September 2006
The family of California AVAs may be growing. Appellation status legitimizes the wines made in a particular area and so for several years, there has been an effort to establish the Los Alamos Valley as an appellation. Similarly, and because of the success and reputation seen with wines made from grapes from Happy Canyon, that area is also pursuing AVA status. In addition, regardless of the success or timeline of the Los Alamos Valley's application, the Santa Maria Valley is being expanded.
The large Santa Barbara County appellation with over 21,000 acres of vines, currently encompasses the Santa Maria , Santa Ynez and Sta. Rita Hills AVAs. These distinct regions display varying microclimates. Because microclimate and terroir distinguish wines, growers seek out appellation status because it establishes identity and bolsters the reputation of the wines produced. That is why there have been movements underway to distinguish these subregions with their own appellation status. Currently, these are Los Alamos Valley (lying between the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys) and Happy Canyon (or happy Valley to some, in the south-eastern corner of the Santa Ynez Valley). More
So you think you know a thing or two about wine? Maybe you have dispensed some wine advice in the past. Somehow, myths are propagated and persist in all aspects of our culture. Exactly how and why these myths come to be is not always easy to explain. We will tackle a few common wine myths from the world of the world of wine.
We will examine the practices of sniffing the cork and letting the wine breathe, as well as the beliefs that legs are an indication of the wine’s quality, wine turns to vinegar with time and that all old wines are valuable. More.
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Other Topics: AVAs: Learn about the individual wine growing regions of California. Wine tasting tips. Read our recommendations for getting the most out of your wine. |
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Wine Reviews:
Cal-Itals/Super Tuscans:
00 Mckeon-Phillips Ceazar 90 points
03 Mandolina Toccata Riserva 91 points
03 JanKris Riatta 89 points
04 Presidio Sangiovese 89 points
Consilience Winery:
04 Grenache 90 points
04 Zinfandel, Mendocino County 90 points
05 Grenache Blanc 92 points
05 Grenache Rosé 89 points
Whites:
Non-Vinatage Chardonnay, Cottonwood Canyon 93 points
05 Koehler Viognier 89 points
Tip of the month:
To get your white wines and rosés the perfect temperature, place the bottle in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for about two hours or so and remove 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Red wine is a bit trickier: if it’s considerably warmer than 75°F where you will serve your wine, you may elect to put the bottle into the refrigerator (not the freezer!) for about 15 minutes before serving. Never store any wine in the refrigerator. The temperature in most refrigerators is around 40°F. This is too cold for storing wines and they may be damaged.
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