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I've often wondered why New Zealand was anointed/anointed itself as the land of Sauvignon Blanc. To be sure, NZ SB has been quite successful as an import to the US wine market (and certainly names like 'Monkey Bay' don't hurt its mass appeal to the garanimal-wine-loving crowd). However, I think this success has come at a price. Kiwi Blanc has overshadowed every other grape variety. And this is a very sad thing.
Think about it. When was the last time you sampled a New Zealand Riesling or Gewurztraminer? These grapes have found a very cozy home on the Islands way down under. In fact, while I find most New Zealand Sauvi Blanc, easy-to-enjoy, I also find it a tad bit uni-dimensional (see here for a great descriptor of NZ SB). I have discovered extraordinarily sublime Riesling and intoxicating (in the figurative sense of the word) Gewurz. Think I'm nuts. Take this little NZ non-SB challenge:
Huia Gewurztraminer 2006 - A chewy, thick wine, which echos the Alsatian style but with a bit less earth
Villa Maria Riesling 2005- A remarkable feat of a wine. This Riesling stews together new world heft with teutonic crispness.
Am I alone in thinking the OenoKiwis might want to diversify their white wine portfolio?
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...
Maya Donelson tends the rooftop garden of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.Gardeners are raising fruits and vegetables on rooftops, high above the noise and grime of urban streets.
To celebrate the end of May, which was an hellacious month for the wine world, Paul and Annette DiCarlo graciously opened up their home in East Dallas for a Sunday afternoon of eating and drinking. Summer is bearing down upon us, a time which we find ourselves embroiled in heat and heated debate about almost anything. Tempers flare, lines are drawn in the sand, swords are sharpened, clocks are set. But not before one last meal. One last great meal.
Sausage Paul had called me. ?You coming?? I reply, ?Hi Paul. Yeah, I?m coming. What? Where?? I was dreading that I had forgotten a tasting or an appointment, so I was ready to bolt out the door, one week in advance. I happened to be in Way west Fort Worth, so I figured I?d show up late and make an appearance. ?Next, week, the Amarone dinner. My house.? The line goes dead. My friend Paul, isn?t one for long good-byes.
But I was spared. It was in a week, so I had time to get back (and over) the meal I had just had, which was this larger-than-life chicken fried steak. You had to be there, it was one of those road-house food places that are rapidly disappearing in Texas and probably anywhere else.
One week, later, I have had time to prepare. Exercise, fasting, high colonic. Hey, you don?t go to Paul and Annette?s house and ?pick? at eating. You feast. And in today?s time when everyone is trying so hard to be frugal and inauspicious, this would be a little over the top. It always is. Some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in town would be there, so this wouldn?t be a time to say no.
We get there in time for a round of sparkling rose wine from the Veneto, all the rage now that they have saturated the market with Prosecco. I brought a bottle of Gruner just to be a contrarian. I figured after I blasted it in the last post, and some of the somms were chiding me for hating on the Gruner. Actually I like Gruner. And Zweigelt. But that?s another post.
Anyway, we get to the house and Sharon Hage of York Street is heating up a skillet for the foie gras. We were eating those things like catechumens sucking up Necco® wafers. We were getting ready for the miracle of the wine, so why not?
Major Domo Adelmo was modeling his newly acquired seersucker shorts, which showed off his tanned and muscle-bound legs, gained from his early morning walks (stalks?) in the neighborhood. Adelmo is irreverent to anything that has been established as a custom. Wine in a wine glass? Why? When it is so much more fun to pour a rare Casa dei Bepi Amarone in a jelly glass? It was Sunday, these restaurant owners work, work, work all the time. Son of a gun never rests. Let him be.
The room was getting crowded what with the short ribs and the foie gras and the pasta course all heating up the kitchen, which is where everyone was congregating. The AC unit was on overload, set at 60. The room felt like 80+. Seersucker was a good idea, after all.
So after the foie gras apps and all the other salumi scattered around the room, we head straight into the pasta course, some funny looking maccherone with those wonderful baby tomatoes from the south. Simple and good food. Great with the Valpolicella lined up in pole position, waiting for their moment. Also waiting for those Amarones to chill down a little, nestled in the fridge with the dessert wine and the Dublin Dr. Pepper (after all, we are in Texas).
About the Amarones: Quintarelli '97 and '98, Dal Forno '01, Tedeschi '03, Masi '01, Viviani 'Casa dei Bepi' '01.
Good Lord!
We started with the Masi Mazzano 2001. What, do you want a tasting note? It was a good start. Kind of that old memory of Amarone from 30 years ago when the wines made were rustic with a little stink. Not too ripe, the funk was in check. How can I say it? Attractive but not sexy.
The Tedeschi Amarone "Fabrisieria" ?03 was more like a Recioto than any of them. This reminded me of the wines I read about in the past about Amarone, really a time trip. I would have like o try this wine when it was winter and we were eating polenta and a big slab of meat. But it was good.
The 2001 Viviani ?Casa dei Bepi? was among my faves. Maybe because the folks are familiar. But the wine had nice body, solid flavors, some elegance, the wood was subdued (thank God) and it complimented the food. Deelish.
The Dal Forno 2001. It reminded me of a Pontiac GTO that restaurateur Van Roberts once bought and had the engine stoked up to 600 horsepower. Lot?s o? pony in that bottle. And definitely a show pony. And a high maintenance one at that. At $400 a pop, yeah it is. Thanks loads to Paul for ponying up and sharing it.
And the twin vintages of Quintarelli, the ?97 and ?98. Now that was the moment of meditation for me. Everybody loves the ?97, the fruit, the power, the big balls. I get it. Or rather, I don?t get it for me. It was all that and a bag of chips, but the wine of the night, for me, was the 1998 from Quintarelli.
There are far better places to compare and analyze the two vintages, 1997 and 1998. For me, having them both there, sitting and staring at me, was great. Wonderful. I just found the 1998 to have this restraint, you know like when a gorgeous woman comes in to the room and she so seductively doesn?t show you her body with the way she dresses but you nonetheless get stirred up? That was what the 1998 did to me. ?Nuff said.
Ok, so this has been a bit of a mommy blog with seersucker and expensive wines thrown in. Not bragging. Celebrating. May was a tough, tough month for the wine business. We?re going to need more than a new set of tires to get ourselves dusted up and back on the wine trail, in Italy or Texas.
For maximum enjoyment, pour yourself a fresh cup of joe before settling in to watch this frenetic little toe-tapper. In French, with English subtitles.
With all of the ongoing talk about the calamitous state of affairs in the U.S.—auto manufacturers filing for bankruptcy, the state of California facing very real financial peril, nuke testing in North Korea (and that’s just the last couple of days), is it any wonder that the pull for mental respite, escape, seems, well, inescapable?
Just the other day I talked about the transformative effects of quiet solitude with an instrumental CD well paired with a bottle wine. Today, I am longing for armchair travel … the golden hour light that seems to occur at all hours in Sicily, making it seem like the place to be, even if presented on celluloid.
Perhaps the best movie that you have never seen is a sub-titled Italian film (takes place in Sicily), released in the U.S. in 2000 called, “Malena.”
Malena is a wonderful movie that transcends its box office success, or lack thereof; it’s a wonderfully shot, languid tale of boyhood coming of age, adult jealousy, and ultimate redemption with the beautiful Monica Bellucci and an amazing soundtrack.
I saw the movie at the Raven theatre in Healdsburg in 2000, a glorious venue to see a small indie flick, now a performing arts stage-oriented theatre. In Sonoma years back, watching the movie Malena was merely a side trip in between tastings to Quivera (pre-Biodynamic changeover), Dry Creek Vineyards, Teldeschi, Hop Kiln, A. Rafanelli and several other wineries. Yet, unlike dozens and dozens of other movies, it never quite left me even as memories of several of the winery stops did.
Owning the DVD, yet never actually watching it, collecting dust as a memento to time and place, I popped it in the other night and grabbed a glass. To pair with this movie, I chose the 2006 Frescobaldi Remole Toscana Rosso. Yeah, yeah, it’s not a Sicilian wine, I know. If I wanted to pair wine to movie accurately, I would have chosen a Sicilian Nero d’Avola, or the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, but my Remole and Malena worked just fine for me as a one hour and 32 minute vacation.
Put Malena in your NetFlix queue and give it a watch, it’s sub-titled so you’ll have to block out distractions. Grab a glass of wine and enjoy a brief vacation from our otherwise harried world, airline ticket not needed.
Last week I was getting ready to put some chicken on the grill. I'd already made some coleslaw, and had the tomato-based spicy sauce ready to lather onto the birds. (photo by vbalchen)
Which wine?
I was feeling uninspired. There was only one thing I knew for sure--I didn't want Zinfandel. Not that I have anything against Zinfandel. I just wanted something different.
So I got on Twitter and asked folks to suggest a grape that might go with this dish. My Twitter sommeliers' suggestions included the following: Rosé, Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, and Sangiovese.
You can imagine the rest. I opened up a bottle of each and tried them out with the meal. Dinner proved to be a challenge because the BBQ sauce on the chicken was spicy and slightly sweet. The coleslaw, on the other hand, was earthy and tangy. Here are my tasting notes for the wines I drank, and they include verdicts on the food pairing--and suggested alternatives.
2007 The Crusher Wilson Vineyard Viognier (suggested retail $12.99; available from $11-$16.50) From a partnership between Don Sebastiani & Sons and Clarksburg's Wilson family, huge honeysuckle aromas greeted me on first opening this wine, followed by hay, citrus, and honey flavors. The wine was creamy in the midpalate, with a bright, zingy finish. Very good QPR at $13, but it wasn't a great match with the chicken or coleslaw. It would, however, be sensational with lemon-garlic grilled chicken, or some grilled fish or shrimp.
2007 Dievole Dievolino Toscana IGT (suggested retail $9.99; available for $9-$10) This Sangiovese was bright ruby in color with sour cherry and earthy aromas that are a bit shy at first. The sour cherry and raspberry palate has chalky tannins and an earthy aftertaste. Very good QPR for those looking for a traditional Sangiovese, but it wasn't a great match with the chicken or the coleslaw since these foods tended to accentuate the earthiness and pull the wine out of balance. Instead, think of pairing it with grilled mushrooms or some smoky sausages for a great outdoor dinner.
2005 Barton & Guestier Rosé d'Anjou (suggested retail $9.99, and available for that price) This wine was made from Cabernet Franc grapes and was a lovely salmon pink in color. Honeycomb and raspberry aromas made for an enticing start, and this was followed by a strawberry and raspberry palate. The wine was a hair off dry--so it would be very nice with spicier foods than the chicken I was serving tonight. This wine was the best partner for the coleslaw, too. The fresh berry flavors were a nice counterpoint to the salad's earthiness. Very good QPR.
2007 Substance Malbec (suggested retail, $18; contact the winery for more information) This Malbec from Washignton State's Columbia Valley was excellent. A deep, dark Malbec with blueberry and blackberry aromas, it had a satiny texture and rich, fruit-forward taste with great underlying mineral notes. Nicely peppery aftertaste, too. This wine was the best partner for the chicken, and brought out the sweetly spicy BBQ sauce to perfection. Excellent QPR.
2006 Black Sheep Finds Syrah Hocus Pocus ($17.99, domaine547; available for $16-$21) I look forward to the new vintage of this wine every year, and actually managed to hold onto this bottle for a bit to see how it would develop. Though purchased at the end of 2007, it's drinking just beautifully now and has lovely fresh aromas of plum blossom, plum, and berry. Layers of allspice, cinnamon, and a hint of cloves add to the fruit and there is a nicely peppery finish. Lovely example of the grape, excellent QPR for a quality Syrah, and the appellation, and another great vintage from Black Sheep Finds. This wine was the best partner for BOTH the chicken and the coleslaw as it had just the right blend of sweetness and spiciness to marry with the dishes.
Thanks to all my friends on Twitter for serving as virtual sommeliers for the evening. It was so much fun I'm bound to do it again.
Full Disclosure: except for the Hocus Pocus Syrah, the other wines tasted were samples.
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.
Garbage in, garbage out, right? Well… Often times I’m opening a bottle of wine in the beginning of the week to review or sample for a client. By the time I want to drink wine, like tonight, that bottle is shite. This bottle was a very lovely tart, surly thing to begin with; so past [...]
In an age of backlash against big-business agriculture and of increasing value placed on local, sustainable living, the phenomenon known as urban farming flourishes. From tiny planters on the balconies of chic lofts to reclaimed industrial lots, city dwellers in some of America's larger urban centers are finding joy and sustenance in growing their own organic food.
My friend, winemaker Bryan Harrington, has planted Pinot Noir in several places within the San Francisco city limits over the years and I know a couple of people who have a few vines in their back yards in the city, which they use to make tiny quantities of wine.
Urban viticulture may have just entered a new era, however, as a substantial commercial vineyard has been installed in the city limits of London. A joint venture between a local horticultural college and the urban farm that provided the land, Forty Hall Vineyards hopes to produce a commercial product in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
I wish them luck, if only because I'd love to see more of these types of experiments that can bring wine that much closer to everyone's back yard. With a little more global warming, I might just be able to put a couple of vines in mine.
I can't hold Thai food entirely responsible for making me uproot my life and move halfway around the world to Sydney, Australia. But it did play a role.
In Sydney, incredible Thai restaurants are as ubiquitous (and about as affordable) as burrito joints in San Francisco. But no matter how authentic the cooking, it's hard to beat paying 20 baht (about 50 cents) at a bustling Bangkok market for curry that's bursting with tangy lime; tempered by the salt of fish sauce and the caramel of palm sugar; and followed, ideally, by a bold aftershock of chili. I decided a long time ago that if I couldn't eat out that way every day, the next best thing was knowing how to make it.
Having cooked up many a dish of Tom Khai Kai, Mee Khrob, and Massaman Curry, I thought I was pretty well versed in the cuisine for a Western chef. But it wasn't until a culinary tour of Thailand, including an amazing cooking course in Chiang Mai, that I really felt like I "got it."
Whether fiery hot or comparatively mild, when it comes to Thai, harmony's the guiding principle. Overpowering spices are toned down by pungent fresh herbs, like lemongrass and galangal. Salty sauces are tempered with sugars and offset by acids, such as lime. Moreover, rather than being served in courses, a Thai meal is presented all at once, so diners can enjoy the juxtaposition of contrasting flavors.
Yet despite the apparent complexity of Thai food, many dishes are surprisingly easy to concoct. Much of the art lies more in the prep work than in employing tricky techniques. In fact, you'll often find that having the ingredients lined up and ready to go is half the battle.
Of course you can just go to a restaurant or buy ready-made curry pastes and sauces, but trust me, Thai is almost certainly easier to master than you realize. And if you can't afford to travel, cooking this marvelous cuisine is the next best thing to a trip to Thailand. Or Sydney.
Wine & Thai Food
When choosing a wine to accompany a Thai meal, the same thought should be given to equilibrium as it is in cooking Thai. Riesling and pinot noir are probably your two best bets for spicy hot dishes: a good rule of thumb being that the spicier the food, the sweeter the wine. For example, pair a slightly dry number with a tangy but mild lemongrass and coconut chicken soup. But use a more sugary vintage to tone down the fire of a curry.
The German Auslese style rieslings are excellent and reasonably priced. Two U.S. producers, Bonny Doon (whose Pacific Rim is marketed to serve with Asian cuisine) and Hogue, both make good, affordable rieslings. As for pinots, their delicate flavors, which can be smothered by heavy steak or barbecue, are enhanced by hot and spicy food.
Remember that spicy food exaggerates the tannin and natural bitterness in wine. The addition of salt and sour flavors will help counteract this effect, as they make the wine milder, fruitier and less bitter.
Thus, if you're drinking a merlot or cabernet sauvignon with duck in red curry, the addition of fish sauce to the curry - or salt to the duck - will help counteract the chilies. Similarly, the addition of lime juice to a green mango salad will offset the spiciness and pair nicely with a sauvignon blanc/semillon blend. For a moderately spicy, ginger-rich dish, a good gewurztraminer makes an excellent contrast.
Another thing to consider is the method of food preparation. Generally speaking, grilled or pan-roasted foods will be better matches with your wines than those that are deep-fried. For example, Kai Yang (chicken marinated in garlic, pepper and lemongrass, and then grilled) is delicious with a crisp white wine or a fruity red.
Tips and Tricks
Never cut kaffir lime leaves, as too much oil will come off on the knife and diminish the strength of the flavor. Tear them gently instead.
When kaffir zest is unavailable, substitute lemon peel rather than lime, as the latter is too bitter.
Ginger, in smaller quantities, can be used as a substitute for galangal (also known as ginza or laos powder).
When making large quantities of curry paste to store in the fridge or freezer, it's best to fry it first in oil, and then store both the oil and the paste. This helps retain better color and flavor. Dried chilies provide a better color in paste than fresh ones.
Always add lime juice after the heat has been turned off.
Mung beans should be stored in salt, not water, to keep them crunchy.
Don't fry garlic and shallots together, as the garlic will cook quicker and turn brown. Shallots soaked in water for 10 minutes won't make you cry when cutting them.
Use a tablespoon of coconut milk as a garnish for curries to provide an attractive color contrast.
To separate coconut cream from milk, refrigerate it for 10 minutes, then skim off the top.
Milk, cucumber or tomato will stop the burning sensation from chilies; water will amplify it.
When stir-frying, always preheat your wok at least five minutes, until it's smoking hot. Add your oil and wait 10 seconds before beginning to add meat and vegetables.
Although Thai people eschew appetizers in favor of eating a variety of dishes all at once (proving yet again that it's the harmony of opposing forces that define this cuisine), for us Western cheats, this makes a great appetizer that can serve as a prelude to a wide range of main courses.
4 cups pork spareribs cut into 1-inch pieces
Enough oil to deep fry
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup chopped garlic with skin on
SAUCE
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander root and stem
1 t crushed white peppercorns
2 T oyster sauce
1 T light soy sauce*
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t sweet soy sauce
*You can easily cheat and just use 2 tablespoons of regular soy sauce. But try to get the sweet soy. In a pinch, just add a little palm or brown sugar instead.
Mix the spareribs together with all sauce ingredients, then put them in a pan along with the stock. Simmer 20 minutes. Drain the stock, and set the ribs aside.
Put 1/2 cup oil into a wok. When it's hot, add the unpeeled garlic, and cook on high heat until the garlic starts to turn brown. Lower the heat, and keep stirring until the garlic is crispy (about 2-3 minutes). Drain the oil, and put the garlic on some kitchen paper.
Put the oil for deep frying into a wok. When it's hot, fry the spareribs until golden brown (4-5 minutes), then drain.
To serve, put the ribs on a plate, and sprinkle with garlic.
If you can't get pandanus leaves or don't want to fry the chicken, this dish is also excellent when the marinated chicken is baked, covered, for about 30 minutes. If you do use leaves, be sure to remove them before serving, as they aren't edible.
1 cup chicken breast cut into 20 equal-sized pieces
20 pandanus leaves
4 T roasted sesame seeds
1 t ground black pepper
1 cup of oil
SAUCE
1 T light soy sauce
1 T tapioca flour
1 T sesame oil
Put chicken in a bowl, add sauce ingredients and mix well. Marinate at least 10 minutes. Then add the sesame seeds and pepper, and mix well.
Wrap each piece of chicken in a pandanus leaf, cutting off the ends if too long. The chicken can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to fry.
Put oil into pre-heated wok, and turn to medium heat. When oil is hot, add chicken pieces, frying until cooked through - about five minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately (ideally with a sweet chili dipping sauce).
NAM JIM GAI
(Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce)
(serves 4)
This sauce makes a fantastic accompaniment to most Thai dishes and is added like salt and pepper. Once cooked this can be stored in a bottle for about one month at room temperature.
3/4 cup finely chopped coriander root
5 cups chopped pickled garlic
7 finely chopped big, red chilies
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups white radish, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/4 t salt
Put all ingredients into a pan, and simmer on low heat about 20 minutes, until sauce is thick. Stir occasionally.
Recipes adapted from A Passion For Thai Cooking by Sompon and Elizabeth Nabnian.
Bringing a strawberry charlotte recipe ? a firm, chiffonlike mousse set in a fanciful mold ? that appeared in The Times in the 1940s into the 21st century.
Last month, while at the London International Wine Fair, we had brought a few bottles from Spain to share with our hosts. We always like to bring wines from our cellar, wherever we travel, knowing that we’ll magically find the need to open them among friends. This trip we opted for a California treat, S.Anderson’s 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that I had bought many years ago on the advice of a nice Parker review. Having never tried it, we could only hope that a 10 year old Cali Cab would be a fun warm up to whatever wines were in store for us at the LIWF.
During dinner of our first night in London, we popped open the bottle, and despite its age, and rough ride in the belly of our British Airways flight, the wine showed beautifully. Paired with a roasted lambshank simply tied up with fresh rosemary, alongside roasted potatoes, the subtle delicate Cabernet flavors aged perfectly with a touch of oxidation on the nose and palate. It was a wine that gave each swallow a tinge of sweet regret as you longed for the flavors to linger on.
As the bottle slowly disappeared, the final drops savored, I felt sad thinking about the amount of people who drink wine immediately without holding onto it. We have no temperature controlled cellar here in Terrassa, but we do our best to keep the wine out of the sun, and as cool as we can. That said, many people would draw a rigid line and say that you should never store a wine in such conditions, and as a result, they never do. Sadly this means that many people miss out on the joys of a well aged wine. (Fickr phot by jenny downing)
Tonight, we’re grilling Paella on the grill and due to a head cold all of our wines will be aging a day or two longer. No need wasting some good juice on a congested head!
Spring in the Vineyard All over California old gnarled vines that have looked half-dead since they were pruned some months ago are sprouting green tips like these. I only hope the chilly rain that is pouring down on them as I write this isn't making for a difficult vintage already -- Alder Yarrow
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It was like a freaky safari. There we were, winemaker Neil Collins and me, stalking chickens running loose on the property. No, not for dinner. Collins wanted to show me the benefits of using the feathery flock in the vineyard.
I expected them to scatter. But as we got closer they paid no attention to us. They were too busy chomping away at the green stuff planted between the vineyard rows: gourmet grasses, wild flowers and their favorite treat - the spiky Yellow Star Thistle.
Collins explained the idea behind using chickens is based on the concept of biodiversity. The chickens eat the natural material, process it, then put it back as a rich type of, well, specialized manure. Eventually the manure and cover crops are softly tilled into the ground and serve as a natural soil fertilizer. In springtime, packed with powerful nutrients, the mixture acts like a sort of alarm clock, waking the vines and energizing them from their dormant winter snooze.
Believe it or not, the chickens are an upgrade to how vineyard farming has been done for the past 50 years. Since World War II, most growers have gone the easy route - purchasing synthetic chemical fertilizers packaged in commercialized plastic bags. But things are changing now as more natural, eco-friendly farming techniques have come back in style.
"For quality wine, grapes should be an expression of the soil and the vineyards where they’re grown," Collins says. "Using synthetic chemicals means there’s something missing from the wine as far as authenticity or natural personality is concerned."
Certified as organic in January 2003, Tablas Creek Vineyards is a member of a new wave of premium U.S. wine producers recognizing the benefits of using old-fashioned farming methods. The concept is simple: work closely with nature instead of against it.
What Does Organic Mean?
By definition, organic agriculture refers to fruit, vegetable and other food products cultivated without the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. Like a touch of TLC from Mother Nature, the main goal is to build healthy soil and healthy plants, and to protect the surrounding environment and workers in the most natural way possible.
Over the past decade, more than 15,000 vineyard acres in the U.S. have been farmed organically, an amazing increase from only 200 acres in 1989. California is a hotspot for this movement. There are nearly 7,000 acres of certified vineyards planted by 113 producers in the state. Many others do it without applying for certification. "No compromise!" is the shared bravado.
For a vineyard to become certified, the land must be farmed for three years without the use of chemicals. The vineyard is inspected twice within that period by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), the state’s regulatory certification organization. Monitoring is yearly after certification.
Gettin’ Down With Nature
Okay, let’s set things straight. The general problem with synthetic chemicals is that they eat the natural nutrients and minerals in the soil. Conversely, the organic approach adds natural resiliency to the soil, thus strengthening the plants.
To make this happen, organic soils are nourished with a variety of natural ingredients, like cover crops, manure and powerful compost made with recycled materials such as pomace (grape skins), straw and other landscape debris. The idea is to have as much commotion - otherwise known as energy from microorganisms - moving around in the soil as possible. Near the vineyards, flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruit trees are planted to create additional activity that’ll benefit the native flora and fauna. In other words, it’s all about raw material, baby!
John Williams, winemaker at Frog’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa Valley, is a true believer in the power of organic farming. All vineyards comprising the Frog Farm property have been certified organic since 1999.
Williams offers this analogy, which addresses use of conventional chemicals as a "quick fix" in the old days: "It’s like if your kids are on a soda and candy bar diet: response is impressive, sustainability is not. Our goal is to make sure that our soil has a balanced diet at all times. Financially and as far as quality is concerned, it’s a very viable situation."
While sustainable farming practices have quickly caught on with many grape growers, controlling pesky weeds remains a main obstacle that keeps many from taking the organic plunge. As a result, most grape growers still rely on annihilating the green material with toxic products.
Organic producers, however, have found ways of getting around this. Techniques include mulching vineyard rows to suppress weeds; using the pyrotechnical alternative ("fire, fire!" as Beavis once said) to burn them with propane torches; or employing small tractors with soft rubber bumpers to cut the weeds without harming the vines.
Another difficult matter has been the ongoing battle with insects that can cause serious vine damage. However, instead of using harmful conventional sprays, organic converts focus on creating unique insectaries that feature a variety of flowers, shrubs and trees. The idea is to attract beneficial insects that’ll eat the problematic vine pests.
Mendocino and Beyond
The birthplace of this organic wine movement was California’s Mendocino County. Today, more than 3,000 acres of grapes grown in the county are farmed organically.
Charlie Barra, whose family owns the Barra and Girasole brands of organic wine, has been working with grapes in Redwood Valley since he was just nine years old. "Most of us were farming organically for as long as I can remember," said Barra, 78. "We couldn’t afford chemicals back then, and we still don’t need them today. There just wasn’t a name to call this practice until the last 25 years."
While Redwood Valley’s Frey Vineyards was one of the first to have certified vineyards in the U.S., it was the more recognizable brand - Fetzer Vineyards - that ultimately became the prototype for sustainable agriculture in the mid-1980s. In 1989, Fetzer began its eco-friendly commitment by converting 1,600 vineyard acres to organic.
Natural Flavors
Until recently, the concept of organic wines left a sour impression on critics and consumers. Most of this was due to bad winemaking or bottling techniques. But thanks to new, innovative farming methods, including reducing the amount of water used, minimizing crop load and hand harvesting, as well as new technology used in the winemaking process, the overall quality of wines - both organic and conventional - have improved significantly in the past decade. As a result, the lingering hippy cliche or "stigma" commonly associated with organic wines has started to fade, being replaced instead with images of more racy, premium style wine.
Moon Mountain Vineyards, located on the rugged Mayacamas mountain range overlooking Sonoma Valley, began its conversion to organic farming techniques in 1998. Winemaker Randall Watkins has been impressed with how much more concentrated the fruit flavors have become since chemicals are no longer used. "The vineyard now speaks for itself," Watkins says.
Granted, there are many producers like Moon Mountain that grow grapes organically but are very discreet about it, meaning they don’t say much about it on their labels. Those that do feature it fall into two general categories: "Organic Wine," for wines that contain no added sulfites; or "Made with Organic Grapes," for wines that contain a small percentage of sulfites.*
Signs of such producers’ success are evident in the marketplace. For example, Whole Foods, Cost Plus and specialty wine shops now feature organic wine sections on their shelves that cater to a growing number of environmentally conscious consumers.
Want to know more? Read Nudist Camp Part II in the next issue.
* Sulfites are natural by-products of fermentation. It’s impossible to have no sulfites in wine. However, winemakers can choose not to add sulfur (which eventually turns into sulfites) to their wines during the winemaking process, thus minimizing the amount of sulfites in the finished product.
Eco-Friendly Ladybugs
Lolonis Winery, located in Mendocino’s Redwood Valley, farms 250 acres of organic vineyards, including a large number of old, gnarly vine plantings of zinfandel, petite sirah and carignane. The saving graces on the property have been ladybugs.
Each year, Lolonis purchases millions of these little critters and releases them in the vineyards to combat harmful pests. "We’re looking for consistent quality and not variability," says Philip Lolonis, a third-generation member of the Greek family that planted the original vines in the 1950s. "We’ve harnessed the power of the ladybug to help us get there. They’re not only cute, but very effective!"
It’s a Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Merlot thrown in and, I must say, I love the packaging. I never reviewed the 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon because I couldn’t manage to muster up enough enthusiasm to get the job done, although in the past I’ve always been a fan of their Cabernet. The 1995 [...]
This is another dry red wine from the sunny ?emovsko valley near Podgorica, Montenegro. We’ve covered a few wines from the Planta?e winery in the past and this is probably the poorest of their wines, without much character. Enjoyable only with a meal.
The difference in perception of this wine and the Dulka Cabernet we just covered is quite huge - the wine makers from Fru?ka Gora do seem to know how to add some magic to their wines and add a special touch to it (OK, it costs twice as much, but is well worth it!).
Score: 5/10 Price: 240 RSD (?3) Retailer: Widely available in Serbia and Montenegro
This year the Red Nose Wines produced by SAAM Mountain Vineyards raised the grand total of £736,376.00 as part of Wine Relief 2009.
This is a wonderful achievement and is testament to the power of cooperation in the name of a good cause. SAAM Mountain Vineyards, Bibendum Wine Ltd, JF Hillebrand, Quinn Glass, Erben and Multiprint all worked together with the major retailers to make sure that the bottles of Red Nose Red and White hit the shelves for £4.99, of which £1 went straight to Comic Relief. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, M&S, Morrisons, Somerfield and Booths all did a brilliant job selling the wines, which were a real hit with drinkers.
This year Wine Relief raised a total of more than £1 million, through sales of the Red Nose Wines and other fundraising activity amongst the Wine trade, bringing the total it has raised in the last ten years up to over £3.7 million. Michele Settle, Marketing Director at Comic Relief said, "It's a fantastic achievement to have raised such an amazing amount of money for Wine Relief 09. It was a first for us to have two distinct Red Nose Wines and it simply wouldn't have been possible without the immense support and cooperation of all our partners, suppliers and supporters. Money raised will be spent by Comic Relief to give extremely vulnerable, poor and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa a helping hand to turn their lives around."
I don't think the wines are still available; but if you have an odd bottle kicking you might like to read the Red Nose Day wine tasting notes
Drawing on the New Yorker profile of Fred Franzia, champion of wine under $10, last week we pondered the puzzle of why so few low-cost wines–say under $10 (or, perhaps, $15)–made in America are just not tasty. By contrast, several imported wines in the price range have appeal despite having to be transported and pass through the importer’s company as well.
Over 30 of you had your say in the post from last week. So I decided to put the question to several people in the trade. Today, we hear from Patrick Campbell and Veronique Drouhin Boss. Patrick Campbell of Laurel Glen Winery in Sonoma makes a tasty $10 California wine, REDS, billed as “a wine for the people.” Veronique Drouhin Boss is the winemaker at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon and is co-winemaker at her family’s negociant house in Burgundy, Maison Joseph Drouhin, which a Beaujolais Villages that is particularly lip-smacking in 2007 and is widely available for $9.95. Tomorrow, we will hear from an American wine importer with his views.
Question: why are there so few good American wines under $10 (or slightly higher) while there are many more imports at that price point?
Patrick Campbell, Laurel Glen and maker of REDS (find this wine)
I think the answer is pretty easy: we begin with vineyards rather than bulk wine.
1) We pick out vineyards we want to farm, and which, based on experience, we know will work together in the final blend. The vineyards can’t be located in the prestige areas, because their fruit would be too costly. So we scout out other areas, particularly in Lodi, where the grapes are affordable, the vineyards well established (one vineyard we farm is 120 y/o), and the production limited by the good farming practices. 2) We avoid expensive grapes like cabernet or pinot noir 3) We ferment the grapes in rented facilities, so we avoid overhead costs. 4) We age the resulting wines in rented facilities, ditto. 5) We use neutral barrels, at $50 per barrel, rather than new barrels at $500 ? 1000 each. 6) We make big enough volumes (about 12,000 cases a year) to secure reasonable costs on supplies.
Why don’t we use bulk wine like most copycat RED-themed labels or brand du jour bottlers do? 1) because we want consistency of style, not some concoction of whatever mélange of grapes is currently in over-supply on the bulk market 2) I like working with vineyards, and I really dislike tasting through hundreds of samples of bulk wine to find a few tolerably good wines, that may have already been sold by the time I got the samples 3) And so on??
I am not sure I have an answer to your question but reading through the various comments I didn?t see anyone, except Paul Gregutt, mention the importance of where the grapes actually grow (we call it terroir) and vineyard yields.
All over France great wines are being produced, many different varieties but all growing in the region they should grow or do well. The home of Gamay is Beaujolais, the home of Pinot is Burgundy. This is an important fact to start with. Secondly: it is no secret that the more you ask a vine to produce the less good the wine will be. I believe when money drives everything then to produce a $10 bottle of wine expecting high return you need big yields. Quality can?t be there. In France, by law, yields are controlled. In a given area of production you can not produce more than what is allowed. To my knowledge it is not the case anywhere in the US, or any new world producing regions.
So the trick to produce a good $10 bottle of wine is: choose the right place, control your yields, the cost of production and do not expect to make big margins.
Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online tasting event founded by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours. Hosted this month by Katie of Gonzo Gastronomy, we were asked to drink some wine, play some music and record how the taste of the wine changed with each song
I tried. I really did.
But my brain is apparently not wired this way.
No matter how much I tried to let the songs lead the taste, instead the tastes led the songs. I kept being inspired to listen to a new song with each sip.
The wine that led me on this merry chase through my iTunes library was the 2008 Scholium Project Naucratis from the Slough Vineyards in Clarksburg ($20 in the Spring 2009 allocation; previous vintages available online for $23-$28). It was a perfect choice for Katie's theme--or so I thought. A bit cereberal, a bit off beat, a wine that would reward reflection. Well, yes--but it was also one damn intense Verdelho, with insanely excellent QPR. Which is where I got distracted. There were aromas of banana salt water taffy, sea salt, lime zest, grapefruit, and granny smith apples. The flavors exploded in my mouth in a wash of citrus, tropical fruits, mineral, stone, and more sea salt. In addition the wine was very dry and quite acidic with a long, lingering aftertaste that hints at a great future.
I was inspired. I hit my library, selecting songs that went with the wine. They had to be take-no-prisoner, independent, out-of-the-box, dreamy, pensive and intense all at once. Here were my favorites:
"No Where to Run To" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas "Breathe" by Andy LeMaster and Maria Taylor "Promises" by Badly Drawn Boy "The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)," by the Decemberists "The Trapeze Swinger," by Iron & Wine "Drunkard's Prayer," by Over the Rhine "At My Most Beautiful," by REM "Crazy," by Alanis Morissette
If you want to hear these songs, head over to blip.fm and check them out. I'm there most days playing them, and I've put them all at the bottom of my playlist for you!
But in the end, it was the wine that made me hear the music in a new way--I just couldn't get the music to lead my tastebuds when there was this much moxie in the wine. I hope Katie will forgive my feeble efforts. It was a great theme, and I look forward to reading everybody's posts.
Josh Hermsmeyer, the guy behind the must read Pinotblogger site, has issued a challenge to all wine bloggers and will reward the winner with a prize of up to $1,000 depending upon how many respond to his call. In a nutshell, he is asking us to answer two questions:
Why are you passionate about wine/what motivates you to blog about it?
Is it appropriate for a wine reviewer to prescribe the ways in which a wine should be made or is their job chiefly to review what?s in the bottle?
Times being what they are, I will attempt to answer these somewhat provocative questions and perhaps give you some more insight into what makes amateur wine writers tick. Or at least how I come at this craft.
So the first question is pretty straightforward. I blog and podcast about wine because I can and like to do so. Like a lot of wine bloggers, I was the guy everyone asked for wine tips so I found it easier to just write them down and record reviews. Now I just point people here for my picks as opposed to trying to remember them at will. My podcasting got me into blogging due to the same software being used (Wordpress). It was easy to blog so I did so soon after I started to podcast in late 2004. I got into podcasting after something clicked with me in September of 2004 when I first discovered the genre. At the time there was something like 25 podcasts but no one was doing anything about wine so Winecast was born. Over the years the podcast has ebbed and flowed but I still will be posting shows and continuing until I don’t find it enjoyable. So I guess I do this because I love wine and like sharing what little I know about it. I had much the same answer a couple years back but with a slightly different spin.
The second question is a bit more complicated. I think Josh is asking this in response to Robert Parker’s recent statements about wine bloggers (or shall I say “blobbers”?). Mr. Parker has long been accused of influencing winemaking styles in order to garner higher scores which many times leads to more demand and higher prices. The biggest beneficiaries of his ratings has been the classified growths of Bordeaux but some Cali cult wines and Aussie Shiraz has benefited, too. And I don’t blame any producers for making such changes in order to get the scores. It helps sell their wine but is also something that I hope we will get away from in the next decade as Mr. Parker retires and drinks down his cellar.
Wine writers of any level should tell the story of the wine they are reviewing and not dictate what that story should be. Sometimes this is a terroir story, sometimes it’s not. For a review to communicate the essence of the wine, as much context as possible is required. I’ve not delivered on this ideal as much as I would have liked in the past but hope to help invent the new language of wine reviews going forward. We’ll see.
In the meantime, I’ll keep trying new things to communicate how a wine moves me. Wine is a living being that is in constant change. Those of us who write about it should respect this and attempt to bring all the nuances displayed in the glass into our writing.
2003 Embriux Priorat de Vall Llach $35 Wine label said: Wrong language! The bottle is no help! Vineyard66 says: This another of my series of Spanish wines, as we will be there next year and I’m doing my homework. The web tells me that Embruix means “betwiching” in Spanish, but also that it is primarily Cabernet and Grenache blend [...]
But this one I wrote for the Seattle Weekly go re-run for the dreaded V-Day and picked up by Digg. There are over 300 comments. Judging by the woman-hating comments by spurned males on already on the SW site, I’m afraid to look. So You Want to Hit on the Bartender
Argentina?s rugged northwest, namely the provinces of Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, are often ascribed otherworldly qualities in the types of guidebooks one would consult when contemplating a visit. The dreamscapes one can find in places like Talampaya and la Quebrada could easily lead one to suspect that wine, let alone any other form of agriculture would be an unlikely, if not altogether unfruitful venture. Nevertheless, viticulture has been widely practiced in Salta, albeit with better manifestations more recently, since the Spanish undertook their enterprise of colonizing the area in the 16th century.
Quality wine production in Salta, however, has come quite a long way since the days of a viticulture that solely served its purpose on the altar at mass. The Calchaquí and Cafayate valleys are two particularly exceptional zones, where viticulture is practiced in one of its extreme forms. The challenges involved here in Salta go much beyond considerations such as arid soils and extreme temperatures. Some winemakers, defiantly, have successfully harnessed these challenges and the staggering altitudes to craft unique and expressive wines. The altitude and extremes between daytime and night time temperatures contribute to a seemingly tantric ripening period for several white and black varieties, resulting in exquisite acidity levels in the wines. You have probably already heard recently of Argentina?s native aromatic variety, Torrontés. Salta?s terroir is where this highly idiosyncratic white variety expresses its benchmark floral, pungent characteristics. You may have tried some from Mendoza, though I assure you these cannot even approach the best of Salta?s Torrontés in terms of complexity.
The point of this post, though, transcends that which you already know and has been discussed about Salta?s success with Torrontés. In fact, leave the Torrontés to the side for just a moment, and please turn your gaze towards the unbelievable red wines of Salta, which in case you care about staying ahead of the curve, will begin garnering quite a bit of attention in the near future. In effect, this all largely stems from the fact that in recent years, some of the best producers from within Salta, as well as from Mendoza, have purchased and developed Salta?s viticultural real estate in order to pursue their craft in a completely different terroir altogether. The likes of Susana Balbo, Colomé and Michel Torino, to name a few, are all taking advantage of the acidity levels in high-altitude ripening fruit to offer up versatile, distinctive wines made from Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat, the star behind southwest France?s Madiran.
I think that now might just represent that opportune moment to quietly learn about and appreciate these Salta reds?especially since a handful of Salta-produced Torrontés have cleaned up medals at award ceremonies, as well as done the rounds in way too many ?undiscovered wine pairings? local morning show segments where overly energetic hosts obnoxiously insert the Spanish ?ñ? phoneme where it?s unnecessary in the pronunciation of many Italian and Spanish culinary terms. At any rate, the bottom line here is that given the current economic climate, the exchange rates involved, and the surging growth in Argentine exports to the United States, it would be very rewarding for you to become acquainted with the other quality production regions outside of the Mendoza area. I encourage you to swiftly and stealthily make your way over to retailers who pour and offer treasures from San Juan, La Rioja (Famatina Valley), Salta, Neuquén and other areas, before the the glossy magazines rate them and start to offer shockingly original pairing suggestions such as, let?s see, a medium-rare steak. On my end, I promise to taste and offer faithful snapshots of some of these wines that have begun to trickle into the UK market and will subsequently appear on American distribution lists.
What should I be on the look-out for, you might ask, then? As far as promising, expressive red varieties from Salta at the moment, Tannat and Malbec are on center stage, though pay close attention to Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, as I can easily foresee some truly exceptional and absurdly inexpensive examples coming through very soon. Regrettably, whenever fine new examples from any wine region begin to garner even the slightest bit of attention or praise from large-dissemination media, prices spike like a thermometer during a heat wave; as, surely, this will shortly be the case with the spectacular Chilean Pinot Noir wines that have recently stepped onto the scene. Take my advice?taste now and stock up soon?because it will get more expensive and decidedly more frustrating (read: annoying) in the near future.
Salta Red Playlist:
*2007 El Esteco Tannat?Michel Torino?s Mendoza-farmed wines are widely regarded as honest, expression-driven wines in the internal Argentine market; though, I suppose this is why they may not be as widely available on international markets. The family?s estate in the Calchaquí valley is no exception to the rule, crafting Tannat that has completely changed the way I perceive the variety. Most of the New World stand-alone Tannat I have tasted (sorry, Uruguay), has been a bit rough around the edges to a point beyond which it was acceptable?easily letting one envision why it is blended so well in Madiran. Michel Torino?s Esteco Tannat stands alone, unoaked, featuring elegant black fruit flavors that are not baked in the least, with a sophisticated mouthfeel for such a young example of the variety. Concentrated black fruit dominates the palate, with nuances of mint, chocolate and rustic spice?all subdued and playing well together. I love how this wine doesn?t seem contrived to me, not concealing aspects of Tannat that export markets generally repudiate ?it seems crafted to interpret the variety?s character through Salta?s terrains. I was very happy with this one?the antithesis to the lazy if not even inept winemaking mentality that reds which are not oak-petrified will not express themselves suitably on their own.
*2006 Cornejo Costas Don Rodolfo Label Malbec?Think you have Malbec?s personality nailed down expertly because you tasted up and down the Mendoza aisle? Think again?this is an entirely different expression of Malbec. Blackcurrant dominates the fruit side of things, along with some impressive red berry acidity to add balance. It features lovely, concentrated spice and toast, with vanilla being nowhere in sight, thankfully.
*2005 Cornejo Costas Don Rodolfo Label Tannat?Think cassis,black cherry and a mature texture evincing finesse, alongside dried tobacco leaf and dusted cocoa.
The idea of the brand, in the wine business, in American culture, has become so pervasive that now we are all being exhorted to build our own personal brands. Fame, fortune and fun have become the mantra for the American Dream. But there is also a dark side to this. Two of these three people (or brands) have become modern day morality tales for what happens when the brand and the person, from which the brand has been created, often don?t go the way it was intended. The third person is approaching critical mass and will have to hash it out. I?m hoping he will succeed.
Truman Capote was a young literary genius whose emotional maturity never quite caught up with his talent. His writing was fierce, fearless and so very sharp for the times he found himself in. A child born from a child, his life raced furiously in the fast lane until he was 59. And then, it was finished. Much has been written about his life, bio-pics have been made, numerous books and articles about his life, his writing, his escapades, his demons. But when he was alive, Truman Capote became a big star. A bestselling brand. Along the time his star was traversing across the winter skies, television and heightened attention to the new media brought many people into contact with him. I still remember seeing this funny little short, squatty man on the TV in my parents? home when they were watching Mike Douglas or Jack Parr or Johnny Carson. He seemed a lot like some of the people in my home town (Palm Springs) so it wasn?t too out of context to see it on TV. But the number of times he kept showing up registered in my brain. I once saw a copy of ?In Cold Blood? on the table in the living room and picked it up. I was probably 12 at the time. I was more interested in tennis or getting out of my parents home, going outside and riding my bike. But Capote was big. So big. What people thought of him, be it the high-society types or the artistic ones, they shaped the Capote from there on. He never had a chance. Partying and drinking and smoking and talking and twittering about. What great works of literature were stolen by taking his time? It was an era when a writer as a media star was something new, and he was so damned talented. But he was diverted. And before long, the brand ?Capote? overtook the man.
Robert Mondavi was a visionary, a leader, driven to pursue a dream that shaped Napa Valley and beyond. Because of his relentless stubbornness any of us who work in the wine business today are in a better place, thanks to Mondavi. He was Moses and he led us out of the wilderness. I remember the early days in the 1970?s, when what he was talking about was so rare. Single varietal wines made in a fashion, at a level of quality that there was no market for. Yet. But he persevered, and everyone around him did too. And Mondavi became a monster brand.
I sold the wines in the 1980?s and 1990?s, at a time when the Mondavi brand was growing faster than most of us could keep up with. I remember talking to a friend of mine who was a regional manager, right after the winery went public. He was feeling good about the money the stock represented, but we also talked about what it was going to do to the family, and to the man himself.
In those days, that kind of talk was blasphemy. But the brand was careening so far beyond the bounds of control that now, what is left? It seems an American tragedy to me that someone who so defined fine wine for America and was so successful at it, lost the battle to his ?brand?. Some might not agree with me on this, but I see the Mondavi battle of the man against the brand, in the latter years, as an epic battle of success vs. the soul. And what did the victorious one win?
Gary Vaynerchuk. He?s on top of the world. Thousands visit his sites daily. His number of followers on the new social platforms like Twitter have grown six-fold in two months. He?s on CNN, his American Express miles must be in the stratosphere from all the travel. He has a ten book, seven figure deal with a major publisher. And he still has time to personally return an e-mail. How does he do it?
Like he said, without the chops, he wouldn?t have gotten to where he was. And when it comes to wine, he does have passion. Youthful, unbridled and fearless. And I?m not really all that worried about it for him. But there they are, perched on the fringes, waiting to swallow him up whole, the brand-cannibals.
I hope Gary V doesn?t ever end up like Capote or Mondavi. I hope he makes enough money to buy the New York Jets. Right now that?d be about $900 million he?d need to cough up. And to raise that kind of dough, he?s gonna have to do a lot more than sell wine out of a store. And he probably will.
The wine world might lose him. I?m sure he doesn?t want that to happen. You see it in a person when they are called to do things beyond their initial plan. And he is being called. But he?s in this game early and he?s young; he?s got 20-30 years for the game to play out. And what he has to say is damn important ? he sees it coming and sees it clearly.
So I just hope he has a strong enough vision where it won?t be covered over by the brand of ?Vaynerchuk?, because that would be a tragedy of the American dream. It?s not like others before him haven?t been scooped up in the momentum of their brand.
25 years ago Robert Parker?s star was ascending. And while he still hangs in the heavens, he never let his brand get the best of him. He has endured and he is tremendously influential to this day. Everything has a cycle and someday his cycle will come full circle. Is Gary V?s cycle faster? Shorter? More timely for now? Is he really, as Gaiter and Brecher of the WSJ describe him as the ?wine geek of the moment?? If his brand grows beyond wine, as it is doing, perhaps they are correct. But he made his mark with wine. He seems to love it. Will the power of his brand force him away from what he loves?
"The true harvest of my life is intangible - a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched? - Henry David Thoreau
Fred Franzia, creator of Two Buck Chuck and founder of Bronco Wine Co, has a somewhat laudable if self-serving goal: no wine should sell for over ten dollars a bottle. While tasty wine under $10 is something wine consumers could rally behind even in the best of times, the recession certainly makes value have greater appeal now. The only trouble with Franzia’s wine is the that they just aren’t that tasty.
The current issue of the New Yorker has a lengthy profile of Franzia that is well worth reading, especially if you’re not familiar with his story. Here’s how the author describes his winery in Ceres, California:
It also irritates Franzia when people describe Bronco’s facility, with its four hundred and fifty-two stainless-steel storage tanks–including six liquid oxygen tanks that once held fuel for intercontinental ballistic missiles and are now being used to make champagne [sic]–as being reminiscent of an oil refinery.
(In addition to the satellite image above, click here for a street view of the flags. Franzia had this to say about the flags in the story: “No California flag–they’ve screwed us too many times. We shouldn’t fly the US flag, the bastards. They have a felony on us.”)
One of the biggest puzzles about the American wine market is why there are so few tasty values made in the USA. Imports, somewhat paradoxically, offer better value despite traveling a farther distance and often having to pass through another tier, the American importer.
What do you think are the key reasons that American wines under $10 are so often uninspiring? (Granted, there certainly are uninspiring imports under $10 but there are also some rustic wonders that sell for three to six euros in Europe.) Here are some variables to toy with: short-ish history of American wine with relatively few small growers, recent industry consolidation, the soil and/or climate, high land prices, producer greed/pride, the three tier distribution system, or the consumer as chump.
Swirl. Spit. Discuss. And while you’re at it, let us know your favorite American wines under $10–or even cast the net wider to include wines under $15 if under $10 is too hard. Maybe in a future post we’ll do a low-cost throwdown, domestic versus imports.
Cider is one of my favorite things. To me, cider is to autumn as maple syrup is to spring ? a seasonal treat best enjoyed from local sources. The transparent, pasteurized stuff in the clear glass jugs doesn?t hold a candle to the rich, brown nectar made at area orchards and packaged in plastic jugs.
And while the idea of hard cider has always appealed to me, I?ve never found any of those sold in six packs from beer coolers to be particularly compelling (though I have enjoyed the occasional Woodpecker). Recently, however, I was given a 22-ounce bottle of an artisanal cider that will have me requesting it at my local suds shop. (Yoo-hoo, Zionsville Payless....)
J. K. Scrumpy?s Orchard Gate Gold is a wonderfully tasty cider, crisp, clean and deliciously refreshing. It retains the flavor of slightly tart apples, which is enhanced by its creamy fizziness. As long as I?m making comparisons, this stuff is to mass-produced hard ciders as a good Belgian ale is to Coors Light. Of course, at $6.99 one bottle of J. K. Scrumpy?s will set you back about as much as a six-pack of regular hard cider will, too. If you?re motivated more by quality than fluid ounces per dollar, it?s well worth it.
J. K. Scrumpy?s is made by Jim Koan of Almar Orchards, an organic orchard and vegetable farm in Flushing, Michigan that has been in his family for four generations. The name is derived in part from the name for an English farmhouse cider, scrumpy. Koan?s cider differs from the English variety (English scrumpy is usually still, not sparkling), but it is made from an authentic recipe made by his family since the 1850s. Koan credits cider sales for saving the family farm during the Depression, and says that people came from far and wide during Prohibition to take home some of their ?special farm cider.?
J. K. Scrumpy?s recently became available locally at Kahn?s, and no doubt will be turning up soon at some other stores soon.
This is another great wine from the WinEco winery (Podrum Radenkovi?) from Southern Serbia. It is a not-very-dry Chardonnay, without a strong nose, but with an exceptional balance of fruity and barrique aromas. It is easy going, with a full taste, definitely one of the wines to accompany your lighter meals. It’s barrique traces make it a great complement to slightly smoked fish or cheeses, but it’s also great on it’s own.
In general, Chardonnay is particularly suited for the barrique (oak aged) treatment. Chardonnay Barrique develops a pronounced cognac aroma and becomes a truly full-bodied wine - all hints of fruity flavours become very subdued.
Score 9/10 Price: 800 RSD (?10) Retailer: Super Vero
A 64-page softcover pocket guide that you can keep handy. Offers everything you've ever wanted to know about wine from A-to-Z. Learn about wine-production regions along with their maps major grape varietals storing pairing serving and selecting the perfect wine glass. Softcover 64-pages. Size: 8-'H x 3-'W
The Wine Bottle Glass Funnel is perfect for those instances when have a little wine left over in your decanter or even in your glass. The thinness of this glass funnel allows you to insert the funnel right into any bottle. Then easily and cleanly you can pour the wine back into the bottle for a later date.
The elegance of the Wine Enthusiast lead-free crystal 'U' Decanter enhances your wine experience with an inner dome to increase the oxygenation of fine wines. The finger-hold punt ensures controlled pouring every time. Gift Boxed. Recommend to hand wash. Size: 10-3/4'H 46 oz.
As Seen on Ellens 12 Days of Giveaways & Good Morning America The pocket-size electronic talking Wine Master offers a sleek and slim design easy control panel and over 10 000 wine and spirits reviews ratings and suggested retail prices at your fingertips. The newest version of the Wine Master is the most essential wine tool you can own. Bring along with you to wine shops and restaurants and never make another wine buying mistake again. Requires 2-AAA batteries (not included). Over 10 000 wine and spirits reviews ratings (100 pt. scale) and suggested retail prices from Wine Enthusiast Magazine Food and wine pairing guide Digital display screen with back-light and compressed text functions Talking navigation with on/off Type Varietal Winery or Vintage search option Handsome non-zipper black case Wine Master is a mighty wizard that gives you mastery over the most serious wine shop clerks and sommeliers. Brushed aluminum with chrome accents. The Wine Enthusiast 2008 Wine Buying Guide is also available. Size: 4-3/4'H x 3'W NOTE: The information included in the Wine Master is based on the reviews and ratings conducted by The Wine Enthusiast Magazine. For the 2008 edition we added 10 425 reviews. Therefore if you look at a review of a 2002 Caymus in 2007 and in 2008 the review will be the same. Since we cannot review all the wines produced in a year some wines may not appear with a newer year review which does not mean that the wine is discontinued but just that particular vintage (year) was not reviewed.
Always know 'whose glass is whose' with these wine cellar-themed charms! Set of 6 cast metal charms are finished in antique silver and dangle from 3 strands of glass-faceted beads. Magnetic closures make sure the these mini-medallions stay secure around the base of each guests' wine glass. Set of 6 charms includes a wine bottle corkscrew grapes wine glass chiller bucket and cheese wedge.
You needn't interrupt your enjoyment of the wine now to fuss with pumps and dispensers. Deliberately low tech our Wine For Later Set eschews pumps spray cans nitrogen gas canisters and complicated dispenser systems for the graceful time-honored process of decanting. When you uncork a bottle simply pour off the wine you wish to save for later using an elegant glass funnel. Top off either the 1/2 bottle or the 1/4-bottle decanter and seal it with our airtight glass stopper. Since no air comes in contact with your wine it remains unoxidized and unspoiled. Adorn the decanter with our ornate silverplated grape-cluster cork pin for easy identification. Only from The Wine Enthusiast. Gift-boxed 6-piece set includes: 2 Wine For Later glass decanters 1/2 bottle size and 1/4 bottle size. 2 airtight glass stoppers. A beautiful glass funnel. A silverplated cork pin.
Choose the right wine every time! From the editors of Wine Enthusiast Magazine comes the most current comprehensive and informative wine buying guide on the market. Based on tastings by a distinguished in-house panel this wine buying guide features qualitative ratings reviews and prices for more than 50 000 wines. Plus tips on when each wine is best enjoyed. Also includes expert advice on tasting and storing vintage wine charts and Top 10 lists. 990 pages. Softcover.
Pair your wine with top chef recipes! A memorable meal starts with the wine! Find over 80 delectable recipes organized by wine style. This first cookbook by the editors of Wine Enthusiast Magazine guides you in selecting the right recipe for your wine. Includes recipes from top chefs such as Bobby Flay and Rick Bayless along with expert wine pairing tips. Whether you're serving a light aromatic white or a big powerful red you'll choose the right dish here! 256 pages with full color photography. Hardcover. Take A Look Inside At Sample Recipes.
The Riedel Syrah Decanter is a great wine decanter to use everyday. It's perfect for Syrah or any other red wine. Crafted in Germany of lead-free crystal the Syrah decanter holds 49-ounces and stands 9-5/8' tall. Add to your wine decanter collection or give as a gift any season. Size: 9-5/8'H 49-3/8 oz.
Make wine your next party theme! Consider this your personal party planner! Step-by-step instructions and essentials make hosting a wine tasting easy. Includes 100 wine tasting sheets 6 cloth blind wine tasting bottle bags with embroidered letters A through F 6 wine tasting masts Wine Enthusiast Magazine vintage chart corkscrew and a 15% Off Coupon for Wine Enthusiast glassware. Sip save enjoy!
The Wine Clip uses principles of magnetics to improve the taste of wine as it is being poured out of the bottle. The effect is instantaneous and has been found by many wine professionals to result in a genuine improvement in flavor and mouth-feel especially when used on red wines. Using magnets to treat fluids water fuel wine etc. - is not a new idea and the technology has been applied successfully in many industries. What causes the effect has been the subject of some debate but it is generally thought that passing a conductive fluid through a properly designed magnetic field has an effect on the polar molecules in the fluid. In wine it is believed that the large polymerized tannins in wine that normally result in a high degree of astringency are broken up or otherwise affected resulting in a less astringent softer flavor. The Wine Clip may also accelerate aeration by drawing higher concentrations of oxygen to the wine as it is being poured. In contrast with most gases oxygen is highly magnetically susceptible and is attracted to a magnetic field. This would explain testimony from wine experts that The Wine Clip instantly produces the benefits of time consuming aeration. Lifetime warranty.
Learn how to host a tasting party! Host a great wine tasting party with this complete new essential wine tasting kit. Created by the editors of the prestigious Wine Enthusiast Magazine you'll find all the how-to's and essentials of hosting over 30 wine tastings. Kit includes: Wine Enthusiast Magazine Pocket Guide to Wine plus 2006 Vintage Chart 2 tasting checklist notepads 6 bottle bags 6 bottle stoppers 24 bottle tags a blank wine journal 2 wine label removers and a coupon for two free issues of Wine Enthusiast Magazine . Size: 6'H x 9'W x 3-'D
Luigi Bormioli Esperienze Wine Decanter is a complete innovation in the field of wine appreciation. Designed by Federico DeMajo the lead-free crystal wine decanter is a combination of technical skills and creative artistry. Made in Italy the interior base of the decanter is designed with ripples; tiered concentric circles that facilitate rapid wine oxygenation as the wine is poured into the decanter and flows down over them for an excellent wine tasting experiences. Dishwasher safe. Size: 9-1/4'H 88 oz.
Love your wine? Show your metal! Serve it with the help of this animated bottle holder handcrafted from recycled steel copper and wood. German artist Guenter Scholtz skillfully bends welds brushes and carves these materials to bring this whimsical wine taster to life a discriminating gent leaning on a wine rack fitted with a wine barrel. Holds most standard size wine bottles. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. No two Scholtz pieces are exactly alike. 12'H x 6'W x 5'D
A One-of-a-Kind GiftFor the wine lover that has everything a fun gift theyre sure to cherish. Weve matted and framed our Wine Enthusiast Magazine cover with your choice of tiles (Man Woman Wine Enthusiast or Chateau of the Year). Theres a careful 7 1/4' x 7' cut-out in the cover so you can slide in a photograph of your favorite wine enthusiast. Every wine lover on your list should have one. You can purchase it as a special package with a one year subscription to Wine Enthusiast Magazine and SAVE $16.95 off the regular subscription price. Size: 14'H x 11'W Framed Print
An elegant arc turns serving into ceremony. Geometrically designed Parabola wine decanter offers a unique shape to a classic wine accessory. This stunning mouth-blown wine decanter is visually exhilarating and optimally functional. Made of 24% lead crystal the Parabola decanter offers a unique handle and spout holding a full standard-sized bottle of wine and provides flawless aeration. Size: 10-1/2'H 56 oz. NOTE: Please use the recommended Decanter cleaning balls when cleaning the Parabola decanter.
Make the hippest wine bar in town yours! Three wines any time no waiting! This professional wine preserve and wine serve system keeps 3 opened wine bottles fresh for weeks and primed for pouringright at home! Spigots serve as both stoppers and dispensers of argon gas. Argon prevents wine from oxidizing and spoiling over time. Non-electric and compact. Black with stainless steel trim. Accommodates most standard-size wine bottles. Non-electric and compact. Black with stainless steel trim. The argon gas cartridges are hidden in a compartment underneath your wine bottles. The system includes two argon cartridges which will power 12 to 15 wine bottles each. Size: 11-1/2'H x 10-1/2'W x 5'D
Attract more wine loversglass by glass! Increase your bar or restaurant sales by offering a wider selection of premium wines 'on tap'. This professional preserve-and-serve system keeps 5 opened wine bottles fresh for weeks and primed for pouring. Spigots serve as bottle stoppers. With each pour argon gas is dispensed into each bottle to blanket the wine's surface from oxygen and prevent it oxidizing and spoiling over time. Wine Saver PRO's commercial grade quality is ideal for restaurants hotels bars and wineries or for any wine lover that enjoys serving wine. Wine Saver HOME also makes the ultimate addition to any home wine cellar. Accommodates most standard-size wine bottles. Non-electric and compact. Black with stainless steel trim. The argon gas cartridges are hidden in a compartment underneath your wine bottles. Available here and sold seperately argon cartridges will power 12 to 15 wine bottles each.
Inspired by furniture pieces originally found in Bordeaux and used by the regions expert wine makers for tasting sessions of their Grand Cru wines. Special guests wine merchants or the wine makers themselves would taste some of the finest vintages at the very foot of elegant furniture pieces such as this. EuroCaves contemporary version has been designed to accommodate the needs of todays wine connoisseur. The Elite Wine Buffet is ideal for entertaining and can be placed in any room. The ample display shelves are ideal for storing glasses displaying decanters keeping reference books and storing spirits. The storage drawers can hold other accessories such as corkscrews label savers tasting albums and much more. The Elite Wine Buffet can hold a maximum of up to 20 bottles. Sold seperately the wine cellar space can accommodate a EuroCave Performance 83. Size: 56-5/16'H x 54-5/16'W x 29-9/16'D. Light assembly required.
Tecnorati
To celebrate the end of May, which was an hellacious month for the wine world, Paul and Annette DiCarlo graciously opened up their home in East Dallas for a Sunday afternoon of eating and drinking. Summer is bearing down upon us, a time which we find ourselves embroiled in heat and heated debate about almost anything. Tempers flare, lines are drawn in the sand, swords are sharpened, clocks are set. But not before one last meal. One last great meal.
We get there in time for a round of sparkling rose wine from the Veneto, all the rage now that they have saturated the market with Prosecco. I brought a bottle of Gruner just to be a contrarian. I figured after I blasted it in the last post, and some of the somms were chiding me for hating on the Gruner. Actually I like Gruner. And Zweigelt. But that?s another post.
Major Domo Adelmo was modeling his newly acquired seersucker shorts, which showed off his tanned and muscle-bound legs, gained from his early morning walks (stalks?) in the neighborhood. Adelmo is irreverent to anything that has been established as a custom. Wine in a wine glass? Why? When it is so much more fun to pour a rare Casa dei Bepi Amarone in a jelly glass? It was Sunday, these restaurant owners work, work, work all the time. Son of a gun never rests. Let him be.
The room was getting crowded what with the short ribs and the foie gras and the pasta course all heating up the kitchen, which is where everyone was congregating. The AC unit was on overload, set at 60. The room felt like 80+. Seersucker was a good idea, after all.
So after the foie gras apps and all the other salumi scattered around the room, we head straight into the pasta course, some funny looking maccherone with those wonderful baby tomatoes from the south. Simple and good food. Great with the Valpolicella lined up in pole position, waiting for their moment. Also waiting for those Amarones to chill down a little, nestled in the fridge with the dessert wine and the Dublin Dr. Pepper (after all, we are in Texas).
About the Amarones: Quintarelli '97 and '98, Dal Forno '01, Tedeschi '03, Masi '01, Viviani 'Casa dei Bepi' '01.
The 2001 Viviani ?Casa dei Bepi? was among my faves. Maybe because the folks are familiar. But the wine had nice body, solid flavors, some elegance, the wood was subdued (thank God) and it complimented the food. Deelish.
And the twin vintages of Quintarelli, the ?97 and ?98. Now that was the moment of meditation for me. Everybody loves the ?97, the fruit, the power, the big balls. I get it. Or rather, I don?t get it for me. It was all that and a bag of chips, but the wine of the night, for me, was the 1998 from Quintarelli.
Last month, while at the 
What Does Organic Mean?
This is another dry red wine from the sunny ?emovsko valley near Podgorica, Montenegro. We’ve covered a few wines from the Planta?e winery in the past and this is probably the poorest of their wines, without much character. Enjoyable only with a meal.
Patrick Campbell, Laurel Glen and maker of REDS (
Why don’t we use bulk wine like most copycat RED-themed labels or brand du jour bottlers do?
Veronique Drouhin Boss, of Domaine Drouhin Oregon and Maison Joseph Drouhin (
Truman Capote was a young literary genius whose emotional maturity never quite caught up with his talent. His writing was fierce, fearless and so very sharp for the times he found himself in. A child born from a child, his life raced furiously in the fast lane until he was 59. And then, it was finished. Much has been written about his life, bio-pics have been made, numerous books and articles about his life, his writing, his escapades, his demons. But when he was alive, Truman Capote became a big star. A bestselling brand. Along the time his star was traversing across the winter skies, television and heightened attention to the new media brought many people into contact with him. I still remember seeing this funny little short, squatty man on the TV in my parents? home when they were watching Mike Douglas or Jack Parr or Johnny Carson. He seemed a lot like some of the people in my home town (Palm Springs) so it wasn?t too out of context to see it on TV. But the number of times he kept showing up registered in my brain. I once saw a copy of ?In Cold Blood? on the table in the living room and picked it up. I was probably 12 at the time. I was more interested in tennis or getting out of my parents home, going outside and riding my bike. But Capote was big. So big. What people thought of him, be it the high-society types or the artistic ones, they shaped the Capote from there on. He never had a chance. Partying and drinking and smoking and talking and twittering about. What great works of literature were stolen by taking his time? It was an era when a writer as a media star was something new, and he was so damned talented. But he was diverted. And before long, the brand ?Capote? overtook the man.
Robert Mondavi was a visionary, a leader, driven to pursue a dream that shaped Napa Valley and beyond. Because of his relentless stubbornness any of us who work in the wine business today are in a better place, thanks to Mondavi. He was Moses and he led us out of the wilderness. I remember the early days in the 1970?s, when what he was talking about was so rare. Single varietal wines made in a fashion, at a level of quality that there was no market for. Yet. But he persevered, and everyone around him did too. And Mondavi became a monster brand.
Gary Vaynerchuk. He?s on top of the world. Thousands visit his sites daily. His number of followers on the new social platforms like Twitter have grown six-fold in two months. He?s on CNN, his American Express miles must be in the stratosphere from all the travel. He has a ten book, seven figure deal with a major publisher. And he still has time to personally return an e-mail. How does he do it?
Cider is one of my favorite things. To me, cider is to autumn as maple syrup is to spring ? a seasonal treat best enjoyed from local sources. The transparent, pasteurized stuff in the clear glass jugs doesn?t hold a candle to the rich, brown nectar made at area orchards and packaged in plastic jugs.
This is another great wine from the 