Word: merlot
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Other vintners are taking their cues from Italy. Iron Horse's Tancer and Dominic Martin of San Luis Obispo's Martin Bros. are among winemakers who have planted such Italian varietals as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese; Tancer intends to blend his Sangiovese with Cabernet or Merlot in new proprietary wines similar to ones being produced in Tuscany. There is a certain irony here. Investment banker William Hambrecht, who sells the Zinfandel grapes from his Sonoma ranch to Ridge Vineyards, notes that many of these newly fashionable varietals were first planted in California at the century's turn by Italian immigrants...
...that many of the wines produced in the South and Northeast will never be more than marginal in quality. To make a profit, however, vintners must charge premium prices for what, realistically, is vin ordinaire. But for the Adventurous Oenophile and his ilk, the discovery of a promising little Merlot from North Carolina (try Biltmore's) or a delicate Eiswein from Michigan (taste one from Chateau Grand Traverse) will always be worth the cost...
...California wines." He swirls the glass fiercely for a second or two and inhales. "Not much wood in the nose," he observes, "but it's jammy, with plenty of fruit." He sips, noisily sloshes the wine along his tongue and, with practiced aplomb, spews a stream of Napa Valley Merlot into the sink of his wet bar. "It's a little too tannic," he concludes. "Competently made, but nothing exciting. Probably...
...buttery and well balanced. Flowery Traminers and Johannisberg Rieslings are made by Worden's Washington Winery, outside Spokane. Chateau Ste. Michelle's fresh, fruity, late-harvest Riesling, a subtle Sauvignon, and a spicy Fumé Blanc are delightful by any standard; its reds include a consistently good Merlot. Last year the winery won five gold medals in an international competition in Milan...
...admired California wines. Mondavi is the leading producer of premium varietals in the U.S. He travels frequently in Europe and has introduced French winemaking techniques and equipment to California. The red wines they will make together in the Napa Valley will be mostly from cabernet sauvignon grapes, with some merlot and cabernet franc, approximately the Mouton mix. The first bottles, to be released in 1983 at the earliest, will probably cost between $25 and $35. By comparison, a Mondavi Cabernet Reserve '74 sells for around $30. A Mouton Rothschild of a comparable year, say '75, fetches twice...