Remember the days of old when buying jug wine was a normal practice for most of us who wanted to enjoy a daily glass or two, but were constrained by a limited budget? In days of yore, I uncorked (or unscrewed) countless jugs of Carlo Rossi, Hearty Burgundy, Cribari and a host of other unpronounceable (and sometimes undrinkable) wines.

Today, jug wine still exists in the marketplace, but most of us have traded up to smaller sized bottles where the cost per ounce has increased, but the quality is much improved. The other issue with large format bottles is that keeping the wine fresh over a few days (if it is not consumed on the day it is opened) is problematic.

That problem, though, is easily resolved by either wolfing down the entire jug or pouring the remaining wine into a smaller bottle and eliminating the air space in the vessel so it will not spoil. However, you’re still faced with the quality issue. In recent tastings of jugs versus inexpensive wines in 750 ml bottles (e.g. fifths), the clear winners have been the wines in the smaller containers.

Just about the time I was about to declare the case closed, I had the opportunity to sip a jug style wine from a re-packaged version of an old idea – the “bag in the box.” This particular wine, 2008 Big House Red, is packaged in a 3-liter Octavin (a octagonal box) and is a blend of … get this… 23% syrah, 14% petite sirah, 9% grenache, , 6% mourvedre, 17% sangiovese, 6% algianico, 6% tannat, 5% nero d'avola, 4% sargentino, 3% touriga, 3% barbera, 3% petit verdot.

I’ve actually heard of most of these grapes!

Here’s what the winery says about the Octavin: “Octavin Home Wine Bar's patent-pending package design prevents oxidation. Every glass tastes as fresh and flavorful as if the wine was just opened, even up to six weeks after your first sip. It's the perfect choice for those interested in just one glass with dinner.”

Well, actually, this wine is so good I had more than one glass with dinner. At approximately $25 for the Big House Red Octavin, you get the equivalent of about six bottles of wine at $4 each. And the Octavin actually works incredibly well. I’ve had mine in the refrigerator now for about five weeks and the quality is the same now as when I poured the first glass.

Now, I’m not suggesting that all bag in the box wines will be of the same quality, but this one is really good with ripe and rich dark fruit flavors and decent acidity which allows it to pair nicely with foods such as lasagna, grilled baby back ribs and stuffed red peppers

Washington State is a geographically schizophrenic state, a land of extremes with two distinct personalities. Seattle, situated along Puget Sound with the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic range to the west, is more known for its annual precipitation than its well-deserved reputation as one of the most livable cities in the world.

The other Washington begins once you cross Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains, just 54 miles east of Seattle. The lush, green Alpine landscape suddenly gives way to beige and brown hues as you travel east away from the Cascades along Interstate 90.

Actually, the metamorphosis is shocking. From rainforest-like conditions in Seattle, you enter a sun-baked, high dessert terrain where sagebrush and sand predominate, and where hot summers and bone chilling winters are the norm. The area also has one of the lowest annual rainfalls in the U.S. Welcome to eastern Washington: one of the most promising and exciting viticultural areas on this planet. It's a place where little-known wineries such as Leonetti Cellars, Quilceda Creek, DeLille Cellars and L'Ecole 41 are making some of the finest wines anywhere.

So how can you grow grapes, or anything for that matter, in a desert area with an average annual rainfall of only eight inches? Well, that problem was solved with an amazing series of canals fed by a giant reservoir on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. The reservoir, replenished each year with rainwater and melting snow, feeds the canals and has transformed the valleys of eastern Washington into a fertile growing plain.

Until very recently, this vast region was best known for producing cherries, asparagus, hops, lentils, apricots and... the atomic bomb. Yes, it was near the town of Richland where much of the research and testing was done in the early 1940's for the first atom bomb.

Now the wine industry is exploding! The three principal grape growing regions are the Yakima Valley, the Walla Walla Valley and the Columbia River Basin. These American Viticultural Areas (AVA) and the sub-regions within are beginning to produce world-class cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay. The Yakima Valley is a slightly cooler region than either the Columbia Basin or the Walla Walla Valley, but all regions produce excellent red and white wines.

I toured the vineyards of the Yakima Valley and the Columbia River Basin several years ago and came away convinced of the tremendous potential this area possesses to produce among the finest wines anywhere.

The Washington wine industry has grown from 19 wineries in 1981 to nearly 500 today. And while there are a few wineries located in the Seattle area, the overwhelming majority of wineries and vineyards are located in eastern Washington.

The flagship wineries of Washington are Chateau Ste. Michelle and its sister winery Columbia Crest. These pioneering producers have put Washington State on the viticultural map and have served as an inspiration and training ground for many of the wineries that followed them.

So what makes Washington wines so special? It's a combination of geography, soil and climate. The major growing regions in the state lie along the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy and have plentiful sunlight, minimal rainfall and long warm summer days moderated by crisp, cool evenings. The soils are lean, yet rich in minerals.

The resulting wines are characterized by crispness and an intensity of fruit. You might say that Washington State wines have the best of both California and Bordeaux: they possess the forward fruit so prevalent in Golden state; yet they also exhibit excellent balance like the wines produced in Bordeaux. Fruit, alcohol and acidity seem to be knitted harmoniously in most of the wines from Washington, and balanced wines are excellent matches with food.

And while the marquee wines such as cabernet, chardonnay and merlot are made as well in Washington as anywhere, the state is also producing among the most exciting gewürztraminer, riesling and semillon I've tasted in this country.

Probably the most famous Washington State wineries are Quilceda Creek, Leonetti and Woodward Canyon, whose cabernet sauvignons and merlots are legendary, very expensive and difficult to find. However, there are plenty of other great wines from Washington that are available to you here in West Virginia.

Here is a listing of some of my favorite wineries that produce these wines:

Hedges Cellars, Waterbrook, Columbia Crest, Covey Run, L'Ecole No. 41, Chateau. Ste Michelle, Canoe Ridge, Powers, DeLille Cellars, Hogue Cellars, Barnard Griffin, Andrew Will Winery, Kiona, Columbia and Owen Roe.

My advice? Go out and try the wines of Washington State. They represent not only quality, but value when compared to the wines produced in higher profile places such as California or France.

Look, I know I've always preached that wine appreciation is a very subjective undertaking, and that you should drink whatever you want, with or without food. I still feel that way. Yet you may have noticed that most of my wine recommendations also come with a suggested food pairing. That's because I feel strongly that food brings out the best in wine - and vice-versa.

After all, I'm paid the big bucks (EDITOR'S NOTE: When did your bucks become big? The Gazette specifically ordered you be paid small bucks... ;-0) to render an occasional opinion. And that opinion is that while you may prefer your flagon of Vito's Thunder Mountain Chablis on its own, you might be surprised at how much better it tastes when you try it with a complimentary food (like wolf pancreas). Okay, now that I've got your attention, today's missive involves helping you find the right bottle with your meal even when the wine rating experts don't give you a clue.

At least once a week, I get asked this question: 'What is your favorite wine?' My answer is always the same: "It depends." Now, you may think that's a way of avoiding the question, but to me the question is incomplete unless I'm given some type of food context. For example, if the question is stated in this manner: What is your favorite wine with beef tenderloin? I would ask how is it to be prepared? Will the beef be marinated, dry-rubbed (and rubbed with what spices) or just seasoned with salt and pepper? Will it be grilled, pan sautéed or oven roasted?

Based upon your answers to those questions, I would then recommend several wines that would marry nicely with that particular treatment of beef tenderloin. While many wine experts will strongly disagree with me, I don't believe wine can be objectively and properly evaluated on the merits of its own flavors, aromas and textures - without food.

This presents a problem as many of us get our information on which wines to buy from the results of competitive tastings where wines are evaluated without food. The dirty little secret about many wines which score highly in these tastings is that they are usually the ones which are fuller, richer, rounder, higher in alcohol and exhibit characteristics like tropical fruit, blueberries, butter and vanilla, etc.

That's the complaint of many European wine makers (particularly the French), whose wines sometimes are leaner, more understated and generally show very poorly when pitted against new world wines where the only food consumed at the tasting is a cracker or some bland cheese. And I understand the practical problem that tasting panels face when they're trying to evaluate hundreds of wines in order to provide consumers with useful information on which to buy.

So what can you do? Since these tasting panels cannot reasonably be expected to provide the volume and diversity of menu items necessary to judge the sheer volume of wine, you'll need to factor this reality into your decision-making. In other words, try to imagine how well a particular bottle would match the food you intend to serve with the wine.

I know this is not a fool-proof method, but it is a good way to incorporate food into the wine appreciation equation. I guarantee that once you hit the food and wine bulls' eye, you'll understand the value of this type of thinking when you're trying to pick a wine.

One publication which goes to great lengths to suggest the most appropriate pairings of food and wine is certainly true to its name. Food and Wine is my favorite magazine when it comes to emphasizing the importance of properly matching the meals we eat with the most appropriate wine. Check it out.

Speaking of food and wine, here's a pairing I recommend:

Roderer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($22) - Sparkling wine enthusiasts will love this complex, crisp, yet rich wine made in the traditional Champagne method. Creamy and toasty with flavors of ripe pear, the wine makes a great aperitif with cheese or fruit such as strawberries. It also is a superb match to chicken cordon bleu.

 

 

 

For the first time in more than 30 years of wine making, WineBoy has been able to acquire old vine zinfandel for his home winemaking.

I've been a busy WineBoy lately! The annual harvest ritual at the Brown household is officially underway. This past Saturday, I picked up 22 lugs (36-pound wooden boxes) of old vine zinfandel grapes from the St. Albans Kroger store where I had ordered them a few weeks ago. These purple lovelies, transported cross country in a refrigerated vehicle, hail from the Lodi (California) American Viticultural Area (AVA) just south of Sacramento.

I'm pretty excited because this is the first time, in more than 30 years of wine making, that I have been able to acquire old vine zinfandel. The good folks at Kroger have been sourcing grapes for local wine-obsessed amateurs like me for decades. Over that period of time, I have used a number of different varietals to make wine, including cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, petit sirah, grenache, sangiovese and regular ( young vine) zinfandel. Until this year, however, I was never able to acquire old vine zinfandel.

You're probably wondering what's so special about old vine zin? Well, first of all let's define what "old vine" means. One of the most respected zinfandel producers in California is Joel Peterson, founder of Ravenswood Winery in 1976, who, along with Paul Draper at Ridge, is considered an authority on the grape.

In an article appearing in AppellationAmerica.com last year, here's what Peterson had to say about classifying zinfandel:

"I divide it into four categories. Zero to 10 years old are 'Young Vines.' Ten to 50 years old are what I call 'Tour Vines.' They produce good wine, but it takes more work to achieve deep balance. Fifty to 80 years (or vines which produce less than three tons per acre) are "Old Vines." They are balanced, and doing what they are supposed to do. Eighty years and older are "Ancient Vines."

Old vine zinfandel is in very high demand because there simply is not enough of it available - particularly for jack-leg home wine makers like yours truly. That's why I jumped at the chance to get it. As you can imagine, with vineyard space being dedicated to the more mainstream varietals such as chardonnay, cabernet, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, there aren't many producers who have the patience (or balance sheet) to keep zinfandel vines in the ground for 50 or more years.

I'll be the first to admit that old vine zin is not every one's cup of tea... er, wine. The stuff can be a Port-like purple monster with juicy blackberry or even chocolate flavors, and the alcohol levels usually exceed 15 percent. However, if you like your wine full-bodied and bursting with dark fruit flavors, you might give old vine zin a try.

One of the most complementary food and wine matches I've ever locked these purple lips over is old vine zinfandel accompanied by a pork sirloin roast which had been rubbed with garlic, olive oil and black pepper and stuffed with onions and carrots. The bigger old vine zins are also great for after dinner sipping with nuts and/or blue cheese.

Want to give old vine zinfandel a try? Here are some of my favorites: Ridge Geyserville (photo at right); Montevina Terra d'Oro Deaver Vineyards; Ridge Pagani Ranch; Rosenblum Continente Vineyard; Gnarly Head; and Renwood Old Vines.

As I write this tome, I'm staring at fingers made purple by the frothing, fermenting juice of old vine zinfandel. Damn, this is great!

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There's something exhilarating about Fall. Mother Nature is dishing up the colors, colleges are playing football and wineries (in this hemisphere, at least) are harvesting grapes and making wine.  I love this time of year.  I am amped, and I have been taking action!

In the last month alone, I have:  roasted two bushes of sweet red peppers, crushed 1,000 pounds of grapes, grilled all manner of fish, fowl and cow and consumed enough food and wine to insure an ample supply of blubber to get me through the winter.     

And, dear friends, I have been toiling mightily at the alter of Bacchus -- just for you. This fine Fall day, I have a slew of tasteful recommendations for your consideration.  These little lovelies hail from all over the globe, and are very reasonably priced. I hope you'll give some a try and let me know what you think by posting a comment.

2007 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc - The aroma has the usual herbal and grassy notes associated with sauvignon blanc, but this one is a surprise because, once you  put it in your mouth, it shows a lively combination of peach and citrus flavors. Good as an aperitif or with lighter foods such as crab cakes.  ($15)

2003 Rentas de Fincas Crianza - Medium-bodied blend of tempranillo and grenache and chock full of forward fruit and spice. Give it a try with grilled chicken basted with kosher salt, black-pepper, olive oil and garlic. ($16)  

2006 Pierre Henri Merlot- Round and rich with nice balance, this is an incredible bargain, and a good bottle of wine from our French friends.  Would be nice with roasted Asian-style pork chops ($9)

2006 Louis Martini Chardonnay (at right) - Always one of my favorite wines, this one combines richness with good acid balance, and is a style I really like in California chardonnay. Great with roasted sea bass basted with butter and lemon. ($25)

2007 Mark West Pinot Noir - Excellent central coast California wine with dark cherry and cola flavors, and a cinnamon spice note on the nose.  This one needs roasted salmon basted with honey and butter.  ($14)

2005 Dracula Zinfandel - The silly name trivializes a very good mouthful of zinfandel. Nothing complex here, but excellent varietal flavors of blackberries that give way to a nice long finish. Try it with a pork roast rubbed with cayenne pepper and garlic (guaranteed to keep the vampires away).  ($19)

2005 Kenwood Red Table Wine -   Spicy, round and rich, this bargain wine is surprisingly good with ripe dark fruit flavors. Try it with barbecue ribs basted with a sweet and spicy sauce. ($11) 

2006 Chateau du Donjon Minervois - From the Languedoc-Roussillon area of southern France, this blend of cabernet and merlot is very Bordeaux-like.  Rich, round and supple, it is drinking well now and would be a good match with grilled meats. ($14).