On wine bars...

Ok, readers! Buckle up, because here IT is.... Over the weekend I was in NYC visiting my sister and some friends. Saturday night we headed out for a somewhat low-key night of good old fashioned catching up. After we wrapped up our meal, we decided to check out one of the 3 different wine bars that has popped up in my sister's neighborhood in recent months. It was a great scene - low lighting, a phenomenally long, graceful bar, terrific bar snacks, a loungey thing going around us and in a back room....

But come on people, if you are going to be a wine bar, how about a little bit of diversity on your wine list?!

Let's reflect: wine bars seem to be all the rage, cropping up like wildfires. Any good business person should know the key to success (in a saturated market) is doing something that sets you apart from the competition. I get that and embrace it. By nature the wine world is quite diverse, regionally, varietally, etc. so already proprietors should have quite a bit to work with. I simply do not understand why it seems so many wine bars are actually doing the same thing: offering a very narrow wine list and then pretending they don't. It's like going to a martini bar and only seeing one brand of gin (re: white wine) and two brands of vodka (read: red wine).

This particular bar started out on the right foot. Their initial list of wines was categorized as "Under $40". That worked for me. There were a few red, white and bubbly options from around the world. But as soon as I turned the page, nearly all the wines listed were Italian. The "International Wines" section offered 5 wines total, 3 from Spain, 1 from Australia and 1 from France. It's one thing if you are going to be an Italian Wine Bar. It's another if you are going to mostly be an Italian wine bar and then pretend you're not.

It drives me crazy! At least let me know what you are about at the outset and promote accordingly. Then I can make a decision on whether your scene makes up for the fact that I'm in a French wines mood and only Italians are on offer.

Harrumph.

Am I alone in this frustration? What are you hoping for from your "Wine Bar" experience?

Election week Libations: what were you drinking?

Read all about it!

I've scoured the wine mags to find something - an event, a headline, an image - anything in the wine world more compelling than this week's elections for the next US President. I was briefly entertained by The Cellarist article on "Wine States". But as far as entertaining news or events in the wine world you might be interested in this post-Election Friday - in comparison - I am nonplussed. So rather than bring you some unenthusiastic post summarizing the latest in scientific wine news (like wine might prevent dementia or that Florida introduced a new table grape to the market) or talk about the latest in wine business/economics (e.g. the Chateau Montelena sale fell through this week), I'm going to give you the floor.

Whether you are happy, upset, hopeful or scared in the post-election days, I have a feeling you were drinking something Tuesday night. This is your moment, ye closet-blog readers! Tell us about your own private event on Election night, however large or small.

What were you drinking in anticipation of The End of An Era? (Bonus points given for those who were drinking something with a clever/thematic name; double points if your comment offers tasting notes, too.)

Wines for Fall, Portuguese style...

Stumbled across a wine lately that sang a familiar tune but offered  s o   m u c h   m o r e  than the same old same old? I find this happens when I least expect it - and often enough when the grapes involved in the winemaking process are local, or native to the area from whence they're grown.  We talked about Zweigelt from Austria not that long ago. We also talked about the fun I had at the ViniPortugal wine dinner I attended. Perhaps one day we'll also talk about wines from Hungary.  Each of these parts of the world offer tremendous value and a chance to tromp, ok - taste, through local offerings you likely can't pronounce. (Fortunately you don't have to be able to say the grapes' name to enjoy the wine!)

Today I want to introduce you to (or remind you about) a big white perfect for fall - or even one that can carry you through the winter! It is the (drum roll please!) 2007 Esporao Reserva White.  This wine makes me want to crank out pot after pot of butternut squash soup and pan after pan of roast chicken with fresh herbs (and garlic). The winemaker blends three grapes: Arintho (which you know I just adore for it's fresh minerality); Roupiero; and Antao Vaz. Half of the grapes are fermented in stainless steel and the other half in American oak. When the winemaker is satisfied, all three are blended together. Remember that the Esporao enterprise operates out of the Aletejo region, which is in the Southcentral part of Portugal where it is dry and hot. Such conditions are perfect for growing ripe, ripe grapes. This means the fruit in the wine is front and center, doing a happy little dance in your glass.

From the Esporao Rsv White, expect peach and melon fruit, terrific minerality and a robust, full-figured wine with very round edges. You may even be tempted to think of this wine as a slightly more interesting Chardonnay, without overbearing oak but a creaminess that simply delights your taste buds.  Go ahead... step outside your usual wine-buying habits and pick up a bottle! This wine surely offers a fun spin on something comfortingly familiar.

What's the last bottle you enjoyed for its familiarity - but complexity?

a could-be conundrum: cooking with wine

I realized it was time to get back in the Entertaining Saddle as soon as the Red Sox lost the ALCS. Football is great, don't get me wrong, but we're only talking about 2 days of Go Time each week. And with my favorite cooking magazine, Eating Well,  bursting with fall/harvest/pre-holiday recipes for easy entertaining, the only thing left for me to do was call up some friends. Saturday night I laid out a feast. My guests were delighted with the Aged Mahon cheese (drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with thyme), sliced, marinated salami and mixed olives I set out to wet their appetites; they were equally intrigued by and happy with the Lambrusco I paired accordingly (sweet and salty are always a safe bet!). Meanwhile, I was putting the final touches on the main course in the kitchen - pork loin with roasted grape sauce. I'm not one of those entertainer types who has to know a recipe before I introduce it to my guests. I just give it a shot and see how it goes, pairing the wine I think best. Fortunately my friends are of a similar mind and so happy 'guinea pigs'.

But when it comes to cooking with wine, sometimes recipes can be difficult to discern. The recipe for the grape sauce called for either Madeira or dry, white wine. Madeira is a fortified wine, with varying levels of sweetness and nutty characteristics. Dry, white wine is the exact opposite. Since I wasn't exactly sure what the grape sauce would turn out like - a lighter but flavorful sauce or a rich gravy - making the decision was that much harder. I consulted with my fellow wine buyer. And he made a brilliant recommendation: use an old, dry white wine. Because old white wines develop a kind of richer, nuttier almost dessert-like quality due to excessive oxidation, I would essentially split the difference of the wine recommendations in the recipe. I unearthed a bottle of 2002 Sauvignon Blanc from a case of wine that had gotten lost in the bowels of the shop. And it was perfect!

While I extrapolated from the recipe to find a good answer, I still stand by the most important rule of thumb when it comes to cooking with wine. ONLY cook with wine you would be happy to drink, too. (In fact, I have a fabulous Birthday card on my fridge that reiterates the point perfectly. It says "I love cooking with wine...sometimes I even put it in the food!". ) Did I taste the wine before I poured it into my sauce? Absolutely. Old wine won't hurt you. And in the case of white wine, it just tastes sweet as it ages. Could I have had a glass? Sure! It was reminiscent of creme brulee, in fact. But we had my homemade apple crumble pie on hand for dessert so I passed this time....

What wine cooking conundrums have you encountered? How have you solved them?

Halloween Pour Favor style: Frightful wine news

frankenstein

This wine-lover may hate to dress up for Halloween (it's just not her thang!), but she does have an eye for the more frightful wine headlines of late. Check out this devil of a line up! We've talked about Chinese Tiger wines... now we may be talking about the flavor profile of wines that spent time in Chinese oak barrels. No joke, the Tonelería Magreñán coooperage in La Rioja, Spain took a little trip to China and came back glowing with the prospect of making barrels from Chinese oak, Quercus Mongolicus. More precisely, this oak comes from a forest in Mongolia that is actually two times the size of Spain. Apparently this oak is not for the faint-hearted! No one yet knows what this oak will really offer... Are you scared at the prospect? Or are you all for further advancements/changes in the wine-producing world?

Next up we have a sad, but no less frightening story of life and death. Have you ever made your own wine? If not but you are an aspiring winemaker, experience shows you must ventilate the fermentation area!  Two friends helping an amateur winemaker died recently due to Carbon Dioxide poisoning.  Check out the story for yourself here.

Our final report on this Halloween day is about dear Dr. Frankenstein, who has been at it again.  Or well, at least another celebrity wine monster has been created... Routers reported on Tuesday that "Sopranos Wines are being produced under a licensing agreement between the TV network HBO and New-York based Vesuvio Import Company. The wines will be distributed by Duggan's Distillers Products Corp." Yep! That's Vesuvio as in the name of the restaurant from the series we all came to know so well. Clever perhaps. But do you think the wine will be worth any snuff?

Wines for fall: don't forget about white blends!

White wines aren't just a summer thang. (One of the best turkey wines is actually Pinot Gris from Alsace or Oregon!) And this time of year it can be really fun to expand your white wine horizons by looking into fabulous white blends. Think of old favorites like Evolution 9. Conundrum. Luna Freakout. The list goes on and on! The trick is finding fun white blends that have a little extra oomph to get you through the colder nights. A little residual sugar might not hurt either (think Anne Amie Cuvee Amrit!). Since last week we talked about the awsome red blend SNAFU put out by the Local Wine Company, its only fair for me to let you in on the goodness that is their white wine blend: '06 JuneHog Oregon White. Yum. Oh wait, but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself...

Ever heard of Mueller Thurgau? Mueller is another one of the man-made varietals we've talked about lately. Back in the late 19th Century Dr. Thurgau created this hybrid varietal. His goal was to create a grape with the intensity of Riesling but with the ability to ripen earlier; he used Sylvaner to achieve the latter.  He didn't quite get an A+ on his project, but he didn't do too badly either. Mueller wines are fruity, but low in acidity. They are medium sweet, too, and very smooth.  This varietal makes up the greatest component of the JuneHog, coming in at 33% of the wine's juice.

The next largest component of the JuneHog is Gewurtztraminer, or the "spicy white grape" that actually got its start in Traminer, Italy, but happens to have a German name. Go figure! Gewurtz is sweet, spicy, fruity, full-figured and has gorgeous floral aromas. (Trade "secret": Gewurtz is actually sweeter than Riesling!) This grape brings 22% of the juice to the JuneHog blend.

The third largest component of this fun blend is Pinot Gris (21%). Recall from earlier posts Pinot Gris is the genetic mutant of Pinot Noir. Alsatian-style Pinot Gris is full bodied and offers ripe-fruit sweetness on the palate.  These wines are down right lovely on their own, let alone in a blend!

Pinot Blanc clocks in at 16% of the June Hog blend, which gets finished off with just a touch of Riesling (5%, if I've done the math right). I'm not sure how much time we've spent on Pinot Blanc together. But the thing to know is when winemakers don't oak it, or stir it on the lees or otherwise "interfere" with it, PB offers terrific apple and almond flavors. As such, it can be one of the softest yet lightest (read: high acid) white wines on offer. A treat on their own and perhaps even better in some blends.

What do all these various components mean for the JuneHog experience? Let's put it this way: this is the wine I want to drink on a cool fall day when I'm sitting in my Adirondack chair on some beach or even on my front porch - glass of wine in hand, a blanket at the ready and my book propped on my lap. Something mouthfilling yet clean you don't have to think twice to enjoy. Warm sun, crisp air, relaxation. (Snacks optional - but with this wine you won't go wrong with the pairing you choose!)

What's your favorite fall white (blend) this year?

Is "table wine" just plonk?

Last weekend I went out to dinner at one of my favorite local spots. They change their somewhat small, but uniquely satisfying menu frequently, ensuring they always offer the best seasonal fare. What's even more fun for me is their enormous wine list. Thinking about it now (chuckling), there are probably 10 different red and 10 different white wine options that could pair with every one dish!  I always enjoy navigating their extensive list to pair a wine for both me and my date to enjoy with our different meals. On Saturday night my date was having grilled veal chops, with couscous and a fried onion. I was having the rosemary chicken breast, with fingerling potatoes, leeks and roasted garlic. Each of these dishes was a great example of tasty American fare. Nothing pretentious about either. No unique dressing or gravy. Just good ole fashioned, albeit beautifully prepared, comfort food.

Sometimes you just want something that's easy drinking. Sometimes your meal is classically satisfying and delicious enough you don't need to spend the extra cash on a truly remarkable bottle of wine. Better yet, sometimes you just can't spend the extra few dollars.

An ideal pairing for both of our dishes may have been a very earthy, more robust New World style Pinot Noir. But none jumped out at me on the list. We had also been spoiled by a truly gorgeous bottle of Pinot with the same characteristics the night before. (We had homemade chicken marsala with rosemary mashed potatoes; we splurged on the Reynold's Family Pinot Noir - and it was a tremendous delight). I decided to turn my attention to their basic red table wine offerings.

I know some of you out there may be timid to opt for such a selection when out to eat at a nice place. Here's my thinking on the matter: If the wine buyer at the restaurant is going to take the time to pick out so many beautiful offerings, you can be almost certain their table wine option(s) is/are solid. Will the wine knock your socks off? Not necessarily. But will it be food friendly (having solid acidity and/or tannin) and otherwise scratch the itch? No doubt.

Wine shopping tip: My favorite every-day table wine is the Cayalla Red with fruit from both Washington and Oregon. Keep an eye out for it! Since that wasn't on the list, we ended up with Fenestra True Red Lot 22. For this wine Fenestra blends French and Spanish varietals, 56% from the Rhone Valley, 25% from Bordeaux, and 19% from Spain. I have to say too, this wine is an example when 'vintage', or each year they make it, matters. Technically it is a non vintage wine, but their previous release (Lot 21) was not exactly my favorite.... When I tasted the Lot 22 a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised. It offers terrific red raspberry aromas, and delivers black cherries and raspberries on the palate. A hint of earthy leather comes to fruition as it opens. The Lot 22 is medium-bodied, its acidity is dead on and the tannins are delightfully smooth. These elements make the wine enjoyable on its own, too - before your meal even arrives.

Was my date blown away by my selection? Not this time. Was that my goal? Not entirely. I wanted something that would split the difference for us, perfectly palatable where the food could shine and our thirst would be quenched. It did both.

I'd argue a good table wine comes in a notch or two above "plonk" - reasonably priced for reasonably good juice.

What's your favorite, go-to Table Wine?

Fancy free fundraising: wine tastings, galas and dinners galore!

Wine Gala for Guide Dogs

I feel I owe your eyes a bit of a rest after my exuberant postings of late. (I know I can get carried away with my enthusiasm!) And today I'm curious what you think.... In the world of wine "trends" I often find myself consulting on wine-related fundraising events. And, 'tis the season for them! Once the wine trade season is over (early October) it's as if the entire wine-drinking community takes the ball and runs with it - for great causes, too!

So today I hope you'll share with me and your friends...

Which type of wine fundraisers have you attended in the past (dinner, gala, informal tasting/auction, etc)?

What was your motivation - the good deed, the merriment, or both?

Is there an upcoming event you want others to know about?

wines for fall: the fiesty and fabulous!

Today the rain and leaves are swirling and the sun isn't due to show itself.  On burly fall days like these, there's nothing better than an awesome bottle of wine to hunker down with and lift your spirits! The last few weeks I've broken down the nerdier nuances of cool red varietals perfect for fall. While fabulous on their own, sometimes the best of the best are actually blends of a few - or several - different grapes. Given the circumstances outside my office window, it's only appropriate that we start exploring these finds with the 2005 SNAFU red blend.

SNAFU? Yep! That would be translated as Situation Normal All F***d Up. This wine is the brainchild of both Paul Moser (Winemaker) and the Local Wine Company, a group dedicated to bringing us some of the coolest blends from the Pacific Northwest and California. I get the sense that the Chicago-based wine geeks at LWC get an idea for a wine and then send their general, and no doubt entertaining, musings to one of the folks in their winemaking contingency....

I can't help but think for the 2005 SNAFU red wine the LWC Powers That Be gave Mr. Moser notes that said something like, "we want a wine with tremendous chutzpah that sources as many grapes from as many subregions in California as possible - and still maintains a sense of place.... You know, the wine you want to come home to at the end of a long day that reminds you of something familiar, but gives you a little something more, too."  Moser did their 'request' justice, though from the sounds of it, what's tucked inside that bottle wasn't necessarily what was originally planned; they did call it SNAFU, after all!

SNAFU is a blend of 42% Petite Sirah (the monster grape) & 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 8% Merlot and Syrah, 6% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Verdot (the late-bloomer on the playground this fall). What's noteworthy about this wine is how well each of the grapes in this blend harmonize. It's tremendous, in fact! It's greatest component, Petite Sirah, is cold soaked for four days and then pressed to concentrate the fruit. This technique offers the wine fabulous depth (that "oomph" and backbone we spoke about earlier), but manages how much tannin (dryness) remains in the final product. The Cabernet, also cold pressed, offers classic flavors of currant, black fruits, and spice. I argue the Merlot contributes a softer, more elegant edge, and brings home the (similar) fruit flavors you get from the Cab. The Syrah adds a touch of earthiness and herbaceousness; the Zin provides berry sweetness, and the Petit Verdot offers its color and floral aromatics.

I know I don't offer my own wine notes that often on this site, but I do have quite a bit of fun writing them for myself and my clients and their guests. Here's what I came up with the last time I gave this wine a whirl!

This wine's name says it all: Situation Normal... and it is wonderful as a result! This is a killer blend of Petite Sirah (42%), Cabernet Sauvignon (33%), and other red varietals sourced from various vineyards throughout California. SNAFU opens with all the panache you can imagine, fresh blueberry and raspberry fruits explode onto the stage. Then you taste its earthier side, as if it had to take a quick walk through a wet forest to collect itself before the curtain went up. And yet it all comes together easily, delivering a well-executed, perfectly delightful performance. Buy your tickets to this show early!

What red blends are you a fan of this fall season?

Portuguese wines are worth seeking out

Last Thursday night I was not on my usual perch watching the (second) most amazing ALCS comeback in history. "Why not?", you ask, shocked this Red Sox fan was elsewhere.... I was attending an intimate wine dinner at (the new) L'Espalier hosted by ViniPortugal. I would not have traded the opportunity for one moment. Much like the Red Sox game, I had my own uniquely amazing evening, learning more about the 'nerdier' side of Portuguese oenology, tasting an array of wines and bending the ear of Portugal's most revered (and perhaps most delightful) winemaker.

Many Americans think of Portuguese wines (beyond Port) simply as bargain, quaffing wines. Not bad, but not necessarily noteworthy or particularly complex either.  When I received my invitation to last week's event, I was thrilled at the opportunity to meet Nuno Cancela de Bareu, Portugal's leading Winemaker and Consultant, and learn more about what ViniPortugal is up to these days. My experience (re)tasting about 12 wines - red, white, sparkling and dessert - only reconfirmed what I've known for sometime: Portuguese wines are worth seeking out.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Nuno Cancela de Abreu is perhaps Portugal's primary, modern-day wine pioneer. He studied in both Portugal and France, ultimately receiving his degree in viticulture and enology from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon. He spent six years in the Duoro region, influencing the modern production of Port and Douro wines. Next, he planted a new vineyard on family land in the Dao and, as a result, launched two brands (Quinta da Giesta and Quinta Fonte do Ouro). Somehow he simultaneously managed Quinta da Romeira in the Bucelas region and single-handedly brought the wonderfully floral, minerally and fruity indigenous grape Arinto into its own. Thereafter he revolutionized Quinta da Alorna's operation in the Ribatejo region. Nuno's passion is to transform Portuguese wines (and their reputation) into fine, internationally recognized and coveted selections. And, in my humble opinion, the world should be grateful for it! He is well on his way.

Nuno was asked to introduce the group to several of his favorite Portuguese selections - not necessarily his own wines - available in the Boston market. The list of wines on offer are too long to discuss in great detail in this single post, so I'll simply list a few now and then spend some time here and there over the next months talking about various offerings in greater detail. Are you ready?

Whites

'07 Quinta de Catralvos Lisa (a lovely, fleshy, floral and clean Moscatel)

'07 Deu la Deu (aka "Muros Antigos" in Boston) Alvarinho (same as Albarino in Spain - wonderfully rich peaches and apricots, with a touch of bite)

'07 Quinta da Murta Arinto (it says Bucelas, the region, on the label, but this is 100% intensely floral and minerally Arinto - don't be confused!)

Reds

'04 Casa de Santar Rsv  (a blend of Castelao, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca - soft, fine tannins and redberry fruits)

'06 Quinta do Coa ( a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Roriz (Tempranillo) and Touriga Franca - one I had forgotten how much I enjoy, offering great floral aromas, dark fruits, some soft, caramel oak flavors and terrific spice)

'05 Cartuxa Rsv (Trincadeira, Aragonez and Alfrocheiro - this is a big food wine, offering fabulous dried plumb and raisin fruit aromas and flavors, spice and a subtle, lasting finish)

Bubbly

'07 Luis Pato Espumate Rose (this is 100% Baga, gently bubbly raspberries and strawberries!)

Dessert

Andresen 20 Yr. Tawny Port (who doesn't want hazelnuts, toffee and dried fruit flavors from their Tawny?!)

At the dinner Nuno gave us a rundown on the various regions in Portugal, how the climate and terroir impact the viticultural conditions that allow certain varietals to thrive, et. al. (Yes, I was in my happy place, gleefully unaware what was happening up the street at Fenway!) The thing to remember is Portuguese wines are made of native grape varietals - like those outlined above - you've likely never heard of. Don't think of that as intimidating or too foreign. Winemakers are following Nuno's lead, making these foreign-sounding wines approachable in the way they taste. The fact that our economy is so tough right now and the price of these wines is still amazingly "right" for the time being makes this a great place to explore. Much like the Languedoc in France offers a better price point for winelovers of the Southern Rhone (because these wines are less sought given historical winemaking practices), Portugal offers value wines that are complex, interesting and - delicious!

At the start of the evening Marcio Ferreira of ViniPortugal told us his organization's goal is to reinforce a favorable image of Portuguese wines. In speaking with Nuno, I learned just how tightly-knit their community is; fortunately, innovation, forsight and exceptional winemaking like Nuno's makes Marcio's job that much easier. They are all in it together!

Want to see for yourself? Head over to the Harvard Club tomorrow night and then report back your own findings by commenting below!