Couloir Roma’s Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2009
February 6, 2011
Grape
100% Pinot Noir
Facts
Couloir was founded by winemaker Jon Grant, who also finds time to hold down assistant winemaking obligations at Turley Wine Cellars. Grant learned the art of winemaking at Corison Winery and Plumpjack Winery.
Couloir is a relatively brand new operation, with 2007 being the inaugural vintage. The name, Couloir, means a steep mountainside gorge and reflects Grant’s love for ski mountaineering. What a strange coincidence that I am therefore in Park City talking about his wines!
The Couloir Roma’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is neither fined or filtered, practices which are used to clarify and stabilize a wine. The reason fining / filtration is so widely adopted can probably be blamed on consumers, as they generally don’t want to see a cloudy wine.
Posted in Reviews | Tagged Couloir Wines | 1 Comment //Park City – Finally!
February 5, 2011
This morning (6am EST) my wife and I left for Park City, Utah. It’s going to be an interesting trip to say the least, since I am featuring a winery while I am out there. It’s kind of a half-work, half-play vacation.
Wines from Couloir will be featured for the entire duration of my stay, I have packed my bags full of their amazing juice and will be talking about them for the whole trip. However, since this trip has been such a long time coming, before I get started on talking about Couloir, I’d like to share with you a little background on this vacation.
On November 21st 2010 I turned 30. 30 years old! Wow! Amazing how time has flown!
I had already made up my mind a long time ago that for my 30th I wanted to be on the snow in Park City, Utah. I’ve always had a thing for snowboarding / skiing ever since I was young. The funny thing is, 2009 was actually my first experience doing either. I would always watch Ski Sunday on TV as a kid in England ,and just be mesmerized by the mountains, the snow and everything that went along with it.
So to cut to the chase, the months of 2010 start flying by, and it’s getting close to November. I keep checking the weather reports all the way into late October, and it isn’t looking too promising for snow in Park City on my birthday week. After a brief phone call to my wife’s Uncle who lives in Salt Lake City, he advises us that planning a snowboarding trip in November is a really bad idea. He also warns that even if there is snow, it will basically just be slush and nothing like the powder we have experienced previously. After much deliberation, we decide to delay until 2011.
Posted in Funny, News | Tagged Couloir Wines | Leave a comment //Wife? Check! Couloir Wine? Check!
February 5, 2011
Well I think that’s everything! Next stop Park City, Utah!
Introducing Couloir Wines!
February 5, 2011
Couloir Wines aim to express the true varietal character of grapes planted in different appellations, on different soils, and in different climates. The winemaking procedures are deliberately minimal; recognizing that the right grape in the right vineyard can produce wines of great character and expression.
Winemaker Jon Grant’s love of wine came from managing a wine store in Snowbird, Utah. He then went on to run the wine program for the six dining rooms at the resort. Jon has worked at such wineries as Robert Mondavi, Plumpjack, Corison and Turley.
Couloir is a relatively new operation, with 2007 being the inaugural vintage. The name Couloir means a steep mountainside gorge and reflects Grant’s love for ski mountaineering.
What a strange coincidence then that I’m in Park City (Utah) talking about his wines!
Posted in News | Tagged Couloir Wines | Leave a comment //Top 5 Reason to Drink Wines with Lower Alcohol!
February 4, 2011
I’m what you might call a “cheap date”, at least as far as alcohol goes (i.e. a little alcohol goes a LONG way with me).
Alcohol in wines is a hugely debated issue; but how much is too much? You’ll find that some Californian Zin’s can approach 16-17%+ alcohol, whilst dry German Riesling’s can be under 9%. In wine, balance is key. Aussie Shirazes and California Zin’s / Cab’s can hold a higher alcohol quite easily, but with lighter and more delicate wines, the ABV really makes a difference. There 2 sides to every argument of course, but here my top 5 reasons to skew your wine choices toward lower alcohol wines:
Reason 1: Balance is better than bigness.
Balance in wine is arguably much harder to achieve than high content.
Reason 2: They pair better with food.
A high alcohol wine can sometimes completely overpower the food you are pairing with. Try pairing a spicy food with a higher alcohol content (13%+) wine, compared with one with a lower content (below 11%). You’ll find that the higher alcohol wine is like pouring gasoline on a fire! I have absolutely nothing against high alcohol Zin’s, in fact I love them, however some wines are better consumed by themselves…
Posted in Facts, News | 2 Comments //
Antigal Uno Malbec–Mendoza, Argentina 2008
February 2, 2011
I‘ve had a couple of requests for more Malbec reviews, so here you go…
Grape
100% Malbec
Facts
In a clever piece of marketing, Bodega Antigal have decided upon strapping a big copper “1” to the front of the bottle! Don’t knock it! It made me notice the bottle on the shelf!
Over the last couple of years, Malbec sales have exploded in the U.S., with Nielsen reporting a 60 percent growth between January 2009 and January 2010.
Posted in Reviews | 3 Comments //← Older posts Newer posts →
