DINING OUT
It’s a new year and there are sure to be some new trends in wine
throughout 2020. These are my thoughts for what we will be
discovering in our glass this year: More U.S. wines outside of Napa,
more variety of grapes and styles, and new changes with European
wine imports.
and Sonoma over the last 5 years. Many producers put on a strong
face and didn’t acknowledge the full scope of the damage, but it’s
evident in the 2017 vintage. The wines available will still be great,
but there will be less available.
Fire damage created much lower production for wineries in Napa,
but the silver lining is the opportunity to discover new favorites.
There are incredible wines coming out of Paso Robles from wineries
such as Daou, Linne Calodo, Tablas Creek, Broken Earth, Villa Creek,
and others. In Washington and Oregon some of my favorites are
Patricia Green Cellars, Cristom, St. Innocent, DeLille, Quilceda
Creek, and Andrew Will.
This year I also expect to see wine lists and retail shops highlighting
more unusual grape varietals and wine styles. Pinot Noir, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc aren’t going
anywhere but don’t be surprised to see more interesting reds
(Grenache, Syrah, or Frappato) and whites (Falanghina, Vermentino,
or Marsanne/Roussanne) in addition to the classics.
Downtown St. Petersburg is seeing a lot of new wine bars this year
(Cellar Masters, Sauvignon, Book + Bottle, Must Wine Loft, Copa)
The elephant in the room is how European wine imports will be
applied to all imported EU wine, except for Italian and Portuguese
wines.
18 StPeteLifeMag.com January/February 2020
likely that the increased cost will eventually trickle down to the
consumer. However, I don’t expect this to mean we will see the
popularity of EU wines decrease this year. The EU is spending
3.7 million euro in 2020 to promote the wines of Germany and
Bordeaux. Some large EU wineries are also helping importers
see a small spike in popularity of EU wines as wine lovers feel an
impending spike in pricing on the horizon.
Recommendations:
Patricia Green Cellars, Freedom Hill Vineyard, Pommard Clone
Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR – Patty Green was one of the
great winemakers of Oregon and her vision lives on through the
wines of Patricia Green Cellars. This wine displays dark berries,
savory herbs, soft tannin, and great complexity despite youthful
vines.
Linne Calodo, Sticks & Stones, Grenache Blend, Paso Robles, CA
– Linne Calodo shows what Paso Robles wines can and should be.
This wine displays the beauty of Grenache in the region. The vines
are nurtured organically. The wine starts with intense, dark, ripe
fruit on the nose and has strong tannin with a texture that keeps you
coming back for more.
Von Winning, Riesling Sekt, Extra Brut, Pfalz, Germany – This
bottle is a very interesting sparkling wine (Sekt) by one of Germany’s
best dry wine producers. The vineyards are farmed organically. The
wine is clean and crisp with notes of citrus and complex minerality.
Guiberteau, Saumur Rouge, Cabernet Franc, Loire Valley, France
– This is the Cabernet Franc that I compare most Cabernet Franc
delicious. Organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeast fermentation.
This is the entry tier wine for Guiberteau, but a good place to start
getting into Cab Franc.
Will Howard is Sommelier at Rococo Steak in St. Petersburg.
BY WILL HOWARD
/StPeteLifeMag.com