Reading "Drink This"

First post here! I am very new to wine, in the sense that I have been drinking it casually for several years but have never really learned much about it and was always trying to buy the cheapest decent wine I could. Now being a little older and having a lot more time on my hands, I’m trying to take advantage and learn at least a little bit about it. Husband has always eschewed wine, but has newly been open to trying it a little more too.

I bought several books, but the one that has really been sticking is “Drink this” – a set of chapters organized by grape and with a recommended tasting structure for each grape. I have been finding it super-helpful (very early on in the process – have really only done the Zinfandel tasting but am going to begin the Syrah/Shiraz later tonight) but haven’t really heard or seen mention of the book anywhere else. I was wondering if anyone else has been reading it? Please chime in if so!

I guess I will share the plan for Syrah/Shiraz tonight. Happy to have any feedback or suggestions if you think this is not really the right approach!

First tasting evening:
An inexpensive Australian jammy bottom-shelf Shiraz. Under $12.
2017 d’Arenberg “The Stump Jump” Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia. $9.99
“Here to tell you what Shiraz is like when it gets fully ripe.”

A single-vineyard American Syrah. $15-$30.
Derek Rohlffs Unti Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Syrah 2018 ($17.99)
“It should be very different from the first wine: Drier, more structured, better acidity, more of a pull between different elements in the wine that make it feel taut and lively.”

A Washington State Syrah. $10-$15
2016 Tenet “The Pundit” Columbia Valley Syrah. $17.95
“Washington State Syrah is good because the growing region is cold, like France, but sunny, like Australia.”

Second tasting evening:
A real French Syrah, from Hermitage, Cote Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, or St. Joseph.
2017 Domaine Courbis “Champelrose” Cornas. $39.99
A single-vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz. $20-$100.
“Welcome to the wine that remade wine in it’s time! Many people say that this is the style of wine that has inspired a generation of winemakers to craft “fruit bombs” in an effort to win 100-point scores….”
DRG Daryl Groom Barossa Shiraz 2018 ($19.99) OR (have both; could do one or both in the evening) 2018 John Duval “Entity” Shiraz Barossa Valley South Australia. $29.99.

I have to say, I am really appreciating this book as a way to structure tastings that help us learn about the grapes. We now completed the two Syrah/Shiraz tastings. Big surprises!

First tasting evening:
2017 d’Arenberg “The Stump Jump” Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia. $9.99
Not good! Had an abrasive, chemical-like flavor. We both recoiled upon tasting – and after the end of the evening, ended up pouring down the drain. Usually we would use leftover wine in cooking, but there was something almost like ammonia in this wine that would not have been palatable in cooking.

Derek Rohlffs Unti Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Syrah 2018 ($17.99)
This wine was from Naked wines (where we order occasionally) and it was a huge step up from the first one, so we initially were relieved. However, it was not super-refined, maybe I am picking up on chunky tannins? It had pronounced fruit. Became more lively with food.

2016 Tenet “The Pundit” Columbia Valley Syrah. $17.95
This one was so completely different than the other two that we both were intrigued & enjoyed it. I think it benefited from the fact that the other two wines were somewhat disappointing – it was extremely dark & black fruit flavored – but not very fruity. Super masculine and smoky.

→ I had gone into the first evening expecting to really gravitate toward the sunnier riper style (CA and Australia) and was really turned upside down by this experience! I definitely did not expect to prefer the Washington.

Second tasting evening:
2017 Domaine Courbis “Champelrose” Cornas. $39.99
Wow!! This wine was so much better than I expected. Again, I came into the tasting thinking I would not like French wines, that I would prefer sweeter or fruitier. This one was highly fruity but not at all sweet. Drinking alone this was a little disorienting – I had thought fruitiness and sweetness went together. But, with food, this wine was incredible. I had this with dinner two nights in a row and it was perfectly balanced, delicious flavor.

Went with this one for the Australian comparison: 2018 John Duval “Entity” Shiraz Barossa Valley South Australia. $29.99.
I went into this tasting convinced I would love this wine. And, it was perfectly fine, but for me it didn’t hold a candle to the Cornas. My husband really gravitated to this one, however – he thought it was delicious on its own and with food.

→ Again, a night of surprises! But one that ended more deliciously than the last one. Really wishing I had more disposable income to be able to drink the French Syrahs more regularly & to branch out. But at $40 for the bottle, we’re really going to be limited in branching out. Maybe every few months?

There are some good French Cotes du Rhones that are Syrah based or at least partly Syrah. A couple that come to mind are Guigal Cotes du Rhône (about $15) and Chave Mon Coeur (about $20).

Fascinating. This is the description given? I would never have characterized Eastern Washington climate this way. Is this a common characterization? Eastern washington is a desert climate with warm/hot sunny days and cool nights. Am I just being pedantic?



In any case, thanks for sharing your journey Margo I think trying the same grape across many regions is an interesting way to start the journey, though you will also find a ton of variation within regions as winemaking style and philosophy plays a role as well.

St Cosme CdR is mostly/all Syrah I think

Oh! Thank you so much. That’s a good tip. So I know though…should I expect a Cotes du Rhone (mostly Syrah one) to taste similar to the Cornas I had? Sorry if this is an annoyingly novice question. I know the short answer is I need to taste one/several…and I hope to soon. But in the meantime I’m curious!

Yes…that’s what she says about why it is worth including a Washington Syrah in the tasting. But, I have no idea whether it’s common or whether the concept holds up to scrutiny! Later in a summary section she says that Washington has long days and so the syrahs have more silk & “complex aromatics”. Again, I’m so new I’m using this as a foundation for learning…so don’t know if it’s true or not!

Definitely trying to keep in mind your point that there is a lot of variation within these categories – and am looking forward to continuing to taste bottles that fit these categories but may give me a better sense of the similarities and boundaries. It was interesting because her description of the French syrah included descriptors such as masculine, rough, rugged, bacony…and that is so much more what I found in the Washington than what I found in the Cornas. Maybe to your point, that is a sign that these samples I tried were outside the typical?

Thanks!! Will start keeping a list.

Generally not. There are some cornas more in the $30 price point (Durand, others) but it’s a small appellation and the wines aren’t that cheap. St Joseph might have a little more value; the chave offerus is 25-30. It won’t taste like cornas Necessarily but will taste like northern Rhône. Clape Cote du Rhône or vin de amis will be more Cornas if you can find it.

The village-named reds from the northern Rhône (Cornas, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Cote Rotie, St. Joseph) will be 100% or close to 100% Syrah. The wines I mentioned are blends that are 50% or more Syrah and most of the rest will be Grenache. Grenache will add a more overtly fruity (raspberry/strawberry/cherry) character than Syrah (which tends toward smoke, olive, bacon and darker fruit tones). They won’t taste quite the same but I think there’s a good chance that people who like one will like the other.

If you do like those blends, there is a whole world of Cotes du Rhône that is more Grenache-based, with lots of good value wines.

As Michael said, for pure Syrah you can look for St. Joseph or the lower priced wines from Clape or some other producers, but these will be closer to the price of your Cornas.