Rhone Valley Vineyards - 2012 "La Ferme Julien" red blend (France)

Earlier in the week, my colleague Sandra informed me that February 18th was "National Drink Wine Day." Now, I've never heard of this holiday, but immediately I liked it. Around my apartment, every day is National Drink Wine Day, but I figured if such a day (officially or unofficially) existed somewhere, I needed to be a part of it.

I also realized that a lot of the wines I review are specialty bottles that sometimes can be expensive and hard-to-find. In fact, most of the bottles I have reviewed have been ones furnished by special order from good friend and wine merchant Charles Bissell, and then have spent several years in my cellar and aged to their perfect peak of taste. So today I'm going to help out my retail- and budget-minded readers and review a wine on the cheaper end of the spectrum that's readily available. Today's review - in honor of National Drink a Bottle of Wine and Watch House of Cards Day - is a $6.00 red table wine from Trader Joe's.

This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsaut grapes grown in the Rhone Valley of France, on the slopes of Mont-Ventoux in the wine-growing AOC of Côtes du Ventoux. "AOC" stands for appellation d'origine contrôlée, which is a French certification given to certain food and drink produced in certain geographical indications within France. This is essentially a "geographic mark of production" that allows the consumer to know they are consuming, for example, authentic Bordeaux Supérieur actually grown in Bordeaux instead of some other imitation red marketed under that name. The consumer will also know that anything marked AOC is produced under a set of other standards, including aging guidelines, ingredient purity and origin rules, and rules governing the use of naming conventions.

It's worth noting this wine is a screwcap wine. Popular opinion has always held that screwcap wines were cheaper and less desirable than traditional corked wines. And I think this opinion is shifted at least a little bit, much like the opinion of canned beers vs. bottled beers. Screwcaps are a better way of sealing the wine and ensuring it stays sealed. Plus, with a screwcap, you don't have to worry about a cork blight or a loose cork or getting cork in the wine.

The wine pours nicely, with very little aroma coming from the glass. I let it sit for 10 minutes, as one does, while House of Cards loaded and my dinner was cooking. As I was about ready to sit down to eat, I stuck my nose in the glass again. Nope, still no aroma.

The wine is a pleasing red garnet color when held to the light.

The taste is sour and tart, with a grape and ripe strawberry finish. It leaves a slight metallic / earthy aftertaste, which I kind of like. I realize this may not sound tasty. But it is. One thing this wine lacks, which is a good thing, is the caustic alcohol taste endemic to most cheap wines. What makes this wine worth noting is that despite the price tag, it does not carry any harsh burn or tannic alcohol aftertaste. Of course, when you buy cheap wine, most people understand it's going to be less refined than say, a velvety-smooth $25 Terra Noble pinot. But La Ferme Julien surprised me with its lack of burn and nice earthy flavor.

It's a good wine to have on hand if you're serving pizza, or pasta, or maybe some delicious risotto balls from Pete's Apizza. It's also tasty to have on its own, especially if you like that tartness in a red. It's cheap enough to have every day, or to grab on the way to a friend's house for movie night. It's solid, tasty, and worth sharing.

Fremont Brewing Co. - Bonfire ale (Washington state)

Today's review is one I should have done a while ago. This fine example of a winter ale comes straight from Seattle, WA, courtesy of my brother Daniel. He sent me some last year, and when I told him how much I liked it, he went out of his way to find more for me. Thanks, dude!

Fremont Brewing Co. makes some great stuff. I'm a huge fan of theirs and have enjoyed everything I've tried: Bonfire, Fremont Harvest, their tasty Summer, and others. The Bonfire ale is their 6.00% ABV fall / winter seasonal, and it's really exceptional.

The pour is swift, the color a pleasing deep caramel brown.

The nose is almost non-existent, with just vague hints of nuttiness and dark wheat detectable.

The taste is really where this beer shines. There's a smooth, straightforward ale taste tinted with rye and nuts. It lacks any bitter taste or burnt taste, but has a silkiness that is really pleasant. One of my major gripes about winter beers is the burnt chocolate / coffee tastes that a lot of them seem to have; some beers successfully avoid this trend. In this way, the Bonfire reminds me of Maui Brewing Company's Coconut Porter, which I reviewed about a year ago. The consistency is similar, and the delicateness of the taste is common to the two.

Also, nice little bit of sediment in the glass.

This post is a good time to talk about drinking. And not in the D.A.R.E. sort of way, either. There's an amorphous quality of beer called "sessionability" that relates to how well you can enjoy it over a sustained period of time. In other words, how well a beer "drinks." In the wine world, we call such a wine a "quaffing" wine. A good "session ale," as they're called, is one that's easy to drink, enjoyable, and one that's tasty enough to keep you interested. Usually, session ales don't have a high alcohol content or crazy tastes. Session ales are the ones you bring to parties - beers that can be enjoyed idly and with friends over conversation.

I feel that the Bonfire fits well under that category. The Bonfire is very tasty but also is straightforward enough that I could see myself enjoying a beer or two while watching a movie and not having to pause to appreciate the beer. This is not to say Bonfire isn't worth appreciating - far from it - but it's both delicious and sessionable, which makes for a winning combination.

Examples of non-sessionable ales are specialty brews like Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut, Stone's Old Guardian barleywine, and Dogfishead 120 minute IPA. Also, I find most IPAs (with the exclusion of Red Hook's Long Hammer) don't "session" well. Some are just too bitter, but beyond that the taste is so strong and up-front that it's hard to ignore. Non-session beers are ones you have to focus on, beers that have such strength, such powerful tastes and intense flavors that you can't ignore. A session beer is something that's delicious enough to enjoy and, if you so choose, not think about. And I think Bonfire fits in very well to that category.

Like many of the West Coast beers I review, I think Bonfire is only available in Seattle (and then, only during the fall/winter seasons.) But, if you happen to be out that way and see it on draft, do yourself a favor and have a pint. You won't regret it!

Wine Flash: Chateau de Lascaux - 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc (France)

Today's wine is a 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc produced by Chateau de Lascaux, headed by vintner Jean-Benoît Cavalier.  It's a French blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 10% Mourvedre. It paired well with my homemade chicken marsala, and (in my opinion) the wine is a good example of the Languedoc appellation. It wasn't too expensive and I'll probably pick up another couple of bottles next time I come across it. It's approachable and serves well as an everyday wine and a table wine, especially when serving Italian dishes.

Raymond Vineyard + Cellar - 2009 Field Blend Red (California)

First off, let me apologize for the delay in posting. I know it's been a while since my last post, but intensive work obligations, travel, and a brief cold kept me occupied for some time. But, I'm feeling better, and back to posting.

Today's wine is one I've in my cellar for quite some time. It's a 2009 California red wine produced by St. Helena, CA-based Raymond Vineyard + Cellar. This wine, called a field blend, is made up of a whole bunch of varietals including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Syrah, and Zinfandel. According to popular lore, a "field blend" is a type of wine made in the early days of California vineyards when many grapes were planted together, and rather than separating out the varietals and making separate wines, the whole vineyard was blended together to make a blend - hence "field blend."

I don't have too much experience with this vintage, or appellation, but since the bottle has been kicking around my cellar for three or four years, I figured I should finally see how it turned out. I admit that I had no idea what it was going to taste like when I opened the bottle, and that was part of the fun.

Before opening it, I trekked out to Trader Joe's in Foggy Bottom to get some dinner ingredients. I wanted to make a big, fancy dinner and wanted one of my nicer bottles of wine to pair with it. I'm pairing the Field Blend with a garlic-and-oregano-glazed roasted pork chop, made from scratch, with saffron rice with sauteed mushrooms, and fresh spring mix salad.

The wine poured nicely, and the nose is one of dark berries and plums. I was really surprised at the fruitiness of the aromas. The color of the wine is dark, and when held to the light it's a nice, clear red. Look at that color!

The taste really blew me away. The wine delivered very strong flavors of strawberries and cherries and give way to a very smooth finish of plums. The aftertaste is very fruity and fresh and lingers for quite a long time. This has got to be the juiciest, fruitiest wine I've ever tasted. No alcohol taste. Smooth in all aspects. This wine is bright, full and lacks any harsh tannic tastes.

We have a real winner here. It's one of the purest, fruitiest wines I've ever had. Total fruit flavors. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best pairing for dinner, since the fruit taste was a bit overpowering for the delicate flavor of the meat. But I'd definitely suggest this for a drink-anytime wine.

I'm going to be on the lookout for this wine again, if the 2009 vintage is any indication of the common taste. If it were not for the cost, I'd probably buy a case and keep it on hand. I strongly recommend you all to try some, too, if you can find it. You won't regret it!