Gentaz is the revered traditionalist farmer and wine maker whose Côte-Rôties are considered by many Rhône cognoscenti as the greatest of all the Northern Rhône wines, the greatest Syrah in existence. We drank 10 vintages of Gentaz, but we were many people and we drank the wines slowly over several courses of food. Wow, what a night.

The gentlemen distributing and selling Azienda Agricola d'Alessandro got up between courses to talk about the wines and the food of this region, and were better than any Broadway show (in a good way). D'ALESSANDRO NERO D'AVOLA/SYRAH 2007. adore Sicilian wine and my crystal ball tells me that this will be the wine of the decade.

of course impossible to detail all of it here, yet as an exercise (thinking of the final!) This is a Syrah/Grenach blend  with lots of garrigue, black and white pepper, and an intense minerality. Syrah Grenache once again, a deep intensity of stones, lots of concentration. very successful first day. I will try. Loup (21.50).

Wine, of course. The wine is a blend of Syrah, Carignan, and Grenache from Corbieres!" Quick! What is one of the most sensual, aromatic products in the world, right up there with exquisite perfume and exotic flowers? Well done!" I responded, before asking her secret in teasing out and remembering the flavors specific to each varietal.

It was a Syrah and notable for its dry elegance and balance. And of course I love “The Welder,” Arco’s signature sweet late harvest Chenin Blanc. Arco Laamar & Harry Haddon (checked shirt). Two wineries being neighborly!”. Both seemed very effervescent and personable and passionate about South Africa and its wines. News S.

Noël Verset made wines in Cornas that for many people define the potential greatness of the Northern Rhône and of Syrah. He grew an old Syrah clone called La Petite Syrah , a clone known for aromatic complexity. Young, tannic, acidic Northern Rhône Syrah might be best served after the more delicate and gentle mature wines.

Some of the workers are still finishing their lunch, which today is a delicious tomato and mozzarella salad, roast pork, various vegetables, and of course, cheese and dessert. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. “A French insurance company owns a Chateau?” the woman’s voice says, incredulous. The Cellar.

For tonight's pizza I chose a Paranga 'vin de pay de Macedonia' Kir-Yianni 2009, a blend of Xinomavro, Merlot and Syrah. Kir-Yianni Paranga is a unique combination of Xinomavro, Merlot and Syrah. An excellent wine that will pair with any red meat, chicken, red sauces and of course, pizza. Then it's always red." Greek wine

Sauvignon Blanc, with its crisp nature and high acidity, is always a good go-to wine to serve as an aperitif or for salads and first courses. Syrah 2007 Dierberg Syrah Estate Grown Santa Ynez Valley (USA). "Help! Need the PERFECT picnic wines to suit many foods and many guests this July 4th. What to buy !?". The Whites.

Of course, my interest was firmly planted in the reds, as Australia is Shiraz’s natural home. It is black and inky and looks and, to some degree, palate, which always tips me off in blind tasting I am about to encounter a new world Shiraz/Syrah. Is it true the postman always rings twice? Have you.,,, er, gone postal lately?

SInce I'm in NYC, I am so luck as I can go to my favorite Park Avenue Spring restaurant and have three vintages of Cabernet from their family cellar paired with four courses of chef Kevin Lasko's cuisine! The vines planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Look at the incredible aerial view of Marston Family Vineyard above.

The cheese course, featuring Roncal with compressed fennel and apricot membrillo, was paired with three more reds, and all three were favorites: La Forge, Corbieres-Boutenac AOP 2008, Le Viala, Minevois La Liviniere 2007, and L'Hospitalaitas, Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape AOP 2008. That blue sky, with the white puffs of clouds, is real.

Red wine varietals that tend to benefit from a good bit of oak include: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, Chianti, Zinfandel, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Syrah. White wine varietals that are receptive to oak’s influence include: Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and of course Chardonnay. Why Oak Wine?

The blog of course suffered a little during the recuperation and recently has taken a bit of a slide as I got kinda hooked on computer games, fantasy sports (NASCAR) and earlier bed times. One, the Carmenere, has been disappointing, but the Zinfandel, Syrah and the Peitie Sirah have joined the list of my favorites. Marvelous Wine!

Different members of the family, of course - no one can live to be 300 years old. Last night I had dinner with a friend and we shared a bottle of 1999 Chateau Simone Palette Rouge , $48, Imported by Robert Chadderdon Selections. absolutely loved the wine and I was still thinking about it this morning. Except vampires. Who makes 12.5%

The five-course menu offers a wine with every course. When you visit “wine country&# just outside Mendoza, Argentina, one of the best restaurants in terms of a gorgeous view, fabulous wine, and food can be found at the Ruca Malen winery. One day a woman looked up and saw this god, and they fell madly in love. Tasting the Wines.

Some of the workers are still finishing their lunch, which today is a delicious tomato and mozzarella salad, roast pork, various vegetables, and of course, cheese and dessert. Grapes planted include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan. “A French insurance company owns a Chateau?&# the woman’s voice says, incredulous.

Who wants to drink rustic and earthy northern Rhône Syrah when it's very humid and 94 degrees outside? braised short ribs ( Slope Farms , of course) with Chipotle peppers inflected liquid. remembered my friend Peter telling me a little while ago that Syrah is very flexible and can work with dishes like this.

Of course it isn't always possible, and with the Vallana Spanna wines, there are questions and few definitive answers. Some say that Syrah might have made it into Spanna at times. That Syrah was used to fortify the wines at times. Were these wines made purely of Nebbiolo? Why not simply drink them and enjoy them?

The red (a blend of syrah, cinsault, grenache, cabernet sauvignon, and others) has a rich toast nose with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate, and on the palate full bodied with a finish of black licorice. Philippe and Mischa live in the “big red house’ which is a three minute drive where Mas de la Marotte. Hilaire terroir.

Now you know garnacha - of course you do. You will experience the same foams and modernistic presentation, save that the portions for multi-course meals are much larger than you'd find in cities like New York or Paris. The two roses, one garnacha and the other a syrah blend, are available for about three Euros and quite a bargain.

Back on the road and headed to Red Newt Cellars and Bistro for one fantastic lunch and of course more fantastic wines. Main course for Shirley was a wonderful veggie wrap and Mark chose the thick free range burger with free range bacon, cheddar and avocado, while I took honors of best pick with a Southwestern Burrito special. WoW!!!

Of course, that's me. With May and New York Riesling month coming to close soon, it is safe to say that I tasted more Riesling this month than any one year in my life. The hard part was deciding which ones I would post on the blog. After this article I will post once more on a NY Riesling and may list all those I have had. Why, I'm not sure.

served with pasta and ultra-fresh peas and morels, 2004 Merlot (the real winner)and the 2006 Syrah paired with Steak, and the 2008 Zinfandel served with the dessert course shown below. it's always fun to sit next to a winemaker / winery owner during a wine dinner at a top restaurant like Park Avenue Spring in New York City.

Of course, the salmon color gave away the majority of Cinsault. think he liked the Chateau de Cabezac La Garrigue the best from Minervois and it was very good, yet I liked Le Petit Arthur, which was a GSM (grenache, syrah, mourvedre) with carignan. Arnaud Moynier. Recently, the intersection of 53rd and 5th has become a regular stop.

Finger Lakes Riesling of course. Just finished watching the movie "Avatar" while sipping on my first Riesling of the summer. This month is Riesling month in New York and this will be the first of many I'll enjoy over the next 30 days. The 2008 Red Tail Ridge semi-dry Riesling was suggested by my sister-in-law. Sound good? What else is better!

Of course my choice would be Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley or Russian River Valley, the home of some of the best wines in the world. Recently, the wife and I have been discussing a possible trip to California next year. few of the issues are for how long and where. Maybe we should wait until we can spend a couple of months and visit them all.

He thought it got better and better over the course of the evening. blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, I found bright citrus fruit on the nose - think persimmon, and also some very prominent sandalwood aromas. It is a blend of Syrah and Cabernet, and there might be other grapes in there too. Aren't they? Some are, yes.

To properly show off the wines, the luncheon had many courses. with the first course of shrimp, we enjoyed the Macabeo described above and Realce Crianza 2005, 100% Tempranillo with spice and concentrated red fruit. Michael Apstein. Have you heard of Manchuela? It is a very small, rather new D.O.

The horses, the skinned rabbits, the tar, the other things I think of when I think of northern Rhône Syrah - not there. It built slowly over the course of an hour, showing deliciously ripe fruit, peppery and intense. I haven't had a whole lot of northern Rhône wine. Why this wine? So there will be no more Verset Cornas. alcohol.

It's like smelling and drinking a textbook definition of Rhône Syrah: meaty, olive-y, deeply fruited, and peppery, floral hints in the background. They are bold wines that show the gamy richness and full texture one expects from Syrah, but in an unadorned and elegant style. And so of course it was viciously corked. Joseph.

Of course, that's not the point. The 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel * is composed of mourvedre, grenache, syrah, and counoise. A great post at Reign of Terroir alerted me today to the need to disclose to my loyal fanbase what I recieve by way of compensation for writing Slaked! As I have said before, that number would zero. Nothing. Zilch.

Of course she had the upscale clientele to raise her prices dramatically for her ‘93s, therefore not having to pay too dear a price for destroying three-quarters of her crop (or whatever the percentage was) by her zealotry, but the entire incident serves to show the potential down side of biodynamism if taken too far. think not.

There are, of course, great producers making great wines from other areas in Provence, and their entry-level bottles can offer truly fantastic value. An approximately equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from the great producer in Var in the Côtes de Provence. Great $10 reds.not so easy, in my book. love this wine! alcohol.

Not much, of course, but something. Flights are delayed. Market volatility remains high. All indicators point to a long and restless summer. And it's the wettest spring anyone can remember. Just last night we opened a Robert Sinskey 2005 Los Carneros Merlot ** that was nicely textured and tart. just can’t bring myself to do it. Never again.”

served three courses, each paired with a wine poured blind. knew the wines, or course - I selected them to pair well with the food I was serving. I'm discovering a taste for the Syrahs of the northern Rhône, but I haven't had a Châteauneuf du Pape that I really like, never mind a Gigondas, or Vacqueyras. But my friends didn't.

Of course the jury is still out on whether or not adding huge doses of copper sulphate to the wines pre-bottling is safe for those consuming the wines, but I for one am not about to be the guinea pig on that score. John has offered a free issue from his backlist to any Dr. Vino reader so surf on over to his site and check it out. The Loire.

Loup blend of Syrah (55%), Grenache (35%) and Mourvedre (10%), it's produced by the firm Ravaille Freres." That said, I've found it pleasing enough over a course of meatloaf covered in ketchup after a tiring day. I have two Italian and two French reds on the table tonight. The Belpoggio "Stupor Mundi" Rosso Piceno 2006 ** is a 12.5%

Of course there is no substitute for drinking wine at home with a meal, but this was a great learning opportunity, especially since I have so little experience with these wines. For me it was like taking an intro course in college - you learn what it is that you want to learn more about. Most of the reds were just too enormous for me.

Eric Trump (yes, The Donald's son) has a wonderful charitable organization that throws an event at the Westchester, NY based Trump International Golf Course to raise money for St Jude's Childrens Charity.  Among the many highlights of the day was when Ivanka Trump came by, tried, and LOVED an Israeli Syrah we were pouring. 

Coeur D'Alene Cellars focuses mostly on the Rhone varietals Syrah and Viognier along with Cabernet Franc and the of course the usual suspects Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. We have the 2004 Coeur d' Alene Washington syrah. must confess that syrah is probably one of my favorite varietals on the planet. Idaho? Cheers

This was also true when I played a lot of chess, when I was getting into economics courses in grad school, basically anytime I've undertaken anything of any import. Here are some of the wines that stood out for me: 1992 Edmunds St John Syrah Grand Heritage. The more I learn about wine, the more I realize that I don't know. Who knew.

Washington State, is known to produce some exceptional reds, in particular Merlot, Syrah and yes, of course, Cabernet Sauvignon (and blends including all or some of the aforementioned varietals). So instead, I want to bring up wines from another not-too-discussed wine region - Washington state.

It has benefited from several centuries history of vine breeding and winemaking, and has the ability to grow in an unique way three fantastic grape varieties, the Syrah in the North, the Grenache and Mourvèdre in the South. Of course, it depends whether I am near home or away. But not all soils in this area can produce great grapes.

Lunch was a 4 course meal, each course serves with a wine from the region. Of interest is that the Murcia region, in addition to cultivating the popular Monastrell, had wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon and is increasing its plantings of Syrah and Petit Verdot, two varietals that are apparently doing well there.

Of course, this event was about purchasing wine "futures," and many of the wineries at the event only have reds for sale, but that said, a couple wineries included their current 2006 white release, most notably Nicolas Morlet, winemaker at Peter Michael, who, upon request, poured the 2006 Cuvee Indigene. traveled down to Wasihngton D.C.

NOT A BIG DEAL of course but I MUCH prefer to do my own pouring.  Something I might want to include if I were ever to open a wine bar (hypothetically speaking of course ;)). We finally decided on a California Syrah.  the other California Syrah option was brought out and proved to be a very fine wine. 

Flight Two: All Syrah all the Time 2005 Edmunds St. Of course California is not France and therein may suggest the problem. John, From Parkers Wine Advocate Im going to get more articulate on this one but when it was first opened, it was shy, with some fruit fowardness and not that much animal syrah character. Many thanks!

Syrah (in this conference calle a hot weather grape) will continue to be abused by the new world. Of course, in this case, "signora". home : wine recommendations : wine girl for hire : bio : articles : contact « Global Warming & Wine Conference: M. February 19, 2008 The Climate Change in Spain, was a rather emotional panel.

What is definite though is that in the late 1800's and early 1900's Argentina saw a huge influx of European immigrants settle on their land bringing with them all kinds of vitis vinifera rootstocks, from Barbera to Chardonnay and from Syrah to Cot or Malbec. The word Malbec is being heard more and more these days. The answer is yes we do.

Yesterday, January 24th, jet lagged and feeling a bit under the weather, I attended the Wine Australia Festival in NY's Wall St Cipriani. just to name a few. While I know this seems quite snobby, and may have been, I am about to make a confession. By my compatriots calculation we tried about 75 wines each - within 3 hours. Didn't work well.

Washington wines have not made any kind of inroads in my cellar for two reasons: 1) they are mostly Bordeaux blends (there is plenty of Syrah and all sorts of other stuff too - I said "mostly"), not wines that I drink very often, and 2) prices are pretty high, even for the entry level wines. Primehouse New York hosted the event.

It all started, of course, with Sideways. On the tasting sheets all wines led to the one bottle that Miles pined over in the film (which was a syrah by the way. and laughs as if he came up with the line (he of course downed the taste quicker than jack rabbit slim with a hound dog's snout on his tail). Man have I been busy.

This is hot weather France where hardy grapes thrive, like Grenache and Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan, and of course, Syrah. Do they permit varying percentages of Syrah, for example, or it is an elevation and wind thing? Here we are again folks, Wine Blogging Wednesday is upon us once more. Mid-priced Midi wines, if you will.

This area is well known mostly for its chardonnay which takes up forty percent of the area's acreage but also plants the Bordeaux grapes cabernet sauvignon and merlot as well as, of course, zinfandel. Interestingly enough the red in the package this month was a syrah. was about to pop a bottle of boutique Monterey syrah. Cheer

Of course, this might make it tough for me to drink too much of the Oregon wine that I love.which brings me to the second part of this resolution. For example, why am I devoting 2% of my cellar space to Australian Syrah, even if it is produced by Two Hands and supposedly delicious? can open a good Pinot once or twice a week.

That is, of course, unless you trust your wine merchant. love the grapes in the area (syrah, granache, cinsaut and mouverde) and I wanted to dig through there first. The wine is a northern Rhone Valley one hundred percent syrah from the Cornas AOC. It is time for me to re focus. have been all over the place with these posts.

The producers name is Chateau Rouet and it was a blend of 60% granache and 40% syrah and had a beautiful pink color and a wacky curvaceous bottle. Of course I had tried it in Bordeaux blends but that is another story altogether. So it was time to explore France via the east village. First up was a rose form Provence. Gal was torn.

The grapes grown here are Grenache, syrah, mouverde and cinsaut. The Vacqueyras we had was a blend of Syrah mostly and grenache and surprisingly some gamay according to the owner. It smoothed out the rough edges of the syrah and granache wonderfully. Of course we were. All I have to say is Fada. wanted me some Rhone.