Housing Rescue Bill
Follow this link to probably the best explained version of the housing rescue bill.
Kelly…
Non-Profit Downpayment Assistance Programs in Jeopardy!
Please take a few moments and follow this link to take a bit of action to help preserve the Nehemiah Program. This program has helped over 290,000 families attain homerownership. Without this program hundreds of thousands of potentail credit worthy families will not become homeowners.
Please just take a moment of your time and help.
Kelly…
The Wines of Germany and Austria
Understanding the wines of Germany and Austria can be a bit overwhelming; the varietals sound strange and are difficult to pronounce, the labels include all sorts of foreign words like ‘qualitätswien’ and ‘Trockenbeerenauslese’, and the wine styles are very different than what the typical U.S. wine consumer is used to. But if you give these wine producing countries a chance, they typically do not disappoint.
Germany and Austria have long been regarded as producers of high quality white wines that can age an exceptionally long time due to their higher acidity levels. These two countries are located in close proximity to each other and therefore are thought to have similar climates, wine styles, and wine classification systems, and thus are often talked about like they are one wine producing region. However, there are many differences that set Germany and Austria apart as well.
Germany, the northernmost wine producing country in the world, is known for producing elegant Rieslings and high quality Eiswien (Ice wine), but is also producing some beautiful Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Most of the vineyards in Germany are planted along the Rhine River as Spring tends to arrive late and Autumn comes early and large bodies of water have a moderating effect on the climate. Germany also has some of the steepest vineyard slopes in the world (up to 76°!), which can make growing and harvesting the grapes a difficult and very dangerous task. Their wine quality has been up and down for the past few decades, but now German wine producers have really begun to focus on producing premium quality wines, which has made them very competitive in the global wine scene.
Austria has traditionally been regarded as an innovator in premium winemaking production and as a producer of high quality wines. However, their reputation was put on the line after the ‘Austrian wine scandal’ of 1985 when producers were adding diethylene glycol (anti-freeze) to their white wines to make them sweeter. Fortunately, levels were so low that no one was harmed, but the reputation of the Austrian wine industry was ruined. As a result, the Austrian government created strict, highly exemplary wine production laws to regain the quality standards Austria was previously known for. Austria has come a long way since 1985, and aided with government support, they are making some of the finest white and red wines in the world.
The above is only a brief background of the wine countries of Germany and Austria, but if interested in learning more the numerous wine varieties produced in these countries and their classification systems among other things, check out the following Web sites:
Germany: http://germanwineusa.org/destination_germany/regions.php
Austria: http://www.winesfromaustria.com
The following are a few great examples of German and Austrian wines that can be easily purchased through K&L wine merchants (www.klwines.com) and Beverages and More! I found that another great place to search for wines is at www.wineaccess.com.
2005 Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Spätlese, $33.99
This Riesling exhibits floral aromas with flavors of mineral, peach, apple, rose, and nut oil. This wine is quite low in alcohol which is typical of many German wines as they are generally not fermented to dryness. This is because Riesling usually has high acid levels and leaving a bit of residual sugar helps to balance the wine. This wine can be consumed now but will age for the next 8-26 years.
8% Alc.
2004 August Kesseler Assmanshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder, $49.99
The dark fruit aromas in this Spätburgunder, or Pinot Noir, are complimented with flavors of black current, clove, spice, bitter almonds with a lingering, velvety finish. This wine was produced from grapes grown in the famed Rheingau region of Germany.
14% Alc.
2006 Nigl Riesling Kremser Kremsleiten, $36.99
This full bodied Austrian Riesling has attractive aromas of peach, apricot, and citrus with flavors of vanilla, honey, and a slight minerality with a balanced, enduring finish. Made from the very well known Austrian producer, Nigl, this is one of the best Rieslings I’ve ever tasted!
14.5% Alc.
2006 F.X. Pichler Smaragd Kellerberg Grüner Veltliner, $90
Another renowned Austrian producer, F.X. Pichler, makes exceptional Grüner Veltliner wines at varying complexities. The Kellerberg, a famous vineyard in the Wachau region, produced this stunning Grüner Veltliner wine which has layers upon layers of tropical fruit aromas and flavors. On the palate, numerous flavors show through such as mango guava, ripe peach, green apple, honey, apricots and a hint of flinty minerals. The finish is rich and strong; this wine will stay fresh for at least another fifteen years.
11.8% Alc.
**Please drink responsibly
Escalon, California Real Estate..
Okay, I have been a Gloomy Guss lately or better yet a little peeved at the incredible amount of incompetent people in this silly business we are in. Oh, and I understand I too have some culpability in this crazy dance.
So, I thought I would talk about a piece of property that Wallace and Kelly have on the market in the beautiful country setting of Escalon, California.
Talk about an absolute “WOW” property! Think about relaxing in your 4500+ square foot home with beverage in hand listening to your favorite tunes looking out the floor to ceiling windows at your own private lake as the ducks come swooping in for a landing or you can walk out back to the pool and enjoy your tunes and beverage and the lush mature landscaping. The current owner enjoys spending time in one of his shops tinkering. Currently he has a wood shop, metal shop and auto shop set up to play in. Also there is plenty of room to park the RV, Boats, and extra vehicles in the 10,000 +/- square foot out building and so much more to see and talk about so take a moment check out the link above and if you wanna talk or know even more feel free to give one of us a call.
Kelly…
The White Wines of France
I am the first person to admit that I don’t know enough about French wines to discuss them confidently and will shy away from the French wine section at the Grocery store or wine shop because of this. France just seems so complicated with all the different wine regions and very restrictive wine production laws and evidence shows that I am not the only person to feel this way. U.S. wine consumers are so used to knowing what they are drinking in terms of varietal because it is generally spelled out on the label. But with French wines, one has to have some background knowledge in order to understand what varietal or even quality he/she is purchasing. This can make buying French wine, or any European wine for that matter, very overwhelming.
A few weeks ago, I attended a French white wine tasting and though I still find French wine daunting for the most part, it gave me a chance to sit down and concentrate on the differences between the various French white wine producing regions. I may not understand completely the history or the wine styles of the following producers in the reviews below, but I did learn that some amazingly high quality French white wines can be purchased for very decent prices.
The following wines were the standouts for me, mainly for their remarkable quality and exciting aromas and flavors. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
2006 Domaine Bourillon-Dorléans Coulée d’Argent Vouvray Sec, $17.99
This wine is made from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes from Vouvray in the Loire Valley and exhibits elegant aromas of butterscotch and tropical fruits with flavors of pear, grape candy, and butterscotch. Overall, this medium to full bodied wine is very impressive considering the fairly inexpensive price.
13% Alc.
2006 Jean Albrecht Riesling Reserve, $16.95
The Albrecht Family continues to have complete management over their winery, which was founded in 1425, and the current 18th generation family members still maintain sustainable and organic farming practices. This beautiful Riesling from the Alsace region has appealing aromas and flavors of peach and honey with slight botrytis* notes. Another great value wine – who knew quality French whites could be such a bargain!
13% Alc.
2006 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer, $24.99
Another historic winery located in the Alsace region, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht was founded in 1620 and is currently run by 12th generation family members. Honey, floral and perfumey aromas are incredibly intense in this wine with sweet flavors of rose and honeysuckle. There is a bit of bitterness on the palate and finish, however the intensity of aromas/flavors, complexity, and exceptionally long finish more than make up for it.
14.5% Alc.
2005 E. Guigal Condrieu, $49.99
Out of all the French whites in this tasting, this was definitely my favorite. Made from Viognier wine grapes in the Northern Rhone area, this wine reveals beautifully concentrated aromas of almonds, butterscotch, and sweet, ripe stone fruit. On the palate, the oily texture gives way to elegant flavors of vanilla, violets, sweet peaches, honey, and apricots. There is so much going on with this rich wine, but it will remain delicate and fresh until the very last drop.
13.5% Alc.
Unfortunately for me, I have expensive taste! Good thing there are some great values in the other wines listed above.
*Botrytis is a fungal disease that can destroy an entire fruit crop; however with wine grapes, Botrytis is also known as ‘noble rot’ as it can help to enhance the flavors of some white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling and Viognier to create world renown dessert wines.
**Please drink responsibly
