Wine Ratings for the Real World

All of us enjoy drinking wines that are “highly rated” by the various wine gods and goddesses out there. For most wineries, a Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker, Janis Robinson, Wine & Food, or other well-known wine rating source is practically a guarantee of a sold-out vintage.

 

Something you may not know is that wineries submit their wines for ratings. So what? That means that there are many wineries out there that do not submit, and therefore go “unrated” and unrecognized. I learned this from Robert Young Winery. They have a very limited production Merlot that produced just enough for their club members and for limited online sales. Their logic was simple. Why have a wine rated that won’t be easily available for sale? Makes sense to me.

 

Every now and then you may come across a wine that’s really nice, a good value, or one that you’d like to know more about. No ratings anywhere!! Now what?

 

How about ratings for the real world? If you haven’t done so yet, you have to go to CellarTracker (http://www.cellartracker.com/intro.asp). It is a website developed by one of the members of the Mark Squires wine forum (http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/ ) and has been a great success. It allows members/users to track the contents of their cellars. In addition, it has an area for “community tasting notes”; that is, regular folks like us who have enjoyed the wines that you like and have left their own ratings. People have widely different tastes which accounts for some of the wide ranges of scores, however, many of the wines have incredible consistency from taster to taster and the scores reflect that, as well.

 

For instance, I looked up the ratings on a Sauvignon Blanc that I’d opened, tasted, and felt was pure dreck. It was from a very well-known maker of super high-end reds, but this was more than a shock. I’d paid a little more money for this name and was stunned at the poor quality. A quick look on CellarTracker told me that I wasn’t alone. One of the members recommended that this winery stick with its reds. What was interesting is the feeling that people couldn’t believe that *this winemaker* could make something so incredibly mediocre and they doubted their own palates.

 

However, it’s not always bad news. I looked up Four Vines Heretic, and saw that the scores were consistently in the 90’s for this big, beautiful Petit Sirah. Glad I have several bottles!

 

The reviews are interesting, and the people are quite frank about their likes and dislikes. They will tell you what foods paired well, other wines at the occasion (if any), and will sometimes even give you the price if they remember. The abilities of the tasters range from relatively novice to winery owners.

 

Check out CellarTracker and let me know what you think!

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Wine Tasting Pointers - Your Place or Mine?

Whether you’re a guest or a host, there are some ideas that I’d like to share from my meager experience in the fun world of home wine tastings. I have talked to a few people, overheard comments, observed, and listened to what people like (and don’t) at tastings. I hope these few pointers will be helpful. Use what works for you and discard the rest! Let me know what you think, and don’t be afraid to add some of your own.

1. Please don’t wear cologne! Even if you smell wonderful, those who are trying to find the true nose of a great wine won’t appreciate your fragrance. Plain ol’ soap and water are fine. 

2. From personal experience: Don’t brush your teeth immediately before drinking wine. It’s the whole “I-just-brushed-my-teeth-and-then-drank-orange-juice” thing. Crest will crush your palate. 

3. If you think of it, bring your own glass(es). While there are a few exceptions (compulsive wine-glass hoarders like me), most people don’t have a large selection of glasses. Bringing your own will make things easier for your hosts (less washing later), and give you your preferred choice of glasses if there are multiple wine types. I found a great tallish padded lunch case that I use – along with a cardboard insert – to carry either four regular glasses or three big Reidels. About twelve bucks at Target. 

4. If you’re hosting, consider a “pre-wine” for those who arrive early and pitch in to help. That is kind of a tradition with one club I belong to, and it not only encourages people to arrive on time, it also allows the host to share a couple of those treasures he may have stashed away. 

5. While gourmet meals are always appreciated, if you’re feeling overwhelmed don’t forget that Costco, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods (especially Henderson), and a host of others offer a variety of pre-cooked or high-quality convenience foods to serve during meetings. Veggie and fruit trays are available at every market, and breads and cheeses are always welcome. As the host, your company is as important as, well, your *company*! 

6. If you have a small place, host anyway! If you have to limit the number of guests, then so be it. I have a small place, but am fortunate enough to have a big back yard. I know others who have homes so large you can get lost in them. And still others who have tiny places perfect for them. Host, and host what you can. No one will feel put out just because you can’t accommodate the crowd that wants to hang out at your place! Believe me, they’ll find another tasting … ! 

7. As a guest, don’t be shy about throwing in a couple of extra bucks to help cover some of the cost of food as well as the wines. I’ve been to some pretty awesome tastings where the food was to die for, and wanted to help cover some of the costs. I’ve also appreciated when people decided on their own to throw in a couple of extra dollars when I’ve hosted. Not only does that encourage more people to host (or the people who love to host, to host more often), but it makes it easier for folks to make the decision. 

8. When hosting, try to have flyers or other information about the wines that you’re serving. After my last tasting, I placed pictures of the bottles/labels on Kodak Gallery along with full explanations of the types of wines, where I purchased them, and their prices. I still have flyers (very handy if the PC craps out) from tastings I have been to in the past; and at least one case, that resulted in more Zinfandels than I ever thought I’d own! And you might want to have recipes for your food creations available, too! 

9. If you want to serve a wine that may be a little pricey, don’t be afraid to get measured pourers! I was introduced to this wonderful concept by Fritz Reese at the wine class he teaches at Community and finally bought some of my own. These pourers ensure that everyone gets some wine (a *real* taste, LOL), and they can be removed after everyone is served when people can pour as much as they want. I found them on Amazon dot com for about $14.00 for four 1-1/2 oz pourers. They are easily hand washable, but don’t do well in garbage disposals. Don’t ask.10. After all of these suggestions, don’t be afraid to host! Not feeling sure? ASK SOMEBODY! There are several people in my life who have had to tolerate the panic attacks I have before each tasting, and I couldn’t have gotten through it without them. Not because it’s difficult, but because panic is what I do. Their help was invaluable and made the hosting experience easy, fun, and educational for all my guests. There are those of us who’d be more than willing to help out and give a hand wherever necessary. If you’re still not too sure if you want to host at your place, don’t be afraid to “co-host” a tasting. I’ve done it and it’s been a success every time.

Now go out there and taste!

 

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Beaujolais Nouveau this week!

This is Beaujolais Nouveau week! Beaujolais is a wine made from the Gamay grape only in France. Every third Thursday of November Beaujolais Nouveau is released. In France, there are celebrations and fireworks. In the U.S., there are Beaujolais tastings galore.

Beaujolais Nouveau is a wine that is truly made for drinking now. By the time May comes around, it may be too old to drink because it will have lost its fruit. Beaujolais Villages is made to age, but Nouveau is exactly what it means … new, fresh, and ready now. In my opinion, it has characteristics similar to an inexpensive California-style Pinot, and can be paired with many of the same foods. It is usually less than $10.00, and the 2006 is supposed to be outstanding. By the way, it should be served slightly chilled.

Be sure to check out Khoury’s on Eastern this week, as well as the various Lee’s locations for tasting information. Marche Bacchus (http://www.marchebacchus.com) has dinners from Thursday through Saturday that will celebrate the release and offer a glass of Beaujolais for the special dinners.

Thanks to Suzette for sending me information about Bonjour Bistro (http://www.bonjourvegas.com) on S. Eastern that will also be serving Beaujolais dinners this week.

I just found out about a tasting that takes place each week at BJ’S Lounge, 218 E. Tropicana. There is a $10.00 cover charge and it’s every Saturday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

And don’t forget the free tastings each Thursday evening at Khoury’s or each Saturday morning at Marche Bacchus. Be sure to support their efforts to bring you fine “non grocery store” wines by purchasing those you like while at their establishments.

Enjoy Beaujolais week!

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Welcome!

Welcome to the Vegas Wineaux blog! A source of information about tastings, events, wine education, and wine-related activities in the local area, we hope to see this grow as we contributions from our readers. While out-of-area visitors are certainly welcome to access the information that we will be posting here, this is intended to be a locals’ site.

You are invited to share information and comments!

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Vegas Wineaux

Welcome to the Vegas Wineaux blog! Originally planned as a spinoff from Friends of the Grape (FOG), a home wine-tasting club with a 16-year history in Las Vegas and Henderson, it is now an educational and information-sharing forum for wine enthusiasts in the local area. We welcome your posts on all wine events, tastings, and educational wine information. Information about private wine tasting parties will not be posted unless requested.

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