Vino2 Aerating Glass from Taste of Purple -- Full Review

Taste of Purple was kind enough to send me their Vino2 aerating glass to review. You might have seen the quick and dirty review I dashed off in which I tasted a delicious Oregon Pinot Noir from The Pressing Plant in the Vino2 and in a Riedel Vinum Burgundy glass. I have since done several more side-by-side comparisons and here is my full report.

To cut to the chase, if big bold wines are your thing, this might just be the glass for you! You might also consider the other aerating glass options from Taste of Purple.

To review, the Vino2 wine glass ($39) from Taste of Purple promises to fully aerate wine rapidly, so there is no need to decant a wine to reach its full potential: "The patented design of the VINO2 will fully aerate your wine in just seconds, releasing the components that make up a wines aroma." With the Oregon Pinot, the wine in the Vino2 was silkier but less spicy than when tasted from the Riedel. Which is "better" is a matter of personal preference.

The next wine we tried was a 2012 Pinot Gris from Navarro. The glass on the right is the Vino2. On the left is a glass manufactured by Stölzle. We've owned it so long I have no memory of its price or any other characteristics. In the Stölzle the Pinot Gris showed aromas of stone fruit, jasmine, vanilla and honeysuckle. The wine had bright acid, a textured palate and a long finish. From the Vino2 we picked up less stone fruit, more vanilla, and citrus cream. The wine was similar on the palate but less tart and less textured. The finish was as long. We preferred the wine out of the Stölzle.

Next we tried a 1995 Sagrantino Montefalco from Colpetrone. Sagrantino, in case you are unfamiliar with it, is a grape native to Umbria. It is a rare creature that produces big, tannic wines that age beautifully. The comparison glass on the right is another we have owed for some time. It appears to have been made by a company known as OZ. I have no other information.

In the OZ the Colpetrone showed restrained aromatics, intensity on the palate and little fruit. The wine had a pleasantly soft texture with just a bit of grip and a lovely finish. In the Vino2 the wine had a sharper focus on the attack, more spice and a tight finish. We preferred the Vino2.

Our final comparison was with the Seavey 2007 Chardonnay, a wine that I made. The comparison glass was once again the Riedel Vinum Burgundy. In the Vino2 we got aromas of straw, hay, cut grass, citrus and jasmine. The wine was soft, rich and full on the palate with creamy oak and hints of pear. In the Riedel the aromas were similar but less grassy. The creamy oak came through with a bit more of a bite. Once again, a draw.

The Vino2 clearly influences the perception of the wine. Whether that influence is to the good depends largely on the style of wine. A big bold red wine is the perfect match for this glass, and will seem bigger and bolder but also more approachable from it. For other wine styles, the differences are less compelling. Enjoy!

Have you tried the Vino2? We would love to hear your thoughts.
The Vino2 was sent by Taste of Purple for the purpose of this review. All of the wines mentioned were from my personal collection and were not provided by the producers.

Holidays are here -- Vino2 aerating glass from Taste of Purple (1st look)

A full review of this glass will require comparisons involving several wines and therefore several days. With Hanukkah well underway and Xmas a mere 15 days away, here's a quick preview.

The Vino2 wine glass from Taste of Purple promises to fully aerate wine rapidly, so there is no need to decant a wine to reach its full potential: "The patented design of the VINO2 will fully aerate your wine in just seconds, releasing the components that make up a wines aroma."

The glass has a clever notch in the side that causes the swirled wine to splash and aerate more quickly than it would in a notchless glass.

To fully evaluate this intriguing claim, we'll need to compare many wines side-by-side. Since you might be looking for a gift for a wine lover, here are the results of our first comparison. We'll post a more complete review once all the data are in.

Here's our experimental setup. On the left is the Riedel Vinum Burgundy (Pinot Noir), on sale at present for $50/pair (reg. $60/pair). On the right the Vino2, $39/stem. Neither glass is inexpensive, but if you believe a glass can improve the taste of a wine, and if you don't break your glasses often, this is not an unreasonable investment and might also make a good gift.

Behind the glasses are, on the right, the box the Vino2 came in, and on the left our FIRST WINE: the 2012 Smash It Up Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, from The Pressing Plant ($20/bottle, Yep, $20/bottle for world class Pinot Noir!). Which, by the way, is a outstanding wine that would also make a great gift for the wine lover in your life. Afraid to buy wine for someone who loves it? Don't be! They'll be thrilled! Trust me.

Other than the notch, the glasses are fairly similar. The Riedel stands 8.25" and has a 25-oz bowl (I think). The Vino2 is 10.5" and boasts a 32-oz bowl. Both are lead crystal.

Out of the Riedel, we got a rich, fruity nose and great fruit on the palate. We described the wine as driven and pure, with black and red fruit that comes across as sweet, though the wine is dry. There is beautiful spice and the wine has a long finish.

Out of the Vino2 the wine was not much different. Aromatics were similar but the wine was different on the palate. It was much silkier and less spicy. The fruit profile was more black, less red. The finish was still long and beautiful.

Round 1 results--DRAW. The Vino2 certainly revealed a different wine, but whether those differences are preferable are up to the drinker.

One more note: despite the Vino2's large bowl, swirling was a bit difficult. I'm sure it's just a matter of practice, but the notch causes the wine to jump (as it should).

Preliminary conclusion: this glass would make a welcome gift and you might enjoy it yourself, as well. We need to evaluate it with more wines before we make a final recommendation.

The Vino2 was sent to us by the manufacturer. We purchased the Smash It Up Pinot Noir.

A Wine for All Seasons -- Toad Hollow 2014 Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir Sonoma County

Pink wines can be wondrous things, and we are pleased to see that they are ever more popular. (If calling it Brosé makes you comfortable with a pink drink, my friend, then go right ahead.)

Pink wines are delightfully refreshing on a brilliant summer day, on a picnic, at the beach, or at poolside. But there is no reason to stop drinking pink simply because the season has changed. If you have ever enjoyed a pink sparkling wine on a cold New Year's Eve, you probably understand how well pink wines -- some of them, at least -- can stand up to winter. They can also be marvelous companions for fall. In a word, the best pink wines are versatile.

We always make sure to have pink wine on hand to enjoy with our Thanksgiving feast. The savory autumnal flavors are brightened by the wines' lively fresh fruit aromas, and there is no tannin to get in the way.

But there is no need to wait for Turkey Day. Rosé works with all weather, so why not enjoy it during a late resurgence of summer, or let it help you welcome the first hints of fall.

We could not resist reviewing the Toad Hollow 2014 Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir from Sonoma County because it delivered on all its promises and, in fact, on all of the promises of the best pink wines noted above.

Eye of the the Toad!

The producers promise fine wines at fair prices. That vision certainly resonates with us. We are quick to praise when that promise is fulfilled, as here, and quick to condemn when that promise is betrayed. At $11.99/bottle retail, Toad Hollow certainly delivers with this wine.

With less than 12% alcohol, this wine is full-flavored and not overpowering. It is bright (but not too tart) on the palate, with flavors immediately suggesting strawberry lemonade that resolve to something more like guava and kiwi. Despite the low alcohol there is a pleasing viscosity, and the finish is long.

Talk about versatile! This wine is delicious all by itself. I enjoyed it with a chicken stir fry with sweet and hot peppers, onion, spinach and basil. Toad Hollow's recommendation of roast pork loin with caramelized apples and sweet onions would also be great, as would any dish prepared with traditional autumnal seasoning.

It can be difficult to find serious domestic wine that is artisanally produced and affordable. The Toad Hollow Rosé fits the bill. We also love the packaging. Screwcap, of course, playful but not calculated front label art, and a back label that is wonderfully informative about what's in the bottle and how the consumer might enjoy it.

We look forward to trying more Toad Hollow wines, and we encourage you to give this wonderful pink wine a try: it is delicious, and a bargain to boot.

How do they fit so much information onto the back label?

Note: This wine was received as an unsolicited sample.

Ritual Pinot Noir

The 2008 Ritual Pinot Noir from Chile's Casablanca Valley is delicious and represents a great value at $18 (or less).

We have been greatly impressed by the outstanding wines coming out of Chile of late. The success of the Chono Riesling (discussed here), for example, shows that Chile can excel with cool-climate varieties. This wine, our first Chilean Pinot, is confirmation. The wine is definitely new world in style, but it is distinct from any Pinot Noir from California or Oregon. It is medium-bodied, with an elegant tannic structure. The fruit is pretty, with notes of Bing cherries, but what stands out is the attractive peppery, spicy note on the finish.

The wine is produced by Veramonte, who were also involved with the excellent Argentine Cruz Andina Malbec we discussed earlier. Veramonte is a solid Chilean producer and we have long enjoyed their Sauvignon Blanc in particular.

We loved the Ritual Pinot Noir and will be back for more. We shall also continue to seek out Chilean Pinot Noir.

Wine Guerilla Zinfandels

Here at Wines for the People we view wine and the wine industry with the eyes of revolutionaries. Imagine our delight to discover the Wine Guerrilla and the wonderful Zinfandels produced under that label.

What motivates the Wine Guerrilla?

 "Wine Guerrilla is a hero to those who seek wines of unabashed uniqueness and character. Wherever proud zinfandel grapes are oppressed and the taste buds of consumers are in peril, Wine Guerrilla is there."

We could not have said it better ourselves.

At our request, Wine Guerrilla provided two of their 2007 Zins, and a yet-to-be-released 2008 Zinfandel. We loved them all.

We never seem to get enough Zinfandel, let alone the good stuff from Dry Creek. When we do get it, it disappears quickly. Why? Because it is so delicious. Zinfandel is an amazing grape that can appear in any number of styles while still retaining its "Zin-ness". Zin can be restrained, believe it or not, and it can be overblown, super- to overripe, and even sweet. Zinfandel can also reflect its origins as well as any other variety, including Pinot noir. We find it does so best when it is somewhat less than overripe.

The 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, $22, was everything we look for in Dry Creek Zin. It is delicious and well balanced, and it tastes like it comes from Dry Creek, with wonderful red berry flavors and sufficient acidity to match the alcohol and tannin. If you are not familiar with Zinfandel from Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, this wine is a great introduction.

We also enjoyed the 2007 Goat Trek Vineyard Block 6 Zinfandel, $25, which is also from Dry Creek Valley, though not the valley floor. As the back label explains:
"It would take you a 45 minute drive up a dirt road to a 1250-foot elevation to reach the grapes of Goat Trek Vineyard. So we decided to bring them to you instead. You can thank us after your first glass"

This wine is incredible. The same flavor profile as the Dry Creek Valley Zin described above, but turned up a notch. Brilliant, zingy raspberry fruit that tasted almost candied (though not sweet). And still perfectly balanced. Some of this wine survived to day 2, when we found it deliciously savoury and sapid. It made us want to close our eyes and meditate on deliciousness.

The third wine may have been our favorite. This was a 2008 Zinfandel from the Russian River Valley. Wine Guerrilla will release it in January in a lineup of eight 2008 Zins at ZAP, an annual Zinfandel showcase/tasting event in San Francisco.

The Russian River Valley abuts Dry Creek Valley, but it is generally cooler than its neighbor. There is plenty of Zinfandel planted in the RRV, but it is perhaps better known as Pinot Noir country. We typically find that Zinfandels from Dry Creek are more to our liking than those from Russian River, but this wine confounded our expectations. As a 2008 wine, it is still very young, but it did not take long for it to loosen up and begin revealing its layers of flavors. It continued to grow more beautiful with each glass. With a little more time in the bottle and perhaps a good decanting, this wine will sing.

The wine does represent its origins. We find that Russian River Valley Pinots often have a cola/sassafrass character. In Pinot we find that somewhat off-putting, but this Zinfandel has it as well, and it works.

We look forward to returning to these wines and to further exploration of the Wine Guerrilla's creations.

Northern California 2009 Vintage and Harvest

The 2009 harvest is near enough to completion that we can give a preliminary report on the quality of the wines that will hit the shelves over the next few years.

The key factor for 2009 is the big rainstorm that hit California around October 13. Until then, the growing season had been nearly perfect, and much like 2002, with no sustained spells of unseasonable weather from April through September. As in 2008, we had a few days over 100F in mid-May. This year, that interfered with the set in many varieties, principally Cabernet Sauvignon, reducing yield, but otherwise had no impact. More on yield later.

Grapes brought in before the storm--and that is close to all of them--benefited from all that great weather and will provide winemakers with the quality they need to make great wines. The storm has passed now and the ground is beginning to dry out. Mountaintop vineyards that remain unpicked may be done for this year, as they got hammered by the rain. But most vineyards are likely to recover, and mildew pressure is low despite the humidity.

Chances are good, therefore, that wines made from the later-ripening Cabernet-family of grapes will be fine despite the storm, but we will have to wait to know for sure. In the meantime, you can look forward to delicious 2009 whites and non-Cabernet reds such as Pinot noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and so many others.

Washington State
We are big fans of the wines from eastern Washington, so we were sad to learn that the area was hit by a hard frost on October 10. As with our storm, winemakers claim (and hope!) that the grapes still on the vine will not be affected, but we find it hard to believe. It is mostly Cabernet that is still out there. Yet another reason to try Washington Syrah!

Smoke Taint
Hundreds of wildfires raged across California in summer 2008. Where fires burned near vineyards, the fruit often took up compounds that led to unpleasant flavors in the wines. These flavors, referred to generally as "smoke taint," range from a pleasant smokiness that might have come from a toasted barrel to the not unpleasant but overpowering smell of a campfire, to the downright nasty smell of a stale ashtray. Not every wine was affected, and even wines made from different parcels of an affected vineyard could have very different levels of taint. Still, we advise readers to buy 2008 Pinot noir from Sonoma and Mendocino counties only after tasting the wines for themselves.

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Australian experience with wildfires and smoke taint indicates that vines may store the compounds for release into the grapes in the following season. That is, grapes could have smoke taint even though there were no fires nearby this year. Fortunately that did not happen. The Pinots from areas affected last year are free of smoke taint this year.

Yield and the Economy
We mentioned above that hot weather in May reduced yield in Cabernet Sauvignon. This seemed terrible at first, given that the 2008 Cabernet crop was also light (in 2008 due to late frosts). However, it may have been for the best. The economic meltdown has put many wineries out of business and made it difficult for other wineries to access cash. In what looks to be a great year for quality, many grapes are going unpicked for want of buyers. Napa Cabernet, which has averaged more than $4,500/ton for the last several years, is now offered for barely $1,000 with no takers. Very sad for the growers, and for consumers, who will face consecutive years of little Cabernet, albeit of high quality.

Food & Wine's cheap wine picks

Food & Wine magazine just published its list of best American wines under $20. We have not tried all of them--have you? We would love to hear your thoughts.

We are very pleased to see that Siduri and Copain made the list, for Pinot Noir and Syrah, respectively.  Both producers do a terrific job, with solid quality throughout their production. Both offer value at all price points, but most of the wines are not inexpensive. They are to be applauded for ensuring the same high quality goes into their more affordable wines.

Kudos to Food & Wine for making such interesting selections. We look forward to trying the other producers on the list.

Boxed Wines, once again

Wyoming hills from train window

We recently traveled by train. One of the many advantages of rail travel compared to air is that riders can bring drinks along with them. With the train selling Cavit Pinot Grigio for $13/half-bottle, bringing your own wine is the way to go.

The bottles we brought for the trip out contained good enough wine, but they were heavy and took up a lot of space. For the return trip, we decided to try wine packaged in TetraPaks. We found French Rabbit wines on offer for $6.40/500 mLs or $9.50/1 L. Naturally, we went for the larger option, grabbing a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2007 Pinot Noir, both from France's Languedoc region.

We were a little leery of the Cabernet because of the vintage date. 2005 and 2007 were both fine years in Southern France, but we understand that the TetraPak may not offer the ideal aging environment. The age did not seem to matter, however. Both the Cabernet and the Pinot were disappointing: overly simple, and almost a little tinny.

In every other way the TetraPak packaging was a hit. If only someone could put some better wine inside!

Shane Wine Cellars and a Spell preview

Shane Finley convened a great group of people Saturday at Sebastopol's West County Grill. We had not been to the Grill before, but the food was terrific, and wonderfully paired with Shane's wines. In addition to pouring the current line-up of three Syrahs and his Shane Rose (of Syrah), Shane brought 6 Rhone whites from 2001, most of which were given to him when he worked in the Northern Rhone in 2002-2003.

We started by passing around some bottles of the Shane 2007 Ma Fille Rose (of Syrah, sold out but under $20 on release) while we waited for everyone to arrive and got to know each other. We then turned to the Rhones. Our first flight consisted of two Yves Cuilleron St-Joseph Blancs, one, "Le Lombard," 100% Marsanne, and the other, "Lyseras," a 50/50 Rousanne/Marsanne blend. The third wine of the flight was a Pierre Gaillard 100% Rousanne, also from St-Joseph. The wines were beautiful. For me the pure Rousanne had the most interesting nose, but the 50/50 blend was best on the palate due to its higher acidity.

As we wound down the first flight, the first course arrived: fried squid paired with salt cod croquettes, with a great aioli. We nibbled on that as we finished the first flight, and kept nibbling through the second flight. That flight consisted of two more St-J's and a Crozes-Hermitage, all still 2001 and all Rousanne/Marsanne blends. The Crozes was Domaine Tardy. One St-J was Guigal "Lieu-Dit," and the other was Louis Cheze "Cuvee Ro-Ree." It was remarkable how different these wines were from one another, and how different the set was from the first. All were pleasant, but I found the Guigal a little harsh. The Cheze was rather oxidized but still quite tasty, while the Domaine Tardy was just amazing with the food, again because of higher acid. Ah, memory.

Plates and glasses were cleared and replaced, and Shane personally poured each of his three 2006 Syrahs: Jemrose, The Unknown and Valenti (Jemrose and Valenti sold out; all under $40 on release). We had the tough choice of pairing these with a roast leg of lamb or a Liberty duck breast. Owing to our plural existence, we were able to enjoy both choices.

We were particularly excited to try these wines because we have not tasted them since before they were bottled, and we wondered when we should open our own bottles. The verdict: not for a while. All three wines were extremely delicious now, but they are so tightly wound, dense and layered, that they promise even more down the road.

It was great going back and forth among the wines, back and forth among the lamb and duck, and then back to the wines. It makes no sense to talk of preference at this point, as all the wines are wonderful, different and still very much evolving. While all three were ripe and powerful, the varietal character was true. The Valenti was a bit of a surprise because it was at least as dark and intense as the other two, and Valenti is an Anderson Valley site. The clonal composition of the three wines is different. The Valenti is Shiraz 1, and, perhaps because that's why we detected some flavors associated more with Australia than Anderson Valley. Still, this is very much Syrah rather than Shiraz. The Valenti is also the closest to ready to drink, although we would recommend a vigorous decant to anyone opening one now.

This time when plates were cleared we got to keep our glasses. Out came some Humboldt Fog smothered in chestnut honey, and Shane brought out a treat: a not-yet-released Jemrose Vyd Viognier "Egret Pond" that he Michael are making under the Jemrose label. Dead-on, classic, textbook Viognier (no price available). Delicious and perfect with the cheese.

A plum tart completed the meal, and after wrapping up at the Grill we headed over to the new Shane digs just north of Sebastopol. There we got to taste through the 4 2007 Shane Syrahs and the 2 2007 Spell Pinots, all about a month away from bottling. Spell is Shane's new Pinot project (no pricing as yet). We first tasted the Barton Vineyard (Russian River Valley), which is a blend of Pommard and 115 clones. A 25% whole cluster fermentation, 1 new barrel out of only 2 total. The second Spell Pinot was from the Weir Vineyard in the Yorkville Highlands. Clones DRC, 2a, and Rochioli. 20% whole cluster and 2 new barrels out of 5 total.

The Spells were delicious. Although they are made a bit differently from the Kosta-Browne wines, they were similar to me in their combination of ripeness, power and restraint. These wines are layered, complex, and tasty, but are not overextracted or blowsy.

The 2007 Shane wines for their part are at least the equal of the 2006s. They will similarly need a great deal of time. The new wine in the lineup is the Villain Syrah, blended from Alder Springs and Broken Leg Vineyards, with a touch of Valenti press wine thrown in for good measure. The clones are 383, 470, 170, 99, Shiraz 1 and a splash of 877. The Villain fit very well into the lineup.

Shane's up to great stuff with his Syrahs and Pinots, not to mention the Rose. We wish him the best for the 2008 harvest, and look forward to the release of the 2007s.

Note: What a way to start the blog. These wines are delicious, and more expensive than most we'll be recommending. Nevertheless, we believe they represent great value. There's no pricing info yet on the Spells, but recall that Kosta-Browne is not outrageously priced if you can buy it at suggested retail (good luck!).