Then I like to tell the story behind the wine.  I love the tradition and story behind the product, the things you learn from knowing the producer.  This is why I want you to know Peter and Betsy Spann.

Peter and Betsy grow grapes and make wine.  They live in a quirky double A-frame house deep in the Mayacamas Mountains dividing the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.  They always intended to build a larger house but have been too busy growing grapes and making wine.  They started Spann Vineyards from a background in wine business and marketing and vineyard operations and winemaking.  Both have spent time in Europe and blend “California” and “European” winemaking techniques.  Peter will tell you he is the brawn and Betsy is the brains.  Their winery itself is a small, highly efficient barn-like structure built for making and aging wine, and operation of the business from the upper floor just above the winery, The Spanns are set up to drink and dine al fresco on a lawn dotted with art made by their friends from recycled materials.  Peter and Betsy are cool.

Better still, they are old-school cool.  They foot tread their grapes.  Each year, their friends, who line up to participate, crush their grapes as have centuries of winemakers.  When the wines have aged and the barrel room angel has taken her share, the Spann’s load their barrels eight at a time, and transport them over the ridge and down into Napa valley for bottling.  (I always picture them rolling the barrels down the hill.  They don’t.  There is a truck and a trailer).

While delicious on their own, Peter and Betsy are careful to craft wines that compliment food.  These are wines meant to enhance a meal, share with friends, be part of the occasion.  Peter explains it like this, “We believe strongly in blending different compatible grape varieties to achieve balance and complexity. Blending wine is like putting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.  [The pieces] should fit just right.”  He is especially careful with the Bordeaux varietals, blending grapes so the wine interacts with the entire palate.  “Cabernet Sauvignon hits the sides and back of the palate, Cabernet Franc and Merlot the middle, and Petit Verdot the roof of the mouth.” And the blends are fun and interesting.  Most are big bold reds . . . Mo Zin (Mourvedre, Zinfandel); Mojo (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc);  The Classic Four (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot).   Bottlings of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Tempranillo are also available some vintages.

Peter and Betsy’s sense of winemaking is evident in every sip.  Their sense of humor is also hard to miss.  Betsy’s Backacher was originally made as a “thank you” wine for friends and family who helped with harvest and crush.  The grapes came from their own “back acre” and the job was “back aching.”  All of Spann Vineyards wines taste like Peter and Betsy made them for their friends.  Peter says, “After all, we drink this wine too so we want it to be enjoyable.”

Spann is a boutique winery producing 5,000 cases per year.  But they are not in the rarified air of pricey bottles most people associate with small production wineries.  The Spann’s are too cool for that.  Their approach is more like a Grandmother making her famous red sauce.  Working with simple, honest, and timeless ingredients, techniques and traditions, they taste and blend to create affordable, approachable wines which can be appreciated by any wine-drinker.

More information about Spann Vineyards can be found here.  If you have a favorite Spann wine, please share in the comment section.This article was included in a collection called Tasty Traditions.

There are a whole set of wines that are new to the Little Rock market.    Eberle Winery (pronounced ebb – er- lee) is in Paso Robles in California.  If your store doesn’t carry them yet, they can probably order it for you.   Mr. Eberle is nicknamed “The Grandfather of Paso” because he was one of two people who helped the area establish itself as separate AVA (a geographic designation that distinguishes wine).  The distributor referred to these wines as “crowd pleasers” and as far as I could tell the crowd was indeed pleased.

Today we will review the Cotes du Robles and Zinfandel.  Check tomorrow for notes on the Full Boar Red, Estate Cabernet, and Muscat Canelli.

Paso Robles is known for its Zinfandel and most of the evening’s tasters enjoyed the Eberle Winery 2008 Zinfandel.    Personally, my favorite part of a Zinfandel is lots of different fruit – blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, dried fruit, sour fruit, etc.  This Zin didn’t have that variety – cherry was the dominant flavor.  It reminded me of a Luden’s cherry cough drop or even a cherry cola.   A little smokiness added some depth and the alcohol was substantial but very well integrated.  This wine even found favor among a group of young women who prefer sweeter white wines and are just beginning their explorations of drier reds. Retail is mid to upper $20’s.

Eberle Winery’s 2008 Cotes du Robles makes a funny name twist on the red Cotes du Rhone blends of the Southern Rhone and copies the classic GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend.  It seemed the crowd was split about 50/50 on liking this wine.  The nose and the palate were dominated by jammy fruit – cherry and blackberry.  This is one of those wines that has so much fruit that it seems a little sweet even though you know it is not a sweet wine.   There was no tannic structure to speak of and personally I like a little more acid.  For those who like these styles of wine, I could see this being popular.  I liked it better than the Hahn Estates GSM (see post) but there wasn’t enough difference in the two to justify the Eberle for ~ $22 – almost twice the price of the Hahn Estate in some stores.

The 2010 vintage of Hahn Estate wines from California is available and a recent sampling caused a mixed commentary among the tasting group.  While I can’t say that any of these wines stood out to me as fabulous, there were, however, some bargains and some surprises.  Depending on personal taste, you may find a bottle that is just your style.

The Surprise

My personal surprise for the evening was the Chardonnay from Santa Lucia.  Oaked Chardonnay is not my favorite, however, I can recognize when one is done well.  This is a good wine for people who like to taste more oak than fruit, but still want an integrated and interesting flavor.  Both the smell and taste were mostly oak, vanilla, and a little coconut.  Maybe this is the Chardonnay to go with your suntan lotion?  The surprise was a dash of white pepper flavor on the finish.  This left a pleasant spicy taste in the mouth.  Retail is in the $15 range.

The Hit

The hit of the night was the Hahn Estate GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) from California’s Central Coast.  It was the top pick for many and for others ran a close second.  In a range of $11-15 it would be a bargain to pair with red meat.  The blend of these three grapes is a classic style from the Southern Rhone that is copied in New World (non – European) wine-making regions in California and Australia.  While the wine is dry (or not sweet from sugar) the dominant flavor is cooked black fruit – think plum cobbler.  There is also vanilla and spice and a warmth from the relatively pronounced alcohol. 

Best Structure

Hahn Estate Meritage from California’s Central Coast was a standout for balance and structure among the night’s line-up.  This may be because the use of the name “meritage” demands certain requirements.  Meritage is a term used for American wines that “copy” the grapes used in Bordeaux wines.  In order to use the term, the winery has to limit the wine to traditional Bordeaux grape varieties, limit the number of cases produced to 25,000 a year, and the wine has to be one of the two most expensive wines from that winery.  This blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec, Petite-Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.  Because of the climate and winemaking techniques in California, it does not taste like a French wine though.  There is a lot of fruit – cherry, cassis, and blueberry.  Tannins are also softer than a young French Bordeaux.  In fact this is not a wine to cellar but to enjoy now.   This could be paired with  medium rare well-marbled steak or lamb chops  The acid of the wine will cut through the fattiness of red meat and the savory flavor from the meat will tone down the fruit.  In the $18-20 range this is not a bad choice if you want a steak wine that doesn’t costs more than the steak dinner.

Other Contenders

Hahn Estates Pinot Noir, with a designation no smaller than “California”, represents what most Europeans think American wine drinkers like.  It has plenty of fruit and plenty of alcohol.  The aromas are like a cherry cola.  For my taste, the alcohol was very hot on the palate and overpowered the wine.  If you enjoy this style of wine or maybe if you have enjoyed wines like Cupcake Red Velvet and are looking for the next step in your wine explorations, you might consider a bottle – $11-15 approx.  You won’t have to fight me for a bottle.

Hahn Estates Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Central Coast is a “Cab” for “Zin” drinkers.  By this I mean we expect Cabernet Sauvignon to have a relatively tannic effect that makes the mouth feel dry.  We also expect some spice, vanilla, and wood aromas and flavors.  The tannins on this wine were very soft, did not dry the mouth, and were much more like a Zinfandel.  Also like a Zinfandel, the flavor was dominated with dried fruit, berry fruits like blackberry, and just a hint of under ripe or “sour” fruit.  The evening’s tasters who like Cabernet Sauvignon did not care for this wine and those who like less tannic, fruitier wines enjoyed it.  Price is approx. $15.