Big Fat Wine

As we step forward into 2011, it seems months and months away before we can attend the annual outdoor wine events. Weather is often a deterrent from enjoying our outdoor activities and we tend to hide out in our warm home, drinking hot coffee and waiting for our Netflix deliveries. In a few weeks we will drive up to Chateau Ste. Michelle to pick up our wine selections from our VRC membership. It has been a while since we have visited and the bottles multiply rather quickly. It is always exciting taking advantage of the wine tasting and then traveling home with our bottles clanging together in the back seat. The holidays are now winding down and as I thought of the many events we will be attending in the new year, it occurred to me how much we are missing as we wait for the season to change.

 Winter

December and January in wine country are unique in that there are simply no crowds to contend with. If you’re looking to visit particularly popular wineries, and you want to avoid groups of tourists and crowded restaurants (not to mention crowded wine tours), these two winter months are ideal for you. There is a certain beauty to the vineyards during these months, as the trellises normally supporting live vines will be all but completely bare. It isn’t that the vines are “dead” — they are simply dormant. For proof that even the dormant winter months can be beautiful, schedule your trip to wine country in December or January — as an added bonus, you may often be the only visitor to certain wineries. This provides a unique opportunity to ask questions and broaden your knowledge of wine. It is also a great time to bring friends and family and share a more intimate setting.

In February, you may begin to see a few more wine enthusiasts popping up here and there. Vines will still be dormant, although the trellises will not appear as bare because of wildflowers just starting to pop up among the vines.

 Spring

In March and April, the tourist season will have truly begun. For one thing, the temperatures will have evened out, allowing for more time outdoors. Also, the wildflowers that can be found everywhere in the wine country are blooming while the vines in the vineyards are awakening and budding. Expect decent crowds when you visit the more touristy spots, though small wineries and out of the way locations will still be pretty bare.

Late Spring through Summer

From May to the end of August is the serious tourist season for the wineries. Weekends will bring heavy crowds — not necessarily a bad thing. If you want to meet likeminded people and don’t mind waiting a bit for a table at your favorite winery restaurant, this warm (even hot) season can be quite the vacation spot. During this time, the vines are budding and showing grapes, and people’s minds turn to the coming harvest, talking about the recent weather, the amount of rain, and how they feel the new crop will turn out. This is the most “exciting” time to visit the wine country, and certainly the most crowded.

Fall

September through October is harvest time — a unique time to visit wine country if you’re a fan of viticulture. Depending on what part of the wine country you’re in, you could pull into a winery at its busiest, or maybe you’ve just missed the harvest but can still see the process finishing up. Grape harvest season begins about mid-August and ends about mid-October. The actual harvest time depends on the grape variety and location of the vineyard. Most vineyards offer tours and tastings year-round, but late summer to mid-fall is the best time to visit most wineries and experience a “taste” of the wine making process.

November in wine country is similar to December and January, except that wildflowers and vines are just starting to lose their vegetation. The beautiful golden colors of falling leaves make for a romantic getaway, and another great photo opportunity for wine country tourists. Crowds will have fallen off considerably, but so will wine production, so if that is what you want to see, you must arrive in wine country earlier in the year.

No matter when you decide to visit, wine country is a unique destination for wine lovers;  and for those of us who call ourselves wine enthusiasts, it is a kind of Mecca. Here’s hoping you visit wine country, no matter what month you decide to take your vacation. Just don’t forget to bring a camera (and designated driver).

Thanks for a fantastic 2010!

Jona and Joel
Big Fat Wine
http://bigfatwine.com/

(There is very little documentation on this grape so if you have any further information that we can add, please let us know)

Residence: South West France, California
Though it is slowyly being removed from vineyards in this area it is still by French wine law allowed in Cotesdu Marmandais and it is also made into some red Vin de Pays of the south west.

Abouriou is a red wine grape grown primarily in South West France and, in small quantities, in California. It is a blending grape that along with Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Fer, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Gamay is used to make the French wine Côtes du Marmandais. Though it shares several synonyms with the Beaujolais grape Gamay, the two grapes do not share many characteristics. In California, the grape is sometimes called Early Burgundy as another allusion to the Gamay grape. The vine produces high yields and vigorous growth with a relatively high resistance to disease. It tends to bud and ripen early.  The grape is known for its low acidity and high tannin content.

Transformation:

A good example of a wine that uses the Abouriou grape is the Domaine Elian Da Ros Clos Baquey.

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Official State Portal

Read the true story by George Taber

The French have a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ about their wine, and they are the first to let you know about it. And why shouldn’t they? So when American Steven Spurrier challenged France to a blind taste test, they were quick to accept. But the French didn’t know that Napa Valley is one of the best places in the world to grow wine grapes. So the stage was set, a face off between France and California.
A tasting panel of 8 French men and 1 French woman was assembled to judge the competition. Six California Cabernet Sauvignons were pitted against four of the top red wines from Bordeaux and six California Chardonnay competed against four highly regarded whites from Burgundy in the 1976 blind taste test.
As the tasting began, people who witnessed the competition realized that something unexpected was occuring as the judges couldn’t tell which wines were from California. One judge noted, “That is definitely California. It has no nose.” He was speaking of the 1973 Batard Montrachet, which at the time, was regarded as one of the finest wines in the world.
The end results was a “shot heard round the world.” The 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won the red category. The 1973 Chateau Montelena from Calistoga was voted the best white. A must read is “Judgement of Paris” by George Taber. I am in the middle of this book and the story is intriguing and factual for you history buffs.

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California has more than 107 AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas). An AVA, or American Vinticultural Area, is a specific grape – growing area within a state or a region recognized by and registered with the federal government. AVA designation began in the 1980′s and is a system styled after the European system (AOC).

*NOTE: If an AVA is listed on the label, at least 85% of the grapes must come from that region

Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most widely planted varietals. More than 2,600 wineries (check out our list) are bonded in the state, up over 200% from 1990. In 2007, over 192 million cases of California wine were sold. Land planted to grapes now tops 527,000 acres.

California Wine Facts at a Glance

Number of wineries in California
2,843
Number of winegrape growers in California
4,600
Varieties of winegrapes grown in California
More than 110
Counties in California where winegrapes are grown
48 out of 58
Number of jobs created by California wine
820,000 U.S. jobs, of which 330,000 are in California
Bottles produced with one ton of California winegrapes
Approx. 797 or 65 cases
Amount of winegrapes in one (750ml) bottle of wine
600-800 grapes or 2.8 lbs.
Bottles produced by one grapevine
Approx. 5
Percent of wine sold in U.S. purchased by women
55.4%
People who visit California wine regions every year
20.7 million

For current tourism and seasonal happenings, contact the below organizations;

 
Northern California

Central California

Southern

Central Valley

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This has been the longest duration between posts since we started BigFatWine and what a strange trip it’s been. It has been extremely difficult to concentrate on writing ever since our oldest daughter shared the fantastic news that she is engaged to be married!

We are all beside ourselves and exuberant as we anticipate what the next 12 months will bring! The “topping of the cake” was when she asked me to walk her down the aisle! I think I have cried every day since! Here I go again….This isn’t a right of passage. Nor is it something I personally consider something that has been earned. It is a gift of honor and I cannot think of anything more special and heartwarming. Enough mushiness.

The wedding is taking place at Maragas Winery just north of Bend, OR. What a cool place to get married. The two of them are wine lovers as well so it obviously meshes with the wine lifestyle. Hopefully we will make the journey soon to visit the winery. They appear to have a great selection of affordable wines and I can imagine the excitement as our daughter and her fiance show us around the property. We promise to share once we check it out!

They are such a cute couple! We are so proud of them both. A few months ago, our  future son-in-law met us for dinner, shared his intentions and asked for our blessings. What an honorable young man! He’s got a great family as well and the two families I hope will be a perfect “blend”. My daughters future mom-in-law couldn’t have stated it better when she said…

My Awesome, Handsome, Amazing Son asked his Awesome, Beautiful, Amazing Girlfriend to Marry him today…..and she said YES!!!!!!!!!

Dittos!

Official Portal of the state of Alabama

Alabama, “The Heart of Dixie” is known to the rest of us for its peanut industry, sorghum syrup and the NASCAR Super Speedway in Talladega. As difficult as it may be to believe, there are wineries in every one of the 50 states. Although only a handful, Alabama has its share of the wine industry. They love a “good red wan’ like the rest of em’”.  (sorry Bama).

Just by doing a little research about the Alabama wine industry, I was surprised to read that vineyards can only be opened in wet counties where the sale of alcohol is legal. One third of the state is dry! This tends to limit large production which fails to attract national distributors. There are some great winemakers in Alabama but until state regulations ease and legislatures get their nose out the business and in a glass, the rest of us will just have to go to Alabama to enjoy what they have to offer.

The wine industry in Alabama received a significant boost in 2002 when agricultural reforms lifted restrictions on wineries. Most wineries in the state focus on French hybrid grape varieties and the Muscadine grape, rather than vitis vinifera grapes, which are vulnerable to Pierce’s disease. There are no designated American Viticultural Areas in the state of Alabama.  Alabama WineTrail.net has some great driving tours across the state to help you enjoy their wineries. 

Muscadine grapes

Interesting news….

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Being Washington natives, we often had the same curiosity the rest of you may have….”It rains every day in Seattle, how could they grow any grapes at all?”  But the state is separated into two major regions by the Cascade Mountains. The west which includes the wet and rainy climate we are  not so happily known for, and the east which only averages 8 inches of rainfall (compare to 60 inches in the west). In 1970, there were only 10 wineries compared to more than 500 today! The growth in popularity has been phenomenal, in fact this year the annual Wine Blogger’s Conference took place in Walla Walla, Wa. This was the first time this gathering of approximately 300 wine writers was held outside of the state of California. If it had not been sold out, we would definitely have attended. Are you kidding me? Right next door and we couldn’t get tickets. That will never happen again! The feedback observed so far, has been extremely positive and we believe the attendees were pleasantly surprised at what Washington has to offer in terms of wine production, cultural experiences and outstanding focus on quality and industry practices (and FUN!).

Official Portal for Washington State

Washington has the nations second highest number of Wineries (511), which ranks them second only to California.

Wine Regions (AVA’s) of Washington: Yakima Valley / Walla Walla Valley / Columbia Valley / Puget Sound / Red Mountain / Columbia Gorge / Horse Heaven Hills / Wahluke Slope / Rattlesnake Hills / Snipes Mountain / Lake Chelan

An AVA, or American Vinticultural Area, is a specific grape – growing area within a state or a region recognized by and registered with the federal government. AVA designation began in the 1980′s and is a system styled after the European system (AOC).

*NOTE: If an AVA is listed on the label, at least 85% of the grapes must come from that region.

Major Grapes:

White – Chardonnay (6,000 acres)          Riesling (4,400 acres)          Sauvignon Blanc (990 acres)           Gewurztraminer (630 acres)

Red – Cabernet Sauvignon (6,000 acres)          Merlot (5,800 acres)          Syrah (2,800 acres)

We have two favorites which we strongly encourage you to explore on your own. One is Chandler Reach Vineyards who make a delicious Parris Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Their “Villa” is in the Yakima Valley (AVA) and you won’t be disappointed during each and every visit. The Villa has a great story behind it and every time we visit, it just keeps getting better!

Our other favorite, not necessarily in that order, is the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery located in Woodinville. Their full bodied reds, annual membership concerts and romantic atmosphere at the winery is something you must experience on your own!

Fact: Chateau Ste. Michelle is the world’s largest producer of Riesling.

If you want further information on specific wineries, vineyards or wine bars in Washington, this is a great place to start…

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Alot of the above information was acquired from the following resources; “Windows On The World” Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly and The Washington Wine Commission WashingtonWine.org.

Some of you have been following us on Twitter and have noticed that we have been posting quotes and words of wisdom throughout the day.  I have been researching wine quotes and have found some really inspiring thoughts.  I think we, as enthusiasts, tend to look for the gusto in life and many of us know how to voice that gusto with ease and flair.

When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking.  ~ Alexis Lichine

A woman drove me to drink, and I’ll be a son-of-a-gun but I never even wrote to thank her. ~ W. C. Fields

Drink is the feast of reason and the flow of soul. ~ Alexander Pope

Wine rejoices the heart of man and joy is the mother of all virtues. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1771

“Wine is sunlight, held together by water! ~ Galileo Gallilei

From wine what sudden friendship springs! ~ John Gay 1685 – 1732

Wine gives strength to weary men.  ~ Homer

One not only drinks the wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and–one talks about it. ~ King Edward VII

Where there is no wine there is no love. ~ Euripides

These are just a few.  There are thousands upon thousands of quotes out there.

I am truly thankful for the wonderful people that I have met through this lifestyle both  in person and online.  The words of the masters and the word of my friends are interchangeable and for the most part impossible to distinguish between.  If given a list of quotes I couldn’t tell by the wisdom alone whether it came from one of the great thinkers of all times, the bartender at the local wine bar, one of the many #wine lovers on twitter or the guy I run into every year at the members concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle.

I know that some of you have quotes or words of wisdom either your own or your favorites to share and I would love  to hear them.  Feel free to leave them here as a comment and I will add it to my encyclopedia of cool stuff with credit given to you of course.

As Always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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You may have noticed that there is more than one person posting here.  My husband Joel and I both post.  You will know Joel’s posts because they’re way more technical.   He spends hours and hours comparing scents and reading about the grape growing regions all over the planet.  Me, not so much.  I drink what I like.  I may not know the slope of the terrain the vineyard is on but I do know if it’s yummy.  I was blessed with a pretty good palate and can detect and recognize fragrances and flavors fairly easily.   Where he’s technical, I’m way more touchy-feely.  Both Joel and I love the ritual and romance of wine but, rules be damned,  we both feel that the “ritual” of wine tasting should never detract from the romance and ever important relationships that the wine lifestyle brings.

What I love most about wine is the way it brings people together.  I have met some of the most amazing people and had some fabulous conversations at “wine” events and gatherings.   Throughout history wine has been used to celebrate, to mourn, to bring communities together, to heal, and to form bonds.  Something about sitting across a table and sharing a bottle of the grape creates a connection between two (or more) people, even if only temporary it is very real.   Some would say it’s the beverage talking, but I truly believe that it’s something more, something somehow chemical or maybe even magical in a way.

Tasting is all about sensation.  The feel of the glass in your hand, the wine in your mouth.  The look of the wine, from deep reds to golden hued whites, you have to admit it is beautiful.  The smell… ahhh the smell, oak, tobacco, leather, fruit, flowers, herbs, meat… smells are so sensual that we actually anchor emotions and memories to smells (ask a shrink or NLP practitioner, they’ll tell ya).  The sound of the cork leaving the bottle, the liquid rushing from bottle to glass, the swish and, of course, the conversation with friends and family.   Then we come to the taste.  I think you all know the joys of discovering layered flavors as it hits different locations on your tongue, then waiting to see how the layers develop over time.   So you see, for us, wine is a natural extension of a sensual, passionate lifestyle.

The lifestyle we live, while involving wine, is not all just the drinking of wine.  The lifestyle for us is living life to the fullest, enjoying every second and doing what we are passionate about.   We might be at a quaint wine bar, a winery, a rock concert, traveling around Europe, playing on a beach, partying with frineds or working in the yard but whatever we do, we do BIG.  Go big or go home is an attitude that has given us amazing experiences and I wouldn’t trade a second of it.

My hope for you, my friends, is to live Big.  Live the life of your dreams.  Live your passion, whatever your passion is.

As always, my friends

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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