The "Coastal" Wine Hunt

Much to catch up on these days as I begin my quest for "coastal" inspired wines for a new restaurant project opening later this year in DC's Penn Quarter.

As of late, I have been sampling a myriad of wines from "Coastal" regions unknown to most wine consumers--like Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas in Northern Michigan, which lie at roughly the same latitude as Burgundy in France. Both wine regions are heavily influenced by Lake Michigan (get it--Coastal?), which helps to moderate the climate for the production of vinifera grapes.

I've uncovered a handful of amazing methode champenoise sparklers and some pretty darn good Pinot Noir--and who knows, if our global temperatures continue to rise, Michigan might just be the next great spot for Pinot Noir and more. Could it be the next Oregon?

If you can get your hands on any of these wines, whether via a retail shop in Michigan or via the wineries direct, you are in for a treat.

L. Mawby 'Cremant' Brut NV, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan--L. Mawby only produces sparkling wines, both methode champenoise and charmat method. This is one of their best produced from the Vignoles grape. Soft with nut and yeast aromas followed by honey and truffles. Crisp with fine bubbles.

L. Mawby 'Conservancy' Extra Brut NV, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan--just a touch fruitier than than Cremant with 1.5% sweetness. Fresh with floral and candied fruit aromas, honeysuckle and lemon-citrus zing on the finish. A hint of sweetness. For each bottle sold, the winery contributes $2 to the Farmland Preservation Fund of the Leelanau Conservancy, a fund dedicated to the preservation of farmland in perpetuity. Nice.

L. Mawby 'Consort' Sec NV, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan--Blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Fresh and ripe with luscious peach and mango notes plus a hint of toast on the finish. Just a touch sweet with 2% sweetness.

Shady Lane Cellars Pinot Noir 2005, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan--lighter style of Pinot with floral and cherry notes, tad bit earthy with a hint of spice. Smooth. Light body.

Black Star Farms 'Arcturos' Pinot Noir 2005, Leelanau Peninsula/Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan--a little subdued on the nose with cherry, truffles and a hint of spice. Not overly expressive. Smooth. Light body.



Isidor's Choice Pinot Noir 2003, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan--bit more meaty that the others with black cherry aromas followed by earth and truffles plus a whiff of spice. Smooth with a fresh finish. Light/medium body.


Pelee Island Winery Pinot Noir 2005, Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada--from another "coastal" region, this small island is situated in Lake Erie between Ohio and Ontario, Canada. This was by far the favorite of the lot of Pinots--intense earth and black cherry aromas followed by truffles, tobacco and a touch of spice. Smooth and crisp finish. Light bodied.




Brys Estate'Signature' Red 2005, Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan--blend of 50% Cab Fran, 45% Merlot and 5% Pinot Noir. Smooth and silky with layers of vanilla, wild red berries and pepper spice. Soft tannins with a touch of chocolate on the finish. Medium bodied.

Last but not least, I tasted an amazing Zinfandel from Australia--yes, AUSTRALIA.

Groom 'Bush Block' Zinfandel, Barossa Valley, Australia--This one definitely rivals the best in California Zin--loads of juicy red fruit aromas with the standard candied red fruit flavors and spice plus a whiff of vanilla. Smooth and silky with soft tannins. Medium bodied.

Bitch, Bitch, Bitch

First there was Bitch (Grenache). Then Bon Bon (Shiraz Rosé). Now the Grateful Palate brings us Pure Evil (Chardonnay) and Evil (Cabernet Sauvignon). These fun little wines hail from our friends 'down under' and for the money, these are great buys for everyday drinking.


2006 Pure Evil Chardonnay, South Australia--ripe and luscious with stone fruit, honeysuckle, and citrus notes. Medium bodied. Smooth finish. Only slightly oaked.





2006 Bon Bon Shiraz Rosé, South Australia--sweet strawberry and raspberry notes, hint of spice, crisp and refreshing with a lingering finish. Medium bodied.








2005 Bitch Grenache, Barossa Valley, Australia--this wine is defiinitely not a bitch to drink--an explosion of luscious black currant, black cherry, plum, velvety texture and notes of smoke on the finish.




2005 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon, Southeastern Australia--ripe and juicy with sweet plum, black raspberry and eucalyptus notes. Smooth and easy drinking. Spice notes on the finish. Medium/full-bodied.


I wonder what's next? The Evil Bitch?

7 Sips for '07

Happy 2007!

Add these sips to your to-do list for 2007. I am guessing these are slightly easier to keep than your 'other' New Year's resolutions.

1. Alexander Valley Vineyards 'New Gewürz' Gewürztraminer 2006, North Coast, California--spicy, fruity, yummy! An explosion of rose petal and lychee aromas followed by grapefruit and ginger flavors. Clean, zesty finish. A hint of residual sweetness.

2. M. Lawrence 'Sex' Sparkling Rosé NV, North Coast, California--made in Michigan from California wine. A provacative blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with strawberry and raspberry aromas, yeasty accents on the finish.

3. R. Winery 'Bitch' Grenache 2004, Barossa Valley, Australia--a sassy little number from our friends downunder. Luscious black cherry and plum notes, loads of spice, velvety texture and a hint of smoke on the finish.

4. Goosecross Cellars Chardonnay 2005, Napa Valley, California--you might be over Napa Chardonnay by now, but this one deserves some attention. Small production--just 1200 cases--and you dont need a knife to slice it. Grapefruit and pear aromas with a hint of vanilla. Full and complex with a crisp citrus finish.

5. Cristom 'Mt. Jefferson Cuvée' Pinot Noir 2004, Willamette Valley, Oregon--one whif of this and you might think its Red Burgundy. Elegant cherry and spice aromas with mushroom and wet earth on the finish.

6. Wild Earth Pinot Noir 2004, Central Otago, New Zealand--the name says it all. Dark plum, black currant and wild gamey aromas, rich and elegant mouthfeel with a spicy and persistent finish.

7. Camaraderie Cellars Malbec 2004, Yakima Valley, Washington--unlike its Argentine cousins, this Malbec is not an over-the-top fruit bomb. Think bright and spicy with black cherry, raspberry and a hint of cedar. Medium bodied. Great food wine.

And feel free to send over feedback on any of these suggestions once you taste them.

Drink up!

Wines of the Week

Thought I would post a duo of wines for this week given my absence in posting recently. Just discovered two fantastic, easy drinking reds from our friends Down Under.


2004 Te Kairanga Pinot Noir, Martinborough, New Zealand--sort of a cross between the juicy New World style and the earthy Burgundian style of Pinot. Notes of sweet cherry, ripe plum and wild strawberry. Hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Light body, soft tannins. Pairs nicely with light preparations of goose, duck or pork. Average retail: $20




2004 Marquis Phillips Shiraz, Southeastern Australia--a friend of mine claims this is one of the best Aussie Shirazs he has tasted for the price..Roughly $18 retail. Loads of rich black raspberry and plum notes. Smooth, silky and full on the palate with a hint of spice. Medium tannins. Pair with a nice thick slab of venison, kangaroo, ostrich or wild boar.

Label images courtesy of the respective vineyards

Think Pink Part Deux: Wine of the Week

Sorry for the lack of creativity in this week's post as we yet again discuss some pink wine. I have been tasting oodles of the stuff lately as I have been consulting on a restaurant wine list in downtown DC. So here come two more you might want to try:

2004 Trevor Jones Cebo Rosé, Barossa Valley, Australia. This ain't your Mom's White Zin--an intoxicating blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat de Frontignac. Deep crimson red color with luscious aromas of fresh raspberries, spice and cherry,
medium body, and a crisp finish. An ideal match for lamb, pork or amazing on its own.
Average Retail: $15


2004 Neakeas Vega Sindoa Rose, Navarra, Spain. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha. Intense aromas of ripe strawberries and cherries, spice and raspberries on the palate, crisp finish. Ideal with oily fish such as salmon, as well as simply prepared veal, pork and chicken. Average Retail: $8

Image courtesy of Cellartracker.com

Post-Robert Parker Sampling from OZ

This afternoon I was invited to sample some of Australia's finest during a post-Robert Parker tasting of wines imported by Old Bridge Cellars. What a treat! Earlier in the day, Parker tasted the wines near Baltimore and what was left was brought down to DC.

The soiree was held in the DC office of Winebow, American's leading importer of Italian wines and a distributor of fine wines from around the world.

The tasting was comprised of wines from Leeuwin Estate, Penley Estate, Zonte's Footstep, d'Arenberg, and more.

I was most impressed with the fresh whites from d'Arenberg, especially the Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne and the Money Spider Roussanne. Both exhibited tropical and floral notes with lip-smacking acidity.

I even tried my hand at the Aussie 'stickies' from Chambers Rosewood. The Rare Muscadelle, which retails for $300 for a 375 ml bottle was one of the most intense dessert style wines I've tasted to date. Rich, intense notes of caramel, burnt toffee, coffee and butterscotch--definitely a treat on its own.