Risky Season in Sonoma

So much of what we’ve been hearing lately has been about the general high quality of wines: From 2009 Bordeaux to the string of excellent vintages in Germany to the ever-exciting wines from Austria to Argentina and beyond, it’s only natural to focus on the positive.

But once in a while, a bit of potentially bad news slips out and reminds us that growing grapes and making wine is more than tricky: It can be downright risky.

I don’t remember who said it, but several years ago I heard a winemaker remark that, unlike restaurant chefs, who have dozens or more chances each evening to achieve perfection, winemakers get but one a year. And if the weather isn’t just right, or if a rogue storm passes through a region or appellation at just the wrong time, catastrophe can result.

I write this because a recent news item on Decanter.com notes that “Wine growers on the Sonoma Coast and in the Russian River Valley face a nail-biting wait to discover if 2010 will be a great vintage – or ruined by rain.”

It continues, “A low pressure system sitting off California's north coast has created highly unusual weather conditions in the area this summer, with coastal fogs and temperatures in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit, rather than the more normal 80s and 90s.

“As a result, grapes have ripened slowly, giving the potential for exceptional quality – but growers are concerned that they might not be able to finish the harvest before the onset of October rain.”

And this is California, where the sun is always supposed to shine and the weather is meant to be as laid-back as the lifestyle.

What a perfect reminder that, even in the best locations, great wine is far from guaranteed year after year. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for the Sonoma Coast and Russian River as the growing season continues.

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Great Old Wine and a Spectacular Meal

Last night, my wife and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary at one of the best restaurants in America: Talula’s Table, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Why is this relevant to a wine blog? Because it highlighted, yet again, how versatile mature wine can be.

As always, the meal there was spectacular (the menu is below). And, as so often seems to be the case, it was the mature wine that was the most food-friendly. All of the wines were excellent, mind you (the 2005 Hartford Court Sonoma Coast Land's Edge Vineyards Pinot Noir is drinking great right now, all sweet ripe cherry fruit, licorice, and forest floor), but it was the 1993 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape that was the wine of the night.

Not only was this a wine at its peak, but its fully-evolved tannins and lingering sense of freshness made it a perfect pairing partner for much of the meal. And while the wines of the Southern Rhone are known for their power and spice, this one had evolved into something altogether softer and more gentle. It still had the structure to stand up to the venison course, but it also possessed just the right amount of subtlety to work brilliantly alongside the confit of canadian goose, as well as the winter kale soup with Burgundy snail tortellini.

The point is that many pairing rules go out the window when older wines are involved. The magic that time works on the best bottles allows them to match up with dishes they never could have quite so well in their youth. That alone--not to mention their sheer deliciousness apart from food--justifies the patience required to hold onto great bottles in the cellar until they are ready. And to open them at great restaurants, with family and friends, and savor every sip of them.

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