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A part of the mainstreaming of wine in American culture is the broadening of the types of wine information we consume.
It’s happening slowly, but surely.
Every other industry in the country reports business information intermingled with enthusiast information.
Unfortunately, our popular print wine media, in their focus on lifestyle, have really hampered public awareness in terms of communicating an understanding of the ways and means in which grapes get into the bottle and how that bottle is subsequently delivered to our table.
It’s too bad, too. If a glossy took the time to consistently report on wine in the same manner that any other industry reports on itself, we’d probably be a lot further ahead on key fronts – consumer shipping comes to mind as do distribution issues, amongst many others.
By analogy, if you’re a car buff, do you think the car rags talk about the business of the business? You betcha.
If you’re a coffee buff, you think that the coffee community talks about fair trade and other economic issues? You betcha.
If you’re a locavore-type kitchen foodie, you probably know more about Monsanto and Cargill then you want to.
Is this the case for wine? Generally speaking, no its not.
And, it’s exactly this information morass that impedes knowledge and understanding on issues – issues like what the heck is “Biodynamic” anyways and how is that different from “sustainability” or even “organic.”
Or, “help me understand why exactly my friend in Ohio can get wine shipments, but I cannot?”
Go ahead, ask any random person in your supermarket wine aisle if they understand the three-tier system, wine shipping, or the myriad of other business issues that are bandied about in the industry or on blogs and you’ll get a blank stare.
Based on this lack of awareness, there are precious few wine consumer barbarians at the gate so issues remain fallow in the field.
Not only that, but since issues of transparency seem to be prevalent in all walks of life, it’s not just inevitable, but perhaps manifest destiny that this happens in the wine world, as well.
Let’s hope so.
I’ve chosen to talk about wine business and marketing on this blog because I find it personally interesting, but also because you can see wine slowly but surely catching up with the way other industries are covered.
It’s a natural evolution and plays into a phrase I’ve used at least a half dozen times on this site – I want to know what time it is AND I want to know how the watch is made.
When I first started learning about wine, I wanted to know about the business side, as well. My choices were expensive wine business books used in college enology programs and a subscription to Wine Business Monthly.
In fact, in my Amazon.com review, I noted much of what I am reiterating today:
Starting this book and reading it cover to cover would get a wine novice up to speed and conversant across subject matter that is frequently difficult to penetrate … (this is) a book that every wine lover should read … If you are interested in learning the dynamics and back-story of how and why wine gets to our table in the manner that it does, in a way that is understandable and concisely explained, I cannot think of a better book to help guide you down the path to greater understanding.
Well, it seems that trending is finally happening to the extent that even if our glossies don’t cover these issues, publishers will.
Off press or soon to be printed book titles include:
For each of these books, I offer my good wishes for profitable sales and an increasingly growing awareness amongst wine lovers for the myriad of issues that go into the glass.
Everybody would be better served by an increased and ongoing review of the business issues in wine, just like virtually every other industry.
Or, put simply in marketing terms – let’s give people less sizzle, and more steak.
More Wine Business—Amazon.com Wine Update
According to an article published at TechFlash, a site that extensively covers Amazon.com, Amazon has been inviting select wine industry members for a beta preview of the site the week of June 15th.
Catavino has traveled more this year than ever before, and just when life has settled to a peaceful calm, we’re off again. This past weekend we visited Benidorm, Spain, a place that you should see at least once in your life; not for the wine, mind you, but for the odd combination of location, tourism and the sheer mass of humanity.
We attended the inaugural conference of Road Web TV, and having very little concept of what we were walking into, we were especially impressed by the results of the event. The idea was simple: get everyone related to webtv in Spain in one location and see what happens! What happened was a considerable amount of conversation, brainstorming and networking. It was exciting to see so much fervent energy and creativity around video blogging in Spain, while truly promoting it as a valid and an incredibly affective tool in new media. Thanks to everyone who took the time and energy to make the conference such a success, and if you want to see some videos about the importance of wineries embracing video on the web, make sure to check out our blog at: http://catavino.net/services/blog/
Chardonnay in Rioja
In other news, Chardonnay is now an official variety in Rioja. I personally file this one in the “do I care” category. Rioja, as of late, is still riding the wave on the success of its own name. No innovation, no change, just a move to allow varietals that many wineries have already planted long ago in anticipation that this change would occur. And now that the regulation has passed, all Chardonnay vines that currently exist will make wines for the current vintage, rather than waiting the normal 5 years it takes for a new vine to contribute. This quote is a gem though:
Ricardo Aguiriano San Vincente, director of marketing for Rioja’s Consejo Regulador, told decanter.com: ‘With these new varieties we are trying to make Viura more fruity and fresh as that is what consumers want.’
Have you ever had a Lopez de Heredia white wine? We still have a few bottles of 1989 vintage laying around, and if you try one, you will see that Rioja doesn’t have a problem with its white wines. This wine is amazing, but it takes a long time to make and few people have the patience. Hence, the quote above should read: “With these new varieties, we are trying to avoid having to do any real work to make great wines from the grapes we already produce.” In other words, quality whites from Rioja take effort. Adding Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Verdejo, as well as the native Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, and Turruntés just makes it easier to make commercial wines faster. Then again, bodegas like Tobia and Dinastia Vivianco in recent years have proven that you can make great whites if you have a little patience. Their recent releases have been crowd pleasers and still adhere to tradition.
Catavino Spanish Wine Education Scholarship
Please let us know if you want to enter! Classes start next week in Denver, and throughout the rest of the US following this schedule. We would love to see bloggers, not just wine bloggers, attend this certification, as it is a great opportunity to learn about the wines we adore! To make the deal even sweeter, we’re going to offer a free DeLong Iberian Wine Map to the first person to send in a post for the contest! So make sure to leave a comment and link here to enter! All it takes is a post answering the following: why do you want to learn more about Spanish wine? You can write an article, make a video, take a descriptive picture, or record a podcast. If you can’t find a date that works, please pass on the information to people who you think can! Don’t let this opportunity slip by!
Bodegas Mendoza Tasting
Finally, at the Road Web Tv Conference, we had the chance to participate in a small casual tasting. Bodegas Enrique Mendoza contributed the wines, and we tasted the 2005 Shiraz and the 2004 Santa Rosa. Gabriella and I both found that the Shiraz was either not showing well or had a fault. Our first glass was bitter and acrid, and the second while better, still did not do anything for either of us. That said, the Santa Rosa was very nice, rich and complex, though sadly, we were drinking out of cheap bar glass, so the wines did not have time to breathe. Interestingly, earlier in the day, we also tasted their Chardonnay and a 2008 off-dry Moscatel. The Chardonnay was nice, though a bit austere, and lacking the weight I was I looking for. That said, the Moscatel was a brilliant balance of sweetness and acidity, which combined beautifully with a light perfumey nose. This is a highly recommended treat!
Catavino has always dedicated itself to one primary mission: to educate the world about unique and interesting Spanish and Portuguese wines through our travels in Iberia. However, as Iberia is chock full of fabulous wineries and regions to visit, we’ve only touched the tip of the metaphorical iceberg in our quest to cover the Peninsula. With time, our name and reputation have preceded us, however, allowing us to form strong contacts and new, life-altering friends. One such contact has been with The Wine Academy of Spain. Founded by Pancho Campo, the enigmatic figure who’s Master of Wine title was the first to be granted to a Spanish national, The Academy’s mission is to educate the world, from pole to pole, about Spanish wine. Every year, they hold courses worldwide to educate professionals and journalists on everything from terroir to native grape varietals within Spain. But beyond this, Pancho is also the proud creator of the Climate Change and Wine Conference (see our articles here) and are organizers of the Wine Future Conference, which will be held in November of this year.
This year, Catavino will ensure that the entire Wine Future Conference is streamed online, while obtaining the maximum exposure it possibly can achieve. We also be conducting interviews with many of the participants and live blogging the event in an effort to show the reality of “The future of wine online”. As a result of this opportunity, we met the dedicated crew who are not only making The Wine Future Conference a reality, but who are also the foundation of The Spanish Wine Education programs in the USA. And as a result of this meeting, we’re elated to announce an incredible opportunity for any US based blogger!
Starting on June 12th, the Wine Academy of Spain will begin its 2009-2010 USA tour. Following Catavino’s suggestions, they will give 1 free scholarship per USA city to a blogger. And although the Wine Academy of Spain is on the forefront of education, they are still in the beginning stages of utilizing on-line communication effectively; hence where we come in. Catavino will be responsible for the organization and development of this initiative.
The course itself is a 3 day intensive certification course on the major Spanish Appellations, climates, soils, history, wine styles, grape varieties, etc. Each course will allow you to taste over 50 wines - including sherry and cava, provide you with a solid education foundation, and will hopefully incite you with a passion for Spanish wine. And to boot, the top 15 high-scorers, across the USA, will be treated to a week long Spanish Wine Tour covering Spain’s top DO’s.
Catavino is very excited to be able to offer this Scholarship and we hope that many USA bloggers will enter to win a spot! We’ll be announcing the winners early next week; whereby allowing you time to register. Unfortunately, this contest will only be available for all events after the Denver course held this June. That said, if you’re a blogger in Denver who wants to participate, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
To Participate:
you must have a wine, food or travel blog for over 6 months and with a minimum of one post a week
you must write one post answering the following: why do you want to learn more about Spanish wine? You can write a post, make a video, or record a podcast, as long as you post your entry on your blog before June 15th and leave a comment on this post with a link back to your entry.
all entries will be judged by the Wine Academy of Spain and Catavino for originality, quality of content, and for the fun of it, best conversation in the comments section.
winners will be announced on June 20th on Catavino.net
the prize is 1 admission to: The Spanish Wine Education Program - This is a 3-day professional training course on Spanish wines. - This program provides to the participants 2 certifications: “Spanish Wine Educators” and “Certificate on Andalusia and its Wines”. Value: 465 us dollars
you must make absolutely clear in your post which ONE of the following cities you would like to take the course: Houston TX, Chicago IL, Boston MA, New Haven CT, Atlanta GA, Seattle WA, Portland OR, San Francisco CA, San Diego CA, Cleveland OH, Washington DC, New York (only one blogger per city)
Any questions about this contest can be left in the comments below.
We’re elated to offer you this opportunity, not only because we’d love to take this course ourselves, but also because it coincides with our mission to encourage all of you to continually break out of the norm and try wines you might not have ever tried in your life. Life is about exploration, curiosity and passion. Even if you wouldn’t categorize yourself as a huge Spanish wine fan, why not challenge yourself to see if maybe, just maybe, this course could change your mind. Go ahead and participate!
Good luck!!
Gabriella and Ryan Opaz
Terms and Conditions: This contest is only good for 1 pass into 1 Spanish Wine Academy Course in each of the specified cities, and does not include food, lodging or transportation to and from the course.
Recently, Ryan and I were inspired by both Lenndevours and Spittoon, two wine blogs on either side of the vast Pacific Atlantic, for creating simple and straight-forward articles on wines they’ve tasted, and at times, just haven’t had the opportunity to share with others. Due to a large quantity wine notes slowly slipping through the cracks and not seeing the light of day, we’ve decided to follow suit, by also sharing wines we’ve tasted, despite the fact that we may not have visited either the winery or the region. Consider these little breathers away from our normal mammoth-sized educational posts. When possible, we’ll try to include some information on the wines availability and any relevant facts that came through in the press releases that accompany them.
A few weeks ago, we were sent two wines from a winery located in Begues, Spain, not 15 miles south of Barcelona called, Montau de Sadurní. Descendents of the Sadurní family - possible namesakes of the Cava capital, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia - the winery has been makign wine wine since the 15th century, evolving from a bulk wine producer into a private label winery. Currently, they are producing 3 labels: Arrels de Montau de Sadurní, their mid-range line composed of blends; Senor de Montnegre is made up of younger fruit-forward wines; and their high-end line called, Mantau de Sadurní, featuring two Gran Reserva cavas.
We had tried both the 2004 Arrels de Montau de Sadurni Crianca and their Gran Reserva Brut Nature. Made from 100% Chardonnay, the Crianca (or Crianza), oddly enough, did not list a vintage anywhere on the bottle or cork. According to the tech sheet, however, it was a 2004 vintage fermented in stainless steel and aged for 6 months in oak. For me, the wine gave off a brilliant pale golden color with a funky savory nose laced with bright aromas of green grass and herbs right after a rainstorm. In the mouth, the wine shows tame but integrated acidity with a medium body and medium short mature pear and light wood finish. Summed up by Ryan, “Not an explosive wine, but nice and simple.” Neither of us would rush out to buy this.
The Gran Reserva Brut Nature, on the other hand, was incredible, showing tiny vivacious bubbles which dance in a dark golden brew. While Ryan found more expressive lemon and citrus notes on the nose, I found it to be yeasty with hints of caramelized honey, musty cellar, raw almonds and butterscotch. In the mouth, this is a toasty and rich with loads of lemon and citrus notes. Full and complete, we really enjoyed this wine for its overall balance, medium acidity and medium short finish of mature ripe apple and bread notes. Worth checking out and would make a great start to any “rooftop bbq”!
I would highly suggest checking out their blog as well, as they not only publish regularly, but also write in German, English and Spanish - a rarity in Spain.
It is rare that you see mainstream critics write about so-called “industrial wines” and most unusual when they actually say good things about them. So I was surprised to see Wine Spectator critic Jim Laube blog about an $8 California Pinot Noir a couple weeks ago. Naturally I was curious to taste the wine myself and see how close my experience would be to Mr. Laube’s. The wine in question is from the Cecchetti Wine Company marketed under the RedTree brand. I picked it up on the end-cap at my local wine store for $5.50 on sale.
I am somewhat familiar with RedTree from their Zinfandel I tasted recently. You don’t often see Zin in the less than $10 range so when I see a new entrant I try it to see if they will be giving Ravenswood a run for their money in this price category. Sorry to report that the RedTree Zin didn’t live up to expectations with over ripe blackberry fruit overwhelmed by alcohol (listed at 14.5% ABV but likely over 15%). So how could their Pinot be anything other than a light generic red wine?
I’m not sure how they did it but the 2008 RedTree Pinot Noir is an unbelievable value at the less than $6 I paid for it on sale. Even at $12 this wine would give Mark West Pinot some serious competition. Darker than most Pinot, the wine smells like you would expect with strawberry and red cherry fruit with just a hint of the earthiness associated with Pinot. Red cherry and strawberry fruit flavors complete the package finishing with supple tannins. Surprisingly correct varietal character for a Central Valley wine.
12.5% ABV Screw Cap closure Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
My buying advice is to pick up a bottle yourself and then get a case or two if you concur (my retailer had a mail-in rebate for case purchases). I don’t expect to see the same value in the next release but will definitely give it a try next year. In the meantime I’ll be buying some Petite Sirah to see if the Zin was a fluke or trend with heavier bodied reds. They also make a Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.
It's not a huge leap from veterinary medicine to winemaking, and that leap is made even shorter when you're enrolled at UC Davis which happens to be the top school in the nation for both. Dan Lee initially thought he wanted to work with animals, but a few courses as electives during his vet school tenure were enough to convince him to immediately enroll in the Enology program as soon as he finished his undergraduate degree.
While he still loves animals, Dan hasn't looked back, graduating and continuing on to become a winemaker for Jekel and Durney (now Heller Estate), all the while plotting to start Morgan Winery. In 1982 he and his wife Donna celebrated their inaugural vintage with the release of a Chardonnay and since then have been making a wide variety of high quality wines with fruit sourced from other vineyards, and starting in 1999, with fruit from their own vineyard, the "Double L."
With the maturation of their estate vineyard, Lee switched to focus exclusively on Monterey County fruit as well as to completely organic farming at the estate. Winemaker Gianni Abate also came aboard, fresh from a career as winemaker at some of the country's largest wine companies, including Bronco, Delicato, and Robert Mondavi Winery, allowing Lee to assume the title and responsibilities of "Winegrower."
After more than 25 years, the Morgan portfolio includes nearly 30 wines, including those produced under the second label "Lee Family Farm." Lee has been making this Metallico Chardonnay for the last 7 years, with fruit primarily from the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County. The bulk of the grapes come from the winery's estate vineyards along with their neighbors, the Lucia Highlands Vineyard.
The grapes for this wine are crushed from whole clusters into stainless steel fermenters that are cooled to make sure the fermentation takes place slowly and in a controlled fashion. After the primary fermentation, the wine is racked into neutral, three-year-old oak barrels and is not put through a secondary malolactic fermentation (one of the chief sources of the buttery qualities of most California Chardonnays). It is aged for several months in these barrels on its fine lees (the yeasty sediments that fall to the bottom of the barrel) which are stirred to give the wine more body.
Unoaked Chardonnay is a wonderful invention as far as I am concerned. I think I had my first such wine in Australia about a decade ago, and fell in love with Chardonnay all over again. While it doesn't achieve the profundity of some of the great white Burgundies, unoaked Chardonnay from the New World preserves some of their most appealing characteristics: crisp, pure fruit coupled with a nice minerality, usually accompanied by great acidity. More versatile than their heavily-oaked brethren, these wines are yet more proof that anyone swearing off Chardonnay on principle is really missing the boat.
Tasting Notes: Light gold in the glass, this wine has a lively nose of crisp apples and unripe pears, with a hint of guava. In the mouth it is crystalline in quality, with restrained lemon curd, cold cream, green melon, and wet slate flavors that slide refreshingly across the palate. A hint of buttered sourdough toast creeps into the finish, which, like the rest of the wine can only be characterized as refreshing.
Food Pairing: I had this wine with a crab, tomato, and watercress terrine, and while most Chardonnays would have been a little heavy for the dish, this wine was a great match.
Perhaps some of the most interesting wines in the world are made by cranks, crackpots, and wackos -- iconoclasts that keep time to their own secret rhythms and make wine in ways that often make sense only to them. You might say that I'm a collector of such wines and winemakers, in the same way that young boys collect baseball cards.
And today I'll add another to my growing menagerie of eccentric visionaries that make extraordinary wine. François Blanchard is a jazz musician who one day found himself the owner of his family's (somewhat decrepit) wine estate and decided that there was music to be made with its ancient vines.
The Blanchard family estate, known as Chateau Perron, sits on the Touraine plateau in the Loire valley southwest of Chinon, and was farmed by several generations of his family as far back as the mid 19th century, until it fell into disrepair several years ago. The young Blanchard found himself the sole heir to the family's once prosperous farm and without much of a plan, decided to restore the estate to its former glory.
Or something like that.
What Blanchard actually did was simply to install a little electricity, patch up a few of the biggest holes in the walls, and start giving a little love to the ancient Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc vines that poked up out of the weeds around the old stone chateau.
The weeds still carpet the fringes of the chateau, and run through the 30+ year old vines, mowed only occasionally in between the rows when necessary. Blanchard remembers a time when the family farm employed nearly seven people, but for the past six years he has been the sole farmer and winemaker, and continues feel his way through with no training whatsoever. That hasn't kept him from making the whole operation Biodynamic, nor has it kept him from making some exceptional, unique wines.
Blanchard seems to apply his jazz musician's sensibility to the way he produces wine. Everything unnecessary is removed, stripping the process down to its bare essentials, and then improvising using the most raw of materials.
The grapes are hand harvested, mostly by Blanchard, his girlfriend, and some occasional volunteers. They are crushed by foot, and then the reds are fermented in cement and the whites in steel, with only native yeasts, and they are left to take as long as they need. Blanchard avoids the use of sulfur dioxide whenever possible (only occasionally needing to add it to the wine) and all filtration or fining. The wine is handled as little as possible, and when it is moved, it is done so by gravity without any mechanization. The wines are also bottled by hand, and closed however Blanchard sees fit -- in the case of his white table wine, with a crown cap and wax capsule.
This particular wine is bottled with a cork, but it is bottled in 500ml bottles that are normally reserved for dessert wines. Blanchard's reason for doing this? Apparently so that 300 more people could have a bottle of it. When the production is only 1300 bottles, that does makes a certain amount of sense.
And the name for this little package of old vine Cabernet Franc? Like many of his wines, this one was named for Blanchard's sense of the melody it sings. Part violin, part cello, part high astronomical notes of satellite. But most importantly, 100% unique and tasty.
Tasting Notes: Inky garnet in color, this wine has a nose of nut skin, wet leaves, iron filings, and cedar aromas. In the mouth it is dark and loamy, with rich wet earth, black cherry, cedar, and nutty qualities that are held in suspension by a beautifully balanced acidity and velvety tannins. The fruit core of this wine is dark -- pitch dark -- and strangely both ripe and earthly bitter at the same time. A long finish accentuates the acid of this wine, and speaks to its longevity. I have had a bottle corked in my refrigerator now for 12 days and it still shows little sign of oxidation, meaning that this sucker will no doubt age for many, many years.
Food Pairing: I've now had the chance to try this wine with a number of dishes, and it went particularly well with a coriander crusted grilled lamb chop that we had the other night.
Overall Score: around 9
How Much?: $20
This wine is sadly quite difficult to come by here in the United States, due to the small production levels that Blanchard maintains. I purchased my few bottles from Garagiste in Seattle.
The wine reviews below are based on the following scale:
XXX = Exceptionally Cool
XX = Fo' Shizzle (Highly Recommended)
X = Gets It Done (Recommended)
No that’s not a typo. There are wineries in North Carolina. Really. More than 21 of â€em. And thank God. I was in Durham visiting my father and needed to write the trip off.
To expedite matters I emailed a local wine writer/friend in Durham to get a better idea on who/where to visit. He gave me the “fab four” as they’re known locally. I contacted said four wineries, and three decided it was worth their time and effort to actually email me back. So here’s your itinerary for your one day in NC wine country:
Start at Childress Vineyards. Not too early. Time it so you can taste, tour and then eat lunch in their deli/restaurant that overlooks the wine cellar. If the name (Childress) sounds familiar it should. It’s owned by Richard Childress of auto racing fame. (The guy’s got his own museum forchristsakes!) Anywho, the winery could easily be transplanted to Napa Valley. Normally that’d be an insult (to the winery), but it’s a beautiful facility complete with large tasting room (read: tchotsky emporium) and comfortable deli/restaurant.
Here are the wines to look for:
X Childress
2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Barrel Select $19
Clean, crisp and floral, nice balance and nice finish.
X Childress
2005 Chardonnay
Barrel Select $15
Nice fruit, good balance and a touch of butter and oak.
X Childress
2005 Chardonnay
Reserve $20
More butter and oak than above, but still has nice, crisp acids and a nice lingering finish.
X+ Childress
2006 Riesling
Barrel Select $19
Off-dry, classic riesling aromas and flavors, and a decent lingering finish.
XX Childress
2006 Sangiovese
Ginani Vineyards $17
Nice spicy red fruit, a decent amount of oak/wood, and real character on the finish.
X Childress
2005 Cabernet Franc
Barrel Select $17
Nice red and black fruit, light earth, some floral elements, and a lot of oak which makes it sticky on the finish.
X+ Childress
2005 Cabernet Franc
Reserve $25
More concentrated than the barrel select, a bit chalky though and a little sticky on the finish. Needs time.
X Childress
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Barrel Select $17
Straight forward cab, with clean fruit and a nice finish.
X Childress
2005 Merlot
Barrel Select $17
A bit more character than the cab – more spice – with hints of celery in the smooth finish.
X+ Childress
2004 Syrah
Barrel Select $17
Good black and blue fruit, some spice and a velvety lingering finish.
XXX Childress
2006 Late Harvest Viognier
Select Berry $25
Very icewine-like, concentrated, silky smooth and a wonderful lingering finish.
After lunch, head west/northwest to Westbend Vineyards. In contrast to Childress, this is a quaint setting with more European-style wines.
Now… Westbend wines are very European. I’m not crazy about European wines (read: earthy, not fruit forward). I’m a new world palate kinda guy. So there’s not a whole lot I can honestly say I liked here. BUT WAIT. If you like Euro-centric wines – and there are a number of you who do – please go to Westbend and try their wines. And don’t skip the Port. It’s pretty tasty.
Last, but not least, head south to RayLen Vineyards. A marriage of Childress and Westbend, the facility boasts a comfortable tasting room and scenic views from its porch.
Here are the wines to try at RayLen:
X RayLen
2005 Chardonnay
No Oak $12
Fresh fruit, crisp acids and a nice lingering finish.
X RayLen
2005 Chardonnay
Barrel $14
No overly oaky (which is nice), a bit more concentrated than above, and a nice crisp finish.
RayLen
2006 Chardonnay
SMV $15
I only mention this wine because there are a lot of you that still think chardonnay should taste like oak and butter. Get over it!
X RayLen
2006 Shiraz $12
Nice black and blue fruit, some smoke, and a bit sticky on the finish.
X RayLen
2005 Merlot $13
Red fruit, plum, a little woody, with a nice round body and finish.
X RayLen
2006 Merlot $13
A bit more intense than above, but still still and chewy on the finish.
X RayLen
2006 Cabernet Franc $15
Nice fruit, a little stiff and a bit chalky on the finish. Needs time.
X+ RayLen
2006 Category 5 $18
Best wine in the group: ripe fruit, smooth body and soft lingering finish.
Vintage Note: Quality of vintages from 2004+ get better with each year (excluding 2008). So check it out for yourself. See if you agree with the winemakers.
When in Lexington, you gots ta stop at a barbecue restaurant in town. Unfortunately, most only serve sweet tea. The exception: The Barbecue House which serves beer and wine.
Mocksville
Ketchie Creek
844 Valley Rd
Mocksville, NC 27028
(336) 751-9147
If you happen to dwell in the land of hard copy, check out the current issue of Salt Lake Magazine. Whilst neglecting Basic Juice in cyberspace, I have been nurturing it in the world of print. Alas, I am still struggling to multitask.
For those who eschew paper, have a look at the extended, 'Author's Cut' of the article below the fold.
This I Sip
Chances are you’ve read many a wine article wherein the author recommends a particular bottle or two. What exactly does one do with such recommendations? Do you accept them on blind faith, dutifully seek out said bottles and schlep them home? Of course you do! We all do. Everyone trusts and accepts expert opinions on all manner of topics – movies, restaurants, music and, of course, wine. However, there comes a time when one realizes that expert opinions on matters of taste, are essentially just that – opinions. For example, recall the last time you sat through a painfully bad, critic-recommended film and thought, “I’ll never follow that guy’s advice again.” Experts and critics may know more about their specialty than you, but your tastes may be dramatically different. Taste, particularly when it comes to wine, is exceedingly personal. An expert may guide you in a general direction, but the final arbiter of taste, is you and your palate. The take home message is this: It pays to know a wine critic’s palate before plunking down 10/20/30 bucks for a bottle you may very well despise.
Over the coming months, I will recommend hundreds of wines in this space. Some you will adore, others may be consigned to the dubious category of “cooking wine.” However, I will always do my best to explain what I like about a particular wine. I will open my mouth - as it were - and attempt to expose every nook and cranny of my wine palate. I don’t expect readers to employ oeno-faith and blindly follow my recommendations. Rather, at some point, I hope our tastes connect and a wine idea put forth in this column, yields exciting discovery and fond memories. So, in lieu of a personal introduction, allow me to introduce my wine palate, in two parts. This, I sip – the whites.
Acquiring That Taste: Aveleda Vinho Verde NV, $8; Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Crianza 1995, $25; Feudo Arancio Grillo Sicilia 2005, $9
Cheap and Cheerful: Saint M Riesling 2005, $10; Segura de Viudas Brut Cava, $9; Santa Julia Torrontes 2006, $7
Naughty, Naughty: Kalin Cellars Chardonnay Cuvee LD 1995, $33; Twisted Oak Viognier, $26; Pine Ridge Chenin Viognier 2006, $12
Coming in Part II, I introduce a few of my preferred, palate-pleasing red wines.
The Reds coming in Part 2
Business in the Front, Party in the Back
I Lost 2 Pounds! Let’s Gain it Back
My Imaginary Smoking Jacket
Comments/Questions: Email Beau at beau@basicjuice.com Find more wine ideas at basicjuice.blogs.com
Imagine a corner of Italy where rice is as commonplace as pasta. Where you can visit a university of gastronomy and a university for truffle-hunting dogs all in the same day. Windsurf a secluded lake, mountain bike old Roman trails, hot-air balloon above vineyards, or test the powder on an Olympic-quality ski run. And through it all, taste some of the flat-out finest food and wine anywhere.
Welcome to Piemonte. Meaning “foot of the mountain,” and tucked in between the Italian Riviera and the Alps of France and Switzerland, Piemonte (pyeh-MOHN-teh) has aptly been called Italy’s “green treasure chest.” Home of Barolo and Barbaresco wine, wild boar and venison, butter and cheese, and the “Holy Grail of cuisine” – the white truffle – this prosperous province offers something for everyone, every month of the year.
The Truffle Shuffle
They may look like mutant potatoes, but white truffles rank among the priciest and most sought-after foods on the planet. Finding them – in the woods, underground, in the dead of night – involves a keen-nosed mongrel dog and arcane lore (including moon phases) passed down from father to son. Every trifolau (truffle hunter, in Piemontese dialect) guards his best spots like secret fishing holes. No wonder – the prize fungi fetch stratospheric prices (a 1.2-kilo giant recently brought more than $120K at auction, and even ordinary ones can cost hundreds).
For 25 euros you can taste what the fuss is all about. While you watch, one stately gentleman shaves tissue-thin truffle slices over a pair of sunny-side-up eggs; another pours you a big glass of Barolo from magnum. (This is Breakfast of Champions Piemonte style!)
Around the bend, past fragrant heaps of porcini mushrooms, the trifolai themselves display their finds. If you buy a truffle to bring home, keep it dry and cool (some suggest packing it in dry rice) and use it as soon as you can. (Oh, and it will perfume everything in your suitcase.) Or avoid the hassles by getting bottles of truffle oil instead – it’s available year-round, it keeps for months, and a few drops go a long way. (Tartufi Morra, in Alba, is a great source for all things truffle.)
Drinks
Move over Chianti, make way for the world-class reds, whites and sparklers of Piemonte. They’re varied, versatile, and supremely food-friendly, with a history that traces back to Etruscan times (~800 B.C.). From the castle-studded Langhe and Roero regions to the Alpine foothills, here are a few of the best.
Arneis: A dry, fragrant, food-friendly white with great acidity and clean flavors from stainless-steel aging. Great with freshwater perch from the lake district or trout from the mountain streams.
(Cortese di) Gavi: Dry and crisp; an ancient varietal with DOCG (Italy’s highest) status. Try it with a fritto misto (“mixed fry”) of freshwater fish.
Chardonnay: Piemonte’s cool hillsides make for a balanced, fruit-driven chard, usually with little or no oak. A natural with buttered tajerin (fresh, thin-sliced egg noodles) and local game birds such as quail and pheasant.
Moscato (muscat): Made dry, sweet or sparkling, the highly fragrant moscato shows ripe, honeyed fruit-and-floral aromas. Great with hard-to-pair foods, and as a lower-alcohol afternoon sipper. Moscato passito, a hyper-sweet version, is made by raisining the grapes, either on the vine or in the winery. And love it or loathe it, the muscat-based Asti Spumante is hard to beat with Piemontese hazelnut cake, or with cheese and cogna’ fruit chutney.
Alta Langa, a fairly new DOC (regional appellation), produces metodo classico (Champagne-styled) dry sparklers, primarily from chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.
Dolcetto: Medium-bodied and dry despite its name. Soft tannins, forward fruit and reasonable price make it an easy-drinking intro to Piemontese reds. A good partner for a sampler plate of local cheeses.
Barbera: Piemonte’s most popular everday red; quality has vastly improved in recent years. Bring it on a vineyard picnic or team it with Piemonte’s garlicky staple, bagna caoda (see recipe).
Nebbiolo: When produced without much barrel aging, this varietal is fresh and lively, with medium body and berry-spice flavors. It’s easy-going enough for a rustic lunch of bread, aged sheep cheese and wild boar sausage; heady enough to take on braised veal or wild hare at dinner.
Barolo and Barbaresco: Big and burly, both made from the nebbiolo grape, they’re aged for up to three years in oak and can develop in bottle for decades. Locals call them the “king and queen” of Piemontese reds and serve them with the region’s heartiest fare including venison, risotto with porcini, and anything with white truffles. Barolo Chinato, seasoned with botanicals such as quinine bark, juniper and rosemary, makes a potent after-dinner digestivo.
Piemonte Producers
Many wineries are open to the public for tours and tasting; others require an appointment. In addition, most restaurants and bottle shops feature a wide range of wines from the entire region. Here’s a sampling:
Aldo Conterno
Bruno Giacosa
Castello Banfi
Ceretto
Fontanafredda
Gaja
Gancia
Gianni Gagliardo
Michele Chiarlo
Pio Cesare
Prunotto
Renato Ratti
Sandrone
Vietti
Eats
Fonduta – Piemonte’s alpine fondue, made with fontina cheese and often stirred into risotto. For a high-ticket version, shave white truffles on top.
Agnolotti del plin – Ravioli stuffed with veal, pork, spinach and nutmeg; often topped with sage butter.
Riso (rice) – Many varieties (look for short-grain “Vialone Nano” or black “Venere”). Piemontese risotto recipes vary from the salami-studded Panissa of the northeast to the wine-country mainstay, Risotto al Barolo.
Carne Cruda – Piemonte-style steak tartare; made with beef or veal and dressed with olive oil and lemon.
Bollito misto – “Mixed Boil” tastes much better than it sounds. Assorted long-simmered meats (some recipes include a pig’s foot and calf head along with the veal breast, capon and cotechino sausage) and seasonal vegetables.
Manzo Stufato – Braised beef, with varied seasonings such as bay leaf and nutmeg.
Tartufo Bianco: The white truffle, “Jewel of Piemonte,” tastes best as a last-second topping for simple hot foods such as eggs, buttered pasta and risotto. Shave it as thin as possible (a special tool is available locally) to release its musky, earthy aromas. Learn more at a 90-minute class in the sensory analysis of the truffle’s elusive aromas, or join the fourth-generation rector of the University of Truffle Dogs, and his ace sniffer “Lady,” on a simulated truffle hunt.
Cheeses
Piemonte produces a huge variety of cheeses. The intense, blue-marbled Castelmagno is often stirred into fresh pasta or gnocchi. Caprino, made from goat’s milk, is tangy and creamy when young; denser and punchier as it ages. Murazzano, a sheep cheese from the Langhe region, has its own festival in August. Bettelmat, from the lake district, gets its distinctive flavor from an aromatic local grass that the cows feed on. Melt some Fontina for a classic après-ski fonduta; slice some firm Toma, creamy Taleggio, or nutty, rich Robiola over hot polenta. Families who make their own cheeses often dry-age them to various stages of hardness and pungency, and also cure them in olive oil with wild or garden herbs.
Sweets
Bonet: Caramel-cocoa custard, usually served cold.
Giandujotti: Mini foil-wrapped chocolate-hazelnut confections, reportedly invented by Napoleon when chocolate supplies were low.
Torta di Nocciole (Hazelnut cake): Made with or without cocoa powder, cinnamon and orange peel, it stars Piemonte’s famous and flavorful tonda gentile (round and friendly) variety of hazelnut.
Frutta: Piemonte’s fruit ranks among Europe’s finest. Try fresh summer strawberries or peaches soaked in Moscato, with some crunchy brutti ma buoni (ugly but good) mini-biscotti. Ciliege al Barolo (wine-marinated cherries), on menus in season, are also available in jars. Madernassa pears (an ancient local variety, recently saved from extinction) are wonderful as is, stewed with spices, or distilled into grappa. (The agricultural cooperative at Cascina del Cornale sells these and more.)
Caffe’ Corretto: Cuppa joe, wine-country style, served even at breakfast: splash in some red wine to “correct” the coffee’s bitter edge.
Where to Eat
Ristorante Elvezia, in the town of Stresa on Lago Maggiore. Try the lake fish “in cartoccio” (cooked in parchment)
Gianni Gagliardo in La Morra. Restaurant features truffle menus in season; adjoining winery. Vintner Gagliardo founded and hosts the annual Barolo Auction.
Piola on the town square in Alba. Cozy trattoria owned by the winemaking Ceretto family, featuring their wines. Great house-made ravioli.
Belvedere, on the hilltop in La Morra, for agnolotti, wild game and a spectacular view of the Langhe wine country.
La Contea, in Neive. Traditional Piemontese specialties, with home-cured meats, fresh-made egg pasta, game birds, and truffles in season. A “Buon Ricordo” restaurant: you get a hand-painted souvenir plate when you order the specialty of the house.
Combal.Zero for cutting-edge food and presentation, next to the ancient Rivoli castle near Torino. Innovative chef-owner Davide Scabin puts “ingredients together in an unusual way: semi-solid soups, semi-liquid pizzas, cyber-eggs.” (These last come with white helium balloons attached, which make for unique after-dinner conversation…) He numbers each version of a dish “like a new edition of software” – Albese 2.4, for example, for his Alba-style veal recipe.
Golosi di Salute in Alba. Gorgeous pastries and confections with a health-conscious twist. Just ask, and they’ll steer you toward dairy-free, yeast-free, or sugar-free options. Must-try: the butter-free croissants, enriched with extra-virgin olive oil.
Caffe’ Florio, an elegant Torino landmark, since 1780. It’s said that Garibaldi planned the future of Italy here. Renowned for gelato, especially the hazelnut-chocolate gianduiotto.
Where to Stay
Lake district: Hotel San Rocco in Orta San Giulio – A former convent, with ancient stonework, beamed ceilings, updated rooms. Lakefront indoor-outdoor dining (chef Paolo Viviani won top prize in the ’06 “Rice Olympics” chef competition), great lake and mountain views. Hit the nearby shops for picnic supplies or foodie souvenirs: varietal rice, dried porcini mushrooms, multicolored pasta ribbons.
Torino: Hotel Santo Stefano – Sleek and contemporary. Its modern brick façade, with recessed color-changing LEDs, makes a neat old-meets-new contrast with the nearby Roman arches.
Wine Country: Foresteria Conti Roero in Monticello d’Alba – Up a steep, winding mountain road, this remote, country-elegant retreat started life as a hunting lodge for Piemontese nobility. Great wine list geared to regional specialties at its restaurant, Conte Roero.
Albergo dell’Agenzia in Pollenzo, a four-star hotel on a Savoy country estate. Each guest room is named for a local wine, and the fitness center features a Turkish bath. The Agenzia also houses the University of Gastronomic Sciences (the first of its kind in the world) and the Wine Bank (a “bottle library” from producers throughout Italy). You can take the Wine Bank guided tour and taste several bottlings from the cellar. Or book the two-day crash course in Piemontese food and wine, which includes wine-themed dinners and tastings at nearby wineries.
Torino – Museums, Shopping and More
Torino, Italy’s capital of contemporary art, offers over 40 museums and outdoor exhibits. Its Egyptian Museum is ranked second in the world, after Cairo, and the Automobile Museum houses a large collection of rare and vintage cars. (If you’re staying for 48 or 72 hours, consider the Torino Card for free public transport, and free or deep-discount tickets to concerts, museums and more. Some hotels even include the Card with a two-night booking.)
For movie buffs, the five-story Cinema Museum, in the Mole Antonelliana (“Italy’s Eiffel Tower”), traces Italian film history from its beginnings in Torino. Charlie Chaplin’s bowler hat is here, along with a shark head from Jaws and an archive of some 200,000 films. An interactive tour leads you through the stages of filmmaking, and spotlights typical movie themes in ten different “chapels.” (In the “love” chapel, reportedly, you lie on red, heart-shaped cushions to watch flicks; in the “humor” chapel, you sit on a toilet.)
Just outside town, the Castello di Rivoli, built for the Savoy royal dynasty, now houses a knockout modern collection in the Museo di Arte Contemporaneo. Along with an extensive permanent collection of Italian and international modern masters, the museum hosts special exhibits (the current show features Claes Oldenburg) of both established and up-and-coming artists.
Throughout Torino’s city center, covered walkways and glassed-in arcades make it easy to shop, snack and people-watch in any weather. The sprawling Porta Palazzo, with over 700 stalls, claims the title of Europe’s largest open-air market, and the former Fiat factory in Lingotto has morphed into a multi-story shopping galleria. (Don’t miss the test track on the roof, overlooking the ’06 Olympic Village.)
For nightlife, head to the wine bars, clubs and dusk-to-dawn discos of the Murazzi del Po, Quadrilatero Romano (Roman Quarter), or Docks Dora in the old warehouse district. Craving a martini? Salute – vermouth was invented here!
Recipe adapted from Seafood Pasta and Noodles, The New Classics by Rosina Tinari Wilson (Ten Speed Press)
Bagna Caoda
Piemontese for “hot bath,” it’s a fondue-style regional specialty featuring assorted raw and cooked vegetables and a rich garlic-anchovy dipping sauce. Add some baguette slices to round out the meal, and to mop up any extra sauce.
Bagna Caoda Sauce
1 cup small whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup olive oil
1 cup butter
1 can (2 oz.) anchovies, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Vegetables
Arrange your choice of seasonal vegetables on a serving platter – raw, cooked or some of each. Examples: carrot and zucchini sticks, string beans, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, green onions, cabbage wedges, radishes, tiny potatoes.
How To
Simmer garlic in olive oil and butter over very low heat (an electric fondue pot is ideal) until garlic becomes very soft and golden, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in anchovies and parsley and keep warm while everyone “bathes” their veggies.
My addiction started innocently enough, through a college job waiting tables at a Japanese restaurant. That's when I had my first sushi buzz. I'm not sure if it was the gorgeous presentation, the sinus-clearing rush of the green horseradish or the sublime flavor of raw fish that sucked me in. Whatever it was, I was hooked.
My obsession didn't stop with this one restaurant. I worked at three more sushi bars after college, while in pursuit of the perfect fix. But even that wasn't enough. I had to learn how to make my own sushi, ending my dependence on Japanese restaurant chefs forever!
I began my sushi-making quest by picking up a bamboo rolling mat and an assortment of sushi fixin's at a Japanese market in San Francisco. Finding a recipe for sushi rice was a bit challenging, but I eventually managed to dig one up in a Japanese cookbook. Over the next year or so I tried making sushi exactly twice -- with disastrous results. Suffice it to say, my sushi wouldn't have looked much different if I'd made it with my foot.
I decided it was time for professional help. Not in the form of a shrink, but rather a two-hour sushi workshop offered by a nearby cooking school.
I happily forked over 70 bucks for the class, certain I'd learn some secret technique that would transform my homemade sushi creations from frumpy fish wads to exquisite culinary works of art. The workshop was held in a smallish room above an upscale kitchen store, outfitted with professional cooking equipment and mirrors above the food prep counter for easy viewing. I took a seat at one of the large round tables scattered around the room and eyed the magical sushi implements set on a plastic cafeteria lunch tray before me: a bamboo rolling mat, sheets of dried seaweed of various sizes, and plastic ramekins filled with crab and pickled ginger. In the center of the table, a communal plate of sliced avocados, Japanese radishes and cucumbers beckoned. Soon, I'd be able to make sushi at home whenever the urge struck -- I could sit in front of the TV nightly, munching tekka maki like it was popcorn!
My fantasy was soon interrupted when the instructor appeared to reveal the secrets of proper ricemaking and sushi assembly. After about an hour of cooking-show-style demonstration, she set a plate of raw fish and a large bowl of rice on each table. Elbow to elbow with my fellow students, I set to work trying to emulate the beautifully prepared sushi on the sample dish at the front of the room.
Fat chance, brother.
Despite my best artistic efforts, my sushi came out looking like some kid had run it over with his bike. The rolls practically exploded as I cut them; my unagi lay flacidly on its bed of rice like a lopsided toupee; my futomaki spilled its guts onto the table like a disgraced samurai committing hara kiri.
After trying in vain to detach the sticky sushi rice from my forearms, shoulders and face, I surveyed the room. To my great relief I was not the only aspiring home sushi chef with mutilated maguro. Some people's sushi looked even worse than mine!
SO WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?
Leafing through my workshop handout sheets I found the answer: 10 years. In Japan, that's how long an apprentice sushi master is required to train before becoming a full-fledged chef. This information made me realize that expecting to make beautiful California rolls after a two-hour sushi workshop is the culinary equivalent of trying to dance the lead in Swan Lake after one ballet lesson. Chances are you're going to fall on your face.
Even if I didn't learn any double-secret sushimaking techniques in class, the workshop did teach me one very important lesson: $50 is a small price to pay for a gorgeous plate of sushi made by real chefs who actually know what the hell they're doing. Get thee to a sushi bar!
WINE WITH SUSHI: Sacrilege or a Perfect Pairing?
There are people out there who'd say that drinking wine with sushi instead of downing Japanese beer or sake is nothing short of blasphemous. Of course, none of those people is me.
Sure, beer and sake are obvious choices at Japanese restaurants, where wine lists are often notoriously lame or nonexistent. But what to drink when at home? For me, that's where the wine and sushi combo makes the most sense. I just order myself a mess of sushi from my favorite raw fish emporium and open up a bottle of whatever I've got lying around the house.
On such occasions I've discovered that wine is actually a better match for sushi than beer or sake. That's because wine has the power to enhance sushi's flavor, while beer and sake simply stand back and let the sushi take center stage. Wine's complexity and inherent compatibility with food take the pairing concept to a higher level.
Although finding a wine to match the combination of delicate raw fish, sweet sushi rice, spicy wasabi and salty soy sauce may seem tricky, it's actually easier than you'd think.
RED OR WHITE?
When choosing the ultimate sushi wine, the old "red wine with red meat, white wine with fish" rule still holds true. Although reds can be wonderful with grilled fish, they tend to overpower the delicate flavor of the raw variety. (If you must have red wine, try something like Beaujolais or a very light pinot noir.)
STYLE
Crisp, clean wines work better with sushi than rich, intensely flavored wines. If there's too much going on in your glass, the sushi's subtle flavor may not be able to compete. Think sauvignon blanc, sparkling wine or a crisp chardonnay from Carneros or Burgundy.
SWEETNESS
Fear not the gewurztraminer. Wines with a touch of sweetness tend to be excellent with spicy foods like wasabi-smeared sushi. Even if you don't normally like sweet wines, you'll be amazed how well they work with sushi.
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Sure, pairing tips are nice, but how well do they hold up in the real world with real sushi? To find out, I recruited a couple of like-minded friends to join me in a little sushi and wine pairing experiment at our local sushi hangout.
In the name of hard-hitting investigative reporting, we sampled seven varieties of sushi with five different wines. Our sushi selection included maguro (tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), spicy tuna roll, sake (salmon), California roll (crab and avocado with fish eggs), Kamikaze roll (yellowtail, scallions and avocado) and unagi (eel). We washed down our sushi delights with a white wine from France's Rhone Valley, a riesling/gewurztraminer/pinot blanc blend from Alsace, a California fume blanc, a California chardonnay and an Italian merlot. (Ain't research tough?!)
Following is a summary of our findings, in order of overall preference:
Riesling/gewurztraminer/pinot blanc blend:
Great with the maguro. The sweetness of the wine cut through the spiciness of the wasabi very nicely. For the same reason, it was excellent with the spicy tuna roll. The wine was deemed "a tasty match" for the hamachi, and everyone agreed it was "wonderful" with the California roll and "excellent" with the Kamikaze roll. The only disappointments were the salmon and unagi. This wine was the clear winner!
Fume blanc:
The wine was a little dry for the maguro, but we loved it with the hamachi. One taster was inspired to remark, "Damn it, that was good!" after trying it with the spicy tuna. It was "excellent" with both the Kamikaze roll and unagi, and "good" with the sake and California roll. This one tied for second place, along with the chardonnay.
Chardonnay:
The chard was good with the maguro and hamachi, but disappointing with the salmon. It matched surprisingly well with the spicy tuna roll, and everyone thought it paired well with the California roll and unagi. The wine was also good, "but not amazing," with the Kamikaze roll.
Rhone white:
This wine was fabulous with the maguro -- refreshing and clean. It also did well with the hamachi and spicy tuna, though these pairings were "nothing to write home about." We all liked it with the salmon, and loved it with the California and Kamikaze rolls. The wine was a bit too dry for the unagi.
Merlot:
This wine was awful with the maguro, but surprisingly good with the hamachi. After sampling it with the spicy tuna, one taster advised, "Don't ever try this at home!" Similar warnings were issued for the salmon and California roll. It was declared "pretty good" with the Kamikaze roll and "excellent" with the unagi, due to the barbecue sauce. Not surprisingly, this one came in last place.
With the exception of the merlot, I'd heartily recommend any of the above wines as great companions for sushi. But then, for sushi freaks and wine geeks like me, even the bad combinations are still pretty damn good.
After years of struggling to prove itself to the rest of the world, it seems the California wine industry has finally arrived. There's no disputing the quality of California wines, and never before have they enjoyed a finer reputation. But at what price?
Somewhere in the uphill struggle to world-class status, the California wine industry lost a very important tradition. The French still have it. Bovine festivals still have it. Even garlic, cherry and apple growers still have it. But when autumn rolls around in California wine country, the folks are left empty-handed. Without representation. Without hope. Without...a queen!
Things weren't always this dark. In the 1950s and '60s, wine queens reigned over the California vineyards like welcome spring showers. Each October, at the California State fair in Sacramento, vintners chose a local lovely to represent them as their queen during National Wine Week. Some queens were blonde, some brunette. Some even studied dramatic arts. All, of course, were beautiful.
For seven glorious days, the newly crowned Vintage Queen would take her position as wine's goodwill ambassador, making appearances at vintage festivals, attending dinners and proclaiming the excellence of California wines. But perhaps the most important duty of the Vintage Queen was posing for stunning publicity photos, personifying the glamour, grace and charm of California wines. Even some 40 years later, the message comes through loud and clear.
It's time for these photographs to charm the world all over again! Let's raise a toast to these lovely ambassadors of the grape and honor their contribution to the success of the California wine industry as it stands today. In fact, why stop there? Let's be the first to shove all the nineties politically correct crap aside and elect new wine queens to lead us proudly into the 21st century!
Long Live The Queens!
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Everything grows large in California, they say! The beautiful 1950 Vintage Queen has the proof, as she playfully prepares to drink a giant glass filled with California Champagne.
The charming 1950 Vintage Queen pauses from her grape picking duties to flash the lucky cameraman a smile.
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Sultry! 1951 Vintage Queen Jeri Miller pauses during the wine grape harvest to adorn her hair with grape clusters. No wonder the grape was America's third ranking tree fruit that year!
Beautiful Jeri Miller, 1951 Vintage Queen, toasts National Wine Week and wonders where she left her house key.
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Diane Bagshaw, 1953 Vintage Queen, wears the traditional grape picking outfit favored by field workers of the day.
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Dee Hardy, 1957-58 Vintage Queen, has a sunny disposition in spite of the grape vine growing out of her head.
The lovely Dee Hardy, a 23-year-old San Francisco dramatic arts student, is pictured here trying to figure out where she left her glass of Chardonnay.
Dreamy Dee Hardy, 1947-58 Vintage Queen, prepares to sip California Champagne while bubbles dance around her head in admiration.
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Wine Queen June Adler reigned over National Wine Week, October 10-17, 1959. She is truly the picture of glamour!
1959 Wine Queen June Adler raises a toast to California wines after a day of hosing down tanks in the cellar.
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Making wine is hard work, but Marilyn Lockway, 1963 National Wine Queen, makes it look easy!
Going against the better advice of my high school English and sex education teachers, this story starts with the climax. For anyone involved in wine, the three months from the end of August until the end of November are both the most exciting and the most frightening of the year. These three months dictate the final say in whether you happily learn that your wines will be served at the White House or whether you become the largest vinegar producer in your neighborhood. These are months of 60- to 80-hour work weeks (and many times more) that on one hand require complete control of the environment around you and on the other hand require you to give in completely to the whims of nature. These are months where all thoughts of family and friends dim in an ever growing purple haze as your sleep deprived mind attempts to reconcile the hundreds or thousands of details that'll make or break the next year of your life. This is Crush.
More specifically this is my accounting of Crush for David Coffaro Vineyards and Winery. This vineyard/winery is owned and operated by (take a big guess here) David Coffaro and I'm his assistant winemaker (i.e. only employee). This is the inside scoop of what we have to do in order to put a prime bottle of vino on your table. David Coffaro Vineyard and Winery consists of 20 acres of grapes that Dave planted in 1979 and a winery building that he's been operating since 1994. We make wines that are big and red; zinfandel, petite sirah, carignane, an "Estate Cuvee" (a blend of the previous grapes plus cabernet sauvignon) and a "Neighbors Cuvee" (our only non-estate wine whose blend changes from year to year). Like a sandblaster to Tammy Faye Baker's face, I hope to strip away the layers of overglamorized marketing rhetoric and highlight the best advice I ever got about becoming a winemaker -- "Don't do it!"
The excitement of crush takes place on two separate but intertwined stages that seem to spin and twist in independent motion. The first of these stages is the vineyard. The 20 acres of vines we grow is minuscule by industry standards (There are certainly vineyards that are smaller but we are definitely of the side of pretty-darn-tiny). The first job we have in the vineyard is to wait for the grapes to turn from a rather pretty translucent pink color into an intense dark purple/black color. This process is called veraison. Once the color changes we're in the picking ballpark and ready to play the game. The second step is doing a large amount of grape sampling from each block of vines. It's amazing how grapes will vary from one small block to another, even if they're only 10-100 feet away. For about a month before the actual harvest, my job is to pick a representative sampling of all the grapes we grow and monitor them for sugar content. In general we're looking for a level of 24 to 25 percent sugar, which we measure as 24 to 25 degrees Brix.
The Brix reading is only the second stage however. Knowing the sugar level lets you know the technical ripeness of the grapes but not their actual flavors. Somewhere in the early to mid-twenties (sugar level), grapes go through an incredible change of flavors that ultimately add to the complexity of flavors in the finished wine. This change can only be determined by tasting the grapes themselves. So during the final week before harvest Dave and I walk through every block and randomly snack on grapes to make sure they have the flavors we want. If the sugars are perfect but the flavors aren't there then we simply wait until they develop before picking. Once they do, Whamo!, it's time to wake up really damn early and pick some grapes!
Harvesting grapes is a demanding and sticky job. The grapes are about 25 percent sugar and as the workers dump their picking tubs into the half-tons bins, grape juice splashes everywhere. It's well worth the effort, however, because I get to drive a really cool tractor. Once the half-ton bins are full they are driven to the winery and weighed. From there they're taken, by forklift, into the winery and the grapes are put through a machine called a crusher/destemmer. Now, agricultural machine manufacturers are not very creative when it comes to naming their equipment. When I say we dump the grapes into a crusher/destemmer you can be well assured that the machine will probably crush (lightly) the grapes and destem then, doing very little if anything else. We then pump the destemmed/crushed grapes (a.k.a. "must") into a one-ton bin (again, no big guess on how much it holds). The must is then inoculated with yeast and the transformation into wine begins. [As a side note I should mention that this is specifically the process for making red wine. White wine is processed in a similar but distinctly different manner. I'll get into the whites later.]
The addition of yeast is technically a winemaking choice and not a requirement. Native yeasts, which accumulated on the grape skins in the vineyard, will naturally transform the grapes into wine. But most winemakers don't trust these native yeast strains for the same reason you don't let your crazy cousin Leroy baby-sit your kids -- you just don't know what might happen and, even though the results might be fine, it's just not worth taking the chance. Yeast contribute four things to the winemaking process: heat, alcohol carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfites. The heat and alcohol produced make it possible to adequately extract the flavors and characteristics from the grape skins (almost all of the character and all of the color of red wine comes from the skins being broken down). Alcohol acts as a solvent that extracts organic compounds in the grape skins and the heat aids in and speeds up the chemical reaction involved in fermentation.
The CO2 has a separate and interesting effect on the fermenting grape skins. As the CO2 is released by the yeast cells it catches in the grape skins and causes them to float to the surface of the fermentation bins. This forms a solid layer of covering the top of the bins like ice on a lake. This layer is called the "cap" and can get so thick in larger tanks that a full-grown person can walk across it without falling through. The cap, however, presents a small problem. Since most of red wine's character comes from the skins, having them separate from the juice during fermentation can be bad. This small problem is solved by either "punching down" or "pumping over" your bins or tanks. Punching down involves taking a stick-like device (a 2x4, garden hoe, etc.) and breaking up the cap while at the same time mixing it with the juice. Pumping over involves hooking up a pump to the bottom of the tank and pumping the juice over the top of the cap. These actions insure that the grape skins have enough opportunity to breakdown into the wine.
We monitor the fermenting bins at Coffaro constantly and record the residual sugar levels and temperatures at least once a day. When our measurements show that there's one percent sugar or less left in the wine we prepare the press. We use what's called a bladder Press (For $200, what item is inside this press?). The bladder press is a long cylinder made up of a perforated screen. We pump the fermented juice and skins into the press and rotate it while inflating the internal bladder. This is such an efficient form of pressing that when we remove the grape skins -- the squeeze-dried skins is now called pomace -- they are dry, warm and flaky. They serve no real further purpose and are dumped back into the vineyard as fertilizer.
The pressed wine is pumped from the press into a selection of barrels that we've pre-chosen dependent on the wine varietal and individual character it exhibits. At Coffaro we use six to 10 different cooperages, with barrels ranging from American, French and Hungarian oak. However, this doesn't mean we make "oaky" wine. Barrels serve two general purposes; the first is storage and aging; the second is imparting flavor. Barrels only contribute oak flavors to wine for the first two-to-three years of their life, then, after that, are considered "neutral." As storage containers they can be used for decades with the proper care. So, although all of our wines are barrel aged, we only use 20-25 percent new oak to contribute delicate oak flavors. (This percentage varies from winery to winery. Some use as much as 100 percent new oak, some don't use any depending on the varietals grown and the style of wine preferred by the winemaker.
Once the wine is in the barrel we inoculate it with a malo-lactic starter. All red wines and most whites go through a process called malo-lactic fermentation (ML). ML is a bacterial process that changes the malic acid that's naturally found in wine (it's the same acid that makes green apples taste tart) and changes it into lactic acid (the same acid found in milk). This process makes reds more chemically stable, and for white wines it adds flavor (i.e. that "buttery" flavor in most chardonnays). Now that this is done both the wine and the winemakers get a chance to take a short break and recuperate before it's time to start the whole process over again.
Next time we'll learn why they call cellar workers "rats."
Check out Brendan's "Harvest Diary -- A week in the life of Crush at David Coffaro Winery" at http://www.coffaro.com.
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
Catavino has traveled more this year than ever before, and just when life has settled to a peaceful calm, we’re off again. This past weekend we visited Benidorm, Spain, a place that you should see at least once in your life; not for the wine, mind you, but for the odd combination of location, tourism and the sheer mass of humanity.
Recently, Ryan and I were inspired by both 
wine store for $5.50 on sale.
