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An Afternoon at Argentina's Flichman Vineyards

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:50:48 -0800

This story was written by member Eleuthera and comes from the Wine Cellar group in the YumSugar Community.I recently had a chance to attend a wine tasting for Flichman from Argentina. I especially enjoyed the experience because I had a chance to chat with the winemaker, Luis Cabral de Almeida. From my standpoint, it didn't hurt that he was pretty hot also. We began with a bottle of their Chardonnay for $8. Frankly, I didn't want to taste a bottle of $8 Chardonnay as I hate that overly oaked buttery flavor of vanilla predominating, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was delightful and easily equal to wines I have enjoyed at twice the price. In fact everyone of the wines' price points was spectacular.

To learn more about these amazingly priced Argentine wines read more.

Although there were some I preferred more than others, I enjoyed all of them. All the others, with the exception of an interesting and delightful champagne (for about $8!!) were red. In fact, even the champagne was made in part from Malbec also! The biggest surprise of the afternoon was how much I enjoyed Malbec.

Several years ago a friend tried to tell me how great the Argentinian (and Chilean) Malbecs were, but I wouldn't even taste them. However, the grape I knew from living in Bordeaux was a far cry from the one I finally tasted in South America: Malbecs from Argentina are rich, jammy, and luscious with some surprising complexity. Malbec thrives in Argentina, Luis explained, because of the low humidity. This explains their ability to get the delightful jammy qualities which I thoroughly enjoy.

One I liked is called Gestos (2007) (gestures in English) and it was made from Malbec at two different elevations. You have to be careful because there are several varieties of Gestos, including one with Cabernet. The first thing one notices was the lovely aromas, like blackberries and maybe blueberries. The taste was even richer with jammy qualities mixed with the French oak and the earthy background.

Luis was kind enough to explain to me at length that he uses two different elevations of Malbec in order to achieve an extremely well-rounded wine. It is somewhat interesting that Argentina seems one of the few places where this combination can be exploited, although to a lesser degree, California winemakers have been touting mountain grown fruit for years. I rated this wine at least 88 points and perhaps even 89 out of 100. It was $12 or 13 and worth every penny.

Another wine I liked and purchased was the 2007 Expresiones reserve which was 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet. I would rate this slightly better, perhaps 89-90 points as it had a lingering finish. The complexity reminded me greatly of a Bordeaux style wine and it had the great structure of the Cabernet with the luscious sweet berry qualities of the Malbec. Personally I think this will do better with a few years of patience, although it is delightful now.

The last one I tasted was called Dedicado (2004) and it was clearly the top of the line. At almost $20 it was hitting my price point, but rarely have I had a wine this good for this money...so I bought two. The bottle weighs a ton and it is a mixture of Cabernet, Syrah, and Malbec (30%,10% and 60%). It spends 12 months in new French french oak and 12 months in the bottle according to the label, but I thought Luis told me this one spent 2 years in wood. In short, I thought the result was stunning, perhaps even 91-92 points. The deep intensity and aroma of the berries and black pepper is wonderful and its opulence is nothing short of amazing with a lovely lingering finish. It will benefit from a year or two more in my estimation but it's fantastic just the way it is, at least with an hour or two of breathing.

Because of the high inflation in Argentina and the fact that they are tied to the Euro which is strong (the owners are a Portuguese group) the wines get the benefit of great prices on oak barrels. As far as price point is concerned, I thought each of these wines was wonderful and they certainly impressed me a great deal. Luis wasn't all that bad either!

Have you been to an amazing winery? Join the Wine Cellar group, upload your photos and a description of the experience, and it could be featured on YumSugar! If you are new to the YumSugar Community, here's a detailed guide to posting to groups.

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Have You Ever Taken a Tour of a Winery?

partysugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:31 -0700

The Difference Between a Vertical and Horizontal Tasting

partysugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:30:04 -0700

While at the San Francisco Chronicle wine competition, I chatted with one of the pourers about specific types of wine tastings. Both of us were confused on the exact meaning of vertical vs. horizontal tastings. To clarify, I decided to look them up and share the terminology with you.

A horizontal tasting compares wines from the same year but from multiple producers. Usually a boundary is set on the type of grape, region, and wine style. For example, 2001 Zinfandel from Napa Valley or 2006 Chardonnay from Washington state. A horizontal tasting highlights the difference between wine-making styles.

A vertical tasting involves wine from the same producer but from multiple years, for example 2005, 2006, 2007 Pinot Noir from Mark West. A vertical tasting illustrates the difference between vintages.

Participating in both types are a great way to learn about wine. Have you ever engaged in a horizontal or vertical wine tasting? Please share your experience with us below!

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Tasting JAQK Cellars

partysugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:00:23 -0700

Let me introduce you to my favorite new wine label: JAQK (which cleverly stands for Jack, Ace, Queen, King) cellars. Passionate about play and wine, the brains behind the yet-to-be-released label believe that a great bottle of wine can enhance the playful atmosphere between friends and family.

Last week I had the chance to sit down with Joel Templin (the founder) and Bernard la Borie (the president) to taste a couple of the label's wines. For a sneak peek of the fun company's wines, made by acclaimed winemaker Craig Maclean, and to see a bunch of images from the tasting, read more.

Each wine has a catchy name, interesting story, and beautifully designed label. The eight affordable bottles range in price from $23-64.

While I didn't taste all eight, the wines that I sipped were lush, smooth, and intensely drinkable. My favorite was High Roller, a classic Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon with an elegant, rich texture and dark cherry aroma.

With its deep-purple color and full body, Black Clover, JAQK's merlot, will make the grape made unpopular by the movie Sideways trendy again. The clover-etched bottle is ideal for collecting. After the wine is consumed it would make a gorgeously Gothic vase.

The convention-breaking chardonnay, Pearl Handle, is refined through egg whites. The wine is buttery, fruity, and balanced. My favorite bottle was the sparklingly designed Charmed, the sauvignon blanc. Crisp and mouth-watering, it has an appley aroma.

If you love wine or know a wine-lover, I highly recommend seeking out a bottle come October. Both the liquid and bottle are expertly crafted, resulting in wine that is delicious yet playful, making it an ideal gift for any wine aficionado.

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Learn More About Wine at Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town

partysugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:27:11 -0700

One of the best ways to learn about wine is to taste it. And a great way to taste a lot of different types of wine is to attend a wine-tasting event like Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town. The magazine is hosting an evening - in four major cities across the nation - of great wine, fabulous food, and moving music. Proceeds from the event go to San Francisco Food Bank, a company that provides food to starving locals.

The San Francisco event is this Thursday, Mar. 27 and I will be in attendance. Will you be there? Let me know and I will see you there!

For those of you not in the area check out Wine Enthusiast's upcoming tastings in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. If you still aren't near any of those cities, consider hosting your own wine tasting to toast your town!

Have you been to a large wine-tasting event? Tell us about it below!

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Come Party With Me: Wine and Chocolate Tasting - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:15:51 -0800

February is coming to an end and with it comes close to our Chocolate Month. But before we kiss those chocolate kisses bye-bye, I'm teaching you how to host a wine and chocolate-tasting party! So grab some wine, pick up a couple of chocolate bars, and gather up your friends, it's time to taste. To set the mood of the party, send the invites with chocolate! To see step by step instructions on how to make these, read more.

To make an invite similar to the one seen here you will need the following supplies:

chocolate bar
decorative paper
scissors
tape or stickers
computer and printer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new Microsoft Word document. Write the details of the party. On mine I used the font Modern No. 20 in size 72 and 22 to write

You’re Invited
Please join me for
A Wine & Chocolate Tasting

Friday February 29, 2008
8:30 PM

PartySugar’s House, San Francisco
Regrets only 415.555.5555

Separate the You're Invited and the rest of the text with a page break so that each one prints out on a separate sheet of paper. Print out a plain white paper and check for any errors.

Once satisfied with the text, print out the You're Invited sheet first on the decorative paper. Turn the page over and print the rest of the information on the back.

Cut down to size and set aside.

Carefully remove the outside wrapper of the chocolate bar. Fold the invite into the same shape as the outside wrapper

Wrap around the chocolate bar and carefully tape together, enclosing the chocolate bar in the invite.

Slide into an already addressed padded envelope and send.

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Have You Ever Been Wine Tasting?

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:13:31 -0800

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Tasting. It's a big event that's open to the public. While there I saw some seasoned pros - folks who brought their own wine appetizer trays and wine glass necklaces - but the majority of the people were casual wine tasters, or first-timers. It was a huge sight to behold, and the numbers of wines to try were overwhelming. After a few hours I had definitely tasted my share! So, now I want to know, have you ever been to a wine tasting? How about doing a wine tasting at a winery?

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Download Our Wine Tasting Worksheet!

partysugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:01:31 -0800

I don't consider myself a wine connoisseur, but I do love learning more about wine by tasting new varietals! To really make the most of wine tasting, we've created a
downloadable worksheet. It's your space to make notes on all of the wonderful wines you taste. The tasting notes are perfect for a wine club meeting, a wine tasting, or simply a night in with the girls. Filling it out can help you learn more about wine in general, and it will also help you remember certain beloved bottles. To check out a list of wine-related vocabulary and to download our free, printable tasting-notes worksheet, read more.

Download YumSugar's Wine Tasting Notes

To help fill out the sheet, here's a list of wine-tasting vocabulary:

Name of the wine: The name as it appears on the bottle. If you are performing a blind tasting simply label it Wine A or Wine #1.

Vintage: The year that grapes used to make the wine were harvested.

Variety: The type of grapes that were used to make the wine.

Price Range: How much the wine costs.

Aroma: The smell of the wine. The fragrance of the wine that is affected by the fermentation or aging process used to make the wine.

Body: The texture or weight of the wine in the mouth.

Taste: The flavors of the wine and how it tastes.

Finish: The final impression that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine.

Have fun and happy tasting!

After It's Opened: Wine Taste Test

partysugar — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:55:41 -0800

A few weeks ago I received a "Dear Party" from DearSugar! Apparently one of her readers, a certain Wino Wendy had written to her inquiring about the shelf life of an opened bottle of wine. Here's what I told her: first consider the type of wine. White wines you store in lower temperature (max of 13c.), whereas red ones you should keep in room temperature (max 18c.). However once opened, all wine begins to change. The oxygen in the air starts this process of change that can only be slowed down if the wine is chilled (it is advised to put even a bottle of opened red wine in the fridge). When you want to drink it, take it out about a half an hour before to allow the wine to come to room temperature. Red will stay drinkable for up to 3 days and white will for another day or so. Whichever wine it is, you need to make sure you seal the bottle tightly, leaving no air inside. There are special corks for it, which should be available at your local wine shop. How long they last will depend on who tastes them - the longer you keep a wine open, the stronger the alcoholic flavor. My best tip - once you've opened a bottle of wine - is to simply drink it all, that way you don't have to worry about leaving it open. To check out my at home science experiment, in which I sample one super old bottle of white wine compared to a just uncorked one, read more

When I last spent the weekend at the vacation house, I was making cassoulet in which white wine was one of the ingredients. I asked my dad to open the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc I had purchased and he pointed out that there were several bottles of opened white wine in the fridge. Now I had not been to the vacation house since November, and neither my mother nor father drink white wine. It could have been leftover from my sister, but the last time she was there was in January. My dad didn't believe that one could notice a serious difference between the tastes of an old and new bottle, so I set up an impromptu blind taste test. In the end, we all could taste a huge difference between the wines, my dad included. The old had a very stale, overly sweet flavor while the new was light and crisp.

Have you ever experimented with variously aged bottles of wine? Please share your stories below!

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Come Party With Me: Wine and Chocolate Tasting - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:28:31 -0800

Normally I always serve a signature cocktail at my parties, but in the case of a wine and chocolate tasting, no hard alcohol is necessary. Instead be sure to have several different types of wine to pair with each chocolate course. If you don't know a lot about wine ask your local wine shop owner to help you. Explain what you are making - chocolate and brie sandwiches and chocolate orange cake - and that you want some wines that will complement these treats.

If you don't have a relationship with a local wine shop owner, check out my tips for pairing chocolate and wine when you read more.

Dark and bittersweet chocolates go best with stronger red wines. White chocolate pairs better with light reds and sweet whites.
Choose a Port, Muscat, or Moscato. If you do select a Port pick a ruby or tawny one. Vintage ports taste better with cheese.
Pinot Noir and Merlots work well with milk chocolate. Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon are nice with dark chocolate.
Steer clear of dry wines that can create a sour flavor in the mouth when paired with chocolate.
Remember wine tasting is a very personal thing. If you don't like the way it tastes, move on to the next bottle.

Got a tip for pairing wine and chocolate? Please share with us below!

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