Passion in a glass

Passion. There are many forms. By definition, passion is intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

Many athletes express passion for their sport, training hours a day for months at a time. I have a friend passionate for riding his bicycle in the city, so much so that he thinks all cars should be banned from the streets. There are writers, so passionate for their work, so driven to be published, that they isolate and seclude themselves from the rest of the world, focusing only on words and writing.

Then there are wine enthusiasts who relish in the wonderment of the drink. It’s the concept of grapes grown, fermented, aged and released into a beverage that is the perfect accompaniment to a meal, a celebratory occasion, and a quiet night of relaxation. Friends of mine were so overwhelmed by my passion for wine that they recommended I keep a blog to express my emotions.

Yet, passion may also mean suffering. Perhaps wine makers suffer for their craft and livelihood. Many devote themselves to their crops and are prepared to harvest at any time that it is the ideal moment to remove the grapes from the vine, even if that means the middle of the night or in below-freezing temperatures. But when it comes down to it, they do so because of their devotion to viticulture and vinification, and ultimately to the end product.

I recently have met two winemakers who portrayed such enthusiasm, and both were very excited about sharing their practices and ultimately their wines. They don’t compromise integrity nor display any pretense that they are better than the next producer. It’s a sheer love of their product and they live their lives to deliver it to wine drinkers throughout the world.

Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent in Oregon abandoned his practice as a doctor to pursue a career in wine that was developed from a family tradition of drinking wine with meals. Ales Kristancic last night irreverently showed his wines to about 30 people at a special tasting held at Italian Wine Merchants. He followed his family’s long-rooted tradition of superior winemaking.

Each winemaker manifested his love for the profession. It didn’t seem like they worked a day in their lives, but rather cared for their crop, for the unadulterated production of what he wants to share with the world.

It would be wonderful if we all felt so passionate about our day-to-day jobs. But for those who don’t, unwind after a hard day of work with a glass of delicious vino.

Read Full Post »

Pinot faceoff

Burgundy and Oregon Pinots are among my favorite (non-Italian) wines, and this week’s back-to-back Pinot tastings reconfirmed that each region churns out elegant, well made wines.

Sherry-Lehmann on Wednesday evening held a special event with winemaker Pierre Meurgey of Domaine Champy in Burgundy. There were roughly a dozen and a half wines to try, 12 of which were Pinots from the 2006 and 2008 vintages. I started my tasting in the opposite direction than what was suggested: Grand and Premier Cru.

As suspected, these wines did not disappoint. My favorites were Maison Champy Echezeaux Grand Cru 2006 and Maison Champy Clos de Vougeot 2006. They drank well now, but both have the potential to age 10 years, which the winemaker recommended. I thought both were classic examples of Burgundy, reflecting the terroir and possessing qualities that Pinots from New Zealand, California and other New World vineyards do not.

That said, I do make an exception when it comes to Oregon Pinots. Given that the rootstock came directly from France and that the climate is quite similar to that of Burgundy, the wines generally posses similar nuances. I’ve long enjoyed Pinots from Sokol Blosser and Ken Wright but within the past year I’ve been introduced to St. Innocent.

Last night I participated in the St. Innocent tasting at Union Square Wines. While I’d only had Pinot from its Shea Vineyard previously, there were some other vineyards that are worth seeking out. Winemaker and founder Mark Vlossak explained that the winery produces small lot, handmade wines, which explain the competitive prices.

In each taste there were characteristics associated with Burgundian Pinots, including notes of spice, black cherry fruit, and flowers. These wines were elegant, just like classic Burgundy. While Shea remains atop my favorites list of vineyard in Oregon, I got to try Pinot from the Zenith and Justice Vineyards. Both were incredible and contenders for “best in show.”

It’s generally thought that the same grape derived from different regions create completely different wines and manifest different expressions. But in this case, Oregon is as close as one can come to tasting the great Grand Cru of Burgundy.

Read Full Post »