In vino veritas

Travel Notes:
Who is this beautiful women in the photo, shooting the breeze with the Wine Meister? None other than Karen Turner, cellar master (mistress?) of renowned Languedoc  (France) estate "Le Prieure St. Jean de Bebian."
Karen graduated from the University of Adelaide, Australia with a degree in Enology, then worked for Hugel & Fils in Alsace, France. ("They did exactly the opposite of everything that I had learned in Adelaide.").
One of  Hugel's interns was Emmanuel (Manu) Pageot, a drop-out master sommelier, who had worked in the British wine trade and then decided to become a wine maker.
For Karen and Manu it was love at first sight. "We kissed for the first time behind the world's oldest, continuously used oak foudre," purred Karen, describing their romance.
After roaming the globe making wine, they finally settled in Languedoc where Karen continues to work for “Le Prieure St. Jean de Bebian,” while she and Manu are building up their own biodynamic estate in the appellation of Coteaux de Languedoc. Stay tuned about Turner-Pageot.

Tasting Notes:
The Uptown Wine Aficionados: I kid you not, this group has met once a month for 37 years and has managed to survive over 400 (blind) tastings. The wines for each tasting are selected by a volunteer.

In our most recent tasting, wines were selected by the Wine Meister. All wines were purchased at “The Spanish Table” in Berkeley, California. The theme was 2005 Rioja vs. Ribera del Duero. (Both regions produce mostly Tempranillo-based wines.)

"Aalto," Ribera ($60.00), was the group favorite, closely followed by "Lan - Edition Limitada" Rioja ($50.00).
"Pesquera," who put modern Ribera on the map, came in a close third with its "Reserva" bottling at $55.00. It was my #2 choice
"Montecastro" ($49.00) Ribera, my personal favorite, got fourth place.
"Artadi -  Pagos Viejas," Rioja ($99.00) only made it to fifth.
"Contino Reserva," Rioja ($50.00) and "Izado Crianza," Rioja ($18.00) were in a six/seven dead heat.
"Federico Crianza," Ribera ($32.00) brought up the rear.

Group consensus: Not a single dog in the entire tasting. Their plentiful fruit and good acidity make them great food wines and indicate aging potential.

Dessert Wine from Spain: Malaga, once considered the producer of one the greatest dessert wines in the world, fell victim to powdery mildew and phylloxera at the end of the 19th century and most of the vineyards were wiped out. Many small holders abandoned their vineyards and emigrated to South America. Recently, wine making has been revived by the likes of Jorge Ordonez, with the legendary Austrian Alois Kracher as his consultant. The result is the stunning Moscatel-based 2005 "Jorge Ordonez - Victoria" bottling ($25.00).  It was the perfect foil for our dessert, a "Lindsey's Almond Tart," (adapted from the "Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook”).

Miscellanea:
Benefits of Alcohol Consumption: A recent study by the Association of Norwegian Wine Growers revealed the following: The first to die are teetotalers, six years later it's time for alcohol abusers to kick the bucket After an addtional six years, time has come for the moderate drinkers to say "adieu." (Caveat: number of research participants: three.)

Great deals:
Good news for wine lovers with the wolf at the door. Navarro Vineyards offers declassified Pinot Noir ("smoke damage" from the '08 wild fires) and has a fantastic "Wildfire Offering.”

(707) 895-3686 or 1-800-537-9463
sales@NavarroWine.com
www.NavarroWine.com

Innocents Abroad:
If you  can still afford to travel in Europe at the current $/E exchange rate, here is a survival tip for Americans traveling there, issued by a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State “Even in hot weather, don’t wear shorts, sneakers, and baseball caps which would identify you immediately as non-European. Get rid of all American flags on clothes and luggage.”