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Two new teahouses are now open for business just north of Indianapolis, Serendipity in Carmel and Serenity in Zionsville. Both are operated by Occasions Divine, which is owned by Karin Glass, a gourmet cook who is a regular vendor at the Binford Farmers Market.
Glass operated the Curator?s Café at The Sanctuary in Zionsville from March of this year until mid-August, when Sanctuary owner Nancy Noel decided to contract with Elements owner Dennis Dunn to operate the space. Glass? operation had been quite successful, and she quickly found a newly-vacated space on Main Street to move into. In the meantime, she also found a spot in Carmel, and opened Serendipity there on September 7. After two months of remodeling an old (circa 1868) Zionsville double into a restaurant space, Serenity opened yesterday, November 6. (Talk about a busy few months! She must have some incredibly soothing teas in stock.)
Serendipity and Serenity both are open for lunch, English tea and Sunday brunch. The menus are similar but different ? I plan to try Serenity?s lobster BLT next week (lobster and bacon ? how could that be bad?), and the L. S. Ayres Chicken Velvet Soup at Serendipity eventually. Both locations will offer twelve days of holiday teas featuring traditional Scottish recipes beginning December 6.
?You haven?t posted much recently?? Really, no way?I could only wish the reason behind this was holiday-making. Life is currently beyond hectic, recently going from consulting job back to teaching and onwards with a complicated move. Sometimes, I find that life (as in working, family events, consulting travel, etc.) can get in the way of reading an overpopulated Google Reader inbox and commenting on every blog and forum across e-creation. In fact and admittedly, I must say that I sort of prefer real life to this whole thing, though at any rate, I love to write, and I?m sort of pining for more precious time to write, whether on wine or a multitude of other subjects.
Pleasure aside, ?you know what time it is, it?s business time.? Who could possibly wait until early 2009 for more FOTC? At any rate, the intention of this post? I would like to see more artisan Godello imported and available in the North American market. This brilliant viño galego white, while being delicious and predominantly planted in the Valdeorras and Bierzo (yes, León) D.O.?s, is capable of conveying that the cool breezes, seascapes and gorgeous greenery of the region are all tangible in more ways than just through Albariño. I truly adore Rias Baixas Albariños, but I feel that little brother Godello needs some love too; and what better a time than now to try it out, since more regional producers than ever are beginning to invest serious attention in crafting these wines, with sights on the export markets in addition to the domestic one. I sort of find the idea of trying them side by side to be fun. Maybe find a nice Albariño (say a solid bottle of Códax or perhaps Pazo) to enjoy and compare alongside a crisp, complex Godello?goes without saying that some fresh seafood is in order here. Recommendations and notes upcoming?
Enjoy the subtle juiciness of this dry version, with flavors of orange marmalade, chamomile, honey and sea salt. This has good intensity and focus, but also the overall elegance of a well put together wine. Smoky finish. Drink now through 2023. 1,000 cases made.
Sometimes, we just don't know how good we have it. May 28th was such a day. An incredible lineup of wines. If that wasn't enough Alan Meadows aka the Burghound was present to talk us through these wines. I will not bore you with individual tasting notes but just suffice to say that there were some great wines - it's just that side by side you begin to split hairs.
Chambertin and Musigny are definitely a cut above Grand Echezeaux. Just more complex. This statement is probably heresy to some and completely obvious to others. Can't win.
Comte de Vogue Musigny is variable and I'm not sure it's quite all there. Something to mull over given the high prices.
On the other hand the 1990 Musigny is a butterfly finally coming out of it's 18 year cocoon. This will need another 7-10 years? - but it's a knockout.
Armand Rosseau Chambertin. Amazing wine, year after year.
Best white of the night '99 CM. Some people liked the '90 but to me that shouldn't be what a CM is about - a little too much flabbiness not enough acidity and minerality. The '96 was a close second - perhaps an off bottle but tonight at least the '99 won on the nose.
Best red of the night was '90 Rosseau Chambertin. On the other hand I think in due time the '90 Musigny will be incredible and possibly better.
Every year Wine & Spirits magazine hosts a simply fabulous event at which regular old people (read: those not necessarily carrying the title of sommelier, wine director, wine writer or wine retailer) can taste the spoils of some of the best wines recognized that year by the magazine. It's called the Top 100 Tasting - named for the magazine's list of fav wines ranked all year - and this year the banner event looks to be as fabulous as usual. Even better, it's right around the corner:
Class occurs 10/19/2008, 11:30-01:00 pm Panel discussion
Riesling is currently the fastest growing white varietal in the US, increasingly sought out for its food friendliness and its aromatic, vibrant character, however, its variety of sweetness can make it a challenging purchase for the consumer. Join Riesling producers for a discussion of this versatile grape and the new ?Riesling Taste Scale,? read more.
Rediscovering Riesling Walk Around Tasting Sunday, October 19 ~ 1:00 - 4:00 pm Elegant, aromatic and food-friendly, Riesling?s making a comeback! The perfect pairing for Asian, Indian, and of course, German and Austrian cuisine, ?The Other White Wine? abundantly deserves its growing popularity. Taste dozens of domestic and international dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling Rieslings paired with artisan foods ranging from sausage to sushi. You?re sure to find the perfect match! read more Pub.: 2008-10-08 09:18:37; Udt.:
Some of my favorite Syrah/Shiraz I tasted in Thailand came from a winery that is not yet a winery. Produced in a well maintained, temperature controlled room not much bigger than a large walk-in closet, these wines were carefully handcrafted with low tech, off the shelf equipment that wasn't even really made for wine making.
Such is the ingenuity of Supot Krijpipudh, the one man tour de force of what someday will become Alcidini Winery. At 20 acres of mostly Shiraz, with a few rows of Muscat Blau thrown in, the vineyards are not huge, but they are thriving under the careful scrutiny of one of the most innovative wine personalities I have ever met.
Supot is an engineer, and his penchant for experimentation shows not only in his superb wines, but in his careful attention to detail in the vineyard. His vines were the only ones I saw that use the Lyre system of trellising in Thailand. A system advocated by Richard Smart, the Australian who revolutionized vineyard management.
Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) is a more common system, and Supot has not abandoned it either. Instead he is using GDC on the bottom half of his vines. This odd combination of trellising is due to one of his more unusual experiments. Supot is hoping to grow two grape varieties on the same trunk. Shiraz on the top, Muscat on the bottom.
The thinking is that with the potential for two harvests a year in tropical Thailand, but greater quality from limiting the vines to one fruiting, he can have the best of both worlds. The Shiraz will do its thing on the top, and then six months later Muscat will be harvested from the bottom.
Time will tell if this works out, but I am intrigued to say the least. If he manages to make it come to pass there may be a quiet revolution in vineyard management from this tiny corner of Thailand. If not, well Supot is only having fun and isn't committing many resources to the project.
Alcidini has only produced enough wine for a few friends and family, albeit very loyal ones that bought out his entire 1500 bottle run last year. This year he is looking at a more commercial output of 5,500 bottles which while still tiny, puts him in line with many others in the boutique winery class. He will continue to ramp up over the next few years.
It may be decades before you get an opportunity to visit the winery, which for now is just that tiny shed and a house with a view that is still under construction. In the future if you happen to get a chance to get a hold of one of the Alcidini Wines, go out of your way to try it.
Hello All—I’ve taken a little break here, at least somewhat. We hosted our annual harvest party at Hilltop Ranch this past Saturday. The weather was wonderful, the band—“The Furry Chaps”—a fun, local bluegrass band kept us all entertained; all in all, quite good fun. We brought in the last load of grapes on October 10—a mix of Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Merlot) from Lockwood Oaks. I kept the Malbec separate for a possible small bottling next year, but all the others are a “field blend” in one of our bigger tanks and all of it is just now coming into the homestretch—in other words finishing primary fermentation. We have drained and pressed a few tanks of Pinot so far—as soon as I’m done with this entry, I will drain a tank—but will dedicate ourselves more to that task next week…...
Winemaker’s Dinner: Friday, November 7 at 7pm.
Yes, We’ve made a Port (all of 25 cases). I’ve had so many people ask for one, and I have played around with different varietals (traditional port varietals are difficult to come by here in Monterey—as they should be) and came up with this. I got the brandy for the fortification part of it from Germain-Robin up in Redwood Valley. Personally I do not like or drink sweet wines, and admit I had a difficult time separating my personal and professional judgements on this one, so this is neither as sweet nor as alcoholic as a traditional port. I have poured it at a few events recently and people seem to really like it—even those like myself who don’t like sweet wines. So, I’m getting a label created for it and it will go on sale in our tasting room sometime mid-November.
Thailand has a much greater wine presence than India. This shouldn't surprise anyone that has visited both countries. Thailand in general is a very modern country, at least around Bangkok and the seaside communities. India is a country struggling to move into the 21st century.
Tourism is a huge driving force in this modernity, and in the proliferation of wine. The Thai locals may not be buying up the $20 bottles of Australian and Chilean wines in the grocery stores, but the European and North American visitors certainly are.
A dozen years ago, after my visit to China, I remarked that one of the things that had to happen before wine was well received in Asia was to start adopting screw tops. This was before the current craze. Many wines now do sport screw tops, in no small measure because the technology of closures has greatly improved.
I bring this up because it is not just the locals that don't own cork screws. Tourists may not have them either. I overheard a couple in a posh wine store asking for bottles with twist offs because they had no way to remove a cork.
There are many reasons to adopt screw tops, chief among them being the danger of cork taint. This interchange points out the most practical of all reasons for screw tops. Ease of use. Keep it Simple Stupid applies everywhere, especially when it comes to packaging and marketing. Make it easy for people to open wine, and you make it easier for them to buy it.
Thailand has a laid back attitude that is perfect for wine lovers, assuming they have a way to get to their favorite quaff. Personally I never travel anywhere without a corkscrew (and a few backups) but for the more occasional wine lover, being able to twist and enjoy is a pleasure.
Advertising on the Women Wine Critics Board ABOUT US This blog is compiled and edited by Mary Baker, co-owner of Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles, California. Mary has considerable experience in the California wine industry, and the blog is open to all writers who are passionate about wine. It is updated at least three times per month with guest articles and wine news. OUR READERSHIP The Women Wine Critics Board attracts an audience interested in fine wine, wine-related travel and wine appreciation experiences. As of June 2007, the number of unique visitors coming to the site on a monthly...
Released from the shackles of winter we are now free to enjoy a nice chilled glass of Rosé in the sun, and what better way to kick off this season than with the Turkey Flat Rosé 2008.
A hat-trick of strawberries: colour, aroma and flavour, howzat? Crisp and refreshing with some strawberry and raspberry fruit up front, a drying acid backbone and some nice minerality on the finish.
I always find it hard to score Rosé wines, however on a warm day in the sunshine I would drink this one over most full bodied red wines, so take the score in that context.
Score: 90/100 Price: $19 Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 13% Would I buy this wine again? Yes, it is reasonably priced.
I don?t know what it is about Sunday. Where once there was a family dinner, now there is solitary reflection in front of an empty screen. From the perspective of practice, when I look around these days, what is it about Italian wine that seems to have become an endless catwalk of the richest, biggest and most obvious? Standing in line, waiting to talk to a wine buyer last week, I was thumbing through a pile of wine reviews and noticed how the wines that were getting all the accolades ( read: 94 points and above) seemed to be these shorn up, beef-caked, tag-team wines that more resemble porn stars than classics. Who is putting these wines in their cellars, let alone their goblets?
When did the search for the Shangri-La of wine go so off track? The history of Italian wine shows us that it was built up over the ages by the monastics, who took care to keep the light burning through some dark and dreary days. Nothing so glamorous then, working the fields in the dark, at 4:00 AM in the biting cold. Year after year. With no love, save the Divine Love, to keep the solitary worker in the field, hopeful for a better day. Hope and faith. Not arrogance.
I went through a wine collection yesterday, one that has been in the works for 30 years. In it many of the bottles were created by people that are long gone. Some of the newer wines, one in particular, A Super Tuscan from a producer in Montalcino, struck me. I don?t know what the owner will do with the wine. It has too much power to be enjoyed. It?s too noisy, wants to lead but doesn?t really need a partner to dance with. I?d say to put it in the ?drink now? bin, but I?m not sure it will ever be ready to drink.
I spied a few California wines, some which were blockbusters in their day, now shuffling off to the veteran?s home, no fire left in them. Maybe that is where these over-promising and under-delivering Super Tuscans will end up. Which seems like a waste of the Tuscan land which wrought them from the ground.
Whether it is Tuscany or Campania, Sicily or Friuli, Italian wines are at a crossroads. They have fashioned themselves to be these worldly wines in a universe of other worldly wines, all competing for the attention of the same buyer. And those buyers are looking for the next big thing, whether it is an Ovid from Napa or a Mollydooker or God knows what. Why? When did Ferrari seek to emulate General Motors? Or Ducati chase after Harley Davidson? Still, Italian wine chases after the Shangri La wine crowd.
And if an Italian wine becomes a landmark, say a Sassicaia or a Bric dël Fiasc, does that really lead them (and the rest of us) into the Promised Land? How does it go, for what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
And if the Italian wine succeeds in becoming the king pin of all wines, then what? Defending a territory that for all purposes doesn?t exist in Italy? That would be the fitting punishment for succeeding in looking away from all that is unique and indigenously wonderful in many of the wines of Italy. It?s not too late to turn back, some of the young winemakers have looked beyond marketing and their Upper West Side flats to embrace their soil. Not glam, but sans arrogance. We can only hope. And work to help those who see this as a time to return to their winemaking as an act of selflessness and true vocation. Sounds almost ecclesiastic. Oh, wouldn?t it be loverly?
Then all we?d have to do would be to figure out what to do with all these monstrous wines lying around.
Two weekends ago we visited friends who live in Zug. Just 20 minutes drive away is the (bottom of the) hill of Rigi which reaches almost 1,800 metres. It was a picture-postcard kind of weather, so I include for you my postcards… a rigi - canton zug
Today is my anniversary and Kipp and I have a babysitter so we are going out tonight. I'll make up for no blog today by posting one for Thursday!! Cheers!
While British Columbia is fast-becoming known for its emerging wine regions ? the Okanagan Valley, Vancouver Island and Vancouver Lower Mainland ? only oenophile insiders know that many BC wineries have a secret weapon: they operate fabulous restaurants and bistros...
If you need to educate yourself on the finer qualities of our fermented friend, check out this Wine Guide Video. You will discover all you need to know about foreign wine.
Speaking of "Fermented Friends", don't say I didn't warn you!
It's official. Millennials are a major force in wine. Why we needed a study to tell us this, I'm not sure. We millennials are hip, sophisticated and reliably swayed by marketing. Sigh. At least we have the good sense to like wine.
Quotable: "Connoisseur, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else." - Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Caberiffic: Delectus 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Stanton Vineyard Oakville ($50). Tobacco, mushroom, black cherry, plum. Decant, my friends, decant.
Splurge worthy: Philip Togni Vineyard 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (online prices vary widely, between $80 and $150). Blackberry, dusty chocolate, plum, great acid on the back end.
A couple of weekends ago, I attended the grand re-opening of Wine Connection in Pound Ridge, NY. Max Marinucci moved his store to a handsome, custom-built facility and it was an amazing tasting by any measure. There were about six Barolos available from producers that ran the modern-traditional axis, E. Pira, G. Mascarello, G. Conterno, and Sandrone among others. They also poured the 2004 Hudelot Noellat Richebourg (about $259; find this wine), and several current release Bordeaux. Then there was the amazing 1985 Leoville Las Cases (about $379; find this wine), whose aroma was so enticing with tannins were smooth as silk.
And the price for this tasting? Free.
In this tough economy, even seeking solace in a wine glass can still cost a lot. But there is one place where you can still taste fine wine for free: New York wine stores. Granted, you’re standing up and the pours are sometimes barely enough to cover the bottom of the glass, but they are a great opportunity for broadening your tasting experience–as well as talking with some interesting people who are usually doing the pouring.
While there are many silly (separate entrances for separate licenses) and annoying (not being able to to sell cheese in a wine shop nor wine in a food shop) aspects of New York wine retail laws, the free tasting is a definite boon for consumers. Stores can’t charge for tasting since that would be profiting from the sale of liquor on-premises, which requires a different license. Other states have different rules about in-store pourings and they are not always free, but are often a good value. (Sadly, one place where free tastings may someday be illegal is the little-known wine country called France.)
And the downturn in the economy means that some shops are eagerly pouring wines (or, technically, having the distributor reps pour the wines) to attract foot traffic. So check out your local retailers and see what’s on the calendar. Here’s my map of my favorite NYC wine shops.
Well I?m back, with many changes on the way?too many to report on here.The move was predictably stressful, complete with long waits at the police for foreign national registration, idiot bank employees who don?t do what you ask them to, negligent estate agents only interested in their miserable commission?and that?s if they?re still employed, considering the global financial meltdown that ensued, seemingly occurring right after I physically landed at Heathrow and cleared the baggage claim.Oh well, at least the internet service provider finally showed up and set me up, so on towards the more exciting, positive bits of news...I look forward to coming back more often to post, particularly on my own domain.Look for updates on that soon.
Onto the wine?one of the final remaining, seemingly recession-proof products around, particularly if you?re a wine producer from Argentina or South Africa, or perhaps a wine importer in China, but I?m getting ahead of myself again.
I find the UK wine marketplace, from the consumer?s perspective, incredibly fascinating in ways that would make importers and distributors from back in the US think twice and want to look hard and long on certain matters.After all, this is the market from which, time and again, I?ve seen trends emerge, subsequently reaching American stocklists, on average and depending on the specific trend, around 12-18 months later.Whether we?re talking organics, fair-trade wines, an upsurge in country/region-specific wines being consumed (Austria, Bierzo, NZ Pinot Noir, Chilean takes on Alsace, Argentine Tempranillo, and many more ), or even a specific craze for wines that single out a particular grape variety, it always seems like it all begins here first.A small clarification of course, we always need one of those?when I discuss market trends, the proportions I am are referring to could well be regarded as ?mainstream? or en-masse.Leaving aside the handful of enlightened, forward-looking importers, distributors, retailers and agents involved in the US wine trade, I?m thinking of trends that American consumers simply haven?t embraced in mainstream fashion.
What trends am I talking about, then, in terms of the ?here and now??The recently sudden and intense interest, expressed particularly by some of the largest retail entities in the US (Target, Walmart, etc?), in ?certified organic? and ?fair trade? wines, has been preceded by all sorts of retail outlets here in the UK by almost five or six years.In fact, the revered wine education cathedral of sorts, Vinopolis, recently hosted a consumer-oriented Fair Trade tasting featuring South African and South-American wines.In terms of the prevalence of ?Fair Trade certified? wines in the marketplace here, even large supermarket chains maintain extensive production relationships with wine producers in Argentina, Chile and South Africa that intend to compensate the grape farming coops that supply them fairly and ethically.The venerable Trainsfair USA, I believe, is just beginning to crank the gears that will soon establish an American Fair Trade certification scheme in the vein of its successful coffee program.One recently elaborated section of its website seems to be calling all potentially interested retailers, importers and distributors of Fair Trade certified wines, complete with legal advice and guidelines to becoming approved agents.
I don?t have much in the way of a formal set of closing thoughts on this, but a few questions come to mind in terms of this apparent phenomenon where certain trends poke their heads out in the UK first:
1) Could this simply be attributed to there being an altogether greater sense of open-mindedness here in the UK?I?ve seen many food products here, ingredients easily available at mainstream chain supermarkets for very reasonable prices?meats, spices and foods for which I used to have to trek all the way to a Whole Foods in the US, sometimes fifty miles each way, just to get in line and pay frighteningly exorbitant prices, given that my purchases didn?t consist of the bland crap available in most stores.
2) The second question revolves around economic irony:Why is it that the UK is at the forefront of wine consumer trends, as far as imports, when it is actually the US market which the latest reports point to as being the most profitable market to export to, on a per liter of wine basis?This should be taken into account in addition to the US being ranked the second largest export market (by volume).Would the people at the American Association of Wine Economists have a paper on this?
Whether I am here or there, from now on I will be posting recommendations and pieces such as this one on both the American and British wine market environments.More to follow in the near future?
A16 tops the list of the best wine bars in San Francisco. The owner-sommelier Shelley Lindgren?s wine list is focused on Southern Italian varietals. This wine list is an integral part of the A16 experience and what makes it the best of the wine bars in San Francisco.
Andalu on 16th Street is another one of San Francisco?s finest wine bars. They are awesome because they offer small plates with big flavors. This is one of the San Francisco wine bars that has an approachable wine list and offers 35 wines by the glass. The crowd there is mixed and energetic.
Wine bars don?t usually come as good, or as small, as Bacchus on Hyde Street. Bacchus has knowledgeable bartenders that make innovative saké cocktails and they pour over 50 wines that range in price from under $10 a glass to more than $200 a bottle. The signature drink at Bacchus is their sake-version of the mojito.
Cav is one of the wine bars in San Francisco that takes itself extremely seriously. Cav has a well-chosen wine list of over 300 international wines. Some of the wines on the list are offered by a taste, or the glass. The chef has crafted unique takes on lots of dishes and Cav actually offers a cheese course that is served at the proper temperature and is on par with some of the finer restaurants in San Francisco.
Wine bars like Piccolo on Fillmore street handpick the wines on their wine lists. Piccolo is one of the wine bars that choose limited availability and small production wines. They prefer to concentrate on Italian wines. The owner of Piccolo has wonderful antipasti on his menu. There is fierce competition between wine bars to have the most excellent food to accompany their spirits.
Varnish Fine Art is both an art gallery and one of the top wine bars in San Francisco. The atmosphere at Varnish Fine Art is comfortable and it draws a post-work crowd for beer or wine during happy hour. The wine list at Varnish Fine Art is well chosen and features a number of delicious fine wines, as well as soju and saké cocktails.
The Pinot Gris harvest in Oregon's Willamette Valley was set back even further by rain, and even some hail last weekend. On Sunday alone, it rained over an inch in parts of the Willamette Valley. It also hailed in various locations. While any widespread damage to the grapes is unknown at this point, the continued cool, soggy weather can't be good for the grape development at this late stage.
Grapes need to attain a certain sugar level (measured in Brix) to achieve proper ripening and balance.
In honor of Election Day, here's a historic campaign cocktail to enjoy, but please do so after voting.
I was charmed by this recipe over at Serious Eats for the Ward Eight Cocktail, hailing from 19th century Boston when candidates' victory parties took place before Election Day. This is a gussied-up Whiskey Sour, and I followed the footnote to the recipe by using fresh pomegranate juice and sugar rather than an old bottle of grenadine syrup.
This cocktail manages to be spicy and tangy and would work well as a punch for a party. The rye and fresh juices keep it sophisticated, and you'll get plenty of vitamin C here. You really wouldn't want to make this with Bourbon or Scotch, though a white or gold rum would probably be an acceptable substitute.
My friend Hank Rossi and his wife Phillissa just returned from a two month nomadic trip across Europe, their blogis a hoot, go give it a look-see. To ease them back into the New America, I am offering them post-economic meltdown re-design suggestions for their flat. Unless they got out of the market before they left, they might not be traveling as much. Knowing Hank, they probably have all their money intact, which would be OK with me, seeing as they are great folks. And when they are gone we sneak in their place (the doorman loves Pinot Grigio) and have wild parties in their place. I also drive their Jaguar convertible around town, acting like I'm in a higher income bracket that I really am. All in good fun. So to welcome Hank and Phil back I am bringing back an old post I did a couple of years ago. Since then there are more new furniture projects. Have at it Hank, Rossi wine in jugs is the new paradigm for the economic times; sales of Carlo Rossi are off the charts!
Years ago I had a sculpture teacher in Silicon Valley whose father-in-law was Carlo Rossi. We used to go up to the prof?s house in San Francisco because his wife cooked for us (and she was real pretty), and we always had an endless supply of wine. It was cool.
Now all those empty jugs of Carlo Rossi wine can have a new life. Artist Jay Blazek of Seattle has created 6 do-it-yourself projects.
Go to CarloRossi.com and see for yourself. Videos outline how to make in a simple and entertaining manner.
The Cabernet Couch, just the spot to do some vertical (or horizontal) tastings
Tecnorati
Two new teahouses are now open for business just north of Indianapolis, 
Every year 
Class occurs 10/19/2008, 11:30-01:00 pm 
Released from the shackles of winter we are now free to enjoy a nice chilled glass of Rosé in the sun, and what better way to kick off this season than with the Turkey Flat Rosé 2008.
When did the search for the Shangri-La of wine go so off track? The history of Italian wine shows us that it was built up over the ages by the monastics, who took care to keep the light burning through some dark and dreary days. Nothing so glamorous then, working the fields in the dark, at 4:00 AM in the biting cold. Year after year. With no love, save the Divine Love, to keep the solitary worker in the field, hopeful for a better day. Hope and faith. Not arrogance.
I went through a wine collection yesterday, one that has been in the works for 30 years. In it many of the bottles were created by people that are long gone. Some of the newer wines, one in particular, A Super Tuscan from a producer in Montalcino, struck me. I don?t know what the owner will do with the wine. It has too much power to be enjoyed. It?s too noisy, wants to lead but doesn?t really need a partner to dance with. I?d say to put it in the ?drink now? bin, but I?m not sure it will ever be ready to drink.
Whether it is Tuscany or Campania, Sicily or Friuli, Italian wines are at a crossroads. They have fashioned themselves to be these worldly wines in a universe of other worldly wines, all competing for the attention of the same buyer. And those buyers are looking for the next big thing, whether it is an Ovid from Napa or a Mollydooker or God knows what. Why? When did Ferrari seek to emulate General Motors? Or Ducati chase after Harley Davidson? Still, Italian wine chases after the Shangri La wine crowd.
And if the Italian wine succeeds in becoming the king pin of all wines, then what? Defending a territory that for all purposes doesn?t exist in Italy? That would be the fitting punishment for succeeding in looking away from all that is unique and indigenously wonderful in many of the wines of Italy. It?s not too late to turn back, some of the young winemakers have looked beyond marketing and their Upper West Side flats to embrace their soil. Not glam, but sans arrogance. We can only hope. And work to help those who see this as a time to return to their winemaking as an act of selflessness and true vocation. Sounds almost ecclesiastic. Oh, wouldn?t it be loverly?
My friend Hank Rossi and his wife Phillissa just returned from a two month nomadic trip across Europe, their 
Years ago I had a sculpture teacher in Silicon Valley whose father-in-law was Carlo Rossi. We used to go up to the prof?s house in San Francisco because his wife cooked for us (and she was real pretty), and we always had an endless supply of wine. It was cool.
The Cabernet Couch, just the spot to do some vertical (or horizontal) tastings