winter wines uncorked: baby Brunello

Italian wine production is much like its history and tradition: dynamic, rich and... complicated. Despite this sometimes intimidating complexity (in terms of wine laws, in particular) every time I pick up a bottle from the Tuscan region  I am transported to clarity. Tuscan wines are a consistent articulation of what I appreciate most about good wine; they are a liquid language, translating a uniquely local art, history and culture. The wines are fulfillingly layered with flavor, quenching your thirst for what it is you really seek: pure pleasure. Brunello di Montalcino is one Italian wine Americans have sought with great gusto. Something like 1 in 3 bottles comes to the US.  So many of you might already know that Brunello isn't a grape, and it isn't a region. In fact, it is just the name for these marvelously bright and fruity, yet rich and broodingly elegant wines made from the Sangiovese Grosso grape clone. This clone is specific to Montalcino, a village about 70 miles southwest of Florence, in the Tuscan wine region;  the wine's name translates simply as Brunello of Montalcino.  By law the wines are aged for a minimum of 2 years in oak and 4 months in bottle before they are released. They are serious wines; like the great Bordeaux's and Burgundy's of France, age works in its favor, delivering its greatest gifts only after a decade... or more.

With great wines (and particularly those that are aged for some time) often comes some  expense. It's a real challenge to find good Brunello for under $25-30. Enter Rosso di Montalcino! This is a wine alternative to Brunello. It is also made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso, but is made from younger vines and is only aged for a minimum of 6 months in oak and only held 1 year total before release. It is a more approachable style for consumers that allows Brunello producers some cash flow, while they wait for their Brunello's to age.  And it costs consumers 1/3 - 1/2 the price of a Brunello. This is a little something we like to call a "Win-Win"! I'm all for them.

I had the pleasure of tasting the 2002 Marchesi Cattaneo Rosso di Montalcino last fall, but just recently sought it out as one of my winter warmer wines. Minestrone soup was on the menu and I wanted something food-friendly that would warm me up and offer a fun escape from my day. The Marchesi was a no-brainer.  My friend came over and we popped the cork. And boy, did it deliver! It had an enticing and telling nose, delivering sweet black cherry and raspberry fruit, a dash of dried herbs, a bouquet of violets and a welcome touch of chocolate. Lush... mouthwatering... goodness! I couldn't have been happier - or more fulfilled on a cold night in Beantown.

Which Rosso di Montalcino warms your heart these days?

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?

Entertainment in a bottle: a few fun headlines from over the holidays

You know you're back from vacation when it takes you at least 2 or 3 times the amount of time it normally would to undertake just one, every day, item on your list.  Yes, I've been trying to get caught up on all of my wine industry news,  sifting through the virtual paperwork to bring you a few headline highlights this Friday.  A few winemakers have passed on (too depressing to write more about in the New Year, but you can hop over to Wines & Vines to learn more); several wineries are set to open or expand their lands; and there's been some 'action' in Bordeaux (Ch. Latour is on the market again and there is on-going banter about who is In and who is Out as far as their Classification system goes).

But today, since I'm not quite ready to give up the New Year celebrations, I bring to you two headlines about bubbly that happened to grab me for personal reasons....

Christmas morning I was determined we would not only have our traditional breakfast feast, but we would also enjoy lovely mimosas with it. The trick to a good mimosa is not necessarily good bubbly... it is, in fact, a noteworthy float of Grand Marnier. But I digress. In choosing a bubbly, I usually opt for a basic Cava; in this case, my Mom's local store had an ample supply of Freixenet Brut.  Perfect.

I know many women are afraid to actually open a bottle of bubbly. I am not one of these women. I have only had success in gingerly coaxing the cork from the bottle, with only a few occasions when the temperature of the wine or too much giggling in the car set the stage for a bit of overflow upon opening. Of course, we can't always be perfect - and you are even less likely to be so when you most want to avoid additional scrutiny from the likes of your nudging siblings. Suffice to say, I nearly took my brother's eye out as I readjusted the (too thick) towel I was using and the cork (not one that moved at all while I was attempting to "coax" it out, mind you) flew out across the room into my mother's (inactive) fireplace.  Sigh... You win some, you loose some. I heard about it after for days. Fortunately, I have a sense of humor about such things. And it certainly got the festivities in motion!

Ironically, just two days prior to this "incident", a fabulous little piece on this very phenomenon - cork speed - was issued. A German scientist actually clocked a cork at nearly 25 mph. Impressive! (Granted, it was a shaken bottle, but still... I believe it!) Check out additional details here.

Once back in Beantown, I was back in the shop to help with New Year's Eve madness. The boys brought in a new, easy-drinking, dry little bubbly from Italy - an Italian Chardonnay Brut by the folks at Borgo Maragliano (they make one of my favorite Moscato d'Asti's, "La Caliera"). It was retailing for only $9.99 - even better! This little wine ended up being our top seller, no doubt because the price was so good and it is decent juice after all. But in checking out headlines, it seems like Italian Sparkling is on the minds of more than just greater Boston residents.  Better-known sparklers like Prosecco, Moscato d'Asti and Brachetto d'Asti are responsible, but it is interesting to see Italian bubbly gaining serious momentum in the European market... Read more here!

Did you let a few corks fly over the holidays? How fast do you think they were moving?

winter wines uncorked: cinsault

Ever gone on a blind date and wondered where that person had been all your life? Ever see that person again and known they were exactly what you remembered - and somehow even better? I first stumbled upon the red grape varietal Cinsault (said: Sin - So?) in its birthday suit (that is, 100% of it in one single bottle, all on its own, not playing just one part in the production) at a grand tasting event last Fall. It's rare to see this varietal doing its own dance; more likely it's one of many blended into wines from the South of France... one of those grapes you always hear about but are never fully sure what it contributes to the bigger picture. I mean, you can always turn to the Wine Pros to get the skinny, but I like to find these things out for myself, allow my own taste buds to take a grape for a test drive.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd ever (in the U.S.) have the opportunity to taste Cinsault all on its own. When I saw the '07 Dom. des Terres Falmet Cinsault* on the tasting menu last fall, well, be still my heart! It was a blind date I was willing to go on. Back then, I found the nose to be absolutely lovely, offering ripe strawberry fruit and a gently rustic and lightly spiced character I could only describe in my notes as "baking spices" (the cinnamons, nutmegs, et. al. of the world). The texture was alluring, wrapping my tounge in flavors I wanted to taste again and again to fully decipher and appreciate. We decided to bring the wine into the store, in part because it was outstanding (for a great price) and in part because they really are so rarely bottled on their own. Definitely something fun to talk about with interested wine seekers and foodies.

What with the cold weather here in Boston of late, I've been on a mission for wines that really blanket my tongue and offer layer after layer of satisfaction. I want full. I want mouthfilling. I want more than quaffable, one-note wines to intrigue me (it's too darn cold for this Phoenix girl living in New England to step outside everyday for a bit of adventure!). All the better if these wines come in a rare package. So I grabbed a bottle from the rack a couple of days ago to re-sample. After all, wines at a tasting are "work". Wines at home are more often for "fun" - and have a greater context for appreciation.

The Falmet hit it out of the park again. I bought the shop's last bottle last night (it's on back order...) just to ensure I'd have back-up what with more hazardous weather likely before I can say W-I-N-E! This is an example of the benefit of trying varietals you may never have heard of (really) before. It is also an example of a superb wine experience I - in my pre-wine industry days - would never have sought without the trustworthy help of a Sommelier (at a restaurant) or a wine shop's buyer.

In the New Year, I hope one of your resolutions is to  step outside your usual wine-drinking/buying box, and try something new. Even if you are an avid consumer and know your stuff, there is a LOT of juice on the market. Go on a blind date! Be enamored - or remember how great your other flings have been. In the coming weeks, I'll do my best to find some more intriguing winter finds and share them with you.

What blind (wine) date(s) have you been on? Was it a do-over or a never-do-again?

*The Wine Lover review is solid (and I found their food pairing entertaining given my initial notes), but describes the 2006 vintage, not the 07 currently available.

a bit (more) on bubbly: marketing musings

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a great bit of bubbly - whether Cava, Prosecco, Champagne, domestic sparkling or what have you - to ring in 2009. I have to admit, I'm a little sad the holidays are behind us. I did quite some damage enjoying bubbly from almost every wine-producing continent throughout December. And in so doing, I rejoiced in and fully celebrated just how great, food-friendly and versatile it is. My New Year's resolution might just include drinking at least one bottle each month of the year (not necessarily by myself or all at once, mind you). Ah, yes... I like this idea! What with all my bubbly enjoyment these last several weeks I couldn't help but muse the Marketing Giant that is the word, the region, and the renowned sparkler: Champagne. Just think of it! No other wine region in France, or really elsewhere, has the panache that Champagne does. No other wine seems to have inspired so many other styles of or takes on sparkling. No other wine says "sophistication" like Champagne. How does such a small-production entity (only 12% of sparkling wine worldwide) manage to capture the hearts/minds of so many people worldwide?

The short answer is History. Champagne got its real start via endorsements from royalty. In one example, Cristal was actually created for Czar Alexander II of Russia 1876 by Louis Roederer. Back then Russia was one of the highest export markets for the House. Of course, when the Czar found out he was drinking the same bubbly as his court he was a little peeved. Cristal became a special bottling, so named for the special lead crystal bottle it was distributed in. Meanwhile, an emerging middle class seeking a taste of how the other half lived, became more active consumers (albeit, not of Cristal, per se). And so it goes... Today, we simply seek out satisfying Champagnes to toast (and sip).

As someone who appreciates and enjoys many of the offerings coming from throughout France (and elsewhere), I can't help but wonder if any other region in the world will develop such a following. What will drive that new success? How about bizarre or clever tools now at play in the trade as a whole? Are they 'enough' to put a small producer or small producing region permanently on the map?

While I was contemplating this particular question, my stream-of-consciousness reminded me of a trade professional who tried to convince me of the marketability of aluminum last summer. I'm sorry to say, you may be able to drop the can of wine on the floor and merely dent it, but I don't think this will be the next great thing. I can even subscribe to the box wine phenomenon because of it's environmentally conscience and common sense-driven design. I'm largely a fan of screw caps. But aluminum? I'm sorry. No.

Over the holidays, my general musings about bubbly and marketing came full circle when I saw the biggest offender I've found on the market thus far: Francis Ford Coppola's Sophia Blanc de Blanc "mini"s. While this may be the wine of choice for sweet wine-interested consumers, could we please not sell it in a "convenient" can? Come on. A straw? For bubbly? This just hurts my feelings. It hurts history/tradition. For heaven's sake, there's no cork to pop! It only gets points for being offensively American. (If I were Madame Clicquot, I would actually turn in my grave.) Gnarly sweet and over-worked to boot, this wine gets my lowest rating: Humph!

Do you agree? What wine (marketing) faux pas did you encounter last year?

the main event: holiday wines!

Earlier this week I saw an email thread asking recipients to pick their top wine of the year. I can't think of a more impossible task! If you've been reading the Pour Favor blog for awhile, I'm sure you know exactly why I feel this way: wine is an experience! Without context - friends, family, laughter, tears, food, bistro, bar, fireplace, porch, picnic blanket, a night "in"....- wine is just juice in a fancy bottle, with a special closure. Well, maybe not quite but you get my drift.... Since this will be my last post before the New Year, I've decided to offer a nod to the year past. I'm going to throw out a few wines I've found this year, which are particularly worthy of a good excuse to open, which I've not yet shared.  We'll start with white, then red, then bubbly, and then - just for good measure - a dessert wine. Fasten your seat belt! These are a few of my 2008 YUM wines:

WHITE:     2007 Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Macon Milly Lamartine

I've rediscovered my passion for White Burgundy this year, first during the spring and then again and again this fall as it has gotten colder and I still crave a wonderful white. Dominique Lafon has long been revered for producing wonderful, concentrated wines in Meursault. His innovative edge and desire for a challenge brought him to the Maconnais - a region he recognized as under-appreciated, simply needing a bit of TLC. This wine is clear evidence exceptional insight, wine making and viticultural practices yield amazing results. The Les Heritiers has an intensely aromatic bouquet of pear, honeysuckle, citrus and jasmine. Its intoxicating minerality is complemented by rich pear and orange peel flavors. Such vibrancy and complexity is delivered in a memorably mouth-filling package. Delicious!

RED:     2005 O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

It is rare for me not to write my own wine notes, but in the case of this wine I'm always left speechless (an amazing feat, I know!). Fortunately, the winemaker's notes capture the absolute explosion of well-integrated layers that ravish my taste buds and wrap me in a lovely cocoon of happiness! Ripe cherry, blackberry, smoke, tobacco leaf, coco bean and dark chocolate aromas are framed by sweet vanilla oak. Elegant but concentrated flavors of espresso bean, graphite, raspberry and strawberry preserves are followed by a long complex finish with silky tannins and good acidity. An extracted wine that is rewarding. A worthwhile splurge for Christmas dinner, for sure!

SPARKLING:    2001 Westport Rivers Imperial

This winery proves Massachusetts is capable of producing tremendous wines - and bubbly at that! Just imagine yourself on the Cape, beach book in hand, foaming waves rolling onto the shore and fresh, juicy peaches, pears and apples in the cooler nearby. Add a spritz of sea air and you have the Imperial in your glass. It has a full, frothy mouse of tiny, tiny bubbles that deliver a tremendous, floral nose. Just a touch of citrus is evident on the palate - a welcome crispness to offset its wonderfully lush character. Just a touch of sweet, ripe fruit lingers on the finish. Salud!

DESSERT:    2007 Bouchaine Bouch D'Or Late Harvest

For me, this wine was love at first sip! It is an opulent, seductive dessert wine made of 94% Chardonnay and 5% Riesling - not a late harvest often found. It has an enticingly floral nose, followed by apple fruits layered with honey flavors. A gentle touch of minerality is well-integrated. Not for the lighthearted, this wine is deliciously decadent!

I hope you and yours have a safe, happy and healthy New Year! Be sure to pick up a bottle of something fun this holiday season. And please, share what you've selected!

a bit on bubbly: Cava

Ever heard of Cristalino? What about Freixenet? These are just two Spanish bubbly offerings on the market, known as Cava, that come in under $10 at your local shop. The thing about Cava is it's not just cheap - it's tasty, too! Here are a few fun facts to get our conversation rolling today...

• Cava means cave, or cellar, in Catalan;
• More than 220 million bottles are sold each year;
• Four stars beneath the cork indicate it's D.O. authenticity;
• 95% of all Cava (and the best on offer) comes from Northern Spain's Penedes region;
• By law, any one (or blend) of five white grapes are permitted in Cava. The three most common are Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarello, with Chardonnay and Subrait (Malvasia) used on occasion.
• Less than 1% of all Cava is rose (in which case either Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha or Monastrell grapes are employed).
• And, the traditional method, or Methode Champenoise as we've already discussed, is used to create its lovely little bubbles!

Cava came into being in 1872 when Don Jose Raventos (head of bodega Codorniu) found himself tromping through Champagne, France and encountered their specialty for the first time. He was fascinated and became determined to produce a Spanish bubbly. But I find it delightfully refreshing Cava does not try to play second fiddle to its famous international counterpart. No, Sir!

For starters, the Penedes region is geographically and climatically very different than Champagne. They also use different grapes. Specifically, in Cava they use exclusively WHITE grapes, whereas in Champagne Pinot Noir is one of the 3 permitted varietals (and used often, at that). In Spain, the wine is aged for only 9 months on the lees (the dead yeast cells that give Champagne it's toasty character due to being aged on them for at least 15 months). The differences go on, but the important thing is the result: Cava is less nuanced, offering a simple, cheery, citrusy/fruity, high-acid alternative to Champagne.

For the record, while I have no problem popping a Cava cork for the sake of Cava drinking, I also have to say these wines really do work some additional magic when blended for your holiday brunch mimosa and the like. Their clean flavors (aka, fruity, lesser yeasty quality) don't compete with whatever other ingredients you're throwing together, instead adding a nice bit of lift to the festivities!

Of the three bubblies we've bantered about thus far, which is your preference? Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava?

Aperitifs: The oh-so Lovely Lillet

'Tis the season to be merry! And sometimes merriment is best facilitated by getting your guests in the mood for - in the immortal words of Seinfeld writers - Festivus! Last weekend I had the pleasure of pouring a few holiday libations for just such a purpose at a public tasting event. (I had what happens to be my favorite Champagne Rose on hand, Lillet and two different Ports on offer; oh yes, I was captain of the Fun Team!) Much to my amusement, the Lillet was the fan favorite. In part this was because it's an aperitif that's been around since dirt bringing back memories for many, and in part it's because it's just so interesting. Leave it to a monk, Father Kermann, to "invent" it back in the late 1800's in Pondesac, Bordeaux. Fermann was also a doctor/mixologist, creating elixirs and fortifiers using ingredients like quinine. Enter the burgeoning region of Bordeaux where crazy ingredients like star anise, brandy, cane sugar, et. al. were then descending from all over the world (China, Gascony, West Indies....) and our friend Fr. Kermann is one happy camper! From this epicenter of creativity and fine ingredients came Lillet.

But let's back up for a second... An aperitif is an alcoholic beverage meant to begin a meal. Literally, it gets consumers in the mood for food by stimulating the appetite. For me it's also one of those 'balms' I've mentioned of late that has a welcome touch of alcohol to take the edge off potentially uncomfortable social situations, or to otherwise just get people in the spirit of the occasion (pun intended). It also isn't so strong in taste it will kill the next libation's flavors (e.g. wine with the meal).

On the Lillet bottle it reads: "Since 1872". Apparently there is no official recipe they use to make it year after year, instead relying on each cuvee to dictate the outcome. And apparently in 1985 they revamped their overall approach to appeal to modern-day consumers. Once much more bitter and slightly more sweet in flavor, today the aperitif offers a tremendously floral bouquet with hints of apricots and honey - it reminds me (and others) of late harvest wines. From there it delivers a surprising minerality, and notes of slightly bitter orange peel and apricots. (Technically speaking, it is made from the white wine Bordeaux grapes Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc (85%) and "fruit liquors" (15%). It is aged for 10 months (on average) in oak barrels.) I encouraged every person who approached my table to simply try it for themselves - and while each had their own reaction, nearly all was pleasantly surprised by it and certainly excited to add it to their holiday party shopping cart.

Which apertif do you enjoy during the holidays? Have you tried Lillet - whether on ice, with a twist, a'la James Bond or otherwise?

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?

a bit on bubbly: prosecco

If you recall, last Wednesday we launched my December series "a bit on bubbly" and talked about Growers Champagne. I didn't go much into the production process - or the flavors, for that matter - spending more time talking about the technicalities (and economics) of what makes Growers Champagne special and distinct from the bigger houses' offerings. I promise to circle back to these lovely wines before we ring in the New Year - because I definitely was inspired by many of the wines I was privileged to taste last week, and you really only get the "excuse" to buy expensive bubbly once in a while! But in the meantime, I think its important we move on to a different sparkling wine: Prosecco. Prosecco is Italian for bubbly. Well, nearly... Asti is the better known of the two predominant sparkling wines the Italians produce; but increasingly Americans have figured out Prosecco equates quality bubbly from Italy, at an affordable price. Venetians, for their part, turn to it daily; lucky devils!

This wine is named for the largest proportion of grapes used to produce it (with small amounts of Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio permitted for blending, if the winemaker chooses) and hails from the northeast Veneto region. It is widely considered more fruit forward than traditional Champagne, allowing those who sip it to revel in its dominant, crisp, apple flavors. It is also made in a slightly different way, using the Charmant method. Unlike the Champagne method, secondary fermentation (necessary to "trap" the CO2 and create those lovely, flavor-filled bubbles) occurs in large, pressurized tanks rather than in the bottle. This keeps the wine fresher (best drunk within 6 months to a year of purchase) and affordable. Yippee!

There are two Prosecco's I am quite enamored with at the moment: Santome Prosecco Extra Dry NV (~$13); and the higher-end, Adami Giardino Prosecco (~$19). The Santome is a steal. There are no two ways about it. I am happy to have it on its own, lapping up every pearl of ripe apple goodness, but have no qualms making a good mimosa with it either given its affordable price. It is "Extra Dry", which traditionally means slightly sweet (or off-dry); I find it errs on the drier side, therefore making it even more versatile and food-friendly.

As for the Adami, well, now we're cooking with gas! Adami has been making Prosecco for nearly a century and is considered one of the country's top producers - with good reason! The Giardino is straw-gold in color, which almost deceives its incredibly rich, almost a-typical, velvety mouthfeel. Flavors of apples and peaches remain refreshingly crisp though, with a touch of minerality coming through particularly well on the finish. It's hard to complain when something so lush is on offer! Last time I had it, I paired it with sushi. Cheers to that match!

These two favorites aside, there are many worthy Prosecco's on the market that easily transport you to Venice.  So, tell us, which is your passport Prosecco?