Behind the Cork™ - Panthera Russian River Chardonnay

2016 Panthera Russian River Valley Chardonnay from The Hess Collection ($45)

This 100% Chardonnay comes from The Hess Collection of wines from the Russian River Valley.

Hess Family wines was founded by Donald Hess in 1978. Today, Tim Persson (Donald’s son in law) and his wife Sabrina are owners of Hess Family Wine Estates and are the fifth generation of the Hess family to lead the company.

Panthera is part of a new collection of wines that are not Hess branded. But it certainly represents the tradition and heritage of Hess wines.

This Panthera Chardonnay has a great balance of pear, peach and hints of pineapple along with some acidity and is rounded out with light oak. The oak comes from 15 months of aging in 35% new French oak.

According to the notes, “The word Panthera is believed to be of East Asian origin, meaning ‘the yellowish animal’ or golden-yellow.” This coloring is indeed striking in this inaugural vintage of Panthera.

This Panthera should please any Chardonnay drinker. Look for it!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2017 Left Coast Truffle Hill Chardonnay ($24)

This Chardonnay is from Oregon’s Left Coast “Truffle Hill” vineyard that contains four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks.

This 100% Chardonnay is fermented in 100% French oak before being aged for 10 months.

Left Coast winemaker Joe Wright states “This easy drinking Chardonnay delivers golden flower aromas of honeysuckle and elderberry accented with brown sugar. A burst of acidity on the palate is complimented with ripe pear fruit, rounded out by vanilla, coconut, caramel and butterscotch on the finish.” Well said Joe!

I found this Willamette Valley Chardonnay to be terrific. It had great flavors of baked apple and spices with just a hint of oak. A wonderful pairing with any lighter fare.

This is a really good one that deserves your attention. Look for it! Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications

Wine Fun Facts - Champagne

Champagne is probably the best known wine in the world. And, there’s a lot to know it about this wine.

Here are some fun-facts about Champagne:

• Champagne is not made from Champagne grapes

• Champagne is typically produced from three grapes — Pinot Noir (A red wine grape!), Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier (Another red wine grape!)

• To be called Champagne, it must be produced in the Champagne region of France. Otherwise, it’s called Sparkling Wine

• California can produce Champagne – such as Korbel, Cook’s or André – and it is perfectly legal to be called Champagne. The loophole that makes this legal stems from a ruling in 2005, after two decades of court battles, when the U.S. and the EU reached an agreement. In exchange for easing trade restrictions on wine, the American government agreed that Champagne would no longer appear on domestic wine labels – that is, unless a producer was already using the name

• The first step in making Champagne is to make the wine, like any other wine, in a barrel or tank and bottle it

• The wine becomes carbonated by a second fermentation inside the bottle that is initiated by adding a solution of sugar and yeast. As the yeast consumes the sugar, it gives off carbon dioxide which stays trapped in the wine since the bottle is capped

• Champagne bottle are stored with their neck down during the second fermentation so that the yeast will settle in the neck

• The upside down bottles are regularly turned to ensure all the yeast ends up in the neck of the bottle in a process called riddling

• The Champagne bottle is then opened and the spent yeast is removed or disgorged

• Finally, some additional wine and sugar is added (the dosage) to balance the Champagne’s acidity

• This process of making Champagne is called the méthode champenoise

So, there you have it. A few fun facts about the most famous sparkling wine in the world - Champagne. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Are Champagne Grapes Used to Produce Champagne?

During a recent stroll through the produce aisle of my favorite grocery store, I saw a display labeled “Champagne Grapes.” They are beautiful bunches of small red-ish grapes. And, they look really good. But, the first thing that came to my mind was to question the naming of these grapes. Because (spoiler alert) Champagne is not made from Champagne grapes.

Champagne grapes are very small, about the size of a pea, and are round, and grow in tightly packed clusters. The seedless berries can be dark red, deep magenta, or black and have delicate, thin skin that almost pops open when bitten. Also known as Black Corinth grapes, or when dried, the Zante currant, Champagne grapes are the smallest variety of all seedless grapes and are commonly used for baking and garnishes.

So, this may leave you asking “What grapes are used to produce Champagne?”

Here’s a little bit about Champagne.

Sparkling wines produced in the small French region of Champagne are the only sparkling wines that may legally be labeled 'Champagne.'  And because of this region's northern location and cool weather, three primary grapes have been found to grow best and hence are the basis for Champagne. The three grapes are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.  To this day, most Champagne relies on these grapes. But, Champagne producers are also allowed to use Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane. But, when these latter grapes are used, they are typically used in very small quantities.

So, sorry, but no Champagne grapes are used in the production of Champagne. But, they are quite good to eat! Here’s to enjoying a nice glass of Champagne and some Champagne grapes. Cheers!

Yet Another Hard Lesson on Wine Gone Bad

On a trip to wine country earlier this year, I picked up several bottles of wine. Included in my wines was a Reserve Chardonnay that I had gotten in Alexander Valley.  In the tasting room it was excellent.

After purchasing the wines, I was very careful to control their temperature by not leaving them in the car or exposing them to significant sunlight. And, while on the road, the wines always spend the night in the cool hotel room, not the car.  Once home, the wines were moved either to cool, dark closets or to the wine refrigerator (always need a bigger wine refrig!) where they are stored on their side with the cork slightly down.

For a recent dinner, I brought out the slightly chilled Reserve Chardonnay, pulled the cork and poured a glass.  I immediately noticed the color of the Chardonnay. Instead of the usual pale straw color (like the one on the left in the photo), this wine was golden-brown in color (like the one on the right in the photo). That seemed really odd.  I then took a sniff. The aroma was not that of a fruity, tropical Chardonnay. It was noticeably off. I went back to examine the cork (a natural cork) and found the issue.  The cork was completely soaked all the way through.  It had leaked and air had gotten into my Reserve Chardonnay. Ruined.

I didn't have to taste it. I already knew from the golden-brown color, the odd aroma and the soaked cork that this wine had gone bad. But, just to complete my experience, I did taste the wine. As expected, it had a very nutty (oxidized) flavor. A real let down since it was so good in tasting room.

I believe that I did everything properly on the handling and storage of this wine that I just purchased a few months ago. I just got ahold of a bottle with where the cork did not properly do its job. 

It's always such a shame to buy a really nice bottle of wine only to find that its gone bad. So, if your wine has an unusual color, odd aroma and/or a nutty taste, you'll know it's not just a bad wine, it's a wine that's gone bad.

Here's to finding lots of great bottles of wine in your future! Cheers!