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Happy Wine News
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Malbec imports rise 61%  (May 26, 2009)

According to customs filings, dollar sales of Argentine Malbec rose 61.7% over the past 12 months.  The U.S. imported approximately 2.1 million cases of Malbec, up from 1.3 million in 2007. Apparently Americans love Malbec! Some of the most popular labels include Don Miguel Gascon, Alamos, Pascual Toso, Terrazas Alto, Los Cardos and Altos Las Hormigas. Correspondingly, the Mendoza region of Argentina (home of Malbec) was rated a Top 10 Destination by National Geographic Traveler’s Magazine.

 
 
What I'm Drinking
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Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto Di Dogliani,  2006 (May 18, 2009)
HappyWineGuy drank this lovely wine at a blind tasting held by the Cork Dorks.  Dark red in color with big flavors that matched the swirl...I really liked this wine! The Dolcetto I have had before were all lighter red in hue and light/bright on the palate but this one had some heft. In fact, this wine initially reminded me of an easy drinking Cabernet Sauvignon but of course it wasn’t! You can probably find this bottle for just under $20, ask for the single vineyard Vigna Tecc if you can find it.

P.S. Luigi Einaudi was the first President of the Italian Republic.

If you have any wine questions you can write to the Happy Wine Guy at hwg@happywineguy.com

 
 
  
 
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John Anthony Vineyards (April 03, 2009) 

You will meet a lot of people in a lifetime and when you operate in the wine world you encounter winemakers, grape growers, wine distributors, etc. with the hope that you might connect on some level. What the Happy Wine Guy has found is that more often than not the folks in the wine world have an extra aspect to their personalities that sets them apart from the “normal”. Some are eccentric, some Professorial and some are just regular Joes that are digging the lifestyle. All of this just adds to the “spice of life” that many verbalize but few actually embrace.

Last week Happy Wine Guy went to a tasting led by John Anthony Truchard. You may know of the brand that his father Tony started almost 30 years ago Truchard Vineyards. www.truchardvineyards.com

John Anthony grew up in the business of growing, farming and wine making and after succeeding in many aspects of the wine business including consultant to many up-and-coming winemakers, he has launched a line of wines under his own name, John Anthony Vineyards, www.javwine.com

It’s pretty cool that he chose to not leverage his family surname but to rather make it on his own merits. And after tasting his wines HWG can attest that he has the expertise to make his own mark in the wine world. John Anthony spoke to a small but attentive group and his easy delivery and constant smile made the time fly by. We learned a ton about his evolution and career as well as in depth facts about his current vintage that we were sampling. He came off as a “regular Joe” but could and did get “Professorial” on the topics of fruit sourcing, micro-oxygenation, cooperage and blending to name just a few.

We sampled the 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Napa Valley Syrah and the 2005 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.  Although a man of many talents John Anthony is not a prideful egomaniac winemaker. He humbly defers the primary winemaking to a talented woman he has known for years, Alison Doran. She is also from a winemaking family and was selected as the winemaker for a number of reasons including her experience and tutelage under Andre Tchelistcheff. Andre was Alison’s mentor for 20 years helping her understand both the art and the science of making wine. Additionally she was the enologist at Lewis Cellars for several years before joining J.A.V. in 2003.

The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is pretty unique. No secondary fermentation which delivers a slightly creamy finish on this 100% stainless steel fermented wine. This wine is fully ripe, with very nice citrus and tropical fruit flavors. A real winner! ($19.00)

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% C.S. sourced from the Oak Knoll district in Napa. They purposely went for a higher acid-lower sugar flavor profile and the result is a beautiful wine with smooth, soft, integrated tannins. You will not find any high alcohol heat or tongue-twisting harshness in these wines.  ($49.00)

Likewise the Syrah was an example of fine hand-crafted wine ($40.00) and the half-bottle of desert-sweet Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (you don’t see that made very often!) was delicious. ($49.00)

The tasting was a subtle, effortless education on a topic of liquid pleasure and friendly, adult indulgence. In the grand scheme of life amid the grab bag of human potpourri you encounter in the wine world, if you get the chance to meet John Anthony and his wines you will be better off for it.

If you have any questions on wine or need any help finding wine just email the HappyWineGuy at hwg@happywineguy.com

 

 

 
 
  
Welcome To My Website: Drink what YOU like!
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The Happy Wine Guy will demystify the wine experience, steer you around the “geek-speak” and restore your confidence in your innate ability to choose and enjoy wine. Our motto is “Drink what you like” and when we share what each us likes we just might get more out of the wine experience. The Happy Wine Guy and his cast of colorful characters will break the ice each week with their intoxicating stories…you can read along or share your feedback…all we ask is that you “drink what you like”!

The Happy Wine Guy is here to help make your wine experience fun.

  • No rating points.
  • No expert’s picks.
  • No snotty magazine reviews.

Just casual wine conversation between friends centering on what you know about wine, what tastes good to you and how wine makes you happy.

 

 
 
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