Wine Country Faces a New Reality

Vino101

The year 2020 represents our fifth straight year of devastating wildfires in Northern California Wine Country. Weeks removed from full containment of the LNU Complex Fire which burned 363,220 acres the Glass Fire started on September 27, 2020. The ignition point of the Glass Fire was in the hills northeast of St. Helena, east of Silverado Trail Road a bucolic two lane road that runs parallel to Highway 29. The Glass Fire (named after Glass Mountain Road) footprint was roughly one fifth the size of the LNU Complex Fire. Before the Glass Fire could be contained it jumped to the west side of Napa Valley and overnight raced up Spring Mountain and down the other side of the Mayacamus Mountains into the Santa Rosa hills and valleys. Many homes and businesses have been lost as a result.

As of this writing we are under a new Public Safety Power Shutoff alert. Our utility provider Pacific Gas & Electric has announced plans to cut power to over 1 million residents this weekend to prevent the chance of sparking fires as the return of dry gusty winds have been forecasted. Sadly wildfires have become a part of wine country’s new reality. Unpredictably explosive wildfires and climate change are prompting residents, businesses and winery owners to consider the best and most practical ways to meet the new challenges of living in Wine Country.

On this podcast Bill and I share our personal experiences with the wildfires in and around our beloved Wine Country. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers!

On a previous podcast Bill mentioned that he had picked up some bottles of 19 Crimes Cali Red. Well we finally got around to trying them and we share tasting notes on the podcast about Snoop Dogg’s new celebrity wine label. 19 Crimes Cali Red is the brain child of the marketing department of big hulking wine conglomerate Treasury Estates Wine Group. Treasury is the fourth largest wine company in the world. You probably recognize some of the labels they represent: Sterling Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean, Penfolds, Beaulieu, Wolf Blass, Matua and so many others.

Cali Red is Treasury’s first time using California fruit in a 19 Crimes labelled wine. Up to this point it’s been a package that has featured only Australian wine. The hook? Each label features a convict turned Australian colonist, i.e. rough and tough rule breakers that made Australia the great place it is today. Hey Treasury even though they aren’t criminals should we be looking for a Ice Cube or Ludacris 19 Crimes label soon? If so I want partial credit for the idea.

The 19 Crimes wines are all about the infamous people that adorn the labels so when you visit the website there’s little information about how the wine is made. What I can tell you is that it’s a blend composed of 65 percent Petite Sirah, 30 percent Zinfandel, and 5 percent Merlot. Petite Sirah is a cross between Syrah and Pelousin Noir. It was discovered by a French botanist called Francois Durif. He named the new grape after himself but you hardly ever see it called Durif. That’s a hard sell. Snoop’s Cali Red fits right into the affordable red blend category at $12 a bottle. It’s a super cool label and sure to be a collectors item. A lot of people will probably purchase it just for the novelty.

How doe’s it taste? It has a deep purple color but it’s not opaque. The nose is blackberry, black raspberries and tons of vanilla. Nothing complicated or complex here, the mid palate is sweet with more of the same black fruit and vanilla. It clocks in at 14.1 % alcohol so it packs a good punch. How fitting. 19 Crimes Cali Red checks all the right boxes for a red blend in this category and it would definitely be a hit at your next social bubble get together.

Our other wine recommendation this week is the 2018 Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone. If you’ve followed this blog for a while I’ve recommended this wine before. I’ve been drinking this wine for many years. I’m not sure how winemaker Louis Barruol does it but the consistency of this wine year in year out is phenomenal. I seems to get better with each passing year regardless of the vintage growing conditions. Barruol makes 30,000 cases of this CDR so there’s lots to go around but be warned; it’s distributed by Wine Bow Imports and it always sells out quickly.

Saint Cosme CDR is 100% Syrah and is from the vineyards of Vinsobres north of Barruol’s base in Gigondas. The Syrah is partially destemmed and fermented in concrete vats using native yeast. It’s also aged in concrete vats spending no time at all in wooden vessels. In the glass aromas of dark fruit, lavender and herbs. On the palate beautiful freshness, with a silky texture and a delicious savoriness. It medium to full bodied offering good length on the finish. This wine has soul. And at $14 a bottle it’s a no brainer case buy. Barruol’s CDR’s age exceptionally well too, although I must admit I have a hard time hanging on to them. Buy it here.