The Wine Correspondent

Wines of Spain. Wednesday December 11, 2019  -  Rioja  6:30 – 9:30+  at Vizcaya Restaurant in South TampaWine and Tapas - $35 (it covers the wine and 3 or 4 Tapas plus any surprises) ...after that if you want to explore their menu you 're on your own; feel free. It's good and authentic. It will be fun. Good food pairing!Vizcaya3671 S West Shore BlvdTampa, FL 33629The wines will be CAVA, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva along with some Spanish Tapas. The wines will be from Rioja and there maybe a Ribera Del Duero in there... But it's guaranteed to be a good time and a learning experience. Crianza: A wine labeled crianza has spent one year in oak barrels.Reserva: A wine that says reserva on the bottle has been aged for two years; one of these years has to have been spent in oak.Gran Reserva: These wines are aged for two years in oak and three years in the bottle.Cava: Spain's iconic sparkling wine style, and the Iberian Peninsula's response to Champagne    Most Riojas are red, and Tempranillo is the principal red grape used. The native grapes Garnacha Tinta (Grenache in France), Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano are also allowed in the blend. The Riojas can be in the elegant Bordeaux style, with hints of vanilla from the oak aging; which is the traditional style characterized by lengthy aging and some sweetness; or, gradually, in a more modern style with less aging, which highlights deep and fresh fruit flavors. All this pairs great with food.White Rioja wines are usually made from Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia grapes. Their will be some of that too.Hope to see you there.

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The best up and coming Oregon region is not Willamette Valley it’s Umpqua.The Umpqua Valley of Oregon has 3 separate AVA’s Elkton, Red Hill and Umpqua. It’s approximately 25 miles due east of the Pacific Ocean and extends a further 20 miles east. “The Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua” because it is made up of a series of interconnecting small mountain ranges and valleys. Umpqua Valley is a result of the collision of three mountain ranges. Oregon’s AVA’s are becoming increasingly more popular. One of Oregon’s more diverse climates, the Umpqua Valley can successfully grow both cool and warm varieties. It’s comprised of three distinct climatic sub-zones which makes it very interesting because it’s not only Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris that call attention it’s Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. The soil is a mix of metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic rock, though more than 150 soil types. What’s interesting is the Diurnal temperature variations can vary by as much as 25 degrees F. The result is a complex jigsaw of meso climates, aspects and soil mix that create a wide-ranging assortment of growing environments.Just to know, most of the Pinot Noir grapes produced in the Umpqua Valley are slated for sale as bulk fruit to wine producers in California or Oregon’s Willamette Valley. You are drinking it already! It’s just plain good stuff.  In fact, Copper Cane, with it’s top-selling Elouan, Pinot Noir a Napa Valley, California, winery sells more Pinot Noir made from Oregon grapes than anyone else, and often at a lower price. Yep, sounds unfair. That’s why you scratch your head and say How much Pinot Noir can California produce! Copper Cane's owner, Joe Wagner and Jim Blumling their VP of Operations, are meeting with Oregon Liquor Control to try to resolve this imbalance. That’s another story…Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir would lend itself gamely to the production of rosé. No doubt…A Pinot Noir-based rosé could easily emerge as the region’s signature wine.As times moves on The Umpqua Valley appellation continues to evolve as new winemakers discover the area to make great wine. The justifiably popular wineries like Abacela, Spangler, Girardet, Reustle-Prayer Rock, Henry Estate and Brandborg (to name only a few) of Umpqua are being joined by a new group of wineries. Top scores and reviews too! Seek them out or better yet; take a trip and make a visit.

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Wines of France…A night with wines from arguably the world's most important wine-producing countryWine and Charcuterie - $40-50 Thursday January 30, 2020 6:30 -9:30 (a supercharged assembly of charcuterie plus any surprises) this will be an assortment of cured meats and veggies paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheeses, and sauces. It’s going to be great! Good wine good education and food pairing! Along with French wine from different regions.Beaune’s Wine Bar/West Palm Wineslocated at:2009 N 22nd St.Tampa, Fl 33605You will have access to their wine cave/cellar with some incredible wines. (Seriously folks…)There will be discounts on wine purchases too!Beaune’s (pronounced Bone’s) is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Bourgogne region of France. It’s known as “a wine lovers paradise.” Beaune’s Wine Bar bears the same name and reputation.*In regards to Beaune’s Wine Bar …. Very few establishments in the Tampa Bay area have been granted Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Nine, to be precise, Bern’s, Bob Heilman’s, Forlini’s, Island Way Grill, Tio Pepe, Charley’s, Columbia, SideBern’s and Beaune’s.Get ready for French Wine paired with a variety of fromages and other culinary musings.

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Wines of France…A night with wines from arguably the world's most important wine-producing countryWine and Charcuterie - $40-50 Thursday January 30, 2020 6:30 -9:30 (a supercharged assembly of charcuterie plus any surprises) this will be an assortment of cured meats and veggies paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheeses, and sauces. It’s going to be great! Good wine good education and food pairing! Along with French wine from different regions.Beaune’s Wine Bar/West Palm Wineslocated at:2009 N 22nd St.Tampa, Fl 33605You will have access to their wine cave/cellar with some incredible wines. (Seriously folks…)There will be discounts on wine purchases too!Beaune’s (pronounced Bone’s) is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Bourgogne region of France. It’s known as “a wine lovers paradise.” Beaune’s Wine Bar bears the same name and reputation.*In regards to Beaune’s Wine Bar …. Very few establishments in the Tampa Bay area have been granted Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Nine, to be precise, Bern’s, Bob Heilman’s, Forlini’s, Island Way Grill, Tio Pepe, Charley’s, Columbia, SideBern’s and Beaune’s.Get ready for French Wine paired with a variety of fromages and other culinary musings.

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Terroir, Terroir Terroir!Terroir is a key concept in viticulture because it relates to the bodily characteristics of wine in respect to the environmental and socio- economic conditions in which the grapes are grown.Grading the quality of wine and wine style most likely, to a large extent, can be explained by terroir. (The winemaker and his process may quibble at that)But, terroir is very difficult to study on a scientific level because many factors are involved, including climate, soil, cultivation and human practices, all of these factors interact.The best expression of terroir is achieved when the capacity of the grapevine variety is suited to the local climatic conditions in such a way that full ripeness of the grape is reached by the end of the growing season; Not every grape can be grown in very place.Also, grapes are an extremely climate sensitive crop and vines have been cultivated for several thousand years. What has happened is that over time many grape growing regions have been recognized, whose specific climatic conditions matched the capacity of certain varieties to produce wines of distinctive character.To produce high-quality red wines, environmental conditions should encourage reasonable vine strength, either through practical water shortage stress or through low nitrogen supply which comes from surroundings with shallow or stony soils, in temperately dry climates. Likewise, regular but not excessive vine water and nitrogen supplies are needed to produce high-quality white wines.However, great terroir emerges almost only when socio-economic conditions are satisfactory to the establishment of quality-orientated wine production. These conditions are is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation. As we know, examinations of socioeconomic status often expose inequities in access to resources, plus issues related to privilege, power and control.Those with more money and better access have more opportunities...and you have chances at better Terroir because of it. It's just the way it is.

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