Get out the moving boxes and packing tape….I’m heading to a new home. Really, just my writing is moving so those supplies won’t be necessary. Monday will be the first official day at my new home….http://purpleteethdiaries.com/

ALL my old posts will appear in the archives of Purple Teeth Diaries so not to worry same great information just a new home. Plus, there are several new features to check out and more coming soon! So stop by Purple Teeth Diaries and tell me what you think.

So farewell Bottle of Wine…parting is always such sweet sorrow, but  Purple Teeth Diaries welcome home!

Ever hear the statement, “it’s all about perception.” Maybe your not the smartest guy in the business, but you work hard, are prepared and know your facts. You give the impression that you know what you’re doing. The Murphy-Goode lifestyle correspondent gave the impression it was the job of a lifetime and who knows it might really be. However, it’s the perception Jackson Family Wines, the parent company of Murphy-Goode, has created that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Just a quick review, the selected Murphy-Goode lifestyle correspondent has a $10,000 per month salary and lodging in Healdsburg for the next six months. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on July 10 that in June Jim Kopp, a senior marketing director, instrumental in creating “A Goode Job” was laid off along with others in the Jackson Family Wine company. These June layoffs came on top of layoffs at the beginning of the year. The San Francisco Business Journal reported on February 2 that Jackson Family Wines let approximately 170 staffers go. Jackson Family Wines is a privately held company and did not disclose the actual numbers, but did acknowledge a reduction in force. According to the article, the company had about 810 employees in mid-2008, leading to about a 20% reduction in staff. So while Murphy-Goode offered a lavish job, their parent company gave pink slips to employees, including one of the minds behind “A Goode Job.” Is this the perception you want to leave with consumers?

I read these two articles several weeks ago concerning Jackson Family Wines. At the time, I thought it was interesting they went ahead with the Murphy-Goode lifestyle correspondent contest. Offering an extravagant salary when the company was laying off employees doesn’t provide a positive perception in the public’s view. This past week surfing the web, a few more articles concerning Jackson Family Wines caught my eye furthering this perception of the company. On August 12 Wine Business reported that White Rocket Wine Company, a division of Jackson Family Wines, made layoffs and may shut down the division according to industry sources. Recently, the San Francisco Business Times reported that Kendall-Jackson Winery, another Jackson Family property, stopped its philanthropic giving to the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. According to the article Kendall-Jackson donated roughly $1 million in cash and wine to the center over the last five years.

While these may all be planned, calculated business moves for the company’s benefit, it’s the perception the public is left with. First layoffs, then a lavish job offer and finally halting charity funds. I also read a release on PR Newswire, dated August 13, announcing the hiring two other Really Goode Job candidates by Jackson Family Wines. The announcement came one week after it was announced Kendall-Jackson was halting charity funds. While, I’m sure all these candidates are qualified and will do an excellent job, it’s the perception of these hires while the company is looking to save money in other areas. But I guess in the end it’s all about the almighty dollar, and according to the same release the Really Goode job search generated over 800,000,000 impression and more than $19-million worth of publicity for the winery, candidates and region.

Winery: Grover Vineyards
Wine: La Réserve 2006
Location: Nandi Hills, India
Purchased: The Leela Palace

This was the second bottle of Indian wine Jonathan brought back from his trip. Previously, we tried the Satori Merlot by Sula. While it won’t knock your socks off, I’ve tried wines much worse. So my expectations were the same…nothing outrageous, but a standard bottle. We decided to open this bottle with some Indian take-out when Jonathan’s parents were visiting. We thought it would be a fun addition to the evening.

La Réserve is a blend of Cabernet Sauvigon and Shiraz. In the glass, the color really pops. It shows a bright purple color. The aromas on the nose were rather simple, very similar to the Satori with red fruits and oak being most predominate. The red fruits and oak are also present on the palate. It’s simple with a quick finish. There’s not a lot to this wine, but it was interesting to sample wine from an area of the world not known as a wine producer. It allowed me to sample the winemakers passion and dedication for his love – wine.

Grover Vineyards was founded in 1988 by Kanwal Grover. He decided at the age of 60 to turn his passion for wine into a new career. He planted traditional French varietals in his vineyard. Today, the winery produces 1.2 million bottles and exports 30% of their bottles to 20 different countries. The winemaker is Grover’s granddaughter, Karishma, who like her grandfather fell in love with winemaking. She studied at the University of California at Davis and returned to India to implement her knowledge and experience.

Spain’s second Denominación de Origen Calificada is Priorat, the first was Rioja. This classification created some of the most expensive wines in Spain for an area that was all but forgotten twenty years ago. Grape growing in Priorat dates back to the 12th century, when the Carthusian monks tended to the vineyards for several hundred years. By the end of the 19th century phylloxera devastated many of the vineyards, and they were not replanted until the 1950s. In the early 1980s, a group of mavericks – René Barbier, Alvaro Palacios, Carlos Pastrana, Dafne Glorian and José Luis Pérez moved to Priorat and started making excellent wines almost immediately. From 1985 to 1995, exporting bulk wines stopped and only high quality wine was bottled. Priorat gained D.O. status in 1954 and Catalonian authorities approved DOQ status in 2000.

DOQ Priorat is a a difficult region to plant and maintain grapevines. The vineyards are planted on sloped terraces at altitudes between 100 to 700 meters above sea level. Many of the vineyards are impossible to reach and maintain with a tractor or other equipment. DOQ Priorat is almost entirely surrounded by DO Montsant, featuring a total area of 48,880 acres.

The soils of DOQ Priorat are unique, characterized by “licorella” in Catalan. Licorella is a combination of reddish and black slate with small particles of mica, all volcanic in origin. This soil composition reflects and conserves the heat. The topsoil is about 50 centimeter thick and features decayed slate and mica. This forces the roots to plunge deep into the bedrock to find rainwater, nutrients and minerals. In order to plant new vines, growers must dynamite the holes to create a large enough area to plant a vine.

Several micoclimates exist in DOQ Priorat. The most notable contrasts comes between the highlands and the valleys of the rivers Siruana and Montsant. Cold northern winds are moderated by the Montsant mountain, but warm mistral winds blow from the east. The climate is continental with occasional frost and hail. Summers are long, hot and dry, while winters are cold, featuring an average temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit. The region receives an average amount of rainfall, but the water drains due to the type of soil.

The traditional grape variety from DOQ Priorat is Garnacha Tinta. Other authorized red varieties include Cariñena, Garnacha Peluda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Authorized white varieties include: Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Chenin Blanc and Pedro Ximénez. The grape vines are typically planted “en vaso” as low bushes, but some of the newer vineyards are being trellised. The average planting density is roughly2,700 vines per hectare, and yields are lower than the authorized maximum because of the rocky nature of the soil.

Winery: Chateau Montelena
Wine: Chardonnay 2007
Location: Calistoga, Napa Valley, California
Purchased: The Corkscrew
Price: $48.99

Ever since I finished reading The Judgment of Paris, I’d walk by the bottles of Chateau Montelena in our wine store and whisper, “someday you will be mine.” OK, I didn’t really talk to the bottles of wine. I’m not crazy, but I did stroll by practically every time we were in the store and point it out to my husband. And Jonathan, being the wonderful husband that his is, surprised me with a bottle for my birthday.

Neither of us are huge Chardonnay drinkers. Actually, let me rephrase that, we’re not California Chardonnay drinkers. It’s just too oaky and buttery for our palates, but we love the stuff from Burgundy. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had a California Chardonnay. I was practically giddy when we opened the bottle, if it lived up to all the hype and recognition, we were in for a treat.

In the glass, Chateau Montelena was pale, with a light golden appearance. The nose was outstanding and both of us immediately knew this wine was not just another California Chardonnay. It was packed with pineapple, pear and green apple, with just a slight tinge of citrus. All of these aromas were pulled together with a floral scent that was intoxicating. Neither Jonathan nor I could notice aromas of butter or oak on the nose. Jonathan commented that the nose sort of reminded him of a light French Sauvignon Blanc.

I was so taken by the nose on this wine that Jonathan had already swirled and sipped, while I still smelled. The first words out of his mouth, “I wouldn’t have thought that was made in California.” Chateau Montelena carries over many of the same fruits from the nose to the palate. I seemed to notice lots of pineapple and green apple. The acidity is gripping, but not overpowering. After we tasted, we wished we had made scallops for dinner instead of chicken. The wine is wonderfully balanced and very crisp. Again neither of us were able to notice any hint of oak on the palate. It definitely reminds me more of a Burgundy white than a California Chardonnay. Absolutely wonderful.

Alfred L. Tubbs purchased 254 acres of rugged land at the base of Mount Saint Helena in 1882. He had heard this was the best place to grow grapes. By 1896, he christened Chateau Montelena, the seventh largest winery in the Napa Valley. The Tubbs family sold the winery in 1958 and the land changed hand several times, eventually landing with James Barrett. His first vintage was 1972. Chateau Montelena gained international attention at The Judgment of Paris in 1976, ranking as the best white wine. The 1973 Chateau Montelena vintage rated higher than some of the most respected and loved white Burgundies.

With harvest just kicking off in California, I thought I’d focus today’s blog on how weather can affect the grapes. As we know, all grapes are not the same and a variety of weather conditions are needed for grapes to thrive. In general, red grapes require a longer growing season so they are planted in warmer locations. In cooler climates, like Germany and Austria, the predominate grape is white. It’s all about location, location, location.

Harvest begins when grapes reach the proper sugar to acid ratio. Early in the summer, the acids are high, while the BRIX or sugar is low. If you taste a grape at this point it’ll be quite tart. As the season progresses, the acidity decreases and the sugar levels rise. Generally, it takes about 100 days between a vine’s flowering and the harvest. White grapes are harvested first starting in late August. The process continues until October, depending on the winery, weather conditions and grape conditions. Grapes at harvest are sweet and juicy, perfect for making wine. So how does the weather affect grapes and what can grape growers do to protect their crops?

A few common problems are frost and rain. A frost as the vines are emerging from their dormant state can stop the flowering and result in a reduced yield. Methods to protects against frost include wind machines, sprinkler systems and flaming heaters. Rain at harvest can cause havoc for growers, diluting the juice and making a thin, watery wine. Unfortunately, there is not much to do here, but pray and watch the weather forecast.

Here are a few other problems, the results and some protection methods growers use. Lack of sun can lead to underripe, green and high acidic grapes. Remedy this problem by chaptalization, which is the addition of sugar to the must during fermentation. Too much sun leads to overripe grapes high in alcohol. Fix this by adding water. Mildew can cause rot and growers can spray the vineyard with copper sulfate. Drought produces scorched grapes and growers must irrigate the vineyards or hope for rain. Phylloxera results in dead vines. This was an epidemic that hit Europe in the late 1800s, devastating nearly all of their vineyards. The solution was grafting the vines onto American root stock.

Winery: Aćustic Cellars
Wine: Grenache Blend 2005
Location: Montsant, Spain
Purchased: The Corkscrew
Price: $19.99

As you can tell, I’ve been on a Spanish wine kick for the past six months or so. Going to the Spanish wine classes intensified my interest. There are some really great wines coming from Spain, but most consumers don’t know about these. As with other regions, there are always duds. Example, the wine I had two nights ago, but that’s another story. One of my favorite new regions in Spain is Montsant. I hadn’t tasted wines from Montsant before my wine class, but now I can’t get enough of these. Montsant wines remind me a lot of a red from the Rhône Valley in France.

Aćustic Cellars Grenache blend appears bright, but deep in the glass. The nose is packed with red fruits, oak and toast, with slight hints of vanilla and spice. The aromas are bold and complex. We sampled this wine first and decided it should decant while we make dinner. On the palate, the tannins are bold and the fruit really shows itself after decanting. It has a lingering, bold finish on the palate. Jonathan thought it seemed more creamy in texture than other wines we tasted recently and other Grenache blends. I’m not so sure I’d say the same, but both of us liked this wine quite a bit.

Aćustic Cellars is a tiny production vineyard with 25 to 70 year old vines. The winery is the project of Albert Jane Ubeda and his wife, whose vineyards are planted in harsh and stony soils. Albert wants to create wines that, “express and revindicate the quality and singularity of the traditional viticulture against the globalization of the international varieties and modern winemaking style.” Aćustic Cellars hand-picks grapes, uses traditional vinification methods with a small wooden press and bottles without fining or filtration, making the wines expressive of the region.

I decided to follow up last week’s D.O. Cava post with a post on D.O. Penedés, where most of the Cava is produced. However, D.O. Penedés also produces several varieties of still wines. The region is divided into three main areas Upper Penedés, Central Penedés and Lower Penedés. Each features different soils and climates. In the Upper and Lower Penedés, where the majority of the cultivation takes place, you will find continental and maritime sediments of considerable thickness such as shells. The coastal hills are triassic, cretaceous and oceanic materials, with limestone fossils. The entire surface area is about 600 squared miles.

The Upper Penedés features altitudes up to 800 meters above sea level. Some say these are the highest vineyards in Europe. White grapes such as Parellada, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chenin Blanc are planted in this area. The climate here is precoastal and cooler. Frosts are common between November and April.

While the Lower Penedés, with the influence of the sun and sea, supplies the region with a mild, warm climate. Most of the red grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell and Cariñena are cultivated in the Lower Penedés. Two Cava grapes, Xarel.lo and Macabeo, are also grown in Lower Penedés. While Central Penedés produces most of the grapes for Cava. This area is also experimenting with foreign varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

Planting density in Penedés is about 930-1200 vines per acre and some are trellised, but some are still “en vaso.” Trellised vines are easier to maintain and grapes are easier to gather during harvest. Fog and humidity are common features in Penedés. Temperatures range from 36-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

We tasted several wines from Catalonia, but only two from D.O. Penedés. Below are my tasting notes:

Creu de Lavit 2005 (Segura Viudas)
-100% Xarel.lo
-45 year old vines
-Aged 10% French oak, 25% American oak, 20% skin macerated, 45% stainless steel
-Golden color
-Nose – slight oak aromas, toasty
-Round on the palate, fresh, nice acidity
-About $15
-I liked it quite a bit

Mas d’ Aranyo 2002 (Segura Viudas)
-75% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
-Aged 12 months in French and American oak, both new and old
-Rusty red, dark color – deep appearance
-Nose – spice, vanilla, little oak
-Strong bold wine – nice finish, stays with you a little while

Winery: Robertson Winery
Wine: Chenin Blanc 2008
Location: South Africa
Purchased: Friar Tuck Beverage
Price: $6.41

The more I drink South African wines, the more I continue to enjoy them. It’s like most other regions, there are exceptional bottles, terrible bottles and some excellent value bottles. For under $7, this bottle fits the third category. It’s a wonderful summetime wine, but I don’t think I’d enjoy it at much in the winter. It’s a refreshing end to a hot day with just a little acidity and a clean, crisp finish.

Robertson Winery Chenin Blanc presents a pale, straw color in the glass. The nose offers grass, minerals, melons with just a touch of earth. There is no hint of lemon or citrus on the nose. This wine is dry on the palate with just a touch of residual sugar. We’ve enjoyed two bottles, just sipping before dinner. I have a hunch that this wine would pair nicely with Thai or sushi so I may give it a whirl next time around. This wine is easy to sip with mineral and grass notes. The finish was clean, crisp and dry.

Robertson Winery has a long tradition of grape growing families. Today, some are fourth generation grape growers. Over 40 families cultivate 1900 hectares of vines in cool alluvial and rich lime Karoo soils. These groweres work with viticulturist, Briaan Stipp to identify the best vineyard sites and determine optimum growing conditions for the grapes. Robertson, the town, was named after a Scottish minister who arrived in South Africa in 1822. One of his congregations established a community in 1852, naming it after Robertson in recognition and appreciation of his many services.

I’m taking today off from my regular post, but will be back tomorrow. It’s my birthday so I’m enjoying a day to myself. Actually, this morning I’m working on my blog, preparing for the big move to purpleteethdiaries.com. So you’ll notice a few changes coming soon, but stay with me. I hope to have lots of cool new additions to my blog.