Wines for Valentines: What To Buy? Organic Sparkling Wine Roundup

Nothing says Valentines Day more than a bottle of pink bubbles...so where can you find pink sparkling wines that aren't raised on Roundup? Here are three fabulous choices below,

And don't forget how well pink sparkling wine goes with meals throughout the year...salmon, chicken, crab, omelettes, duck...and it makes a great gift for any occasion. I recommend ordering some cases!

I will cover pink bubbles today; look for nonpink bubbles to follow.

FROM A PINOT QUEEN


From renowned Pinot Noir vintner Milla Handley comes Handley's 2006 Brut Rose ($40), a gold medal winner at the 2012 SF Chroncle wine competition.

Grown on estate vineyards in cool/hot climate Anderson Valley, it's 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay.

Winery tasting notes here.

Visiting: Open daily with a beautiful tasting room that offers a farm-like visit and outdoor picnicking tables on a gorgeous deck, overlooking the rolling hills and spectacular rural beauty of Mendocino's Anderson Valley.

Where to find: From the winery or online. I found it via Amazon.com for $32.99 a bottle.

THE UNIQUE AFFORDABLE-EST

Mendocino is often nonconformist and this pink sparking wine fits that definition. Hopland's Terra Savia offers a unique Brut Rouge ($23), made from 100% Merlot.

This wine shares the same prestigious gold medal in the 2012 SF Chronicle wine competition as the Handley Brut Rose. 

Visiting: The winery, housed in an industrial building it shared with its olive oil presses, is open twice a year on Hopland Passport weekends or by appointment.

Where to find: The winery is the best bet, offering individual bottles, as well as cases for $225 (which brings the price down to under $18.75 a bottle). You might try Whole Foods, which often stocks Terra Savia's Chardonnays.

THE FRENCH OPTION

I recently heard a great lecture by the very entertaining and witty scholar Dr. Anne Prah-Perochon at the Legion of Honor's show on Louis XIV and learned about his government's economic war to take over the luxury trade from Italy. Ever since, the French have succeeded in making Americans' and the rest of the world associate French Champagne with style, success, joie de vie - and France.

French-owned Domaine Carneros, a Napa powerhouse sparkling wine producer, that produces only sparkling wine, offers its brut rose in the form of Cuvee de Pompadour ($36), named after Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis XV, who is said to have made champagne popular at court.

Earlier vintages of this wine won double gold in the 2009 SF Chronicle wine competition.

Visiting: The winery is housed in an elegant French chateau-like complex and offers a tour of the making of their wines as well as tastings, starting at $30. It's located in the Carneros region, at the southern end of Napa Valley.

Where to find: From the winery. I also found a one-cent shipping deal for it on wine.com ($50 min. order required).

Note: Except for Cuvee de Pompadour, Domaine Carneros' other brut roses are becoming organic as of the 2010 vintages. While the winery sells other brut roses on its web site, they were not certified organically farmed (until the 2010 vintages).

Mendo Wine Winners: Listed By Varietal

REDS

Bordeaux Blend (2)
Bonterra's flagship wine over the new/old Testa, which has been growing for decades, but bottling under their own name only recently.
Double Gold
Bonterra McNab, 2006
Bronze
Testa, Black (blend with Cabernet)

Cabernet Sauvignon (4)
Gold
Paul Dolan, 2010
Bronze
Barra, 2009
Bonterra, 2010
Terra Savia, 2009

Carignane (2)
This is an impressive debut for Testa's Carignane.
Double Gold
Testa, 2010
Bronze
Frey (NSA), NV

Charbono (1)
An old Italian varietal showcased.
Double Gold
Testa, 2010

Italian Varietals (2)
Chiarito's dry farmed, organic vineyard produced high quality deep flavors.
Double Gold
Chiarito, 2009 Nero D'Avola (not certified but organic)
Silver
Chiarito, 2009 Negramoro

Malbec (1)
A boutique, small production of 100% Malbec.
Silver
Saracina, 2010

Merlot (1)
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010

Petite Sirah (1)
Silver
Chiarito, 2009

Pinot Noir (8)
A surprising "Gold" for Girasole.
Double Gold
Handley - Anderson Valley (Estate), 2009
Gold
Girasole, 2010
Silver
Barra, 2009
Bonterra, 2010
Paul Dolan - Filigreen, 2007
Paul Dolan - Potter Valley, 2009
Bronze
McFadden, 2007
Naughty Boy, 2009

Red Blends (3)
Silver
Paul Dolan, Deep Red, 2008 (Petit Sirah, Primativo, Syrah, Grenache)
Bronze
Bonterra, The Butler, 2007 (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre)
Testa, Black, 2009

Rose (4)
Yorkville Cellars' rose is on the sweet side; the others are relatively dry.
Gold
Testa (Carignane), 2011
Silver
Barra, 2011
Naughty Boy, 2011
Yorkville Cellars, 2011

Zinfandel (3)
It's surprising that Zins haven't done better in Mendo.
Silver
Bonterra, 2009
Patianna, 2009
Paul Dolan, 2010

WHITES

Chardonnay (7)
More surprises - Bonterra's takes the top spot; and McFadden takes a silver, as high as benchmark Chardonnay producer Handley.
Double Gold
Bonterra, 2010
Silver
Barra, 2010
Frey, 2010
Handley Cellars, 2010
McFadden, 2010
Bronze
Girasole, 2010
Paul Dolan, 2010

Gewurztraminer (1)
Silver
McFadden, 2009

Muscat (1)
Warning: This one's way too sweet for my taste. (Girasole's sister wine, Barra, has a muscat that is better.)
Silver
Girasole, 2011

Pinot Blanc (1)
A notable achievement.
Gold
Girasole, 2010

Pinot Gris (1) 
Silver
McFadden, 2011

Riesling (1)
Silver
McFadden, 2010

Sauvignon Blanc (6)
All three top winners are very different - you might enjoy a taste-off comparison tasting.
Gold
Patianna, 2010
Paul Dolan, 2011
Saracina, 2011
Silver
Bink, 2011
McFadden, 2009
Yorkville Cellars, 2011

Viognier (2)
The Bonterra is a personal favorite of mine - particularly in the summer.
Gold
Bonterra
Bronze
Campovida

Sparkling (2)
My favorite go to sparkling wine is the McFadden, of course. (I have never seen the Patianna for sale anywhere, but would like to try it.)
Double Gold
McFadden Brut (NV)
Silver
Patianna, 2008

Sunset Magazine's Organically Grown Wine Winners

Sunset Magazine's annual wine competition took  place July 9 in Menlo Park. Among the hundreds of wines submitted, the judges chose the winners; the list (available online here) will be published in the Nov. issue of Sunset magazine.

Here are the organically or biodynamically grown winners among them. I've starred my faves.

Among the highlights:

Chardonnay: you can spend $80 for a Bergstrom Chardonnay or $14 for Bonterra's Chardonnay? I'm not sure the judges got this one right. Both got gold.

Bonterra's Chardonnay is good, esp. for the price, but hasn't ranked in the wine press like Bergstrom's, which won 94 points from Robert Parker. You might try your own taste comparison...or just stick with the Bonterra, knowing it's a budget-price Gold winner.

Italian Varietals: I am a huge fan of Chiarito (organic but not certified) so I am delighted to see this Mendocino traditional grower/winemaker getting two Golds for its Nero d'Avola and Negramoro, both traditional varietals grown in southern Italy and perfectly suited to our California interior climates (much more than the international varietals - Cab and Chard).

I personally buy these two wines by the case, (If you're a Chiarito wine club member, there's a 35% off sale going on now on both of these wines.)

Bonterra: Overall this widely available (in supermarkets, even) organic powerhouse swept the awards, winning 7 prizes, the most of any organically grown brand. That's not so surprising, given that it's the biggest brand in the organically grown space, but it's reaffirming to see that its quality survives despite its high volume production.

Albarino: I was dismayed to see Verdad get only a Bronze for its Albarino. The label has been a powerhouse for this varietal, so one wonders if the judges are really familiar with this Spanish grape. It was a pick of the week from the LATimes (a previous vintage but still), so the judging seems a bit off to me.

Brut Rose: I was happy to see Handley Cellars get a Silver for its fantastic Brut Rose, which also got a Gold medal in the SF Chronicle Wine Competition and a 91 point rating from Wine Spectator. It's a lovely wine and usually flies off the shelf. It's not made every year, so grab it while you can. It tied with longtime sparkling wine producer Schramsberg (not organically grown), just one more sign of its lovely qualities.

REDS

• Bordeaux Blend
Bronze
Stone Edge, Surround ($30)

• Cabernet Sauvignon
Bronze
Stone Edge Farm, 2008

• Italian Varietals
Gold
***Chiarito Vineyard, Nero d'Avola
***Chiarito Vineyard, Negramoro

• Merlot
Silver
Bonterra, 2009 Merlot ($18)

• Pinot Noir
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010 Pinot Noir ($16)

• Rose
Silver
Ceago Vinegarden, Syrah Rose ($16)

Syrah
Silver
Bonterra, 2007 The Butler ($36)
Ceago, 2010 Syrah ($22)

WHITES
• Albarino
Bronze
***Verdad, 2010 Albarino

• Chardonnay
Gold
Bergstrom, 2010 Sigrid ($80)
Bonterra, 2010 Chardonnay ($14)

Bronze
Handley, 2010 Chardonnay ($22)

• Riesling
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010 Riesling ($14)
Pacific Rim, 2010 Riesling ($32)

• Sauvignon Blanc
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010 ($14)

• Viognier
Silver
Bonterra, 2010 Viognier ($14)

• Sparkling
Silver
***Handley, Brut Rose ($40)

The Organic Side: Alsatian Wine Festival in Anderson Valley This Weekend

Don't have your President's Day weekend plans together yet? Quick, jump on it and get up to the 7th Annual International Alsace Varietals Festival this weekend (Feb. 17-18).


The highlight of this festival is the opportunity to taste Alsatian varietals from French and German (and New Zealand) producers side by side with their American counterparts (from California, Oregon and NY).

Alsatian wine varietals include Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat, and Gewurztraminer - all wines worth getting to know as they offer some of the most exquisite tastes.


They're a much overlooked and worthy change from Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs.


You can follow the conference on Twitter at @AlsaceFest.


Participating organic wineries include Handley Cellars (Mendo estate only) in Anderson Valley, McFadden (all) from Potter Valley/Hopland, and Hagafen (selected wines only) and Robert Sinskey (all) of Napa. 


(Though these are the only organic viticulture wineries in the festival, there are many other wineries in the U.S. - primarily in Oregon - that offer Alsatian varieties raised and certified organic so if you are a connoisseur of these varietals, seek them out as well. These include Bethel Heights, Cooper Mountain, Lemelson, Montinore, Pheasant Valley, Sokol Blosser (only some wines) Snoqualmie's Naked (from Washington) and more.)

The event takes place in downtown Boonville.

SATURDAY
Following a technical conference in the morning ($45), Food Network star Beau MacMillan will offer a 30 minute cooking demonstration from 12-1.  Samples of his food will be served at Saturday's Grand Tasting from 1-4. Tickets for the Grand Tasting are $65. Click here for details.


Organically Grown Wines to Taste:

Hagafen: Riesling
Handley: Gewurztraminer
McFadden: All on offer 
Robert Sinskey: All on offer


SUNDAY
Area wineries will be open and offering special discounts and food tidbits from 11-5. This is when you can visit Handley Cellars, the only winery in Anderson Valley with an organic estate vineyard.

LODGING
If you can't get a place in pricey Anderson Valley (likely to be quite full), I recommend Ukiah motels. For budget pricing you can't beat the Motel 6 ($40) which I have found to be quiet and clean, and the front desk staff friendly, bright and helpful. Midrange motels can be found in abundance in Ukiah near Starbucks et al in giant shopping centers district. If you are in Ukiah, don't miss shopping for organically grown wines at the Ukiah Natural Foods market - one of the best selections of organically grown wine in the state.

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival

The Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival Grand Tasting on Saturday, May 21 is sold out. However, if you're a truly dedicated fan, you can make it to the May 20, Friday event featuring a winery tour and a tasting with Karen McNeil, author of The Wine Bible.

While the world famous Williamette Valley in Oregon offers many organically grown Pinot Noirs (Sokol Blossor, Brick House, Cooper Mountain, Montinore, Maysara - to name a few), Anderson Valley wineries currently offer only two (certified) organically grown Pinots.

One is from Santa Rosa producer Lutea Wine Cellars which has a certified organically grown and processed 2008 Lutea Pinot Noir ($25) made with organic and biodynamically grown grapes from Filigreen Vineyards.

Handley Cellars has an estate Pinot Noir - the RSM vineyard designate - which is also certified organically grown.

Philo Ridge offers a "practicing organic" Pinot ($28) and Segue Cellars had one Pinot made from Filigreen Vineyards' grapes awhile back.

For rose lovers, grab it while you can - Handley Cellars also has a Pinot Noir Rose ($20); the 2010 vintage will be released at the Festival.