"A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-yo Syrah!' The Rhone Ranger!"

Believe it or not, "Rhone Ranger" is the name adopted by a group of Californian producers in the 1980's, spearheaded by Randall Grahm of Bonnny Doon, and Bob Lindquist of Qupe winery. Their mission? To promote the production of Rhone varietals and blends throughout California. They officially push a list of 22 grapes (both red and white), and offer advice to growers and winemakers on how to get the most out of the non-native varietals.

Yet every hero needs a foil, and certainly, the Rhone Rangers have met their share of resistance. Some felt they were fighting injustice by infusing the traditional Californian regiment of unblended Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay; others saw them as dangerous rogues, destroying the tradition and regional flair that California had developed. There was a showdown over Petite Sirah, in particular. The varietal is officially a French-produced cross between Syrah and Peloursin (known as Durif). Despite being conceived in France, the vine is no longer grown there, and thrives instead in California and Australia. Further complicating the matter, DNA profiling in the 1990's found the name "Petite Sirah" was being applied in California not only to Durif, but to three other closely related varietals as well. Petite Sirah was only gradually accepted into the Rhone Ranger's posse, but somewhat begrudgingly.

The Rhone Rangers continue to ride throughout the Western US, with member wineries stretching all along the Californian coast and up into Oregon and Washington. For those who long to belong, you can become an official sidekick at their website, rhonerangers.org.

Posted by Trevor Mead at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

While the name Foster's may only stir up images of an Australian man turning on a TV--with a boomerang, of course, in a forgotten outback bar--the company has deep ties to the wine world, both Australian and US. If fact, they boast a portfolio of power-packed labels you're sure to recognize.

Though specializing in beer, Foster's Group has been adding extensively to their wine holdings in recent years. The conglomerate made its first wine acquisition in 1996 with the purchase of Australia's Mildara Blass. Another company, Beringer of California, was snapped up in 2001. Most recently, the Australian company Southcorp was purchased in 2005, adding Rosemount, Penfolds, and others to the Foster's name.

Foster's Group is the world's first major Australian-American wine corporation, and increasingly becoming one of the more important companies on the map. But let's skip straight to the fun part: which of the following Foster's-owned labels do you know?

- Beringer
- Castello di Gabbiano
- Chateau Souverain
- Chateau St. Jean
- Jamiesons Run
- Kaiser Stuhl
- Lindemans
- Matua Valley Wines
- Meridian
- Penfolds
- Rosemount
- Saltram
- Stags' Leap Winery
- Wolf Blass
- Yellowglen

How's that for a list? It's enough to make you wonder what the bloke in the TV commercials drinks when he gets home!

Posted by Trevor Mead at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our "best of the west" series highlights noteworthy vineyards and wineries throughout the western US, and today we're deviating from the norm with Paso Robles-based Four Vines winery.

Four Vines is one of the few wineries that successfully combines a playful, irreverent attitude towards wine with an admirable product. Founder Christian Tietje first conceived of the project as a chef in Boston, where he developed an appreciation for well-balanced, meal-friendly wines. He set out for San Francisco in 1990 with a determination to make incredible wine. Armed with a passion for old vine Zinfandel, he partnered with Susan Mahler in 1994, relocated to Paso Robles, and Four Vines was born. After celebrating a decade of praise and success, consultant, friend, and financier Bill Grant joined the partnership in 2004.

Focusing on appellation-specific zins and Rhone blends, the Four Vines lineup is consistently fruit-forward, balanced, and quirky enough to make a lasting impression. The "Biker" zin is a wonderful example of Four Vines' commitment to quality, despite boasting a curious name. Their "Anarchy" blend is a traditional Rhone blend, sans tradition; the Grenache is removed entirely and replaced with their beloved Zinfandel. Wine Spectator even picked various Four Vines releases as both Top Wines and Top Values in their Recommended California Zinfandels list. All this from a company that offers (I kid you not) "belly button shots" as a serving suggestion for their Port!

Quattro Vino is proud to showcase Four Vines in our current Featured Producer 4-pack. The Four Vines "Naked" Chardonnay and Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel are both in-store staples, and can always be found in a variety of packs. Follow the links for more info:

Featured Producer 4-pack
Packs featuring Four Vines "Naked" Chardonnay
Packs featuring Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel

Posted by Trevor Mead at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We all know the stereotype for wines sealed with a screw cap: they're a step up from box wine, because the producer was too cheap to use a real cork. Au contraire! While the jury may still be out on replacing all corks with screw caps, their presence in the market has certainly been a step in the right direction.

There are plenty of benefits to using a cork to seal a bottle: corks are more elastic than most synthetic stoppers, impermeable to most gases, inert, and offer that satisfying pop when removed that so many love. But even the best corks are susceptible to TCA: 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, an organic compound resulting from the presence of mold in a contaminated cork. TCA produces an overwhelming "wet newspaper" odor that destroys most of the bouquet and flavor of a wine, resulting in a "corked" bottle. While the percentage of corked bottles used to hover around 2-3%, that number is now estimated at 7-10%. Plus, corks offer their small annoyances of sometimes breaking, leaking wine, or being difficult to reseal.

These dissatisfactions led to a movement among producers in Australia's Clare valley to switch their entire operations over to screw caps in 2000. Screw caps are just as effective at sealing bottles, significantly reduce the occurrence of TCA, and require no corkscrew to open. The advantages of screw caps had been known prior, but the cost of equipment and consumer dissatisfaction had prevented this movement from occurring earlier. People will put up with a lot for the experience of popping a cork, it seems! Producers in New Zealand started a similar initiative in 2001, and by 2004, approximately 70% of New Zealand's wine was sealed with screw caps.

Surprisingly, the greatest controversy over screw caps comes from critics who worry they seal the bottle too well; they feel the tiny amounts of oxygen that leak into a cork-sealed bottle during aging benefit the process, while a bottle aged under a screw cap will remain essentially the same as the day it was bottled. Unfortunately, this is a debate that only time can settle, and the enormous investment needed to switch over to screw caps makes side-by-side comparisons logistically impossible.

Otherwise, screw caps seem to be a great alternative to corks. I don't even pay attention to the closure when selecting wines--I'd rather spend my time scrutinizing the label! That being said, would I buy a Bordeaux that boasted a screw cap? No. I'm waiting for further trials in aging to determine if screw caps can beat out corks in the long-term.

Would the discovery of TCA in a bottle I've been saving for twelve years sway my opinion? I hope I'll never know!

Posted by Trevor Mead at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our "best of the west" series will highlight noteworthy vineyards and wineries throughout the western US, and we aren't pulling any punches with our first selection, Dashe Cellars.

Founded in 1996, this Sonoma-based boutique winery is the product of husband and wife team Michael and Anne Dashe. They're best known for their world-renowned Dry Creek Zinfandel--a staff favorite here at Quattro Vino--and also produce incredibly complex, subtle, and alluring merlots and cabs.

What makes these wines so good? Part of it is the rich history and experience both Michael and Anne bring to the table, and part of it is the unique characteristics of the hand-picked plots they manage. Michael Dashe began dabbling in fermentation at the tender age of 15, when he reconditioned an old refrigerator to brew homemade beer. By the time he was pursuing an undergraduate in Biology, Michael had begun producing his own small batches of wine. His official career in wine making began with an internship at Schramsberg Wine Cellars, and continued at various wineries including Far Niente, Cloudy Bay, and even the prestigious Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. In 1990 he became assistant wine maker at Ridge Vineyards, and met Anne four years later.

Like Michael, Anne's journey into wine began at a young age through her upbringing in Brittany, France. There, she was fascinated by the aromas wine produced, and the different emotions each conjured up. After struggling to decide between a career as a wine maker or a perfumer, she thankfully chose the former and pursued a national diploma in enology from the University of Bordeaux. Anne then traveled to California in search of less nepotistic job opportunities, and was introduced to Michael by a former classmate during her tenure at RMS Brandy Distillery in Carneros.

Today, Michael's industry know-how and Anne's classical French training combine when selecting choice vineyards in the Sonoma region. Together, they manage each plot their grapes are grown on, and personally make each harvesting decision to produce the best product from start to finish. Even their label is appropriate, featuring a monkey riding a fish to symbolize two unique creatures on a journey together.

The Dashes' attention to detail pours forth from every bottle, and we're not the only ones to think so. Both Wine & Spirits and Wine Spectator have consistently rated releases from Dashe Cellars at 90 points or above. So pick up a bottle, and see what a true combination of French tradition and Californian innovation can offer!

Click to find 4-packs that feature the following Dashe releases:
Dashe Dry Creek Zinfandel
Dashe Potter Valley Merlot

Posted by Trevor Mead at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)