Just enjoyed a nice 1982 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon… Freakishly young with plenty of horsepower to carry it for another 5-7 years. Nice brick red color with cranberry, anise and dusty black pepper on the nose. Restrained palate with fine tannins and faint black berry and licorice spice. Seriously elegant. Not my first encounter with Mayacamas. Not my last.

Just shy of one year ago I set out on a journey. A journey of taste. Accompanied by two close friends, together we formed an impressively insatiable force. Our stomachs were empty, our palates dry, and our spirit strong. Seeking sustenance for the mind, body, and soul we soon found ourselves sitting at Italian and French tables and feeling very much at home. As we trekked through Pisa, the Cinque Terre, BeauSoleil, and Monaco, good times were had and many a bottle shed its lifeblood in our glass…

In less than a week, Fermented Thoughts will invade Italy once more – feasting on culture. We’ll be in search of lively Ligurian wines, freshly caught Mediterranean cuisine, and views that exude the essence of laid-back, riviera living. After hiking from Monterosso al Mare to Riomaggiore, we’ll find our way to Florence, back up to Pisa, over to Portofino and back again.

Until we return with a new sack full o’ pics – enjoy last year’s harvest!

Ciao.

The way I get over eye surgery…

Yeah, yeah. I know. I had surgery this morning… So!  I ask you then, what is the proper wine to pair with Tylenol? In fact, I asked this exact question just now, of 50+ wine bloggers over on Twitter. The best answer received? Arneis. Decent, refreshing, but not for me. Not now.

Thinking for a moment, I recalled the words of an old friend, Frank Sinatra, who once said “I Did it My Way.”

What I really love about Riesling, is its modesty. Amid today’s market of over-ripe, over-extracted, over-blown wine, it’s easy to find respite amid the restrained, low-alcohol, yet bracingly flavorful richness of a good Riesling. Following this path, I’ve encountered mesmerizing bouquets and flavors that have arrested – all modestly wrapped in wine that left me feeling refreshed, energetic and alive.

Tonight I consulted the wine rack and selected the Bernhard Eifel Riesling Spatlese 2005. An excellent value, purchased at retail from Wine Library for $14.

Surprisingly greenish and faintly golden in color with a lively nose of lime, wet pavement, and citrusy meringue. Full on the palate with creamy vanilla hints reminiscent of Creme Brulee mixed with sweet Clementine, honey and a rich caramelized sugar finish.

Modest opulence with a citrus edge that Sinatra himself would be proud of.  The Chairman would say…  “The record shows I took the blows – And did it my way!”

Jesus did it (well, in reverse…). Doc Hendly did it. We did it and you can too!

In 2003, Doc Hendley was a bartender from North Carolina that had a dream. That dream became a reality in 2007 when he founded Wine to Water, a non-profit organization who’s mission is to support clean water projects – helping deliver fresh, clean, and sustainable drinking water around the world.

How did he do it? Wine tastings! Quoting their website “…The first fundraiser was a great success. With its success, and others to follow, came a confidence that Wine to Water would continue to grow as an organization. As a result, wine tastings became just one of many ways that we raise awareness and support for the global water crisis. We have worked to provide clean water and sanitation in many countries including Sudan, India, Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Haiti.”

Since 2004 Doc’s organization has brought sustainable, clean water to more than 25,000 individuals in more than 5 countries. ”

Doc’s dream, and now the goal of Wine To Water, is to quench the thirst of the needy in a way that sets them apart from the rest of the world.” -Wine to Water

Doc’s story humbles and inspires. Join us in raising a glass to Doc, his team and to all of those who work to quench the thrist of the needy and in doing so, help to make our world a better place!

To host a Wine to Water tasting – click here.

To support this worthy cause by making a donation click here and help make a difference.

Do yourself a favor and watch this ENTIRE 5 minute video. You’ll be very glad you did. Given the crazy times we all live in today and the recent strife experienced by so many, it’s pretty uplifting to see an organization focusing on bringing joy to the masses, even at its most elemental level. This video was done by a group called Playing for Change. Their mission is to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.

Quoting one of the artists in the film, Roger Ridley, these people, much like him, are “in the JOY business” and I see great dividends in their future.

Looking beyond limitations, walls, and current situations of doubt, we benefit ourselves by benefiting others and seeking to speak and relate to each other in a universal voice.

Enjoy.

This past October I was invited to check out some wine making over in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Now, I’d bet you’re asking yourself the same thing I did: “Wine making… In Brooklyn?” Yep, that’s exactly what’s going on and the story behind it is pretty catchy. Former Sound Technician for Peter Frampton and Billy Joel and now turned Wine Distributor, Mark Snyder (a local New Yorker), decided making wine in Brooklyn was just the thing to do. From what I’ve heard wine making isn’t all that disconnected from Brooklyn. Historically, the area was a home to Kosher wine production and much as I’ve witnessed in small town Italy,  homemade wine is an integral part of the culture and apparently thrived among Italian-American immigrants in Brooklyn during years past.

Given Snyder’s close connection to two of the West Coast’s cult-status winemakers (Bob Foley of Robert Foley Vineyards and Abe Schoener of The Scholium Project) it now seemed time to do a little “West Coast Winemaker meets East Coast Grapes” style throwdown.

Talking to Snyder, you can sense his enthusiasm and passion for wine. This drive is exactly what led to the formation of his company, Angel’s Share Wines which, is well-known for distributing quality West Coast wines from the likes of both Foley, Schoener and many others.

In reality, these bold Winemakers faced a really though year. Long Island vineyards experienced an aggressive growing season in 2008 with increased rain, lower than average temperatures and according to one of their growers accounts, the onslaught of hungry birds as the tough little grapes hung on the vines longer than normal for a bit more development.

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viogner and as you can see above, Merlot are all on the block. Having the opportunity to taste some of the Sauvignon Blanc during fermentation was excellent. The yeast was very much present and while it was still more juice than wine, I was intrigued by the rich, crisp fruit and sweetness that was present given such a though year. If anyone can pull-off this project, I’m betting Snyder, Foley and Schoener are the crew to do it. It’ll be really exciting to taste some of these wines in 2009.

I’ll be posting some video taken at the yet-to-be-named Red Hook, Brooklyn winery soon. Until then, check out some of the photos I snapped that night up in the Fermented Photo Gallery.

Hippies and wine, always welcome!

This “eye-opener” was sent to Fermented Thoughts by one of our friends in the field, whilst on a wine scouting mission. If ever the importance of line breaks needed to be emphasized, I’d suggest we start here.

Who was asleep at the wheel of this ship?

Ad wizards indeed…

Vincent Dureuil-Janthial Bourgogne Aligoté 2006

Welcome to Bourgogne, France (aka Burgundy). Home to eastern French headliners Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Oh, and Aligoté [ah-lee-goh-TAY] a lesser known, almost rambunctious yet immensely pleasant grape from the small appellation of Bourgogne Aligoté.

Who doesn’t love an underdog? Consistently in the shadow of its enormously popular neighbor Chardonnay, Aligoté gets very little play but when produced from old vines, for those in the know, a special treat awaits.

Lost among my mid-summer wine purchases, I discovered this racy bottle while searching for the right wine to enjoy with some fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. It’s that time of year again and let me state clearly, I’ve stumbled upon paring perfection…

Golden lemon in color, this Aligoté opens with the generous perfume of sweet, spiced citrus, mild carrots and layers of rich tropical fruit. The palate is no less than electric. Medium-bodied with a knife-sharp initial acidity that smooths into an intense marriage of lemon, salted nuts and grassy bay leaf flavors. Bright, fresh, clean and complex.

The mixture of citrus, tropical and nutty characteristics lead me to believe that this wine saw time in oak and possible aging on the lees, thus adding to its rich character. With a dual-sided, crisp yet savory nature this Aligoté served as a delightful complement to the season’s first batch of roasted pumpkin seeds and delivers pleasure far beyond its value-based price of $16-18.

In buying, pairing and sipping remember, there’s more to life than Chardonnay.