Even with the Super Bowl due this weekend and beer lovers all over the US (and beyond?) gearing up for the big day of consumption, wine columnists at some of the country’s top rags stayed the course, touching on topics I personally have been following. And so this Friday I bring to you a look at wine from three of my favorite writers:

New York’s City Winery is open. Looking for the Disney World of Wine? It seems City Winery is trying to be just that. As enthusiastic and passionate as I am about the art of fermented grape juice, I’m not sure if I’m about it.  Must we be everything to everyone? Or is it just this approach that will allow CW to find success even in a down market? Eric Asimov, author of the New York Times’ “The Pour“, checks out the scene and brings up some very interesting points.  I’ll be in town once the ice melts to check it out for myself, but in the meantime, I’m dying to hear what my Big Apple readers think of it! Are you “a fan” of the concept? Comment below!

Malbec, mmm Malbec! Argentine Malbec is certainly a section in the store with a ridiculous number of facings given our small space. But there is enough demand to warrant so many choices! This scenario (plus my personal affection for it?) encourages our reps to continue to bring by new Malbecs for us to try. What’s interesting is how many simply ‘eh’, down right bad, or “fakey-fake” offerings we’ve tasted in the last 4-5 months. Of course, this just makes us feel even happier with the wines we do carry, but it also demoralizes me a bit. I’d hate to see Malbec winemaking go down the tubes just to meet the increasing demand. While we’ve been experiencing this challenge here in Greater Boston, you never know for sure if your experience is being felt elsewhere…. This week Gaiter & Bretcher at the Wall Street Journal took 100 Malbecs to the mattresses and reported their findings. Check out their 411! And then tell us, what are your own recent experiences?

Fireplace magic. Since I’ve been on my winter warmers bender and definitely used the term “fireplace wine” at least once in recent history, I was happy to see Stephen Meuse take up the torch in January’s Boston Globe “Plonk of the Month” column. Meuse usually rounds up a solid number of somewhat lesser known, reasonably priced wines, from around the world (yea!). You’ll never see mass-marketed items, so it is a pleasure to check out his line-up every 4th Wednesday. And I appreciate that with “plonk” wines as his focus, he describes the wines in relation to their accessible price; it’s true, we are “prepared to overlook the occasional quirk [to] be amply compensated by a level of character and interest heavily marketed brands just can’t deliver”. See what he recommends this month here. Are you familiar with any of these already?

While I may talk a lot about my love of rustic, French wines, Spain is also near and dear to my heart. In particular, I frolic in the Priorat whenever I have the excuse to take home one of their higher ticket sensations. What is it I love about these wines? Let’s see… how about:

Layered with flavor.

Concentrated with ripe dark and red fruit flavors.

Medium-plus bodied so as not to overwhelm and distract, and instead packing just enough of a mouthfilling punch.

Food friendly with  solid acidity, but dry enough to warrant a bite or two of cured meat, manchego cheese or lamb. And to my taste, perhaps their best attribute:

Rustic, though in a distinct, clean, minerally sort of way (rather than having the damp-trodden forest floor or barn-tastic qualities of many Cote du Rhone wines).

The combination of seriously old vines (less fruit produced), super challenging growing conditions and the fact that the Priorat is the new ‘hotness’, means these wines fetch worthy, but not necessarily recession-sensitive prices.

Enter the Montsant region. Montsant is the lesser known horseshoe region that encompasses the Priorat. Here the climate is similarly arid, but the soil has its own unique mixture of slate, granite, sand, limestone and clay; each vineyard has a unique terroir. Like its better-known counterpart, Montsant also boasts a tremendous number of 100+ year old vines. (Yes, you can let out a cheer!) In fact, 55% of the vines in Montsant are >20 years old; Priorat can “only” boast 40%. And there you have it – tremendous concentration and distinct, let-your-heart-sing flavors! All that hard work by the vines to produce just a few clusters means happiness in your glass.

When its cold outside and dinner “in” with friends is on the menu Montsant wines are a brilliant option. I proved this little theory of mine last weekend when I  hosted a bit of a dinner party. I was serving a spinach and beet salad with cashews and feta; garlic, lemon and thyme roast chicken; and roast potatoes. I wanted a wine with solid acidity, a bit of rusticity and great concentration. It also had to be light enough on its toes (that is, have enough bright fruit) to be universally appealing to my guests. I was tempted to go for a basic Cote du Rhone, but wanted riper, redder fruit flavors and something with a touch more minerality and less barnyard “funk”. The steep-sloped Priorat region came to mind, but I knew I’d open several bottles and didn’t want to spend $20 on each. A Montsant was a natural solution.

The Etim Seleccion 2006 is a new Montsant wine brought to us by the folks at Ole Imports. It has entered the market at a great time, too, just when we’re looking for fabulous wines at accessible prices. The Etim is 60% Grenache, 30% Carigane, and 10% Syrah. This varietal combo means sweet, juicy, ripe, red fruits are delivered in a mouthfilling package; and the terroir in Montsant means you’ll find a touch of clean, wet-slate minerality to boot.

Too much wine speak mid week? Let me put it this way: if you were going on a first date with the Etim, you’d be waiting for the moment when you could escort her out of the restaurant into the mind-clearing chill, gently push her up against the brick and discover for yourself  just how succulent, sweet and edgy she is.

Can you beat that? What wine did you enjoy last weekend?

Reading is one of my favorite, totally self-contained escapes. Since wine became my “job” though, I’ve falled off the wagon in some ways…. I constantly seek more information and so I’m reading to learn, rather than for the sheer pleasure of it. But I realized the wine books I’ve been picking up of late are finding some middle ground; they are lighter on their feet, if you will, offering great information in a delightfully palatable package. It seems unfair to keep some of these finds to myself, so in the coming year, I hope to explore more of these texts and share the fruits of my efforts with you.

Natalie MacLean offers just one such diversion in her Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass.  If I knew MacLean in real life, I can only imagine she (like me) thinks she is the funniest person she knows – and is all the better for it. (I mean, come on. If you were stuck on a desert island and you only had yourself to entertain, you BETTER be the funniest person you know!) The best news is, MacLean is open about what she does and doesn’t know about her subject. She is unabashed but refreshingly professional (read: respectful) as she explores wine. Her book takes you through the new vineyards of California, the history-entrenched vineyards of France, the bowels of a wine shop, the floor of a high-end restaurant and… beyond. She is nothing if not funny and thorough.

MacLean delivers something for everyone, at every stage in their wine knowledge/enthusiasm. I, for one, loved her chapters on French regions in particular – her tales of meeting some of Champagne’s most important women, tromping through Burgundy…. I also enjoyed reading about her experiences trying retail for a day (and the price she paid for wearing fashionable shoes, rather than comfortable ones) and attempting life as a Sommelier for an evening.

I also appreciate how much perspective MacLean brings to the various places wine breathes (no pun intended on that one, but I’ll keep it!). Case in point: while she’s working in one San Francisco shop she learns how hard some shops work to meet their customers needs such that “[wine] comes alive for them”. (p. 146) It’s not just about business, but sharing something special with customers – both a new wine and just as important, the genuine interaction with the customer him/herself. Both MacLean’s  historic ruminations and her real life revelry with her subject underscore the reason so many people I know are drawn to wine: it is a lovely, warm quilt, representing and connecting myriad facets of life.

Naturally, there are a few segments where I was less enthralled and I’m still deciding whether her on-line wine/food matcher is a tool I can use with confidence. But MacLean is witty and honest. For a subject where neither are a given, I applaud her efforts and hope she continues to capture her musings.

What wine books have struck your fancy? Have you found others that expand your horizons – while entertaining you, too?

Ah yes… it’s here again! The 18th Annual Boston Wine Expo festivities kick off tonight, with doors opening to the larger public at 1pm tomorrow, January 24th, and again on Sunday at the same Bat Time. Ticket holders each day get access to four hours of wine tasting (doors close at 5pm both days).

The first year I attended the Expo I was an unassuming, happy, “amateur” wine consumer. I was there as many are: to taste a range of wines from around the world. While I certainly saw (and tasted) numerous wines from around the world, I was largely unprepared for the chaos, debauchery and crowds.  Some people are into mosh-pit wine tasting experiences. For me, it leaves a little something to be desired – including the red wine stains that abound (often on the back of your shirt as the ‘guest’ behind you couldn’t quite manage to hold on to their pour.) While I don’t believe in the Over Sophistication of Wine (i.e. as you should well know by now, I’m not a proponent of the Snootification of Wine), I do believe the stuff deserves a little respect. Or if IT doesn’t, at least your fellow tasters do.

In the years since, I’ve worked out a strategy not only to survive the madness but also to taste the wines I’m really there to see. Ah-ha! That’s exactly the point. At its best the BWE should be treated as an opportunity to taste really special, or simply unique wines you may not normally have the chance to explore. It is also an opportunity to answer some of your own curiosity. Perhaps you’ve not really tried any of those Portuguese varietals people are buzzing about. Will they really satisfy your palate at just $8 a bottle? Well, the BWE gives you a chance to find out. Here’s what I suggest:

1) Prepare. Take a look at the list of exhibitors attending the event. Identify the wineries you want to “visit”.

2) Maximize your time. Take a look at the booth number of those exhibitors you’ve identified and note which are in close proximity to each other. This way you’re not running around the large convention center floor like a chicken with your head cut off.

3) Maximize your palate. Visit the booths on your Hit List first. This way your palate is still fresh (and your patience with the crowds in tact as you try to get where you’re going).

4) Eat a large breakfast before you even head over to the Convention Center. You should definitely be spitting/dumping whenever possible to maintain your stamina, but ultimately the crowds will make this challenging. And, the last couple of years, I’ve found the snack stations were hard to come by. Best not to take your chances.

5) Bring and drink water. Hydration is the key to any event where a lot of people abound. It gets hot in there! And you’ll feel it. Water also keeps your palate fresh, so your impressions of the wine are more accurate.

6) Don’t treat the event as a Booze Fest. It’s important to remember the exhibitors have traveled far and wide to show you their wares. Respect them, their offerings (even if they aren’t your bag) and those around you. There’s nothing worse than a loud, debaucherous, disrespectful crowd. It can’t hurt to set a different tone – and encourage them to come back next year!

If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, visit the link at the top of the list to do so TODAY. Remember, you’re not only getting a taste of the World, you’re also donating to charity!

Are you heading to the Expo this year? What advice do you have for the neophytes attending?

“Wanna get away?” If you, like me, reside in a place where falling snow is a telltale sign winter is fully underway, you are often thinking of an escape to other places. Sometimes we are so lucky to just up and go. And sometimes we have to find other ways to scratch the itch and explore something new, that makes us feel like we’re getting away.

I’ve learned winter is not a time to abandon whites. In fact, they are often the perfect thing! Last weekend, with snow in the forecast (again), I decided to live vicariously through my culinary escapades…. And haddock with a mango salsa, lemon roasted potatoes and (interestingly) roasted spears of sweet summer squash were just my ticket! Truth be told, I had been eying a brand new white we had just brought into the store and knew such a fresh take on a winter warming menu would be a perfect match for my wine of the weekend. I popped the cork on the 2007 DiLeonardo Toh! Friulano and dug in.

Friul-what? Free-u-lano. This is a mouthwatering, fleshy, medium-bodied white from Italy’s northeastern-most region: Friuli. This area of the world offers views of both the Alps in the distance or, perhaps better yet, the Adriatic Sea. There they experience a humid Mediterranean climate, with colder winters and warm summers (of course, these days I’m more focused on the idea of warm summers…). Like all great wine-producing regions, a place does it’s best work when they cultivate varietals that work best with their unique conditions. The wines coming from Friuli, most noteably (Tocai) Friulano are said to rival the greatest wines of Tuscany and Piedmont. The fact that the majority of these wines are white makes them, in my opinion, that much more desirable. (Afterall, if I want a great Italian red, it’s true I usually pop on ‘over’ to both Tuscany and Piedmont accordingly; this way Friuli has a special place in my heart.)

So why do I keep putting parenthesis around “Tocai”? Well, here’s a fun fact: the EU recently mandated wines from this region drop the “Tocai” so they are not “confused” with Tokay from Hungary. Yes, Tokay is a dessert wine. And no, Tocai Friulano tastes nothing like it. But, it’s true, both are absolutely scrumptious in their own right. And I guess it could be confusing… Whatever your opinion, moving forward you’ll only see “Friulano” on labels, after the indigenous grape varietal itself.

Back to my weekend escape, the Toh! truly is a beautiful wine with an exceptionally good QPR, retailing for ~$12. Gotta love that. The nose on this wine simply bursts with aromas of flower blossoms and recently-picked pears. Medium bodied, it coats your tongue with pear and tropical fruit flavors (think honeydew melon and mango). Rich and long in the finish, its tremendous acidity and touch of minerality will leave you utterly fulfilled – and perhaps even running for your bathing suit! The Toh! is lovely on its own, but it was even better with my fish and roasted veggies. Truly, this is the white you just have to try.

What winter whites have you been escaping with these days?