‘Tis the season to be (get?) jolly! Well, in that spirit, it’s time for my annual Christmas wine gift recommendations. In addition to providing you with a few ideas for the important wine lovers in your life, you might also wish to pass this list along to those inclined to remember you on December 25th.

But before I get to the wines, I have a few other wine-related gift ideas.

Books: The Oxford Companion to Wine – Third Edition ($65) by Janice Robinson is the most comprehensive compendium of wine information you will ever read. It is the ultimate reference guide to anything to do with the liquid we all love.

Been Doon So Long ($35) by the zany, clever, irreverent wine maker-satirist Randall Graham is a hilarious romp through winedom. Owner of Bonny Doon Winery, Graham’s views on the state of wine are delivered with zinging tongue-in-cheek wisdom and humor.

Wine Vacation:Solage is a 22-acre uber-spa located at the northern terminus of the Napa Valley in the town of Calistoga. Surrounded by mountains and vineyards, I had the pleasure of reposing at Solage earlier this year and was blown away by the experience. With an incredible restaurant on the premises, a world-class spa and even mud baths, this is a spectacular destination for any food and wine lover. Check out the packages at http://solagecalistoga.com/ or call 866 942 7442.

Okay, so let’s get to the wines. These goodies are arranged in no particular order (other than price) and include just about all the major wine regions and varietals.

Under $20: 2007  C&B Cabernet Sauvignon Chalk Hill Reserve; 2006 Chateau Greysac; 2009 Terra Andina Cabernet Sauvignon; 2009 Alexander Valley Vineyards Gewurztraminer; 2008 D’Arenberg Hermit Crab; 2009 Ferraton Tavel Rose’; 2007 Bogle The Phantom; 2008 Banfi Centine Rosso; 2008 Vinosia Aglianico; 2009 Palo Alto Sauvignon Blanc; and 2008 The Stump Jump.

$20 to $40: 2007 Newton Claret; 2008 Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay; 2006 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir; 2007 Falcor Henry Ranch Chardonnay; 2007 Chalk Hill Chardonnay; Domaine Chandon Brut; 2007 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel; 2007 Evidence Cabernet Sauvignon; 2008 Tantara Pinot Noir; and 2007 Talley Vineyards Chardonnay.

Over $50: 2004 H Block Cabernet Sauvignon; 2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir; 2004 Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino; 2004 Taittinger Comtes Champagne Rose’; 2005 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa; 2005 Catena Zapata Malbec; 2008 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay; 2005 Chateau Lynch Bages; and 2005 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

I’m sure many of you will be toasting the New Year with sparkling wine. I know that I will, but my choice for après Champagne is something that will warm the cockles of your heart and soul even more than your favorite celebratory bubbly.

Today, I’m going to regale you with information about Port - my favorite winter time beverage that is sure to take the edge off this frigid winter.

Some would suggest that port, like scotch, is an acquired taste. If so, I’ve acquired it! And I’m convinced that once you try the stuff with a good blue cheese or a handful of walnuts, you’ll be hooked too. But first, let’s take a look at the history of Port and how the wine is produced.

Port or Porto (as it is called in Portugal where it is produced) is made from a variety of grapes grown along the steep slopes of Douro River. In fact there are more than 80 varieties of grapes which are permitted to be used in the production of port, but most producers use less than 10. The most prominent port grapes are: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão and Tinta Amarela. Rolls right off the tongue, no?

The center of port production is the town of Oporto where the wine is sold to companies (called” Shippers”) who age it, label it under their house name and then export it all over the world.

Port is fortified which means that brandy is added to the fermenting wine. This causes the fermentation to stop, leaving about 10 percent residual sugar in the wine and also boosting the alcohol to about 20 percent. While port was produced in mainly a dry style for centuries, today’s sweet version was popularized by the British in the middle of the 18th century. Many Shippers are also British companies.

There are also some very good port-style wines produced in other countries, most notably Australia and the U.S. As a matter of fact, two of my favorite tawny ports are produced in these two countries and I’ll list them for you later. Port is made in several styles, among which are:

Vintage Port -This is the best and most expensive style and is produced only in exceptional years (only about three years a decade). A “vintage year” is usually declared by an agreement among the shippers and the wines are given special care and aging.

Once you buy it, vintage Port can age easily for 15 to 40 years before reaching maturity. Recent vintage Port years are 1977, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1991 and 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2003. You can pay anywhere from $50 to $150 a bottle for vintage port with the older, more prestigious years, commanding the highest price.

Late Bottled Vintage Port - Not to be confused with vintage port, this wine is a blend of ports from different vineyards in the same vintage year. Late bottled vintage port (or LBV) will have a vintage date on the label, but it is not vintage port. However, these wines are vinified in the same manner as vintage ports, except they are aged in barrel longer to accelerate their drinkability.

Ruby Port - Young port wine blends from several different vintages comprise ruby port. They are lighter and fruitier than other styles and usually the least expensive ports.

Tawny Port - I call this the poor man’s vintage port because it is aged for many years in oak and, when released, it is very smooth and rich like an old vintage port, though not as fine. Without a doubt, this is my go-to port and I’ll list a few of my favorites for you later. Most of the better tawnies are aged for 10, 20, 30 or 40 years and this fact is listed on the label. These wines can be found in a wide price range from under $10 to more than $30 a bottle depending on the age of the Tawny Port.




White Port - Made from white grapes, this is the only port-style wine that is dry. It is usually crisp, yet full-bodied, and makes a nice aperitif wine.

Okay, now here is a list of some of my favorite tawny port producers. Incidentally, these wineries also produce other types of port if you should wish to try them.

Ficklin and Quaddy (US) and Clocktower (Australia) are my favorite port-like wines produced outside Portugal. The rest of these producers are Portuguese: Warre’s, Graham’s, Taylor-Fladgate, Croft, Dow’s, Fonseca and Ramos-Pinto. Prices for 10-year old tawnies can range from about $10 to $40 dollars a bottle. If you can find it, try Ficklin’s 10-year old tawny – it’s absolutely delicious.

So grab yourself a bottle of Port, build a fire and sip the cold away.

As those of you who regularly read my ramblings know, I am on an incessant search for wines of excellent quality that are also values. A few years back it was easy to despair of the notion that you could easily find good wine at reasonable prices.

To be sure, there are still outrageously priced wines in the marketplace that are immune to conventional economics, particularly those with famous names or those from places which are revered such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa. Some wines from these regions are still priced out of all relationship to reality (as I define the term).

Chateau Petrus, which is undoubtedly the most famous wine in Bordeaux, is also the most extreme example of how crazy wine pricing can be. The 2005 Petrus fetches between $3000 and $4000 a BOTTLE! Amazingly, there is a long line of “trophy” hunters just waiting to plunk down their cash for the stuff.

But before you despair, forsake all wine purchases and switch to buttermilk, consider this: there are literally thousands of wineries around the world that are still making good and even great wine at affordable prices. You just have to look a little harder, be adventuresome and be willing to experiment with wines with which you are unfamiliar.

As a matter of fact, I am now convinced that the number of these value wines is increasing. Could this be a trend? I hope so.




In the past, it all came down to supply and demand. When Mother Nature smiles in the vineyard and there is a glut of wine on the world market, prices drop. The converse is true as well. You also have to factor in the tepid economy, which has forced some wineries to lower their unrealistic pricing.

But there is now more to the equation than just supply and demand and a weak economy. The new X factor is the Internet and search engines like Google, Yahoo and Ask.com. Information and pricing on wines which had once been obscure and unavailable are now just a click away.

I have maintained for years that there is a sea of excellent wine out there just waiting to be discovered. Well, now it’s easier than ever to find it, order it and sip it! And all because of the Internet.

Say you like cabernet sauvignon, but are put off by the prices of wines from some producers. Simply type: “highly rated cabernet under $20” onto your search engine and instantly you will be rewarded with an almost overwhelming number of choices.

At this point, you can order the wines online or simply take the list of wines to your local retailer. And building a relationship with folks running the local wine shop is probably the most important way of finding good wines that suit your budget. If the wines you want are unavailable, your wine shop can usually order the stuff for you.

We have a bevy of excellent shops in our state with a remarkable selection of wines from around the globe, and that is where I prefer to make my purchases. However, if you can’t find them locally, you might try the online retailers listed below that ship to West Virginia and many other states.

Here are some of my favorites: wineanthology.com; wineaccess.com; wine.com; and empirewine.com. There are many others, but these are among the ones with both excellent pricing and selection.

To give you a head start, you might want to lock your lips around these delectable wine values: 2007 Crooked Row Merlot ($12); 2008 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese ($12); Cristalino Brut Cava (Spanish Sparkler -$10); 2009 Pacific Rim Gewurztraminer ($13); 2007 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc ($15); 2005 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Riserva ($19); 2007 Trimbach Riesling ($17); and 2008 Hey Mambo Sultry Red ($10 – no kidding this a good one!).

Throughout history, wine has had a powerful influence on just about every aspect of the human condition. From religion, to culture, to art, to war and, indeed, to our daily lives, wine has played an important role in shaping history and civilization for thousands of years.

The Romans sent farmers to far off lands to plant vines well in advance of their invading armies so the soldiers would have wine to accompany their meals and to celebrate their victories. And to this day, wine remains an integral part of Judeo-Christian religious ceremonies.

So I guess it should not be surprising that someone from Weirton, practicing medicine in California would become infatuated with wine. What is surprising is the degree to which this WVU graduate has pursued his passion for the fruit of the vine.

Bruce Ginier was born and raised in Weirton, graduated from Brooke High in 1978 and received a BS and MD degree from WVU. He actually spent the last two years of medical school here in Charleston. After an internship, Ginier moved to Sacramento for his radiology residency. The rest is wine-stained history.

As you may know, Sacramento is the gateway to the Sierra Foothills wine country that includes El Dorado and Amador Counties. The town of Placerville is smack-dab in the middle of the Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area) and that is where Synapse Wines was established.

The Vineyard
The concept for Synapse Wines began in 2000 when Bruce Ginier and his colleague and friend Randy Knutzon hatched the idea one evening over a few beers. (Strange how beer always seems to play a role in wine making). Anyway, the two friends scoured the Sierra Foothills and found the perfect spot for the vineyard on a 40-acre westward-facing slope overlooking the Cosumnes River Canyon.
Ginier said the initial plan was to simply grow grapes and sell them to wineries in the area. So in 2002, they planted syrah and later added zinfandel, petite sirah, viognier, grenache and mourvedre. But four years after planting the vineyard, the partners were so excited by the quality of the first vintage, they decided it would be more fun to make wine than just grow and sell grapes.

The Wines
For such a new enterprise, Synapse has garnered a significant treasure chest of awards from several prestigious wine competitions. Their 2006 K-Space Syrah won a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Many of their other wines have won gold, silver and bronze awards at other competitions around the country. Debbie Knutzon (Randy’s wife) is the winemaker and both families are involved in all aspects of running the winery.

Most Synapse Wines are priced from $16 to $28 a bottle and can only be purchased at the winery. However, the wines are available online and can be shipped to West Virginia.

If you’re interested, check out the Synapse website at: www.synapsewines.com. If you decide to order wines, Bruce has offered free shipping on any order of three or more bottles. (When going through checkout, there is a box in the shopping cart window to enter a promotion/coupon code. In the box, simply type in fs3b2011).

The Name

Why “Synapse” for the winery name? Well, both owners are neuro-radiologists who spend a considerable amount of time examining the brain which is a composed of nerve cells and the connection between them – the synapse.

So, for the partners, Synapse Wines symbolize the two families coming together to create the vineyard and winery, and pays tribute to the value the owners place on connecting with family and friends.

I'll drink to that !

Most experts agree that the Napa Valley is the greatest wine making region in this country and one of the best viticultural locations on the planet. While it is hard to dispute that point of view, one other area- year in and year out- is challenging Napa, particularly when it comes to producing wines from cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

I present for your consideration the state of Washington which has become, over the past couple of decades, one of the world's premier wine-producing regions! You're probably wondering how I came to this startling conclusion. Suffice it to say, years of personal research (i.e., drinking the stuff) made a believer of me!

In an area of the country perhaps better known for producing cherries, asparagus, apples, apricots and RAIN, thousands of acres of grapes have been planted, and some of the resulting wines are nothing short of stunning.

Of course when an “easterner” thinks of Washington, Seattle comes immediately to mind. However, that beautiful city, in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to its east and the Olympic range to its west, is not where the majority of grapes are grown.

While there are some wineries in the Seattle/Puget Sound area actually growing vines, the overwhelming tonnage of vinifera is being produced across the Cascade Mountains in Eastern Washington.

Talk about a change! When you travel through the Snoqualmie pass - just 45 miles from Seattle - you go from a rain forest to a high mountain desert where the majority of vineyards are planted and extend eastward to the border with Idaho.




And in the past 30 years, the wine business in Washington has grown exponentially.
Consider this: in 1981, there were only 19 wineries in the state. Today there are more than 700 scattered over 11 American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s), and the industry continues to grow vigorously.

So what makes this northwest corner of the U.S. so special? Excellent terroir, baby!

That somewhat confusing French word (pronounced tare-wah) means Washington has the requisite soil, climate and geographic location most ideally suited to growing some of the world's greatest wine grapes including, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, semillon and riesling.

I spent a week touring the area more than a decade ago and came to a rapid conclusion, after tasting the best the state had to offer, that the wines are exceptional. Since then, things have only gotten better and the cabernets and merlots are among the best being produced anywhere.

A bold statement? Maybe not, once you've tasted the wines. In addition to intensity, richness, elegance and power, Washington State wines have the potential to achieve a qualitative attribute uncommon in California - or anywhere else for that matter.

That characteristic is balance.
Balanced wines possess a harmony of fruit, alcohol and acid. There are also many sub-components that contribute to balance such as tannins and phenolic compounds and other technical stuff that only a chemist would find interesting.

Washington State, because of its unique terroir, has the ability to produce wines of exceptional quality and balance. I am particularly fond of the cabernet, merlot, riesling and semillon being made in the state.

Here are a few of my favorite labels from Washington State that you should find appealing. L’Ecole No. 41; Columbia Crest; Canoe Ridge; Hedges; Leonetti; Waterbrook; Quilceda Creek; Woodward Canyon; Covey Run; Hogue Cellars; Kiona; Milbrandt; Walla Walla; Chateau Ste. Michelle; Columbia Winery; DeLille Cellars; and Barnard Griffin Winery.