For the love of a woman... or the love of a wine?

As the first gentle snowflakes of the winter were falling here in Boston yesterday morning, I was up and at'm reading wine reviews. It's true I'm always doing research. But yesterday somehow the stage was set such that I couldn't help chuckling at some of the terminology in our wine lexicon! Have you ever noticed how often a wine - or maybe just the BEST wines - are described by some of the most colorful lingo of any (neutral) topic? Some of the best terms (for the best wines) are words any woman would love to have poured over her (perhaps literally and figuratively!). A few of my favorites are: Smooth, Elegant, Alluring, Enticing, Polished and Supple.

Other terms may be more Marilyn Monroe in nature... How about: Opulent, Round, Generous, Vibrant or Juicy?

Others are ones you wouldn't mind your partner whispering in your ear, sweet nothings that say everything you want to hear: Sensual, Sexy, Seductive.

Wine writers certainly have seemed to conjure a few precious gems to get you in the mood!

What wine terms tickle your fancy?

wine forgery: mission impossible!

Nerds are so loveable - and smart!

I think by now we can all agree: I am a wine nerd. I mean, my personal mission is to make wine much more accessible. But given the right audience, I'm quite likely to talk about the nerdier characteristics of a wine, what soil type the vines must have been planted in, the difference between a "high altitude" and a "valley floor" wine, why hand-harvesting resulted in a more concentrated vino experience, the difference between Pinot Noir and one of its genetic counterparts, St. Laurent, etc. But when it comes to the why and what of physics, or the likes of ion beams, particle accelerators, and gamma rays, well, you're more likely to catch me trying to keep up with the Discovery Channel and How it's Made using my TiVo "rewind" feature to sort it all out. (Self awareness is half the battle, I always say....)

Take a look and read for yourself this Friday News and Trends day... The BBC has revealed "Winemakers Crack Open High-Tec Tricks" to prevent fraud - and it is JUICY! Once you're done reading, pop back over here. I'm curious for some of you awesome, scientifically-minded folks to conduct some 'poke some holes' analysis and let us all know: Will all this high-falutent technology actually prevent wine fraud?

A bit on bubbly: Champagne

The sun is shining here in Boston and I'm off to a Grower Champagne tasting in a little while. Yes, I have something to feel jolly about! But as I was telling friends about my afternoon plans, I remembered many people don't know the tremendous loveliness that is Grower Champagne - or what I'm so excited about.  So today I'm going to launch my latest Wine Wednesday theme: A Bit on Bubbly. There's much to be understood about Champagne. How they make it (aka what makes it so special). What grapes are used (Chardonnay (white), Pinot Noir (red) and Pinot Meunier (red)) and how that translates into "English" on a wine label. Why folks are eager to expand the region. Who are the top producers (or at least those who market their wines most effectively...). I could go on. For now, let's focus on a specialty item within the Champagne world: Growers Champagne.

I'd argue Growers Champagne is the least understood and possibly the best Champagne on the market. (Yes, we all know I prefer when winemakers use the best grapes and allow the terroir to speak as loudly as possible. Oops! Did I just give something away?!) Here's the scoop:

There are a handful of brand names (Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Mumm, etc.) that produce 80% of the Champagne on the market. Each of these names produces wines per a formula, or a "House Style". They largely get their grapes from whoever is selling them via the top (Grand Cru), next level (Premier Cru) or bottom teir of farmers ("generic" villages in the Champagne AOC); they only own 12% of the vineyards. The economics of this process is quite intriguing - and telling - too. The government tells growers what day they can harvest their grapes and sets the price per must weight. Such regulation means growers pick the grapes as early as possible, when the grape must weight is at it's highest. Since they get paid based on 1) village "level" with Grand Cru villages getting paid the most and 2) weight of the grapes, growers are happy. Because each House can legally doctor the final alcohol level through chapitalization, they are less concerned with the ripeness of the fruit (when the grape's natural sugar level is optimal for wine making). Winemakers also have more grape quantity to work with, allowing them to produce more Champagne for the market. The focus is on quantity, not quality. And so the vines are young, producing more fruit but having less character.

Grower Champagnes are produced by those who tend their own vines. The focus is on quality, not quantity. They select the ripest fruit so they only have to chapitalize when necessary. They use minimal dosage, less the sugar mask the flavors of the land. It's simply wine making at its best. The fact that we're dealing with Champagne in this case, well, to the victor goes the spoils!

It's not that the mass-marketed wines aren't fulfilling. (I, for one, think Perrier-Joet knows what they are doing.) But just because Grower wines are out of sight, doesn't mean they should be out of mind. Enter folks like Terry Theise, an exceptional importer of fine wines. Theise has found some special wines and, under his well-known name, is allowing these small guys to compete with big houses (the Borders of the wine world, if you will).  Suffice to say (in this long, exuberant post), I'm going to taste a few Theise selections today and will do my best to report back with some of the latest finds just in time for the Holidays.

In the meantime, I'd love to know: What's your relationship with Bubbly?

inspiration, hope, delight and a bottle (or two...) of wine

I was blessed with three things this Thanksgiving: inspiration, hope and pure delight. Since wine happened to be the catalyst for all three (and I feel like all we hear about is bad news these days), I can't help but pick up my blog after the holiday weekend and share some positive goodness. Inspiration. I've never had so much fun interacting with wine customers than last Wednesday night at the shop. People were looking for nice bottles of vino to accompany their meal, serve as delicious liquid 'balm' for potentially awkward family moments, or otherwise thank their host for their hospitality. People were simply in good spirits, looking forward to a few days off and satisfied bellies. Their bottle of vino was something they not only wanted to complete their meal, but to say something more, too.

Hope. People weren't panicking. Some were looking to spend less per bottle so they could buy more than one more easily, but I couldn't help but notice I was helping customers select more expensive bottles of wine for the occasion. (There is so much good juice at various price points I had anticipated helping folks find the perfect bottle anywhere from $10 to $100 - not more consistently in the $20-$35 range, which I did often.)

Delight. As I dressed my table, roasted my bird and prepared the delicious trimmings, it was lovely to open the bottles of wine I finally selected for the occasion (after much deliberation - after all, I am a Virgo with sometimes too much wine knowledge for my own good!). They were exactly what I hoped would delight my taste buds and guests.

Our pre-bird snacks were accompanied by an old favorite of mine (though the latest vintage which I had not yet enjoyed), the 2007 Guidobono Barbera d'Alba. I call it my fireplace wine; it is so approachable and versatile I can enjoy it with a variety of foods - or simply stick my feet up in front of the fire and sip. The 2007 is perhaps less complex in flavor than 2006, but it is no less satisfying. It was perfect for me to sip on as I put the final touches on the meal, enjoyed my guests and snacked.

Our main meal featured the 2006 Hillinger Small Hill Red, a truly fabulous, character-driven, soft and supple Pinot Noir/Merlot blend from Austria. In case I haven't mentioned this wine here before, I will say it now: to me this wine is like the big, holiday bonus you didn't know you were getting (it shows you the respect you deserve, but does so with unprecedented sophistication and grace). A lovely knock-out!

All of these things were enough to put me in the holiday spirit. This week I'll be getting out my decorations and thinking about wines to delight us all as Santa slides down the chimney in but 25 days time!

How was your Thanksgiving? What wine(s) did you select for the occasion?

No need to stress: Tips for Turkey wine success

I'm cooking a harvest-themed feast for a few friends this year and couldn't be more thankful to avoid the madness of travel including, but not limited to: airport delays; someone else's Aunt Tilda and her generous supply of lipstick and perfume; and the screaming baby in the seat across the aisle. I'm not a Bah Humbug for Christmas, but I've lived through too many challenging Thanksgiving trips to want to head elsewhere for the otherwise great event.  An entertaining parade that inspires nostalgia, football (no matter how bizarre the match-up), a feast chock full of friends and good humor and a great bottle of wine (or two or three) are all the ingredients I need for a lovely day of giving thanks. If you haven't made it to your wine shop to select a bottle of wine this year, today might be a good day to drop by. It will only get trickier to navigate the aisles as mid-week approaches. And if you don't already have a favorite Pinot Gris, Riesling, Beaujolais Villages, or Pinot Noir picked out, remember to consult your shop's wine buyer. There are some fun things on the market this year you won't want to miss. (Two that come to mind are the Michlits Frizzante Pinot Noir (the winemaker made it for her wedding a few years ago and it was so amazing, her importer asked her to make it a regular in her repertoir) or the Clos de Rochers Pinot Gris, a very cool, slightly sweet Pinot Gris from Luxembourg - you don't see that everyday!) No doubt having a little one-on-one help will certainly ease your pre-holiday stress.

But even if you wait to the last minute or the wine managers on duty are helping other customers, for heaven's sake, don't panic! There is too much parking lot drama at every grocery store and fine wines shop this time of year, you don't need to add a little something I like to call "Bottle Stress" to your life. Even if you are meeting your boy/girlfriend's family for the first time, here are two stress-reducing strategies for Thanksgiving Wine-Selecting Success:

Option A: Simply stick to one of the classic Turkey varietals I listed above. You'll be A-OK on optimal food pairings.

Option B: If those varietals aren't your bag, select a bottle or grape YOU like; it's probably just the balm you need! (Eric Asimov and his eno-friends recently reiterated the point beautifully (and comically) at The Pour....)

For those of you ahead of the rest, won't you help your friends with a little insight? What do you plan to pour this Thanksgiving?

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?

Beaujolais Nouveau release at Midnight tonight!

Before Harry Potter book signing parties, there were other parties, wine parties, that came more frequently than those of the Harry Potter variety. They came every 3rd Thursday in November to be precise. And the tradition lives on.... Just one week before Thanksgiving stacks of the colorful Georges Duboeuf's famous Beaujolais Nouveau are sent out to wine shops from Beaujolais, France (think Southern Burgundy where Pinot Noir thrives). Wondered what it is? Beaujolais is a wine made from a grape called Gamay. The Nouveau style is made through a fermentation process called carbonic maceration and is released super-duper fresh, i.e. from harvest to bottle to market within mere weeks! It is intended consumers drink this wine young, and certainly no longer than 6 months. Why? Well, Gamay is a low-tannin varietal, which makes it optimal for those who prefer a light-styled, fruity, fruity wine. But even with it's naturally high acidity (another "age-worthy" component for wine), the fact that the wine goes through carbonic maceration hurts the wine's natural ability to age.

The hoopla of this catch-and-release process began in the late 1800s. Locals recognized this light-styled red wine was perfect for the transition between seasons and the unofficial 'switch' from white to red wine drinking - and they made a party of it (just imagine! pitchers of wine from the barrels were on offer!!) while the more grand Beaujolais wines were still working their mojo and evolving. The French government decided to reign in the revelry a little bit in 1938 and then in 1951 declared the "3rd Thursday in November" rule.

I don't mean to mislead you, however. Georges Duboeuf isn't the only producer of Beauojolais Nouveau; he's just the most famous because he produces so much of the stuff. Regardless who's Nouveau you select to sip, expect tooty-fruity red berry flavors. It's not my bag, though I have come to appreciate Beaujolais/Gamay when on offer from one of the premiere villages where the wine hasn't been quite as fast-tracked, e.g. Moulin-a-Vent, Morgon, Fleurie and Brouilly. Those wines tend to offer a bit more complexity - a touch of earth, a touch more depth, and a touch of tannin to offset all of that boisterous fruit! Their light style, much like Pinot Noir, is indeed a great complement to your turkey dinner.

So the question is... will you Nouveau?

wine buying "power"

I was raised in a family where asking someone about finances - or their buying power - might be considered a little too forward. But one of the most helpful questions I've learned to ask a customer searching for the "perfect" bottle is "how much do you want to spend?". I'm sure I've said it before: there is a ton of great juice on the market. Knowing how much someone wants to spend helps me narrow the playing field and help them find a great bottle to suit the occasion. Often I meet people who know they want to bring a bottle to dinner, but feel uncomfortable with wine and don't feel they know what is an appropriate amount for a "good" bottle of wine for X occasion. A good salesperson will be able to steer you in the right direction - without making you feel uncomfortable. But failing that ideal experience, here are a few things to consider when shopping (particularly given the economic climate and the upcoming holidays).

1. You don't have to spend a small fortune to select a solid offering. If you know what's being served for dinner, or if you don't, offer up that information to the salesperson, too. The right grape varietal/blend will more often "make or break" the gesture, not how much you spent.

2. Even as the Holidays approach and you are looking for a "nice" bottle of wine, remember a lot of great bottles can be found under $20. But whenever you are shopping, give your sales person a $5 price range to play with - e.g. $12 - $17, $15-20, $30 - $35. Whatever. Know how much you DON'T want to spend given your budget and be/get comfortable telling the salesperson that figure.

3. As the economy hits the crapper, I've met more and more people who are expanding their wine budgets and contracting their going out budgets. In the scheme of things, your entire evening is more cost-efficient. (Remember: you spend much more for an average bottle of wine when out at a restaurant than retail.) It can be just as fun (and perhaps more rewarding?) to explore a new bottle of wine at a slightly higher price as it is to go out on the town.

In the end, embrace your buying power. Explore wines on offer at a variety of price points as you see fit! You will likely find some "treats" at a higher price, but just as likely stumble on some good old fashioned comfort-sipping, too.

What's your wine buying rationale these days? Have your habits changed with the economy?

women, wine and... their kids

preganancy and wine...

Ever since I can remember, the women in my life abstained from alcohol during pregnancy for fear of fetal alcohol syndrome. Everyone I interacted with knew a simple fact: too much is too much. As my female friends and colleagues have started to have kids more recently though, the question of whether a glass of wine "on occasion" would cause irreparable damage has generated debate. Heck, at nearly every baby shower I've been to in the last five years, the topic of what to eat/drink and what to avoid altogether comes up. Even the men I know struggle with these issues as, in solidarity with their pregnant wives, they too are impacted by the question of what behaviors will harm or benefit their unborn children. What's tricky is everyone's doctor seems to have a different take - and socially it is/has been unequivocally TABOO to do so. This week Wine Spectator took additional care to publicize an interesting study on this very topic of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Researchers in Britain found some alcohol was OK during pregnancy - and (through what I think is fairly inconclusive evidence) stated "their children performed better three years after birth when compared to children of women who did not drink at all". I invite you to read the full article here and then let us know what you think.

It seems to me if some alcohol is fine, it could be a dangerous conclusion for folks who may not know when "some" becomes just too much. (And, come on... I do not think that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is the reason these kids performed better. It's called other environmental factors, people!)

What's your take? Do you believe women can safely drink during pregnancy?

Wines for Fall: The sweeter finds (and Wine Blogging Wednesday)!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a rare treat in the larger wine world, particularly here in North America: Pineau des Charentes. When I saw that Joe the #1 Wine Dude had expanded this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday theme (maderized dessert wines) to include fortified wines, well, it was all I could do to hold off all reports on this fabulous little dessert/aperitif-perfect-for-apple-pie-or-in-front-of-the-fire-or-before-a-chic-meal find! Pineau des Charetes is made from 2/3 unfermented must of fresh grapes and (drum roll please!) 1/3 COGNAC. This is my paradise.

Old wives tales (or perhaps actual history) has it this fun beverage was created by mistake. How so? Well, apparently a grower back in the 16th Century poured grape must (the juice, skins, stems...) into a barrel that already contained Cognac (brandy). The barrel was out of sight/mind for another 5 years or so until a huge harvest came in and additional barrels were needed. Soon enough, the concoction was discovered. The stuff tasted so darn good - fruity, sweet, yet lighter and not cloying in texture - the folks in Charentes, France perfected the process and began peddling it to eager consumers.

This aperitif thrills me for a number of reasons. First, it is a rare find here in the United States. Somehow, the masses have failed to catch on to the glory that is this sweet, little libation. Second, most producers have not chosen to make Pineau, considering it a mere byproduct of Cognac; they simply use Ugni Blanc grapes, which is also used in the production of Cognac. Among those who do make Pineau part of their repertoire, the best wines are made from the freshest (read: from field to barrel in a single day), hand-picked grapes. Only by hand-picking can they know the moment when full maturity is acheived, when the golden grapes turn to a deep topaz color and, for the red wines, when the black grapes turn from crimson to brown.

Pineau des Charentes is often found at 18% alcohol - the optimal level. It must remain in bottle for at least one year before it is sold (and often the best producers wait as much as five years before releasing it). As I alluded above, Pineau is offered in Or (white) or Ruby (red) varieties. In the case of the Ruby, Cabernet, Cab Franc or Merlot varietals are used.

If you've never enjoyed Pineau before or after a meal, please do. You are missing out! For those who don't prefer overly sweet dessert wines, this should be a good fit. Pineau certainly can accompany a little pastry, tart, or ice cream dessert. But it is also delightful with foie gras, oysters, poached fish, goat cheese, Roquefort and even fine game. (Use your gut instinct on which - red or white - variety pairs best with each of these suggestions.) Just avoid consuming Pineau with any 'strong' flavored sauces or dishes, even as simple as olives. It'll taste a little funkity funk....

For Wine Blogging Wednesday I served the Domaine du Perat Or with apple pie two weeks ago. The fruits in the Perat were reminiscent of stewed peaches and ripe apricots. But it also offered a depth of flavors you'll find reminiscent of cognac (burnt caramel nuttiness) - without the burn.  Serve chilled, for optimal flavors.

I'm curious how well received Pineau still is in France these days... do you know? If you're from North America, is this post a throw back to days of old for you? Or is Pineau de Charentes a new one on you?