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This cool combo of fine wines and classic jazz is one of Toronto?s premier events. Energy Savings Group Wine, Whisky & All That Jazz is set for Wed., June 20 at the Liberty Grand. Recapture the golden age of jazz...
Andrian Murcia, the author for Blame it on Rioja is a virtual friend to Catavino.net. That is to say, we have never met in person, but we have shared a lot of conversations online. His blog sponsored by the Vibrant Rioja campaign is full of good information and interesting takes on a region that only in the past year, Gabriella and I have truly come to love.
Vibrant Rioja, on the other hand, has helped to sponsor one of our trips to the region, and from what we can tell, is trying to get Rioja into the American dialogue through the sponsorship of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Personally, I think they could spend their money in more effective ways, but that?s not the point. They are doing something to help more people learn about Riojan wines, which is great!
Where their support of the region falls short is in regards to a recent campaign they’ve launched. A few months ago, we learned that Adrian had undertaken, with help from Vibrant Rioja and CIA (Culinary Institute of America), a project to record a series of videos of the land, culture and wines of Rioja. Needless to say, we were ecstatic. We wish we had the money and backing to do similar projects ourselves, but if smart people like Adrian are sharing their footage with the world, we’re content.
But after we quickly surfed over to the CIA website, digging down into their training video page, our elation quickly turned to sour grapes. I was presented with a page of videos, 22 in total, laid out in a grid with no information in, or around, them. My sense is that they are intended for CIA students when studying wine; and should come (or so we hope) with a syllabus explaining how to watch them, contextual cues and other details. I briefly browsed a few of the videos, and then clicked around looking for the embed script so that I could include a video in a post for you all to experience.
NO such luck!
What a waste. Here is one of the best opportunities to not only expose Rioja to the world, give the CIA more status to the non-food geeks, and help the Vibrant Rioja campaign have more success, and they threw it down the tubes, or rather, hid it among the tubes! So much great video, with one objective in its heart, to educate and promote Rioja. But now it sits trapped on the CIA server, buried in a back corner for those lucky enough to see it. They do, however, offer us a chance to watch the video online, or order a DVD, but seriously, why would I want to order a DVD? So I could show it at home to all my friends and family? I know my people like wine, but let’s be realistic.
I wish I could say this was an isolated incidence, but it happens all the time. Social media geeks, shake your head with me and lament this travesty. Non-Social media geeks, understand this: the web is a sharing device, where the more you share, the more you gain. Creative Common?s licenses lead to collaboration that never existed before, and the simple act of allowing people to find and share your video is what I like to call, FREE EXPOSURE! If the videos are great, the content could be useful. If this was licensed under a CC, and offered up on Youtube, Blip, Vimeo, VIddlr, or the hundreds of other video sharing sites, the content would be free. And consequently, we would spread the word about Rioja to those willing to listen. But no, it now sits in a cell of Web 1.0, imprisoned deep within old media.
I?m sure someone owns this content and wants to retain control over it, and to them I say, “shame on you”. Or maybe I should say, ?I?m sorry for you?. For the rest of us, join me in a group cheer: ?Free the content and share it with the world?
According to the company, the ‘podcasks’ provide the latest updates on wine news, en primeur releases and wine events as well as featuring exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the world of fine wine.
Facundo Argañaraz is an artist currently living in SanFrancisco, California. Originally from Argentina, Facundo studied Illustration and Painting since a very young age; later he pursued the study of Law and Politic Science at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
After traveling worldwide for more than three years without pause, Facundo arrived in California to pursue his career as a painter and visual artist. Currently, his work consists primarily of large format paintings and installations that ?accentuate, without ideological references or subjectivities, the magnetism of monolithic presence as perennial mediators of dualism and consciousness.?
We’re back with part 2 of our coverage of the 2007 Sta. Rita Hills annual celebration of wine. Saturday, it was seminar time, complete with a series of mock ?trials? where local winemakers and grape growers defend or prosecute their contributions to what ends up in the glass.
Sitting as judge in ceremonial garb was real-life attorney Cathy Pepe, co-owner of Clos Pepe Vineyards. Among the issues on trial: Chardonnay - to oak or not to oak, that is the question; and Pinot Noir - do clones or terroir have the greater effect; and finally, is it the growing conditions or the winemaking the greater influence on the wine.
Join us as we hear from various growers and producers, as well as get a glimpse of some of the marvelous food that will be matched up with local Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
*What an unusual mix in terms of the international producers you represent?why Argentina, New Zealand and Japan?
- Not really if you consider that Argentina and Japan (Ginjo sake), and to some extent New Zealand, share the same common elements?there are great wines and sake being produced by highly talented winemakers and tojis (master brewers), and they are not getting recognized yet. The quality is already in the bottle?so why should these sell less or get less respect than wine from more obvious regions? We always say that we are really a ?national education company? since we usually explain more than we sell. Our job is to get people to taste these wines and premium sake, and the stuff inside the bottles takes care of the rest. At the heart of this idea is also the notion that in the end, it?s the people you work with who make the difference between mediocre and ?wow!?. We have been lucky, fortunate, and smart (maybe a little of each) to meet and represent some of the top talent in these regions:
Susana Balbo?Crios de Susana Balbo, Susana Balbo signature wines, Nosotros (with Pedro below)
Pedro Marchevsky ? BenMarco
Pepe Galante & Mariano di Paola ? mapema
Luis Reginato ? Luca, Tikal, La Posta
Roberto de la Mota - Mendel
Jose & Pepe Reginato ? Reginato sparkling wines
Guy Davis ? Davis Family Vineyards (Russian River, CA) and Gusto (NZ SB)
13 Master Brewers from all over Japan?each as talented as anyone we have met.
*As someone who deals so closely with Argentine producers, what types of obstacles, limitations and concerns have any of them expressed to you in terms of being able to export and promote their products abroad?
- Well, I want to stay out of trouble here since I travel to Argentina a lot, but let me just say that the Argentine government has historically been more of a hindrance than a help for wine exports. As an example, and hard to believe, they actually tax EXPORTS! Perhaps the bigger obstacle for Argentine wineries is that the economic and political situation is relatively unstable, and when you are in an industry that measures commitment and success over a decade or longer due to capital investment requirements, it is hard to deal with a system that usually looks out only 2-3 years at a time.
*In your eyes, what sets apart these Argentine producers you represent? What do their wines bring to the table of American wine consumers that large-yield, often conglomerate-backed wines simply cannot?
- I alluded to this a bit above when talking about who we represent and why. I think there are three main things that set our producers apart:
1) Our wineries are owned by and have Argentine winemakers who have lived in this unique climate and region for their entire lives. For us, that means that the wines that they make TASTE like Argentine wines, not like some random wine from somewhere in the world. And as talented as some of the flying/foreign winemakers are who are working in Mendoza, I have yet to taste a wine from them that thrills me the way our producers? wines do at the dinner table. And I taste everything from down there.
2) As good as they already are, they are still always trying to learn how to improve their wines, and in today?s wine world, that?s the only way you stay on top. It shows.
3) Obsessive attention to detail seems like an abused phrase, but in winemaking it is crucial and not as common as you would think. Our winemakers are also our close friends and in Argentina that is taken pretty seriously. They make sure that every step is done with the utmost care because they would never want to look their friends in the eye and say, ?uhh..I?m sorry but this wine is just ok because we weren?t really paying close attention when we made it.? Large wineries may be able to solve #1 above, but #2 and #3 are far harder to come by, and that?s probably as true in the US as it is in Argentina.
*Looking ahead?are there any regions Vine Connections is looking to expand its portfolio toward, and why?
- We made a strategic decision a few years ago that we would remain specialists in Argentine wine and Japanese sake. Some importers have gone in the opposite direction and are happy to sell one of everything from anywhere, but we?re just not built that way as people. We started as leaders in both of these categories and we feel the only way to stay out in front is to specialize. That?s why we spend almost a month per year in Mendoza and visit Japan for at least 2 weeks every year. It?s our own ?attention to detail? mantra, and we try to stick to it so that we can look our customers in they eye and say every time, ?This is really great Argentine wine and Ginjo sake?. Every time.
- Fortunately, we won?t be bored since there still plenty of regions and microclimates still left to discover in Argentina.
*Given the nature of the market here in the United States, what advice would you give to consumers who would like be aware of, as well as actually see, a dramatic increase in availability of premium Argentine wines such as those crafted by your producers?
- American consumers have helped their own cause a lot already by being very open to trying wines like Malbec, Bonarda, and Torrontes. I think they will help themselves even further by continuing to experiment with wines at many different prices, not just the ?great values? under $15. Nick and I firmly believe that well-made Argentine wines offer incredible value and over-deliver at all price points. A $12 wine is worth more like $16, and a $30 wine is worth more like $40 when compared to other wine regions of the world. And, of course, you can support quality-focused companies like Vine Connections by paying attention to the importer name or logo (like our compass) that appear on every bottle. As with other wine regions, a good wine importer can be your best friend when you haven?t tried a particular wine yet and would like some assurance that you are going to enjoy it?especially when spending more than $15 or so.
I'm not overly suspicious, but I'm pleased this is the last day of October. It's been a momentous and turbulent month, I've felt more fragile and frail than I can recall in a very long time, as I've grown accustomed to the waves of pessimism and panic that are flooding the world and it's press. I think of Keynes daily (The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent and In the long run we are all dead. . .) and my desire to open wine has been slightly blunted. Thankfully my nature is inherently optimistic (are we at the bottom yet. . .) and I'm surrounded by the joys of Spring and leveling reminders of what true despair must feel like.
Wine & Spirits Magazine recently announced its Top 100 wineries in the world, and that included the first New York state winery to ever make this prestigious list ? a list that has an amazing 22-year history.
Fox Run Vineyards on Seneca Lake will be featured with the others on the list in the November issue of Wine & Spirits.
Congratulations to Scott Osborn at the entrie crew over at Fox Run on this monumental achievment!
There's still plenty of fire left in the belly of old gnarly Grenache vines in Calatayud, Spain. These old vines manifest their destiny in Garnacha de Fuego 2007, imported by Jorge Ordoñez, and sold here in Tennessee for well under $10, and in some areas of the country nearer to $5.
This is one of those outstanding inexpensive red wines that make you wonder why some wines cost so much. Unencumbered by wood aging, it's so very pure and drinkable, yet unlike similarly priced junk wine, the wine equivalent to junk food, it's genuine. There isn't a hint of manipulation evident.
True to form for a fresh Grenache, you get a plethora of raspberry character, perhaps even some "Now-Or-Later" cherry mixed in. There's also some white pepper spice to be sure, and a mouth full of rocks. The body is light-to-medium, and the combination of youth (wine) and age (vine) come through in the somewhat rustic, lasting finish.
The vines harvested for this wine go back to the days when Franco took power and when Picasso painted Guernica. On a political hiatus for decades, these sage vines are now just coming into their own. Therefore I'm raising a glass, to remember those people who suffered before, and to be enlightened with the wisdom to help alleviate future suffering. The planting of these vines was a bit before my time, but not really that long ago in the evolutionary big picture. History is changing fast, and as was said, "those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Garnacha de Fuego kindles the mind, makes you think, doesn't cost a lot, and it even goes great with fried green tomatoes.
With a running time of just short of an hour for just 3 songs, and definitely a very dark outlook in the lyrics and general titles/artwork combination, I was expecting, nay hoping for a full on doom spree.
In fact, this is more of a minimal ambient spree as the first 8 minutes of "A descriptive introduction to the silent war" is beatless, and all just based on beautifully swarming, floating atmospheres, before the introduction of marching band style snare rolls add to the drama, hypnosis and all round brilliance of this opening piece. Finally, at the 10 minute mark, the rest of the band drops in the thoroughly evil, plodding, sinister doom notes that brings to mind Esoteric mostly, and Bethlehem (the slower parts of the Dark Metal album). BLACK NOISE CANNON manage to convey their mood amazingly well with very simplistic notation, and the intensity of the middle, calmer section, with single chiming guitar notes and deep, eerie piano hits almost freezes time.
Vocals arrive after just over 22 minutes, and all of a sudden a very Godflesh inspired trip unfolds as that weird, droning, speaking style delivery becomes BNC's aide to view their thoughts. All in all, this is an incredible opener that takes up half the album, and must be heard by fans of anything slow, atmospheric and disturbing.
"There will be tomorrow" has a lighter opening verse and reminds me a little of Sloth, Melvins, but still the Godflesh influence is there to be seen in the chorus, and flows really well from the starting monster. A word that gets over-used in music sometimes, and more freely than it perhaps should, can be reserved for this band, and that word is apocalyptic, thoroughly apocalyptic in fact, with lyrics like "Destroy yourself, since you can't destroy anything else, now lose yourself, since you've lost everything else" and "it comes in waves, and it always ends the same way" help to give the music an even more tormenting, distraught stranglehold.
"The reality of silence" is the relative calm after the storm as lighter, more emotionally sung vocals ring out over softer music and less discordant chords. The whole thing becomes very cathartic as this third song takes shape and takes hold. What a recording!
Fans of Godflesh, doom, sludge, ambient and deep music in general really need to hear this album!
I think Frank is having an affair. He mutters her name constantly ? sometimes lovingly, sometimes not so much so. Her picture appears in books on the coffee table, on the dashboard in the truck, even pinned on the bathroom mirror with some unintelligible scribbles and notations below it. I know he sometimes even takes her to bed.
Like all relationships, there is a definite up and down cycle to his infatuation with this woman. As his WSET exam gets closer he finds her more frustrating. At other times, he finds her charming, witty, and distinctly sexy. But he relies on her totally and without reservation. ?I just can?t be without her,? he?ll sometimes confess.
I suspect that if Frank ever actually met her face to face and in person, he would give her the traditional European greeting ? three kisses on alternating cheeks ? right, left, right. He might even hug her.
Tonight Frank writes the vinticulture portion of his WSET Diploma exam. Perhaps when he?s done and the marks are tallied, he will close the Oxford Companion to Wine and Jancis Robinson will be forgotten for a short while. Perhaps. At least until it?s time for the next exam.
Events have conspired, the plot has thickened and now I call on you to say “non” to only one-third of Beaujolais Nouveau this year!
As you may recall, last week I asked you to ditch Beajolais Nouveau this year because of the high carbon footprint of the wine. The rush to bring this proto-wine to the world’s shops on the same day, November 20 this year, means that airfreight is commonly used, increasing the greenhouse gas emissions of the wine by at least fourfold for New York and many times more to places like San Francisco, Santiago, and Tokyo.
Word floated in to the Dr. Vino tower that major changes were afoot this year in Beaujolais with this year’s Nouveau. So I picked up the phone and called France (at the low rate of 2.3 cents per minute). First up, I spoke with Inter Beaujolais, a regional trade authority, where I learned that Beaujolais Nouveau last year had a volume of about 48 million bottles, about a third of the region’s production. Further, the Nouveau for EU destinations is not permitted to leave the region until November 13 this year, giving it a week to get places like Amsterdam and Athens. But non-EU destinations were given a special extra week this year and could leave the EU on November 6. Could it really get to store shelves in New York City by November 20?
To find out I called Georges Duboeuf, the largest shipper of Beaujolais Nouveau with around three-quarters of the Beaujolais Nouveau market. Yann Bourigault, who runs exports for North America, told me that, indeed, things are different this year. In July, Duboeuf had to set a price for the wine with the American importer, W. J. Deutsch. At that time the dollar was at $1.52 to the euro (it’s now 1.25) and with the softening economy, they made the call that they American consumer would not support the extra two dollars per bottle for the 2008 Beuajolais Nouveau that air freight would add.
So they lobbied the French authorities including the Minister of Agriculture and even Christine Lagarde, the Minister of Finance to be able to move the shipping date up to provide greater time for transportation via the cheaper (and greener) sea freight. Bourigault said that the wine had already been bottled and trucks were picking it up now to take it to the port where it would clear Customs and be loaded onto a ship for Boston, leaving November 6 as the new regulations allow. Barring storms or a French port strike, wine should arrive in Boston on November 13 where it will clear American Customs and then have trucks take the cases on the final leg of the journey to stores and restaurants. They can’t get it everywhere by sea and Bourigault estimated that about one-third of this year’s BN will still be airfreighted around the world, down from two-thirds last year. Still, that accounts for over a million cases of proto-wine that is flying around the world.
So there you have it! Some blend of the recently enfeebled dollar and the crippling strength of the clarion call to ditch Beaujolais Nouveau from this web site have now reduced the King Kong sized carbon footprint of the wine down to mere Sasquatch. Some producers have been more intentional in their efforts, such as Boisset who will roll out ultralight plastic wine bottles this year for the first time. Consider yourself on notice, Nouveau, for next year. In case of the dollar rally holds, we’ll see if they continue with the lower carbon footprint shipping option.
With the ends closer to being justified, I’m putting water in my own wine boycott, diluting it to one-third strength! On November 20, I still urge you to try a local wine, which has the smallest carbon footprint (see the site Appellation America for learning about wines made near you). Or, if you’ve been there, drunk that near you, try a cru Beaujolais; it’s a better direction for the region to head and, thanks to the shipping, a fraction of the carbon footprint of the Nouveau–and a thousand times better tasting.
Image credit: “Local” was commissioned from the talented Alex Eben Meyer.
Sometimes the deals are all about knowing what’s right next door, and sometimes it’s worth asking, “Yeah, but does she have a sister?” Viognier’s Pretty Stepsisters in this issue of the Seattle Weekly I feel bad that there wasn’t room to talk about their BFF, Bourblanc.
An amazing dinner at Tetsuya’s last weekend to celebrate a friend’s birthday, I’ll let the tasting notes and the pictures of the wine then food tell the story.
1981 Krug This is a wine that I have always wanted to try (being my birth year) and I was very lucky to get the chance on this night. Golden coloured, with a lazy, meandering bead. Powerful ginger, spice, earth, toffee, creme brulee and cedar aromas on the nose. Incredibly deep flavour and complexity, with fresh acidity sweeping over the palate into a long and memorable finish. Kept improving the longer I left it. 97/100
1982 Krug A year and a half ago I had this wine from the same source and it looked a touch awkward (while still being excellent), but tonight it was much improved. Light gold colour with straw highlights, an insanely fine bead - probably the finest I’ve ever seen. Aromas of almond, coffee, black truffles, vanilla and ginger came to the fore as the wine warmed up in the glass. The palate is vibrant, with great acidity laid over complex flavours. Still developing, another 5 years and I think it will be close to maturity. 95/100
1990 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Hengst Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive Golden coloured, this wine possessed an ever shifting, evolving nose of spices, honey, lychee, pineapple and rose petals. The palate possesses an astonishing balance between weight and refreshment. Rich, complex, deep and softly sweet, but with superb acidity, focus and purity of fruit. None of the oily or warm alcohol characters I often get from this grape and region. Close to the best Alsatian wine I’ve ever had. 96/100
1965 Lindemans Bin 3110 Hunter River “Burgundy” (classic release) This is one of the legends of Hunter Valley and Australian wine. Still deeply purple coloured, fading slightly to red at the rim. The nose is intoxicating and layered with notes of earth, tobacco, liquorice, leather, blackberries and five spice. The palate is so composed and well balanced. Harmony reigns among the various elements right up to the long finish. Very different in style to some other great old Australian wines I’ve tried, but superb in its own right and very representative of the Hunter Valley. 97/100
1953 Domaine J. Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges Very lightly coloured. The nose on this wine was one of the most unique I have ever seen, along with cherry, earth and spices there was a beguiling character that I followed for some time, in the end only being able to describe it as akin to tropical fruit! The palate has superb definition and the structure that has allowed it to live to this age is still clearly evident. If there is one shortcoming, it is that the fruit is a touch thin, but otherwise the balance is very good - it seems that those famous Faiveley tannins do eventually integrate (it just takes 55 years! ). 94/100
1990 Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot This wine is a strong argument in favour of the excellent reputation of this fine estate. A bold, brooding nose of cherry, strawberry, liquorice, black tea, game and forest floor. There is a richness to the palate, but it is finely textured and exists alongside the structural elegance of the wine rather than pushing the palate around and dominating. Drank well tonight, but will continue to improve over the next 10 years. 95/100
1966 Château Palmer (Margaux) Youthful in colour. A nose that has both primary and secondary characters wound together with raspberry, cedar, tobacco, cinnamon, violets and graphite. The palate is velvet smooth, this is an absolute pleasure to drink. The elements of the palate are resolved in full and work together in harmony. Classic top-shelf Bordeaux. 96/100
1975 Château Lafleur (Pomerol) Corked A few were brave enough to taste this and proclaimed that underneath the taint it was exceptional, but I was not willing to try. NR/100
1990 Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tilden (Piedmont) Deeply coloured. One of the most complex, haunting and evocative noses I have ever had the privilege to experience - there were aromas of blackberry, rose petals, anise, pine, smoke, plum and layers more - with every sniff there was something new uncovered. There is a wonderful intensity to the palate, it is as though all the elements have been magnified but somehow remain in balance with a wave of pure fruit, striking acidity and the finest of tannin. On a night of legendary wines, this wine somehow rose above and was my favourite wine of the evening. I don’t give out 100 point scores often (4 wines so far) … and I’m not going to for this, but I really feel like I could, it is so very tempting. 99/100
1982 Penfolds Grange A nose of blackberry, cedar, liquorice, vanilla, red and black currant. Youthful and very fresh with bold and bursting with flavour, but maintains its balance across the long length of the palate. Drinking beautifully well now. Consistent with the previous bottle I tasted a year prior, one of my favourite Granges. 95/100
1990 Lindemans Sesquicentenary Release Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum) 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Shiraz. An aroma of tomato leaf dominates the nose, behind it are some notes of raspberry, blackberry and a touch of briar. The texture of the palate is good with elegant primary fruit characters and good balance. Drinking well now but will develop and improve over the next 10 years. Was not shamed among some of the great wines from around the world. 91/100
1928 Marc Brédif Vouvray A dazzling light straw-golden in colour. The aromas were surprisingly fresh - lots of pear, apple, honey, blueberry, ginger, oats and cloves. Amazing acidity and depth still present on the palate. It actually got better after an hour in the glass, taking on extra weight of flavour. This wasn’t showing any signs of falling apart, maybe good bottles will live forever! 94/100
1981 Jakob Gerhardt Niersteiner Frauenkirchner Bouvier and Traminer TBA (Austria) Deeply coloured, almost like a tokay, but with strands of gold. Deep scents of apricot, marmalade, honey and apples. Great depth on the palate, with strong sweetness and a viscous mouth-feel balanced by very good acidity. Great persistence. Drink now. 93/100
1968 d’Oliveira Reserva Boal Madeira (Portugal) Nutty, burnt toast, caramel, banana and a very familiar medicinal aroma from my childhood (possibly amoxicillin). There is a bitterness to the palate and the alcohol stands out. It is very long and intense, but I couldn’t really get into this. 86/100
Chestnut Mushroom Soup with Truffle Salt
Italian White Roll and Truffle Butter
Smoked Ocean Trout and Avruga Caviar with Scallop Mousse and Quail Egg
Leek and Crab Custard
Grilled Scampi Wrapped in Pancetta
Scampi in Sea Water and Lemon Scented Olive Oil
Marinated Scampi with White Miso and Passionfruit
Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Apple, Fennel and Witlof
Antarctic Black Cod with Globe Artichoke and Yuzu Vinaigrette
Roasted Breast of Quail with Soft Polenta and Shiitake Mushrooms
Slow Roasted De-Boned Rack of Lamb with Blue Cheese and White Miso
Grass Fed Angus Beef Fillet with Blewitt and Chestnut Mushrooms
Cheese
Apple Sorbet with Apple Jelly
Mont Blanc
Apple Tarte Tartin with Calvados Cream Ice Cream
Chocolate Terrine with Mascarpone and Cognac Anglaise
I'm in the mood for a throw-down. No more of this namby-pamby dancing around the ring.
A couple of weeks ago, I got slammed on the ropes for a comment I made about a post on Vinography. The winos over there are apparently pretty fond of their New World wines because, when I suggested that Old World wines might be suffering in the global marketplace because of what is simply an archaic (or nonexistent?) approach to marketing, damn. You'd have thought I said something about their mother.
"Absurd!" they said. "Wine that tastes like fruit, not boxes of cigars and pencil lead, appeals to US consumers," they proclaimed.
Hmmm.
I'm a U.S. consumer, and I'm a pretty even-handed gal. I like New World wines; I like Old World wines. I was trying to make a point about what I considered to be the glaring difference in the marketplace. I was trying to make that point independent of taste, because I tend to believe there's a place out there for both styles of wine.
But then I started to think about it, and I've decided, even-handed is for wusses.
I'm picking sides, and do you know why? It's not about technical quality. There are New World and Old World wines of technical brilliance. It's not about image. Image is surface; popularity comes and goes.
No, this is a matter of taste, and I'm coming down on the side of the Old World.
This is my battle cry for wines that taste like cigar boxes and dirt, seashells and truffles; for wines that taste like a location; for being able to tell the difference between chadonnays made 30 miles apart; for a wine that has structure without having an alcohol content of 15 percent; for a wine that isn't obvious; for a wine that doesn't cater to a soda-pop palate; for a wine that actually pairs well with food; for a wine that goes for elegance over brawn; for a wine that doesn't give it up on the first date - one that I've got to work for, one that tastes better the next day, one that could sit on the shelf and evolve for a couple of years, one with a little mystery.
I somehow weaseled my way into a Vegan cooking class this weekend to give a talk about organic wines. Shameless self/company promotion? Why do you ask!
SO, if you have nothing to do between 1:30 and 3 on Sunday, December 2nd, feel free to register to learn how to cook all sorts of yumminess (which is, apparently, a heavily-used wine descriptor) sans animals or animal by-products. I don't claim to be vegan (as the mountain of cheese in my belly can attest) but I do agree with the principles of it all.
Anys.
Come to Shakti Yoga Studio at 220 Lexington Ave this Sunday to hear me and to get your vegan feedbag on. I think it's $20 per person. Call 716 884 YOGA to register. I'll be the one with a cork in my hand stinking of butter.
Set your sights on wine, and you?ll set your eyes on some of the most incredible scenery in BC?s three main wine regions. Here are ten of the best scene-stealing sights and activities that insiders guarantee will tempt your palate...
Tecnorati
).
A few were brave enough to taste this and proclaimed that underneath the taint it was exceptional, but I was not willing to try.
