Who am I to mess with tradition, so I too have been reflecting, but not so much on the larger lessons of life, but rather on the imperative topic of how did my wine drinking rate this year?  I definitely drank far too much plonk along with a great deal of oh-so-average offerings, but I’m grateful to say that the year was not all lost!  Indeed I’ve had the good fortune to have experienced some exceptional wines this year, so let’s focus on those!  Ahh the memories! 

Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights. The Champagne of the year definitely came in the form of the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998 - wow – what a stunning wine!  This Blanc de Blancs is a very special treat and it knows it! The first sip is alluring with the beautiful fruit and subtle complexity and with each subsequent taste you can’t help but fall deeply in love with the wonderful layers of flavour that are unending, the richness that is exquisitely matched with delicate acidity and the tiny, intricate bubbles of this elegant choice.

The pinnacle of the white wines of the year is most certainly held by Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, however, choosing my personal favourite was a great challenge!  The 2007 vintage in Alsace was ideal and has produced beautiful wines, with Humbrecht being no exception, and while I adored them all, the wine of distinction for me was the Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl. Gewurztraminer is a very misunderstood grape but winemaker Olivier Humbrecht holds the key to unlocking its magic (is it his fervent belief in biodynamics?) Luscious, powerful, bold, this wine astounds, even now, at this very early age.  What blew me away was the perfection achieved between the sweetness (at 74 g/l of residual sugar, this could be a Vendanges Tardive!) and the razor sharp acidity that is cleverly masqueraded amongst waves of jasmine and lychee.  The good news is that this wine will retain its gloriousness for decades – perhaps it will make a reappearance on this list again in 2019!

The red wine that found its place at the top for me this year is a bit of a surprise – I was certainly surprised by it – twice! My friends and I often get together to enjoy wine and a lot of the time we taste them blind which is always the best way to discover your real feelings about a wine without any misperceptions getting in the way.  Twice this wine completely stole the show and both times I was flabbergasted by the outstanding quality, especially given that it’s a wine from Georgia!  The Orovela Chandrebi Red, made from a blend of  Saperavi and Cabernet Sauvignon is remarkable.  It must have taken a good 10-15 minutes before I even tasted the wine because I was getting so much from the nose – dark chocolate, plums, rich black fruit, christmas pudding – the more I swirled the more it sang!  The palate was much the same with flavour abounding and all the elements in perfect harmony with one another. To find out this wine wasn’t ridiculously expensive, wasn’t highly sought after and came from Georgia, a relatively unknown region for wine, are all the reasons it tops my list.

The top honours for dessert wine may have also gone to Olivier Humbrecht if it wasn’t for a recent dinner when the hosts mentioned a little something they’d picked up recently and proceeded to uncork a 2004 Vin de Constance from Klein Constantia (to the sounds of my exuberant squeals and applause!)  I visited South Africa in 2001 and it remains the country I am most fascinated by for many reasons, their wine, of course, being one of them.  There is great history to Vin de Constance and it is remarkably easy to understand why it was so lauded in the 18th and 19th centuries, and for those who’ve had it, is just as special today.  Made from the Muscat de Frontignan (Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains) this decadent wine matured for nearly four years before bottling and reached a level of 130 g/l of residual sugar – it is sinfully delicious and the perfect way to end any meal and also this list of my personal favourite wines of 2009.

So in looking forward to 2010, my resolutions will include trying wines from as many new grapes, new regions, new producers as possible and to always report back to you with the winners and the losers along with all the other fun wine stuff in between.  Oh yeah, and I resolve to drink less plonk!

I’d love to hear about your favourite wines of the year - leave a comment.

The house is warm (maybe the fireplace is crackling away), the tree is shimmering, the table is crammed with mouthwatering dishes, the aromas are wafting, the wine glasses are full, the family is all seated and their eyes turn to you for the perfect words to start this traditional feast…what ARE you going to say?!

Occasions such a Christmas and New Years are times at which we feel the need to ‘say a few words’ before diving into the celebration and for those who must utter them, finding the right words can be quite stressful.  However, not to fear, people have been doing this for centuries so we can borrow from their wisdom. Whether it’s sincerity, humour or nostalgia you’re looking for, here are a few tried and true to get you started…

May friendship, like wine, improve as time advances, and may we always have old wine, old friends, and young cares – Unknown

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake. Timothy 5:23

Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. Ecclesiastes 9:7

A Christmas wish – May you never forget what is worth remembering, or remember what is best forgotten – Irish

Here’s to cold nights, warm friends and a good drink to give them - Unknown

And if those don’t work, a simple ‘Cheers’ will often do the trick!

Here is my toast to you this Christmas:

As you look back on a year gone by may you revel in all the wines you were lucky to try, and when looking forward to 2010, drink to all the bottles you’ve yet to open!

Happy Christmas and here’s hoping the New Year is full of Passion!

Tara – Wine Passionista

It happens when everything is in perfect harmony – just like an orchestra.  When the layers of luscious fruit balance with supple tannins and just the right amount of smoky oak leaving an elegant, silky, lingering finish is as close as the experience of a wine can come to a number one smash on the charts.

However, it’s not about rankings or being at the top of the leader board, instead it’s about our individual connection to that particular wine at that particular moment.  No matter what our mood, no matter what the weather or the latest world crisis, that first sip of the perfect wine, very much like the first notes of that one song, can make everything better – instantly.  This is when we know life is good.

Sometimes it may be a zesty, energetic Sauvignon Blanc from Chile (akin to rhythmic pop hit) or maybe a more mellow, soft, easy to get along with, Merlot from California (think a crooning Frank Sinatra) or even a powerful, robust, sincere and passionate Amarone (Pavarotti perhaps?) 

Whatever the wine, whatever the music, they both have the ability to move us, literally and figuratively.  Isn’t that the greatest?!

Your Turn!  What’s your perfect wine & music combo?  Leave a comment!

There’s always time for wine!

TD

In these days of ‘supersizing’ and the belief that ‘bigger is always better’, it’s quite common to see magnum bottles being brought to tables in fancy nightclubs with a lot of fanfare and a sparkler or seven, and many bars are pouring their House Champagne from a magnum bottle to take advantage of the ‘theatre’ of it all!  However, there is more than just the ‘cool factor’ behind why it’s a good idea to seek out magnums whenever possible.

We know that oxygen is an enemy to wine (until it is poured and then we want as much as possible!) and in a magnum the size of the cork is the same as a regular bottle, therefore the opportunity for air to adversely effect a larger volume of wine is much less likely. 

A magnum is the perfect accompaniment to a dinner party as it allows for a group of friends to all be served at once!  Open one bottle and eight to ten of your dinner guests will have their glasses filled before you need to labour further with the corkscrew.

Next time you’re in your favourite local wine shop, see if they stock any magnums and if not, ask if they are able to get some and see for yourself why drinking from magnum is so recommended.  So whether it’s a handsome Hawaiian shirt-clad Tom Selleck or simply an oversized and extra-quality bottle of wine, one thing’s for sure – they’re both extremely cool!

There’s always time for wine!

TD

I love bubbles – maybe it’s because I’m female, maybe it’s because I’m always ready to celebrate, but whatever the reason, I can’t deny it!  I’m sure some of you know how I feel!  Good day, bad day, any day is the right one to enjoy Champagne!  But how often do we reach out from under the umbrella of the world’s biggest brands to discover one we’ve never heard of?  Sadly, far too rarely.

Moreso than wine, Champagne is about the brand name – it’s what we know, what we’ve heard of and what we think of as prestigious.  And it’s true – all the well-known houses are great Champagnes, but if we only ever drink these then we are missing out on some of the most surprising and exciting choices in the region.

Small producers in Champagne (the ones we’ve never heard of) are often where we’ll find amazing quality – where the passion of the winemaker bursts forth in the bubbles zipping up our glass.  These tiny houses may not produce massive volumes nor have exorbitant marketing budgets, but their prestige comes from the passion to create exceptional quality. 

So it’s up to us to give them a chance – you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find in the bottle and your wallet will thank you.  Next time you are on the hunt for a bottle of bubbly, stop into your friendly wine merchant and take a chance one you’ve never heard of and see that there’s more to Champagne than just what’s in a name.

TD

It’s the same with wine. Today is a wet and rainy day in London Town, darkness set in around 3:30pm and the sky started melting shortly after.  I couldn’t wait to return to the refuge of my flat and of a nice bottle of wine!  My comfort wine!  While some may have a specific wine they’d choose in such an instance, for me, the exact wine changes constantly, but just knowing that a lovely big glass of something aromatic and full of character is waiting, just helps to take the edge of the sogginess outside.

Wine doesn’t have bad days (unless it’s a root day on the Biodynamic calendar, but that’s a different conversation entirely!), it is only there to pick us up on the days we need a lift and to enhance our celebrations when life is good.

And by enjoying a bottle of vino, we might just be extending that good life, as reported in a (controversial) study in the journal Heart, as wine has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease.  So as you’re reaching for that drop of inspiration,  the ray of sunshine in a glass, you can take solace in knowing that it does a body good, and isn’t that a comfort?

TD

Well, I guess it’s different for each of us, but once the interest to  expand our palate is genuine and we’ve passed the nostalgic mistakes of our early explorations (Mateus rose, Gallo white Zin etc.), we have to navigate carefully!

The wine shelves are packed with an array of curiosities that won’t reveal their true selves until the cork is pulled, so how do we walk home with the perfect wine in that moment?  Good question!!!

Our selection process is as personal as our palate, so one may gravitate to a juicy, jammy New World Shiraz, while another will adhere to a classical, Old World earthy Pinot Noir.  The important thing to know is:  there is NO wrong choice! 

If you are left disappointed that the wine didn’t meet your expectations, you simply know to try something else next time (but beware of closing yourself off entirely to the grape or region, because another producer may amaze you with their version!)  Conversely, if it’s everything you were hoping it would be, enjoy it!  And enjoy it again and again, but try not to allow yourself to be limited to only that one, as it would be a shame to miss out on all those other incredible discoveries you have yet to uncover!

Eeny, meeny, miney, moe…is an excellent technique for choosing wine when you’re just starting your search, and even when you are more familiar with wine, it’s good to let go of your inhibitions and just take a risk! After all, what is there to lose?  It’s just wine, and you never know, you might just be pleasantly surprised!

There’s always time for wine!  TD

Who am I?

I’m Tara Devon,  self-described ‘Wine Passionista’ and therefore will walk across hot coals to entice everyone to get out of their comfort zone when it comes to the wines they drink, and encourage the sampling of gorgeous and wide-ranging wines from all over the globe, and with each new discovery, say to their glass an enthusiastic ‘Hello World’!

Who are you?

Someone who enjoys drinking wine!  You know what you like and you know what you don’t like – this alone is the crux of what it’s all about!  If you want to deepen your understanding a bit more without fear of becoming a stuffy wine snob, then stick around!

I will endeavor to bring you interesting, pertinent, poignant and useful information about the entire spectrum of wines, from the most indispensable gluggables to the highest echelon of sought after treasures.  You tell me what you’re curious about (there are no stupid questions!) and together we will unravel the secrets of what’s in the glass!

Future posts will explore how to make the best choices in a wine shop or supermarket, how to successfully navigate a restaurant wine list and the fundamentals of learning to love the uniqueness of each grape variety.

There’s always time for wine! 

TD