Joy and had the opportunity to tasting through the range of wines from Napa producer Canard Vineyard. Hosted by Hall’s Chophouse, close to our home in Summerville, South Carolina, this was our first wine tasting at this venue.

Canard Vineyard’s managing director, Adam Fox, provided us with excellent insight regarding both the wines and the winery.

Canard was created in 1983 when Rich and Carolyn Czapleski, who were initially searching for a Napa ‘weekend getaway’, stumbled across nearly 25 acres of vines near the town of Calistoga on the Silverado Trail. The house was built in 1859 on the property quickly became “the center of social activity in the area” through the late 19^th century. It was the originally the home of Reason P. Tucker, noted for leading the “efforts to rescue the survivors of the ill fated Donnor Party”.

They soon discovered that their new getaway was planted with some very old vines, but they did not seem ideal for the production of commercially viable wine. Those old vineyards had been planted to Zinfandel (very popular for its easy management, and high yields) nearly 140 years ago. These vines had been ‘dry farmed’. They were tilled in the spring and whatever moisture was produced by virtue of the tilling is all the grapes subsist on until harvest. Vines that struggle produce deeply flavored and hued wines. This is particularly true of Zinfandel. Unfortunately, these old vines produce very little wine.

The Canard ‘old vine Zins produced actually produced very few grapes…less than two tons per acre. The old vines looked ‘gnarly’ (but…old Zin vines are supposed to look gnarly). The new owners considered ripping out the six acres of old vines and replanting with far more profitable Cabernet Sauvignon. Robert Mondavi and Joe Heitz, two of the Napa Valley’s pioneers, stopped by to chat. Mondavi and Heitz strongly recommended that they not remove the Zin vines…and the new owners did not. “There was only one other commercially producing Napa vineyard with vines dating to the 1880s”. The Canard vines, according to Mondavi and Heitz, were intrinsic to the heritage of Napa. A deeper discussion of ‘Old Vine Zins’ is on the list of future posts.

The remainder of the Canard’s acres are planted to traditional Bordeaux blending grapes.

All Canard vines are sustainably farmed. A sustainable approach “focuses on producing long-term crops while having a minimal effect on the environment. The process also focuses on maintaining economic stability of farms and helping farmers improve their techniques and quality of life”.

We had an opportunity to taste their 2018 Estate Zinfandel.  Elegant and deep in color, it is one of the finest Zins we have ever had the opportunity to experience. We enjoyed a bottle of their 100% Estate Cabernet with dinner…equally deep in color and flavor. Both wines offer substantial tannins that will soften in the glass.

Canard’s first Zins were the work of California legend Joel Petersen. Petersen took Sonoma’s Ravenswood from 6,000 to 100,000 cases, but he is equally comfortable working in a boutique setting. Petersen and the Czapleski’s determined that a blend of very ripe and ‘not so quite ripe’ grapes (not picked at the same time) was ideal for their blend. The result is a reduction in alcohol and an increase in complexity…they were right with the first vintage…the process continues to current vintages.

There are only 3,200 cases of Canard wines produced each vintage, and they are not widely distributed. Managing Director, and tasting director, Adam Fox also determines where the approximately 1,600 cases not sold through their club membership will ultimately reside. You will find Canard wines in Florida, the ski regions of the American west, and now in all of Hall’s Chophouse locations. The restaurant charge per bottle is likely to be north of $100. However, if you can find them in a retail setting, the price will be substantially south of $100. A future blog post will also discuss the nature of retail and restaurant wine pricing.

Hall’s Chophouse is planning two wines events each month (dinner or tasting). The Canard tasting was offered at no cost but did require a reservation. Join the Hall’s email list for updates on events.

These are expensive wines…but they are very well made, unique, and worth the price.

As an alternative, and much less expensive, red blend consider the Komodo Dragon Red. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah blend offers deep color, a pleasant mouth-feel, a touch of sweet spice, and a lingering finish. You should be able to find this one nationally for less than $20.

Things change…

I tend to emotionally assign grapes to regions. Albarino originates from Spain, Port from Portugal, and Roussanne is, or should be, from the Rhone. The problem with this approach is that American winemakers would be limited to Concord, Catawba, and Norton (plus a few other unfortunate cousins). Reliance grapes on those grapes would certainly have altered our wine culture. Grapes can, of course, grow in like climates and similar soil, regardless of the boundaries established by political entities rather than nature. Thank goodness…

Joy and I were recently introduced to Kivelstadt Cellars 2018 Mother of Invention with grapes from Mendocino County, California. You would most likely find this organically produced blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Roussanne in the southern Rhone. These grapes are regular blending partners, and they are also difficult grapes to grow. Roussanne is susceptible to disease, produces low yields, and is at risk of oxidation during fermentation. Marsanne is slightly less temperamental but requires carefully control in the vineyard (too hot…wines are flabby; too cold…the grapes don’t ripen).

In the Rhone Valley, Roussanne is the primary grape in the production of the white wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and was introduced to California in the 1980s by Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyard. Graham smuggled (no cuttings are permitted into California without inspection by the California agricultural authorities…Graham’s cuttings entered in a suitcase in order to bypass authorities). Graham, one of the original ‘Rhone Rangers’, successfully grafted his smuggled cuttings, and in the early 1990s sold his own cuttings to Sonoma Grapevine, one of California’s largest nurseries. Sonoma Grapevine eventually sold Graham’s suitcase cuttings across the state.

Both Roussanne and Marsanne result in wines that are rich and dry. They both present elements of pear and nut. The Roussanne is floral with hints of herbs on the nose and white pepper on the palate through the finish. Marsanne, usually a blending grape, adds citrus and orange to the flavor package. Both of these grapes can produce high alcohol, but the Mother of Invention comes in at just over 13%. The combination produces an excellent wine with which to start the evening or with white meats.

Kivelstadt Cellars (initially named Pavo Estates and two years later renamed Qualia Wines) is a relatively new winery. Nancy Kivelson and Tom Angstadt purchased a steep and rocky vineyard estate outside of Glen Ellen in Sonoma in 2005. The 10 acres of organically farmed grapes is now managed by their son Jordan (his last name a blending of his parents last names). The yield range is from 1.5 to 2.5 tons per acre (much lower than the 3 to 5 tons per acre that is considered optimal).

The temperatures around Glen Ellen are very much like those of the northern Rhone. Thus, not surprisingly Jordan, who had visited the Rhone during a wine making and learning journey, focused on the original Rhone grape…Syrah.

He vinified and aged his 125 cases of Estate Syrah at the Dogpatch Wineworks in the eastern San Francisco neighborhood of Dogpatch. Dogpatch, once a mix of industry and full-time residents, has become one of The Bay Cities ‘coolest neighborhoods’. But, the romance between Kivelstadt and Dogpatch was not destined to last.

Kivelstadt Cellars, now named for its winemaker, has (or will soon) relocate to downtown Sonoma. It will soon be housed in a former grille that will (within a month or so) house the winery, the tasting room (currently in Glen Ellen) and a restaurant. Kivelstadt envisions a ‘wine garden’ immersing guests in a total wine experience.

That original 125 case output has expanded to 3,500 and has added a 330 case production with those grapes sourced in Mendocino, to vinify the crisp and fruit forward Rhone-style Mother of Invention.

Aged in neutral French oak following fermentation with natural yeasts, this is a wine that offers excellent acidity. You will find soft elements of melon on the nose and hints of apple and honey surrounded by “fresh picked white flowers”.

As noted earlier, this is a wonderful wine with which to start a meal, but don’t serve it too cold…let it warm to open the flavor package.

Not surprisingly, with only 330 cases, the Mother of Invention (which sells for around $25) is not widely available. Interestingly, there are very few Marsanne/Roussanne blends. You could order the Cairdeas 2018 Nellie Mae White from the winery ($24). You could also look for the Kita 2018 Taya Camp 4 Vineayrd White. The Kita adds 4% Grenache Blanc to the primary grapes.

Tablas Creek makes a many more widely distributed white Rhone blends. However, the Tablas Creek white Rhone blends are not restricted to Marsanne and Roussanne. Check with your local wine shop for their suggestions.

Try white Rhone with poultry and seafood.

We have not discussed a spirit in months. It is time to correct that flaw…

A couple of weeks ago Joy and I had the opportunity to spend some time with friends in a beautiful planned community located on Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta. We toured the area, ate in a couple of excellent local eateries, and had the opportunity to share a new Bourbon that was both reasonably priced and approachable.

Rabbit Hole Cavehill is produced in Louisville, Kentucky. The distillery was founded in 2012 by psychologist Kaveh Zamanian (and his ‘muse’…wife Heather) who enjoyed both Bourbon and Rye, ultimately left a 20-year career in psychology, and built a “magnificent distillery in the heart of Louisville as a homage to the art and science of distillation”.

He developed “unique whiskey recipes that are made 100% in Kentucky”. He hired Vendome Copper and Brass Works, fourth generation fabricators noted for their extraordinary and exquisite work, to create 24-inch copper column stills. Kelvin Cooperage, an outstanding barrel maker that relocated to Kentucky from Scotland, and is responsible for the American charred oak barrels that are key to the excellent flavor package.

The Rabbit Hole Cavehill is a straight Bourbon.

Straight Bourbon is defined as a product distilled from “from a fermented (malted or unmalted) cereal grain mash to a concentration not exceeding 80% ABV and aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years at a concentration not exceeding 62.5% at the start of the ageing process”. For a product to be labeled as Bourbon also requires a mash bill with no less than 51% corn.

The Cavehill is named for Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery, that Zamanian claims is “the resting place of more distillers than anywhere in the country”. Zamanian continues that he lives jsut down the street from the cemetery, and “has a lot of reverence there. These are the individuals that paved the way”.

The entire range of Rabbit Hole products was renamed by new owners (as of 2019) Pernod Ricard. The Paris based distiller and marketing group owns the blended Scotch Chivas Regal and the single malt Abelour, but has been out of the American whiskey business since they sold Wild Turkey in 2009. The renaming is, as the Cavehill suggests, an effort to “honor the most influential figures in Louisville”.

Rabbit Hole produces this Kentucky straight bourbon from four grains (70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% honey malted barley, and 10% malted barley). The American Oak barrels are charred to #3 (out of four) and the smokey whiskey is bottled at 47.5% ABV.

You will find an amber color and elements of orange and honey on the nose. This is both rich and sweet. The orange and honey tones continue on the palate with the addition of that hint of smoke, vanilla, and white pepper. You will enjoy the honey and an element of almond on the finish.

Rabbit Hole products are slowly making their way into most markets (although not yet in South Carolina). The Cavehill can be found for less than $60.

While on the road from north Georgia to Charleston, we were fortunate to stumble across the Six and Twenty Distillery in Powdersville, South Carolina (northwest portion of the state). The distillery is named for a Cherokee legend and has been in operation since 2011. They will soon be moving to a larger facility in Greenville, SC.

I have been a fan of the Six and Twenty 5-Grain Bourbon (corn, soft winter wheat, barley, rye, and rice), and had the opportunity to sample their new Heirloom Straight Rye (very limited). Nice nutty and caramel element. Available for $60 in limited markets.

Both the Rabbit Hole Cavehill and the Six and Twenty Rye are worth tracking down.

The weather in the Low Country is already warming. And, hopefully, warming trends are on the near horizon for our friends in the North. However, regardless of the temperature, it is time for an ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) conversation. And, some of you may also be looking for an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. Thus, let’s talk about Grüner Veltliner.

You will most likely find Grüner Veltliner in Austria (nearly 33% of total vineyard plantings) and also with more than 10% of Czech vines. There are also a few of these food-friendly grapes in the New World (Massachusetts, Oregon, Maryland, the North Fork of Long Island, New York’s Finger Lakes, Napa, Ohio, and etc.). Australia has also started to vinify this popular restaurant wine-list product. There are 50,000 acres of Grüner Veltliner exist world wide…75% in Austria. Most of these vines produce large yields requiring control to maintain quality.

The term Grüner Veltliner first appeared in the mid-19^th century. Nevertheless, the Austrians did not take the grape seriously, and only began training the vines until the late 1940s. By the 1950s it had become “Austria’s most planted variety”. The Austrian government eventually “designated the vine as a protected natural monument”.

“Many of the wines are highly mineral and pure – reflecting the gravel and lack of soil”. The bottles are usually green, but the fluid is usually a very pale green. Traditionally dry, you will find citrus, lime, lemon, and grapefruit (with a hint of white pepper). The flavor package explodes in your mouth “like pop rocks”. Grüner Veltliner is generally released with less than 2 years of aging, and the ABV is often below 12.5%. Don’t be surprised to find bottles secured with a screwcap (we will discuss this later). And, this is a white wine that will age well.

“That remarkably high acidity will mask any sweet notes. And it even leads to just a hint of effervescence in some bottles”. However, don’t be surprised if you find some nut and cream in the flavor palate in these full-bodied wines.

A couple of options…

The 2017 Weingut Hirsch, an organic product, comes from a winery owned by by the same family since 1878 and housed in a structure that was originally constructed during the 16^th century’s High Renaissance. Now managed by Johannes Hirsch who represents the fifth generation of the family. Originally, the Hirsch family engaged in mixed agriculture (grapes with other crops). The focus on viticulture began with Johanne’ father, Josef, in the late 1970s when he took responsibility for a little more than six acres of vineyards from his father.

Josef eventually acquired additional acreage, in 1996, at fourteen, Johannes joined the ‘firm’. In 1999, at the “height of the red boom” they removed the red wine varieties and focused on Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. Good decision.

You should be able to track this stainless-steel matured wine (now in the 2018 juicy vintage with hints of white pepper spice) for around $20 a bottle. This is an excellent wine.

A second option, the 93 rated Wine Enthusiast 2018 Domäne Wachau Terrassen Grüner Veltliner Federspiel is another Austrian “lightly peppery white has plenty of fresh zest coupled with ripe melon smith”. You should find this one for less than $18.

Enjoy Grüner Veltliner with everything from asparagus to tacos. I enjoy it as a starter for virtually every meal. The crisp elements of the wine work with salad and cheese and simply on its own