GrapeLines

A look at the Wagner Family wines.

The Wagner family has been making wines in California’s Napa Valley since 1915. Its first winery flourished until 1920 when it was closed by Prohibition, and the family turned to farming, eventually growing grapes and making wines at their home. In 1972, Chuck Wagner and his parents Charles and Lorna Belle, established the Caymus Vineyards winery, naming it for the 1836 land grant that included the area encompassing their farm.

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A review of several Cru Beaujolais, some Pinot Grigios and New Zealand Pinot Noirs.

To appreciate the variety of notable wines being made around the world, try less familiar varietals or more familiar ones that come from different locations. Begin your journey in France’s Beaujolais region where the Gamay grape is made into remarkable, reasonably-priced and often underappreciated wines. Distinct from the simply styled “Beaujolais Nouveau” meant to be consumed soon after harvest, the better Beaujolais have complex fruitiness along with minimal tannins, making them the ones to pour for a friend that usually likes only white wine.

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Some summer wine recommendations including Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Summer wines should be fruit-filled and complex enough to be interesting without overwhelming the traditional warm weather foods. They certainly need to be chilled, even the red ones, which will bring out their fruit flavors and balance. Here are some suggestions.

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A review of Charles Krug wines on their 150th anniversary.

The 150th anniversary of the Napa Valley’s oldest winery, Charles Krug, will be celebrated this summer. With a $21.6 million renovation of its winemaking facilities and vineyards under way, the winery is positioning itself to remain a leader of California’s wine industry. The winery’s story began when the 27-year-old Krug left Germany in 1847 and became a teacher in Philadelphia. Inspired by the French Revolution, he returned home the next year to participate in the unsuccessful attempt to establish a German Republic and was imprisoned for nine months

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These are tough times to be a winemaker. Consumers are buying but overall sales are down, and the demand for the higher-priced wines has nearly evaporated. The larger producers are better positioned to withstand the economic downturn, but even the giant wine conglomerates are laying off employees. For smaller producers who make limited amounts of the world’s finest wines, these conditions are potentially disastrous.

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The pleasures of older wines.

I prefer “Chinatown” to the “The DaVinci Code,” “On The Waterfront” over “Gladiator” and will drop everything to watch “Casablanca.” Angelina Jolie certainly has her attributes but Ingrid Bergman has a vulnerable sadness. Older movies have a captivating elegance and charm that is often lacking in the more recent Hollywood blockbusters. A similar satisfaction can be found in various older wines.

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Suggestions for a “Frugal Cellar” from Becky Wasserman-Hone

I love wine. I love expensive wine and I love value-oriented wine.Unfortunately, the latter does not always garner the attention it deserves. But given the economic challenges facing us for at least the immediate future, my New Year’s resolution is to readjust my wine expectations.
The pursuit of trophy wines and dreams of first-growth Bordeaux must take a back seat to stocking my cellar with well-made wines at reasonable prices. There are numerous delicious, good-value wines being made, but they take a bit of effort to and, because the best examples
are often from unfamiliar producers or are created from unheralded varietals.

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