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Big news in the New Zealand wine world: Robert Parker, sailing blithely along on his usual route between Bordeaux and California this year, got blown off course and bumped into New Zealand!  Mr. Parker peered through his binoculars at this unexpected obstacle.  "Lo and behold, they make wine here!" he said to his crew, which included British wine writer and music freak, Neal Martin.  "Neal, go ashore and find out how many points it has!"  Neal, an obliging young man, disembarked, and spent two whole weeks exploring this new wine country in the company of the friendly natives, who plied him with many, many of their wines and watched his reactions anxiously, hoping he would give them many, many points.  Mr. Martin took copious notes, and is gradually posting them on www.erobertparker.com as he recovers from the rigors of exploration.  His introduction, entitled "New Zealand: More Than a 'Savalanche'", and the first of his tasting notes, are available for subscribers to Robert Parker.

On the whole, Mr. Martin did a very credible job covering a great deal of territory in so short a time.  His approach was critical in the best sense of that word – applying careful, unbiased judgment – and he assessed the wines within their context - that of a cool climate.  His visit was sponsored by New Zealand Winegrowers, who also do a very creditable job marketing New Zealand wine to the world.  Of course there are notable absences in his notes, names that are beloved and world famous within New Zealand, but his visit marks a starting point for us in the world of Parker, and for that we are grateful.

I will declare at this point that I am a New Zealander, so I am allowed to make generalizations that no one else can, at least not within my hearing.  New Zealanders suffer from sporadic bouts of "Small Country Syndrome."  Symptoms range from a sudden need for approval from others, to dismissal of the entire world beyond our borders.  It is not uncommon to hear it said in New Zealand that "We make the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world."  Much as I love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this is simply not true.  If Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough holds its own alongside Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, Styria, and the Alto Adige, I am happy and proud.  I believe it does.  I also believe that our Chardonnays are an undiscovered treasure, at least undiscovered by America until Mr. Martin’s visit.  NZ Pinot Noirs offer a fascinating, fast-forward insight into how a region and a grape learn to bring the best out in each other.  I highly recommend Vinfolio’s small, well-chosen selection of NZ wines, particularly the 2006 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir (91 points from Mr. Martin and 15 years of love from me for this winery, $47); and the two Chardonnays: the 2004 Kumeu River Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard (VF 92; WS 93; and 1 order from me – "Drink anything made by Michael Brajkovich, M.W.", $37) and the 2005 Pegasus Bay Chardonnay Waipara Valley (93 from Mr. Martin and at least 6 visits by me to this winery over the years, each time a pleasure, $26).

I’d really like to hear what you think as you discover these wines for yourself.

Last weekend the weather was great in Napa Valley. Inspired, I took the opportunity for leisurely bike ride during the extreme heat of the day, which was probably not the best idea, since temperatures were in the upper 90s. I thought to myself, “the grapes must be loving this heat,” and all the while I was trying to find a big shade tree to escape it. Peddling through the Valley, I was reminded that with all its incredible appellations and micro-climates, my favorites remain those in the mountains.
Mountain-grown fruit makes the best wines, period. I have a love and appreciation for all of them; their rich, berry-driven and age-worthy fruit commands the palate. The different mountain regions produce different wine styles, but I really can’t pick a favorite. From Howell Mountain (east of St. Helena), Mount Veeder District (west of Oakville), Spring Mountain District (west of St. Helena) and Diamond Mountain (west of Calistoga), they all are climate gems that produce memorable wines.
Getting back to my bike ride, with a welcoming breeze I was cruising through the Napa neighborhood streets, when I remembered that I needed to pick up my 6 bottles of the 2006 Robert Craig Howell Mountain Zinfandel which I had purchased back in late 2007 on pre-release. My lips were smacking in anticipation of having it that evening. The winery and vineyards are located on Howell Mountain, on the east side of the Napa Valley.
Robert Craig has all the ingredients for success: beautiful vineyards, mountain-grown fruit and a rising star winemaking team. The same can be said for many of the region's wineries, which showcase the great diversity of the Napa appellation.

If you haven’t already done so, bring Howell Mountain wines into your wine world. You won’t be disappointed with this beautiful mountain-grown fruit.

Browse Vinfolio's extensive inventory of wines from the Howell Mountain region here.

Some of my favorites from the region include:

1997 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 1.5L ($225)

1999 La Jota - Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain ($120)

2003 Cornerstone - Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain ($85) 

Southern Italy is taking center stage as a destination hot spot; overlooking the alluring waters of the Mediterranean, its rustic foods and great wine are inspiring enthusiasts to explore a previously unfamiliar region. While many can claim a knowledge of, or affinity for, great Nebbiolo from the Langhe or the Sangiovese-based wines of Tuscany, how many can claim familiarity with old-vine Aglianico from Campania or Nerello Mascalese from Mt. Etna?

Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Sardegna are the geographic reference points for the vines of Southern Italy. Although international varietals like Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay have taken a foothold in these regions, native varietals reign supreme for many resurrected estates. As a result, almost extinct varietals are slowly making a comeback through aggressive propagation programs and the preservation of these native varietals is a common theme through the South.  

A new generation of winemakers and growers is investing in this once deprived area, where modern winemaking advances have been applied over the last twenty years. Before the late 1980s, it was common for the “older generation” to sell grapes in bulk to a local cooperative, but today, quality is stressed over quantity, with the common goal to coax the most out of the old-vine material and bottle the efforts under estate labels. Bulk production has been replaced by reduced yields and high quality.

From an American point of view, there has been no better time to sample the amazing array of products coming out of this area. Importers are putting forth a great effort to make sure the wonders of Southern Italy reach the States. The wide spectrum includes everything from the everyday value drinker to age-worthy old-vine reserve wines, often at a third of the cost of their Tuscan or Piedmont equivalents. Below you’ll find a breakdown of the regions and their top varietals, as well as four recommendations for exploring the best of Southern Italy.                  

Regions and Varietals

Campania (Capital- Naples)- Provinces: Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Napoli & Salerno
Whites- Falanghina, Fiano & Greco
Reds- Aglianico & Piedirosso   

Apulia (Puglia) (Capital- Bari)- Provinces: Bari, Brindisi, Goggia, Lecce & Taranto
Whites- Malvasia, Moscato & Bombino Bianco
Reds- Primitivo, Negoamaro & Uva di Troia

Basilicata (Capital- Potenza)- Provinces: Matera & Potenza
Whites- Fiano, Malvasia & Bombino Bianco
Reds- Aglianico, Bombino Nero, Aleatico, & Malvasia Nera

Calabria (Capital- Catanzaro)- Provinces: Catanzaro, Cosenza, Reggio di Calabria
Whites- Greco Bianco
Reds- Gaglioppo & Greco Nero

Sardegna (Capital- Cagliari)- Provinces: Cagliari, Nuoro, Oristano & Sassari
Whites- Vermentino & Moscato
Reds- Monica, Carignano & Cannonau

Sicily (Capital- Palermo)- Provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania & Enna
Whites- Grillo, Grecanico, Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia,  Zibibbo & Malvasia
Reds- Nero d’Avola, Frappato, Nerello Mascalese & Nerello Cappuccio

Recommended Wines

2005 Fucci, Elena - Aglianico del Vulture Titolo, Basilicata ($49) VF 94
The Titolo is 100% Aglianico grown on high-altitiude vineyards in the Vulture district of Basilicata. The vines struggle to survive in the pure volcanic lava soil, allowing for concentrated flavors in the bottle. The 2005 is aged 12 months in barrique and another six months in the bottle before release.

2005 Passopisciaro, Mt. Etna, Sicily ($32) WA 93
100% Nerello Mascalese, which was picked way into November, provides tremendous aromatics that harmonize with the layers of dried dark fruit. The wine is made by Andrea Frnchetti, who made his name with the Tenuta di Trinoro, a heralded estate in Tuscany.

1999 Contrade di Taurasi (Cantina Lonardo) - Taurasi Riserva, Campania ($65) VF 93
The benchmark for Aglianico in Campania hands-down is from the Taurasi zone.One of the most long-lived wines of Southern Italy! Taurasi merits the same attention as a collectable and ages as well as Barolo. The wine spends about three weeks on the skins and is aged for 18-24 months in large wood puncheons to emphasize the fruit and spice. Here’s a wine you can decant for a few hours and enjoy now or lay down for another 10-12 years.

2006 Donnafugata - Passito di Pantelleria Ben Rye, Sicily ($37 375ml) WA 90
The Ben Rye passito is a pure hedonistic wonder! 100% Zibibbo (Moscato d’Alessandria), grown on the volcanic island of Pantelleria off the southern coast of Sicily. The new release was honored with Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri of distinction. Arabs brought the grape over from the North African coast a few hundred years ago and only a few estates produce this unique passito. The vines are bush head-trained to withstand the high powered winds that whip across the island.

I am not afraid to say some of my favorite wines are rosé Champagnes! Historically, these wines first gained popularity in the early nineteenth century with the British and Russians. However, it was not until the 1980s that prestige rosé Champagne was produced in any quantity. Rosé Champagnes (Champagne rosé) are often more prized and costly than their golden counterparts. The higher price is due largely to the scarcity of it on the market and the difficulty to produce it. Rosés represent just 3-5% of all Champagne exports.

Part of the intrigue for me is the color, as the spectrum ranges from pale pink to deep coppery salmon. When young, rosés can have a reddish-blue tinge and turn almost orange to amber with 10-20 years of age. When I taste, I become absorbed by the variety of flavors and the subtlety of secondary notes that appear in my glass. Rosés are assumed to be sweet and fruity, but the majority are dry with delicate notes of spice (cinnamon, clove, ginger, pepper), berry (strawberry, raspberry), fruit (apple, pear, plum, orange, nectarine, apricot, peach), flowers (blossoms, elderflower, rose) nuts (walnut, hazelnut, almond), autolysis (toast, yeast), minerals (stony/steely, petrol) and ripeness (carmel, honey). 

Champagne Blends
Champagne is typically produced from three main grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Most Champagnes are blends of all three grapes, although Blanc de Blancs indicates the use of 100% Chardonnay and Blanc de Noirs indicates the use of 100% red grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or a blend of the two). The Blanc de Noirs (white from red) Champagnes are considered "white" despite their slightly pink-tinged color. True rosés always include at least some portion of red grapes (traditionally 8-20% Bouzy Rouge still wine) and in some cases are 100% Pinot Noir. Depending on the varietal blend, rosés are often more rich and full than their white counterparts. The pink color comes from the Pinot Noir skins since the juice itself is colorless.

Two production methods for rosés
1) Historical method (known as maceration or saignée method) – After crush, the base wine sits in contact with Pinot Noir skins to pick up color. With skin contact the wine may show more raspberry and strawberry aromas.
2) Most common and modern method – Still Pinot Noir wine is added into each Champagne bottle before the second fermentation (part of the liqueur de tirage). It may take longer for the wine to fully integrate because of the mix.

My all-time favorite rosé Champagnes and international rosé sparklers
Some of my favorites include NV Krug Rosé (used to toast at my wedding with my husband and bridesmaids), NV Gosset Grand Rosé, 1993 Pol Roger Rosé, 1997 Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Rosé (had subtle notes of orange and spice), NV Ruinart Rosé, 1997 Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose Grand Siecle Cuvée Alexandria (made for their daughter’s wedding; I thought it was an excellent pair with lobster salad). As I am a big fan of Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, I am eager to sample their vintage rosé selections (see Vinfolio wine list below).

Outside of Champagne, I have also found good value sparkling rosés including: NV Ferrari Rosé (Trentino-Alto, Italy), NV Janz Rosé (Tasmania), NV Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé ''Perle d'Aurore'' (Burgundy), NV Allimant Laugner Crémant d'Alsace Rosé (Alsace), and NV Roederer Estate Rosé (Anderson Valley, California).

A selection of Vinfolio’s current offerings:
NV Lafitte, Charles - Brut Rosé ($35)
2002 Lenoble, AR - Vintage Brut Rosé ($40)
NV Ayala - Brut Rosé ($45)
NV Billecart-Salmon - Brut Rosé ($74)
NV Egly-Ouriet - Brut Rosé ($74)
1985 Veuve Clicquot - Rare Vintage Rosé ($96)
1988 Heidsieck & Co Monopole - Vintage Diamant Rosé ($100)
2000 Taittinger - Comtes de Champagne Rosé ($178)
1990 Veuve Clicquot - La Grande Dame Rosé (1.5L / $525)
1995 Roederer, Louis - Cristal Rosé ($659)
1995 Moet & Chandon - Dom Perignon Rosé (1.5L / $887)

Click here to see Vinfolio’s entire range of rosé Champagne