America the booz-i-ful

Our cup of California wine runneth over

By TYLER BALLIET

del.ico.us | digg it! | reddit!

print | email | 0 Comments

Four score and about 50 years ago, a number of bankers, immigrants and ruffians set out to make the best booze they possibly could. They set up shop in remote but gorgeous areas in California and began what is now recognized as a world-class wine operation. This Fourth of July, we at The Second Glass would like to pay tribute to American winemaking. Since bottles created by the great founders of American wine (such as Stags' Leap, Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills, Freemark Abbey, Ridge) are a bit out of our price range, we wanted to recommend some wines made by a new generation of winemakers—all hell-bent on creating the best wines the world has ever seen.

2006 Three Thieves "The Show" Cabernet Sauvignon, $13

American Cabernet Sauvignons are world famous. Originally modeled after French Bordeaux, California winemaking has evolved, clearly developing its own style. Top Cabernets cost a pretty penny; however, many new winemakers believe in making great inexpensive vino. Three Thieves Winery is helping to change wine's pretentious image by producing wine in jugs, boxes and interestingly colorful bottles. "The Show" Cabernet Sauvignon is a great, inexpensive, full-bodied wine with flavors of cherries and a bit of vanilla. [threethieves.com]

2006 Hook and Ladder Chardonnay, $17

Some love it, some hate it, but there is no way around it: Chardonnay is the quintessential American white. Originally modeled after the classic wines from Burgundy, France, the American versions have taken on a life of their own. Wavering between extremely buttery and oaky to "naked" or unoaked, a massive spectrum of styles exist within this essential grape. One of our favorites is the Hook and Ladder Chardonnay hailing from the Russian River Valley in California. This wine is a perfect expression of California Chardonnay middle ground. It's crisp and refreshing, yet has enough body to run with the big boys. [hookandladderwinery.com]

2006 Qupé Syrah, $16.50

Back in the '80s, a number of winemakers broke away from the traditional Bordeaux red style of winemaking that California was pumping out by promoting grapes from France's Rhone Valley. This group of "renegade" winemakers dubbed themselves the Rhone Rangers. Bob Lindquist of Qupé Wine Cellars helped start this movement. Thanks to this group of Rhone advocates, the Central Coast of California is now packed with Syrah. In our opinion, the 2006 Qupé Syrah is a perfect expression of great American Syrah—rich, balanced and juicy. [qupe.com]

2006 Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel, $17

Known for centuries as an "American grape," Zinfandel makes dark, inky-black wines full of fruit. We now understand the roots of this grape trace back to Italy, but American winemakers have developed a style all their own. Zinfandel is grown in over 14 states and is made into varying styles of wine, including late harvest dessert wines, port-style wines and the wildly sweet (and cheap as hell) white Zinfandel. Dry Creek Vineyard produces killer Zin. The Heritage Zin has big fruit, firm tannins and a finish that leaves you wanting more. [drycreekvineyard.com]

DRINK MORE WINE! FOR MORE INFORMATION: THESECONDGLASS.COM