Greetings,
Bob's made the reservation for 8 to 10 people at
Sapor, 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
$5 per person in lieu of corkage.
Style du jour is Zinfandel. Food tends to be spicey.
I'm certainly OK w/ either. Not sure what our arrangement w/
Sapor is or will be. I believe in the past we've paid $5 per
person in lieu of corkage and I'm fine w/ that.
Betsy
Bob
Russ
Fred
Janet
Lori
Jim
Warren/Ruth
Roger LeClair
Bill Sobolewski
Probably bob should up the reservation.
We had great food at JP's last week.
Cheers,
Jim
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From: natdecants(a)nataliemaclean.com
To: natdecants(a)nataliemaclean.com
Subject: Nat Decants: Zinfandel
P.S. You can expect to receive your next newsletter Thursday, April 1.
Nat Decants was named one of the three best food and wine newsletters at the
James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards.
March 25, 2004
A Multitude of Zins
<http://www.thewineman.com/zap_crowd4.jpg>
Hi Natalie,
Love those zin, zin, zins! I'll be recommending a few in my wine picks next
week. Also coming up in the newsletter: matching wine and cheese, cognac,
vodka, whisky, wine scandals and Phoenix dining. For more articles and wine
picks, visit
<http://postsnet.com/r.html?c=299601&r=299048&t=77240828&l=1&d=85142700&u=ht
tp%3a%2f%2fwww%2enataliemaclean%2ecom&g=0&f=85142705>
www.nataliemaclean.com.
Three wines to recommend this week all from the 2003 vintage: Speaking of
zinfandel, here's a mouth-watering one from Rancho Zabaco ($19.95). This one
has ripe blackberries and spicy goodness. Score: 87/100.
Woolpunda Shiraz ($9.95): medium-full-bodied with stewed-ripe red plums. A
simple wine but a great value. Score: 83/100.
Hogue Pinot Grigio, Washington ($13): a vibrant, refreshing white with tree
fruit and mineral zest. Lovely with a variety of dishes such as seafood and
cream sauces. Score: 86/100.
Fort Bend Wine and Food Affair, April 29-May 2 in Houston, features cooking
demonstrations, gourmet and vintner dinners, wine tastings, a gourmet
farmers market, guest chef book sales and signings and a grand finale
bubbles and brunch. For info, visit
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Zin, Zin, Zin
ZINKIN, ZINZEN, ZINZEST: The licence plates in the parking lot warn me that
this is no tweedy wine tasting. Closer to the wharves, a line of three
thousand people, thick as an anaconda, snakes its way along San Francisco's
waterfront. Behind them soars the Golden Gate Bridge; Alcatraz Island sits
brooding in the distance; and the glinting bay is dotted with tiny tissue
sails. But no one's admiring the postcard view: all eyes are fixed on the
warehouse's paint-peeled doors, waiting for them to open on the Zinfandel
Advocates and Producers tasting, the world's largest single-varietal wine
event according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
As the doors open, zinophiles surge forward into two football-field-sized
buildings to taste the barrel samples. Vital attributes for this tasting are
Teflon taste buds, sharp elbows and a talent for eavesdropping: every now
and then, a buzz sweeps through the crowd, with feverish whispers about this
or that new zin. The resulting rush in that direction is not unlike the
stampede that ensues when K-Mart announces a Blue Light Special in aisle
six. Many drinkers here are on a mission to find the Next Big Thing?before
it's priced that way.
The tables are lined up alphabetically by about 250 wineries?many of them
family-run operations that produce only a few hundred cases a year. They're
pouring some 500 different zinfandels for sampling by more than 9,000
attendees. That's up exponentially from the first tasting in 1992?which drew
only 22 wineries and 100 participants.
The thickest crowd presses in around the "R" section: Ridge, Rosenblum,
Ravenswood, Rafanelli and Rochioli are some of the top-rated zin winemakers.
Ridge is often considered the original zinfandel producer: winemaker Paul
Draper was an early exponent of the wine in the late 1960s. When he accepted
Decanter magazine's Man of the Year 2000 award, Draper said: "I'd like to
thank zinfandel, without which I'm sure nobody would know who I am."
Zinfandel has been called the world's most misunderstood grape. Until
recently, many wine enthusiasts thought that the red grape could only
produce a pink syrup, and didn't realize that it was also capable of
creating dense, opulent, structured red wine. With 46,000 acres under vine,
zinfandel now ranks second only to cabernet among red grapes in California.
But even though zin has been a popular domestic wine for years, is not
native to California. Zin's story is as American as the rags-to-riches
characters in an E.L. Doctorow novel. Like the thousands of men and women
who left their homelands and arrived at Ellis Island, the zinfandel vine is
believed to have travelled in with early immigrant winemakers. A bastard
child without old money or known European lineage, zinfandel wasn't even
counted among the noble grapes such as chardonnay or cabernet. It had to
work its way from the ground up.
Its first test was Prohibition, and it passed Horatio-Alger style. Some
growers sold zinfandel "must," the dried, compressed grape material in brick
form to Italian families?warning that the brick should never come into
contact with yeast, or wine might inadvertently result. Of course, most of
those buying the bricks were home winemakers.
Zinfandel's second saving grace, and its curse, was white zinfandel. In the
1970s, Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home decided to bottle and sell the clear
run-off juice from pressing red zin. Customers complained that the resulting
wine was too dry, so he sweetened it?and then could barely keep up with
demand. Other wineries jumped on the bandwagon, but Sutter Home still leads
the market: in 1999, it produced four of the twenty million cases of white
zin sold in the U.S.
Despite its popularity, though, white zin is still viewed as "industrial
pre-mix" and "accessible"?the descriptive kiss of death among wine snobs.
Some drinkers think of white zin as a transitional wine that bridges the
taste gap between juice and soda pop, and dry table wines?including red
zinfandel. According to Sutter's research, 60 per cent of drinkers stay with
white zin, 20 per cent go on to other styles of wine and a disillusioned 20
per cent stops drinking wine altogether.
It was the rise of white zin that, in 1991, motivated a small group of
aficionados to establish Zinfandel Advocates and Producers or ZAP
(www.zinfandel.org) an organization dedicated to restoring red zinfandel to
its status as America's heritage grape. ZAP's informal motto became: "The
first obligation of wine is to be red." Today, it's one of the largest
consumer-based wine advocacy groups in the world, with some 6,000
purple-card-carrying members?a quarter of whom live outside California. (A
support group for a grape?it could only happen in America. What might our
Canadian equivalent be: Baco Buddies?)
Even red zinfandel, though, is not hailed for its elegance: it's Caliban to
burgundy's Ariel. With tooth-stripping alcohol levels of 17 per cent, many
zins embody Ravenswood's motto: Nullum vinum flaccidum (No wimpy wines). The
dense fruit and opulent texture of zin make syrup seem runny by comparison.
As one vintner observed, aging zin in French oak is like putting perfume on
John Wayne.
The names also go for weight over grace: The Monster, Wild Thing, Monga Zin
and Blockheadia. Other producers take a comic approach with names such as
Victor Hugo, Commander Zinskey, Zin Man and Zebra Zin. The front label on
Bonny Doon winery's Cardinal Zin label shows a cardinal spitting zinfandel;
the back label describes the wine in terms of the "seven deadly zins," and
suggests pairing the wine with game and other wild animals?including sloth.
But whatever the experts' disdain for the pink stuff, people buy it and its
popularity has helped to save old vineyards from being ripped up and
replanted with the more fashionable chardonnay, cabernet and merlot. Part of
the vine's success is that it seems to crop faster than ragweed: yields of
ten to twelve tons per acre aren't uncommon. Cabernet, by contrast, yields
only five to eight tons per acre. Zinfandel ripens early, albeit unevenly,
and thrives even in hot sites?though it requires rigorous pruning, dry
farming and coddling to get the low yields that produce more concentrated
wine.
Low-yield zinfandel gives one of the purest expressions of terroir?the
reason that producers of fine wine designate the vineyard on the label.
Rosenblum, for example, produces seventeen different zins, some in batches
of only 75 cases. In fact, the single-vineyard system resembles Burgundy's
small lots rather than Bordeaux's larger blends. Red zinfandel favours small
producers, while many large operations focus on white zin.
While zin is produced throughout California and in fifteen other states, its
home is Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley?where many Italian immigrants first
planted the vines, and where the densest concentration of old vines can
still be found. Napa may claim cabernet, and Carneros pinot noir, but fine
zinfandel thrives in its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Warm days raise
grape sugars and cool nights preserve acidity, slowing maturation for
greater intensity and complexity. Sonoma also has more microclimates than
Napa, resulting in many more styles of zin.
The zinfandel vine is one of the few deliberately aged well past its
prime?some are more than a century old. The gnarly, arthritic plants often
appear in coffee-table books, in gauzy wine lifestyle ads, and on labels:
many bottles at the ZAP tasting carry designations such as gnarly vines,
knotty vines, century vines and ancient vines. Zin gets a longer lease on
life than most vines. Bordeaux vineyards, for example, have to be replanted
every 25 to 45 years; but many in the industry agree that it takes fifty
years for zin grapes to develop the deep flavours that make the superior
wine. As the vines age, their fruit becomes increasingly concentrated and
imparts character to the wine. But old vines don't necessarily guarantee a
better end product: some argue that it's not age that matters, but superior
planting sites.
Still, there are only a few hundred acres of old zin vines left in the
world. James Wolpert, chair of the viticulture and oenology department at
the University of California, Davis, established the Zinfandel Heritage
Vineyard in the early 1990s as a vinous bridge to the past. He and
colleagues planted six hundred vine cuttings, some more than a century old,
in Oakville, California. Many were gathered on "Old Zin Safaris," on which
the team drove around California in search of lost vines?often taking
cuttings just ahead of the bulldozer. This Noah's Ark of vines will be
cultivated to help future winemakers, and to preserve the diversity of
zinfandel against the flood of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry wines.
(Read: homogenous versions of cabernet, chardonnay and merlot.)
It's the increasing rarity of old vines, and consequently the diminishing
yields, that are driving up the cost of good zin. The hardest thing to
swallow about zinfandel today is often its price. Once considered more
affordable than most reds, zin is now becoming more expensive as it gains
greater acceptance. Few wines at the ZAP tasting were less than ?15, and
cult wines now easily cost more than ?35.
Despite escalating prices-or perhaps because of them-the future of zin no
longer seems in doubt. Last year, Canadian sales of red zin alone were
300,000 cases, up 26 per cent over the previous year, and 371 per cent since
1995. ZAP's tireless lobbying efforts, bolstered by higher-quality wines and
increased presence on restaurant lists, has led the California legislature
to designate zinfandel as the state's heritage wine.
But the most compelling evidence of zinfandel's arrival as one of the
world's great wines is here on the floor. While taking copious notes may be
good form in the Christie's preview room or at a Bordeaux futures tasting,
few are doing so at today's event. But the tasters' enjoyment is written all
over their faces-and in their purple-stained smiles.
ZAP 2005
The 14th Annual Zinfandel Festival will be held January 26-29, 2005. For
more information, visit
<http://postsnet.com/r.html?c=299601&r=299048&t=77240828&l=1&d=85142703&u=ht
tp%3a%2f%2fwww%2ezinfandel%2eorg&g=0&f=85142705> www.zinfandel.org.
Recent DNA Discoveries
Where did zinfandel originate? Carol Meredith, professor of viticulture at
University of California, Davis, initially thought zinfandel came from
Italy-since the Italian grape primitivo and zinfandel are the same clone.
However, primitivo only arrived in Italy recently, so it could not have been
the ancestor of the zinfandel first planted in California 150 years ago.
(But this didn't stop Italian vintners from recognizing zinfandel's success
and trying to revitalize primitivo. In a reversal of traditional brand
theft, several Old World vintners are now labelling their wines zinfandel to
cash in on New World success.)
Meredith now believes zinfandel is closely related to a Croatian grape
called plavac mali, grown on the Dalmatian coast of the former Yugoslavia.
She has found all the "brothers, sisters and cousins" of zinfandel, but
continues to search for the original clone. She's now aided in this by
recent advances in the science of vine DNA?akin to the human genetic
techniques now used to identify criminals. Meredith is also making a genetic
map of zinfandel-much like the larger map of the human genome.
Aging Zin
One of the marks of serious wine is that it ages well-up to several decades.
However, fine red zinfandel hasn't been made long enough to know its
potential after cellaring for many years. The zinophiles whom I was able to
slow to a walking pace to chat with me at the tasting said they enjoyed
their zins young and jammy. But this may have more to do with instant
gratification than a preference for young wine.
According to a Wine Spectator tasting of 37 zinfandels, varying in age from
seven to ten years, the wines did not evolve to more complex character as do
Bordeaux and Burgundies?but neither did they fall apart and become thin and
insipid. They simply held their own.
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* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Greetings,
It appears we have sufficient interest for meeting this week.
That's great. I suspect we're all ok w/ whereever we end up.
Several votes for Sapor and a suggestion of Barolo and Barberesco.
Spanish at Auriga has also been offered.
I'm certainly OK w/ either. Not sure what our arrangement w/
Sapor is or will be. I believe in the past we've paid $5 per
person in lieu of corkage and I'm fine w/ that.
Betsy
Bob
Russ
Fred
Janet
Lori
Jim
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> -----
X-MessageWall-Score: 0 (enet.umn.edu)
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 10:15:31 -0500 (EST)
To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu
Subject: 30 Second Wine Advisor - The many faces of Pinot Noir
From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Friday, March 26, 2004
___________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
* California Wine Club
http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers
___________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
* THE MANY FACES OF PINOT NOIR After Burgundy, we re-focus on
California Pinot.
* CAPAROSO 2002 OREGON PINOT NOIR ($20) Fruit, spice and structure
build an excellent food wine.
* REX GOLIATH 2001 "47 POUND ROOSTER" CENTRAL COAST "FREE RANGE"
PINOT NOIR ($9) The label is wacky, but the wine is not.
* JOIN US IN BURGUNDY! A few spaces remain open in out once-in-a-
lifetime VIP tour.
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unsubscribe: "Administrivia" at the end of this page.
___________________________________________________________________
THE MANY FACES OF PINOT NOIR
If you were with us through the Wine Advisor's recent 12-article
series on the geography and wines of Burgundy, you'll know that
I've got my palate thoroughly calibrated on this great region as we
gear up for a memorable group tour of Burgundy and Champagne in
May. (A little more about that below.)
But the noble Pinot Noir grape that shows so well on Burgundy's
Cote d'Or is not limited to that favored soil, and just to keep my
taste buds properly international, I made it a point recently to
sample a couple of U.S. Pinots, including an attractive new Oregon
release from noted sommelier and fellow wine writer Randy Caparoso,
and a budget-priced but amiable California Pinot with a wacky label
borrowed from a historic circus poster.
One of the most subtle of wine grapes and producing some of the
most complex and variable wines, Pinot Noir in Burgundy is
noteworthy for the way it reflects the character of the soil -
"terroir," as the French call it. I'm not so sure that terroir
carries the same weight in Pinots from California or other New
World growing regions. Not that it's unknown - fans of California's
Russian River Valley or Santa Ynez or Oregon's Willamette or New
Zealand's Hawkes Bay or Martinborough or Central Otago might argue
that their soil, too, expresses itself in the grape. But by and
large, New World Pinots speak to me of fruit, not earth ... and
there's really nothing the matter with that.
More important still, in my opinion, is the happy truth that Pinot
Noir - wherever it's from - tends to be one of the most easy-going
food wines, with balanced flavors and velvety texture that go well
with a broad range of foods from red meat to robust cheese to rich
and oily fish. Both of today's wines fill that bill nicely. Let's
move right along to the tasting reports.
___________________________________________________________________
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE
You're always welcome to join in the conversations about wine in
our interactive Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, where you'll find a
round-table online discussion on today's topic here:
http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=49594&mid=419591
If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at
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___________________________________________________________________
CAPAROSO 2002 OREGON PINOT NOIR ($20)
This is a pretty ruby-color wine, dark and clear, with lush Pinot
aromas that blend ripe plums and smoky spice. Fresh red-fruit
flavors are crisp and clean, fruit backed by mouth-watering acidity
that makes for an exceptional food wine. It blossoms in the glass,
as good Pinots often do, to reveal fresh red-berry fruit, with
intriguing wafts of cinnamon, cloves and white pepper in the
finish. (March 19, 2004)
FOOD MATCH: Fresh Alaska salmon made a memorable red-wine-with-fish
match, in a dish of spaghetti tossed with bites of salmon and
rounds of fresh seafood sausage, napped with a light Mornay sauce.
VALUE: Like Burgundy, West Coast U.S. Pinots span a broad range of
prices, from the budget bin to pricey treasures. Complexity,
balance and food-friendliness make this one more than competitive
at this suggested retail price.
WHEN TO DRINK: Drinking beautifully now and intended for short-term
consumption, but a year or two of cellaring would certainly do it
no harm.
WEB LINK: Randy Caparoso introduces his wines online here:
http://www.caparosowines.com
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Retail sources and restaurants featuring
Caparoso wines are included on the Caparoso Website. You can also
find other Caparoso wines on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Caparoso/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
___________________________________________________________________
REX GOLIATH 2001 "47 POUND ROOSTER" CENTRAL COAST "FREE RANGE"
PINOT NOIR ($9)
The wacky label allegedly replicates a circus poster of the early
1900s, commemorating a gigantic avian attraction in a Texas
sideshow of the era. The wine is serious enough, though, ruby in
the glass, with fresh red-berry aromas and flavors and a lush if
rather soft flavor profile with plenty of fruit and sufficient
acidity for balance. Tasted less than analytically in a restaurant
setting, it served well as an all-purpose dinner wine. (March 20,
2004)
FOOD MATCH: It bridged a diverse array of flavors including lamb,
duck and vegetarian dishes, ranging from the familiar to the exotic
in a Persian New Year banquet at Saffron's, an excellent Iranian
restaurant in Louisville.
VALUE: Reasonably priced by restaurant standards at $23 on the wine
list. Widely available at retail shops for $6 to $10, in which
range it is an excellent to good value.
WHEN TO DRINK: Its luscious fruit but relatively soft acid profile
suggests that it would be best drunk up this year.
WEB LINK: You'll find the winery's brief, colorful Website, with a
large label image, here:
http://www.rexgoliath.com/
To download a fact sheet on the Pinot Noir in Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
format, click
http://www.rexgoliath.com/rexgoliathpinotnoir.pdf
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Find Rex Goliath wines on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Rex+Goliath/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
___________________________________________________________________
JOIN US ON A MEMORABLE VISIT TO BURGUNDY
Our coming tour of Burgundy and Champagne with French Wine
Explorers is just under two months away now, and excitement is
growing around here. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you in
May as we get together for this unforgettable week, when we'll
discover some of the best wine and food that the Cote d'Or and
environs have to offer.
Highlights will include tastings at grand cru properties including
Domaine de la Tour in Clos de Vougeot, and we've also been invited
on a special visit of the 15th century Chateau de Beaune, which is
not usually open to the public. We'll partake of classic
gastronomic Burgundian meals at Lameloise in Chagny, one of
France's top 3-star restaurants, and the 1-star but fabulous
restaurant Royal Champagne and other noteworthy Burgundian
restaurants.
I'm told that we still have a few spaces left at this point, so if
you've been procrastinating about joining us, now is the time to
decide. I hope you'll seriously consider taking advantage of this
once-in-a-lifetime wine-travel experience. The six-day tour of
Burgundy and Champagne runs from May 24-30. Feel free to write me
at wine(a)wineloverspage.com if you have questions; or you can get
more information - and register - at French Wine Explorers,
http://www.wine-tours-france.com/BurgundyWineTours.htm
___________________________________________________________________
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ADMINISTRIVIA
To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other administrative matters, click
to http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36d12e…
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone.
All the wine-tasting reports posted here are
consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest,
I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Friday, March 26, 2004
Copyright 2004 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
My suggestion is Spanish at Auriga.
Betsy
>>> "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> 03/29/04 11:23AM >>>
Greetings,
Do we have a destination this week? Sapro?
Here's the note from Chris regarding his visit next week.
Cheers,
Jim
<snip>
Greetings,
Do we have a destination this week? Sapro?
Here's the note from Chris regarding his visit next week.
Cheers,
Jim
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 08:38:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Chris <c2708(a)yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Wine(a)thebarn.com, address
To: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
In-Reply-To: <20040318151718.GA5610(a)poblano.me.umn.edu>
Jim,
Actually, I have several ideas. These ideas are largely driven
by what I have in my cellar at home.
1. I have a vertical of Chablis that I wouldn't mind tasting and
discussing through.
2. I have a horizontal of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and several
variations of that regional horizontal theme.
3. A series of 1997 or older California Cab. (I don't think
we've done anything like that in a while.)
4. The bottle of Pinot I had last night helped keep the flame
alive. Lately, I had splurged on several $100 plus bottles and
had TERRIBLE disappointments. You know I am no novice, but by
the bottles you would've thought I had no idea what I was doing.
So, Pinot is (like this week) always an option.
5. Cote-Roti and/or Cote-Roti look-a-like Syrahs. I have a few
we all might be itnerested in tasting. No crap Syrah/Shiraz
though, put a price floor on that one perhaps?
6. If you wanted to make me venture out to try something new, we
could revisit Barolo and Barbaresco. I wouldn't mind learning
more about Niebolo. I still feel a little uncomfortable buying
these. That is to say, without knowing what I should expect from
the bottle.
7. Excellent (again mabye a floor) California/Burgundy
Chardonnay. (I know what you're thinking...excellent California
Chard? Chris...) I believe that I have a few that would be a
good and tasty.
8. If we wanted a two fer, we could organize a sparkler party on
Sunday morning. I've got a couple that might be fun.
What do you think?
Chris
--- "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> wrote:
> Hi Chris,
>
> Any idea as to what you'd like to to on 4/8/04?
>
> use the web page to change your address.
>
> (add/subscribe the new one and unsub the old one
> to//from the list "wine" ...)
>
> http://www.thebarn.com/cgi-bin/lsg2.cgi
>
>
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 17, 2004 at 05:24:40PM -0800, Chris wrote:
> > Hey Jim,
> > I am coming to Minneapolis on Friday April 2nd, and will be
> in
> > town until the 11th. So, Thursday April 8th I'll be joining
> the
> > crew. Can't wait to see all of you again, and join in on
> some
> > great wine and food. Notice the wine comes first!
> >
> > Hey, how do I change the email address that this goes out
> to? I
> > am getting rid of this one, it gets too full of junk mail.
> >
> > Just thought I would give a heads up.
> > Chris
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 14:04:32 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: [wine] Bordeaux grapes at JP's
Greetings,
Plan is for Bordeaux Style grapes from anywhere at
JP's American Bistro. 6:00 on Thursday.
JP's is at 29th and Lyndale.
JP's American Bistro
2937 S. Lyndale 55408
(612) 824-9300
Ruth G/her friend.
Jim
???
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from Solo Vino <info(a)solovinowines.com> -----
From: "Solo Vino" <info(a)solovinowines.com>
To: "Wine Lover" <info(a)solovinowines.com>
Subject: W.A. Frost Wine Dinner
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 11:55:12 -0600
W. A. Frost and Company & Solo Vino
"The Twin Cities Premier Wine Shop" invite you to attend
Six-Course Sonoma County Wine Dinner
Paradise Ridge Winery www.prwinery.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2004 6pm - 9pm
$85 per person (pre-paid includes tax and gratuity)
R.S.V.P. 651-224-5715
374 Selby Ave - St. Paul, MN 55102 - www.wafrost.com
Solo Vino
517 Selby Ave
St. Paul, MN. 55102
651.602.9515
To be removed from this e-mail list
go to the link below and write
"Remove" in the "Name" window and
your e-mail address in the window provided
www.solovinowines.com/contact.htm
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Greetings,
So far, this week looks "iffy".
Plan is for Bordeaux Style grapes from anywhere at
JP's American Bistro. 6:30 on Thursday.
JP's is at 29th and Lyndale.
Ruth G/her friend.
Jim
???
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from Solo Vino <info(a)solovinowines.com> -----
From: "Solo Vino" <info(a)solovinowines.com>
To: "Wine Lover" <info(a)solovinowines.com>
Subject: W.A. Frost Wine Dinner
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 11:55:12 -0600
W. A. Frost and Company & Solo Vino
"The Twin Cities Premier Wine Shop" invite you to attend
Six-Course Sonoma County Wine Dinner
Paradise Ridge Winery www.prwinery.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2004 6pm - 9pm
$85 per person (pre-paid includes tax and gratuity)
R.S.V.P. 651-224-5715
374 Selby Ave - St. Paul, MN 55102 - www.wafrost.com
Solo Vino
517 Selby Ave
St. Paul, MN. 55102
651.602.9515
To be removed from this e-mail list
go to the link below and write
"Remove" in the "Name" window and
your e-mail address in the window provided
www.solovinowines.com/contact.htm
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Greetings,
The upgrades at "The Barn" appera to be working. Thank again Russel.
We're going to The 510 tomorrow. 510 Groveland, near the Walker.
What.
Any Pinot from Anywhere.
Who:
Russ/Sue McC
Lori
Betsy
Bob
Jim/Louise
Annette/Matt
Fred/Dana?
Janet/Janet's_friend
Dave?
Bill?
Nicolai?
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor
<wine(a)wineloverspage.com> -----
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 14:54:01 -0500 (EST)
From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
Reply-To: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
Subject: 30 Second Wine Advisor - The many flavors of Pinot Gris
To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu
THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Wednesday, March 17, 2004
___________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSORS:
* BRENTWOOD WINE CO.
http://www.brentwoodwine.com
* CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB
http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers
___________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
* THE MANY FLAVORS OF PINOT GRIS And it goes with corned beef and
cabbage!
* CHATEAU D'ORSCHWIHR 2000 ALSACE TOKAY PINOT GRIS BOLLENBERG
($14.99) Big and bold, but it's muscle, not fat.
* CAPAROSO 2002 BADEN PINOT GRIS ($20) Quenching ... yet
contemplative.
* ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or
unsubscribe: "Administrivia" at the end of this page.
___________________________________________________________________
THE MANY FLAVORS OF PINOT GRIS
Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio, as vowel-happy Italians call the same
grape) has become such a popular wine for casual sipping in recent
years that some wine enthusiasts tend to dismiss most of it as
bland, boring stuff.
But just like every other significant wine-grape variety, from
Chardonnay to Merlot to Shiraz and beyond, generalizations fail in
the face of specific examples to the contrary. And when we consider
that Pinot Gris is not merely a member of the excellent Pinot
family but may be its progenitor, it boggles credulity to presume
that it can't make a memorable wine.
In search of wines bold enough to stand up to a St. Patrick's Day
seasonal feast of corned beef and cabbage, I recently pulled the
corks from two very different examples, both excellent, and neither
at all what you might expect if your Pinot Gris palate has been
weaned on the usual suspects from Northern Italy or the U.S. West
Coast.
First up was a Tokay Pinot Gris from Alsace, where Pinot Gris was
traditionally called Tokay d'Alsace, based on a purported shared
history with the Hungarian Tokaji, a story mirrored in the Tocai
Friulano of Northeastern Italy. (In an effort to sort out all this
confusion, European Union regulators are changing the rules, with
Tokay Pinot Gris said to be a midway point in an eventual effort to
banish the word "Tokay" and variations from all versions except the
Hungarian.) A big, muscular Alsatian, I found it quite reminiscent
of the style of the highly rated Zind-Humbrecht but, in my opinion,
more interesting.
My second St. Paddy's Pinot Gris is German, from the Baden region,
which not coincidentally is just a grape's throw across the Rhine
from France's Alsace. Warmer and more southerly than Germany's more
familiar Rhine and Mosel valleys, Baden tends to produce richer,
riper wines of greater alcoholic strength than its northerly
neighbors. Today's wine is imported for my friend and frequent
WineLoversPage.com contributor Randy Caparoso, a noted sommelier
and food-wine-matching expert who has recently begun distributing a
select portfolio of quality wines under his personal label. Mouth-
filling and subtle, the wine offers elegance where the Alsatian
Pinot Gris showed brawn; again, however, it's far from being your
grandmother's Pinot Gris.
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE
Want to recommend a Pinot Gris you like - or a favorite wine match
for a St. Patrick's Day feast? Whatever your interest in wine,
you're always welcome to participate in the online wine
conversations in our Wine Lovers' Discussion Group. To join in an
interactive round-table online discussion on today's article, click
to
http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=49358&mid=417664
If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at
wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that
time and volume permit.
___________________________________________________________________
CHATEAU D'ORSCHWIHR 2000 ALSACE TOKAY PINOT GRIS BOLLENBERG
($14.99)
Clear straw color, with a golden hue. Forward and complex citric
aromas, grapefruit and lemon-lime, add complexity with a hint of
orange-blossom honey and a lovely scent that evokes wet stones
after a rain. Full and ripe, creamy mouthfeel becomes almost
unctuous as the wine warms in the glass; there may be just a touch
of sweetness, but it's not out of place in the bold context of
acidity, powerful (14.9 percent) alcohol and stony minerality. U.S.
importer: Langdon Shiverick, Cleveland. (March 15, 2004)
FOOD MATCH: Wines as bold as this aren't always easy food matches,
but it had what it took to stand up to a flavorful holiday meal of
juicy corned beef with potatoes, onions and cabbage.
VALUE: An exceptional white wine, fully justifies its mid-teens
price.
WHEN TO DRINK: Ready to drink. Pinot Gris isn't usually considered
a wine for aging, and the golden hue of this 2000 - recently
purchased here, but already two years behind the current release -
suggests that it has already evolved a bit. (For the experimentally
inclined, aging a wine this powerful and balanced might make an
interesting test in challenging the conventional wisdom, if you
have good cellar conditions.)
WEB LINK: You'll find the Chateau d'Orschwihr Website in French and
English at
http://www.chateau-or.com/
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Look for Chateau d'Orschwihr on Wine-
Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Orschwihr/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
___________________________________________________________________
CAPAROSO 2002 BADEN PINOT GRIS ($20)
This is a very pale straw-color wine, with fresh and appealing
melon aromas. On the palate it presents crisp honeydew melon and
gentle acidity in perfect balance, with a medium-bodied texture
that becomes increasingly lush as the wine warms in the glass. A
delicious wine, it seems so fresh and quenching that you're tempted
to gulp it, but its clean, subtle delicacy is interesting enough to
justify slowing down for more contemplative sipping. U.S. importer:
USA Wine West, San Rafael, Calif. (March 15, 2004)
FOOD MATCH: Randy Caparoso says this wine is styled for
"contemporary, sauce- (or texture-) oriented cuisines and perhaps
even better in new style dishes (especially 'raw' foods) couched in
natural vinaigrettes." I respect that, but can testify that it also
made a stunning match with good old-fashioned corned beef and
cabbage (albeit with a quality corned brisket from a natural,
hormone-free beef supplier).
VALUE: The $20 tag comes into perspective against the competition:
It dominates the well-known Pinot Grigio labels at the same or
higher price point.
WHEN TO DRINK: It's designed for immediate enjoyment, but certainly
won't fade in the next year or two.
WEB LINK: For information on this and other Caparoso wines, see
http://www.caparosowines.com
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Retail and restaurant sources will be found
on the Caparoso Website. You can also find other Caparoso wines on
Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Caparoso/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
___________________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIBE:
* 30 Second Wine Advisor, daily or weekly (free)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/index.shtml
* Wine Advisor FoodLetter, Thursdays (free)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodletter.shtml
* Wine Advisor Premium Edition, alternate Tuesdays ($24/year)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/premium.phtml
ARCHIVES:
For all past editions:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml
CONTACT US
E-mail: wine(a)wineloverspage.com
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
For information, E-mail wine(a)wineloverspage.com
___________________________________________________________________
ADMINISTRIVIA
To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail
address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other
administrative matters, click
to
http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36d12e…
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use
this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail
to anyone.
All the wine-tasting reports posted here are
consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of
interest,
I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept
no
samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Copyright 2004 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
I got your second note too. Lori
________________________________________________________________
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I got your message and I'll be there Thurs. Lori
________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
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