Good Morning!

Moving south in Rhone Valley about 40 miles south of Northern Rhone you will be in Southern Rhone Valley in France.

First fact about Southern Rhone is about 95% of all wines coming from Rhone Valley is from the South.
Second fact is the climate is quite different from the Northern part of Rhone Valley, the north has a continental climate and the southern art of Rhone Valley is Mediterranean climate. Southern Rhone is close to the sea and they also get the blasting winds like they do up north so they have to make sure to protect the vines from wind damage.

Third fact about Southern Rhone is they can and do grown any grapes they want, both white and red varieties.
Fourth fact is Grenache (pronounced gren ahsh) is really the main grape. Grenache is a really dense grape and makes really powerful and bold wines. Grenache is normally blended with other wines to “tame” it just a bit. Alone, Grenache might overwhelm you taste buds, especially when it is young (I am speaking from experience).

There are about 4 main red grapes but there are also are some other lessor utilized reds, here is the list of grapes

Main players, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre (more ved’r), Cinsault or Cinsaut (san soh)
Other reds; Carignan, Picpoul, Terret Noir, Couoise, Nuscardin and Vaccarese.

White varieties: Main grapes:Grenache Blanc and Clairette
Other whites: Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc, Muscat, Marsanne, Picardan, and Viognier.

When you are looking to try wines from the Southern part of Rhone Valley, look for these names on the labels (since the French, name wines after the area they are grown in, it makes it a little hard to know what grape is in the bottle).

Cotes du Rhone
Cotes du Rhone-Villages
Chateauneuf-du-Pape (this area, produces some of the most incredible blends I have ever tried of French wines)
Gigondas (I love the Syrah’s I have tried from here)
Vacqueyras
Lirac
Tavel (they make crazy great Rose’ wines from this area).

This is just some of my personal experiences and info I have gathered while learning more about Rhone Valley and tomorrow I will share more info about Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It’s a wine and area that has had so many books written about it and I even know one awesome wine store owner who love it so much, he is tattooed with a label from a wine bottle from there!

Much LOVE and wine,
Tammi

Good Morning!

Yesterday, I started to share a few things I found out about the Syrah from Northern Rhone. So, today, I want to share what I found out about white whites from Northern Rhone. 91% of all Rhone wines produced are reds so whites are not as big as a focus, but the whites that are made, are amazing. In total, Rhone, France produces 40 million cases per year and that makes Rhone the second largest wine producing area in France, next to Bordeaux.

There are 3 major white wines produced in Northern Rhone:

Viognier (pronounced vee oh n’yay) This is the most known white and it is a delicate wine but the aroma is very distinct, very floral. Viognier is many times blended with Syrah to help harness the boldness of the Syrah with the aromas of the Viognier. You can find Viognier from California and Australia that are really great examples of this beautiful grape. In Northern Rhone this is the white that they will showcase alone.

Roussanne (pronounced roos sahn) A very high quality white wine and you will recognize the light aromas and crisp acidity. This is an co-star blending wine.

Marsanne (pronounced mar sahn) This grape is much easier to grow than Roussanne, this wine gives more body to its wines but it lacks finesse.

I have had several blended Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne from the US that are very beautiful and crisp.

Tomorrow I will start chatting about the what I am learning about Southern Rhone…where they grow many grape varietals and make some of the most spectacular red wine blends in the world.

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning!

I took a chunk of last week off from blogging, not because I had nothing to say about wine, but my “work” project got totally outta hand and I had to get that done so I can focus on my favorite subject ever, wine. Sorry to the faithful who follow me daily…I will make it up to you by giving you a little information that might interest you.

Most of you know I was selected as a contestant for the PBS reality show The Winemakers season II. Well, being on the show has been a “Best of times, Worst of times” kinda senerio for many of us. The production started in California and then we flew to France and shot a few episodes and then when we returned to the states, the funding for the show was gone and since it is a PBS show, it has to be sponsored. Getting sponsorship for a show that is alcohol production based is quite difficult. This entire process started for me being selected almost 2 years ago. But last week we were informed by the producers that the show has been picked up by an large cable network and now money is not the issue, it’s who in the original cast can still be a part of the show…it’s kinda a showbiz thing.

Anyway, the show’s basic outline is take 12 people from all walks of life and see who will be the next winemaker. The show’s winner will get to launch a 20,000 case wine brand from wine we make in Rhone, France. So, with this information, I figure I better start drinking Rhone wines and reading more about the area. Yes, I was there before and I have Rosetta Stone, but this time will be different. What I learned from the last trip and watching how reality tv works is this….what they tell you to study for, will never be ask and what you least expect… that’s what will happen. They will part you in teams and make sure you have very different personalities together so that the head butting will make for excellent drama.

I liked the overall experience and I learned a ton about myself, how I maintain my behavior and how I like to be treated. What I learned about wine while we ere there, the winemakers were full of information and if you ever got a minute with them, they were a ton of knowledge. Most of our time was spent waiting for things to be set up or decided. They would prep you for tasks and challenges and then the challenge would change, so you have to remain flexible and engaged in the process. I learned that I will look like a country hick when this airs…I did not speak french, I still had major hearing issues (before my cochlear surgery) so I assumed if I was saying something incorrectly, someone would correct me…not so much…so I am sure you will be wildly amused by the first 4 or 5 episodes, when we shoot the last episodes, hopefully, I will sound a little be sharper!

I will keep you posted when and where we are filming the last episodes and when it will air and hopefully you can cheer for me from the couch. But I will be writing more about Rhone and Rhone styled wines as I educate myself for whatever is ahead, so I will share with you what I learn.

Rhone, France is split into two very different wine regions. Northern Rhone is about 40 miles long and the only red wine grape grown in Northern Rhone is Syrah. I connect Northern Rhone’s Syrah with steak….When I was younger I liked my steak well done with A1 sauce. As I grew up and my tastes changed I went to medium, to medium rare and honestly today, I like New York strip still pink and cool in the center. The Syrah from Northern Rhone is not blended with other reds, maybe whites but never reds. It is earthy, meaty, almost wild and gamey tasting to me. I love it with steak, lamb and anything grilled. If I were going to eat a steak at the medium stage now in my life, I would want a Cabernet Sauvignon not a Syrah from Rhone…just sayin’…the two are a match made in heaven. Syrah from Rhone is a food wine. That means, for me, I have to have something to eat while I am drinking it. It is powerful and the younger the more kick it has. OK, just so you know, I am not knocking this wine at all. I have really come to love this wine. I think it is an acquired taste, like scotch or licorice. The first time you have it, I doubt many people say, “Damn, that tastes great”.

You can find great Northern Rhone Syrah at the local wine shop from $12-100 bucks…Look for labels that say Hermitage or Cote-Rotie and you will not be disappointed. The french have been making wine for 1000’s of years and it will not have the same punch of fruit you find in New World Syrah, like the US, Australia or Chile…get some and try it with the steak and tell me what you think about the pairing!

Tomorrow, I will discuss the white wines of Northern Rhone and hopefully you will learn a little something with me!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning!

I love Pinot Noir. I love Pinot Noir from Oregon and I LOVE Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley in Oregon. I love Pinot Noir’s from all over the world. If you are not aware, if you are drinking burgundy from France, that is made from Pinot Noir grapes. About 15 years ago I spent part of the summer in Portland, Oregon and I had the chance to visit many, many of the wineries in Willamette Valley and I would say 99% of them all made pretty fantastic Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

What do I love so much about Pinot Noir? It is all about the mouth feel of the wine. Pinot Noir has a completely different texture and weight on the tongue than the wines I was just starting to sample at the time. At that time in my life, I had just started making kit wine in the basement and when I took clients out for dinner they would order those HUGE reds from California when they would eat steak on my expense account.

The Cabernet Sauvignon we would drink while at Ruth’s Chris and Morton’s Steakhouse were so big, and heavy in the mouth, I would find sometimes, I did not even enjoy them until the end of the evening and the wine had an hour to sit in my glass. I have grown to love so many wines for different reasons, but I find myself coming back to the summer I spent in Portland. The first Pinot Noir I tried was at a winery called Rex Hill…It was lighter in weight, more velvety in texture and I remember the smoky, cherry thing on the finish. I loved it!

The next stop was Argyle winery and I remember thinking I have to buy some of this stuff…NO BODY in Indiana is gonna believe how good this stuff is. I am so silly,, thinking everyone in Central Indiana was as much of a wine novice as me….but I brought home a case of Pinot from about 4 wineries and I thought I had found a secret nobody could figure out.

There are 16 different wine regions in Oregon and 12 of them are located on the western side of the state. 3 of the regions are located in the middle of the state and on the Washington State border and the last region is located on the east side of the state of Oregon. I am not sure why I love Willamette so much, I assume it is because that is were I first tried the Pinot’s and I had a very memorable summer and like I always say, wine is as much about the experience as it is the taste.

I have tried wines form the other 15 regions and have truly loved them as well, but I do not have the connection so much, but some day I will visit all the areas and I am sure I will make memories that will connect me with these wines, winemakers and towns/cities and wineries.

When you first look at Pinot Noir in the glass you will notice the color will be very red but you can “see” through it. It will have a peppery aroma and you might get a leather or smokiness that could be new to your senses…but when you taste Pinot, prepare for the finish of cherries and campfire, I love how it takes me back to camping with my Grandparents and how our clothes would smell from the smoke.

Anyway, I will be opening up a bottle of Pinot Noir tonight from Chile called Ritual, made by my friends at Veramonte…They are located in the Casablanca Valley of Chile and I visited them last year and I am going open my last of 3 bottles I brought home. I need to make another trip to Chile or Oregon!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi

Good Morning!

I received an email asking me about dieting and still enjoying wine. I did a little research and I am happy to share with you what I found out. In a serving of Cabernet Sauvignon you will consume about 123 calories. In the same sized glass of Chardonnay you will find about 118 calories.

What defines the calories in wine is the alcohol and sugar content, the higher the sugar level the more calories, so if you like “sweeter” wines the calories will be higher. About each bottle of wine contains around 550-600 calories per bottle (to give you some prospective, a King sized Snickers candy bar is 560 calories). Personally, it would be a tough decision to pick between drinking an entire bottle of wine or eating a King sized Snickers…though if the Snickers is coming straight out of the frig…I will go with the Snickers.

I have not always watched my intake of food or wine and 10 years ago, I weighed 267 pounds, I am 100 pounds lighter today and I try to keep it under 170 pounds ( my doctor would like me to be under 145, I hate that dude). What changed for me? I got tired of being fat and feeling unhealthy. I did not change much in my diet starting out…I just decided to move more than I ate and it was ok to let myself actually get hungry.

I started out on the exercise bike and walking on the treadmill, nothing major, just started going to the gym and doing something. I did not change my diet one bit. I have never cut back on alcohol in my life, I will say, I can go weeks without wine or margs, but if the notion strikes me, I never say no. What I did start changing in my diet after I started working out, I started making sure I was taking in 60-70 percent of my diet was made up of water based foods, veggies, fruits and red meats and cheese were put on the back burner. I have to say, many nights a week, I could eat cheese and crackers and polish off a bottle of wine…..MOOOOOOOO!

So, I learned something new today about wine, the leaner and more fit you become the less the alcohol can affect your body. Of course you can still feel the booze and you will get drunk, but if you have strong water based muscles, the alcohol is not absorbed as easily as if you have some larger amounts of body fat, the alcohol can move easily into the body fat. I did not know this, actually, I never really even thought this except I used to have a pal in college and she was tiny and she got drunk super easy so I assumed the smaller you are the quicker you get hammered.

I still have the same view of food and health, I don’t like to workout that much, but I do it and I don’t like watching what I eat. I think life is all about trying and enjoying everything when it comes to food and wine and most all of life’s experiences. I just try to move more than I eat, I have a sweet tooth so I have to watch my how often I make cookies and pies…I do not love really rich foods like fettuccine or ranch or creamy dressings, so that is a blessing. I know a lot of people really watch and obsess over their dress size, I am not too hung up on it….I figure all things in moderation and as long as I feel happy and healthy then I can smile back in the mirror everyday!

I hope you have a great start of this week!

Much WINE and love,

Tammi