Reading wine books is like drinking in bed; all the pleasure with none of the danger. As a voracious reader who rarely goes to bed without cracking a book, I usually go for fiction, but my exception is with wine books. Historical, contemporary, humorous, as well as memoir; they all work as long as grapes are in the mix.
One of the great things wine books can do is provide a lens through which to view history. The story of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin provides a niche view of Napoleonic France, where as a young, early 19th century widow, Barbe-Nicole inherits a Champagne house at a time when it is unfashionable to be a businesswoman. She perseveres by inventing the riddling rack, which held the bottles at an upside down angle to force the dead yeast cells into the bottle’s neck, making yeast disgorgement cleaner. The Veuve goes on to popularize the wine label and she develops hers with that iconic clementine yellow, which is now trademarked. All this, while entertaining Napoleon and Josephine at the estate.
Well researched and presented, The Widow Clicquot is a crisp and refreshing read about how a businesswoman of 200 years ago shaped the product we enjoy today.
At the center of this story are the Thomas Jefferson bottles from Bordeaux, identifiable by tiny engravings of “TJ” in the bottles. As one of the founding foodies, Jefferson was so concerned about the integrity of the red wine he had shipped from France that he made the producers put the wine in individual bottles, sealed with the relatively new cork invention, instead of the easily-compromised casks of the day. Before the Veuve pioneered wine labels.
Fast forward to 1985 and a bottle of TJ’s Ch. Lafite Bordeaux 1787 is sold for $156,000 to a Forbes, which sparks a worldwide investigation into the bottle’s authenticity involving seller Hardy Rodenstock, famed wine auctioneer Michael Broadbent, as well as billionaire Bill Koch who’s sons Charles and David are currently using their inherited wealth to warp the American political process. The way he behaves, you can’t help but root against Koch.
Technical minutia can be skipped over to chew on delicious discriptions of fabulous events thrown by the super rich, who consume 100 year-old bottles of red wine like yesterday’s vintage.
If you tout Zinfandel as the American wine grape, The Wild Vine will shut you up. In the 1820‘s, just before Zinfandel came to California and as ‘ol TJ was winding down his vineyards near Monticello, the Norton grape was developed by Dr. Daniel Norton in Richmond, Virginia. Notable for its inky color, Norton thrived and produced a drinkable, dry red wine for the masses – finally.
During the Civil War, Norton moved to Missouri where German immigrants made an award-winning wine in 1873. During World War II and Prohibition, production of Norton died out, both in Virginia and Missouri. It was resuscitated in the 1980’s by Dennis Horton (making Horton Norton) and by Jenni McCloud of Chrysalis Vineyards. McCloud’s story is told in depth since she controls the largest block of Norton grapes, but also because she began her winemaking as a man. The wine’s emersion from obscurity into the spotlight provides a poignant metaphor to her journey as a new woman.
The Wild Vine is very satisfying, uplifting read with strong notes of earthiness.
Think your family is dysfunctional? Read this book and you’ll feel as well integrated as the Huxtables.
Robert Mondavi was 94 when he died in 2008, a year after this book was released, and it probably killed him to read it. Meticulously researched by Wall Street Journal writer, Julia Flynn Siler, many of the stories are familiar from newspapers of the past 30-40 years, but that history is embellished with 500 hours of interviews. All is laid bare: the maternal betrayals, and brotherly hate, the adultery, the greed and the suicide attempts. The Mondavis become like an old red wine tainted with brettamyaces.
As wildly successful at the Mondavi’s were and as much of an industry mover as Robert was, after reading The House of Mondavi, one is left with a feeling of grudging sympathy for these rich people who put egos and ambition ahead of family.
Riding her theme of wine exploration, Torontonian Natalie MacLean follows up her first book, Red and White and Drunk All Over with more searches for great wines around the world.
MacLean has an amazingly authentic style of writing that makes us feel we are with her on these excursions, finding the wineries, touring the vineyards, dining with the winemakers, drinking their white or red wine, and blushing at some of their cheeky remarks. Her discriptions are so vivid, you can practically smell the wine’s aromas.
Ever curious and inquisitive toward her subjects, she is an authoritative educator to her readers, alternately learning and explaining. The bargains she mentions in the title, however, are more elusive than the top-of-the-line vintages she discusses in the text, and are mostly relegated to the endnotes of each chapter. Still, if Unquenchable is part of a trilogy, I’ll be curious to know where MacLean’s wine travels will take her next. Okanagan Valley, perhaps?
If you have a suggestions for your favorite wine books, please lay them on me as I will never, ever stop reading books and this is the reason:
For traditional holiday dining, there are really only four kinds of wine you need to serve. This revelation came to me after years of writing stories about must-have holiday wines that ran the gamut of grape varietals until the whole list became so convoluted, I couldn’t see the wine for the labels. This year, I’m keeping it simple and zeroing in on two white wines and two red wines to create a core group that works every time. All you really need are these four holiday wines.
Bubbly
Nothing screams celebrate like Champagne, cremánt, prosecco or new world sparkling. If you like fruit, stick with younger vintages or Non Vintage. Go with aged Champagnes if you like that yeasty, oxidized taste. Brut is the safest choice, being most popular, but don’t be afraid to try Blanc de Noir or Blanc de Blanc, which are all-pinot noir and all-chardonnay, respectively. In addition to seafood and soft cheeses, try your sparkling white wine with potatoes for an amazing combination.
Chardonnay
Possibly the best white wine a roast turkey could meet. The chardonnay should be medium bodied with a fruity style, and lightly oaked. You don’t want to beat up the bird or the gravy with too much oak or butteriness. Look for a white wine with tropical fruit and spice notes to pair with sweet potatoes and stuffing with raisins, and be sure to save some chardonnay for pumpkin pie. New world chardonnays or French chablis usually offer the most value.
A spicier, more exotic white wine variation would be a gewürtztraminer or torrontés to goose any fruits in the side dishes.
Pinot Noir
Hands down the best red wine for a turkey dinner. With its spicy, warm red fruit and food-friendly acidity, no red wine is more versatile than pinot noir for crossing over a range of meat colors, as well as matching almost any side dishes. Choose a lighter, racy pinot noir from Burgundy, Oregon or BC, or a fruity, oak-driven one from the Russian River, Leyda Valley or New Zealand. But don’t expect as much from a cheapo pinot as one you’d pay $20 for. This is one red wine that’s worth the extra bucks.
As an alternate, a more affordable, medium-body red wine is gamey noir. Gamey has much the same flavor profile as pinot noir, but with a touch more earth and smoke. Prices for BC, Beaujolais, Loire, Niagara, and Willamette gamey noirs are bound to be cheaper than pinot noir just about anywhere.
Personally, I like to have glasses of chardonnay and pinot noir side-by-side at the table; sipped alternately, they broaden my perspective of the meal.
Dessert Wine
Almost any ruby Port, tawny Port, ice wine, eiswein, or Sauterne are sweet enough to pair with pumpkin or pecan pie, or chocolate torte. For more affordable options, consider late harvest zinfandels or the off-dry aforementioned gewürtztraminer or torrontés. And just like having a red wine with a beige dessert, don’t hesitate to pair white wine with chocolate; it’s a whole different taste realm you have to experience.
Best of all, none of these holiday wines require decanting. Although a tannin-heavy pinot noir might need it, breathing in the glass usually opens them up easily enough.
No matter what holiday wines you purchase, the point is not to get too wrapped up in choosing them. After all, it’s only wine, and you can’t hug your kids with empty bottles.
The day I tasted Bill Wertzberger’s breakout red wine, the velvety 2005 Monson Vineyard Merlot, I knew he was on his way to becoming one of Sonoma County’s next big garagistes.
This year he will have personally farmed almost half of the grapes he uses for winemaking. Some of the fruit is grown at his house in Cloverdale, and some comes from obscure vineyards he has rescued from oblivion, such as six acres of chassales from Eastside Road and a half acre of French colombard from Chalk Hill.
He might even play his guitar to the vines, since he claims to know what they like hearing.
Wertzberger style is to use oak judiciously and let the grapes speak for themselves. Although he makes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, and zinfandel, his heart lies with Rhones.
“Syrah and grenache can make either big and bold or delicate, elegant wines. They can cover so much more territory than cabernet, merlot or pinot noir.”
Wertzberger also sources from the Gibson Ranch at McDowell, which he says has the oldest block of syrah vines in North America, planted in 1947. His grenache and petite sirah are planted there too, but his favorite McDowell vineyard is the “Y” block syrah, grafted from the original old vines.
After Wertzberger and his wife Robin moved from San Francisco in 2001, he started working in tasting rooms like McDowell while making wine at home. Eventually, he progressed into the cellar at Asti Winery where he learned the big-time production ropes. By taking a job at F. Teldeschi Winery in 2005, he stepped up his game significantly. Dan Teldeschi lets him make his wine there while managing his tasting room, and he sometimes helps Wertzberger at crush time!
Still, after six vintages, Wertzberger’s output is limited. He made 600 cases of wine 2010, which he sells through his email list, web site, and select wine stores. This year he plans to add carignane, valdigue and mourvedre to his repertoire. And yes, he still paints the pictures on his wine labels.
Last August, we visited Wertzberger at F. Teldeschi in Dry Creek Valley and he set us up with a case of wine from six vintages. Here are the notes from my faves:
2010 Chasselas, Raffaini Vineyard, Russian River Valley
I really like the way Wertzberger does his chasselas, as does anyone I’ve poured for. It’s much drier that what’s found in BC of this Swiss varietal. Lovely citrus and peach flavors, on a full round body, that finishes clean and dry. A refreshing and appealing white wine, perfect with fish, Asian or Mexican. 13% alc.
2009 Syrah, Dry Creek Valley
A jammy, full bodied red wine with forward fruit: fresh plums in the mouth, red raspberries and black cherry on the nose. Not as spicy as his other syrahs, it has some acidity, and hefty tannins, yet has a smooth mouthfeel. Approachable, drinkable, and amiable with grilled steak as well as salmon. 15.1% alc.
2006 Syrah, McDowell Valley
Super dark, almost opaque in color, with floral, wood and plum notes on the nose. In the mouth, it’s lush yet biting with deep purple and black fruit, lots of spice, and smoky notes. The dark finish is long, hot and dry. 14.3% alc.
2007 Oldest Vine Syrah, Gibson Ranch, McDowell Valley.
Dark, deep scarlet in color, it has an appealing fruity, floral, spicy bouquet accompanied by big tannins, soft texture and some heat on the palate. Finishes long, and plummy with hints of licorice. Great with barbeque. 15.1% 2007 Syrah, Y Block, McDowell Valley
Loads of Christmas spice aromas like, cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate is a super spicy cherry cola/root beer effect. Dazzling acidity on a medium body made it pair magically with grilled salmon, steak and vegetables. Interesting and rather exciting. 15.% acl.
2009 Grenache, McDowell Valley
This wine is surprisingly well integrated for a young wine. A great mix of red and black fruit, earth and wood notes create an experience far superior to the sum of its parts. Drank on Canadian Thanksgiving with turkey, sweet potatoes, and beet salad, and it was like the wrapping of a package the way it pulled it all together.14.1% alc.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Monson Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Big cedar, sweet oak, violets and black fruit on the nose. On the palate it’s lush and intense, with concentrated black cherry, spice, black pepper and pine. There’s a pleasant zap of acid on the finish that leaves a lip smacking, jammy juiciness. Fantastic with tomato-based pasta sauce as well as chocolate. 14.2% alc.
2009 Merlot, Mercedes Soto Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley
Very soft texture in the mouth. Almost no acidity, but a gigantic black berry jam effect, with notes of sweet oak and cocoa. On the finish there is a slight tingle of acid and a whiff of dry heat. It was great with roast chicken and asparagus, which nicely absorbed the finely grained tannins. 14.9% alc.
You can find Wertzberger Wine at Val de Cole, Cal-Divis, Vallejo Van-Ness Market, Bacchus Wine Bar, Za Pizza, Vin Debut, D & M, the Secret Wine Shop, Redwood Café in Cotati, Aqus in Petaluma, TipTop liquor in Healdsburg, Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, the Hidden Vine and the Barrel Room in San Francisco, Valley Wine in Davis, DuVin in Alameda, and Woodacre Market in Marin. In Southern California, Wine and Liquor Depot in Van Nuys and LOU on Vine in Hollywood.
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