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The latest edition of Decanter (March) came out this week, and several articles caught my eye. The first was entitled Start Your Own Wine Cellar. As I’m often torn between buying bottles to drink and those I think I may like to keep for a special occasion, I was drawn to the profiles of the 3 different types of people for whom Decanter made recommendations. There was the couple who did not know much about wine, but wanted to learn and had £500 to get them going. At the other extreme was the couple who already drank a lot of good Bordeaux and had £5000 to spend. I found myself drawn to the example in the middle, someone who knows her grape varieties, but would not describe herself as a connoisseur. Decanter put together an interesting cellar at a cost of £1000 for her.
The one question I was left pondering with the suggestions was the distinction between wines for drinking 2008-2010+ and for 2010-2018. Why do a couple of decent Italian reds from 2004 fit in the first category, but a Portuguese 2005 and a Spanish 2003 fit in the second? I know it’s down to how it is made and matured, but how are you expected to know that for the slightly more unusual wines? Labels don’t always given enough information and certainly very few give how long to keep the wine for.
I always peruse the Wines of the Month to see what recommendations I can pick up. These wines are available from stockists in the UK so I feel sorry for foreign readers who may be unable to source them. However I’m always a bit frustrated to read other reviews elsewhere in the magazine and see the dreaded ?N/A? next to them. Although I figure what’s the point in reviewing them if they aren’t available in the UK I have to keep reminding myself how international Decanter is. In this month’s issue 4 of the 9 letters are from non UK readers. I am sure this helps the editorial team keep an international focus which is good for all us readers.
The panel tastings this month are both French, 2005 St Emilions and 2005 cru bourgeois. I was stunned to see a great value 2005 cru bourgeois at £7.35. I must seek it out.
Next month’s edition features Italy and is out, according to the ad in the magazine, on February 6. Oops ? I think they forgot to change the date from last month’s edition as I’m sure they mean March 6th!
Bouquet of floral notes and spiced pears with vanilla cream pudding.
Palate--lively with flavor galore; spiced summer fruit compote, off-dry and utterly delicious in a $9.50 wrapper. I love good Chenin Blanc and this Washington State varietal is amazing for the price! Find it and raise a glass!
You should never buy a wine on appearance alone, but the postage stamp label and odd shape of the 2006 Coppola "Encyclopedia Wine" Cabernet Sauvignon caught me hook, line, and sinker. This is from Bordeaux, $14, 12.5% abv. The embossed molecule on the side of the Erlenmeyer flask-style bottle is a diagram of resveratrol, the compound in wine linked in some studies to health and longevity.
Aromas of blueberry and plum, with flavors of dark berries and a touch of tart cherry. Nice pie crust aftertaste. The body was a little thin at times but was overall an easy drinking cab sav. My only complaint is that it doesn't taste much like a Bordeaux; I was looking for earthy or vegetal notes, maybe even a touch of tobacco or something, but it was a fruit-forward wine more in the California style.
The wine is pretty food friendly, going well with beef and salumi and a dozen other odds and ends, and I'd heartily endorse this as a good all-purpose wine selection for Thanksgiving. I also love the fact that it's relatively low in alcohol: 12.5%. Definitely a nice change of pace from the big 15% cabs.
I do like the concept of this line--single grape wines from around the world, presented in a fun and affordable manner. It's obviously a marketing strategy towards the younger, curious wine drinker, and I hope this is successful both for the winemakers and the newcomers to the wine market.
For some people, the storage and acquisition of wine is more than just a hobby, it is an art.
Wine connoisseurs all know that the proper storage of wine is important to its final flavor. Once it is already bottled, wine will still mature and gain body and flavor. Proper care should be taken when handling wine, or else its potential for greatness will go to waste. To keep their wine well preserved, the discriminating connoisseur will choose a proper wine rack.
How to Buy a Wine Rack
The Build Wine racks can be made of so many different materials and styles. You should consider which material and style fits your need and preference. You could have wood, glass, alloy, or metal racks. Some people try to choose materials that match their living rooms. There are a variety of styles of wine racks, find one that if convenient for you. The popular styles include counter top racks, diamond bins, cabinets and others.
The Essential Elements A good wine rack will ensure that the following elements are strictly controlled. Light, humidity, temperature, stability. If you want to keep your wine well preserved and ready for ambush party, you need to make sure they are not exposed to light, moisture, extreme temperatures and shaking or vibration.
Cabinet wine racks are good at keeping wine bottles safe. They can emulate the conditions at a wine cellar best. These condition include moderate humidity, cool temperatures, and little light
We try to control the humidity so we can avoid getting the wine cork from accumulating moisture. This will lessen the chances that the wine will get contaminated or oxidized. Keeping the correct humidity or appropriately moist environment will keep the wine cork damp, reducing the chances of contamination and/or oxidization. Warm conditions will accelerate wine aging. You have to keep this in mind when you consider which wine rack to choose.
Things to Remember Don’t place wine cellars above or near refrigerators. Refrigerators generate heat and this heat could ruin you wine collection. Buying and installing a good wine rack would be useless if that happened.
Your rack has to be smooth enough that when the wine bottles are put and taken, they will not get scratched and damaged. Bottles and labels are also important parts of the overall value of wine.
A wine cellar is great but not necessary to store your wine in the correct environment. But since not everyone can afford a wine cellar or has space enough for one, you could opt for a wine rack instead. Wine racks function a lot like wine cellars, but they are smaller and are more accessible. They are also a lot cheaper and easier to install.
Believe it or not, ultraviolet light can affect and ruin wine. That’s the reason wine cellars are so dark and that’s why you have to keep your wine in a dark safe place. When you store your wine bottles, make sure they are stored sideways; this ensures that the wine is always in contact with the cork to keep it moist.
Once again we cannot express how important it is to maintain the right conditions for your wine to mature nicely. Your wine rack system has to maintain the right amount of humidity and temperature to keep your collection going. Bear in mind that wine is something you keep for a long time. Keep your wine racks pumping a temperature range of 55-60° F. Also make sure the humidity is in the 50% to 75% range. Adjust these settings according to the needs of your wine.
Start Planning for Your Wine Rack Now! Well, now you have pretty much gotten everything in order. When a party comes crashing through, you can whip out the grade A wine and celebrate to your hearts content. Pour out the good times to the tune of the compliments and admiration your friends will throw your way all because of your fine wine rack.
About the author: For more great wine rack info and advice check out: http://www.rack-hq.com
Greetings from Asia. I have begun my first tour of duty here in the Pacific Rim, and I started my trip off with a weekend in Shanghai. The fourteen plus hour flight did not seem so bad since I was able to sleep for close to nine hours of it; of course, that was only [...]
What with the Summer Games currently placing China and its regional cuisines in the limelight in terms of reflecting nearly a continent?s worth of complex, multi-ethnic influences, we should also consider other similarly impressive culinary miracles that geographically take up an infinitesimally tiny fraction the size of China?say Slovenia. In my understanding at least, Slovenia has always represented a fascinating crossroads within an impossibly modest amount of land. Many diverse and even warring influences have laced Slovene customs, viticulture and cuisine. Somehow though, like a cultural or culinary manifestation of the metaphysical concept in J.L. Borges? The Aleph, individual influences never amass into an incomprehensible amalgamation, but rather, remain clearly discernible.
Whether in its fairly recent history as a sovereign republic, under communism or seemingly serving as the geopolitical puck between Napoleon and the Habsburgs? shuffleboard match, Slovenia?s former overlords and neighbors include decidedly unique food cultures?Croats, Istrian Italians, Hungarians and Austrians, among others. Bearing all of this in mind and turning our thoughts to the central concern here on Enotheque, I would like to recommend this wine from the Gori?ka Brda region. Aside from being one of the wines I?ve been enjoying recently, I chose to post on it because I strongly feel that it?s indicative of the impressive quality-value dynamic that importers and retailers could benefit from should markets seem more receptive to the artisan wines of Slovenia.
Even if one is already familiar with the Colli Orientali of Friuli?sRibolla Gialla, the Slovene version, Rebula, is more than worth trying. As a whole, Slovenia and the Gori?ka Brda produce white wines of impressive caliber, be it from more distinctly regional varieties or others introduced from abroad: Briski Tokaji, Teran, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sivi Pinot, Pinela, or Rebula for that matter. In terms of this one, vintner Matjaz Cetrtic farms Rebula on wide, terraced limestone vineyards, purposefully limiting yields to ensure lush, concentrated and nuanced wines. My notes follow for the 2004 Matjaz Cetrtic Ferdinand Rebula Brda:
Tasting Notes?
Appearance-wise, this wine is medium gold. The nose is clean and of medium intensity, with highly unusual though pleasantly different aromas of caramelized or burnt orange peel, citrus, flowers and minerals. Strange, delightful palate with just enough lemon acidity, hint of underripe green fruit flavors, minerality in the form of pebbles, as well as the aforementioned burnt orange peel flavor that leads into a nice finish. If in search of something wildly, completely different, I wouldn?t doubt to reach for more Slovene wines such as this Cetrtic Rebula.
As a closing note, should the unbelievable degree of complexity in tiny Slovenia?s food and wine heritages impress you and compel you towards further learning, visit the culinary section of what appears to be their official tourism portal on the web.
Here is a really fantastic recommendation for those of you who may already enjoy Austrian whites, as this wine has the capacity to detonate or reignite even the faintest bystander?s interest in Grüner Veltliner. If you have had Grüner and did not think much of the variety, I highly recommend giving Hofer?s an honest chance.
The label on this favorite of mine, in the spicy-white category, reflects Austria?s recent experimental appellation system of DAC?s, standing for the Latin, Districtus Austriæ Controllatus. Notwithstanding the seemingly imposing, archaic or superficially impressive appellation name (depends how you wish regard it), the crucial element to consider here is that Hofer?s wines are crafted seriously, so enjoying them turns out to be quite effortless. This Grüner sees time in stainless steel and is sourced from their Freiberg site in Weinviertel, one of Austria?s largest and most significant wine producing regions, in the northeast of the country. Should organic wines be of interest to you, Weingut Hofer belongs to Bio Ernte, a group whose producers operate on slightly different, some would argue higher, organic cultivation and production standards than even those dictated by say, the EU.
My notes: Pale, clear and golden. Clean nose with lovely stone fruit, spice, as well as mineral and floral elements. The palate is dry, with fresh, zesty lime acidity and slightly Riesling-like stone fruit, rocky minerality and spicy white pepper. These flavors, particularly the great peach/apricot flavors and white pepper, pervade the aftertaste.
Ever get one of those annoying scam emails asking you to accept stolen credit card numbers and send your product overseas? Who are these scam artists? Who are their victims? Can they be stopped? Dover Canyon Winery has just published a five-part series of articles called Inside a Wine Scam. The series has resulted in FBI subpoenas for the operators accepting money transfers at a remote location in Oklahoma. In a surprising twist, the 'front man' for the scam may herself be a victim of 'work from home' fraud.
I picked up a nice bottle of good cheap wine: Purple Moon Shiraz from Trader Joe’s. This wine, made in Manteca California, was a pretty typical Shiraz with an atypical price tag. For only $3.99, this turned out to be one of many fantastic selections I made at Trader Joe’s.
I enjoyed this Shiraz with some Trader Joe’s Mild Fresh Salsa… boy! What a match!
It was dark plum in color and lots of fruit, the “dry Shiraz” fans that sampled this wine with me loved it. I enjoyed it at a perfect 54 degrees F, so that may have enhanced my enjoyment of this cheap wine. Now, when I usually write a post I research it on the internet. Aside from some web-spam, this cheap wine didn’t show up at all. Well, I feel this wine deserves some more publicity, so here it is!
Would buy again, without doubt. Stay tuned for my full tribute to Trader Joe’s (and Charles Shaw AKA Two-Buck Chuck)!
Has anyone else tried this? Has anyone been able to get it from places other than Trader Joe’s? Rating: 8/10 Price: $3.99 Place of purchase:Trader Joe’s
Part of becoming a connoisseur of cheap wines is knowing where to look for them. I’ll share with you one of my little secret places I attempt to seek out cheap wine: the “Reduced for Quick Sale” shelf at your local supermarket. At Meijer, my local super-mega-ultra-store, this shelf is usually located in the bottle return area. Not a very pleasant place to be searching for wines, but just think of it as a treasure hunt! You may find a bounty of cheap wines that you never knew existed.
While picking over the wines yesterday, a cartoon label caught my eye: Big Daddy Vineyards Merlot. I picked up the March 2002 vintage for about 6 dollars.
Why was this reduced for quick sale? Was it worth enduring the stench of the bottle return area to bring home this wine? Yes, yes it was. It’s almost sad that this wine traveled all the way from Argentina to end up in my bottle return area.
Big Daddy knows how to make a good cheap wine. Believe it or not, the first attribute of this wine I picked up on was the light hint of bacon. Mmm bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon? Big Daddy loves it, that’s for sure. Look at that belly! On top of the bacon was a strong berry with a leathery taste.
If you’re looking for a full bodied cheap red wine with a lot of character, give the Big Daddy Merlot a try.
Rating: 8/10 - High score for originality Price: 6.00 Place of purchase: Meijer Vineyard Info: Big Daddy Vineyards Mendoza, Argentina www.bigdaddyvineyards.com
You cannot have a better match with a plate of salumi than with this wine. Chill it up a little bit, and start your engines. From the Grasparossa grape, I took a bottle over to a chef from Emilia-Romagna the other day. He has known me for years, but has rarely if ever acknowledged my presence in his world. When I handed the bottle to his son to give to him, you?d think I was his long lost cousin. His eyes lit up, he smiled, he liked me. He really, really, liked me. I owe it all to this friendly little Lambrusco.
Served slightly chilled, it is frizzante, and enters with a burst of slightly under-ripe dark cherry notes. Then the fruit kicks in and there, all of a sudden, you have a party on your palate.
Note: this wine is bone-dry.
Get yourself hooked up with a Lambrusco like this. It takes the snob off the table. It?s subtle and bold, delicate and a romp. It?s a serious wine that laughs at itself. Go get yourself some.
My friend Grace is a scholar of pre-Columbian history, and since I'd gotten my hands on a box of Inca Red Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), I thought it would be a fun opportunity to make a meal inspired by the Incas and incorporating as many traditional ingredients as possible.
The research phase was a little discouraging, as I don't have ready access to llama meat or any of the various critters that swim, fly, or crawl through the Andes. Guinea pigs were a delicacy of the Incas that are still enjoyed today, but I had a feeling that stopping by the pet store to pick up a few of them for dinner would get me thrown out of the store or thrown in jail. So as a compromise, I swung by the International Market at Winchester and Kirby to grab a frozen rabbit. After defrosting I cut the lagomorph into quarters and removed the spine, and dunked all of it in a buttermilk marinade for an overnight soak.
The quinoa (hidden in the shadows behind the rabbit) was cooked with chicken stock and canned tomatoes until tender, and the blue potatoes were roasted in bacon grease with garlic until nice and crispy. Quinoa, or at least this variety, has a flavor and texture right at the intersection of couscous, wild rice, and Russian buckwheat kasha. The rabbit was simply rinsed, dusted with a chili pepper blend, and grilled outside over fire.
For the wine I decided on the 2007 Paso a Paso Verdejo from the La Mancha region of Spain (the name means "step by step"). $11, 13% abv. Great pear and floral aromas with a flavor reminiscent of canned fruit cocktail. That's not an insult--it reminds me of how much I liked the combination of grapes, pears, and cherries as a child. It's slightly off-dry with a round mouthfeel.
Purely by accident I got a nice little rhyme for the title of this post. With the Spanish for rabbit and the name of this grape, I've got Conejo con Verdejo. It rolls off the tongue so well it should have been an entry in my favorite foreign language phrasebook, Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo.
I wanted to leave this post because over the coming days, I'll be completing a move to the UK. Heaven knows by when we'll have broadband and some of the other essential amenities set up, so please bear with me. I look forward to posting again, hopefully in the near future. Turning the spotlight, however, to my more recent current of thoughts... Just how much do I have to look forward to in London, in terms of my wine habit? It would likely be an outrageously long post, though here are some of my thoughts, in brief:
1. I'm very eager to peruse the Oddbins and other shops we may have nearby in central and SW London, hopefully turning up new artisan wines to discover and write about in this venue. Should anyone have any suggestions about some favorite, hidden gem London wine shops, please do not play "keep away" and do e-mail me at enotheque@gmail.com.
2. Another wonderful factor I couldn't count on before was having convenient and relatively inexpensive access (thank you low cost carriers) to any wine region of Europe, should I need to travel for any reason, from personal enjoyment to meeting with client producers.
3. The impressive business hub that is London...Every major trade mission or regional/national wine interest in the world has offices and trade events in London. No more worrying about which event I am able to make or not, be it Chicago, San Francisco, Boston or New York. At most, I will usually be a couple of trains away from an exposition or seminar that I would have otherwise not attended in the U.S. I've been looking over LocalWineEvents.com's London section, but if any locals or otherwise knowledgeable readers have any other suggestions for finding wine-related classes, events, seminars (you name it) in the general London area, I would be very appreciative if you posted a comment or e-mail me.
4. Do I have to mention the cheaper subscription rate for Decanter?
Again, lists really don't do any justice to the dozens and dozens of ideas that propel themselves electrically from my dendrites when it comes to how much fun a wine geek can have in London. For now though, I leave you with a warm, albeit brief goodbye, and a reassurance that I'll soon return for more on artisan wines and the people behind them.
Fall is just around the corner and few wines are more enjoyable when the weather turns cool than Italy's Sangiovese wines. In the video below, Iron Chef Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich discuss how best to pair Sangiovese with food. Take a look:
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by Martin Field Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager 2008 ? around $55 * * * * * A limited 5000 bottle release beer, in individually numbered 750ml bottles, each with a wax seal and a presentation box. The lager is bottle-conditioned, so look for the yeast sediment when pouring. At 9.2 percent alcohol, it is twice as strong as some regular beers. I tasted bottle number 2465: Dark amber in colour, with a nose of malt and toffee along with hoppy high notes. In the mouth, the high alcohol contributes to a thick, velvety, creamy mouthfeel. The long-lasting, complex flavours of malt, hops and a hint of mocha made me wonder where I could get another bottle. They reckon this lager will cellar for ten years or so and I wouldn?t be surprised. A scrumptious drop, which, despite the price tag, will be snapped up by collectors. Chandon Vintage Brut 2005 ? under $39 - * * * A blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier, two years on yeast lees. Very pale, tinged with green, persistent bead. Bouquet shows brioche and lime blossoms and praline. The palate is lip-smackingly crisp and dry showing flavours of baked bread, hazel nuts and a zesty Granny Smith apple finish. A first class aperitif style.
Every year Wine & Spirits magazine hosts a simply fabulous event at which regular old people (read: those not necessarily carrying the title of sommelier, wine director, wine writer or wine retailer) can taste the spoils of some of the best wines recognized that year by the magazine. It's called the Top 100 Tasting - named for the magazine's list of fav wines ranked all year - and this year the banner event looks to be as fabulous as usual. Even better, it's right around the corner:
Last year fatalities resulting from drink-drive accidents fell by 18% according to Government statistics.
[07/23/2006, 04:23]
An Argentine glacier moves back There is in danger the productive region that Argentina and Chile share
A glacier of Argentina, the Upsala, in the southern province of Santa Cruz, moved back almost 13,5 kilometres between 1928 and last year, according to analysis of organizations that study the environment. In 20 years there would be serious problems for the production.
For graficar the process of deterioration of the mass of ice, a photo took from the same place of the one that was taken an image of the glacier in 1928. To simple sight is observed that most of the ice already is not.
The scientists who study the phenomenon of the melting it attribute to the increase of the temperature average of the planet, due to the use of fossil fuels as the petrol and other derivatives of the petrol.
The organizations environmentalists claim Argentina and Chile that political decisions take, since the melting does not affect only the Upsala, but all the big glaciers of the south of the continent.
Also they demand that countries like The United States and Russia, they sign and put into practice Kyoto's Protocol, which almost 120 countries resolved in 1997 to reduce the emission of the gases that raise the temperature of the planet.
These organizations that study the environment demonstrated besides the fact that in some zones of the mountain chain of the Andes, in the frontier zone between Chile and Argentina, also the volume of the glaciers is diminishing. According to experts of the United Nations, if measurements are not taken to reduce the global warming, the glaciers will disappear in 20 years, which will provoke big problems for the productive activities.
Source: Simbolo. Net (# 52) Buenos Aires - Argentina
About two years ago, I headed off to New Zealand for the first time, armed with lots of recommendations from readers that proved very valuable. I discovered a couple of wines that I had not heard of, and dined at a couple of restaurants that were highlights of my trip.
So I'm asking you again, dear readers, for advice.
In two weeks I am headed to Cape Wine 2008, the biennial South African wine festival, with a singular goal: to taste as much darn South African wine as I possibly can in 8 days. Lesser goals include: finding a fantastic Pinotage (some say it can't be done) and scoping out the sparkling wine scene (rumors circulate about up and coming stars).
The South African wine industry has done a huge push for international visibility in the last year, culminating with this event, which will likely be well attended, thanks in part to the recent accolades that many wines received from Decanter Magazine.
There will supposedly be 4000 wines to taste at this event. I feel a bit like a triathelete who hasn't gotten on the bike in six weeks but is staring down the barrel of an Ironman.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Started by First Lady Betty Ford, a breast cancer survivor herself, and her daughter Susan in 1985, NBCAM has made great strides both by increasing early detection of this disease and erasing the stigma that was once attached to it.
A number of pink ribbon products are promoted during October with a portion of the proceeds going to help eradicate breast cancer. One that's particularly attractive for wine lovers is this wine opener and wine glass set from The Wine Enthusiast. The set includes two Riedel Vinum Pink Rose Wine Glasses and the all-in-one lever style Pink Rabbit Corkscrew Kit. Fifteen percent of Riedel's proceeds are being donated to the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Foundation. Five percent of Metrokane's proceeds are being donated to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
To learn more about NBCAM and to download a variety of free material, visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Web site.
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Note to self: Never, under any circumstances, fly cross country in the winter time using Chicago's O'Hare aerostop as your connecting hub. As good as the flight times look on paper, keep in mind, they are pure fantasy. That sweet...
Note to self: Never, under any circumstances, fly cross country in the winter time using Chicago's O'Hare aerostop as your connecting hub. As good as the flight times look on paper, keep in mind, they are pure fantasy. That sweet 45 minute layover from SLC? How's about 4.5 12 hours!? And that snappy 1 hour layover from Ottawa back to SLC? Try 3 hours. Oy veh. I need a drink. And speaking of drinks, can I interest you in a Chiroubles?
G. DuBoeuf Chiroubles 2005 ($10) - Had this wine originated from a more 'serious' French wine region, chances are it would be selling at 3-4 times the asking price. However, seeing as it comes from the immensely under-appreciated region of Beaujolais, you can grab it for ten damn dollars. Chiroubles is one of 10 Beaujolais Crus (i.e. premier growing sites). I might not describe this wine as, "exploding from the glass like a massive bouquet of violets," as Parker-proxy Pierre Rovani does. I would however describe it as an ultrasexy rendition of the Gamay grape - with scents of fresh blueberry and violet-blossom. In the mouth, DuB.'s Chiroubles does it nice and smooth with silky tannins and simple cherry-blueberry flavors. Snatch this wine up forthwith and sip it with a plate of bistro frites.