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During our trip to Wine Country last summer we stopped at Blackstone in Sonoma on day 2 of the trip. Besides finding a great everyday wine in the California Blackstone Cabernet the lady behind the counter was very helpful.

She explained to us wine novices what it means when a bottle of wine says “Napa Valley” or “Sonoma Valley” or “Santa Barbara” or just “California”.

What she said was that in order for a bottle of wine to have the designation of being from the Napa Valley region or viticultural area or appellation of origin (where all these terms mean about the same thing) that a certain percentage of the grapes used in that wine must be grown from that region.

Why do I care about which region the wine comes from? Well, beyond the characteristics of the soil, season length, humidity, and other regional conditions that ultimately affect the grape and to at least some degree the wine, it also affects the price!

Napa Valley is a very prestigious name for wines in the state of California. So sought after is it that wine producers in other regions were apparently putting the label “Napa Valley” on their wine bottles when a very small percentage (if any) of the grapes used to make the wine came from the region. These producers were taking advantage of the region to sell more wine and probably at higher prices.

The next time you’re at the wine store check it out for yourself! In my recent experience the local wine store I saw the Blackstone Cabernet Sauvignon available from Napa, Sonoma and California. Guess how the prices compared? The one from Napa was about $17, the one from Sonoma was about $15 and the one from California was $10.

Now, getting back to what percentage is required is a bit trickier. This is also where the terms State, County and Viticultural area become more important. You can check out the details if you so desire at the Wine Institute but to keep it simple and only regarding viticultural areas (regions) at least 85% of the grapes used in the wine must be grown in the area advertised. In the case of Blackstone and the Cab from Napa you can rest assured that 85% of the grapes used in that wine came from Napa. For the state designation of California at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown in the state.

The truth is that the designation goes beyond simply where the grape was grown. It also has to do with where the wine was “finished” or produced.

As I said, check the Wine Institute for more details but for an everyday application I keep in mind where the grapes are from and what the price difference is. For the record I prefer the California Blackstone Cab to the Napa or Sonoma bottles!

According to a self-proclaimed “Level 5″ I know there are 5 distinct levels of wine drinkers. He shared this information with me and my wino buddies a few years back. Read over the descriptions of each and determine what level you are.

Level 1 - White Zinfandel

This is the level that most wine drinkers start at. The White Zinfandel level is easily achieved as it seems to be the most popular wine available at restaurants and is typically very affordable (read: cheap). It is normally very sweet and unoffensive and therefore appeals to the masses. I’m ashamed to admit that I started on White Zin many years ago in a restaurant. At least the lights were dimmed!

Level 2 - Fruity Whites

The natural progression from White Zin is to the fruity whites. Again, these are obviously sweet and fruity, have lower alcohol levels and appeal to the masses. In this level you’ll find wines such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and the ever-popular Chardonnay. Level 2’s are easily spotted as they proudly drink Chardonnay and look down their noses at Level 1’s.

Level 3 - Fruity Reds
Once Level 2’s get tired of drinking over-oaked chardonnay they start to branch out and look for other fruity wines. This leads to Level 3 and fruity reds. This level also includes blush and rose wines. Some of the more popular fruity reds include Pinot Noir, made somewhat mainstream in the movie SIDEWAYS. Movies are typically dumbed-down and SIDEWAYS was no different in making the primary wine drinker a Level 3. They should have made him a redneck! Some lighter Zinfandels and Merlots fall into this level too. Yes, it’s true: Zinfandel is a red wine!

Level 4 - Robust Reds

These wine drinkers have progressed through the first 3 levels and proudly drink the bold, robust wines that Level 1 through 3 drinkers can’t hack. These wines typically exhibit much higher alcohol levels, tannin levels (the stuff that makes you suck your tongue against the inside of your front teeth) and often have more complex tastes. The fruitiness of the wines still exists but the sweetness is neutralized by the tannins and other flavors. Wines in this level include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel, Carmenere, Malbec and some table wine and blends including Meritage. Some might put Merlot and earthy Pinot Noir into this category as well but not me.

Level 5 - Appreciates All

Level 5’s have achieved the top of the scale in wine drinking. They believe that all wines are good, some just better than others and can sometimes be seen drinking white wines. Of all the Level 5’s that I know, which is about 4 or 5, they still drink red wine 90% + of the time. I think they drink whites purely for show and to prove that they do appreciate all and are Level 5’s. Level 5’s also have vast knowledge of varietals world-wide and can easily talk about the different wine regions and share their experiences from previous phases of their wine drinking days such as when they were in a Spanish or Italian wine phase.

Now, I’m sure to get slammed as something less than a level 5 just for spelling this out and it is true that I’m a proud Level 4. Also, I’m just a redneck who doesn’t have that much experience in worldly wines or other levels so if you have something to correct me on, add to or you simply want slice me up with your keyboard please leave me your comments!

I love the weekends because I can and frequently do drink lots of wine with no regrets (unlike those 3 bottle events on Tuesday nights when the roosters crow too damn early the next morning). This weekend was a great one for discovering 3 new, excellent wines one of which is fantastic.

The first excellent wine came during dinner on Saturday night. We were out to eat with some friends to celebrate - kinda (more details later in post). One of my wine buddies (read: wino) ordered a bottle of Liberty School Syrah (tried to find another blog to give some link-love to for this wine and couldn’t!). We each had different dinners so there was only one thing we had in common that we all liked very much and that was the wine. I didn’t have the facilities to do an official review and I don’t like to do reviews from memory but just know that this wine will probably hit the < $11 List when I do buy and review it.

I also had a glass of Peirano Estate Lodi - The Other Red 2005. I found it very satisfying and my wino buddies were jealous that I always seem to pick the wine that they should have ordered. I’m really in to Syrah/Shiraz lately. We jokingly call it a “phase” but unlike the Merlot “phase” which I don’t think I will ever drink again, I can easily add Syrah/Shiraz to my repertoire and still drink Cabs, Zins, etc. Again, I couldn’t do an official review of this one but I hope to in the future. For now check out this review on Peirano Estate Lodi - The Other Red 2005.

Not to be outdone by Saturday night, Sunday night had the debut for me of a truly spectacular wine. I will be doing an official review on it this week but as a teaser - suffice it to say that this wine has me questioning the ratings on all my previous reviews. It too is a Shiraz and I think will be seen as a milestone in my wine education when I look back a few years from now in much the same way that the Le Volte Meritage was for me nearly 2 years ago.

Last week I told you about 4 wines I was going to review. I did review 3 of them but the 4th will go un-reviewed. Reason being that we are right in the middle of moving and all we had to drink wine out of last week were plastic cups. I’m usually not snooty and would normally get off on doing a review of a wine from a Dixie cup instead of some fancy, really expensive glass. However, in keeping to true and honest, usable reviews I couldn’t bring myself to slam the PETS Petite Syrah as a wine that tastes like the purple stuff you get at church, or grape juice with a kick or any other non-flattering correlation. I’ll try it again some other time in a real wine glass and see if it’s any different.

Anyway, to finish up the celebratory remark early on we are relocating back across the country to Colorado Springs, CO. As I said earlier all of our stuff is packed up, living in a PODS box currently being transported to our new residence there. We are currently staying with a wino buddy and she has an excellent selection of wines - one of which is the forthcoming review of the spectacular Shiraz. We’ll be hitting the road on Friday morning and I should be back up and blogging by Sunday night if not sooner. The celebration was a send off by all of our friends here in San Antonio, TX. For those that were there - Thanks for a great night!!

In the meantime keep a close eye here this week for several new reviews including the spectacular Shiraz and the first review on this blog of a Barbera.

What is it?

It’s not a place in the former USSR or a breed of mosquito.

This is a type of light-skinned grape and is used to make white wines…so you won’t see any reviews of any wines made from it here! These grapes are native to Greece.

Wines made from these grapes are typically very inexpensive but offer nice, clean taste. If you’re into whites then give it a shot as these wines are readily available in the U.S.