In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

You might have thought that Zinfandel would have been an ideal way to end the Wine-Phabet.  Although Zinfandel is great representation of California, I decided to dig deeper and get to the nitty-gritty of California wine history.  James David Zellerbach, better known as Ambassador Zellerbach, is one of the most influential figures in the California wine history.

Ambassador Zellerbach was a prosperous business person in the paper business.  Following the second world war, Zellerbacher was chosen as an adviser to help carry out the Marshall Plan in Europe.  During the Eisenhower years he became the US Ambassador to Italy.  Like all Americans who spend some time in Europe, he said “Ahh now I get it.”  Our eyes and minds open when we see the way Europeans do things.  It is just so much more chic and cool.

But what Zellerbach referred to when he said, “Ahh now I get it”, was to Burgundy wine.  To all you post-Sideways California Pinot Noir drinkers, here is a hint…DRINK BURGUNDY…maybe a light bulb will turn on.  It did for Ambassador Zellerbach.  Instead of using purchased land in Sonoma for his paper business, he decided to build a winery, Hanzell Vineyards.  The design and construction of the winery resembled his favorite place in Burgundy, Domaine Clos Vougeot.

In 1953 he planted his vineyards with Chardonnay from the Wente clone and Pinot Noir from the Mount Eden clone at Martin Ray.  To  this date these vines are producing some of the oldest Chardonnay and Pinot fruit in California.  I am not featuring Zellerbach here because he was just another rich man with clout making a historical winery.  The reason he makes the ever so coveted Wine-Phabet placement is because of his vision and contribution to wine making in California.

Not only was he passionate for Burgundy wines, but he also knew how to respect the fruit of California.  This understanding of California’s unique terroir and the fruit it produces, led to innovations in wine making.   He hired Ralph Bradford Webb as his head wine maker and together they strived to produce old world wine in the new world.  They were the first to use temperature controlled stainless steel fermenters.  He also barreled aged his Chardonnay in small barriques and let them go through malolactic fermentation.  The results were wines made in a modern style with an old world characteristic.  By creating new technologies they founded the California Chardonnay style.  The wines that Zellerbach and Brad Webb made, were to stand the test of time.  This is an art that has been forgotten or but on the back burner by most Californian wineries.

Z is for Ambassador Zellerbach.  I have devoted the last letter of the Wine-Phabet to on of the greats of our short wine history.  I hope that we continue to look backwards so we my continue to progress forward.

In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

Yecla is one of the smallest DO’s in Spain.  Most people have never heard of it.  For this reason it makes my Wine-Phabet,  I always root for the under dog.  Talking about roots, Yecla has deep roots.  Although the city of Yecla bares the same name as the region, it was discovered well after wine growing had already been established.   Wine growing dates back to the early Romans, some people believe that the Phoenicians brought many vines to the region.

Now where are these roots planted?  Yecla is located in a region called Murcia.  It borders the plateaus of La Mancha, lies southeast of Valencia and north of the coastal city of Alicante.  The soil is a limestone base with sandy top soil.  Phylloxera infested the area at the end of the 19th century.  Luckily, due to the sandy top soils, many roots were spared.  To this date many of the wines are on their original root stocks.

Have you ever heard of these grapes:  Airen, Merseguera, Macabeo, Malvasia, Monastrell, Garnacha Tinta and Garnacha Tintorera?   These are what you might you might find growing along with Cabernets Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay.   Yecla is most notably known for Monastrell, also known as Mourvedre.  The concentrated reds grow best in the Campo Arriba, an area to the north with higher elevation.  The whites are mostly grown in the south in the Campo Baja, a flatter region.

The wines of Yecla are suitable for the new world palate.  They are concentrated and can reach high alcohol levels.  Although they posses an earthy character, the fruits are vibrant and can range from dark berries to dried plums.  One of the most accessible producers is Bodegas Castano.  Their wines can be found at your local World Market or Costco.  The wines are well priced and are a bang for your buck.  The root of being a good wine drinker is finding the value in wine, both monetarily and of quality.  If you have not experienced Yecla, it’s time to do so.

In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

Xarel-lo is a Spanish grape which is one of the main components of Cava.  Some producers are using it to produce high quality still wines.  Here is a little jingle that pays homage to this under rated white grape.  For more about this grape visit this site, Catavino.

My Xarel-lo

Oo my little acidic one, acidic one
What are you doing to my wine, Xarel-lo?
Oo you make my cava fun, my cava fun
You keep bringing it all the time, my Xarel-lo
Never gonna stop, drink it up, such a pretty wine
I always get it up, cause your aromas are so fine
My-ee-ey-ee by-ee ahee ah woo!
Ma ma ma my Xarel-lo

They call you Pansa blanca, over there
Those slate soils really make you shine, my Xarel-lo
What is your history, so very spicy
Your cava is good but you make great still wine, my Xarel-lo
Never gonna stop, drink it up, such a pretty wine
I always get it up, cause your aromas are so fine
My-ee-ey-ee by-ee ahee ah woo!
Ma ma ma my Xarel-lo

You’re intense and chalky, so chalky
You’re one of three in my wine, my Xarel-lo
So green apple-ly, apple-ly
Your lively presence I cannot deny, my Xarel-lo
Never gonna stop, drink it up, such a pretty wine
I always get it up, cause your aromas are so fine
My-ee-ey-ee by-ee ahee ah woo!
Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma
Myee ey-ee by-ee ahee ah woo!
Ma ma ma my Xarel-lo
Ma ma ma my Xarel-lo

Ooooh my Xarel-lo
Ooooh my Xarel-lo

In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

If you were to look up the definition for vinosity you would see two.  1) Relating to, or the characteristic of wine.  2) The indulgence of wine.  When we blind taste in my sommelier group we add a third definition, vinosity is the expression of a wine’s aromas and flavors as it begins to develop and age.

When I was growing up there was an old man who lived next door, Mr Prity.  When I was about 11 years old he was quite scary.  He would always spy on us through his window making sure we were not on his property.  He was down right mean.  There he stood with a cigar in hand, eyeing our every move just waiting for our ball to go into his yard. One could say that he had a lot of tannin and acidity.

By the time I was 18 years old, he reached 90 and although his skin became more leather like, he was more approachable.  He’d come out and talk about the Chargers and the weather.  It seemed that as he aged he started softening up.  He still had a grouchy side, but he became much more pleasant and I no longer feared him.

When I was 30, I returned home to visit my parents and Mr. Prity was still alive and kicking at 102.  This time he invited me into his home and poured me a scotch.  He was gentle like a delicate violet.  He opened up and shared stories about how he watched us grow up.  It seemed as though with age he became quite enjoyable. He joked around and was engaging.  The grouchy streak was lost.  Mr. Prity had become like I fine wine which had reached its peak.

Mr. Prity lived to be 104 years old.

Back to my definition of vinosity.  Vinosity is the characteristic of wine.  In our group we refer to a wine’s vinosity as the characteristics that the wine shows as it ages.  When we first put our nose in the glass during a blind tasting we decide if it is youthful or vinious.  A youthful wine is fruit forward and shows primary aromas, where as a vinious wine shows more complex secondary and tertiary aromas.

In order for a wine to begin to show vinosity in a favorable way, such as Mr. Prity, it needs to have the same tannin and acidity that Mr. Prity had.  Tannin and acidity allow the wine  to age long enough for us to enjoy its vinious aromas and flavors of cigar box, leather and violets.   It took 100 years for Mr. Prity to open up and for me to see his true nature.  Many wines need to be aged before we can really begin to understand them. Try setting some wines aside, do not be too vinious (indulgent) and see the wine’s vinosity develop and express its true nature.