In the U.S. we are very varietal oriented.
Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. while there are many excellent blends being made, and some very exclusive, we are still loyal to the varietal. By Washington state law, to name a wine by a varietal, it must be at least 75% of that varietal. Most varietal wines I enjoy have much more than that, perhaps 90% +. Wine makers do blend some wine from other varietals into the bottle to achieve a complexity, balance and taste that the varietal by itself may not have. But there's nothing wrong with that.
Case in point, Rob Griffin has another special treat for his wine club members this month... a bottle of 2005 Malbec and a bottle of 2004 Touriga. In the new world, Malbec is now known as the wine of Argentina and Touriga Nacional is the wine of Portugal. I have already sampled the Malbec, and not being an expert, I still think it is quite good and will probably get better in bottle. As soon as I have a sample of the Touriga, I'll post some comments. It is my understanding that Touriga is a robust wine best paired with food.
*update - The Touriga was a huge hit with everyone! It sold out in two weeks! The February Red Wine and Chocolate event, organized by the Yakima Valley Wine Association, brought in record numbers this year. The Touriga reminded me of a cross between Zinfandel and Syrah - a very good combination of flavors. Those lucky wine club members. We can only hope Rob Griffin makes more next year.
No posts for a while because I have been in the process of moving. It turns out that I'm now even CLOSER to my favorite winery. It was not intentional, it just worked out that way.
Cheers!
Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. while there are many excellent blends being made, and some very exclusive, we are still loyal to the varietal. By Washington state law, to name a wine by a varietal, it must be at least 75% of that varietal. Most varietal wines I enjoy have much more than that, perhaps 90% +. Wine makers do blend some wine from other varietals into the bottle to achieve a complexity, balance and taste that the varietal by itself may not have. But there's nothing wrong with that.
Case in point, Rob Griffin has another special treat for his wine club members this month... a bottle of 2005 Malbec and a bottle of 2004 Touriga. In the new world, Malbec is now known as the wine of Argentina and Touriga Nacional is the wine of Portugal. I have already sampled the Malbec, and not being an expert, I still think it is quite good and will probably get better in bottle. As soon as I have a sample of the Touriga, I'll post some comments. It is my understanding that Touriga is a robust wine best paired with food.
*update - The Touriga was a huge hit with everyone! It sold out in two weeks! The February Red Wine and Chocolate event, organized by the Yakima Valley Wine Association, brought in record numbers this year. The Touriga reminded me of a cross between Zinfandel and Syrah - a very good combination of flavors. Those lucky wine club members. We can only hope Rob Griffin makes more next year.
No posts for a while because I have been in the process of moving. It turns out that I'm now even CLOSER to my favorite winery. It was not intentional, it just worked out that way.
Cheers!