Grapelive Lastest: Pebble Beach Food & Wine

The Pebble Beach Food & Wine (Formally the Master’s of Food and Wine) kicked off their second year as America’s premier Wine and Food event for foodies and wine geeks. Those wanting a taste of the good life need to look no further, this is the event to attend, no question. I was happy to sit in on a trade tasting and seminar yesterday (April 16th) the event’s opening day and be given a chance to try some amazing wines.
I want to thank Mark Buzan, of the Pebble Beach Food & Wine, for inviting me and being a great host. The seminar was a general topic discussion and tasting of German wines put on by Wines of Germany (the US trade group) and conducted by Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier. Tim was full of insight and added layers of knowledge to my little brain in a smooth manner that was easy to follow and understand, and he picked a line up that was rich in terroir and wines that highlighted the diverse regions of Germany from the Pfalz to the Rheingau. To be sure, Germany is all about Riesling and hopefully always will, but I must say I have been fascinated by Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) for more than a few years, and I was very excited, almost geeky even, to try the Meyer-Nakel Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) “Pfarrwingert” Ahr (River) Grosses Gewachs (Premier Cru) Germany. A wine that last vintage took best Pinot Noir in the world by Decanter Magazine in a huge tasting that pitted the best Pinots from around the world, including Burgundy, New Zealand and USA, as well as others. Plus, they only made about 250 cases of it, so who knows if I’d ever get another chance to try it! The wine did not disappoint and I found it rich and lush with many charms and depth and above all unique in flavors, showing real terroir, but being clean and modern in style with warm creamy oak shadings and ripe fruit. The big difference in character and taste was the flinty shale like spicy notes and cool liquid mineral notes, though bold and big in fruit even for a California boy. This was a very impressive wine for sure, but sadly it is as expensive as Burgundy and at $120-150 retail per bottle, it is at least three times more expensive than the same quality of wine from California or Oregon. Look for more on this tasting and all my notes to follow.