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Our philosophy, wine is not just a drink, it's a passion.  


Why are old vines better?

As you walk down the aisles of MGM, you may encounter this term, especially if Zinfandel is your choice wine.  But what does it mean and are old vine really any better?


First, it should be established that there is no legal term for "old vine".  If the wine producer wants to throw it on the label, they can, whether the vines be 5 or 50 years old.  Second, there seems to be a general consensus that vines 50 years+ should be considered old vine if there were such a standard.  Now that we have that covered, let's talk about why "old vine" and why it denotes better wine.


When vines are young, they supply an abundance of grapes.  Vines used for wine making are generally over 5 years old.  These grapes tend to produce fruit-forward, and sometimes, incredible wines.  As they age, the vines produce fewer grapes and thus concentrating the flavors and character of the soon to be wine.  There isn't yet enough research to prove this , but I like to consider it the same as an old wives tale that science proves true down the road.  There is also a theory that as the vines age, the roots grow deeper into the ground, pulling out unique characteristics of it's surroundings.  (This is also why old vines will give more of an earthy flavor verses the fruitiness of it's younger counterpart.)


What it all boils down to; young vines can be great, old vines can be consistently great, but what really matters is the love and passion that went into making the wine. 


Fun Fact: The oldest grape vine according to the Guiness Book of World Records is over 400 years old!  Found in Slovenia, Žametovka, which is one of the oldest domesticated varieties in Sloveni, also has offspring around the globe. The vine grows in Lent, the oldest part of the town down by the river Drava.  It produces enough grapes each year to be fermented and put into about a 100 miniature bottles.



Wine Dictionary

Nice Legs
 
The inside of a
wine glass, showing
the "legs" or "tears"

It sounds like a pick up line, it is a term "legs" is used to describe how the wine falls down the side of a glass after it is swirled.   When there are nice legs (slowly settles into the wine), it may indicate a rich and full-bodied wine, and/or a high alcohol content.  Very wide legs are referred to as "sheets". 

Note though, the legs are a small piece of the puzzle. 

Is it a myth?  Find out and 2 other myths in the wine world...
http://www.winepros.org/aftertaste/3-myths.htm

Do an experiment yourself! Go to:
http://www.chem.com.au/science/everyday/drink/

For December: Great Wines for Christmas and New Year's
View August article
View September article
Our pick of the month...Strong Arms Shiraz
Strong Arms has nice legs (see definition below). Had to say it.
That’s the irony of the name of the label. In fact, Strong Arms was named after an artist book and body of work by Mel Kadel,  the very talented emerging young artist whose work evokes Maurice Sendak. Her art captures the trials and tribulations of everyday life, and in essence reflects why we drink wine.
 
Six of Mel Kadel’s images were selected for 2006 Strong Arms. Although there is a collection of six images (Ms. Strong Arms, Sea of Love, Heavy Weight, In the Middle, Get Down and Dressing Room), the wine is always the same. The collection will be released one image at a time, beginning with Ms. Strong Arms.
 
Strong Arms is a McLaren Vale Shiraz. Chris Ringland made the wine and had this to say about the wine and vintage: “moderate ripeness, vineyards selected from various soil-types and sub-regions across the McLaren vale area. Typical R Wine vinification, fermentation on skins for 5-7 days. Gentle pressing. The pressings matured separately from the free run. Maturation in seasoned American and French oak for 1 year.”
-gratefulpalateimports.com

Wine Advocate, Oct 2007, 91 points:

"The 2006 Shiraz is composed of 46% McLaren Vale, 44% Riverland, and 10% Barossa Valley fruit. It was aged in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months. Opaque purple-colored, it has a nose of cedar, spice box, and blueberry. Fruit-driven, supple-textured, rich, and easygoing, the wine has remarkable class for its giveaway price. It actually has 2-3 years of aging potential but no one that I know is going to defer their gratification. Strong Arms has been bottled with 6 different but similarly themed labels. Collect them all and Dan Philips will send you a free Bacon of the Month Club catalog. There are 12,000 cases of this remarkable value. R Wines is a new company founded by importer and marketing genius, Dan Philips, along with co-owner, renowned winemaker, Chris Ringland. Winemakers for R Wines are Chris Ringland, Lisa Wetherell, Andrew Hercock, and John Hughes. It encompasses four familiar labels, Marquis Philips, 3 Rings, Roogle, and Bitch, along with 13 others created especially for R Wines. Needless to say, the packaging of these wines is amazingly creative but, more importantly, what is in the bottle consistently over-delivers from low-end to high-end."

Read our review...