hidden treasure in a clear bottle with a green label...

Portugal as a wine-making country is just cool. First off, this little(ish) country west of Spain often gets recognition for its solid wines retailing for oh-so-delightfully low prices. Strangely, as the Euro creeps up and up, Portuguese daily sipping wine prices are staying pretty stable, too. Saude! Second, it sports the oldest appellation system in the world, with recognition for quality wine-producing in the Douro Valley beating France out by 200 years. Third, while everyone and their global brothers and sisters were trying to 'compete' with the French by cultivating native French varietals, Portugal stuck to its guns and continued to cultivate native varietals like Touriga Nacional (grape used in Port), Touriga Franca, Tinto Cao and Trincadeira, to name a few. Overtime the Portuguese wine-making community discovered many of its native varietals could be made into solid table wines, rather than just fortified, dessert wines. And here we are in 2008 benefiting left and right.... One of my go-to wines this summer is the 2007 Quinta da Alorna Arintho. Never heard of Arintho? Not to worry! You're in good company. And fortunately you have me here at Pour Favor to give you the skinny on this versatile, food-friendly, palate-loving white wine.

The 'experts' say (and I have a hard time not agreeing) Arintho is one of the varietals in Portugal with a large potential for the production of quality wine. The grape originates from Bucelas, not too far from the capitol city of Lisbon. The Quinta da Alorna take is made from 100% Arintho grapes, so you're getting as authentic an experience as you can, particularly if this is your first try of Arintho. The nose is immediately enticing. It delivers fresh and fruity flavors as soon as you dive in, too. It's tough to put your finger on, admittedly, but I always get pear, white peaches and wet stones. My fellow sipping companion last night picked out cantelope (I got noth'n on that one), grapefruit, and lychee fruit (good call). The palate is fairly weighty - perhaps best described as "creamy, citrus goodness" - with flavors of mineral, pink grapefruit and a touch of pear nectar.

Suffice to say, if you've been enjoying your Vinho Verde, dole out the extra $2 and give yourself a real Portuguese treat! Find yourself the Quinta da Alorna Arintho. And quickly. I'm liable to scour the city for every remaining bottle.

What's your Portuguese go-to white this summer?

recreating "the moment"...

You are sitting at a little table in Provence. You have found a quaint cafe, where a small bowl of salted almonds is at the ready before you even have a chance to ask for a glass of water or rose to quench your thirst on a hot day. You quickly find you and your partner are nibbling on local fare - the cafe's own tapenade and a bit of bread seemed like a good starting place - while you wait for your Nicoise salad to arrive. The St. Andre de Figuerire Vielles Vines rose is taking the edge off, too. Ahh... not too shabby. No, better than shabby. "Now, THIS is summer luv'n", you think! Your journal reflects the experience perfectly - even the name of the wine you were drinking... is it possible to have such sensual, tasty goodness at your fingertips again? Once home, you call your local shop and discover they - somewhat shockingly - can get the St. Andre rose you had at that little cafe. Success! The wine buyer agrees to purchase a case for you, just in time to spend the remaining weeks of the summer with your feet up on your own porch patio after a long, hard day back in the daily grind, drinking through that lovely case. And it's guilt-free drinking too, as you know the 2007 rose won't last 'til next year - and who knows what next year's batch will bring?! No need to save it - you're more than willing to dive right on in.

A couple of weeks later you pick up your much-anticipated case. You quickly return home to prepare a bouillabaisse and whip together a little appetizer of pan bagna so you and your honey can snack a bit sipping on your St. Andre and reminiscing about Provence before you dive into the main course. The wine is already chilled and you pour two glasses enthusiastically. The evening is warm, the bugs aren't biting and the tapenade is one of your best concoctions yet. Plus, you've both had fairly easy workdays and even made it to the gym.

The wine - and moment - is pretty fabulous; and yet somehow it isn't quite as mind-blowing as what you had remembered. What the !@#?$???

The last time I had a wine I loved during a memorable occasion was the last game of the 2007 (Boston Red Sox) World Series. We were drinking the Winner's Tank Shiraz. I'll never forget it. First, it was darn good wine that paired well with our homemade pizza; and second, we won (again)!! And yet I haven't been able to pick up that bottle of Shiraz again. I'm afraid it just won't be quite the same...

When's the last time you savored a bottle and dared to try it again, or couldn't quite bring yourself to do so? For all of you hanging out on the Pour Favor blog sidelines, this is your moment to "dish"! ;)

the mercury is rising!

Now that the mercury is rising every day, I've been fielding more and more questions about the "right" temperature to store and serve wine. It's good that you're paying attention, too! Because if you just pulled a bottle of white or rose off your wine rack (which, incidentally, is sitting in your un-air-conditioned living room) and then go to sip said wine at room temperature or (just as bad) have over-chilled it, you're probably not enjoying your libation. What's the point of that?! When it comes to storage:

DON'T leave your wine on a rack in your air conditioned free living room. Sure, short term you may get away with it, but here in Boston our freaky weather has been known to spoil more than a bottle or two after even a 3-4 day heat wave. I don't have a budget that allows me to buy "serious" wines that I should store for several years - though I do have a few. But I also value the cash I do have and try to avoid spoiling any investment.

DO find a spot in your home/apartment where the sun's rays won't find your wine, the temperature stays pretty consistent and won't sit above 75 degrees (MAX). I shoot for any place between 66 and 72 degrees. I have a cellar in my current place, but bought a small wine fridge to avoid spoiling my wine at my last apartment (which could BAKE in the summer). Before that, I didn't even have the space for a fridge and stored my wine under my bed (no kidding); my bedroom was the only place that stayed pretty "mild" during the summer months.

As for serving wine:

DO consider chilling your fruitier, less tannic red wines in the summer. Even about fifteen or twenty minutes in the fridge can get your red wine back down to optimal, serviceable temperature (~65 degrees) on a hot day. I'm not suggesting this as a standard MO in the winter, but room temperature definitely creeps up in the summer months. (Last summer I went out for a fancy meal to celebrate my birthday. I don't know where they were storing the Pinot Noir we ordered, but after they poured me the initial taste, I requested an ice bucket to get it down to a reasonable temperature. The wine really benefited and became a welcome complement to our meal. Poor form on the restaurant's part, but the others in my dinner party were pleased I took the initiative to remedy the situation.) The bottle/glass of red should have just a touch of cool to it.

DO serve your white and rose wines chilled. What does this mean? An hour in the fridge will do the trick. Don't have an hour? Try a bucket of ice with a bit of water to expedite the process. Or, you can take your chances putting the bottle in the freezer in a pinch... The goal is to get the wine down to about 48-58 degrees. (Your fridge should be set for 38 degrees, so you'll want your wine warmer than the bottle of beer you've got in there, too.)

So what's the point of all this, you wonder? It has to do with the science behind wine and your palate to create an optimal balance of fruit, acidity and tannin. Suffice to say, white wines benefit from chilling because the fruit (and it's ripe sweetness) comes forward to complement the acidity they exhibit. You may have noticed that if your glass of white gets too warm, the alcohol becomes more dominant. On the flip side, a white served too cold masks all flavors and aromas. They can taste utterly bland (the same is true for rose - danger!). Sparkling wines additionally benefit from the chill because the carbon dioxide release slows down, allowing the flavors to dance a bit longer via the bubble streams you see in your glass. When red wines are served too warm, the tannin gets exaggerated, the fruit diminishes and the wines taste hot, or alcoholic.

Think you've got the 411 now to beat the heat? What's your experience with wine temperature?

Viva the Unusual Vinos! Gary V came, saw & tasted...

Last Thursday night 150 some odd Gary Vaynerchuk friends, fans and wine lovers attended his Boston Book Signing and Thunder Show tasting event at the Hotel Commonwealth downtown. The event certainly brought "the Thunder" featuring: a live filming of Thunder Show episode #494; a chance to meet Gary V while picking up a signed copy of his book; and - most impressively - a sample taste of the wines reviewed during the show. Attendees then headed downstairs to the Foundation Lounge for a special welcome cocktail, appetizers and their choice of libation (with wines from the show once again available at the bar). I must admit, though everyone gasped or groaned when Gary rated the wines between 86 points and 90 points, I was pretty impressed with the wines selected for the show given the regions that produced them. Four solid wines each having at least one unusual characteristic (hence the theme "Unusual Suspects") were on the wine flight. Vinha Alijibes winery in Albacete, Spain (Castella la Mancha region) took care of two of the wines, one a Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay blend and one a 100% Syrah rose.

What makes these selections so unique? First of all, Castilla La Mancha isn't one of the foremost wine making regions in Spain. You're probably more familiar with Rioja, Ribadera del Duero or Penendez (where Cava comes from). Second, when it comes to varietals used in each of these wines, these winemakers are definitely putting themselves out there. While Chard is a grape that can grow pretty much everywhere (albeit infrequently in Spain), Sauvignon Blanc is more often produced in the Loire Valley, California and New Zealand. As for the rose, Tempranillo and Grenacha are the dominant red grape varietals in Spain, with Grenacha often used for their rosado (rose) wines. Syrah is a relative new kid on the block in Spain and when used, is more often blended.

As for the reds, the 2006 Sur de los Andes Cab is, well... a Cab! From Argentina? Um, right. That's the thing. Gary may have been a bit misleading on the show, but Argentina is better known for its Malbecs; Cab's made there tend to really leave you wanting - a big glass of something else to wash away the green bell pepper flavors! At best, it is considered an 'up and coming' wine varietal there. But this Cab was a fan favorite among those that attended. And for $10, your near-impossible, under-$10-Cab search could end altogether.

Last but not least, the 2005 Palacio Quemado "PQ", another 100% Syrah attempt by Spaniards, but this time the full figured red kind. This selection is from the Ribera del Guadiana region, another lesser known wine producing region in Northish-Western Spain that essentially overlooks Portugal.

After the show ended Gary asked the crowd the following question: Do you like 1) mangos, 2) escargo and 3) sliders from White Castle? If you answered "yes" to ALL THREE of those, then you have the same palate as Gary. I answered yes to only one, mangoes. But Gary and I certainly share a similar philosophy about wine: get out there and taste!

Here's your "homework" then for this week: head out to The Wine Gallery or your local shop to pick up these wines. Taste them and then check out Gary V's episode featuring them. I'll post my own tasting notes later this week, too, for additional comparison. I'll look forward to your comments!

navigating food/wine pairing for 4...

Last Friday night I was taken out for a fabulous meal at a great, well-regarded restaurant I hadn't been to somehow. We thought the menu looked gorgeous and then the food came out even more artistically presented and attentively cooked than I've had the pleasure to enjoy in some time. But I digress... The table's biggest wine nerd, I was asked to select a bottle of wine for all to enjoy. Each of us selected a completely different entree, however, so it was no easy task - and I sense one that many of us grapple with when out with a group. Fortunately, when it comes to food and wine pairing the goal is to take things to an even higher level. It is hard to absolutely ruin a culinary experience. Think of it this way: the food can be great and the wine can be great; in an optimal pairing the two are AWESOME together. An imperfect pairing usually just means that the wine is good and the food is good. Neither destroys or substantially enhances the experience of the other. (Only when you choose a big red wine with fish can things go truly poorly - the fish ends up tasting like you're chewing on tinfoil, or metalic.)

Our dinners consisted of steak, duck confit, lobster and salmon and our host preferred whites to red. Immediately I hoped for one of the quintessential great-pairing whites on the list: dry Reisling, Albarino or even Gewurztraminer. But the white wine choices consisted of a few Sauvignon Blancs and a few oaky Chards. The SB's would have been too "sharp" to complement the beef and duck, and borderline at best given how the salmon and lobster were prepared. A buttery, oaked Chard would have been perfect for the lobster, our host's selection, but would undermine the other dishes. And at a restaurant like that one, the food deserved the attention, not the wine.

What was a girl to do?! Default to a versatile red: Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is one of the most finicky grapes to grow and make into wine (hence the often higher price tag). It requires perfect weather conditions (warm days and cool evenings). And even when all the forces of nature align, the vines yield low levels of fruit. So you're starting with less. But it's high acidity and low level of tannin can be the makings of fabulous, lighter-medium bodied, silky, gently fruity, earthy and barely tart (read: food friendly) wines.

I wasn't directly familiar with any of the three Pinots available. There were two offerings from Burgundy, France and one from Oregon. Burgundy produces drop dead gorgeous red wines but because of the finicky nature of the grape, each vintage really matters. Only the best domain's make consistently solid wines even in an off year. I wasn't familiar with either of the producers listed and didn't see any of the acclaimed (prohibitively expensive?) vintages either. And then the obvious choice leapt from the pages: an Oregon Pinot! Pinot Noir from Oregon is often sexy, with delicate texture, and soft cherry and plum fruit. I find they are often less rustic than their earthier French counterparts, too (which I love but would be less appealing to others in the party). Jackpot!

If I had taken a poll I think all of us would have agreed that the food far surpassed the wine selection on Friday night. The food was THAT good and the wine was served a touch too warm and had an unexpected kick to the finish. But all in all, it was a tasty wine that complemented our range of fare just fine.

What's your "go to" food-friendly wine?

wine and real life: what's your wine economy?

I don't know about you, but with the Euro/Dollar scenario, an increase in gas prices and my grocery bill skyrocketing (despite similar buying habits), I'm looking at my life budget a bit differently these days. A few weeks ago I noticed it's actually getting to be cheaper to eat out than stay in! And I can't tell you how many wine blogs and articles I've read that talk about 'value wines' in a different or more concerted way. At the shop we're not sure how things are going to go this summer. We keep refilling the racks so we know we're still selling a ton of wine... Usually the summer in Boston is slower because people head to the Cape over the weekend. But - as I mentioned - with gas at $4/gallon, people may be more inclined to stay closer to home once the kiddies are out of school. We're not sure. But we're definitely choosing wines even more carefully. If a wine's price has gone up beyond it's worth, we're finding other options for our customers. That's just good business, I think.

Lately I keep wishing I had gotten in on the industry 10 years ago when I first got out of school and kick butt wines were $8-$10. I'd be tasting all sorts of phenomenal wines no one would have qualms about opening - now the "investment" is just too great. But I digress....

The good news about wine is that things will come back down - at least Old World wines. We're "suffering" because of the exchange rate, rather than because European winemakers have jacked their prices for the hell of it. What I don't understand - and I'd love to hear from some CA/domestic producers on this one - is why American wineries aren't taking full advantage of this opportunity to sell their wines at a more affordable rate, that is, keeping their prices more static this year. I know they are spending more on gas to get their wines shipped out, but I also know that companies are being much more efficient in their distribution system.

I don't have the answers on any of this despite all I've read and seen, but I'm curious to glean your feedback. What's your wine economy like these days? How has the global economic situation impacted - or not - your wine consumption, spending or sales/pricing strategy?

adventure-seeker or comfort-seeker?

As my hectic, challenging weekend wrapped up, I realized a) I hadn't a thing in the fridge to whip together a meal and b) I needed something VERY comforting. A turkey burger and beer at my favorite local jaunt would suit me perfectly, so we headed off in that direction. A wine author I've read in the last year (but can't remember which one, apologies!) wrote about wine people in the context of "Adventure-Seekers" and "Comfort-Seekers". The author believed people seeking out wine pretty much fall into either one of these two categories. I think I have my moments dabbling in each, depending on my mood or life-context.

Either way, I find this 'categorization' very helpful when I'm speaking with customers or clients. You have to know when someone is willing to expand their horizons beyond the CA Cab they have come to know and love; or if they are willing to travel, you have to gauge in which direction it is best to push them (gently).

Do you consider yourself either an adventure-seeker or comfort-seeker? Are you a little of both?

(For all of you out there who have been tuning in silently, this is your chance to post your thoughts!)

Excuse me... I ordered a Malbec, not a Margarita?!

It is only fair I muse on great libations for grilling on this (lovely here in Boston) Memorial Day. Plus, I love Margaritas and I love Malbec. Malbec was the first varietal I really discovered outside of the most well-known US reds (cab, merlot, pinot noir). Heck! It was my first real exposure to wine outside of the US and all I had done was buy a bottle from Argentina. It was love at first sip! I haven't really stopped trying them since. Of course it doesn't hurt that working at the shop we're always tasting new Malbecs. Many of them are solid wines and still relatively inexpensive; we can afford to "mix it up" for our customers. Last week one of my favorite importers/distributors brought another one by the shop for us to taste. I put my nose in the glass and... MARGARITAS!

Yep, I smelled margarita in my wine glass. Yet there was no tequila or lime juice in sight. I took a look at the wine again and went in for a sip. It was a fairly typical Malbec on the mid-palate. Juicy, red berry fruit, smooth (from the oak, no doubt) with hints of spice. There was definitely some of that margarita 'essence' on the finish. Still, not too shabby. It took me a second to put the pieces together... My Margarita association was with the saline (salt) scents and flavors imparted in the wine. That was a new one for me and my beloved Malbec. My wine brain told me it had to be the soil... or was it?

Later I researched my suspicion. The Mendoza/Lujan de Cuyo region in particular is known for its sandy soil - and the saline imparted from aquifers near the surface. Very cool. (It's always nice to know I'm not going crazy and that by paying attention to my senses while tasting wine, I'm getting more out of the experience and learning more to boot!)

It was a good reminder too. I may be an academic at heart, but for wine the classroom is your glass. You don't always need to "study" all of the elements so much as let your nose and tongue do the walking. The more you do, the more you learn.

When's the last time your nose led you somewhere new?

wine is a team sport

Greetings and salutations fellow wine-lovers!

If you’ve had a chance to check out my bio, you know that I’m a relative baby in the wine world. Yes, I still remember what it was like bumbling around a wine shop attempting to select a satisfying bottle. But my absolute fascination with the stuff is something I now contend with just about 24-7 these days. The fact that each vintage (nay, bottle?) produces different results, technology is always improving and techniques are always evolving means I’ll never be satiated, either. Yippee!

Join me on my wine journey! As I host tasting events and continue in my role at my local wine shop, I’ll be posting various tidbits, a-ha moments, fun facts and, I hope, useful tips and analogies to make wine (additionally) accessible for you and your friends. I encourage you to share your own musings and experiences, too. Wine appreciation is always at its greatest when sipping is considered a “team” sport!

On that note... won’t you share when you first caught the wine bug? Click on "Comments" below!

Cheers!