As a wine professional one of the questions most often poised to me is “What is your favorite wine?” This is a question that never fails to make me cringe, mainly because the innocent questioner has no idea how impossible it would be to choose one and only one. I would not be very good at my job if I could pick one favorite wine and then be done with it.

Another frequently asked question (usually amongst a bunch of wine geeks) that I find a bit easier to answer is “What is your desert island wine?” Most wine geeks have a desert island wine – not necessarily one specific wine/producer/vintage – but perhaps a category of vino that would be satisfying as the only thing you could ever drink again.

For me, this must be something that covers all of my favorite things about great wines: focus, versatility, acidity and structure, the ability to age, stylistic integrity and a bit of tradition as well. Provided my desert island is equipped with a working mini-fridge, my desert island wine would have to be (drumroll)… Bubbles.

Clearly the most common association with wines that have undergone the secondary fermentation that produces those fantastic little bubbles is Champagne. And good Champagne is not good; it is great. It is, in fact, so great that I am not going to recommend a single Champagne in today’s blog. Instead, I am going to take us on a little tour of all things bubbly, yet not from Champagne. (Remember folks, Champagne is a place; a rather small place that takes rightful umbrage when its’ name is misused.) So here are just a few of my favorites…

Domaine Robert Serol Turbullent Sparkling Gamay $21.99

The Gamay grape is most commonly understood as the grape responsible for Beaujolais. It is a red grape that gives uncommonly bright and focused fruit flavors. This is a fascinating and unique sparkling red wine with flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and rhubarb. Softly fizzy, off-dry but not sweet, assertive and refreshing. Put a nice chill on it before serving with a gooey, stinky washed rind cheese.

Rimarts Brut Reserva Cava $22.59

An uncommonly well-made Spanish sparkler from the traditional Cava grapes Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. Don’t let the funny names scare you away, this wine is made in the traditional Champagne method (second fermentation happens in the bottle) and shows a crisp and focused lemony profile, with tons of tiny bubbles and the classic toasty brioche flavors that make Champagne lovers swoon. Serve this at your next soiree with fresh fruit and shortbread cookies.

Mas de Daumas Gassac Rose Frizant $28.79

Probably my favorite sparkling wine in the store right now. From the iconic producer of fine wine in the Languedoc comes this fantastic bubbly made from Cabernet Sauvignon and the white grape Petit Manseng. Beautifully pink, almost purple in color, with fantastic flavors of black raspberry, redcurrant, and blood oranges. This wine is extremely hard to find in the U.S. and we have scored a few cases thanks to the tenacity of my esteemed predecessor, Aaron.

Happy Holidays to all!

Well, the weather certainly has changed for the … better?

In any case, it is noticeably colder, grayer and darker out there, which is inextricably linked somehow to wine drinking. I personally enjoy every change in season, but the shift from summer to fall gets me a bit more excited than usual.

The comfort foods of fall always taste better when paired with the right wine, and there is nothing like relaxing in front of the fire with a glass of port in hand. With Thanksgiving around the corner we have some new wines and recommendations that are sure to offer something extra special to your table.

2004 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape - $26.99

The latest installment in our series of bargain priced, high quality Chateauneuf du Pape. One of the top estates in Chateauneuf is that of the brothers Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio. Their cellars are just north of the village, adjacent to the walls of the Pope’s palace for which the village is named. Made from 90% Grenache, with a round velvety palate showing sweet fruit, black pepper and Provencal herbs. Try this with your next prime rib dinner.

2007 Ribera Vineyards Stormy Morning Pinot Noir – $16.99
As many of you know, I am hopelessly in love with the 2007 vintage in the Willamette Valley. These wines are elegant, expressive and ridiculously food-friendly. They are also disappearing quickly, particularly in favor of the highly rated 2009 vintage. But never fear, we have managed to hang on to a supply of ‘07s, and thankfully so, because these wines are just starting to show their potential.

2010 Haden Fig no. 52 Pinot Noir – $16.99
From certified organic and biodynamic Johan Vineyard comes winemaker Erin Nuccio’s newest Pinot Noir. Minimally handled and fermented in a large wood fermenter, this wine shows Old World-winemaking quality. Tart cherry flavors, violet tones and Asian spices combine in this elegant wine that is easy on the pocketbook, too.

Quinta do Infantado Ruby & Tawny Port – $15.49
I proudly consider myself a big dork when it comes to Port, and so I was appropriately thrilled when my favorites came back to the Portland market after a short (but not short enough) hiatus. The Quinta do Infantado offers some of the highest quality ports at extremely reasonable prices, pairing perfectly with a roaring fire and bearskin rug.

Well, the weather certainly has changed for the … better? In any case, it is noticeably colder, grayer and darker out there, which is inextricably linked somehow to wine drinking. I personally enjoy every change in season, but the shift from summer to fall gets me a bit more excited than usual. The comfort foods of fall always taste better when paired with the right wine, and there is nothing like relaxing in front of the fire with a glass of port in hand. With Thanksgiving around the corner we have some new wines and recommendations that are sure to offer something extra special to your table.

2004 Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape - $26.99
The latest installment in our series of bargain priced, high quality Chateauneuf du Pape. One of the top estates in Chateauneuf is that of the brothers Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio. Their cellars are just north of the village, adjacent to the walls of the Pope’s palace for which the village is named. Made from 90% Grenache, with a round velvety palate showing sweet fruit, black pepper and Provencal herbs. Try this with your next prime rib dinner.

2007 Ribera Vineyards Stormy Morning Pinot Noir – $16.99
As many of you know, I am hopelessly in love with the 2007 vintage in the Willamette Valley. These wines are elegant, expressive and ridiculously food-friendly. They are also disappearing quickly, particularly in favor of the highly rated 2009 vintage. But never fear, we have managed to hang on to a supply of ‘07s, and thankfully so, because these wines are just starting to show their potential.

2010 Haden Fig no. 52 Pinot Noir – $16.99
From certified organic and biodynamic Johan Vineyard comes winemaker Erin Nuccio’s newest Pinot Noir. Minimally handled and fermented in a large wood fermenter, this wine shows Old World-winemaking quality. Tart cherry flavors, violet tones and Asian spices combine in this elegant wine that is easy on the pocketbook, too.

Quinta do Infantado Ruby & Tawny Port – $15.49
I proudly consider myself a big dork when it comes to Port, and so I was appropriately thrilled when my favorites came back to the Portland market after a short (but not short enough) hiatus. The Quinta do Infantado offers some of the highest quality ports at extremely reasonable prices, pairing perfectly with a roaring fire and bearskin rug.

After nearly five years at the West Linn store, it is with both excitement and a little sadness that I announce my departure. I’ll be leaving next week for Eugene. There, I’ll be undertaking a new wine-related project for the company – look for an announcement on this later in the year.

Next Thursday, June 30 at 6 p.m., at the end of my shift, I’ll be handing over the wine/beer/coffee reigns to Jocelyn, who will be taking over those responsibilities. I promise that you will be in good hands; Jocelyn has been doing this for years and is as dedicated to wine and customer service as anyone I’ve met. She may not possess the impressive cache of bad jokes that I do, but perhaps this is not such a horrible thing.

So, if you’re around on Saturday, June 25, from 3-6 p.m. please drop in and join us for an afternoon of interesting wine and conversation. I’ll be picking five of my favorite wines from the shelf to share. And if I can scrape together some wisdom, I might just share that too.

Tastings:

Friday, June 24, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Meet Ron from Vinum Wine Importing as he pours the Corvidae wines, which are currently on sale.

Saturday, June 25, 3-6 p.m. – Join me for my last tasting at the West Linn Market of Choice. I’ll be opening several of the wines here that mean the most to me.

Thank you for having made this job so fun over the last five years.

Cheers!

Aaron