BITS & BOBS

March is Washington Wine Month, so I will be focusing on Washington wines for my YouTube channel episodes. In fact, my first episode is live, featuring white blends. I tried the white from Sage Rat Winery for the first time. I was a bit nervous, I wanted it to show well. Being that it was a blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Orange Muscat didn’t help my nerves. When you watch the episode, you will find out what I found out about that wine. There was one dud in the bunch, but that is to be expected from time to time. Check out the episode!

Every March (the original Washington Wine Month) a big event is held at the Lumen Field exhibition center called “The Taste Of Washington” featuring over seven hundred wineries from our great wine producing state. There are also many booths that feature the culinary scene of Washington. Lots of wines to taste and food to sample. I’m going this year for the first time in a long time. I’m not sure why I don’t go every year, but it’s in my plans to make it part of my yearly routine. I’ve been twice as a pourer for San Juan Vineyards and once as a ticket holder. It’s an impressive display of wine and food. Of course, the wine is my main interest. I will give a full report about my experience soon after I attend.

I’ve been ruminating on something that comes up quite often when tasting wines with other people. When you get together with someone to taste and analyze a wine, each individual comes up with their thoughts on the aromas and flavors of the wine being tasted. What I’ve heard lately is, “It’s the power of suggestion that makes me get that aroma.” Let’s get something straight here. Everyone has a database in their olfactory knowledge. Not all of us can remember, let alone have experienced certain smells or tastes. So, when you get involved in a group tasting experience, you depend on others database of taste and smells. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve smelled or tasted a wine and could not nail down the flavors or aromas I am experiencing. Case in point. I was at a tasting event with two very experienced wine guys. We were smelling a wine from Cote Rotie and could not for the lives of us identify one of the aromas. We took the glass over to someone else to have them smell it. He immediately said that the aroma was blueberry. He nailed it! That was the aroma and it had nothing to do with the power of suggestion. Maybe it had been a while since my two friends and I had eaten blueberries, but we knew what they smelled like and once we were made aware of it, we knew that was it. Smelling and identifying aromas in wine is a big key to enjoying it even more. Get some people you are comfortable with and try smelling and tasting wine together. Help each other out and you will be surprised at what you can learn.

Per a suggestion from one of the sales reps who comes to the store, I’ve started utilizing my TikTok account to give a glimpse of what I do at the store. Sort of a day in the life of Stan The Wine Man. I believe I’ve recorded about thirteen short clips of me at the store or in my studio. I will do a couple today since it’s Washington Wine Month and several salespeople will be stopping by to show me wines. Mondays are busy for me because I write quite a few orders, help customers and stock the beer when it needs it. It’s snowing outside as I’m writing this piece, so beer sales may be a bit slower. It’s still winter out there, soon to be Spring. Not soon enough for me. Remember the saying about March; In like a lion, out like a lamb. It’s living up to that reputation so far this year. That being said, if your brave enough to enter the world of TikTok, look me up. I also load the clips up on Instagram if you want to check them out there.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Yes! I finally was able to finish my article on the demise of Merlot, I hope you had a chance to read it. I would also like to write an article on the struggles Syrah is experiencing in the sales department. With both Syraj and Merlot, you have to get into the twenty-dollar and above range to find the best ones. As long as we can keep it under thirty. I have to say, even though I am good at finding bargains, when it comes to Merlot and Syrah it becomes a bit harder. For sure, I try to find good examples in the fifteen-dollar range if possible. I believe the problem lies in people who judge a varietal with a broad stroke when they try one that is not well-made. Compare it to going on a blind date. Do you judge the entire sex based on a bad experience during that date? Probably note. Not all men are jerks just because that one was. You get the picture. So, before you pass on a Merlot or Syrah, ask for some help in choosing one that will hopefully change your mind about that varietal.

March is “Washington Wine Month” so I intend to focus almost entirely on Washington wine on my YouTube channel that month. It will be fun to examine and talk about the great diversity of our fantastic wine-producing state. I might even do a few blind challenges. Washington vs. California, or Washington vs. Old World. That should be interesting. I’m looking forward to going to the “Taste of Washington” event in Seattle in March. It should be interesting and as I said, I will give you all a full report.

My assistant Scott and I are off to Woodinville for perhaps our last trip before we start getting the department in shape for the busy season ahead. Since it’s the end of February, I feel comfortable leaving the department one day without one of us there., And, it’s a Monday no less. We will be visiting Januik Winery where Mike and Andrew Januik will be teaching a blending class. I’ve been to it in the past, this will be the first for Scott. I’m looking forward to it.

Next month, I’m hoping to get a chance to interview Ashley Trout on Stan The Wine Man TV. She is visiting the island and we are trying to work out the details. She is one of the top women winemakers in Washington State. I would love to get a; chance to talk with her. Let’s hope we can make it work.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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THE MUCH MALIGNED MERLOT

Many people, including myself, have blamed the movie Sideways for the demise of Merlot. In that movie, Miles Raymond, played by Paul Giamatti said outside a restaurant “No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any f’ing Merlot!” That was a strong statement that many viewers took seriously. Yes, in 2004 after the movie came out, Merlot sales dropped. Also in that movie, Miles Raymond waxed poetic about Pinot Noir and sales for that varietal went through the roof. Like it or not, Hollywood has a lot of influence on the public.

To be fair, the movie wasn’t the only reason Merlot sales suffered. In the 1980’s Merlot was a hot ticket. Many wineries located in the central coast of California started pumping out large quantities of Merlot to take advantage of its popularity. However, due to the low quality of the Merlot they were putting out, interest in this varietal started to wane. In the mid to late 90s, Merlot sales started to drop. The movie didn’t help the situation. When I say low quality, I mean a lot of the Merlot was soft, fruity and lacked structure… Flabby comes to mind. There are places in the world where Merlot should not be produced and the Central Coast in one of those areas. I came to this conclusion after talking with a friend of mine who is also a winemaker for a well-known winery in Napa, CA. He was very adamant in his opinion about where Merlot shouldn’t be grown and produced. The central coast of California was one of the areas he mentioned. However, there are places in the world where Merlot thrives.

The Merlot grape is revered in Bordeaux, especially on the right bank, where many Chateaus produce wine made primarily from Merlot. Think Petrus, Cheval Blanc and Pomerol, all wines that demand a high price if you want to buy a bottle. I look to Fronsac myself, located on the right bank up in the Northern end. A majority of the reds from this region are predominantly Merlot, a lot of them one hundred percent. The wines from Fronsac are much more accessible for people of my humble income and they are very well made. If you recall, in the movie Sideways, Miles Raymond drank a Cheval Blanc (Merlot) while eating a hamburger at a fast-food restaurant. That bit of irony was missed by most who watched the movie.

Washington State is also known for producing high-quality Merlot. L’Ecole was one of the first wineries to put Merlot on Washington State’s map. Today, Merlot from Washington State is considered some of the best in the world. In Napa California, Duckhorn spear-headed the production of top-quality Merlot. Producers such as Gundlach Bundschu, Peju and others also put out top-notch Merlots. Believe it or not, Italy also produces some of the best Merlot in the world. Masseto, hailing from Tuscany is an outstanding Merlot that goes for close to a thousand dollars a bottle. Super-Tuscans as these reds are called, many times rely heavily on the Merlot grape and are simply fantastic and not all are expensive. Northern Italy is well-known for producing Merlot which is complex and structured. You can also find some very nice Merlots at reasonable prices from Chile as well.

The problem is that people feel hating Merlot is the right thing to do. Mainly because of not only the movie, but because there are still affordable, flabby, fruity Merlots that are abundant on the shelves of many grocery stores. A person who may decide to give Merlot a chance only has to buy one of these and BOOM! Their feelings about Merlot are solidified. I’m here to tell you that these people are missing out.

The word Merlot is French for “the little blackbird.” It is the second largest planting of grapes in the world behind Cabernet Sauvignon. It partners well with the latter as it is used to round out and soften Cab, which has more acidity and tannic structure. Bordeaux has been blending Cab and Merlot for centuries (along with Cabernet Franc). Merlot ripens about two weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon which allows it to be grown successfully in cooler climates like Northern Italy and Chile. Although known to be softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, it can have great depth, power and structure when coming out of areas like Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Washington State and Italy. I was fortunate enough to have a chance to taste Masseto (usually 100% Merlot) from Tuscany, Italy. It was as structured as any Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve tasted. However, you don’t have to taste an expensive wine like that, to find the potential in this grape varietal. Because of the type of grape it is, it will never have the tannic structure or acidity of a Cab. However, it can reach levels that a lot of people don’t realize until they try a good one. Again, you don’t have to fork out a lot of cash to experience what a well-made Merlot is like.

Look for Merlot from the right bank of Bordeaux, particularly Fronsac and you will find some excellent examples at very affordable prices. There are a host of examples from Washington State under thirty bucks that will literally knock your socks off! This, coming from a guy who loves well-built, structured, complex wines. The point is, that Merlot is a great varietal, and no one should let a movie or bottom-shelf wines dictate how they feel about a certain type of wine. Hell, I can find you poor examples of any varietal if you give me a chance.

All that being said, even some of the cheaper versions of Merlot can have a place when eating certain types of food. For example, if you are buying a wine to match with a spicy dish, a fruity, softer Merlot will work nicely with that. These types of Merlots are also an option with perhaps BBQ sauces and chargrilled meats. However, if you are having a hearty stew or prime rib, a more structured Merlot from Bordeaux, Italy or Washington State will work nicely. If you have made up your mind that Merlot is out of the question, I would only ask you to give it another chance. Seek out Merlot from areas that have the right growing conditions for this grape. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised and who knows, you may become an advocate as I am of this noble grape.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Okay, I’ve failed again at getting my article out about the demise of Merlot. I promise with all my heart that it will appear soon on this blog. However, I have once again introduced on my YouTube channel, another varietal that has taken a hit in the popularity department. The varietal is Syrah. I hope you get a chance to watch the blind tasting of Syrah, where I discuss the reason for the decline of interest in this varietal. Interest in certain wines is cyclical for sure, but it amazes me how some varietals stand the test of time, whereas others suffer the test of time. Wine drinkers can certainly be fickle.

My wife Susie and I are starting to get serious about our trip to Portugal in the fall. Susie is fervently reading up on the best places to stay and sharing with me what she is learning. I wish I had her tenacity to study up on where we plan on going. I cherish her for that. My job is to get the dates for our travel and connect with wineries that will accommodate a visit from us. I love the wines from Portugal and the country itself. It will be a great trip.

I will mention this once again, only because it is important to me. I am only 67 subscribers away from one thousand on my YouTube channel. What does that mean? When I hit one thousand, they start paying me for the advertising they are already doing on my most popular episodes. It won’t be much, but it will be something. If you can find it in your heart to subscribe to my channel, I would greatly appreciate it. I have some very interesting subjects planned for my channel. I will soon be reviewing wines made from the Tannat grape varietal. Many folks are not very familiar with this wine, so I’m excited to delve into this subject. I also plan on reviewing wines made from the Sagrantino grape which is found in Umbria, Italy, primarily from the village of Montefalco. Lots of good stuff to look forward to. Check out my channel, I think you will find it entertaining and informative.

March is the original “Washington Wine Month.” For some reason, they (whoever they are) decided to add August as another “Washington Wine Month.” Why do we need two? Anyway, in March they hold a big event at Lumen Field called “The Taste Of Washington,” where a ton of wineries sample their wines. A lot of people attend this event which goes on for about four days. On Saturday and Sunday, they have the Grand Tasting. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one of these, so this year, I will be there on Saturday to sample wines and meet some new people and old friends. I really should attend this every year, I’m not sure why I’ve missed so many. I will definitely have a report for all of you when I get back from the event.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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