Summer is over and Oktoberfest season reminds me that it’s time to enjoy some of the finest wines made in the world–German Rieslings!  I’ve tasted and enjoyed many Rieslings, including 2006 Karlsmuhle Kabinett, 2006 Dr. Loosen Auslese,  2007 Schloss Lieser Riesling, 2007 Monchhof Kabinett and 2007 Max Richter Qba Riesling. Did you know that the Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the October 12 marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig I to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese? The citizens of Munich were invited to join the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race. Today Oktoberfest is traditionally associated with beer, but over 125,000 liters of wine also is consumed. Oktoberfest begins in September because long ago the Germans complained that the October rains watered down their beer during the festivities, so the celebration was moved to begin in September.

The 2006 Grappler has the taste of black raspberry, a hint of cherry sweet tannins upfront, and high alcohol on the nose (14.8%).  The raspberry and a hint of cranberry with a somewhat thin mouth feel, medium bodied, very dark wine with a short aftertaste. This wine was tasted over two nights. I’ve tasted several past vintages, which gave me a basis on which to gauge this wine. I was disappointed, and the disappointment began with the high alcohol and ended with the thin finish. I hoped that wine would open up on the second night, but I was met with a wine that had declined even further. The wine is a clear example of a continuing rising alcohol killing a wine and should be viewed as noninvestment grade Ba1.

This evening I sat on the deck drinking a glass of Vouvray. The crisp, cool taste with a hint of sweetness went well with the hot, muggy day I endured.  It reminded of last summer when my wife tasted her first Vouvray, a 2005 Francois Chidaine. She grumbled because I hadn’t introduced it to her sooner.  Now she rarely drinks anything else outside on hot days. I took several bottles on our recent beach vacation. We sat outside looking at the ocean and toasting to a great ending to perfect day, because a day at the beach with Vouvray is better than any day in the office.  

Earlier this year Italian authorities questioned whether some brunello producers in Montalcino were blending their wines rather than using 100 percent sangiovese grapes, as required.  Now two producers of vino nobile di Montepulciano Gattavecchi and Cooperative Vecchia Toscana are being scrutinized for possibly using grapes from outside the region. Italian standards say nobile must be 70 percent sangiovese, and the remainder can be other grapes from the region.  While there is no health issue, there is a question of honesty that could damage the image of this well-known Italian wine. This has U.S. trade authorities effectively stopping the import of some wine until the questions are answered.

Jouan has two excellent parcels in the Clos Sorbe 1er Cru vineyard near the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. The vines in this vineyard average 40 to 45 years old.  This is 1er Cru that is clearly a level above in concentration, intensity, richness, and weight. A nice balance of red and dark fruit, with a complex array of spices, and aromas that are exotically beautiful. On the palate, the texture is rich and velvety, and shows hints of raspberries and blackberries. This is a wine that will age beautifully for 10 to 15 years.  Albeit 2006 wasn’t a great vintage, this is a very good wine from a great producer. This wine is a solid A+.

A couple of days ago I read an article that supports my last post. The article stated that during the September stock market meltdown an auction was held in Chicago where two wealthy men got into in a bidding war and paid a record price for single case of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The final bid was $54,970–a phenomenal $4,580.83 a bottle! At its release in 1984, a single bottle would have sold for roughly $100.

At the same auction a case of 1990 Romanee-Conti Domaine de la Romanee-Conti that at release was priced at about $500 a bottle, sold for $179,250 or $14,937.50 each. A case of 2000 Chateau Petrus sold for $57,360 or $4,780 a bottle. At its release in 2002, the Petrus was priced $750 a bottle.

The article stated that such price appreciation is not the norm, but represents how investing in fine wine can be lucrative, given the stock market volatility that has decimated investment portfolios for the last year.

As an investor in wine, your objectives might be different from an investor in securities or real estate, but your personal satisfaction should be greater and could provide better returns. In September 2004 a bottle of 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild sold for an average market price of $392. Today that same bottle costs you about $700, that’s a 78.5% return on investment. If the same $392 were invested in the S&P 500 you would have a 14.4% return as of September 30, 2008.

Francois Chidaine has strong feelings about viticulture and works his vines based on an old world standard. He does not want any mention of organic viticulture on his bottles, although he is certified organic.

This wine is rich and long with enough structure to balance the residual sugar in this styled Vouvray. It’s deep gold in color with a greenish tinge. This delicious, lightly demi-sec Vouvray grows  more complex after about an hour.  This wine has notes of fig, tart pear, tangerine and apples with touch of allspice that concludes with a ruby grapefruit finish. It’s young and simply awesome!  In 3-5 years I’ll come back to this wine to experience it’s true enjoyment, because this is a wine that will last 20+ years.  In the Vouvray class I would rate this wine a solid AA. 

Rose on a hot summer day! It’s Labor Day weekend and I’m sitting outside tending to a smoker full of ribs and beef brisket on a beautiful end of summer day sipping a very nice 2007 Jana Rose. This wine is a very nice expression of a California Rose with fresh strawberries on the nose and dry that won’t cause your face to contort. The finish nice, somewhat short, but I’m not looking for a long finish, I looking for fun and this wine delivers.  If you try this wine, allow it to get a little warm in the glass and the strawberry flavor will burst out. It’s clearly a different style of Rose from what you’ll find in France, but its style will appeal to American palates.  This wine should be viewed as BBB+. You won’t find this wine online at Poemard Cellars, but it should be priced in the $15-18 range.

I’m nine years old and am on summer break. A couple of days ago I was in the mood to bake so I made some really good cupcakes. They were Duncan Hines yellow cupcake mix (the smaller box that makes only 12 regular size cupcakes).  This is how I made them. I got a plastic mixing bowl. I put the cake mix in it. Then I cracked two large eggs and put them into the bowl. Next I added 1/4 cup of water and three tablespoons of canola oil. Then I used the mixer to mix it. Once I was done mixing carefully, I oiled and lightly floured each star-shaped foil tin. After that I filled each tin about 3/4 of the way full.  I also got a cookie sheet and put each tin on the tray and baked the cupcakes at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Once they were done baking I took them out of the oven and let them cool for 25 minutes. Then I iced them with Funfetti chocolate fudge icing and put the sprinkles that came with it on top. Lastly, I ate them!!!