Black Magic

I left the best for last. It turns out that Carol Shelton is also a magician. Her Black Magic is a very unusual Zin Port. Light in color and body and only about 5% residual sugar this one would work as an aperatif before rather than after dinner. In Fact, if you have any French friends, they will love it as the French always drink their Port as an apero, not an after dinner digestif. However you take it, you will like it.

Contrast this with the Trentadue Zinfandel Port. Exact opposites. First and last wines of the evening, aperatif and digestif. Different styles, but both WOW wines. The Trentadue is  big and inky and tastes very similar to Porto from Portugal. In fact, it is one of the best American Ports I've had look for it or order from the winery or join their Port club

Zapatistas Ride Into Seattle - Part I

Once again, ZAP, Zinfandel Advocates and Producers visits Seattle. This time it was a pleasure. Many of the usual suspects were missing, and some rootin', tootin' gunslingers arrived with some mighty mean beverages. Really, there were some old timers, some biggies, but there were also some interesting characters wd hacn't seen before.

Carol Shelton is not exactly a newbie. In fact, she is a pioneering woman winemaker. She got started shortly after Zelma Long, back in the 1970s. My mom was a fiminist, so I get excited about pioneering women, but that is not really the point about Coral Shelton Wines. The real point is incredible quality.The wines are organic and some are made with wild yeast fermentation. Anyone who wants to seriously tk about terroir needs to pay attention to the wild yeast in their neighborhood.

Where the wild things are! 2008 "Wild Thing" Old Vine Zinfandel is 83% Zin, 13% Carignane, 2% Petite Sirah, 2% Cabbernet. Get down on your hand an knees and worship. An amazing value at $15 a bottle. Search, search, search, cherchez le Zin!

Istanbul, Cucamonga - 2008 "Monga" Zin - Frankly, the only good wine I haveever tasted from Cucamonga grapes. Carol says rustic and tamed , I say fabulous with licorice and five spce in the nose. Hunt for this one at about $15.

Good Karma - 2008 "Karma Zin' - 3% Alicante Bouschet, 3% Petite Syrah Carol says, "lusty, full- bodied, powerful, classic Sonoma Zin, I say soft pleaure with hints of chocolatefor only $25.

2008 Rockpile - Okay, so Mauritsen claims to whole RockpileAVA for themselves. Not so fast buddies, Carol says she staked a claim earlier than you guys and harvests a big substantial, serious wine from the the rockpile

Monte Ferro: A New Northwest Wine

My wife's friend, Cindy, gave us a Monte Ferro Syrah from her brother-in-law. It's good stuff with a nose of cherries with a hint of pepper. It has a deep, rich color, lots of black fruit and a hint of acid and tannin which should completely smooth out in a few months. Even though the alcohol is a very high 15.1%, it is not overly jammy and in your face. Definitely in the league with some of the more established northwest wineries. Now, where exactly is Monte Ferro? Grapes from the Columbia Valley, winery in Carlton? Whose the winemaker? Made at Cana or the winemaker studio? what's the bit with MonteFerro Foods? Website just shows Godaddy ads. Why Monte Ferro, Iron Mountain? I guess it's like so many startups - so many hats, so little time. Most of all I w old like to see a Pinot Noir from a winery based in the Willamette Valley