Open That Bottle Night wine report

I hope you and yours had a wonderful time popping a cork or two last Saturday night for Open That Bottle Night. For my part, a handful of my closest friends descended on my place for a wonderful meal of braised paprika chicken, orzo and lemon-garlic asparagus. We started with an appetizer of oysters, a small aperitif of exceptional Dolin Dry Vermouth and a glass of white Bordeaux ('06 Ch. le Tucau, Graves). Then with dinner we moved on to our "serious" wines - those we had been saving for whatever special occasion had yet to materialize. I wasn't exactly sure what my bottle of Spanish wine from Terra Alta, Spain would bring - but I had high hopes, too. This isn't a region you often see here in the States; my bottle was actually hand-carried back from Barcelona by my best friend after her wedding there.

The Terra Alta D.O. boasts only 28 vineyards. The region is characterized by its Mediterranean & Continental climate (very cold winters, very hot summers), steep slopes and valley floors, and its proximity to its better known neighbor, Priorat. The cierzo breezes from the northeast do their part to keep the grapes dry, preventing rot. Terra Alta is considered an up and coming region, with many winemakers experimenting with better known grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, which have been permitted since 1995. More often you'll find native grapes Garnacha Tinta and Carinena as well as Garnacha Peluda and Morenillo, as far as the reds go.

Doing my best to navigate the Catalan description on the back of the bottle, I anticipated the Ede Aria 2003 would be a big boy, with need of decanting.  The wine was a blend of three grapes: Garnacha Peluda (40%), Syrah (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (25%). My inspiration for the paprika braised chicken was distinct from the wine I knew I would have on offer, so decanting was a priority to soften any rough edges and remove the sediment the wine was likely to throw. Since I know my friend prefers fruit-forward wines to uber-dry ones, I hoped this wine would deliver a nice silky mouthfeel, with both red and black fruits apparent. Finally, given the region's proximity to the Priorat, I hoped it would have a gentle herbaceousness and a touch of earthy leather. I was pleased to discover it delivered on all of the above!

The other two wines we opened Saturday night were the 2004 Stevenot Tempranillo (Sierra Foothills, California) and the 2004 Villa Antinori Toscana (Tuscany, Italy).

Yes, Saturday evening I traveled the world with my friends! It was a pleasure to do so.

What wine(s) did you open for OTBN? Any highlights or disappointments in the mix?

a celebration (or two!) of wine approachability

Several years ago I found myself sitting in my doctor's office picking up a copy of "O" magazine. Not much of a magazine reader, I was just thumbing through it to pass the time. And then an article about a group of nine women, passionate about wine, caught my attention. They called their close-knit wine education group "Divas Uncorked" - and they were hanging out, talking about wine just up I-93 in Milton, MA. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I was deep in the throws of my professional leap to the wonderful world of wine and together, however informally amongst themselves, they were doing what I hoped to do. In a nutshell, they were described as dynamic, and engaging - and when it came to wine their motto was approachability. They believed wine was a vehicle for all kinds of things: fun, new adventures, new learning and community.

When I discovered last week their public, 10th anniversary Vintners dinner was just a couple of weeks away, it was easy to approach them about an article for my new, Monday wine column on Wicked Local/Somerville (yea!). Learn more about their festivities here - and then tell us:

What's your wine motto?

fun with wine (news)

I can't help but feel excited and playful what with Open That Bottle Night on tap for tomorrow night and a few very cool new projects in the queue (more on those later...). So today I bring to you a sampling of lighthearted highlights from my wine reading this week. Let's start with the most whimsical piece and go from there, shall we?

Let's face it:  most of us spend way too much time at our computers, for better or worse. Anytime someone figures out a way to help us play while we work, I'm all for it. From Arwye Wan and the folks at Yanko Designs comes not only the wine cork USB memory stick, but now also the flash drive. This is user-friendly wine love if I ever saw it. Check them out!

Next, we have Girl Scout Cookies! What? Yep. America's favorite seasonal treat (or so I think) meets wine at the hand of Doug Morris, of Old Town Bread, Co.. Girl Scouts of South Eastern Massachusetts is holding their annual fundraiser, where Chef's from some of our favorite - and finest - local restaurants will participate in the name of the cookie, or well, the Girl Scouts who sell them. With such an illustrious team in the kitchen, it's a bit surprising wine hasn't entered the picture to date. Katie Curley of The Daily News reported, "a surprise entry from Morris will be a savory cookie of smoked salmon with a red wine reduction on cinnamon-flavored Girl Scouts' Daisy Go Round Cookies." Check out Curley's article to learn more about the Who's Who in Culinary & Cookies, or click this link and go to "Cookie Creations" to support the event. (Hotel Commonwealth, March 12, 6-8pm)

Finally, in what was meant to be a more sobering article about wine and the economy, I found Inside Bay Area's recent article on marketing high-end wine in a down economy fairly positive. Here are three reasons I feel this way:

1. Guerilla marketing, if you will, among some of the more high end wine producers of California might mean good news for consumers. The folks at Honig and Cakebread, for example, plan to take more of their wares on the road, giving consumers a greater opportunity to taste and enjoy their high-end wines locally.

2. If you've been sitting on a wine club waiting list since before dirt, this may be your moment to get in on the fun. There should be more high-end juice available with sales generally lower. This means there's more to go around for folks who aren't local and want "in" via special Club-only shipments.

3. Finally, just this week Boston natives Peter and Diana Merriam opened their new Napa tasting room - but they're not giving up production of one of their best value "high end" wines, which clocks in at $35. Count on 4.5 glasses of fun for a mere $7.77 each; that's pretty great value, if you think of it. Plus, the Merriams will be offering custom crush to other folks; it'll be interesting to see what - or who - else comes out of their new digs, given how high a bar they've set for themselves.

All in all, not a bad week for wine! Let's top it off, shall we? Be sure to OPEN THAT BOTTLE!

the "just do it" of wine: open that bottle night '09!

Open That Bottle Night logo

I think a lot about wine. I think a lot about sports. I think a lot about the weather (granted, often I'm dreaming of warmer, sunnier climates).  Truth be told, I think a lot and when I get something in my head, it really sinks its teeth in. Case in point: for weeks I've known today I would post about Open That Bottle Night, a little something Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher from the Wall Street Journal dreamt up ten years ago. Their idea? To give people an "excuse" to open that bottle of wine they've been saving. It's the "Just Do It!" for wine lovers around the world - because, let's face it, it can be hard to decide which occasion is special enough to cause you to pop the cork on that bottle you've been saving for the last 20 years.

I've been amped up since the Super Bowl about OTBN, I can't lie. I find February is the longest month of the year. By the end of the cold, damp, snowy eck of Feburary, I have wicked Spring Fever. Fortunately, OTBN happens every last Saturday of February. It is like a little light of hope at the end of the tunnel. A little light of goodness - whether I waited too long to open that bottle or not! There's no football the next day to look forward to either, so you can plan a fabulous brunch instead.

pouringwineintoglass

I've been biding my time to put together this little Friday post to remind everyone they have just one week to plan accordingly - whether it'll just be you and your hunny, or a small group of your most appreciative wine friends.  But in my great anticipation and enthusiasm, I couldn't help asking around to find out who has what planned....

Wouldn't you know it, I haven't heard one plan yet. People. How can you forget this wondrous event is just one weekend away? Worse yet, how can you not know we are not just Opening That Bottle, but we're celebrating the 10th year of the event! Just to check if I am going crazy, a random lack of publicity for this momentous evening, I will now Google "open that bottle night".

1,610,000 entries loaded for 2009 alone.

Huh.

Well, if you didn't know, now you know! Open That Bottle Night is not to be missed! If you don't have a bottle of 10 or 20 or 5 year old anything, it doesn't matter. It's about the spirit of the occasion - of opening something you wouldn't just uncork with dinner - or something that, frankly, needs an excuse to be opened lest it be lost to the wine gods forever. For me, I think it will be a bottle of Spanish wine my best friend brought back from Barcelona for me after her wedding there. (I attended the Turkish Cypriat festivities, but couldn't make the trip to Barcelona for part deux. Her father-in-law is quite the vino lover, hand-selecting the wines for the occasion. I was sorry to have missed it! And my friend brought back one of the two remaining bottles for me to enjoy.)

So put on your party hat and get ready to raid your collection! We have 8 days and counting....

What are your plans for February 28th OTBN?

a celebration of wine and small, local businesses!

Support Pour Favor!

Today is a very special Friday! In fact I'm so excited about what's transpiring I was tempted to provide information about a little something we wine nerds like to call a "Victory Varietal"... But it's not Wine Wednesday, so I'll save that bit of goodness for another day and instead get on with what I'm feeling so victorious about! First and foremost, Pour Favor is celebrating a milestone.... This is our 100th post! Readers have already begun to help us celebrate by voting for the Pour Favor blog. On our homepage you can see a little icon in the upper right hand corner and a link tovote at Local Wine Events. LWE is a great place to learn more about what wine and food events are happening near you or wherever your travels take you. Check it out, vote and then come back here for more!  I'm looking forward to our on-going wine banter and hope you will continue to tune in and comment regularly.

Cheers!

Second, next Thursday night Somerville Local First is hosting a Local for Love event at Poor Little Rich Girl in Davis Square. Come support other small businesses like Pour Favor, enjoy some great vino (yes, I'll be there pouring the wines for local fine wine shop Ball Square Fine Wines!), some fabulous chocolate and even cocktails brought to you by the ladies at LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Cocktails). Too much goodness and easy fun to miss this free event. Just be sure to RSVP - and say hello when you drop by! I'll be the woman with the wine and the big smile.

Have a great weekend - and be sure to open a bottle of something fabulous to celebrate your own victories this week, no matter how large or small!

What wine do you have on hand to celebrate a special occassion?

Tips for Attending the Boston Wine Expo

[Editor's Note, 2/1/16: Even as the Expo has evolved over the years, our tips for a successful experience remain virtually un-editted. We merely felt it was time to cut to the chase. We hope these tips for navigating the Boston Wine Expo are a terrific starting point as you ultimately choose your own adventure and explore the wines on offer. - Rebecca A. R. Schimmoeller ]

Boston Wine Expo logo

The first year I attended the Expo I was an unassuming, enthusiastic, still-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.

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 taste, and meet the winemakers I'm really there to meet. That's exactly the point, after all. 

Here's what I suggest:

1) Prepare. Do a quick Google search to find 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. If a particular table is at capacity when you get there, move on. #pathofleastresistance

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).

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 I've found the snack stations are harder 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 personal preference) 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!

Bottom Line.    The BWE is 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!

new era, fresh thinking: inauguration celebration wines

Whether you are in the majority for or in the minority against our next President, chances are you are getting a bit wrapped up in the fervor that surrounds us. Almost everyone I know - correction: everyone I know - is ready for change in 2009. And we're bound to see some soon enough! Where wine and the Inauguration is concerned, a few things have been on my mind lately...  First, when we were looking at our post-New Year's bubbly stock at the store last week, we had to decide if we had enough depth and range to satisfy our customers' demand on Inauguration day; bubbly is a natural, but truth be told, the festivities really start over breakfast. Will people be drinking that early on a weekday? Second, is bubbly too 'just-done' (with the holidays just behind us) such that folks will be looking for something else special to open later that night?

And then, last Wednesday, my fellow wine bloggers took on a challenging topic for Wine Blogging Wednesday: Wines for Breakfast Foods (no bubbly and no rose!).  Things were too nutty after the New Year for me to participate in the fun, but I was intrigued by the challenge. Eggs are considered one of The Hardest food/wine pairings, and bubbly is the given answer - but that wasn't allowed.

Since I'm always a proponent of trying something unknown and since we're about to take on the world from a different perspective (Obama's), today it seemed natural, with just a few hours left under the old world order, to get us thinking outside the box about our Inauguration Celebration wine.  And since Inauguration festivities will begin tomorrow morning, it's only appropriate to start with breakfast.... Below I'm going to link up a few of the posts from last week's Wine Blogging Wednesday and another article or two I've come across lately. Hopefully this will give you enough time to think about where your plans will take you tomorrow  - and to get to your local shop to pick out something special to accompany them!

For those of you starting early, here are a few WBW Breakfast Wines...

Three fun reds? Who knew. It's a Twisted Breakfast(s) extravaganza!

Having a party? Pairing wines for each (breakfast) course. Too much fun.

Anyone who thinks to describe a wine's texture "like wearing some kind of tasty satin underroos for your tongue" deserves a closer look-see, I'd say. Definitely outside of the box thinking on that one!

Or...

If you want to stay domestic in your celebratory sipping, while taking it outside the box (aka NOT California) and giving yourself a real treat, check out the musings of Gaiter and Brecher.... Those two know where it's at.

Are you toasting over breakfast? Which wine do you have in mind?

Grape Juice in January

The last few years I've noticed a trend where holiday parties are held in January. The idea is that this is a more sane time; you face less "competition" from the party circuit and you don't have to add party-planning to your already busy holiday season. For two reasons I wager this trend seems to have grown quite a bit more this year. First, the weather gods were at play across the country throughout much of December. Many of the traditionally planned parties  had to be postponed because it wasn't safe for folks to travel. Second, more and more people are entertaining their friends, thinking this a cost-effective alternative to going out or exchanging gifts. (I can't help but wonder if in another couple of weeks there may even be a third reason: The Inauguration!) With all of these festivities abounding this January, I've fielded a flurry of questions about how much wine you should have on hand for an event - so much so I thought it worthy of a post! Here's the scoop:

If you are having a basic wine tasting event, where someone like me comes over to help you and your guests have fun while experiencing a series of wines, you'll only need to pour ~2 oz per person (of each wine). One 750ml bottle is equal to 50 oz. To cover your basic tasting needs then, the general "rule" is that 1 bottle will cover about 25 people. It's your call how much more you want to have on hand after the tasting is over. (A typical glass of wine is about 5-6 oz, or 1 bottle for every ~4 people.)

If you are having an all out fiesta, where wine alone will be flowing in typical glass pour sizes all evening, the equation many professionals use is: (# of people x 3)/5 = the number of bottles you'll need.

Of course, if you are having a party where wine will be just one option on offer, you have to consider the tastes of the people you are hosting and use your best judgment. If you don't know your group's preferences and plan to have beer, liquor and wine on offer, use the formula above to get a sense of how much wine might make sense.

No matter your party type or size, please be a responsible host! Make sure to have plenty of water available and cab numbers at the ready.

Will you be hosting or attending any soirees this January? Any particular reason for them?

get some Fresh Air before you go wine shopping!

Last Sunday Terry Gross from NPR's Fresh Air program interviewed quite the wine duo, husband-wife-tasting-team Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher from The Wall Street Journal. The ~40 min recording is so worth hearing for yourself, I'm keeping today's Friday News/Trends post uncharacteristically short.

What we all hope for!

Click this link and let their superb wisdom wash over you as you plug away at your desk today. They give a tremendous amount of very worthy advice on how to have fun as you wine shop; what the truth is about sulfites (they probably aren't the culprit giving you headaches...); and even provide their own 'bit on bubbly'. What I loved hearing most was the way they talked about wine and life....Please share your thoughts on their piece!

And...

For those of you in the Boston market, think about heading over to Brookline Liquor Mart on Saturday, from 1-4pm! They will be pouring some lovely bubbly worth checking out - and you'll be doing a good deed. There's a $15 fee that will go to Share Our Strength and Globe Santa. Report back on the festivities, won't you?

Wine, the law, and questions of discrimination

Let Freedom Ring!

I haven't seen so much buzzing about a single event in wine since, well... since before I was blogging! For those of you who haven't caught the headlines this week, Free the Grapes.org may have to shut it's doors - or at least close the book on its efforts here in Massachusetts. What's all this hoopla and banter about? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' wine law that has prohibited 95% of wineries from across the country from shipping directly to the Baystate's consumers has been struck down. I'd be surprised if you aren't as pleased as punch (or a terrific, celebratory glass of bubbly) that this is true.

You may have not known the who, what, where, when and why of it, but if you attempted to buy wine directly from an out-of-state winery, no doubt you quickly learned that this was no easy task. Some wineries would just do it and look the other way. Others were allowed to do so under a little clause that said it was ok to do so if you produced less than 30,000 cases of wine and bought a direct shipping permit. But too many more simply said, "The heck with it! We're a small guy and we've got many more states who are less prohibitive. We're sorry to say, but you can't have that bottle of wine you tasted at our winery - and loved - in the comfort of your own home; we don't have representation in Massachusetts, so you'll just have to remember us fondly." Yep, wineries loved saying that - especially to consumers from a state that ranks 7th nationally for total wine consumption.

The idea behind the law, at least in theory, was to protect MA wineries. Great! Except the reality is you probably aren't buying that much MA wine and I'm guessing you probably drink a decent amount of wine from around the globe, let alone across the country. At the end of the day - Nov. 19, 2008, in fact - such prohibition was ruled discriminatory and unconstitutional.

There are still a bunch more hoops to be jumped through, so if we're enjoying our Wine Club shipments from CA, WA, OR and NY in the next 2 or 3 years, I'll be shocked. But we are on the right path. This adds one more thing to my "To Be Thankful For" list this Thanksgiving!

Have you felt the repercussions of the current law? Do you agree with the latest ruling stating discrimination has been at play?