Rhone rising

We just recently tried a really great Syrah from Alexandria Nicole Winery out of Prosser Washington called Jet Black. We loved the wine, and as we always do we asked the distributor how the wine was received by other wine professionals around town. Her response was somewhat predictable; she said that most everyone had said something like, "Why do I need another $25 Washington State Syrah?" We actually found this to be encouraging; we put the Jet Black on the shelf immediately, with its handsome packaging and lovely taste it is a bargain at that price, and we have found all things Rhone related to be rising right now.

Grape varietals like most everything in general and in the wine industry specifically come in and out of favor. Syrah and other Rhone varietals by association have been out of favor for some time. Syrah in the appellations of the Central Coast of California and in Washington State was severely over planted. The excess fruit continued to be harvested and sold at bargain basement prices either as fruit or as bulk wine. The pricing got so bad at one point that a winemaker we know was offered several tons of Syrah grapes for free just so they would not go to waste. These resulted in much Syrah and to a lesser degree other Rhone varietals like Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier, Marsanne, and Rousanne being made into wine of widely varying quality including some production runs that were just not very good.

At the retail level this oversupply of Rhone based wines caused consumers to pull back, while perception leads the way in these cases, the quality issues also resulted in demand for the wines to stop. Add in the really poor quality of much of the Shiraz (same grape) coming out of Australia and the retail market simply collapsed. Things are gradually starting to come around though.

Wine consumption in the U.S. continues to expand. Wine grape growers have gotten the message and stopped planting huge tracks of Syrah and other Rhone varietals. Growers too have pulled up some Syrah and replanted with other varietals, and winemakers are doing a better job at handling the grapes on their own or in blends. All of this is resulting in some pretty great wines hitting the market made of these noble grapes and consumers are responding, requesting those more and more.

The white Rhone grapes Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne have always been a bit difficult to manage in the winemaking process, and early in their use here in domestic appellations winemakers seemed to always want to make them like they make Chardonnay. The grapes however do not take oak barreling very well. They also need to be harvested and fermented with higher acids and lower sugars than Chardonnay to prevent them from becoming overly alcoholic and "flabby" with no structure. Winemakers are gradually figuring that out and there are some great ones being produced in Washington now like the Cougar Crest Viognier, the Farm Boy Viognier from Robert O. Smasne, and also Alexandria Nicole with their Shepard's Mark blend.

In the red grape varietals the Jet Black Syrah from Alexandria and Nicole is just the first example of many great red Rhones. Skylark Red Belly from Northern California is a winner as are the Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah, the Northern and Southern Blends from Sean Boyd at Rotie Cellars, the Byzance from Brian Carter, and the Cougar Crest Estate Syrah - they are all flat out delicious. Add in a handful of offerings from France and we are indeed seeing once again a healthy marketplace for all things Rhone.

For wine consumers we really encourage you to start wading into the sea of Rhone wines that are available. Ask any of the local retailers including us, or scan the list of Rhone wines being served by the bottle and the glass at restaurants around town. While the guidance of your favorite wine professional is always helpful in situations where there are encyclopedic amounts of choices with widely varying degrees of quality and price, the opportunity right now is huge to find new favorites in white and red Rhone varietals and blends. It should not be passed up.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party - a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene Magazine (www.cdamagazine.com). You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles as well as other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.