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The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

? What is it? One of the most prestigious competitions in the United States, featuring wines from around the world. Some 2,800 were entered, and my panel judged about 200 over two days.

? When and where: Feb. 1-2, 2010, Dallas

? Biggest surprise: That the judging went so smoothly. It’s not that I thought it wouldn’t; rather, it’s that any competition with that many wines has plenty of room for glitches. But we didn’t have any. The group that worked with us — Rusty Brenner, Dana Olsen and Carolyn Westberg — were top notch.

? What’s different: We had celery as a palate cleanser. I’m not kidding — that’s a big deal. When one judges that many ones over such a short period of time, it’s difficult to keep the palate fresh. Usually, competitions provide bread, cheese and sometimes little slices of roast beef. The celery was a revelation. Washed all those tannins right out.

? Who I judged with: Ron Ruggles of Nation’s Restaurant News, an old pal form my newspaper days; Bob Small, who runs the Los Angeles International Wine Competition; and Shelli Brinson of King Estate, one of their top sales people.

? Compensation: A $200 honorarium.

? Overall: Much more fun that I thought; again, not because judging isn’t enjoyable, but because we had so many wines to do over two days (including almost 100 zinfandels). That is a daunting prospect. In addition, we got to taste some odd grapes, which is always a treat. That included the Eastern European saperavi, which we gave two golds to. Plus, the others on the panel were terrific, and I learned a lot, especially from Small, who shared his perspective as someone who runs a competition.

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Virginia Governor’s Cup 2010

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

? What is it? The largest competition in Virginia, featuring wines from throughout the state. We judged more than 200 red wines.

? When and where: Jan. 23, 2010, Loudoun County, Va.

? Biggest surprise: That I liked the wines better than the Virginia-based judges. Seriously. I think this is a function of familiarity breeding contempt, or at least higher expectations.

? What’s different: We only did red; the white wine judging will take place in October. This is very unusual, and was a nice touch, cutting the number of wines to judge — and our tasting fatigue — in half. Also, the results weren’t released at the end of the day, which is also unusual. I’ll update this when the results are announced.

? Who I judged with: Philip Prifold, who teaches wine classes for the Washington, D.C., Art Institute culinary program and the International Sommelier Guild; wine broker Ellen Shull, who was judging her first competition and did quite well; retailer Lucinda Smith; and Pennsylvania grape grower Stewart Nelson. Nelson, incidentally, is a retired concert violinist. Don’t get to judge with too many of those.

? Compensation: The organizers paid my airfare, two hotel nights, and half of a rental car. (I stayed in Virginia to do some other wine business, which accounts for the other half of the rental car.)

? Overall: Most of the wines were more than competent, and I was quite impressed with the quality. The best wines, in a blind tasting with wines from other parts of the world, would more than hold their own. Virginia is developing a first-class wine industry, with distinctive terroir.

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Dan Berger: The day cabernet sauvignon died

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

The great Dan Berger has written the obituary for California cabernet sauvignon — an elegant and timely piece that everyone who cares about wine should read:

"Cabernet has undergone a makeover that has, probably forever, made it little more than a parody of itself, entering a realm that 20 years ago I never would have believed. Today, California cabernet is a virtual wine, made to be consumed as an aperitif and as young as possible. … The most telling ? and damaging ? aspect of today ?s cabernets is what I hear from wine makers, and always off the record. The phrasing may differ, but the sentiment is the same: 'I may make cabernet, but I don ?t drink it any more.' "

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Restaurants, chefs and local wine

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

The announcement this week that American chefs have identified local wine as one of the top restaurant trends in 2010 is not only good news for regional wine, but should be welcomed by all of the wine business — especially at a time when there hasn't been much good news.

But the Wine Curmudgeon, with his usual penchant for seeing the glass as half full (and probably leaking badly) isn't quite ready to proclaim victory in regional wine's battle for acceptance. Yes, this is welcome news, but it's just another step in getting consumers and the Winestream Media to accept local wine as something more than a novelty — and a novelty they too often turn their noses up at. And it remains to be seen if the chefs who have taken up regional wine in the survey will do so in their restaurants, as my pal Richard Leahy has noted.

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The 2010 $10 Hall of Fame

by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On

Five new wines made the 2010 $10 Hall of Fame We are in mourning as we celebrate the 2010 $10 Wine Hall of Fame.

Osborne Solaz, the Spanish red blend that has been a mainstay of the Hall since its inception in a Dallas magazine almost 10 years ago, is being phased out. The corporate term is ?selectively distributed in stores throughout the U.S., ? but the reality is that the wine won’t be for sale where you can buy it. Osborne is replacing the Solaz with a brand called TempraTantrum; hopefully, it tastes better than the name.

Otherwise, despite the weak dollar, 2009 was a banner year for cheap wine. The only other wines to drop out did so because the ailing dollar pushed their prices above $10 ? Falesco Vitiano, which produces a solid rose, an even more solid white blend, and a stunning red blend made of sangiovese, cabernet and merlot. In fact, the Hall added five wines, the most ever:

? A California chenin blanc from Vinum Cellars called CNW, for Chard-No-Way. In my review, I wrote: “It’s everything that a $10 chenin should be ? dry and crisp, but not overly fruity.”

? La Ferme de Gicon, red blend from the Rhone that may take the place of the Solaz as may favorite red wine for $10 or less. Or, as I noted in April: “The Wine Curmudgeon has just one question: How can a wine of this quality, at this price, have existed for so long without me knowing about it?”

? vini merlot from Bulgaria, which may be the best cheap merlot I’ve ever tasted.

Also, look for the 2007 Bota Box cabernet sauvingon, which earns an honorable mention. Its price works out to $5 a bottle, which is a steal. However, it’s not a full-fledged member of the Hall because I can’t vouch for any newer vintages, and I’m not sure how long this vintage will be available.

Here ?s the rest of the Hall of Fame:

? The $10 wines from California ?s Bogle Vineyards, and especially the petite sirah.

? Cristalino, the Spanish sparkling wine, which comes in brut (dry), extra dry (sweeter than brut) and rose.

? California ?s Toad Hollow pinot noir rose.

? The Gascon musketeers — Domaine du Tariquet, Domaine Duffour, Domaine des Cassagnoles, and Domaine D ?Uby. Michel Duffour, in fact, could well be the poster boy for the Hall of Fame.

? Yellow+Blue malbec (about $12 for a 1-liter box), which puts most other malbecs in its price range to shame

? Meridian ?s chardonnay, which can be found for as little as $6

? The Les Jamelles wines from southern France, which deliver surprising quality.

? Lockwood sauvignon blanc, perhaps the most pleasant surprise of any wine in the past couple of years.

For previous $10 Wine Hall of Fames: