I recorded the national news tonight so I could watch it after the kids went to bed.  Normally, I’d like to relax with something from the Discovery Channel or a movie my wife picked out.  But, given these times, I feel I need to pay attention to the markets and understand what is going on since we’ll all be impacted by these recent financial events.  These may prove to be tough times for a lot of people, but we need to remember that it’s the weathering of these tough times that makes us stronger.

Wine also benefits from tough times.  It’s not the grapes that grow like weeds that create great wines, but the grapes that are stressed, hanging onto unique, craggy, rocky soil that produces amazing wine.  These stressed grapes have the right amount of sugar and also contain the essence of the land, the terroir.  Terroir is the combination of site, soil and weather that lends to the complexity of wine.  Great terroir cannot be duplicated since you cannot duplicate great land, location or weather.

The Stags Leap District in Napa, California was the first AVA designated based on its terroir.  We’ll be tasting wines this week from Nine North that is located in the Stags Leap District.  Nine North has put together a unique portfolio of handcrafted wines and we’ll taste some of their excellent wines this week. 

Hulabaloo Napa Valley Zinfandel 2005 ~ 21.99
The 2005 Hullabaloo displays a classic briery, jammy nose with further aromas of spice and pepper as it unfolds. Flavors of sweet black currant and raspberry dominate the palate showcasing powerful ripeness, impressive textures and well-integrated oak. 96% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Sirah

Parcel 41 Merlot 2005 ~ 19.99
This complex Merlot has aromas of dark cherry, choco- late and plum. Its? rich, ripe and concentrated flavors showcase layers of blackberry, currant and mocha with very smooth tannins that lead to a medium-long finish. 100% Merlot.

Thousand Foot Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2006 ~ 23.99
The name for our new Thousand Foot Pinot Noir was derived from growing the grapes at higher elevations (above the fog line) where the grapes spend more time in extended sunlight. This results in a wine that is rich and full of vibrant raspberry and plush cherry flavors. Aged in French Oak Barrels (20% new). 100% Pinot Noir.

Rock & Vine Three Ranches Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ~ 19.99
Rock & Vine is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon (79%), Merlot (13%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Malbec (2%) and Petit Verdot (2%). The fruit was selected from three ranches located in: Lake County (79%), Mendocino (13%) and Napa Valley (8%) that showcases why the North Coast is the leader in California for growing Bordeaux varieties. 

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