Degustación  # 145 del 29 de Julio del 2013 Capri Restaurant, McLean

Vinos de California

Contents of this post:

• I.   Presenters and Participants, with the birthdays of the month of July.
• II.  Menu
• III. The Wines, bird’s view and in depth info.
• IV. Notes on the Wine Regions of California (in Spanish, by A. Sanchez)
• V. Bottle Shock – the film about the early times of modern wine in California

• IV. Degustaciones de Agosto a Dicienbre del 2013

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I.  Presenters and Parcipants

Presenters: Mario Aguilar and Jairo Sanchez

Participants:
Orlando Mason,  Carlos Garcia,  Alfonso Sanchez,  Wilson Moreira,  Ginger Smart,  Luis Carlos (Lula) Danin Lobo,  Jaime Estupinan, Marcello averbug,  Hugo Benito,  Alvaro Lopez,  Albertina Frenkel,  Ruth Connolly, Mario Aguilar,  Alfonso Caycedo, Cecílio-Augusto Berndsen, Italo Mirkov, Ricardo Zavaleta, German Zincke, Raul Sanguinetti, Jorge Omar Rodriguez, Julia Diaz Asper (invitada de Albertina)

II. Menu

III – The Wines Selected for the Tasting

Note: All the information on the Wines was taken from several websites. The information on the wines was selected and prepared by Mario Aguilar and Jairo Sanchez

The Bird’s Eye View of the Wines:

1. 2011 William Hill, Chardonnay, William Hill Estate Winery.  California,  Valley, Silverado Bench
APV: 14.5%   $ 20

Jairo Sanchez

2.  2009 SIN ZIN, Zinfandel 98%, Petit Syrah 2%, Alexander Valley Vineyards. California, Sonoma, Alexander Valley . APV: 14.4%  $ 22

3.  Beringer 2009 Knights Valley Meritage 2008, blend: Merlot 52%,  Cab Sauvignon 36%, Petit Verdot 6%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Malbec 1%. California, No. Sonoma, Knighs Valley. APV: 14.2%  $ 27.

4.   Simi Alexander Valley 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab. Sauvignon 84%, Cab. Franc 7%, Merlot 5%, Petit Verdot 2%, 1.5% Malbec and  .5% Tannat. Landslide Vineyard. California, Sonoma, Alexander Valley. APV: 13.5%  from $ 15 to $ 26

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An here the a more discening info on the wines:

1. 2011 William Hill Chardonnay William Hill Estate Winery Chardonnay

Winemaker’s notes (2010):
Our 2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay reflects a transition to a new contemporary style by revealing elegant ripe tree fruit flavors of baked apple, supported by layered notes of toasty oak, caramel, and brown spice. The wine has a moderate mouthfeel and sweetness balanced by refined, juicy acidity.
The 2010 growing season in Napa Valley can be described in one word: uneven. A cooler and wetter summer delayed harvest, and an August heat wave drove temperatures from the temperate 70s to a scorching 110°F or higher in some areas. To cap off the irregular nature of the vintage, unexpected heavy rains blanketed the valley in late October. Chardonnay grapes were largely protected from the excessive rainfall because they were harvested prior to the unusual downpour. Despite the challenges, wines from this vintage are displaying great quality and refined structure.
Wine details
Alcohol by volume: 14.5%                  Price $20.70
Year 2011                                     Date profiled Nov. 3, 2010
Region California
Sub Region Napa Valley, Silverado Bench
Varietal: Chardonnay 100%

Napa Valley Wine Sub Region
California’s Napa Valley wine region is located immediately north of San Pablo Bay, in the north-eastern corner of the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed by the Napa river as it flows between the Vacas Mountains (to the east) and the Mayacamas (to the west), the valley runs roughly north-west to south-east for approximately 35 miles (57km). The scenic 40-minute drive between Napa and Calistoga passes through some of the most valuable viticultural real estate on Earth.
The Napa Valley is one of the world’s most famous wine regions, unchallenged by any region in the Americas or indeed the New World. There are several reasons for this global renown, one being the ease with which Napa can be reached by visitors travelling from San Francisco city. Several million wine tourists pass through the valley each year to sample its wines and the world-class gastronomy that has developed alongside them. Napa’s triumph over Bordeaux and Burgundy in the 1976 Paris Judgment is unquestionably another factor, as it propelled the valley and its wines into the international spotlight. The remarkable endurance of Napa’s fame is partly due to the persistently high quality of its wine, but also the number of wines labeled as Napa Valley, whether alone or in conjunction with a more location-specific AVA.
Wine has been made here since the 19th century, but it is only since the 1960s that wine of any particular quality has been produced. The founding pioneers of Napa Valley winemaking were George C Yount (after whom Yountville is named), and John Patchett and his winemaker Charles Krug, founder of the eponymous winery in St Helena. Napa is home to Beringer Vineyards, one of California’s oldest continuously operated wineries. Established in 1875 by Jacob Beringer and his brother Frederick, the Beringer site has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The range of grape varieties grown in the Napa Valley has evolved steadily over the 150 years since Yount planted his first vines. Cabernet Sauvignon has risen to be Napa’s star performer and signature variety. It is the most widely planted grape in almost all of the valley’s sub-regions, with the notable exception of Carneros, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make the most of the cool, breezy meso-climate. Merlot is also prominent here, although since its fall from favor in the 1990s it is now used mostly as a blending component for Napa’s Bordeaux blend and Meritage wines.
Although it makes up a small proportion of plantings here, Zinfandel has a strong impact on the Napa wine portfolio. The hillside sites above the Napa Valley floor provide just the warm, dry environment that California’s signature variety prefers, particularly when complemented by rocky, free-draining, infertile slopes. White wines are strongly outnumbered in Napa, but are nonetheless present. While Riesling was once the variety of choice, it has now been almost completely replaced by Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Another key factor in Napa’s phenomenal success as a wine region is its weather patterns. The hydrography of the wider Bay Area, plus the topography (specifically, the orientation) of the North Coast Ranges, are behind the unique Napa Valley mesoclimate: one creates fog, the other channels it inland. Without the fog that rolls in from the bays, the valley would be substantially warmer than it is, and its wines less structured and balanced. Furthermore, Napa’s quality wine production would be limited to the cooler climes higher up in the hills, which would increase the cost of production and dramatically reduce the area suitable for viticulture.

2. 2009 SIN ZIN Alexander Valley Vineyards

Winemaker’s notes:
In 1978 Hank Wetzel produced the very first vintage of Sin Zin. The wine was an immediate hit with spicy, jammy, elegant fruit flavors and an unforgettable label. Thirty two years later, Sin Zin is one of the most recognizable wines in the country. From the beginning Sin Zin has been a more elegant style of Zinfandel due to both the region and winemaking style. We harvest the grapes from throughout the Alexander Valley – including the valley floor, hillsides and bench lands to get a wide range of complex red fruit flavors in the glass. Since 1999 winemaker Kevin Hall has carried on the tradition looking for a balance of ripeness and acidity in each lot to showcase the elegance of the region. This balance explains Sin Zin’s restaurant popularity; it is always a food friendly style of Zinfandel.
2009 was a cooler vintage with fewer heat spikes than in the past few years, allowing for uniform ripening in the Alexander Valley which led to wines with good structure, balance and complexity. Overall, the vintage is more elegant than in many recent years. Kevin blended in a small amount of Petite Syrah to broaden the mouthfeel on the wine and add a little more dark fruit to the palate.
There are aromas of raspberry, plum, black cherry, and a touch of citrus. Flavors of plum, black cherry, black pepper, spice and pomegranate fills the glass. Sin Zin has been a true American original for three decades, the 2009 continues the legacy.

Wine details
Alcohol by volume: 14.4%                               Price $22.33
Year 2009
Region California                   AVA Alexander Valley
Vineyards Alexander Valley
Varietal Zinfandel 98% clone, Petit Syrah 2%
Filtered No                        Oak aging 10 Months

The Sin Zin label was one of the first whimsical labels approved by the ATF and at the time was considered rather risqué. When tasting samples of the first vintage, Katie Wetzel Murphy wanted to find an image that matched the lush flavors. Leafing through an old art history book, she came upon a captivating illustration, a seventeenth-century German etching, completed by Moritz von Schwind c. 1840 titled “Des Knabben Wunderhorn”, meaning “The Horn of Plenty”. The image looked perfect for a wine label, and its bacchanalian character inspired her to name our rich and lush wine – Sin Zin.” The label was used on the first vintage in 1978 and the wine was given to friends and family.

Alexander Valley Wine
The Alexander Valley, one of California’s bigger and better-known wine districts, is located in the north-eastern corner of Sonoma County. It runs north-west to south-east for slightly more than 20 miles (33km), following the course of the Russian river (of Russian River Valley fame) from the county border with Mendocino to just east of Healdsburg, where the river converges with Franz and Redwood creeks.
The importance of cooling, moderating influences in the Alexander Valley is hard to overstate. Although only 25 miles (40km) from the coast, it is separated from the cool waters of the Pacific by coastal mountain ranges which rise to almost 2700ft (820m). The fog which drifts up the Napa and Sonoma valleys from San Francisco Bay rarely reaches this far north in any quantity, depriving the area of the cool, moist afternoon air enjoyed by the likes of Carneros and the Stags Leap District. Alexander Valley’s vines depend on other climatic and topographical features (cool nights, altitude, winds, increased diurnal temperature variation) to cool them down and help them retain acidity in their grapes.
Most of the soils in the valley are rich and fertile, a natural consequence of being located in a river valley. Alluvial and colluvial soils are found here: the former around ancient and current riverbeds, the latter on the valley’s lower slopes. With warm temperatures and fertile soils, Alexander Valley wineries striving for high-quality fruit invest a great deal of time and effort in reducing their yields. Alexander Valley winemakers are known for producing quality, value-for-money Cabernet Sauvignon. These are often made in elegant, fruit-driven styles with less of an earthy feel than their Napa Valley counterparts. Cabernet is by far the most widely planted grape, followed by a medley of warm-climate red-wine varieties including Zinfandel and the Bordeaux varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Very few white wines are made here, although the ubiquitous Chardonnay has retained a certain foothold, as has Sauvignon Blanc to a lesser extent.
Famous wineries of wildly different sizes have put down roots in the Alexander Valley. Giants such as Kendall-Jackson and E&J Gallo planted substantial vineyard areas here in the 1980s and 1990s, bringing considerable economic stability to the valley as a wine region. The prestige of the Alexander Valley name, however, is more often attributed to the smaller-production wines of Murphy-Goode, Clos du Bois and Geyser Peak. Some of the best-known names in Californian wine (Ridge Vineyards, Seghesio, Francis Ford Coppola) maintain a balance between scale and artisanal winemaking; each of these outfits has vineyards in the valley and produces Alexander Valley wines. Several have built their winemaking facilities there, mostly in the lower-lying southern half close to Healdsburg.The famous Lytton Springs vineyard, source of some of California’s top Zinfandel wines, straddles the boundary between the Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley AVAs. Located immediately north of Healdsburg, this site is refreshed by cross-winds flowing between the two valleys, and the gentle cooling effects brought about by a slight increase in altitude. Right across the valley, the equally respected Alexander Mountain Estate vineyard site sprawls over the western flanks of the lower Mayacamas ranges, again cooled by its elevation but also by the Sausal Creek, on whose banks it is located.

3. Beringer 2009 Knights Valley Meritage 2008

Beringer Vineyards has owned and farmed its Knights Valley vineyards since the mid-1960s, when the Beringer family recognized that the cobbley, rocky alluvial soils were a great place to grow high quality wine grapes. The Knights Valley designation was first used on a Beringer label in 1974. Beringer’s Knights Valley Cabernet has been a staple of their portfolio for over three decades. Earning American Viticulture Area (AVA) designation status in 1983, Knights Valley in the northeastern Sonoma has proven to be an ideal spot for lush Cabernet and Beringer has taken advantage of that fact to produce this winner year after year. This Meritage is a Bordeaux blend containing 52% merlot, 36% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit Verdot, 5% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. It was formerly called Alluvium. Its main characteristics are: Good deep red-ruby; crushed berries and licorice on the nose, it begins a bit porty but freshening minerality emerges with aeration. It is sweet, lush and concentrated, with dark berry and chocolate flavors dominating. According to the review of 2011 the wine’s building, tongue-coating tannins call for a year or two of patience. This means it should be ready to drink in 2013.

Terroir, Vintage & Vineyard

Located 17 miles northwest of the winery, Knights Valley vineyard is approximately 600 acres, and has volcanic, well-drained soils that are perfectly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The Knights Valley AVA in Northern Sonoma County cuts through several miles of mountainous countryside, linking the Russian River Valley (and thus Sonoma Valley) with the northernmost reaches of the Napa Valley.
The view from Knights Valley
© George Rose
Its inland, sheltered location makes Knights Valley one of the warmest areas in Sonoma County. The vineyards are protected from the Pacific Ocean’s cooling influences by the Coastal Ranges and the Mayacamas Mountains, and are too far north to benefit from the cool air and fog which roll up the valleys from San Francisco and San Pablo bays.
Knights Valley is surrounded by some of America’s most prestigious viticultural real estate. Along its western side it abuts the Alexander Valley AVA, and its southern neighbor is Russian River Valley AVA. In fact, millions of years ago the Russian river ran straight through what is now Knights Valley, but its course was diverted by a massive Mount Saint Helena eruption. This left volcanic deposits and alluvial gravel soils on the valley floor, making it well suited to quality viniculture.
Well-drained soils, warm temperatures and high sunshine levels ensure Knights Valley is a prolific wine region, and that its most widely planted grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, achieves the full-bodied, ripe, chocolate flavors for which Knights Valley wines have become known. Beringer, one of California’s oldest and most-respected wineries, has a significant presence in the Knights Valley AVA, and has made quality Cabernet Sauvignon since the early 1970s. The winery’s Knights Valley Alluvium and Alluvium Blanc are two proprietary blends named after the alluvial soils here.
Although Cabernet Sauvignon is the undisputed king of Knights Valley, accounting for about two-thirds of the wine produced there, other full-bodied reds are also produced locally. These include Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel and a small quantity of Mourvedre. Very little white wine is made in the valley, but a small quantity of Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc is produced under the AVA title.
Winemaking
To maintain the unique characteristics of the different lots from varying areas of the vineyard, they are kept all separate through vinification and aging. Extended maceration creates larger tannins to enhance the lush mouthfeel of the blend and extracted a maximum of color, aromas and flavors. The wines are normally aged in small French Nevers oak barrels, partly new, for fifteen months and undergo malolactic fermentation for further development of texture and mouthfeel. After aging, comes the blending of the lots of Cabernet Sauvignon to highlight Knights Valley’s characteristically bright black cherry fruit.

Wine details
Alcohol by volume: 14.2%                                  Price $27.49
Year 2008                               Region Northern Sonoma, California
AVA Knights Valley                                                                                                                             Blend:  Merlot 52%,  Cab Sauvignon 36%, Petit Verdot 6%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Malbec 1%

Aging Fifteen months in French Nevers oak barrels, partly new
Blending After aging

4.   Simi Alexander Valley 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

When Giuseppe Simi left his home in Tuscany, in 1849, to pan for gold in California, his fall-back plan was winemaking, which his family had done since…well, forever. When it became obvious that gold was not to be Giuseppe’s future, he and brother Pietro planted grapes and went to work. In 1876, they released the first wine under their own name and Simi Winery was born, becoming officially recognized in 1890. Tragically, both Simi brothers would die in 1904 and Giuseppe’s daughter, Isabella, took over the winery, turning it into one of Sonoma’s premier wineries before retiring in 1970.
Throughout its history, Simi has never become irrelevant, as many older wineries do. With the hiring, in 2003, of Steve Reeder, the winery simply shifted gears and reclaimed their place at the top of the Sonoma heap. Simi is a high-quality winery with an edgy sensibility, supreme expertise, and a tremendous eye toward bang for buck.
Twenty-six years after his first harvest at Alexander Valley Vineyards, Steve Reeder returned to his winemaking roots, becoming Vice President of Winemaking for Simi Winery in August 2003. Reeder, an internationally recognized winemaker, has received wide acclaim throughout the wine industry for many varieties, especially the Bordeaux-varietal wines. Among his accomplishments was securing the number one and number two places on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines.
Alexander Valley was shaped by dramatic geologic activity-from an ancient landslide that changed the course of the Russian River, to earthquake upheavals that redistributed whole sections of land. The incredible diversity of soil types and microclimates produces wines with velvety textures and bright, luscious flavors. Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the best of Alexander Valley, with the bright fruit character and elegance that made this world-class growing region famous.

Winemaker’s notes:
Simi 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, deep garnet color with a ruby edge. Enticing aromas of baking spices, hints of cedar, chocolate, and toasty oak notes frame bright fruit of red cherry, black plum, and cranberry. These aromas carry forward to flavors of red plum, cassis, blackberry, and cherry preserves gently spiced with lively cedar and clove. This medium- to full-bodied nicely structured wine finishes with rich, dark chocolate tannins.
Opens with enticing aromas of red cherry, blackberry, licorice, toasty oak, fresh herbs and baking spices. The generous palate offers cherry, blackberry fruit, vanilla, a hint of caramel and a dark, roasted finish.
Taste: currant, blackberry, cherry, bell pepper, olive, asparagus, spice, ginger, oak, vanilla, pepper, earth, green, plum, mocha, black cherry, smoke, toast, and tar
Nose: currant, blackberry, cherry, cedar, cigar box, spice, earth, violet, rose, truffle, coffee, and leather.
Other comments
“A lot of great depth and promiscuity here, what with the mixture of chocolate, ripe blueberries, and some light spicy oak. Sexy!”
“This is a sexy one…great ripe blueberries, racy oak and deep chocolate tones. Dusty on the nose but full and complex on the palette. Would be great with some strong cheeses and dried fruit.”

Read more: http://www.snooth.com/wine/simi-winery-cabernet-sauvignon-alexander-valley-2007/#ixzz2Zh8jfgYy
Pair This Wine: With wine with Steak au Poivre, Marinated London Broil, Braised Bison Short Ribs, Elk with Jalapeño Sausage, Lentil and Wild Mushroom Stew, Cowboy Steak, Kobe Beef Burgers, Veal Parmesan. This Alexander Valley Cabernet is also irresistible with wild mushroom pasta, snapper Puttanesca, and duck confit with lentils.
Wine Details:

Appellation: Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Vineyard: Landslide Vineyard, a Simi property
Varietal: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1.5% , Malbec, 0.5% Tannat
Alcohol by volume: 13.5%
Aging: 100% oak-aged for 26 months in French oak barrels, 64% new.
Winemaker: Steve Reeder, Susan Lueker, Megan Schofield

Vintage Notes 86 Pts. Wine Enthusiast: This is a nice, everyday Cabernet. It’s soft, gentle in the mouth and dry, with tasty flavors of blackberries, cherries and smoky oak. Drink now.
The Alexander Valley, one of California’s bigger and better-known wine districts, is located in the north-eastern corner of Sonoma County. It runs north-west to south-east for slightly more than 20 miles (33km), following the course of the Russian river (of Russian River Valley fame) from the county border with Mendocino to just east of Healdsburg, where the river converges with Franz and Redwood creeks.
The importance of cooling, moderating influences in the Alexander Valley is hard to overstate. Although only 25 miles (40km) from the coast, it is separated from the cool waters of the Pacific by coastal mountain ranges which rise to almost 2700ft (820m). The fog which drifts up the Napa and Sonoma valleys from San Francisco Bay rarely reaches this far north in any quantity, depriving the area of the cool, moist afternoon air enjoyed by the likes of Carneros and the Stags Leap District. Alexander Valley’s vines depend on other climatic and topographical features (cool nights, altitude, winds, increased diurnal temperature variation) to cool them down and help them retain acidity in their grapes.
Most of the soils in the valley are rich and fertile, a natural consequence of being located in a river valley. Alluvial and co-alluvial soils are found here: the former around ancient and current riverbeds, the latter on the valley’s lower slopes. With warm temperatures and fertile soils, Alexander Valley wineries striving for high-quality fruit invest a great deal of time and effort in reducing their yields.
Alexander Valley winemakers are known for producing quality, value-for-money Cabernet Sauvignon. These are often made in elegant, fruit-driven styles with less of an earthy feel than their Napa Valley counterparts. Cabernet is by far the most widely planted grape, followed by a medley of warm-climate red-wine varieties including Zinfandel and the Bordeaux varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Very few white wines are made here, although the ubiquitous Chardonnay has retained a certain foothold, as has Sauvignon Blanc to a lesser extent.
Famous wineries of wildly different sizes have put down roots in the Alexander Valley. Giants such as Kendall-Jackson and E&J Gallo planted substantial vineyard areas here in the 1980s and 1990s, bringing considerable economic stability to the valley as a wine region. The prestige of the Alexander Valley name, however, is more often attributed to the smaller-production wines of Murphy-Goode, Ois and Geyser Peak. Some of the best-known names in Californian wine (Ridge Vineyards, Seghesio, Francis Ford Coppola) maintain a balance between scale and artisanal winemaking; each of these outfits has vineyards in the valley and produces Alexander Valley wines. Several have built their winemaking facilities there, mostly in the lower-lying southern half close to Healdsburg.
The famous Lytton Springs vineyard, source of some of California’s top Zinfandel wines, straddles the boundary between the Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley AVAs. Located immediately north of Healdsburg, this site is refreshed by cross-winds flowing between the two valleys, and the gentle cooling effects brought about by a slight increase in altitude. Right across the valley, the equally respected Alexander Mountain Estate vineyard site sprawls over the western flanks of the lower Mayacamas ranges, again cooled by its elevation but also by the Sausal Creek, on whose banks it is located.

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IV –  Caracteristicas de las  Regiones Produtoras de Vino de California

La Region de California

notas preparadas por Alfonso Sanchez

Alfonso Sanchez

Produce más del 90% del vino de USA. Solo Gallo produce casi lo que produce Chile. 

Tiene mucha tierra con clima cálido para cultivo de uvas pero menos de clima frío y suelos áridos para vinos de larga maduración y concentración. 

Pero tiene la influencia de las brisas frescas de pacífico y de la neblina (al norte de San Francisco) que protege de la radiación solar a las vides en los valles.  De 11 a 4pm hay neblinas.  Por debajo de ellas Pino Noir y blancas (más acidez) por encima Zinfandel y Syrah (más fruta).

En el sur no hay neblina pero el clima es más suave tipo mediterráneo.  Inviernos suaves y veranos más frescos que da larga maduración y mucha concentración.  Vinos de color profundo y robustos.

Cuatro subregiones:

1. Costa Norte (Napa. Sonoma y Mendocino Lake)
2. Costa Centro-Norte (Livemore, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz y Monterrey)
3. Piedemonte de Sierra (cerca de sacramento)
4. Centro Sur (Santa Bárbara y San Luis Obispo)

No llueve durante la cosecha pero hay que irrigar y hay riesgo de sequías.
Los misioneros franciscanos fueron los primeros en plantar uvas traídas de México en 1770.  Se expandió mucho el cultivo durante la fiebre del oro (1847) pero la phyloxera, prohibición hizo que se destruyeran muchos viñedos y se cambiara a hortalizas y frutas.

Hasta los 70 los vinos eran mediocres o malos (jug wines) resurgió en los 70’s con vinos de mejor calidad (R. Mondavi fue uno de los pioneros) y después vinieron las grandes corporaciones y R. Parker.

Diferente del viejo mundo, el énfasis ha sido en los varietales dejando al enólogo el papel de producir el vino que de más puntaje (fuerte intervención – Davis) con la materia prima que se consiga.  En el viejo mundo la elaboración está integrada con el manejo del viñedo y se acentúa el terroir.  Esto está cambiando.

La influencia de Parker y Wine Spectator ha hecho que la uva se deje colgada mucho tiempo (más de 15% de alcohol) buscando máxima madurez.  Por eso los tintos tienen taninos perceptibles pero suaves, mucha fruta y alto alcohol.  Los Chardonnay tienden a tener mucho roble y dulce.  Esto también está cambiando

Los vinos tienden a ser costosos pero hay muchos excelentes.

Emblemáticas: Chardonnay y Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon y Zinfandel y Pinot Noir,  pero ahora hay casi de todo (Ródano, Burdeos, Loire, Alsacia, Italia, España, Alemania, etc.).

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V  –  Bottle Schock       2008  – The Film with part of history of California Wine

2008  The story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as “Judgment of Paris”.  Links to:                        

 IMDB     or

Youtube: The Official Bottle Shock Trailer- Sundance 2008.  or

This film is available for instant view at Netflix. It is also available on DVD.

VI. Degustaciones de Agosto a Dicienbre del 2013:

• Agosto:   USA -Oregon    Marcello Avebug -Italo Mirkow
• Septiembre:  Top 100 vinos    Juan Luis Colaiacovo -Alfonso Sanchez
• Octubre: USA  Estado de Washington – Alfonso Caycedo – Ricardo Zavaleta
• Noviembre:   Jaime Estupinan  – Clarita Estrada
• Diciembre:  Festival de Blancos–Wilson Moreira-  Cecilio-Augusto Berndsen

    .o0o.