s not so much about showing who you are through the wines, but rather losing the self through becoming a part of the wine.”  He added, “Sometimes the only reason to do something is to see its beauty in the end. When you are done, you walk away feeling better than if you had not done that something.”

“Sexy Syrah” at Salty’s on Alki, 4/22/10: A Judge’s Perspective

For the 10^th consecutive year “Sexy Syrah” has been hosted by David LeClaire of Seattle Uncorked.  The beneficiary of this fundraiser  was FareStart, a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.  With the participation of Salty’s restaurant on Alki Beach, one amazing Seattle city view and fifty Washington wineries—the event was quick to sell out. If you missed it, it will be back next year. If you want to know the wines that stood out, read on.

Sadly for you this event is now over, however I’d like to offer you the names of the wines that I enjoyed most. To preface, I was invited to be a guest judge at this event; there was twenty of us.  We began tasting at 5pm and we had one hour before the event of 300, officially opened its doors. My mission was to taste roughly 80 wines throughout the evening, which included both Syrah blends; and single varietal Syrah bottlings.  I was to ultimately pick three wines for each category and give them medals of gold, silver and bronze.  This was a casual judging, in which we knew full well whose wine we were tasting, due to the fact that this was not a blind tasting.  This feature did however create its own challenges when rating the wines, because each winery had their own sales techniques. However for some wineries, there was little that could be done to alter my judgment—thank you spit bucket.  Here is a list of wines that I couldn’t help but swallow.

Syrah:

Bunnell Family Cellar – 2007 Boushey-McPherson  Syrah,  $43
Had it all going on, classic, complex, balanced

Gamache Vintners – 2005 Estate Syrah,  $28
Full throttle typicity, super meaty, glycerin,  great Syrah producer

Gilbert Cellars – 2007 Syrah,   $26
Biggest, most structured, young, nuanced

Kerloo Cellars – 2007 Les Collines Syrah,  $32
Not overdone, dark, winery to watch

Smasne Cellars – 2007 Block #3 Lawrence Vineyard Syrah, $35
Delicious, crowd pleaser, vanilla

Syrah Blends:

Bunnell Family Cellar- 2007 À Pic, $32
Good composition, balance, safe

Forgeron Cellars- Walldeaux Smithie, $16
Yum, juicy, thick, tasty, value

Rotie Cellars- 2008 Northern Blend, $35
Fantastic, firm acid, focused, fruit purity, cult wine in the making

Taste them, drink them, buy them, love them and read WINOMAGAZINE.COM on the regular.

‘Fine Vintage’ WSET 6-Day Advanced Course

May 1, 2010
9:30 am	to	5:30 pm
May 2, 2010
9:30 am	to	5:30 pm
May 3, 2010
9:30 am	to	5:30 pm
May 8, 2010
9:30 am	to	5:30 pm
May 9, 2010
9:30 am	to	5:30 pm
May 10, 2010
9:30 am	to	5:30 pm

This advanced wine course goes into detail on all the major wine regions of the world. It’s a challenging course covering aspects of grape growing, winemaking, tasting, and all the major wines and spirits in the world. We strongly recommend taking the Intermediate course prior to the Advanced, although the Intermediate is NOT a pre-requisite.

We have a large number of people from the trade taking this course, including sommeliers, wine buyers, retail staff, and wine writers. But many of the general wine enthusiasts get so hooked from the Intermediate course that they carry on to the Advanced. You will taste over 140 wines in the 15 week course

6 day course – all day from 9:30 am-5:00 pm.

The 6 day course is perfect for those who cannot commit to 15 evenings. The study materials are mailed to you in advance of the course. During this course we taste at least 104 wines. The 6 day intensive course is suited to students who already have a sound knowledge of wines and are prepared for an intensive study period.

During the wine course you will learn about:

• Spain & Portugal
• Eastern Europe
• The Americas
• Australia, New Zealand
• South Africa & South America
• Champagne and other sparkling wines
• Sherry, Port and other fortified wines
• Spirits
• Advanced wine tasting technique
• Viticulture
• Vinification
• Labeling
• Alsace and Bordeaux
• Burgundy and the Loire
• The Rhone, and the south of France
• Germany
• Italy

The exam includes a blind tasting of 1 wine, a 50 question multiple choice paper and paper requiring 4 short answers. The pass mark is 55% in all 3 papers. We have over a 75% pass rate, but expect to study hard!

COST: $1,395.00 (includes instruction, wine and all study materials), $130.00 (Exam & WSET Certificate) – Optional

REGISTER: Fine Vintage

Chateau St. Michelle Winery
14111 NE 145th St.
Woodinville, WA 98072
ph. 604.922.4915 / 1.866.379.4915