There is, we’ve heard, a World Cup taking place right this minute on this very continent. Which means that, regardless of your personal sportball mileage, it’s impossible to completely avoid all the contests of national enthusiasm playing out alongside the actual matches. Flag and anthems, those first order, hardest-to ignore raiments of the nation-state, blare in surround from screens and bodies and voices all around you. Second tier symbols, national flowers and birds, appear less evident, though it’s harder to tell for sure.
And while wine grapes have thus far escaped official enlistment in the causes of specific governments, they are occasionally flaunted as de facto state representatives. It’s easy enough to sub Shiraz for Australia, Gruner Veltliner for Austria, Touriga Nacional for Portugal, or Tannat for Uruguay, say. But none of these varietals are exclusive to their primary host countries - Shiraz is Syrah, essentially; Gruner grows elsewhere as well; Touriga Nacional..well, Touriga Nacional makes up the majority of Arnot-Robert’s California Rose each year; and Tannat originates in France. Grapes aren’t the greatest patriots because they don’t tend to stay in one place (unlike uh…birds); they migrate with people and can set down deep roots far from where they started.
So this month, as billions around the globe fixate on the same tiny traveling sphere and fervently hope it bounces in one of another few billion* disparate directions, we are hoisting a glass to the Esperanto that is international viticulture. Our red selection translates a veritable Babel of red grapes, Graciano (Spain), Sangiovese (Italy), Petit Sirah and Syrah (take your pick), into one delectable melting vessel, made right here in California. The white is a single varietal, Riesling, transplanted from its ancestral homes in Germany and Austria, to Italy, the Jackson Heights of Grape Town. Both are great so everybody wins. And we are the champions, the whole world.
POUOURRRRRRR!
The PlumpJack Wine Buying Team
*(Somewhere between the 48 different countries participating in the World Cup this year and the almost infinite # of possible wagers.)
|
Sheldon Wines 2021 (Proof of Concept) tension & release |
|
|
Region / Country of Origin: California Red Wine |
About the winery: Dylan spent his early years working on his fathers organic farm whose produce supplied a number of excellent restaurants. A love for scents and flavors led him to work in kitchen restaurants at an early age. Shortly thereafter he discovered a love for wine and the forensic nature by which it revealed itself in the glass. His fascination with wine blossomed into working as a Sommelier, where he began traveling the world to meet the people and places These amazing bottles came from. More connected to the visceral aspects of farming and production, he retired the suit and jumped into winemaking headfirst, now with 27 vintages of experience spanning France, Australia, New Zealand, California, and most recently on Vancouver Island in Canada. Since returning to the US and launching the brand in 2003 he has crafted award-winning wines for Sheldon Wines and dozens of esteemed clients as a consulting winemaker. Blending biodynamic techniques with innovation, Dylan continually raises the benchmark on sustainable wine production. About the winemaking: 36% Graciano, 24% Old Vine Petite Sirah, 24% Sangiovese, 16% Syrah. Dylan ferments his reds with native yeasts and whole clusters, depending on the year and varietal, with gentle macerations and using only used, well seasoned barrels for aging. He famously says, no new wood was harmed here in the making of his wines. Tasting Notes: Quaffable and smooth, it plays on the lighter framed medium bodied palate with a nice balance between all the varietal elements on display with Bing cherry, wild plum, red currant, crushed brambly raspberry and strawberry fruits, as well as cigar box, minty herbs, wilted rose, cinnamon/pepper spice, cedar and anise. |
|
Winemaker: Dylan Sheldon |
|
|
Price: $22.99+tax |
|
|
Suggested Food Pairing: Grilled meats (especially lamb or pork),Roasted vegetables, Mediterranean dishes (think olives, tomatoes, herbs), Barbecue. |
|
|
Abbona Langhe 2021 Riesling L'Alman |
|
|
Region / Country of Origin: Langhe, Piedmont, Italy |
About the Winery: Based in Dogliani, the southern most part of the Langhe region, the Abbona family has been working their vineyards since the 1840s.In the 1930s, Anna's great-grandfather bought and cultivated the vineyards as a sharecropper. Soon after, Anna's grandfather took over the land, where an unfortunate blight occurred and forced him to graft the plants. This was the start of their wine company, with the vineyard initially called Maioli. Anna's father joined in his father and grandfather's footsteps during a time of industrialization where many moved towards the city and worked in factories. He chose to stay with the vineyards, eventually buying more land and adding to the property. In 1989 though, Anna's father announced they were going to sell their vineyards. Although Anna and her husband Franco were in different industries, they both took the bold decision of returning to the wine world with the goal of producing high quality wines. Their vineyards are high in altitude and among the steepest in the area, allowing for great exposure for their grape varieties. In more recent years, they have moved to organic farming About the winemaking: From 20 yr old guyot trained vines on soil of clay and calcareous marl. Hand harvested in late September/early October. Vinified and aged in stainless steel. Tasting notes: Aromas of petrol, stone fruit, juicy peach and key lime on the nose. Palate is cristaline, with key lime and nectarine. Finish is fresh with citrus fruit and slightly salty. |
|
Winemaker: Anna Maria Abbona |
|
|
Price: $32.99+tax |
|
|
Suggested Food Pairing: Pork, Squash & Root Vegetables, White Fish, Fruit Desserts, Meaty & Oily Fish, Duck, Goat & Feta Cheese, Blue Cheese. Spicy Thai takeout. |
|
