Last week here in Beantown the weather went from gorgeous fall to stormy insanity. In some ways this is a wine buyer’s dream. There’s no other time of year where you can pick wines for the weekly tasting to straddle the warmer/colder, sunnier/rainier line and scratch almost every consumer’s itch. And since there’s so much new juice on the market, we can also introduce our customers to new products. See? There’s always a silver lining (even when you now have a natural swimming pool in the backyard…)!

But I’m jazzed about my topic for this Monday morning musing for another reason, too… remember last week we started talking about fall wine options? Well, for my white wine readers and gourd-lovers out there, I’ve also got some fall love to share!

Alsatian (style) Pinot Gris. Welcome to my happy place.

Let’s start with a few basics. This grape is the genetic mutant of Pinot Noir. It looks almost the same as Pinot Noir (right on down to its leaves) but the grapes have a blue-grey hue. This is where it gets its name. Varietally speaking, Pinot Grigio is the same grape and simply the name used by Italian wine-makers. (This should remind you of the Shiraz (Australia/New World) vs. Syrah (France/Old World) conversation we had a few months back.)

Here’s the thing. I don’t like Pinot Grigio. Don’t get me wrong. I know good quality Italian Pinot Grigio when I find it (so I’m happy to talk about it with those who do dig it), but it’s not my personal bag. I find they are more often too thin and too high in alcohol to meet my palate’s needs. I’m a sucker for bigger, fruitier whites, hence my appreciation of Pinot Gris. The Alsatian climate offers a warm, dry fall that allows the grapes to ripen fully; the grape’s full, ripe sweetness is its tell-tale feature.  What’s interesting is that Pinot Gris has become sweeter and sweeter in recent years, but often wine labels do not indicate any residual sugar remains. The CIVA (Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin d’Alsace) is trying to sort things out for consumers. The folks there are developing a system to help consumers navigate the range of Pinot Gris available, from sweeter to drier. (As you explore styles of Pinot Gris from Alsace, Oregon or elsewhere, be sure to ask your shop’s wine manager what’s what in any given bottle.)

Last week for our tasting we offered our customers a chance to experience the 2007 Helfrich Pinot Gris. For those who know what Alsace has to offer its Pinot Gris consumers, this wine sings true from start to finish. It is not a shy wine, offering a big, floral nose. It is equally rich and full in the mouth with the ripe fruit flavors carrying through to the palate. I was pleased to find the winemaker’s notes accurately suggest the wine also offers a touch of smokey spice. It was a great wine to have at our tasting; many customers were surprised by the wine’s sweeter edge. To me, the citrus and grass notes as well as its acidity impart a tremendous crispness to counter that effect and produce a well-balanced wine.

No surprise, I’m not the only one who is jumping on the Pinot Gris wine-writing bandwagon this fall. Katherine Cole took this topic for a test drive last week, in fact! I highly recommend checking out her musings and taking her up on her suggestions for other great Pinot Gris on the market. Oregon has been a hot bed for awesome Pinot Gris since the 1990′s, with it really catching on in the last several years. Be sure to try a few offerings from that part of the world also as you investigate this versatally-styled wine. And definitely consider popping a cork when you concoct a fabulous dish of squash or pumpkin goodness this fall.

Which Pinot Gris do you fancy? What recipes do you find are great pairings?

I’ve been running from industry tasting to industry tasting the last few weeks, not only tasting the new releases and other new wines available this fall, but also picking up tidbits here and there about what’s what and otherwise on the minds of winemakers, importers, distributors and, of course, consumers. I find it absolutely fascinating to compare these ‘hallway musings’ with what I read on various blog sites and in on-line trade mags. This gives me a sense of whether these conversations are local to the MA/New England market, or if they are more global. Today I can’t help but give you a snapshot of these ruminations, hopefully giving you the chance to be “a fly on the (wine trade) wall”!

The question of the strengthening dollar. I can’t tell you how many folks have asked why wine prices are still high when the dollar is getting stronger (granted, a relative concept). No surprise, it’s on everyone’s mind. I can’t wait myself! Well, in uncertain economic times, no one is more anxious to start sharing the ‘winnings’ than the importers of fine wines from Europe. After all, wine does go sour eventually! If they can’t unload it then they’re the ones who will really be hurting. The thing is, the wine already on shelves is wine that was purchased when the dollar was particularly weak. I think we’ll see things start to turn around soon enough, though. Dr. Vino seems to have the same take. Importers are eagerly biding their time, waiting for the wares they are now buying overseas (at a better price) to come to market here in the U.S.. Check out his interview with Victor Owen Schwartz of Vos Selections to get an inside peak into this topic.

The question of the California wildfires. Here’s another one I find fascinating to discuss. Several weeks ago I reported the California harvest season had started and early reports were favorable for the 2008 vintage despite the wildfires that ravaged the area. I won’t get to taste these wines for another year or two or three (depending on the varietal). But there are some folks who are so lucky to get a preview! Alice Feiring reported this week an essence of smoke is present in the various wines she’s sampled. She banters a bit about whether this should be considered “taint” or not; her discussion is highly entertaining – and worth checking out first hand. Her reflections (aka witty banter) is available here. If what she writes is true, I may become more of a California wine drinker in years to come… I love a little smoke in my wine!

The latest in Wine, Politics, and (silly) Journalism. It irks me when the press gets hold of some silly little thing and goes bonkers talking abou it. Don’t we have anything better to do here, people?! Well, this week there’s one regarding wine that in my mad wine tasting week I nearly missed. So just in case I’m not the only one, here’s one for the watercooler…. Palin wine, a Chilean winery that’s only in its infancy, has both taken off and taken a hit since McCain nominated Sarah Palin as his running mate. Let’s just say its success depends on whether you live in a blue or red state/area in the country where this wine is available. I can’t help but roll my eyes as I attach this link to Decanter’s article. (If you want to read something a bit more serious on politics and wine, don’t forget that Wine Book Club is discussing Tyler Coleman’s latest release at the end of next month!)

What wine-related topics have been at the forefront of your newsfeed this week? What’s your take on the ones I touched on here?

Now that it is fall again and I see kids heading off to school clearly trying to fit in while being their own person, I’m reminded there are some fun varietals out there that don’t always get the attention they deserve. And there are some perfect ones for this time of year! Let’s take a closer look…

Petit Verdot is a grape varietal known for contributing great depth, color and florals to wines, but also has a reputation as a Johnny Come Lately.  This black-skinned grape has a tough time ripening without consistently warm enough temperatures. In Bordeaux where it is best known perhaps, relative cool temperatures more often prevail. There Petit Verdot doesn’t fully mature until the end of October, too late to really start the fall school year with the other kids.

What other kids? Well, Petit Verdot is one of the top 5 (Noble) red grapes used in Bordeux reds, alongside the bigger players Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and the often smaller ones, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. No surprise, each of these grapes has an important role. Petit Verdot’s most recognized (and perhaps critical) contribution is to the wine’s structure or backbone, but I’ve noticed in print it doesn’t get as much attention for some of its other attributes.

This will likely change soon enough. Case in point: my full appreciation for what Petit Verdot can contribute to its counterparts only came when I spent some time with it on its own.  And fortunately folks in California and Australia, where the warmer climates are much more conducive to this grape’s maturation, are happy to give this varietal a chance to sing its own tune.

The Deen De Bortoli Vat 4 Petit Verdot is a great example of a wine destined for the head of the class as a fall favorite. This is a great BBQ wine.  It is super dark in color, almost like the ink spilling from your pen. If you missed your opportunity to pick up some fresh mint at the farmer’s market, you have a second chance by taking in the nose of this wine. It is not at all shy about delivering dark berry fruit and some dark chocolate flavors on the palate, either. The firm tannins and acidity (there’s that structure it’s famous for!) give this wine just the food-friendly oomph you hope for when grilled meat’s on the menu.

If you’ve never had a chance to experience this lesser known, (lesser established perhaps?), grape varietal on it’s own, your homework is to do so this fall. For those of you who have had the luck of finding a bottle of the stuff, won’t you share with the class?

Last week a woman approached me on one of the first very cool evenings of the fall here in Boston. She explained she is a vegetarian who loves a great red wine. She told me all summer she had been drinking white because it was warm enough for it, but in her heart of hearts she really preferred reds. What did I recommend?

It is true that white wines and vegetables do go well together. Certainly when fresh greens, vegetables, fruits and berries are at the ready in the summer and great big salads are more often on the menu, this is a natural choice. But white wine and veggies don’t always have to be partners in crime. This is especially true this time of year when the weather is starting to turn and you are eager for a taste of red wine to warm you up!

The keys to your fall/winter veggie success? Here’s a clue: think about what else happens more naturally when it is colder out and you enjoy to cook…

I’d be surprised if your answer didn’t have something to do with turning on the oven and stove again. That’s right! Cooking techniques can vary a heck of a lot more in the cooler/colder months because you aren’t adverse to inadvertently heating up the house. And where wine is involved, you should remember from my earlier posts how you prepare a dish can drastically alter your ideal beverage options.

Another part of your answer likely has to do with the types of vegetables available to you. Case in point: my conversation with this woman quickly turned to the full-figured “earthy” vegetables available in the market this time of year. She and I started planning menus on the spot, dreaming about an enchilada stuffed with chunks of roasted butternut squash, portabella mushrooms, sweet onion, garlic and spinach and then ‘garnished’ with a smokey tomato sauce.

What are your red wine pairing options? Many! To start, mushrooms love Tempranillo (Rioja), Zin, Sangiovese (Chianti), Malbec and Merlot. Tomatoes love a great deal of the same wines, perhaps adding Barbera to the mix for fuller-figured entrees or Pinot Noir if your dish is on the lighter side. If you are seasoning your dish with some ‘earthy’ herbs (e.g. sage, rosemary, & thyme), these wines would do well also. Tending toward the more Holiday feel on a given night and tossing in some nutmeg? You could add Syrah to that initial list of reds, too. You don’t have to pair with the main ingredient, but can consider what other flavors will be apparent, too.

Needless to say, if you are a vegetarian and a red wine drinker first, there is no need to feel limited! Simply tweak how you are preparing the dish to complement the wine of your choosing.

Are you a vegetarian, red-wine drinker? How do you cope?

If  I was back behind a desk/computer 24-7 this week, I’d likely be following the latest about the market’s ups and downs and supplementing with check-ins at ESPN.com to see what’s being said about this weekend’s football match-ups and how the baseball standings are evolving.  To add a little something different to your news feed, I can’t help but share two completely unrelated, wine-related news stories that caught my attention.

First, if you’re local to the Greater/Boston area you may be happy (and pleasantly surprised) to learn Jewell Towne Vineyards in New Hampshire recently won accolades from Joel Stein at Time Magazine. On learning each of the fifty states produces wine, Stein apparently couldn’t help himself. He set out to taste wines from each state (and clarify for the American masses whether “terroir” matters. Incidentally, he did not come to any great revelations on the terroir topic – and we all know I have my own opinion…). He learned there are some good wines out there from some unsuspecting states – and some truly horrific ones. Case in point: while Jewell Towne might have figured out a thing or two regarding their Muscat, Cape Cod Winery needs to keep at it (receiving an “undrinkable” rating for their Nobska Red).

In his tongue-in-cheek review, Stein writes  the Jewell Towne’s Valvin Muscat is: sweet but balanced, with some nice mineral on the finish, like a good riesling. It’s not a wine that’s trying too hard or is too proud of itself. It just gets the job done right. This is one of the very few wines we drank the whole bottle of. Who knew New Hampshire was better at picking grapes than Democratic nominees?

NOTE: While I don’t subscribe to rating systems per se, I DO subscribe to the idea of tasting even the most unsuspecting wines, as Stein did. Only by tasting as many different wines as possible from as many different locations around the world will you learn what you do and don’t prefer. This is an important process that takes time. So have at it!

Switching gears, if you’re curious about the constantly evolving wine packaging/storing world and which technologies are at play, I’ve found another little something for you to keep an eye out. Decanter reported an Idaho company called PakSense has developed a wine label that changes color with temperature variation. This little gizmo has been adopted by folks in WTN Services in California to prevent “cooked” wine from landing in the marketplace. I can’t imagine it is a perfect system given all of the moving parts involved from wine bottling initially to actually getting the wine on shelves. But it might help.

So! Here are my questions of the day for you:

Are you from a lesser-known wine-producing state? Have you tried the local offerings?

Do you think the PakSense label is worth the extra expense?