The Conn Creek Barrel Blending & Cupcake Pairing Challenge

On Sunday December 13^th Thea Dwelle, (AKA: Obi Wine Kenobi) in partnership with Paul Asikainen, Guest Services Manager of Conn Creek, hosted a bloggers blend-o-rama in the Conn Creek AVA Room in Napa Valley.

Just last week I participated in The Wine Sensory Experience in Calistoga where I challenged my scent abilities, so the AVA Room Blending Experience seemed the logical next step in my wine experience portfolio.

The AVA room was designed to create a blending experience offered nowhere else. According to Paul the tax licenses and bottling permits needed to allow guests to blend their own wine and take it home were intricate and mind boggling to say the least. But the end result seems certainly worth the effort in my opinion.

The room has nineteen barrels in all, fifteen barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon representing the diversity of American Viticulture Areas in Napa Valley and one barrel each of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec & Petit Verdot. The Cabernet barrels are grouped according to five fruit complexity profiles— Soft, Supple, Complex, Rich and Bold. Each barrel had notes about climate and soils (including a soil sample) and a map indicating where the AVA is located.

The tables were set with beakers and glasses and a blending book for note taking giving the AVA Room the air of a very high-end test lab. (If high school had been this deluxe I might have majored in Chemistry.) Paul gave us an overview of the blending process and then we were set free to begin. The first step is to taste from each barrel and note what samples appeal to you most. Then after you have an idea of what blend percentages you’d like, you fill your beaker accordingly and then test it in the large tasting glass.

This is more work than you might think, and a lovely buffet lunch was provided to help us keep our strength as we blended. Inspiration can come from almost anywhere and it was a selection of cupcakes on the buffet that led to my wine blend philosophy. It seemed there were as many different cupcake flavors (red velvet, pink champagne and black cherry) as there were Cabernet Sauvignon AVA’s and I was inspired to create the perfect Cabernet to pair with cupcakes, something bold and complex to complement the sweetness of the cupcake.

My final blend was as follows: 40% Stags Leap District from the Clo Du Val Vineyard. 40% Rutherford, Hozhoni Vineyard. 10% Rutherford, Conn Creek Estate Vineyard. And 10% Merlot. I ended up choosing all moderately warm climates across the board. And all had volcanic soil components as well.

The AVA Room Barrel Blending Experience was tremendous fun and very educational to have access to all the Cabernet samples in one place. The only thing I found difficult about the experience was the math conversion—going from a 100 % beaker to the 750 ML blending beaker. Luckily for this journalism grad there was a conversion chart in the back of the blending book and Paul graciously helped me out when I realized I was filling my large beaker with the wrong percentages. (Hint: start with the big percentage first and work up)

Once your blend is done you choose a bottle and a cork and in one swift pull on the corker you have a sealed bottle. Final step-- design and apply your label and that’s it.

Supposedly, we will drink these blends in a blend-off-challenge to be held at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. But I don’t know if mine will last that long. I’m ready to open it right now. For more details and information on The Conn Creek AVA Room Blending Experience visit their website here.

Scents and Sense Ability: The Wine Sensory Experience in Calistoga

Early this week my friend Kerry Eddy, of Tom Eddy Wines, invited me to The Wine Sensory Experience in Calistoga to take the scent challenge offered in their wine education classes. Dare I take a test in which I go head to head with an experienced winemaker? Heck yeah! Bring it on.

The Wine Sensory Experience is not as science fair or Exploratorium-esque as it sounds. It’s actually one part wine education, one part tasting room, and one part gift shop. T’Anne Butcher, who has been involved in her families wine business (W.H. Smith Wines) for over 30 years, decided to open The Wine Sensory Experience to give groups a casual and fun way to learn the basics of scents and aromas that can be detected in wine. This is something I’ve always been curious about and I have even toyed with buying one of those scent vial test kits to hone my olfactory skills.

Here’s how it works: Five to six opaque glasses with glass lids are set up and arranged according to aroma types such as Fruit, Pinot Noir, Herbal, or Barrel scents. Then you sniff each glass and try to guess what it is. This is NOT EASY!! You are provided with a clipboard and test sheet that lists each flight of scents with blanks where you write in your response.

With our pens at the ready, we began the test. Kerry started with the Barrel scents while I tried the Fruit Aromas. We then moved around the stations recording our answers until we had completed them all. Afterwards T’Anne gave us the answers.

I correctly guessed the blackberry, liquorice and bacon fat scents, and All Spice too. I flubbed apricot, mistaking it for strawberry and also mistook vanilla for coconut. I was completely stumped by scent # 5 on the Pinot Aromas even though I absolutely knew it was a familiar scent. I guessed celery root and then wrote down cabbage as a base note. The answer? Wasabi- or more commonly known as Horseradish!

Another revelation was the scent I considered to be distinctly “barnyard” was actually white pepper. But as soon as T'Anne mentioned it was white pepper, I could suddenly smell it. It’s like those negative space puzzles where you stare at an image and only see a face and then, once it’s pointed out, you see a goblet or different object altogether.

I was amazed how such a simple exercise opened up my eyes, not to mention my nasal passages to the dynamics of scent. Also I was happy to learn that my recent Lambrusco mishap did not permanently damage my sense of smell as I had feared.

The next exercise involved Barrel Component samples that allowed you to see and smell how barrels play a part in the flavor profiles of wine and the differences in American and French oak barrels that had been toasted. The heavy toasted samples looked black and charred like charcoal briquettes, but they were the least oak smelling. I loved the scent of the no toast French oak and was surprised how delicate it was compared to the medium toasted American oak.

After the scent tests we tasted some of W.H. Smith wines and I felt like I was sniffing wine for the very first time. Once our sensory experience was done, and the tasting completed, it was time for some very serious business-- shopping! T'Anne carries a clever selection of wine and non wine merchandise and I came away with the door mat in the photo below that parodies location maps that state “You are here”.

The Wine Sensory Experience was exactly that-- an experience. It was fascinating, intriguing and challenging. I now find myself taking sniffs of everything at the market and I try to associate the smell and aroma to a mental trigger so I can identify the scent again when I taste wine.

T’Anne changes up the scents according to the season so you could go through the experience several times and not be presented with the same aromas. I plan on going again in January when my sister is in town. I think this would be a great prelude to a day of tasting or even just a fun outing on it’s own.

Private groups of 6 or more can be arranged and T’Anne mentioned that she had just booked a session for a group of executives from Goggle. So maybe sensory exercises are the next big thing for off–site team building. It sure beats the heck out of the ropes courses that were all the rage in the past. I mean really, I don’t need to jump off a tower to test the trust of my peers thank you very much. I think a team building exercise at The Wine Sensory Experience would be far more stimulating and creative than one that includes the possibility of falling to one’s death.

Classes are $25 a person and consist of eight sensory exercises involving different groups of scents such as Fruit Aromas, Herbal Aromas, Pinot Noir Aromas, Oak Barrel and more. When you consider that some wine scent aroma kits cost upwards of $300, the class is an absolute bargain. Plus you get the guidance of a professional like T'Anne, something you won’t get sniffing vials on your own at home

For more information about The Wine Sensory Experience you can check out the website here. (Oh and by the way, my friend the winemaker? You'll be glad to know she scored way better than I did!)

Obligatory Thanksgiving Wines Post

It appears to be all the rage to post about what wines to serve on Thanksgiving. So here's mine.

{NOTE: If you came to this post looking for Thanksgiving Wines to Pair with Annoying Relatives you’ll find it here.}

Everyone has been asking--What are you going to open for Thanksgiving? Well normally if all the family is gathering at my house the first thing I want to open is a vein, but barring that I like to cope with Prosecco from the Valdobbiadene region of Italy followed swiftly by a few pre-dinner Negronis. I select a variety of whites and reds to pair with dinner.

Whites: Viognier, preferably Bonny Doon, which I adore. I usually always have a Riesling on hand and lately I've been loving the Kim Crawford unoaked Chardonnay from New Zealand. I also like Costomolino Vermentino from Sardegna.

Reds: Mostly I go with all Italian wines since my family is Italian so I typically have Dolcetto and Nebbiolo but since most everyone is dead now, I think I will break with family tradition and I'm leaning towards the Mourvedre from Quivira and possibly the Shane Valenti Ranch Syrah.

Extra Wine in Food: It has become a tradition to make my Mother's famous "Tipsy Cranberry Mold" which is basically Jello with fruit and wine used in lieu of water. It sets up kinda weird and it's not all that good, but as kids we loved it for the way it made us feel all warm and numb, and that's important if you want to create a harmonious mood around the dinner table. Just for nostaliga sake, I've included the recipe written out in her own hand below.

Recipe calls for 6 Cups Red Wine!

Post Meal: It's Grappa shots all around. My favorite Grappa is Grappa Di Sarno from a boutique distillery in Umbria.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Related posts:  Thanksgiving Wines to Pair with Annoying Relatives

Experiments in Wine and Health Care: Lambrusco in the Netti Pot

A few weeks ago I gave my glass of wine a little bit too hearty a sniff, and darn if I didn’t inhale a tablespoon or more of wine. It was a bit shocking not to mention messy. But afterwards I seemed to be able to breathe better. Probably because I was no longer on the verge of drowning.

So today I was having some allergy problems due to an ongoing bathroom remodel in my house and figured I should use the neti pot to do some nasal irrigation and prevent any build up of nasty sheet rock dust in my sinuses. Normally one uses a salt or baking soda mixture in a netti pot to create a harmonious yet cleansing environment in the nasal and sinus cavities. I didn’t have any salt or baking soda on hand so I turned to what I thought would be the next best thing—Lambrusco. I just happened to have some left over from the night before. It was fresh and bubbly even a tad astringent so I figured why not and poured it in the netti pot.

On the palate the Lambrusco’s fruity effervescence is light and pleasing, but up the nose and thru the sinuses it’s downright roiling. The pain was so sharp I thought my eyes were going to explode and my brain stem was going to pop out my ear. The Lambrusco that did not go thru my sinuses backed up into my throat and all I can say about that is that wine is best experienced by going over the tongue en route to the throat, not the other way around. I’m hoping I did not introduce any harmful bacteria with this stunt but I figure the alcohol content will kill off any stray microbes. I don’t recommend that you actually try this if you want to have access to your olfactory senses for the remainder of your life, but it was an invigorating experience and left my sinuses feeling as clear as limpid pools of spring melt in a glacial valley.

Next time: Getting Crazy with the Cheez Whizz & Ear Candleing with Twizzlers

Haber Family Vineyards

Sue-Marie and Ron Haber

Recently I was invited to a tasting of the 2006 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon with Ron and Sue-Marie Haber at the haber family vineyard on Howell Mountain outside Angwin.

It’s always great to meet new winemakers who are excited to share what they love, and especially nice to meet people who are as unpretentious as their wine.

Ron and his family have been in the construction business for several generations and specialize in metal and glass systems for commercial structures. Many of the glass edifices and decorative elements you see in major buildings in New York and around the country are work of the W&W Glass Company.

Thus it is fitting that the label for their first release the 2006 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon is a windowpane through which you see the moon and the stars above the mountain ridge. Reflected back by the moonlight is the Haber logo. It’s a clever label that encapsulates the elements of Haber’s past achievements and the prospects for the future.

The bottle we tasted was decanted the evening before and I noticed many changes in the wine as we sampled it. Ron is a fan of mountain fruit and his wine reflects that bold flavor. I detected deep berry fruit but also notes of chocolate and even mint. Sue-Marie laid out a lovely lunch including some roasted figs, which she at first thought too ripe and sweet to serve, but I thought they were just right with the wine.

Winemaker Tim Milos, who also creates wine for Rubissow and Howell at the Moon, gave us details on the soil, weather conditions and the challenges of growing in this particular region.

For now the wine is in its early stages, but I think a nice lamb and butternut squash stew might coax it out of its shyness. Haber’s background creating glass structures of integrity, strength and elegance may prove to be good experience for making wine with the same characteristics. And just as the label depicts, the Haber wine is a wine for reflection.

The Details:

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Aging: 20 Months

Fermentation: 85% French New Oak

Bottled: August 15^th 2008

380 cases produced

$80 a bottle

A Touch of Glass

I received a sample of the Eisch Breathable glass and conducted the following experiment to see if it had any noticeable effect on the wine. I was not paid to write this and I probably won’t be offered to sample anything else after this, but a girl can hope.

The premise behind the Eisch glass is that it is designed to be “ breathable” and aerate the wine faster than decanting. I tested the Eisch glass along with a glass of similar size, shape and quality.

I am a big fan of good glass. I really believe a fine crystal does make a difference in the wine. I don’t know if it has to do with the molecular viscosity aspect ratio of the permeable membrane dynamics or if its due to fairies with pixie dust…but I can tell a difference. (BTW I just made that membrane dynamics stuff up– but sounded good no?)

There are two questions that are usually posed regarding glasses and wine.

1. Can a great glass make a good wine better? {I say yes.}

2. Can a great glass make a mediocre wine great? {No}. There is only so much the fairies can do. Bad wine is bad wine end of story.

But let’s get back to the Eisch test.

I have a set of very nice Waterford glasses from the Robert Mondavi collection, which are pricey but beautiful and really show off a nice wine. I don't use them everyday, and I’m probably not going to serve you wine in them when you visit, but I do drink out of them when I have a nice wine I want to savor.

The Eisch glass instructions said that within two to four minutes the glass would work its magic and aerate the wine as if it were decanted for an hour.

I poured wine into both glasses and waited three minutes. Then to create a double blind scenario, I blind folded a friend and had her smell and taste the wine without letting on which glass was the Eisch and which glass was the Waterford.

Well right off the bat the whole blindfold thing was a disaster because on the first sip she misjudged where her mouth was and spilled wine all over herself. Oh what a mess. But after she got cleaned up we decided it would be best if I just held the glass up to her lips to sip and avoid any more accidents.

So that worked pretty well. She sat blindfolded with her arms to the side and I held the wine up to her like some high priest giving communion. Then right in the middle of the experiment my husband walked in on us and you would of thought we were conducting some sort of satanic ritual the way he looked at me. And I have to admit it did feel kinda of cult like, but not kinky in an Eyes Wide Shut sort of way, just a bit odd is all I’m saying. But I guess he was not expecting to see our neighbor in the living room blindfolded and in her bra*. (*it was a sports bra so not pervey as you might think) Anyway I thought it was hilarious. He did not and mumbled he had to go to the hardware store. But I insisted he stay and try the experiment as well.

Results:

Friend: She found the bouquet more pronounced in the Eisch and felt the wine was more open and fuller and preferred the Eisch to the Waterford glass.

Husband: His impressions were the reverse, he found the wine in the Waterford glass to be more open, fuller bodied, and flavorful.

Me: I found the Eisch glass gave the wine a rounder fuller mouth feel and bigger flavor at first but after about 15 minutes I could not tell a difference between either glass.

So all I can conclude from the experiment is that we did indeed notice differences but could not agree on what the differences were.

Then just for fun we drank the same wine out of coffee cups (Illy heavy white porcelain cups) and that was a shocker. The wine really did not taste as good as it did in the glasses. I’m guessing that it’s because of the way the thick fat lip of the cup makes you purse your lips more and possibly interferes with the palate, while the super fine thin edge of the crystal glass allows you to sip the wine right in between your lips with no awkward mouth maneuvers. I don’t know the reasons for sure, but there really was a noticeable difference in the wine sipped from coffee cups vs. the wine glasses.

Conclusion:

I think there was a difference with the Eisch. But I also think it’s because the Eisch is a nice glass and nice glasses make a difference.

Final summary:

Eisch Glass: $40-45 (SRP)

Cellarrat Pinot Noir: $42

Look on husbands face upon seeing neighbor blindfolded and in her bra: Priceless!

Plotting Pinot

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