DUVAL-LEROY DOUBLE VISION!

Wine Spectator has always raved about Champagne Duval-Leroy. The magazine tapped the NV Brut as a "Top 100 Wines of the World" twice over the course of five years. Well, the winery is still on a roll...both the NV Brut and Rose just earned 92 Points!

BRUT NV - #63684
ROSE NV - #63664

Siduri & Beckmen Score Big in Wine Spectator!

This just in from Wine Spectato:

"12 Tempting California Reds

New reviews of California Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Syrah and more

MaryAnn Worobiec
Posted: October 17, 2011

Siduri tops this week's list of new reviews from California with two wines—one a single-vineyard (Sierra Mar) and one from Russian River Valley—that showcase Siduri's strength as one of the top producers of Pinot Noir in California...

...wo wines in this report stick out for their value: The Beckmen Cuvee Le Bec is a big mouthful of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise...

SIDURI Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sierra Mar Vineyard 2010 Score: 92

Fresh and snappy, with ripe, vibrant black cherry, wild berry and red plum flavors, this defines pure, ripe dark fruit. Full-bodied and impeccably balanced, ending with a persistent finish. Drink now through 2018. 408 cases made. —J.L.

SIDURI Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2010 Score: 91

Intense and pure, with vivid boysenberry and huckleberry flavors that are racy and complex. Well-focused, long and persistent on the finish. Drink now through 2017. 1,639 cases made.

—J.L.

BECKMEN Cuvee Le Bec Santa Ynez Valley 2009 Score: 90

A real mouthful that packs in ripe, potent, powerful dark berry, spice, loamy earth and black licorice notes. Firm, chunky and rustic, yet charming, ending with a long, chewy finish. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise. Drink now through 2018. 3,500 cases made.—J.L."

Iowa. REAL Iowa.

I am predicting that one of the newest additions to the Arts & Crafts portfolio will also be one of the most-talked about at tomorrow's trade tasting*: Cedar Ridge Distillery of Swisher, Iowa.

I discovered Cedar Ridge back in July...after a protracted search for an real Iowa craft distiller. I say 'real' because a lot of buzz has been generated by a company that markets an Iowa rye whiskey. Well, I know for a fact that this "Iowa Rye Whiskey" is actually made in Lawrenceberg, Indiana. Not a week would go by without a retailer or barkeep asking me if I could get said Rye. "Why do you want it?" I'd ask, with the typical response being, "I want to support a local whiskey distiller", to which I'd respond, "So, you think southern Indiana is 'local'?"

Once I explained the charade being perpetrated by this unnamed whiskey peddler, the buyers would shrug and say, "Let me know when you get a real Iowa distiller."

Well, folks, Cedar Ridge is as real as it gets. A working vineyard and distillery, crafting spirits from Iowa grapes and grain in Iowa. And, let me tell you, what they're crafting is really good. While I went to them looking for whiskey, I left with not only their their Iowa Bourbon, but vodka, gin, rum and brandy, too. You owe it to yourself to try them all.

And, just in time for the holidays, the folks at Cedar Ridge have introduced an "Age Your Own Whiskey" kit. This kit contains a 750ml of their 100-proof Unaged Whiskey, a 1-liter charred white oak aging barrel complete with instructions on how to age the whiskey to perfection.

Join me in saying 'hello' to our neighbors to the south. I am sure Cedar Ridge will find a home in many of Minnesota's leading establishments soon.

I hope one of them is yours!

*And, if you're not aware of tomorrow's trade tasting, you must be living under a rock. Thursday, October 6th, 3pm until 8pm at the Quality warehouse at 7900 Chicago Avenue South, Bloomington. The tasting is open to all members of the Minnesota beverage trade.

Harvest Update!

This just in from Adam & Diana Lee at Siduri/Novy:

"Just a brief update from a very, very busy winery. We've been a bit slammed with grapes lately....some of it because they were ready (a warm spell pushed ripeness) and some of them because it is supposed to rain, a lot, starting tomorrow afternoon (1-3 inches). We are letting fruit that is clearly not ready hang thru the rain (Pinot, one Chardonnay vineyard, Syrah, Grenache, some Zinfandel) but have madly been bringing in fruit that is ripe, or ripe enough that there was more to lose than gain by letting the clusters hang. Yesterday started at 3am and ended around 9pm....today (Sunday) is a bit more mellow with only about 10 tons of fruit and a bit of pressing. But tomorrow (Monday) looks like a cluster....well, it looks busy. Over 40 tons of grapes....ugh.

We did take this picture of the 2011 Novy Papera Vineyard Zinfandel being harvested and thought it looked pretty so wanted you all to see it."