You've Got [Wine] Mail

When I joined Twitter back in January, I never thought it would result in a box of wine being delivered to my doorstep. But in a beautiful, roundabout way…that’s exactly what happened. Twitter has been an integral game-changer for building my brand and connecting with fellow wine enthusiasts. I’ve also been thrilled about the many direct contacts I’ve had already with wineries, distributors, retailers, restaurants, celebrities (ok, no, not yet this one…but my friends have…so it’s possible?) simply by typing out a message made up of 140 characters @ their account.

I love social media, and I absolutely love Facebook, but this whole Twitter-verse thing opened up more opportunities to constantly stay up on the latest wine events/knowledge/news/gossip. What this translates to is that ever since I activated my Twitter account, well, I’m never bored. There’s always someone to talk to, always something to read, and always someone tasting a new wine that intrigues me – cue story leading to wine mail:



One day, while scrolling through my Twitter Feed, I noticed a photo by @SLHousman (Sherri Housman, a wine blogger and Certified Tourism Ambassador of Sonoma County and #SonomaChat) containing a wine label that was unfamiliar to me along with the description, “tastes of dark cherries, blackberries, wet stone w/a great earthy finish!”….I almost drooled. That combination of flavor would blow my mind, so I responded with a nerdy wine comment followed by, “I will need to search this out and try it.”

Thanks to the magic and instantaneous interaction brought to us by Twitter, both Sherri and the winery replied to me within the hour. Meadowcroft, the Sonoma County winery, asked if I was local because they would love to pour their wines for me (wait, what?) and asked that I message them directly. It's a times like these that I find myself wishing for a teleportation device or, better yet, a reason to move to California. When Meadowcroft’s Twitter account told me that they don’t distribute to Georgia, I thought that would be the sad ending to a once-exciting pursuit of wine. But what came next? Boom:

Did a winery just offer to send me their wine simply because they want me to try it? Is this real life? Is this some kind of twisted social media initiation lesson resulting in my identity being stolen once I give them my credit card number to pay for the shipment? Oh yes, my mind definitely went there coupled with all the other thoughts of disbelief that this was some kind of sketchy internet business. I emailed with them back and forth a few times, but when they never called to get my payment information, a cloud of concern and doubt rolled in. Thankfully, however, this turned out to be one instance in which my gut feeling of doubt was completely unsubstantiated because after checking on the status of the shipment and expressing my concern to provide payment after the delay, they 1) apologized (they are small and had a busy weekend!) and 2) offered to send the wine for the cost of only a tasting fee.

A week later, a box of wine arrived at my apartment, and I was still in shock from the kindness, generosity, and outstanding customer service.

The best kind of mail is WINE mail.

So what do you do with the first complimentary bottle of wine shipped to you for review? Well first, you freak out and tell all your friends and family because you still can’t believe it (…check…) then you invite your favorite wine friends to join you for a celebratory tasting night to review the wine and provide feedback to the winery.

Even the cat had to lick it to make sure it was real.

After rounding up the party group, I wanted to make the tasting experience as blinded as possible for my friends in hopes of gathering the most honest, genuine opinions. Thus, I refrained from disclosing information about the winery, the growing region, the varietal, the cost, etc. We settled in around a table with note pads and snacks from Trader Joe’s – because, let’s be honest, they seriously have some of the best wine tasting snacks i.e. Fig & Olive Crisps – and I poured the wine evenly into our glasses. I had strategically invited a diverse spectrum of wine experience to this tasting night because one of my favorite things to do is to knock down any preconceived notions that wine tasting is an unapproachable activity or worse, something that only “wine people” can enjoy.

Trader Joe's has the perfect wine-person-on-a-budget snacks for wine tasting nights.

Before we began, I emphasized that there is no “right” or “wrong” answer tonight. I encouraged each person to write everything they smelled, tasted, thought, felt on the paper in front of them without speaking to one another. I also instructed a few basic steps to follow while tasting:

1. Hold up the glass – what colors do you see? Does it change in the light
2. Put your nose in there – what does it smell like? Fruit? Spice? Earth? Minerals?
3. Take a sip, and slide the wine to the back of your palate – what do you feel as the wine hits your tongue? Is it heavy? Is it soft? Does it linger after it’s gone?
4. Take another sip, a bigger sip, and swish it around a bit – what does it taste like? Does it taste like something at the beginning and change to something else at the end? Is it fruity? Is it spicy? How does it feel  - Thick? Thin? Soft? Sharp?
5. Based on the flavors and smells, what type of food would you want to eat with this wine?
6. And finally, perhaps most importantly…do you like it? Would you buy it again? Rate it on a scale of 1 (the worst) to 5 (the best).

Look, smell, taste...repeat.

And with the conclusion of my demo, the tasting commenced. There was giggling, there were inquisitive looks, and there were smiles…but there was also a sense of empowerment. I noticed a sense of confidence among my friends as they enjoyed a freedom to explore the wine for their own personal opinions.

Once everyone had time to log their thoughts, I collected the papers and we shared our ratings and tasting notes in an energized discussion of the results. We all noticed different flavors and smells, but surprisingly there was a common consensus in the ratings and the identification of an easy-drinking quality of the wine that improved as it sat open to the air.

Gathering tasting notes in a blinded exploration.

Here are the notes, in all their short/random/scatterbrained/raw glory:

TASTER 1: Dark fruit nose, tastes like a zinfandel, great balance, light front palate, light bodied finish with bright acidity, tight flavors at first but a burst of flavor at the end, dark cherries, slight oak, not typical Cabernet finish, would go well with a salty/meaty dinner like roasted vegetables, needs time to breathe and tastes better/softer in second glass. RATING: 3.5

TASTER 2: Dark, bold/strong, smells like grapes, tastes improves the more I drink, would go well with steak/potatoes. RATING: 4

TASTER 3: Dark, full body, good legs, smells like hints of cherries, smooth, mild taste, it’s fruity, it’s safe, would be a good table wine for pasta. RATING: 3.5

TASTER 4: Chocolate, zesty, smooth, easy to drink, I like the label! RATING: 4

TASTER 5: Color – deep red, low clarity. Nose – blackberry, baking spices, pie crust (?), jammy. Mouthfeel – medium thickness. Taste – Medium-plus acidity, mildly tannic, tastes young, spicy, blackberry, medium finish, hint of earth. Is it a California Zinfandel? Or maybe a Pinot Noir? Pairing – Mexican, Italian pasta with red sauce. RATING: 3 ….but if I knew it was a Cabernet? 2.

Case in point, wine is a personal experience. Each person will enjoy a unique expression of flavors and smells, so it’s having the opportunity to explore exactly what types of qualities are preferred that will maximize that experience to the utmost enjoyment. I look forward to facilitating more tasting exploration classes in the future, and hey, maybe more wine will start showing up on my doorstep. No? That's not how that works? Yeah, probably not, so I will continue to purchase my bottles at retailers like everyone else while always remembering this occurrence as an awesome story in my wine blogger adventure.

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Thank you to Meadowcroft Wines for the top quality customer service and wine shipment. Meadowcroft, the owner’s family name, means “the fertile field on the meadow” and the honeybee on the label symbolizes their hard work, a journey of mastering discipline, and the process of transforming grapes from single vineyards into wine.

www.meadowcroftwines.com

Tasting Room
23574 Arnold Dr./Hwy. 121
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 934-4090
Info@meadowcroftwines.com

All the Ways to Chardonnay

There are few things I enjoy more than a guided, nerdy wine tasting. And thankfully, a few weeks ago, that's exactly the type of tasting I had the pleasure of co-hosting with the folks of Symposium Wines in Atlanta.

Symposium Wines is located in the heart of Atlanta across from the iconic Mary Mac's Tea Room

They are a relatively new shop on the scene in downtown ATL, but I've been super impressed with the quality and knowledge they bring to the table (and to their shelves). I've been working with them for the past few months promoting and co-hosting their weekly $10 drop-in tastings with importers/winemakers/distributors, but after sensing an increasing interest from their customer base to have a more elevated wine tasting experience...we decided to host a seated, guided tasting for a select group of self-proclaimed wine nerds. Compared to bigger retailers, they have the flexibility of being a small, local business with enough autonomy to be creative in their offerings. What does the customer get in return? Unique, creative, and exclusive events.

Symposium's tasting area facilitates intimate discussion and ultimate wine nerdiness

First, we all met for a brainstorming session to determine the structure and format that would be the most appealing to our audience. Given the space, we knew we could accommodate ~10-15 people around a table for an open and informal yet semi-guided tasting session. Back when I managed the winery in Virginia, we often hosted similar higher-level tasting class sessions to study specific aspects of the wines such as vintage (in a vertical tasting format), varietal (comparing soils and growing techniques), or regions (comparing styles and flavors). This is the type of setting that really facilitates nerdy wine knowledge to flourish, and it's incredible how much exploration occurs when given the chance to discuss and share tasting notes.

The guided tasting experience is unique and coveted - it's like school plus wine

Next, we decided to shine the spotlight Chardonnay. How many times do people simply forget about or disregard Chardonnay these days? Too many. But how many of those people have had the opportunity to taste really high-quality Chardonnay from all over the world? Not enough. We felt it was time to reintroduce a small lucky group of people to the diverse, complex flavor profile of American Chardonnay versus French Chardonnay. And with that, along with setting a date and time, our idea came to fruition and a wine tasting class was born.

The tasting map, tasting notebook, and multiple wine glasses created a classroom-like atmosphere

Upon arrival, guests were welcomed to their spot at the table with a tasting map, a note-taking booklet, and three wine glasses. The Chardonnays were showcased in two groups: Three from France followed by three from America. Personally, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to knowing my French wines (and the only French words I know are names of French grape varietals...) so I was pretty pumped to have a chance to taste the nuances of regions I'd yet to discover. Our hosts poured the first set of French wines, and we all grabbed our pens waiting patiently (or not?...because I pretty much noshed on all the cheese and meat to distract me from preemptively sipping the wine) for class to begin. After a brief introduction of each wine, we had the opportunity to sip, chat, and take notes on the first flight from France. Full disclose: I made so many typos while typing the names of these wines so it took me forever, and please don't make me pronounce them because I have absolutely no clue how to do so.

Someday I will use a map to actually travel to all these wine-growing regions of France

1) 2012 Domaine de Cornasse - Chablis ($28.99): Aged for 6 months on the lees (read: dead yeast cells, gives it buttery texture) and 6 months in new French oak, I would have guessed this was Sauvignon Blanc in a blind tasting. It comes from Burgundy in an area with white, chalky soil and seashell bedrock which gives it a mineral nose with a crisp, bright acidity. It's balanced with a bit of effervescence and delicately layered. Sidenote: The gentleman seated across from me made sure that I new if the "r" was removed from "Cornasse" then it would translate to "Dumbass". Good to know, and I giggled.

2) 2012 Chalet de Pouilly - Pouilly Fuisee ($37.99): Aged for 18 months on old French oak with minimal time on the lees, this wine exploded with a huge, oaky, smoky nose. It comes from an area of Burgundy known for Chardonnay because that's all they can legally grow. It had medium plus body with rounded, full acidity. I loved that it was structured and interesting - it even tasted a little bit like hazelnuts? In summary, STUNNING. And my favorite of the whole night. It now has a home in my wine fridge until I come upon the perfect moment or food pairing to legitimize opening it.

3) 2013 Domaine Maratray Dubril - Bourgogne Blanc ($28.99): This is a compellation of grapes grown on three multiple vineyards in a general appellation of Burgundy. Aged for 12 months on old and new French oak, this has a very dead nose (or lack there of?) and tasted a bit flat in terms of layers or complexity. Not my favorite, and certainly not a contender especially when next in line after the Pouilly Fuisee...

The three French contenders

After a trip overseas (which I really hope to do someday soon when I can afford a plane ticket and time off from my day job...) it was back to the homeland Chardonnays of California. An no, I didn't have a hard time typing these names, and yes, I can actually pronounce them correctly:

The American trio

4) 2013 Macrostie - Sonoma Coast ($24.99): This wine comes from grapes grown on multiple vineyards and fermented using wild yeast which yields a bit more flavor. It's aged and barrel-fermented for 6 months in oak. Approaching it with just my nose, it smelled like a classic California Chardonnay which to me means "oak and pears". There was a slight bit of vanilla on the palate, and the fruit-forwardness created a slightly sweet finish. I'd serve this to anyone who has never tried Chardonnay and say "this is Chardonnay".

5) 2012 Trione - Russian River ($38): I alllllmost stopped to visit this tasting room when I was in Sonoma last February, and now I'm kicking myself for passing it up. Of the California wines, this was by far my favorite of the trio. As a winery, Trione is known for their balance of oak and acidity. They also have bocce courts onsite, so, they win. Aged in 40% new oak, this has a HUGE nose with hints of sweetness. In fact, I said out loud to the group that it "smelled like pineapple upside down cake"...no joke, it really does! There is a lot of acid with a sweet orange-like finish that lingers on the palate. If it hadn't been for the oaky, smoky Pouilly Fuisee in the first round, this one would have taken the cake (err...the pineapple upside down cake?)

6) 2011 Domaine Eden - Santa Cruz Mountains ($31.99): This wine is grown in a small AVA further south along the California coast, and it is aged in 30% new French oak after sitting on the lees for 11 months in the barrel. It truly smells like oak - but not smoky oak - and has a very rich mouthfeel and full-bodied palate followed by a heavy vanilla, sweet finish. Even though it was not a standout of the night for me personally, I enjoyed hearing everyone at the table exclaim "vanilla!" almost in unison upon tasting it.

So the winner? Well that's a loaded question so let me explain. If I picked a favorite it would be the smoky, oaky French Pouilly Fuisee (which I've learned how to say correctly out loud since the tasting because I want to be able to ask for it at restaurants and retail shops...) but as an overall flight, I'd say that California out-played France. The richer flavors and fuller textures set them apart from the more delicate and subtle Chardonnays of France.

This California-wine-girl was shocked that a French Pouilly Fuisee won her heart as favorite of the night

I left the table that night feeling like I learned as much in two hours about wine as I used to learn about exercise physiology in two hours of graduate school. My brain was full, my heart was happy, and my wine collection grew by one. I look forward to planning more guided tastings with Symposium in the near future because let's be honest, the only class you'll ever see me in post-college is one involving wine.