When I was a working wine critic, people said I possessed a certain amount of power. Maybe so, but I never was in a position to dictate to a winery what appellation they were entitled to use on the label!

If I had been an official taster with the Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité, the French quasi-governmental agency that regulates the appellation contrôlée system, I would have had that right and that power. Which scares even me: uneasy lies the head that wears a crown! But that is the case in France, where “the 2012 vintage of Pontet-Canet’s second wine, Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, [was] refused AOC classification by an independent tasting panel. As a result, the wine will have to be bottled as a Vin de Table rather than a Pauillac,” according to the drinks business newsletter.

It seems ridiculous to put that much power in the hands of a group of bureaucrats, but that’s the French way. Besides, I wonder if the official tasters tasted the wine blind. (If any of you know, please tell me in the comments.) The drinks business article tried to discern why the tasters rejected the wine; the best they could surmise was that Pontet-Canet’s combination of biodynamic winegrowing and use of amphorae (a sort of “egg”) resulted in the wine’s lacking “Pauillac typicité,” whatever that means. Now, I don’t know the total number of wines that bore a Pauillac AOC in 2012, but it has got to be in the dozens if not hundreds, right? So how “different” could the Les Hauts have been (after all, it is from a respected Classified Growth), for the tasters to have rejected it? Was it the sole outlier in the entire commune? Perhaps the tasters knew what it was, and their personal attitudes toward biodynamics and amphorae shaped their perceptions.

It’s not that I’m feeling sorry for Pontet-Canet and its owners, the Tesseron family. In fact, the brouhaha may work in their favor. Melanie Tesseron told the drinks business that the wine “is becoming fast a collector’s item.” I don’t doubt it. Anomalies often do. The famous “upside down plane” stamp is a collector’s item.

In wine, pretty much the same thing happened when Piero Antinori launched Tignanello, in 1971; because he blended the Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the Italian government wouldn’t let him label it Chianti Classico. He had to use the lowly “Toscana” appellation. But it didn’t exactly hurt Tignanello, which became a collector’s item.

Not that we’re in any danger of it, but I’d hate to see California turn into the kind of dictated winegrowing region that so much of Europe is, where you can only grow the grape varieties the government approves of, or else you have to lower the appellation. Can you imagine how that would work in Napa Valley, which, presumably, if we had strict typicity rules, would be limited to Bordeaux varieties? A vintner who blended in a little Syrah with the Cabernet (as B Cellars did in 2004, in their Blend 25) would be entitled only to North Coast, or possibly a California AVA. Under those circumstances, B Cellars might not even have bothered making the wine, which would have robbed the world of a beautiful 94-pointer.

I’m off to the beautiful Santa Maria Valley for the rest of the week, but will try to post tomorrow. Meanwhile, we’re supposed to get some pretty good rain on Friday in Northern California, which is a very good thing!

All of the wines paired well with Mom’s (LaGayle) dinner of tomato basil soup, ensalada mixta, chicken tapenade, grilled garlic basil polenta cakes, roasted asparagus with balsamic browned butter, and topped off by orange sherbet with strawberries drizzled with simple syrup and ground black pepper for dessert.

The consensus favorite of the evening was the 2013 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. In the 1940’s, Nikola Nobilo emigrated from Croatia and planted some of the first commercial grapevines in New Zealand. He was one of the pioneers responsible for the worldwide popularity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The other two wines in this tasting that deserve extra attention because of their high quality and excellent value are the 2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and the 2012 Efeste Feral Sauvignon Blanc from Washington State. These top three wines are outstanding and are great choices to enjoy on your deck on a warm evening or to complement lighter fare such as chicken or fish any time of the year.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2013 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Pale, straw yellow. Beautiful nose with grapefruit and lime aromas. More grapefruit and lime as well as vegetal notes come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $8; Available elsewhere, $8 to $13

2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with grapefruit, lime, and fresh cut grass on the nose. More grapefruit, lime, and a touch of pineapple come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with racy acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with an extremely long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $12; Available elsewhere, $10 to $14

2012 Efeste Feral Sauvignon Blanc (Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Gorgeous nose with lime, grapefruit, pear, and a touch of minerality. More citrus notes come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with tart acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, lingering finish. Very crisp and refreshing.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $20; Available elsewhere, $19 to $21

2013 Chateau Montet Bordeaux Blanc (Bordeaux, France): Pale, straw yellow. Nose is a bit tight at first, then pear and apple aromas come through. More pear, apple, and a touch of citrus come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $10

2012 Woodinville Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, straw yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, lime, and a touch of minerality on both the nose and palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $15 to $17

2012 Gilles Blanchet Pouilly Fume (Loire, France): Pale, straw yellow. Moderately aromatic with apple notes on the nose. More apple as well as pear and a touch of flint comes through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $18

Wine Tasting Dinner: Sauvignon Blanc from Around the World was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Trying to hold on to the last bit of summer here in Seattle, we featured six rosé wines from around the world at our wine tasting dinner last Friday. It was another fabulous evening of good wine, the company of wonderful friends, and excellent food. Our good friend and next-door neighbor, Eric, served as the guest chef for the evening and made his wonderful paella. The wines paired extremely well with our entire meal which included bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Serrano pepper and cream cheese spread with pepper jelly on crackers for appetizers, ensalada mixta and the paella for the main dish, and fresh strawberries garnished with simple syrup and black pepper served with a scoop of orange sherbet for dessert.

The consensus favorite was the 2012 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé. This wine is produced in the Provence region of France but is easy to find across the United States, especially this time of year. It is great as a sipper and gets even better with food.

When the sun is shining and you’re looking for a refreshing beverage to enjoy on the deck or in the backyard, don’t forget to give rosé wine a shot. In addition to the paella we had at this dinner, two other foods that pair very well with rosé are grilled salmon and hot dogs.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2012 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé (Provence, France): Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. Very pale salmon color. Beautiful nose with floral and citrus aromas. Citrus fruit, watermelon, and a touch of spice come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $15 to $17

2012 Viu Manent Estate Collection Reserva Malbec Rosé (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 94% Malbec and 6% Syrah. Pale to medium pink. Aromatic with strawberry, watermelon, and citrus peel on the nose. More strawberry, cherry, and floral notes come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $7; Available elsewhere, $7 to $11

2012 Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap Rosé (Western Cape, South Africa): 51% Syrah, 28% Cinsault, and 21% Grenache. Medium pink. Aromatic with strawberry, cherry, and spice on both the nose and palate. Off-dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $10; Available elsewhere, $9 to $12

2012 La Vieille Ferme Ventoux Rosé (Rhone Valley, France): Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah. Medium pink. Nice nose with strawberry and floral aromas. Cherry and strawberry come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $9; Available elsewhere, $6 to $10

2012 Chateau La Mascaronne Quat’saisons Rosé (Provence, France): Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre. Very pale salmon color. Aromatic with citrus and floral aromas. Meyer lemon, watermelon, and pink grapefruit come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $13 to $21

2012 Robert Ramsay Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 45% Grenache, 45% Cinsault, and 10% Viognier. Pale to medium salmon color. Nice nose with orange peel and strawberry aromas. Strawberry and citrus fruit comes through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18

Wine Tasting Dinner: 2012 Rosé from Around the World was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

To determine which dessert wines to try, once again I referred to my favorite resource, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. This time, rather than referring to the book itself, I used the What to Drink with What You Eat app on my iPhone. (So handy!) I decided to go with Sherry and Sauternes and selected the Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 from Spain and the 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes from France. Both wines were delicious; however, the Sherry was the unanimous choice as the best pairing with the pecan pie. When you are pairing with a sweet dessert, you want the wine to be at least as sweet as the food. Sipping a really sweet wine like this Alvear Pedro Ximenez with a really sweet dessert like pecan pie, the sweetness level actually seems to go down and the flavors really come together.

What would you have paired with this dessert? It is always great to hear your thoughts. Also, please share your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 (Montilla-Moriles, Spain): 100% Pedro Ximenez. Dark amber brown. Very aromatic with raisins and molasses on the nose. More raisins and molasses as well as chocolate and prunes come through on the palate. Very sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $16 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $17 to $50

2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes (Sauternes, Bordeaux, France): Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Medium golden yellow. Nice nose with honey and peach aromas. Honey, peach, mango, and almonds come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K & L Wine Merchants (California), $30 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $34 to $60

Challenging Wine Pairing: Pecan Pie was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The day before the conference, Colby and I had the pleasure to attend a culinary bus tour hosted by Wines of Chile. We had a fabulous afternoon enjoying Portland’s diverse food options paired with some wonderful Chilean wines. That evening we attended a Welcome Reception hosted by the Oregon Wine Board where we had the opportunity to try a number of Oregon wines.

Things really kicked into high gear on Friday with the official start of the conference and a keynote address by Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard. In a departure from previous conferences, the winery visits were held on Friday afternoon and evening rather than on Saturday. These wine country visits are always a highlight of the conference. When we boarded the bus, we did not know where it was going as each bus had a different destination throughout Oregon wine country. Our bus enjoyed a lovely visit to Sokol Blosser Winery in Dundee where we tasted, ate dinner, listened to live music, and took a vineyard tour with representatives from seven Dundee Hills wineries.

This year, we had two Live Wine Blogging segments (Whites & Rosés on Friday and Reds on Saturday) which featured wines poured for us by winery representatives in a fast and furious “speed dating”-like format.

Saturday morning and early afternoon was devoted to breakout sessions on a variety of topics. I won’t bore you with the details, but we found most of the sessions very interesting and informative. We hope to incorporate some of the suggestions and ideas we formulated during these sessions to make Wine Peeps even better. And once again, there was an emphasis on social networking and interacting with our readers. (So if you aren’t already, please follow/like us on Twitter and Facebook.) Rex Pickett, author of Sideways, gave the keynote address on Saturday afternoon. Later that evening, Alan Kropf of Mutineer Magazine presented the 2012 Wine Blog Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners!

King Estate Winery hosted dinner on Saturday evening. In my opinion, it was the best dinner we’ve had at any of the Wine Bloggers Conferences. They brought their own culinary staff to prepare a delicious five-course meal paired with their wines. For more details about the dinner, including recipes, check out the website they created just for the event.

While I enjoyed all of the keynotes, sessions, events, and tastings, the best part of the conference was getting to meet so many of our fellow wine bloggers in person and see some friends we had made at previous conferences.

Many thanks to Allan Wright of Zephyr Adventures and Joel Vincent of Joel Vincent Productions for organizing this wonderful conference and to all of the sponsors for your support in making it a reality.

We are already looking forward to the 2013 conference in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada!

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted during #WBC12. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region are listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Santa Rita Triple C, Maipo Valley, Chile, $40, QPR: 5
2009 Brittan Vineyards Basalt Block Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $45, QPR: 5
2009 Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California, $75, QPR: 5

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2009 Decibel Sauvignon Blanc, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, $13, QPR: 5
2011 MontGras Quatro, Colchagua Valley, Chile, $14-15, QPR: 5
2010 King Estate Riesling Vin Glacé, Oregon, $15, QPR: 5
2010 Odfjell Orzada Old Vine Carignan, Maule Valley, Chile, $18, QPR: 5
2010 Loma Larga Lomas de Valle Syrah, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $18, QPR: 5
2010 Argyle Eola-Amity Hills Riesling, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $18, QPR: 5
NV Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi, Sonoma County, California, $22, QPR: 5
2011 Miguel Torres Estelado Sparkling Rosé, Maule Valley, Chile, $25, QPR: 5
2009 Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $25-30, QPR: 5
2008 Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $27, QPR: 5
2010 Van Duzer Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $30, QPR: 5
2007 Argyle Knudsen Vineyard Brut, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $50, QPR: 5
2011 Milbrandt Vineyards Ancient Lakes Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington, $20, QPR: 4
2010 Milbrandt Vineyards Northridge Vineyard Malbec, Wahluke Slope, Washington, $25, QPR: 4
2010 Stoller Reserve Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $28, QPR: 4
2010 Winderlea Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $38, QPR: 4
2007 Amity Vineyards Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $40, QPR: 4
2010 Brittan Vineyards Basalt Block Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $45, QPR: 4
2010 Archery Summit Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $48, QPR: 4
2008 Domaine Drouhin Laurène Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $65, QPR: 3
2010 Winderlea Legacy Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $75, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2011 PEPI Sauvignon Blanc, California, $9, QPR: 5
2011 NxNW Horse Heaven Hills Riesling, Washington, $12, QPR: 5
2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret, California, $17, QPR: 5
2008 Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile, $18-20, QPR: 5
2010 Los Boldos Vielles Vignes Merlot, Cachapoal Valley, Chile, $20, QPR: 5
2009 Amity Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon, $22, QPR: 5
2009 NxNW Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, $25, QPR: 5
2007 August Cellars Portus Augustus Dessert Wine, Oregon, $25 (375ml), QPR: 5
2011 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $12-14, QPR: 4
2009 Argyle Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $30, QPR: 4
2010 Longhand (Bev Mo Vnyd Partner) Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California, $30, QPR: 4
2010 Lange Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $32, QPR: 4
NV Sokol Blosser Evolution White Wine, America, $15, QPR: 3
2011 King Estate Signature Pinot Gris, Oregon, $16, QPR: 3
2009 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $38, QPR: 3
2010 Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $40, QPR: 3
NV Domaine Chandon Etoile Sparkling Rose, Carneros, California, $50, QPR: 3
2011 Stoller Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $20, QPR: 2
2008 Styring Reckless Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Oregon, $35, QPR: 2
2010 Winderlea Willamette Valley Chardonnay, Oregon, $36, QPR: 2

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
NV Riunite Lambrusco, Emilia IGT, Italy, $6, QPR: 5
2011 Domaine du Tariquet Classic Cotes du Gascogne, France, $9, QPR: 4
NV Hope Family Wines Troublemaker Blend 3, Paso Robles, California, $20, QPR: 4
2009 Amity Vineyards Eco-Wine Organic Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $22, QPR: 4
2011 Esporao Duas Castas Semillon Viosinho, Portugal, $13, QPR: 3
2010 King Estate Signature Pinot Noir, Oregon, $27, QPR: 3
NV R.Stuart & Co. Brut Rosé d’Or Sparkling Wine, $38, QPR: 3
2011 Recuerdo Wines Torrontes, Argentina, $15, QPR: 2
2010 Cornerstone Cellars Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $30, QPR: 1
2009 Brittan Vineyards Syrah, Oregon, $40, QPR: 1

Highlights and Final Thoughts from the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

During the conference, we participated in two Live Wine Blogging sessions (Whites & Rosés on Friday and Reds on Saturday) which featured wines poured for us by winery representatives, often the winemaker or owner themselves, in a fast and furious “speed dating”-like format. We tasted and reviewed the wines live, posting comments on Twitter. Since many of you may not have been viewing the Twitter stream at that time, I am posting a recap here.

Here are the wines we tasted during the Live Wine Blogging – Whites & Rosés session, listed in the order we tasted them, with my Twitter-style notes as well as Quality and QPR ratings:

2011 Recuerdo Wines Torrontes 2011 (Argentina): Apple, lime, touch of grapefruit, very crisp.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

2011 Esporao Duas Castas Semillon Viosinho (Portugal): Just launched, avail 6 states. Pear, minerality, creamy.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $13

2011 PEPI Sauvignon Blanc (California): Made for food, found often in restaurants. Tons of grapefruit, lime, crisp & refreshing.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $9

2009 Decibel Sauvignon Blanc (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand): Beautiful wine, grapefruit, lime, creamy.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $13

NV Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi Sparkling Wine (Sonoma County, California): 89% PN, 8% Chard, 3% Muscat. Luscious apple, pear, yeast. Delish!
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $22

2010 Cornerstone Cellars Chardonnay (Willamette Valley, Oregon): Pear, creamy yet crisp, minerality, begs for food.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

NV Sokol Blosser Evolution White Wine (America): Grapes from OR, WA, CA. Blend of 9 varieties. Very aromatic!
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15-18

2011 Domaine du Tariquet Classic Cotes du Gascogne (France): Ugni Blanc-Colombard blend. Floral, citrus, mineral.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $9

2011 Milbrandt The Estates Ancient Lakes Dry Riesling (Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): RS: 0.4% Dry, wet stone, lime, crisp. Lovely!
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20

NV Domaine Chandon Etoile Sparkling Rosé (Carneros, California): Toasted nuts, raspberry, strawberry, creamy.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $50

While there were many good wines, as you can see from the Quality ratings, our favorites were the 2009 Decibel Sauvignon Blanc, the NV Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi Sparkling Wine, and the 2011 Milbrandt The Estates Ancient Lakes Dry Riesling.

Live Wine Blogging is a fast-paced process but lots of fun. I’ll be posting a recap of the Reds session next week.

Cheers!

Live Wine Blogging Recap from #WBC12 – Whites & Rosés was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Today, I’m going to expand my wine bucket list to include special wine regions around the world that we’ve not yet visited but want very much to visit. We’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to not only visit all of the major U.S. wine regions multiple times, but also take trips to the Bordeaux region of France, all of the major wine regions of Australia, the Marlborough region of New Zealand, all of the major wine areas of South Africa, and both the British Columbia and Niagara-on-the-Lake regions of Canada.

Now, our goal is to visit the following wine regions that have a special interest for us:

• Northern and Southern Rhône in France
• Champagne region of France
• Tuscany and Piedmont areas of Italy
• Douro Valley and the Port lodges of Portugal
• Argentina and Chile in South America
• Rioja region of Spain
• Mosel region of Germany

Hopefully, we can work our way through this wine travel bucket list over the next ten years, and then start working on our next list. If you believe that there’s a wine region that we should definitely add to our current list, please let me know (and if you’d like to sponsor a trip to your favorite area we just might be able to move it up the list). As we make some of these bucket list trips, we’ll report on our travels and recommend to you the ones that meet or exceed our expectations.

Cheers!

(Photo by Megan Mallen)

My Wine Bucket List—Expanded was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We decided to pair the pie with a Tawny Port and a Muscat, specifically the Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto and the 2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. Both of these wines were excellent! However, we all thought that the Tawny Port paired best with the German chocolate pie.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this dessert. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto (Douro Valley, Portugal): Deep garnet color. Nice nose with black plum, caramel, and toffee aromas. Black plum, toffee, caramel, honey, and raisin come through on the palate. Medium sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $28.99; Available elsewhere, $21 to $30

2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC, France): Pale to medium, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with honeysuckle, potpourri, and apricot on the nose. More apricot and floral notes come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $17.99 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $14 to $15

Challenging Wine Pairing: German Chocolate Pie was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.