Reviews of wines and spirits for the curious drinker.
A winemaker, Nicole Walsh of Ser Winery, recently recommended a wine to me. And I thought, “If a winemaker recommends someone else’s product, it must be worth seeking out.” That wine? Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain Syrah.
Saké, the national alcoholic beverage of Japan, is often called rice wine, but this is a misnomer. While it is a beverage made by fermentation, the production process more closely resembles that of beer, and it is made from grain (rice, of course), not fruit.
To make saké, the starch of freshly steamed glutinous rice is converted to sugar and then fermented to alcohol. Once fermented, the liquid is filtered and usually pasteurized. Sakés can range from dry to sweet, but even the driest retain a hint of sweetness.
In 1711, the Manryo brewery, was established by the first Chobei Osakaya of the Osabe family in Imazu, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. This is a significant saké production region , and the head office is still located there. The famous water found here is known as Miyamizu, groundwater originating in the Rokko mountain system. The region is also ideal for rice production, including Yamada-nishiki, a renowned saké rice.
In 1810 the fifth-generation owner of Manryo built a lighthouse to help guide home the ships that had delivered Manryo’s products to Edo, as Tokyo was then known. The Imazu lighthose has been an important cultural edifice in Nishinomiya ever since. In 1984 it underwent an extensive restoration.
In 1884 the company was rebranded from Manryo to Ozeki. The name originates from the world of sumo wrestling, where the grand champion was originally known as the Ozeki (now the second highest rank). Additionally, odeki is Japanese for ‘good job.’ Because it sounds similar to ozeki, this was intended to motivate the production of good saké. As sumo was becoming popular in the late 19th century, it exemplified many of the ideas that were considered important for success, including strenuous hard work and technical skill. Ozeki aimed to build the brand through these concepts, just like winning sumo wrestlers try to do.
Ozeki’s facilities were destroyed by fire due to a WWII air raid in 1945, but were rebuilt following the end of the war. In 1966, Ozeki introduced a saké vending machine, something we will never see in the United States! They entered the U.S. market in 1979 by establishing Ozeki San Benito Inc. in Hollister, California. The company celebrated 300 years in business in Japan in 2011,
Like my wines, I prefer my sakés to be dry. Karatamba is one of the driest I have found, with a Sake Meter Value* of +7. The ABV is 15.5%, and the polish rate** is 70%.
Karatamba (Dry Wave) is brewed and bottled in Japan. It is a honjozo saké. This classification, one level up from the most basic, is made with better-quality rice, and a higher proportion of the alcohol is produced during fermentation rather than being added (a characteristic of honjozo). Also, Karatamba attains its dryness level by the added alcohol; it would be difficult to do so without it.
Predictably, this saké is crystal clear. The nose offers up melon and lychee. These continue on the palate (without the tartness) plus some caramel richness and perhaps a hint of maple syrup. It has a round smooth mouthfeel ending in a pleasant soft finish.
*An important gauge of saké is the SMV (Saké Meter Value). This measures the density of saké relative to water, and is the method for determining the dryness or sweetness of saké. The higher the SMV, the drier the saké. The range is -15 to +15.
**The rice used in saké is called “saka mai” in Japanese, and it is not the same type of rice used for eating. The grains are larger than food rice, contain more starch, and less protein and fat. The rice is first milled, aka “polished,” to remove the outer layer that could cause off-flavors in the finished product. Typically, this will be 25 to 70%, but I have heard of exotic sakés with 99% starch removal! Not surprisingly, the more the rice is milled, the more expensive the saké becomes.
www.ozekisake.com/products/product_detail.php?product=12
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When I profile a wine, I like to start with the story of the producer, and then get into the wine itself. I couldn’t find much about this offering, which is just as well as it is low-quality plonk.
What is Saké?
Let’s be clear about this right away: Saké, the national alcoholic beverage of Japan, is often called rice wine, but this is a misnomer. While it is a beverage made by fermentation, the production process more closely resembles that of beer, and it is made from grain (rice, of course), not fruit. To make saké, the starch of freshly steamed glutinous rice is converted to sugar and then fermented to alcohol. Once fermented, the liquid is filtered and usually pasteurized. Sakés can range from dry to sweet, but even the driest retain a hint of sweetness.
Saké is an ancient drink, so much so that its origin has been lost in the mists of time. Ironically, the earliest reference to the use of alcohol in Japan is recorded in a third-century Chinese text, the Book of Wei in the Records of the Three Kingdoms which wrote of Japanese party habits. The Kojiki, Japan’s first written history, compiled in 712, is the earliest to mention alcoholic beverages in Japanese itself. Historians place the probable origin of true saké (which is made from rice, water, yeast, and kōji mold (aspergillus oryzae) in the Nara period (710–794).
Saké production was a government monopoly until the 10th century, when temples and shrines began to brew saké as an essential part of religious ceremonies, evolving into the main centers of production for the next 500 years. That being said, the saké of antiquity was not the same as the clear beverage we know today. It was reserved for nobles and priests, and was thick and milky or yellow in color, with a low alcohol content.
In the 16th century, the technique of distillation was introduced into the Kyushu district from Ryukyu. This led to shōchū (literally, fiery spirits), a beverage typically distilled from rice (kome), barley (mugi), sweet potatoes (satsuma-imo), buckwheat (soba), or brown sugar (kokutō), though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as chestnut, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots. It usually contains 25% alcohol by volume, and is most often used as a beverage outside of meals.
During the Meiji Restoration, laws were written that allowed anybody with the money and know-how to construct and operate their own sake breweries. Around 30,000 breweries sprang up around the country. As time passed, the government levied increasing taxes on the saké industry and the number of breweries eventually dwindled to 8,000.
Once the 20th century arrived, saké-brewing technology advanced beyond the centuries-old traditions. The government opened a saké-brewing research institute in 1904, and in 1907 the first government-run saké-tasting competition was held. Yeast strains specifically selected for use in brewing were isolated, and enamel-coated steel tanks came into use, which were easier to clean than the traditional wooden barrels, lasted forever, and were devoid of bacterial problems.
During the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–1905, the government banned the home brewing of saké. At the time, saké comprised 30% of Japan’s tax revenue. Home-brewed saké was not taxed, so the thinking was that by banning it sales and tax revenue would increase. This ban ended home-brewed saké, and the law remains in effect even today.
World War II brought rice shortages, and the saké-brewing industry was hampered as the government discouraged the use of this essential food for brewing. Postwar, breweries slowly recovered, and the quality of saké gradually increased. Even so, beer, wine, and spirits became increasingly popular in Japan, and in the 1960s beer consumption surpassed saké for the first time.
While the rest of the world may be drinking more saké and the quality of saké has been increasing, production in Japan has been declining since the mid-1970s. Predictably, the number of saké breweries is also declining; there were 3,229 Japanese breweries nationwide in 1975, but the number had fallen to 1,845 by 2007.
As noted earlier, saké is made from just four ingredients: rice, water, koji, and yeast. With so few components, the quality of each is crucial. Akita is known for its high-quality rice. Some of the best water is found In Nada near Kobe, where rivers course through granite canyons, or Fushimi with its pure spring water.
Although saké breweries often pride themselves on the quality of the rice and local spring water that they use, unlike wine this does not translate into terroir, as the brewing process effectively cooks out any such nuances.
The rice used in saké is called “saka mai” in Japanese, and it is not the same type of rice as food rice. The grains are larger, contain more starch, and have less protein and fat. The rice is first milled, aka “polished,” to remove the outer layer that could cause off-flavors in the finished product. Typically, this milling will be 25 to 70%, but I have heard of exotic sakés with 99% starch removal! Not surprisingly, the more the rice is milled, the more expensive the saké becomes. As an example, it takes 800 grams (28 ounces) of polished rice to make 720 mL (the size most like a wine bottle) of Ginjo saké. (Ginjo designates that at least 40% of the rice has been polished away.)
After polishing, the rice is soaked, either by machine for simple sakés, or by hand for higher-quality ones. Next the rice is steamed. Unlike rice for the dinner table, which is typically simmered in hot water either in a pot or automatic rice cooker, saké rice is prepared by steaming, which allows the rice to maintain a firm outer texture and soft center, thereby helping the brewing process. It is this heating step that more closely aligns saké with beer, which also requires heating, rather than wine, which must not be heated.
The rice must be cooled after it has been steamed to the desired degree. Large breweries use a refrigerated conveyor system to lower the temperature, while craft brewers rely on traditional methods of tossing and kneading to adjust the temperature, giving the brewmaster more precise control.
The heart of a saké brewery is its “koji muro”, the cedar-lined room in which koji is made. It is kept at 86 to 90 degrees F. (30 to 32 degrees C.), making it much like a sauna, so you have to enjoy warm weather to work there! Cedar has natural anti-bacterial resins which help to create a clean environment conducive to efficient koji production.
Koji requires 48 hours to prepare, during which the rice is inoculated with koji mold spores, and carefully kneaded in controlled temperature and humidity. The mold converts the starch in the steamed rice to glucose, and microorganisms multiply to create a snow-white fuzz with a strong, sweet fragrance. The finished koji will be about 20 to 35% of the rice used in the production of the saké, depending on the recipe.
Once the koji is ready, it is mixed into chilled spring water and yeast in a fermentation tank, and then the steamed rice is added. The tank is filled gradually, in three stages over a four-day period. This allows the yeast to retain its strength to keep consuming sugar and producing alcohol throughout the fermentation period, which typically continues for 21 days. The temperature is maintained at 46 to 64 degrees F. (8 to 18 degrees C.). The brew, called “moromi,” is stirred on a daily basis to ensure consistent fermentation. Each day, tests are performed to check specific gravity, acidity, and alcohol content.
Once the moromi reaches maturity as determined by the brewmaster, in a craft brewery it is drained into cloth bags which are placed in the traditional “fune” press which works with gravity and hand-applied mechanical pressure. The first run of saké starts emerging from a spout at one end of the press under the natural weight of the filled bags, resulting in a light-and-fruity first-pressed sake known “arabashiri.”
In a large commercial brewery the moromi is machine-pumped into a large accordion like hydraulic press called a “yabuta.” Activated charcoal is usually added to the pressed saké and then filtered out.
Once pressed and racked the saké may either be bottled immediately or temporarily tank-stored at close to 32 degrees F. (0 degrees C,). “Go” is the measurement unit traditionally for saké. One go is about 180 mL. Saké bottle sizes are also based on these units, with the most common sizes being: 180 mL (1 go; about 6 ounces); 360 ml (2 go); 720 mL (4 go); and 1800 mL (10 go, the magnum-like bottle you often see in izakayas, informal Japanese bars that serve alcoholic drinks and snacks. The glass may be either green, brown, or clear. After bottling, most sakés are pasteurized.
The entire saké production process takes about 45 to 60 days from start to finish. There are no vintage years, and the product is best consumed within the year it is bottled, as aging does not enhance its flavor in any way, and indeed may degrade it. Once a bottle is opened, it should be refrigerated and drunk fairly quickly.
Saké is divided into two main categories. Jozo-shu is made with added alcohol, and junmai-shu is not.
Jozo-shu
Futsu-shu is ordinary table saké and the most widely consumed grade. It is best served warm, and is suitable for use in cooking.
Honjozo-shu is made with better-quality rice, and a higher proportion of the alcohol is produced during fermentation rather than being added.
Honjozo-ginjoshu and honjozo-dai-ginjoshu are the highest grades of alcohol-added saké. They are made with more care from top-quality rice. They should be served cold.
Junmai-shu
Junmai-shu is similar to honjozo-shu, but relies on all of its alcohol from the fermentation. It is more likely than jozo-shu to be found in the U.S., and can be served warm (not hot) or cold.
Junmai-ginjoshu and Junmai-daiginjoshu are the highest grades of junmai-shu. Like the highest grades of jozo-shu, they are made with more care from top-quality rice. 50 to 70% of the rice is polished away, respectively. They should be served cold.
The glass carafe above is used for serving cold saké. The blue cavity is filled with ice to keep the saké cool. The wooden box is a “masu.” In addition to being a drinking vessel, it was also traditionally used for measuring rice, appropriately. In traditional restaurant service, the masu is placed on a small saucer and filled until the saké overflows, thus ensuring an honest pour. Some people, particularly native Japanese, will add a small pinch of salt to the corner of the masu before drinking, but I don’t recommend doing so.
In Japan, the process of heating saké is called “okan suru” and the resulting warm saké is called “kanzake.” The ceramic pots used for the heating are “tokkuri,” and the accompanying cups are “ochoko.” These are usually sold as sets, and are available in a very wide variety of styles. And, “warm” is the operative word here. Most heated sakés, both at home and in restaurants here in the U.S., are made too hot. Warm saké should be about 108 degrees F. (42 degrees C.). If you like it a bit hotter, the limit is around 122 degrees F. (50 degrees C.). Heating releases saké’s bright rice aroma, and causes the alcohol to be quickly absorbed into the blood.
In addition to it being a beverage, saké is also used as one of the principal seasonings in Japanese cooking, the other three being dashi stock, fermented bean paste (miso), and soy sauce. Saké acts as a food tenderizer due to the amino acids it contains. It also can suppress saltiness, eliminate fishy tastes, and take away strong odors. It is used sparingly in cooking, and as with wine, only use saké that you would drink on its own.
An important gauge of saké is the SMV (Saké Meter Value). This measures the density of saké relative to water, and is the method for determining the dryness or sweetness of saké. The higher the SMV, the drier the saké. The range is -15 to +15.
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Rütz Proprietor’s Reserve Chardonnay 2018
Keith Rütz’s first career track was in the fashion industry. He was the proprietor of two trendy clothing boutiques located near the UC Berkeley campus. To search out the latest styles, he frequently travelled to both London and Paris. It was in France where he began to develop his love of Burgundy and interest in wine generally.
How To Learn About Wine
OK, if you’re reading this I have to assume you enjoy wine, but don’t know much about it, and would like to become more knowledgeable. In that case, you are the very person that Winervana is intended for. So, how can you learn more about wine?
First, drink more wine! Now, this isn’t a call for overconsumption, but rather for broadening your wine horizons. If you gravitate towards Cabernet Sauvignon, try some Merlots. If you like Chardonnay, try Pinot Grigio. If you mostly drink wines from the U.S., sample some from Europe. At a more basic level, if you usually drinks reds, include some whites, or the other way around. And definitely dive into some Rosés! You get the idea.
Rely on wine professionals. These can include salespersons at your local wine shop as well as sommeliers at high-end restaurants. Don’t be intimidated that these people know more about wine than you do. Of course they do, that’s their job. Their job is also to sell you something you might like rather than make you feel ignorant. (If any of these people does that, immediately take your business elsewhere.) Feel free to provide as much information as possible, like “I don’t like sweet wine.” “I only drink sweet wine.” “I prefer wines from Hungary.” (Hey, it could happen.) “I like the idea of organic wines, but can’t seem to find any.”
I myself am not a particular fan of Rieslings. Before I pretty much gave up on them, I told the seller at a local wine shop that I kept hearing about how versatile and food-friendly Rieslings were, and I really wanted to find one I could embrace. It would need to have only a little spiciness or floweriness. It would need to be bone dry. It would need to cost about 20 bucks. He suggested a wine from Sonoma, which I sort of enjoyed, but didn’t make me a convert. (Although this one just about did.) So, guidance from a pro won’t always ensure success, but it will certainly increase the odds in your favor.
And, never, never feel embarrassed about price. Any time you are dealing with a wine seller, don’t hesitate to tell them, “I don’t want to go above X dollars for this purchase.” Again, if the seller can’t respect that, go elsewhere.
Host a wine tasting party. Invite six to eight friends for the party. Each person should bring a bottle of wine made from the same variety, such as Syrah, and all the bottles should be roughly in the same price range, which you can specify in the invitation, like $20 to $25. (If you have a wealthy friend, it can be amusing to have that person bring a “ringer,” a bottle that costs four or five times what was called for in the invitation. This is a good way to reveal that price and quality are not necessarily in lock step.) When people arrive, you should wrap the bottles in individual brown paper sacks or in aluminum foil with just the neck exposed, write a number on each one with permanent marker, and pull the cork. Sit down at a comfortable location, give everyone a piece of paper, a pen, a wine glass, a glass of water, perhaps some bread sticks, and start tasting the wines one at a time. I suggest going with pours of no more than one or two ounces for the tasting session, much like you would get at a winery’s tasting room. Wine left over can be consumed as people socialize afterwards.
Follow the six esses: see the color of the wine, swirl it in your glass, smell it, sip a little, swish it around in your mouth, and then swallow or spit. (Spitting is how professionals can taste dozens of wines at a time and remain lucid. All well and good, but it is unlikely to happen at a home party, where the point is to have fun as well as learn about wine.) Write down your impressions. Taste through all the wines, then talk about them as a group and hear what people liked and didn’t like. Once you’ve tasted all the wines, take them out of their wrapping one at a time, and next to the notes you made about that wine, write down the vintage year, the winery, where it was made, and how much the bottle cost. If you hold on to these notes, they can be the foundation of your wine education, a growing ability to remember what style of wine you like, along with what wineries you think make good wine. With any luck, your guests will all host parties of their own. That would give everyone a chance to try 36 to 64 different wines!
Consider a wine club. Here are some examples:
https://www.goldmedalwineclub.com/
Nearly all of these clubs offer a first case at a loss-leader price, with the wines often costing about $10 per bottle. After that, they want to ship you a case of wine on a regular basis, usually quarterly. I have tried a number of these clubs., but, I am no longer active with any of them. I still recommend that you give a few a try, though. You will be exposed to wines and producers you never heard of, from all around the world. I think the best plan is to buy that first case, try the wines, and then cancel and move on to another club. If you do this, say, once every three months for a year, you will have tried 48 new wines and expanded your palate for the better. You will like some wines more than others, which is the whole point, and you might even get lucky and discover one you love.
Almost every winery has a club of their own, as well. These usually ship two or three bottles on a monthly or quarterly basis. But, I suggest you hold off on these until you have focused your tastes on what you really like. I myself have been a member of Cline, Clos Pegase, Keenan, and Truchard for years.
I was also a long-time member of V. Sattui, until the owner, Daryl, aka “Dario,” drove me away by his arrogant attitude. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was unfortunate because the wines are quite good and only available directly from the winery. However, I have no interest in supporting a producer who doesn’t care about his customers, or one who won’t respect your intelligence or your budget, and neither should you.
There are plenty of wine courses, catering to every level. As a way to increase your wine knowledge, these can range from easy and nearly effortless, to a real commitment of both time and money. It all depends on what suits you. Here are just a few:
World of Wine: From Grape to Glass
Introduction to Wine and Winemaking from U. C. Davis
And, there are thousands of wine-related videos on YouTube.
Finally, there is self-education through reading. There is a wealth of resources both in print and online, such as right here at winervana.com. One of the books I rely on is The New Wine Lover’s Companion by Ron Herbst. Jon Bonné’s The New Wine Rules is great for demystification. Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson’s The World Atlas of Wine is just that, a comprehensive overview of wine places, terroir if you will. Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is highly regarded. And Robert Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide, although definitive, is like drinking from a fire hose. (Parker retired in 2019, so his seventh edition from 2008 is likely to be the last.)
There are magazine’s too, of course, such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Decanter, and Imbibe. But frankly, these can be overwhelming for the casual wine drinker, especially the first two. I read them occasionally, but don’t subscribe, and, predictably, find their numerical rating systems capricious and rather unhelpful.
Drink more wine!
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These days, wine drinkers are increasingly seeing the words sustainable, organic, and biodynamic on wine bottles and in wine producers promotional materials. Stewardship of the land and the lack of chemicals sound appealing, and who doesn’t like something that is dynamic? But what, really, do these terms mean? In fact, they are not just amorphous “feel good” terms, but do have specific definitions as well as institutional certifications to go along with them.
Note: These criteria and certifications only specifically apply to wines made in the United States. Other nations may or may not have similar programs.
When a wine is termed sustainable, it means the winery engages in eco-friendly practices such as using drip irrigation or dry farming; limiting or eliminating chemical waste and the use of pesticides; replanting crops or trees to replace those harvested for production; reducing the winery’s carbon footprint; using cover crops between vineyard rows to improve soil health; prevent erosion, control vine vigor, discourage weeds, and promote the sustainable health of the vineyard; deploying beneficial insects to control pests whenever possible; recycling packaging; taking part in energy efficiency initiatives; wildlife conservation; and other ‘green’ initiatives. Sustainability basically implies that the business is leaving as little negative impact on the land as possible.
Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) is a statewide certification program that provides third-party verification of a winery’s commitment to continuous improvement in the adoption and implementation of sustainable winegrowing practices.
Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified helps farmers and winemakers demonstrate their dedication to preserving and protecting natural and human resources.
Global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Certification is an internationally recognized system that sets standards to ensure safe and sustainable agriculture and ensure product safety, environmental responsibility and the health, safety, and welfare of workers.
The Napa Green organization supervises two programs. Land is an umbrella program that recognizes growers with validated environmental compliance and verified farm plans as meeting standards for watershed stewardship. Winery is one of only four sustainable winegrowing programs nationwide, offering the opportunity for comprehensive soil-to-bottle certification in both the vineyard and winery.
The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance is a certification program that provides verification that a winery or vineyard implements sustainable practices and continuous improvement.
Organic wines are about the protection of natural resources, to promote biodiversity, and limit the use of synthetic products, especially in the vineyards. Organic wines are made with organic grapes, of course. That starts with the use of no synthetic pesticides in the vineyard. Once the vinification process begins, substances like commercial yeast must also be certified as organic. Further, for the wine itself to be organic, there can be no sulfites added during production, although some sulfites do occur naturally in all wines. Sulfites are chemicals used as preservatives to slow browning and discoloration in foods and beverages, including wine, during preparation, storage, and distribution. Sulfites have been used in wine making for centuries, but some people are sensitive to them. If you’re not asthmatic, sulfite sensitivity would be very unusual. If you do have asthma, your chances of being sensitive to sulfites is in the range of between 1 in 40 and 1 in 100. (I myself am asthmatic, and have no sulfite sensitivity.)
Certification is an arduous, three-year process during which producers have to transition vineyards by discontinuing any use of prohibited substances. To be “Certified Organic,” wines must meet the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program’s criteria in both farming and production, as well as requirements set by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
Biodynamic is the most rigorous of these three protocols. Although based on both sustainable and organic, it goes much further. It is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, gardening, food, and nutrition. Biodynamic wine is made with a set of farming practices that views the vineyard as a complete organism. The idea is to create a self-sustaining system with natural plants, materials, soils, and composts. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are forbidden. Instead, a variety of animals and insects will typically live in the vineyard to fertilize it and control pests. Biodynamic farming also has an association with ancient agricultural concepts such as following lunar growing cycles and astrological charts, connecting the earth, the vines, and the solar system. (This last part gets a little squishy, imho.)
And more than just a concept, Biodynamic is a registered trademark of Demeter Association, Inc., the United States’ branch of Demeter International, a not-for-profit incorporated in 1985 with the mission to enable people to farm successfully in accordance with Biodynamic® practices and principles. Demeter’s vision is “to heal the planet through agriculture.”
The Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard applies to the certification of farms and ranches for the purpose of allowing them and their resulting agricultural products to carry the Demeter certification marks Biodynamic®, Demeter® and Demeter Certified Biodynamic®. The Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard meets the minimum requirements set by Demeter International. These base standards form a common legal foundation and agricultural framework for Biodynamic practice worldwide.
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There are many ways to buy wine: at a wine shop or liquor store, at a grocery store, or through a winery’s wine club, among others. There is another option that I use on occasion. These are online “flash sites” that offer one or even a few different bottles for sale per day, at discounts of around 15 to 70%, often with free shipping if you place a minimum order, which tends to be three to six bottles and varies with the price. How do they do this?
Here are a three such sites you might want to try:
www.invino.com
www.lastbottlewines.com
www.wtso.com
Tuna Pasta, Japanese Style
My wife recently came home with a lovely seven-ounce tuna steak. Well, I love tuna, and because of this I thought, “this isn’t going to feed the two of us.” So I began to consider how to stretch it out. The answer? Tuna pasta, Japanese-style!
Many years ago, while driving through Sonoma County, Arturo Keller and his wife Deborah came upon a piece of property overlooking the Petaluma River with a tremendous view and expansive terrain. Keller, a passionate antique car collector and native of Mexico, purchased the 50-acre parcel in 1982. He soon had a paved road built that wove about the property to serve as his own miniature racecourse. Keller also recognized the potential of the property as a grape-growing site, and in 1989 the La Cruz Vineyard was began.
Over time, Keller added more acreage, and planted Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier, and Pinot Gris, and began making wine for family and friends. Keller soon called on his youngest daughter, Ana, who had studied chemistry at the University of Mexico, to become the nascent winery’s winemaker.
Keller Estate released their first wines in 2001, an estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The name ‘Keller Estate’ pays homage to the Keller family’s Swiss heritage, since the word ‘keller’ is cellar in German.
Ana also started a sister brand, Casa Wines, which are sourced exclusively from the family’s La Cruz Vineyard. Casa Wines produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a red blend.
Keller Estate has completed the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program. The winery utilizes a natural water source, promotes local wildlife to live on the property, and is home to thousands of newly planted trees. The vines are all grown sustainably and organically.
The Keller Estate Winery
Raised in Mexico, Ana’s first exposure to wine came early in life when she spent her holidays in France’s Loire Valley harvesting grapes. “When my father asked me to join him in establishing Keller Estate, I was overjoyed,” she related. “We have accomplished much of what we initially set out to do, and it’s up to me to continue to make sure our quality never fluctuates.”
She holds degrees from both the University of Mexico (biopharmaceutical chemistry) and a Masters in Pharmaceutical Development from the prestigious King’s College in London. While there, she took her first formal wine tasting lessons.
Keller was heavily involved in the effort to make her property part of the AVA (American Viticultural Area) called the Petaluma Gap AVA.
“When you consider what the winds of the gap do to the area and to the grapes themselves, it seems to be a no-brainer. The winds force our (Pinot Noir) grapes to develop thicker skins and that in itself changes the equation.”
The fog-shrouded Petaluma Gap
Keller devotes 100 percent of her time to Keller Estate, and confided that her parents are still active in the business as well. “Whenever my father is available, he sits in on our meetings and tastings. He is still quite active and his passion for cars takes up a great deal of his time. He cares a great deal about the winery since it is still a relatively small family operation.”
Born in Goettingen, Germany, Julien Teichman joined Keller Estate in 2018. His passion for fermentation began with an internship at a brewery. He next spent some time in Florence, Italy where he had his first contact with winemaking and vineyards. Julien then earned a degree in winemaking from the Weincampus Neustadt in Germany.
Julien traveled the world working harvests and finally came to the United States in 2013, where he spent time at Kosta Brown and Merry Edwards before joining Keller Estate. He espouses a profound respect for the vineyard, and a holistic approach to farming and winemaking.
The Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard features an intricate stone cross sculpture that boldly stands over the vines, and was named to represent the family’s Mexican heritage.
The majority of the La Cruz Vineyard, where Keller Estate grows all of their Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Gris, and slightly over half of their Pinot Noir, resides on the lower hills of the property. The soils here are multi-layered, mineral-laden clays there were once San Pablo Bay seabeds. This mineral character comes through in the wines and is very much a part of the Keller Estate’s unique terroir.
To start with, this bottle was sealed with a synthetic plastic cork. Not the worst one I’ve ever encountered (although the one in the second bottle was harder to get out than the first), but I’m just not a fan. I’m fine with manufactured corks, where cork is ground up, treated to prevent cork taint, and then reconstituted as closely as possible to the bark itself. But failing that, I’ll take a screw cap over a plastic stopper any day.
Moving on to the wine. The fruit was sourced from the Keller Estate’s La Cruz Vineyard, in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast. The wine was fermented in both barrels and stainless steel. This 100% Chardonnay is very pale yellow in the glass. The moderately aromatic nose features grapefruit and honeydew. These are on the palate as well, with moderate but bright acidity and mineral notes. Although it saw some oak aging, the result is subtle at best. 1,600 cases were produced, and the ABV is 14.2%.
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Garlic Olive Oil
Garlic Olive Oil is a wonderful and versatile condiment. Sure, you can buy it, but it’s going to cost about $1.50 to $2.50 an ounce. For around 75 cents an ounce, you can easily make it yourself, and know exactly what goes into it as well. Most recipes for garlic olive oil roast the garlic in the oven. My method uses just the stovetop, which is more streamlined but delivers the same amount of flavor. Here’s how to do it:
Based on a recipe from epicurious.com.
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Vale do Bomfim Red Blend 2017
In the 1970s, Portuguese rosés such as Lancers and Mateus were the height of sophistication to many young wine drinkers: “It’s imported, and comes in a fun bottle!” With age comes wisdom however, and these wines were largely abandoned for the justifiably famous fortified wines of Portugal, Port and Madeira, produced by many ancient and famous houses.
Much less well-known is Portugal’s status as a producer of both red and white table wine, ranking in the world’s top ten in production. With a population of just 10 million, but #2 in per capita consumption as of 2019 , much of that wine is sipped by the thirsty Portuguese. (The U.S. is 44th out of a total of 167 countries.)
Winemaking in Portugal has a long and storied history. It was the first country to implement an appellation system, the Denominação de Origem Controlada, in 1756, almost 180 years before the French established their own similar system. The DOC established early quality-control standards, but because it has been in place for over 350 years much Portuguese winemaking is tightly bound by tradition; even calcified, some would say. However, this has been steadily changing, and many producers are updating their winemaking equipment and methods and are producing good high-quality wines.
This wine comes from the Douro [DOO-roh], a wild mountainous region located along the Douro river starting at the Spanish border and extending west into northern Portugal. The grapes for many Ports originate here also, but the vineyards for the table wines are at higher altitudes, where the grapes don’t ripen as fully or produce the higher sugar levels desirable for fortified wines.
In the 19th century, the area around the village of Pinhão was known as Vale do Bomfim, which translates as ‘the well-placed valley.’ The specific vineyard from which this wine comes was acquired by George Warre for Dow’s in 1896 (his family had been involved in the Port trade since its earliest years). In 1912, Andrew James Symington became a partner in Dow’s and made Quinta do Bomfim his family home in Douro. (Quinta is Portuguese for farm, estate, or villa.)
Quinta do Bomfim sits in the upper Douro Valley, located in an area of transition between temperate and Mediterranean climates. Predominantly south-facing with ample solar exposure, the terraced vineyards sit on schist, a medium-grade metamorphic rock formed from mudstone or shale. The total property is 247 acres (100 hectares) with 185 acres (75 hectares) planted to vine. The elevation varies from 262 to 1,260 feet (80 to 384 meters).
Historically, Portuguese wine was pressed by foot in granite treading tanks called lagares on the upper level of a winery, and then gravity sent the juice from the lagar to oak or chestnut vats for fermentation on another floor below. The original winery at Quinta do Bomfim was modernized beginning in 1964 with the introduction of automated lagars to increase winemaking capacity, as increasing labor shortages made treading in stone lagares impractical and too expensive. The automated lagar is an open stainless steel vinification tank in which mechanical treaders, powered by compressed air, replace the human foot in treading the grapes. It was designed to replicate the gentle treading action of feet and the configuration of the tank itself recreates the shape and the capacity of the traditional stone lagar.
This wine is made by Dow, one of the premier Port producers in the Douro Valley for over two centuries. For many years it was only available to the family and their guests. It is made from a blend of 50% Touriga Franca, 20% Touriga Nacional, and the remaining 30% is a field blend of indigenous varietals. It was aged in an equal mixture of stainless steel and French oak (30% new for the half of the wine in wood) for six months.
The wine is a medium dark purple in the glass. It is quite aromatic, wafting of dark fruits. These continue on the palate, particularly black cherry. But, it is perhaps predictably lean in the European style, so the fruit is complemented by slate, sage, and a bit of earth. It is all bound together with racy acidity and moderate tannins. ABV is 14%.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
If you are looking for an easy and delicious week-night meal, you can’t go wrong with Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, or literally Spaghetti Garlic and Oil.
Here’s how to make it:
Serves 4 to 6
1 lb. of spaghetti
3 tsp. salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup garlic (about one whole large head), sliced, chopped very fine, or run through a garlic press, depending on how you like it
2 2-oz. cans of anchovies*
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped parsley. (The stems are slightly bitter. Remove them if you don’t like that, include them if you do.) Flat-leaf Italian parsley is traditional, but curly parsley will work about as well.
Because this is a “peasant” dish, it is susceptible to many variations. With Italian sausage? Tuna? Shrimp? Broccoli? Except one: no cheese. Never any cheese.
1. Add salt to 4 to 6 quarts of water and bring to boiling. Add pasta, stirring occasionally during the first couple of minutes to prevent sticking. Total cooking time will be about 10 minutes, or according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, put the anchovies, olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large skillet (12″ is best) and turn on heat to medium low. Cook and stir the garlic until it becomes colored a pale gold. Do not let it become brown. Depending on your stove, this may take a very short time; monitor it constantly. Once done, remove from heat and add 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water to the skillet to stop the cooking.
*Note: Don’t fear the anchovies! Personally, I love anchovies. They lend no fishiness to this pasta, but they do bring a big umami punch. To maximize this, I don’t drain the anchovies, adding the entire contents of the cans including the little fishes and the oil they are packed in. However, this may be too intense for younger or more sensitive eaters. If you like, drain before adding to the skillet, or if you are really nervous, drain, rinse, and pat dry before adding. You can omit them entirely, but you will miss out on a lot of flavor.
3. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and add to the skillet. (Or, if the pasta water has already been added to the aglio e olio in the skillet, drain in a colander if you prefer.) Turn the strands over and over in the skillet to coat them evenly until a slightly creamy texture forms. Add the chopped parsley, toss once again, and serve immediately.
Based on a recipe by Marcella Hazan in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
This pasta would go nicely with some of these wines:
winervana.com/lightning-ridge-cellars/
winervana.com/lachini-vineyards/
winervana.com/brutocao-cellars/
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The Blind Horse Winery
Bob Moeller retired at age 56 after a lucrative career as a roofing contractor in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. As he was relaxing and ruminating on a beach in Clearwater, Florida, one afternoon, this thought came to mind, “If I continue to do this, I’m going to die.”
Barr Hill Gin
When it comes to a martini, I roll hard-core old style. Pimento stuffed olive. Just a few drops of vermouth. Shaken, not stirred. Gin and glass straight out of the freezer. And, that gin is almost always Bombay Sapphire.