win October 2005

win@thebarn.com

4 participants
13 discussions

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Doing an old favorite (Pinot) at a new venue (Fugaise) makes for a very full list. Please be careful about the size of your pours and also be warry of the sediment in the bottles. Our host suggested a prix fix menu. Perhaps we can do that next time. W/ such a large group, ordering, plating, pacing and sharing will be a zoo.... My guess is the duck will be popular. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- > > Greetings, > > Bob's out west in the cellar, but he left a voice mail. > Menu at Fugaise features fish, tuna, salmon and duck. > He suggested fish freindly whites and Pinot Noir. > > We need to give Joyce an update on the count by Wednesday. > Fugaise is at 308 E Hennepin. Best bet are the 4 hr. meters > in the lot above Bobino. > > Fugaise > 308 E. Hennepin Ave. > Minneapolis, MN 55413 > (612) 436-0777 > > Yes: > > Joyce > Bob > Betsy > Warren/Ruth > > Jim/Louise > > Russ/Sue (Monday) Roger L (Monday) Annette (Tues 1:45) Karin/Nicolai (Tues 2:15) > That's 13 seats and 11 pours, unless I missed someone. > Cheers, > Jim WINE OF THE WEEK 2004 Hartford Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, California S. Irene Virbila October 26, 2005 Pinot Noir is so pricey these days it's a minor miracle to find one in the $20 range that you'd actually like to drink. It makes me wonder if the people at Hartford Family Winery are some kind of saints. Their wonderful Pinot Noir . from estate vineyards in cooler-climate Sonoma (Green Valley, Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast) . is priced like a bargain but tastes of luxury. It's got true Pinot character, a silky texture and hints of black cherry and raspberry. And it's bottled unfined and unfiltered like the big guys too. Small is beautiful. This Pinot Noir is, of course, tremendously food friendly. Drink it with fall's stews and daubes, with roast chicken and duck, a grilled piece of meat, a beautiful cheese. * Quick swirl Region: Sonoma Price: About $20 Style: Burgundian Food it goes with: Daubes and other stews, roast birds, grilled meat, cheese Where you find it: Hi-Time Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463; Manhattan Fine Wines in Manhattan Beach, (310) 374-3454; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454; and Wine House in Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731. > > > > -- > ------------------------------ * > * 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 * -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Liquor Depot Tasting

by Karin

Liquor Depot's 31st Anniversary Sale October 27th - November 19th Savings in every department. 15% - 40% Off Over 3000 Wines. 15% Off All Cordials and Liqueurs. See our ad in Thursday's Star Tribune (B news) for more specials. Free In-Store Tasting Thursday, October 27th 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Whites, Pinot at Fugaise

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Bob's out west in the cellar, but he left a voice mail. Menu at Fugaise features fish, tuna, salmon and duck. He suggested fish freindly whites and Pinot Noir. We need to give Joyce an update on the count by Wednesday. Fugaise is at 308 E Hennepin. Best bet are the 4 hr. meters in the lot above Bobino. Fugaise 308 E. Hennepin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55413 (612) 436-0777 Yes: Joyce Bob Betsy Warren/Ruth Jim/Louise Anyone else would be a guess on my part.... Cheers, Jim Small bite Kathie Jenkins St. Paul Pioneer Press Published: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Reviewing restaurants is constantly surprising. The places you think will be great often aren't worth the hype, and vice versa. Fugaise (pronounced foo-gays), which debuted last week in Northeast Minneapolis, is in the latter category. Lunch there was better than expected. Chef/co-owner is Don Saunders, who was previously chef at A Rebours in St. Paul. He has kept the menu small and buys top-notch ingredients. There's a simple mixed green salad tossed with wild strawberries, toasted hazelnuts and little bits of creamy brie. The butternut squash soup is enhanced with shaved pecorino and pumpkinseed oil. Wait until you taste the ribbonlike pasta with prosciutto, asparagus and truffle oil . it makes one of the best lunches in the Twin Cities. Even the desserts here . a chocolate tart with pear sorbet and olive-oil cake topped with peach confit and English stilton . are better than most. With such good food in sophisticated but understated surroundings, Fugaise proves moderately priced restaurants don't have to be a bore. Small Bites are first glances . not intended as definitive reviews . of new or changed restaurants. Now open: Fugaise -- elegant but casual French fare , October 6, 2005 "Are we at the right place?" asked my friend as we walked into Fugaise. It's true, the entrance to the new northeast Minneapolis restaurant, little more than a long corridor, doesn't make an ideal first impression. But our trepidation ended once we strolled through a cheerful little bar and into a suave dining room of pale silver-gold tints, a handsome parquet floor, crisp linens, pleasant lighting and thought-provoking paintings by Duluth artist Daren Steneman. The overall effect is a little reminiscent of George Clooney -- elegant, but not intimidating. After cooking at La Belle Vie and Vincent -- and then running the show at A Rebours -- chef-owner Don Saunders is now his own boss, crafting a distinctive, seasonally minded dinner menu of six appetizers ($9 to $12) and a half-dozen entrees ($21 to $32). The food has an air of French formalism, but with a lighter, cleaner spin: mushroom dumplings floating in a clear chicken consomm�, beet-flavored fettuccine with a slim dairy finish, a butter-knife tender rib-eye dressed with earthy hedgehog mushrooms and a ruddy red currant reduction, juicy pork tenderloin over an apple-celeriac pur�e. Desserts ($6 to $7) include a springy olive oil cake with a peach confit and a dastardly dark chocolate tart with a sprightly pear sorbet. One-fourth of the all-French wine list falls in the $30-or-less category. Fugaise, 308 E. Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, 612-436-0777, www.fugaise.com. Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Rick Nelson THE CHRONICLE'S WINE SELECTIONS: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - Thursday, September 22, 2005 Here are the panel picks from 50 Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs from 2002 and 2003 tasted for today. ________________________________________ 2003 Alderbrook Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $24 Body: Medium-full Dryness: Dry Comments: Ripe nose of black cherry, rosemary, pine and spice; juicy black cherry, black raspberry, vanilla, black pepper and anise flavors; tart cranberry finish; great balance; soft mouthfeel. ________________________________________ 2003 Bearboat Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $20 Body: Medium Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Lean, elegant style. Nose of cherry, red raspberry, cranberry, cassis, dried leaf and toast; similar flavors plus hint of licorice; bright acidity; wonderful with food. ________________________________________ 2003 David Bruce Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $40 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Subtle nose of cherry, dried cranberry and pencil shavings; ripe black cherry, cassis, raspberry, citrus peel and white pepper flavors; slightly alcoholic; long finish. ________________________________________ 2003 De Loach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $18 Body: Medium-full Dryness: Dry Comments: Mushroom, black cherry, toasted pine nuts, rose petal and leather aromas; ripe black cherry, blackberry, plum, tobacco and loam flavors; supple tannins; mouthwatering acidity. ________________________________________ 2002 Deerfield Ranch Cohn Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $48 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Smells of vanilla and wild blackberry with hint of toast; similar on palate, plus baking spice, truffle and dark chocolate; rich and seductive; polished tannins. ________________________________________ 2003 Dutton Goldfield Dutton Ranch RRV Pinot Noir Price: $35 Body: Medium-full Dryness: Dry Comments: Nose of blueberry, black cherry, raspberry and pine; cranberry, dried cherry, citrus, vanilla and toast flavors; round on palate; silky tannins; nice balance. ________________________________________ 2002 Forchini Proprietor's Reserve RRV Pinot Noir Price: $22 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Cherry, herb, pine, soy sauce and oak on nose; flavors of juicy black cherry, cassis, licorice and black pepper; cranberry on finish; young - needs time for tannins to soften. ________________________________________ 2003 Fritz Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $30 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Herb and rose on nose, though toast and earth dominate; mushroom, soy sauce, black cherry, black tea and tobacco flavors; excellent acidity; long, fresh raspberry finish. ________________________________________ 2003 Gary Farrell Russian River Selection RRV Pinot Noir Price: $34 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Aromas of Bing cherry, truffle and vanilla with juicy blackberry, black plum, raspberry and licorice flavors with hints of spice; round and deeply flavored; lush tannins. ________________________________________ 2003 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $60 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Aromas of toasted marshmallow, pie crust, cherry and mushroom; root beer, black cherry, tart plum and vanilla flavors; pert acidity; light coating tannins. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Harvest Moon Vineyards & Winery RRV Pinot Noir Price: $18 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Ripe black cherry nose with hint of baking spice; palate starts with ripe strawberry and cherry pie filling; soft in the mouth until a tannic close. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 J Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $28 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Aromas of cherry pie, ripe blackberry, boysenberry, tea leaf, earth and baking spice; black cherry and vanilla flavors with touches of citrus and smoked meat; round tannins. ________________________________________ 2003 Lost Canyon Saralee's Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $38 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Beautiful nose of black plum, black cherry, raspberry and rose; similar flavors; supple tannins, full, luscious, great balance. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $45 Body: Full Dryness: Dry-semidry Comments: Strawberry compote, cherry, tar and dust aromas; similar flavors with jammy black and red fruit and black pepper; round tannins; hot finish. ________________________________________ 2003 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Olivet Lane Pinot Noir Price: $54 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Pretty Bing cherry, leather and spice nose with a hint of mint; black cherry, cranberry, mushroom and cherry cola flavors; polished and elegant. Low production. ________________________________________ 2002 Russian Hill Estate Vineyards RRV Pinot Noir Price: $30 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Mushroom, earth, soy sauce, black cherry and currant nose; supple texture, plush tannins; ripe black plum, cola and spice flavors; mouthwatering acidity. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Russian Hill Tara Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $42 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Truffle, toast, herb and wet earth aromas with herb notes; rich, ripe cassis, black cherry, raspberry, black tea and cinnamon flavors; silky tannins; great balance. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $42 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Outstanding; the panel favorite. Exotic nose of blackberry, black cherry, herb and toast; boysenberry, raspberry, vanilla and licorice flavors; bright acidity; balanced. ________________________________________ 2003 Woodenhead Buena Tierra Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $46 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Rose, raspberry, pomegranate, blackberry, cassis, earth, mushroom, dried herb and white pepper aromas and flavors; tart acidity; Burgundian style. Low production. ________________________________________ Panelists: Lynne Bennett, staff writer/wine coordinator, The Chronicle; Linda Murphy, wine editor, The Chronicle; Rom Toulon, sommelier, Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco; Oscar Val Verde, general manager, 2223 Restaurant & Bar, San Francisco. Wines listed are generally available but may not be in all stores. Start with local wine merchants, but also try larger stores and wineries. The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Here are the panel picks from 50 Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs from 2002 and 2003 tasted for today. ________________________________________ 2003 Alderbrook Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $24 Body: Medium-full Dryness: Dry Comments: Ripe nose of black cherry, rosemary, pine and spice; juicy black cherry, black raspberry, vanilla, black pepper and anise flavors; tart cranberry finish; great balance; soft mouthfeel. ________________________________________ 2003 Bearboat Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $20 Body: Medium Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Lean, elegant style. Nose of cherry, red raspberry, cranberry, cassis, dried leaf and toast; similar flavors plus hint of licorice; bright acidity; wonderful with food. ________________________________________ 2003 David Bruce Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $40 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Subtle nose of cherry, dried cranberry and pencil shavings; ripe black cherry, cassis, raspberry, citrus peel and white pepper flavors; slightly alcoholic; long finish. ________________________________________ 2003 De Loach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $18 Body: Medium-full Dryness: Dry Comments: Mushroom, black cherry, toasted pine nuts, rose petal and leather aromas; ripe black cherry, blackberry, plum, tobacco and loam flavors; supple tannins; mouthwatering acidity. ________________________________________ 2002 Deerfield Ranch Cohn Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $48 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Smells of vanilla and wild blackberry with hint of toast; similar on palate, plus baking spice, truffle and dark chocolate; rich and seductive; polished tannins. ________________________________________ 2003 Dutton Goldfield Dutton Ranch RRV Pinot Noir Price: $35 Body: Medium-full Dryness: Dry Comments: Nose of blueberry, black cherry, raspberry and pine; cranberry, dried cherry, citrus, vanilla and toast flavors; round on palate; silky tannins; nice balance. ________________________________________ 2002 Forchini Proprietor's Reserve RRV Pinot Noir Price: $22 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Cherry, herb, pine, soy sauce and oak on nose; flavors of juicy black cherry, cassis, licorice and black pepper; cranberry on finish; young - needs time for tannins to soften. ________________________________________ 2003 Fritz Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $30 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Herb and rose on nose, though toast and earth dominate; mushroom, soy sauce, black cherry, black tea and tobacco flavors; excellent acidity; long, fresh raspberry finish. ________________________________________ 2003 Gary Farrell Russian River Selection RRV Pinot Noir Price: $34 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Aromas of Bing cherry, truffle and vanilla with juicy blackberry, black plum, raspberry and licorice flavors with hints of spice; round and deeply flavored; lush tannins. ________________________________________ 2003 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $60 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Aromas of toasted marshmallow, pie crust, cherry and mushroom; root beer, black cherry, tart plum and vanilla flavors; pert acidity; light coating tannins. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Harvest Moon Vineyards & Winery RRV Pinot Noir Price: $18 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Ripe black cherry nose with hint of baking spice; palate starts with ripe strawberry and cherry pie filling; soft in the mouth until a tannic close. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 J Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $28 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Aromas of cherry pie, ripe blackberry, boysenberry, tea leaf, earth and baking spice; black cherry and vanilla flavors with touches of citrus and smoked meat; round tannins. ________________________________________ 2003 Lost Canyon Saralee's Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $38 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Beautiful nose of black plum, black cherry, raspberry and rose; similar flavors; supple tannins, full, luscious, great balance. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $45 Body: Full Dryness: Dry-semidry Comments: Strawberry compote, cherry, tar and dust aromas; similar flavors with jammy black and red fruit and black pepper; round tannins; hot finish. ________________________________________ 2003 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Olivet Lane Pinot Noir Price: $54 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Pretty Bing cherry, leather and spice nose with a hint of mint; black cherry, cranberry, mushroom and cherry cola flavors; polished and elegant. Low production. ________________________________________ 2002 Russian Hill Estate Vineyards RRV Pinot Noir Price: $30 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Mushroom, earth, soy sauce, black cherry and currant nose; supple texture, plush tannins; ripe black plum, cola and spice flavors; mouthwatering acidity. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Russian Hill Tara Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $42 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Excellent. Truffle, toast, herb and wet earth aromas with herb notes; rich, ripe cassis, black cherry, raspberry, black tea and cinnamon flavors; silky tannins; great balance. Low production. ________________________________________ 2003 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Price: $42 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Outstanding; the panel favorite. Exotic nose of blackberry, black cherry, herb and toast; boysenberry, raspberry, vanilla and licorice flavors; bright acidity; balanced. ________________________________________ 2003 Woodenhead Buena Tierra Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir Price: $46 Body: Full Dryness: Dry Comments: Very good. Rose, raspberry, pomegranate, blackberry, cassis, earth, mushroom, dried herb and white pepper aromas and flavors; tart acidity; Burgundian style. Low production. ________________________________________ Panelists: Lynne Bennett, staff writer/wine coordinator, The Chronicle; Linda Murphy, wine editor, The Chronicle; Rom Toulon, sommelier, Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco; Oscar Val Verde, general manager, 2223 Restaurant & Bar, San Francisco. Wines listed are generally available but may not be in all stores. Start with local wine merchants, but also try larger stores and wineries. -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Current Fr. Whites, Zins at Odd Fellows TONIGHT

by Jim L. Ellingson

Add Fred to the list. Hoping the Howell Mt. bears don't join us.... ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:32:15 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Current Fr. Whites, Zins at Oddfellows Greetings, This week, we're doing current release French Whites and Zinfandels at Oddfellows. Oddfellows is one block east of Surdyks on Hennepin. I haven't really heard from anyone besides Annette, Russ, so these are mostly guesses. Tables are small, so make the reservation for 8? 10? Reminder that we go to La Fugaise next week. We're down for 10 people, but we want to provide Joyce and the rest. w/ an update by next Tuesday. Betsy Bob Lori Annette Karin Nicolai Jim Fred Cheers, Jim Growlin' good grapes Howell Mountain's intense fruit attracts winemakers and bears alike - Steve Pitcher, Special to The Chronicle Thursday, October 20, 2005 Not all connoisseurs of Howell Mountain wine grapes are human. Grower Mike Beatty, whose Black Sears Vineyard sits near the highest point on the mountain in northern Napa Valley, tells of a particular female black bear, easily identifiable because she was minus a claw on one paw, that frequently dined on his premium Zinfandel grapes. Hoping for relief, Beatty summoned Napa County Animal Services, and an officer lured the bear into a culvert trap and trucked her away. The next harvest, the same bear was back in his vineyard. This went on for a few of years, and finally Beatty asked the animal control officer where they took the bear. "To Lake County," the officer replied, where the bear was let loose. Turns out that when tourist season got under way in that county and the bear became a nuisance, Lake County Animal Control would trap her and truck her to Pope Valley, just east of Howell Mountain. The bear would then find her way back up the mountain to Black Sears Vineyard and resume feasting. You have to admire such fruit loyalty. And with grapes like these, it's no wonder. Howell Mountain is the source of exceptionally bold, full-bodied and rich Cabernet Sauvignons, Zinfandels and Merlots. The distinctive character of the grapes, different from those from the Napa Valley floor, led to the region being recognized in 1983 as Napa Valley's first subappellation -- shortly after Napa Valley itself became an American Viticultural Area (AVA). The reasons for the distinctive flavors are mostly climatic. During the day, Howell Mountain is cooler than most of Napa Valley, but it's warmer at night. And it's above the fog line -- in fact, that's where the AVA officially starts. These conditions are perfect for growing grapes that are small, tightly clustered and powerfully concentrated, for intense fruit flavors in the wines. In addition, the grapes develop thick skins that yield rich tannins. Climb to the vantage point of the modest shopping plaza in Angwin village, Howell Mountain's only town, under brilliant morning sunshine. Napa Valley down below might resemble a great basin filled to overflowing with billowing, whitish-gray meringue. The fog line -- technically an inversion layer, the elevation above which fog typically does not rise during the summer growing season -- forms the minimum altitude of the AVA. "We determined that to be 1,400 feet above sea level," says Beatty, also a co-proprietor of Howell Mountain Vineyards. How was it determined? "A group of Howell Mountain wine folks met at Beatty Ranch one dark and rainy night, spread out a topographic relief map, and anchored it with bottles of Howell Mountain Zinfandel, of course," he says. Howell Mountain is located northeast of St. Helena, above the Silverado Trail, between Napa Valley to the west and Pope Valley to the east. Wineries on this mountain are mostly tucked away in woods along side roads and open by appointment only. There are 14,000 acres within the Howell Mountain AVA, although fewer than 500 acres are currently planted to producing vines, which is less than the planted acreage on the mountain in the 1890s, and a tiny fraction of the 44,671 acres planted to vines in all of Napa Valley. >From the air, however, it is evident that there's considerable vineyard development in the works, so vine acreage is certain to increase. So will the number of wineries, of which there are now at least 10. Several non-resident wineries buy Howell Mountain grapes under contract. Others -- including Beringer Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Duckhorn Vineyards and Pina Cellars -- have their own vineyards on the mountain. The fruit is not cheap, and neither are the wines made from it. But the grapes are sought after because of Howell Mountain's growing conditions. "Daytime temperatures from May through September are as much as 10 degrees lower on the mountain than those of the valley" once the valley's fog burns off, says Beatty, who has lived and farmed on the mountain since the 1970s. "This protects the vines from the heat stress that typically weakens the grapes' acidity." Despite its mountain nomenclature, the Howell Mountain AVA is more accurately described as a high, rolling plateau, with vineyards carved out of thick forests of oak, pine and fir. From a low-flying aircraft, I saw that there are few really steep hillsides here, such as those that dot the Diamond Mountain District on the other side of the valley. Like majestic Mount St. Helena, Howell Mountain is the result of volcanic activity, although it was not a volcano itself. Rather, the mountain was formed by tectonic activity that pushed it up from below. It is, however, covered by vast quantities of pale tuff, which is white volcanic ash that has been compressed over time. Red and brown volcanic loam and iron-rich red clay complete the soil profile. "These soils are nutrient-poor, thus stressing the vines to produce intense wine from small clusters of berries," Beatty says. "Our soils are completely different from the rich, alluvial soils of the Napa Valley (floor), where crop thinning and canopy management are necessary to control vigorous growth. With our thin, rocky, well-drained top soils, vigor is naturally limited up here." The earliest plantings on Howell Mountain were mostly Zinfandel, Napa Valley's grape of choice in the late 1800s, and is still an important variety today, the source of some of the mountain's best wines. Its reputation as a fine-wine region can be traced back to 1889, when a red wine -- most likely Zinfandel -- from the Howell Mountain Winery, built by French emigres Jean Brun and Jean Chaix in 1886, was entered in the International Wine Competition of the Paris Exposition and took a bronze medal. A Howell Mountain "Claret" -- again, probably Zinfandel -- from neighboring Liparita Winery, built by W. F. Keyes in 1880, won the Grand Prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Both Howell Mountain Winery and Liparita became "ghost wineries" in the wake of Prohibition in the 1920s and '30s, as did nearby La Jota winery, which dates to 1898. Of the three, only the original Liparita Winery on Los Posadas Road, just outside Angwin, languishes today as a silent relic of the past, while the Liparita brand of wines, produced elsewhere, keeps the name alive. The Brun and Chaix winery, with its massive, 30-inch-thick stone walls, has been restored by proprietors Pat and Anne Stotesbery as a fully operational, gravity-flow winery, and is now home to Ladera Vineyards, a gently rolling, 185-acre estate with some 75 acres planted to vines. Ladera, which focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon under the direction of winemaker Karen Culler, is one of Howell Mountain's most accessible wineries for visitors with an appointment. The Stotesberys came to Napa Valley in 1996 and Howell Mountain in 2000 by way of Montana, where they operated a sizable cattle ranch in Big Sky country for several years. The ranch has been sold, but, says Pat, current president of the Howell Mountain Vintners & Growers Association, "I don't miss it. This is still agriculture, and it has totally replaced ranching for me." La Jota Vineyard Co., owned by Markham Vineyards since 2001, has also been resuscitated as a boutique winery, where winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls annually produces about 4,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah from the 29 acres of vines on the 41-acre estate, which is not open to the public. While Zinfandel launched Howell Mountain as a wine region, and continues to be the passion of such producers in the AVA as Howell Mountain Vineyards, Lamborn Family Vineyards, Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery and D-Cubed Cellars, today the majority of the mountain's vineyards are planted to Bordeaux varieties, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. One of the first to focus on quality Cabernet Sauvignon was Randy Dunn who, with his wife Lori, bought and revived a 5-acre Cabernet vineyard on Howell Mountain in 1978, with financial assistance from the owners of Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, for which he was then making wine. His inaugural 1979 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon garnered much critical acclaim and attracted consumers' attention to Howell Mountain as a source of outstanding Cabernet. In 1991, by then devoting full time to his own winery, Dunn bought the nearby 47-acre Park-Muscatine vineyard, with 15 acres planted to Zinfandel, Carignane and Petite Sirah. This was the principal vineyard from which Ridge Vineyards president and winemaker Paul Draper purchased grapes to make many memorable vintages of Ridge Zinfandel, variously labeled "Howell Mountain" and "Park-Muscatine Vineyard" in the 1980s. Dunn replanted it mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon. "It was basically a matter of economics," Dunn says. "In those days, a winery could get maybe $7 to $10 for a bottle of Zin, but a Cab would sell for $15 to $25 or more. And besides, my expertise was with Cabernet rather than Zinfandel, and Cab was what I wanted to make." Dunn's massively proportioned, complex and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignons -- one designated Howell Mountain, the other Napa Valley -- are widely considered to be among Napa's greatest wines. His winemaking style has remained consistent all these years. "I'll continue to make tannic wines, wines of maximum extraction," Dunn says, "because we have the right fruit for that style of long-lived wine on this mountain. But I don't want hot alcohols, so I harvest at a reasonable Brix (ripeness level), and will decrease the alcohol as necessary by various methods to achieve balance." His Cabernets spend more than two years in barrel, stored in caves dug into the hillside of his rustic mountain property. Dunn, an admitted "tree-hugging dirt worshipper" (or so declares the bumper sticker on his truck), confides that while his Napa Valley-designated Cabernet previously contained some fruit from the valley floor, it is now made entirely from Howell Mountain fruit, some from his 35 acres of estate grapes and some purchased from other Howell Mountain growers. He says he can't have two Cabernet Sauvignons designated as Howell Mountain, so consumers buying the Napa Valley Cab are getting a bonus. Merlot made from Howell Mountain grapes is a powerful statement of the varietal, exhibiting more Cabernet-like muscularity and depth than typical Napa Valley Merlot. Beringer's Merlot from the Bancroft Ranch is the most well-known example, attracting connoisseurs and collectors since its first vintage in 1987. The rolling vineyard lies at an elevation of 1,800 feet on the western slope of Howell Mountain. The vines produce small, intensely flavored berries with powerful, concentrated fruit flavors. Beringer obtains grapes from two other vineyards at 1,800-foot elevation on Howell Mountain -- Beringer-owned Steinhauer Ranch, and Rancho del Oso, owned by Betty O'Shaughnessy, who has her own eponymous winery. Oso means bear in Spanish; the vineyard and winery are named after the red bear that climbs the deer fence and cavorts in the reservoir on the property. Duckhorn also makes a Howell Mountain Merlot in a bold style similar to the Beringer wine and has also invested heavily in vineyards on the mountain, which are planted primarily to Bordeaux varieties. "Growing grapes on Howell Mountain can be a logistical nightmare," says Duckhorn's winemaker, Mark Beringer. "Water is scarce, cultivation is challenging and yields are low. Yet working with the grapes from this mountain is a winemaker's dream." His sentiments are echoed by every winemaker on Howell Mountain and those elsewhere lucky enough to obtain some of its precious fruit. Dennis Johns, the proprietor/winemaker at White Cottage Ranch Winery, says, "We drink what we can, and sell the rest." A taste of Howell Mountain Winemakers say the aromatic descriptor of "raw red meat" that frequently shows up in their reds comes from extended contact of the juice and spent yeast during fermentation. A pretty violet scent is also common. Zinfandel 2002 Howell Mountain Vineyards Beatty Ranch Howell Mountain Zinfandel ($38) -- Spicy, very appealing nose of black raspberry and black cherry accented with a subtle meaty component. Concentrated, round and plush with copious berry fruit complemented by freshly crushed black peppercorn and a touch of dark chocolate; medium-full, supple tannins. 2001 Summit Lake Howell Mountain Zinfandel ($22) -- Shy aromas of red berry dusted with cinnamon and anise, along with black pepper. Richly textured with medium tannins, the concentrated flavors echo the nose; tapers to a wonderfully spicy close. Merlot 2001 Atalon Keyes Vineyard Howell Mountain Merlot ($60) -- Red cherry and raspberry, a touch of red meat, subtle mint and cedar define the nose. Elegant, with medium tannins, smooth texture and luscious black-fruit flavors that extend to a graceful finish. 2001 Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot ($75) -- Vibrant, intense aromas of roasted meat and smoke, blackberry and black plum, brown spice and subtle orange zest. Powerful and muscular with ripe, chewy tannins and a juicy core of rich blackberry and black cherry, enhanced by notes of cocoa and mint. 2001 Duckhorn Howell Mountain Merlot ($70) -- Wildly aromatic with freshly crushed blackberry, cocoa, dried sage and a hint of mint. Complex and richly textured with medium-full, integrated tannins, it's powerful yet harmonious, offering a deep core of blackberry and cassis tinged with red raspberry, nutmeg, bittersweet chocolate and creamy oak. Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Bravante Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) -- Complex, alluring scents of red currant, cassis, black olive, raw meat and a touch of mocha. Full-bodied and muscular, with substantial tannins and copious dark berry fruit. One for the cellar. 2002 Cakebread Dancing Bear Ranch Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) -- Inaugural bottling from this 30-acre vineyard planted in 1999. Enticing nose of wild blackberry, subtle mocha, violet and dried lavender. Round, rich and powerful with intense dark berry fruit and evident, though supple tannins. 2002 Robert Craig Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($50) -- Focused aromas of wild blackberry, cassis, mineral, mocha and a violet note. Silky smooth with ripe, supple tannins, it's polished and generous, with abundant berry fruit accented by warm spice and sweet herb; llingering finish. 2002 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($70) -- Rich, lovely aromas of ripe, freshly crushed dark berry, black currant and white pepper. Full-bodied with ripe, powerful tannins, a velvety texture and intense, concentrated, liqueur-like extracted berry fruit flavors that goes on and on. 2002 Highlands Beatty Ranch Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($80) -- Up-front scents of black fruit, violet, dried thyme and glove leather. Round and juicy with medium tannins and ripe berry-red raspberry fruit, this Cabernet is more elegant than powerful, and lends itself to pairing with a thick, juicy steak. 2002 Ladera Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) -- Enticing scents of lightly toasty oak, blackberry and black cherry fruit and a hint of mocha. Plush and velvety smooth with supple, medium-full tannins and tiers of berry-cassis fruit, dark chocolate and vanillin oak. Generous and elegantly extracted. 2002 La Jota Anniversary Release Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($90) -- Forward, unmistakable note of violet precedes ripe black fruit and mocha scents. Concentrated, deep, complex flavors of chocolate-covered cherry and blackberry liqueur, with a hint of white pepper and mineral. 2002 O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) -- Exotic scents of cassis and blackberry accented by a red-meat note. Opens with air to reveal sweet vanilla oak and dark chocolate. Juicy and generous with polished tannins and harmonious flavors. Wickedly rich. 2001 Pina Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($54) -- Intriguing nose of red meat, black olive, smoke, red berry and cassis. Bold and full-bodied, with ripe, sinewy tannins, intense, highly extracted dark-berry flavors and a wonderful aftertaste. Several years of cellaring recommended. 2002 White Cottage Ranch Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) -- Aromas of red meat, nutmeg, licorice, cassis and black cherry. Round and silky with medium tannins, this is an elegant Cabernet that finishes with a spicy flourish tinged with minerality. -- Steve Pitcher Steve Pitcher is a San Francisco wine writer and a contributing editor for the Wine News magazine. E-mail him at wine(a)sfchronicle.com. Page F - 1 URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/20/WIGDCF8QG21.DTL

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Current Fr. Whites, Zins at Oddfellows

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, This week, we're doing current release French Whites and Zinfandels at Oddfellows. Oddfellows is one block east of Surdyks on Hennepin. I haven't really heard from anyone besides Annette, Russ, so these are mostly guesses. Tables are small, so make the reservation for 8? 10? Reminder that we go to La Fugaise next week. We're down for 10 people, but we want to provide Joyce and the rest. w/ an update by next Tuesday. Betsy Bob Lori Annette Karin Nicolai Jim Cheers, Jim washingtonpost.com Made for Each Other By Ben Giliberti Wednesday, April 13, 2005; Page F07 T he perfect pairing of wine and food is an art. When done well, both the wine and the accompanying dish taste better, a classic example of the whole being more than the sum of its parts. While there are many excellent pairings, the match of Sancerre wine and Crottin de Chavignol cheese is one that comes close to perfection. The wines of Sancerre and its neighbor, Pouilly-Fume, are the ultimate expression of the sauvignon blanc grape. Although this variety is grown in California, New Zealand and Bordeaux, nowhere does it achieve more raciness, complexity and breed than in France's Loire Valley. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, which are produced on opposite banks of the Loire River, are considered the region's best sauvignon blancs. Sancerre is a bit racier and brighter, and Pouilly-Fume tends to be deeper and denser, but only a brave soul would try to distinguish them in a blind tasting. In quality, they are indistinguishable. Crottin de Chavignol cheese springs from the same region of the Loire as these two wines, and is an official "label of origin" goat's milk cheese. Although it originated in the village of Chavignol, which also produces Sancerre, it is now also made in five nearby towns: La Charite-sur-Loire, Pouilly, Donziais, Cosne and Cher. Many consider it France's most distinctive goat cheese. Pairings of a region's cuisine and wines such as this are often felicitous. For example, Piedmontese wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco go famously with the musky wild truffles of the area; the minty, cedar notes of Pauillac wine are a splendid match with the locally raised lamb. The terroir, or combination of soil, climate and culture of certain regions, seems to imbue the food and wine with a special affinity. But compared with even the best wine and food pairings, the harmony between the tangy goat cheese and the spirited wine of the Loire is quite remarkable. They share a mineral, lemon-thyme note that is both distinctive and delicious. One explanation is that the Alpine goats of the area forage on grasses and brush that have picked up the chalky notes of the limestone soil, which is similar to the soil in the better vineyards. Wild thyme is also prevalent here, and goats everywhere are known to feast on such herbal brush. Matching Chavignol with Loire sauvignon blanc is fascinating. Crottin de Chavignol is meant to be enjoyed at different stages of maturity -- which is common for wine, but relatively rare for cheese. Fresh from the cheese vat, it has a creamy texture and a mild, nutty taste. At this point, somewhat paradoxically, the best match is an older Pouilly-Fume or Sancerre, both of which also develop mellow, nutty notes four to five years after the vintage. About four months later, when the cheese reaches full maturity, it develops a dense, often crumbly interior and a delectably robust, slatelike flavor. This strength makes it a perfect foil for young Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre, vibrant wines that burst with assertive character. At intermediate stages, the wine and cheese can be enjoyed in any combination. This is also a good time to serve the cheese warm and grilled with toast, or in chevre salad. Both wines and the cheese are available locally. The 2002 and 2003 are excellent vintages for Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume and predominate in wine shops now. Young Crottin de Chavignol, which along with other good goat cheeses has become quite popular, is flown in weekly to better cheese and grocery markets in the Washington areas. The following are my favorite Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumes from recent tastings. While both wines can sell for $50 or more, many examples are more modestly priced and offer excellent value for wines of this caliber. Approximate prices are in parentheses along with the distributor in case your wine store needs to order them. Domaine Girard Sancerre 2003 La Garenne ($18; Louis/Dressner Selections /Wine Partners): This delectable wine is from a family estate in the village of Chaudoux, directly north of Chavignol. This cuvee is from the estate's best vineyard, La Garenne, a 5.5-acre plot with chalky, limestone soil that lends a distinctively flinty, mineral note to the wine. In 2003, La Garenne's well-drained slopes allowed the grapes to achieve exceptional ripeness, yielding a wine with aromas of spring flowers, mandarin orange and herbs, followed on the palate by intense flavors and a brisk finish that cries out for goat cheese. Domaine Thomas & Fils 2003 Sancerre "La Crele" ($21; France); Domaine Thomas et Fils 2003 Sancerre "Grand Chaille" ($24; Kacher Selections/Washington Wholesale); Vivacious and loaded with exotic, tropical fruit aromas and flavors, the La Crele bottling slightly out-pointed the estates' new, more expensive Grand Chaille in my tastings. Both are excellent. The chief difference is that the La Crele emphasizes freshness and liveliness of fruit, while the Grand Chaille weighs in with classic, mineral tones. Francois Cazin Cheverny 2003 Le Petit Chambord ($12: Louis/Dressner Selections/Wine Partners): This excellent value offers an intriguing alternative to the 100 percent sauvignon blanc wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. By law, wines from Cheverny, which is located west of Sancerre, must be a blend of varietals. Le Petit Chambord is 81 percent sauvignon blanc and 19 percent chardonnay. Because the soils are a bit heavier than in the Sancerrois, chardonnay ripens well here; its inclusion adds a note of light honey to soften the steely intensity of sauvignon blanc. Philippe Raimbault 2003 Pouilly-Fume "La Montee des Lumeaux" ($21; Country Vintner): This refined sauvignon blanc wine offers a deft balance between delicate floral notes and firm, flinty fruit. Bright citrus notes enliven the palate, and brisk acidity extends the fruit through the distinctive finish. Quite fine. ALSO RECOMMENDED (in order of preference): Patient Cottat 2003 Sauvignon Blanc ($9; good value); Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2003 ($20); Herve Seguin 2002 Pouilly-Fume ($21); Vincent Delaporte Sancerre Chavignol ($21); Merlin-Cherrier 2003 Sancerre ($22); Patient Cottat 2002 Domaine des Berthiers Pouilly-Fume ($18); Henry Natter 2002 Sancerre ($25); Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fume 2003 ($20). � 2005 The Washington Post Company ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> ----- Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 13:41:18 -0400 (EDT) To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor - WT101: French whites From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Wednesday, July 6, 2005 ________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSOR * MAISON DE LA FRANCE AND WINES OF FRANCE Win 1 of 4 trips to France! Pick your wine tour deal to France; enjoy free in-store tastings in selected US cities! http://fr.sitestat.com/mdlfr/franceguide/s?US_wineloverspage_spring05&ns_ty… ________________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE * WT101 - FRENCH WHITES Let's celebrate Bastille Day by toasting freedom and independence with something French, cool and white. * M. CHAPOUTIER 2002 BELLERUCHE C�TES-DU-RH�NE BLANC ($11.99) Minerally and complex, an exceptional value in a Rh�ne Valley white of unusual subtlety and style. * MAISON DE LA FRANCE AND WINES OF FRANCE Win 1 of 4 trips to France! Pick your wine tour deal to France; enjoy free in-store tastings in selected US cities! * ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe. ________________________________________________________________________ WT101 - FRENCH WHITES Bastille Day is coming up on July 14, and most people have pretty much put that embarrassing "Freedom Fries" thing behind us, so there couldn't be a better time for a toast to the international ideal of freedom that just about everyone shares. That's a toast in French wine, of course, and owing to the heat and humidity of the season, something French, white and properly chilled should be just right. And while you're at it, you might want to drop by our Wine Tasting 101 Forum, where this month's topic covers the rather broad territory of "French white wine," with Boston-based wine writer Thor Iverson as the guest host and expert. Iverson has penned a brief overview of French white wines and a quick regional overview of Loire Valley whites for your enjoyment. He'll be adding more information about other French white-wine regions, and he and other experts will be on hand throughout July to respond to your questions and comments. A key purpose of Wine Tasting 101, of course, is to help you gain confidence in tasting wine and sharing your thoughts about it with others by providing easily digestible information and useful advice as you try your hand at writing wine notes in a friendly, supportive environment. I hope you'll grab a glass of something French and white and drop by the forum to give it a try. ________________________________________________________________________ WEB LINKS: The home page for Wine Tasting 101 is http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/wt101.phtml You can read Iverson's overview there, or as a forum topic where you can respond interactively, http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=7&tid=63029&mid=541481 His articles about Loire Valley whites are here: * SHORT PRIMER: the sauvignons of the Loire Valley: http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=7&tid=62976&mid=540914 * SHORT PRIMER: the chenins of the Loire Valley: http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=7&tid=63119&mid=542151 ________________________________________________________________________ PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or other wireless device. http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/print050706.html ________________________________________________________________________ TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE In addition to the WT101 links above, if you'd like to ask a question or comment on today's topic (or any other wine-related subject), you'll find a round-table online discussion in our interactive Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, where you're always welcome to join in the conversations about wine. http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=63155&mid=542676 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. ________________________________________________________________________ M. CHAPOUTIER 2002 BELLERUCHE C�TES-DU-RH�NE BLANC ($11.99) This clear, light-gold wine shows the intriguing minerality and pleasantly oxidative character that often begins to show in Rh�ne whites even after just a year or two in the bottle: White fruit, beeswax, honey, a hint of almond, a whiff of banana oil and a sense of wet granite, so complex and shifting that it takes a while to sort it all out. It's a bit more straightforward on the palate but very pleasant, white fruit and stony minerality; tart acidity builds a firm structure and lasts into a long finish. U.S. importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, Ill. (July 4, 2005) FOOD MATCH: I'd suggest it as a classic match with freshwater fish or goat cheeses, but it also made a great cross-cultural pairing with vegetarian Chinese dim sum dumplings. VALUE: Belleruche, an "affordable" Northern C�tes-du-Rh�ne from the excellent Chapoutier, is generally an excellent buy in both the red and the white, and this one is no exception. WHEN TO DRINK: The oxidative nature of Rh�ne whites makes aging a bit iffy, as rich complexity can tip into Sherrylike oxidation with time; while they stay on the tightrope, though, they can be great, and at this price you can afford to risk saving one or two for the sake of science. Note that the 2003 vintage, which is likely to be a fatter, fruitier wine, is now available, but the 2002 (which was not as disastrous a year in the Northern Rh�ne as the South) should still be widely available in wine shops. WEB LINK: The Chapoutier Website is presented in French and English. Use this link for the English-language home page; then click "Our Wines" and use the "Vineyards and Wines" pulldown menu at the right to select "C�tes-du- Rh�ne: Belleruche white." http://www.chapoutier.com/chapoutier/gb/default.html The U.S. importer has an article about Chapoutier here: http://www.paternowines.com/wines/france/m_chapoutier/ You can use the menus in the left-hand column to find fact sheets on Belleruche and Chapoutier's other labels. FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Compare prices and seek vendors for Barefoot Cellars on Wine- Searcher.com. http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Chapoutier%2bBelleruche/-/-/USD/A?referri… ________________________________________________________________________ MAISON DE LA FRANCE AND WINES OF FRANCE Click Here & Spring Over to France with Maison de la France and Wines of France! This is your chance to win one of four trips to the Rhone-Alps or Provence regions with Air France! Experience French Wine in the US! - Enjoy free in-store wine tastings in your area - Meet Sheri Sauter, Master of Wine and new spokesperson for Wines of France. - Discover Sheri's Top 40 French wine picks - Choose Yours!� Planning your trip to France? Put the wine country in your itinerary! - Pick your wine tour deals to France! - Learn the latest news from the French Vineyards - Explore the French Vineyards http://fr.sitestat.com/mdlfr/franceguide/s?US_wineloverspage_spring05&ns_ty… ________________________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: * WineLoversPage.com RSS Feed (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/rss/ * 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, July 6, 2005 Copyright 2005 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved. ----- End forwarded message ----- The New York Times October 19, 2005 Wines of The Times Loire Reds Liked It Hot By ERIC ASIMOV ACROSS Europe, the 2003 vintage provoked disbelief. In regions where winemakers ordinarily pray that their grapes will ripen sufficiently before autumn, a torrid heat wave sent them scurrying back from their August vacations to pick the grapes before they turned into raisins. This was California weather, not the sort of marginal growing climate in which vintage anxiety is the trade-off for wines that can scale the heights. Extreme heat can throw everything out of whack. Ripening is accelerated, and if growers do not pick the grapes at the right time, they will have too much sugar, resulting in wines that are higher in alcohol, with jammy, baked flavors and without the crisp zing that makes them refreshing. Great uncertainty awaited the 2003's. The early indication is that the reds are faring much better than the whites. The 2003 Beaujolais vintage was excellent, rife with wines of unusual intensity. And, as the Dining section's wine panel found out in a tasting of 25 red wines from the Chinon and Bourgueil regions of the Loire Valley, the 2003 vintage was superb there as well. Perhaps this should not be surprising. Chinon and Bourgueil benefit from hot weather more than most regions. The reds are made from the cabernet franc grape, which in the Loire Valley produces wines that offer a fragile teeter-totter balance of fruit, mineral and herbal flavors. If the grapes do not ripen fully, either because of the weather or because they are picked too early, those herbal flavors can become vegetal, resulting in wines that are nastily reminiscent of green bell peppers and canned peas and corn. But the 2003's we tasted were lively, with great acidity. And if the wines had slightly more alcohol than usual, they were still well balanced. That balance is precisely what makes these wines so unusual. At a time when the world is gravitating toward wines that taste of nothing but fruit and oak, these wines preserve their earth, mineral, raspberry and herbal flavors, which together create complexity and character. "It's so nice to taste wines that aren't about fruit, fruit, fruit," said Karen King, beverage director at the Modern, who, along with our second guest, John Slover, a sommelier at Cru, joined Florence Fabricant and me for the tasting. As much as we all loved the wines, we also agreed that they were not for everyone. People who prize power and lush fruit above all else will probably not like these Loire reds, which are taut and subtle. "They're not easy in the sense of having obvious flavors, like oak and fruit," Mr. Slover said. Ms. Fabricant was more blunt, calling them take-no-prisoners wines. By that she meant you would not want to hand out these wines at a party. They really require food to show their best side, and luckily they go with just about anything. For me, the presence of a few reds from Chinon or Bourgueil immediately elevates a wine list. Stocking a bunch of cabernet sauvignons and pinot noirs is a no-brainer, but adding a few Loire reds indicates that somebody is thinking about the wine. Our tasting was not entirely of the 2003 vintage. We included 8 bottles from 2002, a vintage that was good and far more typical, and 17 from 2003. But the 03's dominated our top-10 list, 8 to 2, and given the conventional wisdom that Bourgueils and Chinons are best consumed 3 to 10 years after the vintage, the relative age was irrelevant. Our favorite wine, the '03 Chinon Vieilles Vignes from Philippe Alliet, offered the classic interplay of flavors along with a clear suggestion of ripe fruit that is perhaps not typical of a Chinon in another vintage, but it was certainly not heavy. Our No. 2 wine, Les Galichets, an '03 Bourgueil from Catherine and Pierre Breton, had great purity and the sort of precise balance found in the best Loire reds, and at $15 it was half the price of the Alliet. The Bretons make several other cuv�es, including a 2003 Trinch, our No. 8 wine. This wine is intended for immediate consumption, slightly chilled. It had a barnyard note to its aroma that we liked but does put some people off. Trinch, by the way, is the sound of two glasses clinking, as rendered by the French. Other top names among our favorites included Bernard Baudry, whose '03 Franc de Pied seemed a classic Chinon, and Charles Joguet, whose wines have been longtime standard-bearers for Chinon. Joguet's '03 Clos du Ch�ne Vert was big and complex, with more oak than some others. Another Joguet, Les Varennes du Grand Clos '03, made the list. It, too, seemed richer than the other wines but, again, well put together. As for the 2002 wines, two made our list. The 2002 Vieilles Vignes Chinon from Domaine du Colombier was balanced and appealing. The 2002 Chinon Tradition Graves from B�atrice and Pascal Lambert offered peppery herbaceousness and fruit. Our tasting included 16 bottles from Chinon and 9 from Bourgueil, for no other reason than that's what we found in our shopping. The two areas are near each other in the Touraine region of the Loire Valley. Bourgueil is north of the Loire River, just east of St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, which also makes good cabernet franc wines. Chinon is south of the Loire, near the Vienne River, which flows into the Loire. It is often said that Bourgueil wines are a little more tannic than Chinon wines, which are a little more fragrant. Frankly, in a blind tasting, I couldn't tell the difference. I was happy with either. Tasting Report: Balancing Fruit, Mineral and Herbal Flavors Philippe Alliet Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2003 $30 *** Savory and spicy, with mineral, earth and herbal flavors; light-bodied and balanced. (Importer: Jeroboam Wines, New York) Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Galichets 2003 $15 *** Perfectly balanced with fruit, mineral and floral aromas; light and complex. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York) Bernard Baudry Chinon Franc de Pied 2003 $25 *** Light, elegant and classically balanced with herb, fruit and mineral flavors. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York) BEST VALUE Sauvion Bourgueil Vall�e de la Loire 2003 $10 *** Complex and full with persistent fruit, herb and mineral flavors. (Le Reine Importing, New York) Ch�teau de Coulaine Chinon Bonnaventure 2003 $17 ** � Lively and tangy with flavors of plums and spices. (Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.) Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Ch�ne Vert 2003 $33 ** � Aromas of forest, herbs and dried fruit; more oak than some others. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants, Berkeley, Calif.) Domaine du Colombier Chinon Cuv�e Vieilles Vignes 2002 $18 ** � Crisp texture; aromas of berries, mint, tobacco and olives. (Baron Fran�ois, New York) Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch 2003 $13 ** � Olives, earth and spice aromas with a barnyard note; a wine that you'll like or hate. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York) Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varennes du Grand Clos 2003 $28 ** Fuller bodied than some with flavors of rich fruit, earth and olives. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.) B�atrice et Pascal Lambert Chinon Tradition Graves 2002 $16 ** Highly aromatic with lively, peppery fruit flavors. (JF Wine Imports, Venice, Fla.) * Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Fw: Terry Theise Wine Tasting

by jhegstrom＠csom.umn.edu

You can call Surdyk's at 612-379-3232 and ask for Lynn or Zack . Mention the "bubbles" discount and you can get in for $30. (no discount on website, sorry). Will let you know about "bubbles" discount for champagne tasting on December 1st as soon as I know price, etc. Joyce WHO: Surdyk’s welcomes world famous importer Terry Theise for an exclusive Wine Tasting Event WHAT: Wine Tasting with 15 selections from Mr. Theise’s outstanding portfolio of only the best wines from Germany, Austria and France WHERE: Millennium Hotel, 1313 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis MN WHEN: November 10, 2005 6:30 – 9 pm HOW MUCH: $35 per person – reservations required to attend this exclusive event. Please go to surdyks.com or call 612/379-3232 to reserve your seat. Surdyk’s is proud to announce our next exclusive Wine Tasting event with Terry Theise, world-famous importer of Estate grown German and Austrian wines, and a cutting edge importer of Champagnes. He represents many of the finest estates in Germany and Austria, including Müller-Catoir, Dönnhoff, and J.J. Christoffel in Germany, as well as Brundlmayer, Schloss Gobelsburg, and Nigl in Austria. He selects only the finest offerings from each of his estates; every wine he puts his name to is of the highest quality. Mr. Theise was recently honored with a very prestigious American Wine Award from Food and Wine magazine. He was named Outstanding Distributor/Importer of the year for 2005. Of his wines, Terry is quoted as saying, “I cherish them all, as European white wines that display a similar grace, freshness and clarity and come to us from geographically complex soils after hundreds of years of trial and error.” Mr. Theise will be on-hand to walk us through each exquisite offering from his portfolio. His passion for his work is phenomenal and contagious. Please join us as he presents the results of the highly anticipated 2004 vintage of German and Austrian wines. This is a one of a kind tasting that is not to be missed! Space is limited, so go to surdyks.com or call 612/379-3232 today to reserve your seat! |--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

20 years, 1 month

[wine] [jellings@me.umn.edu: DUI in DC (fwd) (W-Post)]

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, 10/15/05 Sat. 1 to 7 Fall Tasting at Sam's WINES Next week at OddFellows 2 or 3 Weeks. At Fugais. 300 East Hennepin. C, J ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:56:26 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: Allbnstaff(a)brewingnews.com, "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> Subject: DUI in DC (fwd) (W-Post) User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i >From the Post. While you're there, you can check out Greg Kitsock's O'Fest Artictle. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/11/AR200510110… Critics Say District's DUI Policy Goes Too Far Jailing Drivers for 1 Drink Called Wasting Resources By Brigid Schulte Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, October 13, 2005; B01 Officials with organizations that lobby for safe roads and tough drunken driving laws yesterday criticized the District's zero-tolerance policy toward drinking and driving, saying that they'd never heard of it and that limited police resources should be devoted to those more obviously drunk. Even D.C. Council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), who has sponsored legislation to lower the legal limit for drunken driving, said she was not aware that police officers are arresting drivers who have as little as .01 percent blood alcohol content -- less than from drinking a glass of wine or beer -- in their systems. Nor did she think that such a policy was a good idea. "I think that laws have to be reasonable," she said. "And I do believe that one glass of wine should certainly not an arrest make." Lon Anderson, public and governmental affairs director for the American Automobile Association's Mid-Atlantic Office, said he planned to work toward putting an end to the zero-tolerance arrests. "This zero tolerance is out of order, out of bounds and outrageous," said Anderson, who said he also had never heard of it. "This means that, Heaven forbid, I could go to a Nats or Redskins game and have a beer and a dog and my career would be over." The Washington Post reported yesterday that Debra Bolton, a 45-year-old energy attorney and mother of two who lives in Alexandria, was searched, handcuffed, fingerprinted and arrested after drinking a glass of wine with dinner in Georgetown last May. A breath test indicated her blood alcohol level was .03, comfortably below the .08 legal limit at which drivers are automatically presumed intoxicated. She sat in a jail cell for hours and later spent months fighting in D.C. Superior Court before the charge was dropped. A number of motorists yesterday said they have had similar experiences. One young computer programmer said he spent the night in a D.C. jail on a drunken driving charge even though the breath test registered his blood alcohol content as 0.0 percent. The zero-tolerance policy requires that police have a reason to pull the driver over in the first place -- for example, for poor driving, or in Bolton's case, for driving without headlights. In Maryland and Virginia, as in other states, drivers generally are presumed not to be intoxicated if they test below .05. In all three jurisdictions, .08 is the legal limit. Elizabeth Wingo, chief of the criminal section in the D.C. Attorney General's Office, said her office prosecutes cases regardless of blood alcohol level, as long as there is sufficient evidence of impairment. "We have zero tolerance for drunk driving. It doesn't matter what your blood alcohol level is," Wingo said. "If you blow .02 and officers can tell you're impaired, you'll be arrested for DUI." The law says people can be found guilty if they drink enough alcohol "to appreciably disturb or interfere with their normal mental or physical faculties." But D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, in an interview yesterday with WTOP radio, said the department has no policy of getting tough on people who drive below the legal alcohol limit. "Officers bring discretion to everything they do," Ramsey said, "so there is no order from above saying that every minor infraction of the law must be upheld." Patrick O'Connor, president of Northern Virginia's Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said his group lobbied for years to get all 50 states and the District of Columbia to lower the legal limit for intoxication from .10 to .08. He said the only zero-tolerance law MADD has pushed is for young drivers under the legal drinking age of 21 -- which all 50 states and the District subsequently adopted. "MADD's position is that you should drink responsibly and if you feel you're impaired, you should not drive," he said. "It's not MADD's position that if you have a glass of wine you shouldn't get into a car." John Undeland, chairman of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, with members as diverse as Anheuser-Busch and MADD, said his group's members agree that the greatest problems are drivers who are profoundly drunk and those who repeatedly drive drunk. "That's where resource-stretched law enforcement agencies need to focus their resources," he said. Neither the D.C. police nor Superior Court prosecutors keep detailed records of low-blood alcohol arrests as a result of the zero-tolerance policy. But records do show that several hundred drivers each year are arrested for driving with blood alcohol lower than .08 percent. This year, Annie Cefaratti, along with Debra Bolton, will be one of those statistics. One Tuesday night in August, she recalled, the 44-year-old real estate agent and Reston resident had a glass of wine with dinner at Sette Osteria, with a big bowl of pasta and espresso. Two hours later, as she drove home in her black Mercedes SUV, she quickly picked up her cell phone to answer her son's call. The District bans use of handheld phones while driving, and she was immediately pulled over, she said. An officer asked if she'd been drinking. When she said she'd had a glass of wine with dinner, he asked her to get out of the car and put her through a series of sobriety tests. A breath test measured her blood alcohol at .04. She was handcuffed and arrested. Her case was later dropped, she said, because the officer never filed the paperwork. Now, the District's Department of Motor Vehicles wants her to either get alcohol counseling or prove she doesn't need it. "I'm D.C.-born and -raised. My family goes back six generations here," she said. "And I'm never going to have another drink in D.C." D.C.'s zero-tolerance policy goes back about seven years. In 1998, at the same time Schwartz introduced an amendment to lower the blood alcohol limit for intoxication from .10 to .08 with much media attention, then-Council member Sandy Allen introduced a provision that lowered to .03 the level that a driver could be presumed impaired by alcohol. Both measures passed. Staff researcher Bobbye Pratt contributed to this report. � 2005 The Washington Post Company Single Glass of Wine Immerses D.C. Driver in Legal Battle By Brigid Schulte Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, October 12, 2005; A01 Debra Bolton had a glass of red wine with dinner. That's what she told the police officer who pulled her over. That's what the Intoxilyzer 5000 breath test indicated -- .03, comfortably below the legal limit. She had been pulled over in Georgetown about 12:30 a.m. for driving without headlights. She apologized and explained that the parking attendant must have turned off her vehicle's automatic-light feature. Bolton thought she might get a ticket. Instead, she was handcuffed, searched, arrested, put in a jail cell until 4:30 a.m. and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Bolton, 45, an energy lawyer and single mother of two who lives in Alexandria, had just run into a little-known piece of D.C. law: In the District, a driver can be arrested with as little as .01 blood-alcohol content. As D.C. police officer Dennis Fair, who arrested Bolton on May 15, put it in an interview recently: "If you get behind the wheel of a car with any measurable amount of alcohol, you will be dealt with in D.C. We have zero tolerance. . . . Anything above .01, we can arrest." Neither the police department nor the attorney general's office keeps detailed records of how many people with low blood alcohol levels are arrested. But last year, according to police records, 321 people were arrested for driving under the influence with blood alcohol levels below the legal limit of .08. In 2003, 409 people were arrested. Although low blood alcohol arrests have been made in other states in conjunction with dangerous driving, lawyers, prosecutors and advocates of drunken driving prevention said they knew of no place besides the District that had such a low threshold for routine DUI arrests. In Maryland and Virginia, as in other states, drivers generally are presumed not to be intoxicated if they test below .05. Nationwide, .08 is the legal limit -- meaning a driver is automatically presumed to be intoxicated. Fair acknowledged that many people aren't aware of the District's policy. "But it is our law," he said. "If you don't know about it, then you're a victim of your own ignorance." Bolton said she didn't know. But defense lawyers who practice in the District do. "Even one drink can get you in trouble in D.C.," said Thomas Key, a lawyer who successfully defended a client who had a blood alcohol level of .03. "They might not win a lot of these cases or prosecute them, but they're still arresting people." Not many people fight the charge, said Richard Lebowitz, another defense lawyer, because the District offers a "diversion program" of counseling for first-time offenders. "If diversion is offered and accepted, there's a guarantee that the charges will be dropped," Lebowitz said. "If you go to court and try to prove your innocence, it's a coin-flip. So most people choose diversion." Bolton didn't. She balked at the $400 fee and the 24 hours of class time required to attend the "social drinker" program. "I think it would have been fine if I'd done something wrong, but I didn't," she said. "I had a glass of wine with dinner." Instead, she hired a lawyer. In August, after Bolton made several fruitless appearances in D.C. Superior Court, prosecutors dropped the DUI charge. But then she had to battle the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles, which warned that it would suspend her driving privileges at the end of this month unless she went through an alcohol prevention program. As Bolton remembers it, it was early morning May 15 and she had barely gone a few hundred yards before she was pulled over on K Street NW. The officer, Fair, asked her whether she realized the headlights on her Acura MDX sport-utility vehicle were off. "Oh, man, am I going to get a ticket for this?" she remembers saying to him jokingly. Then he asked her whether she'd had anything to drink. "Not really," she said. And when he asked her again, more firmly, she answered that she'd had a glass of wine with dinner at Cafe Milano. He asked her to recite the alphabet. In his report, Fair wrote that he had asked her to start at the letter D and stop at X. Bolton said she thought he had asked her to stop at S and tossed off the alphabet quickly and accurately to S. As a result, Fair noted in his report that she had "jumbled" it. Then he asked her to get out of the car. Fair asked her to walk a straight line and then stand on one foot to the count of 30. He looked into her eyes to check for jerkiness. Bolton, dressed in black silk pants and a pink shirt, took off her pink high heels to be more sure-footed. She said she thought she had aced the tests. "All that yoga really paid off," she thought. But in the police report, Fair wrote that she swayed as she walked and lost her balance -- which Bolton disputes. He told her she was under arrest. "Why?" Bolton remembers saying. "I passed all your little tests." On his report, Fair wrote that Bolton failed 10 indicators of sobriety. But James E. Klaunig, a toxicology expert at Indiana University's medical school who for 12 years oversaw the state's drunken driving testing, said that such a determination was scientifically improbable. "There's no way possible she failed a test from impairment with a .03" blood alcohol level, Klaunig said. "And reciting the alphabet is not an acceptable way of measuring impairment, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration." Fair, who said he does not comment on individual arrests, noted in his report that Bolton's attitude was "excited," "carefree" and "cocky." "I was sort of laughing," Bolton said. "I look back and wonder, was I cocky? Did I have an attitude? Well, yeah, because I was sober, so I thought it was all so ridiculous." Fair handcuffed her. Bolton said she was terrified. Until then, her only brush with the law had been a ticket for speeding in a 15-mph zone in 2002. At 1:08 a.m., at the 2nd Police District station, Fair asked Bolton to blow into the Intoxilyzer 5000. It read .03. "See?" she remembers saying. He had her breathe into the machine one minute later. Again, .03. "See?" But Fair told her D.C. law was on his side. On the department's Web site, D.C. police explain it this way: "Technically, according to the D.C. Code, the District of Columbia has a zero tolerance for driving under the influence. If a person 21 years of age or older has a blood alcohol concentration of .02 percent [to] .04 percent and extremely bad driving, this person can be placed under arrest for Driving Under the Influence of an alcoholic beverage." At low levels of alcohol, an arrest comes down to an officer's discretion, said D.C. police Inspector Patrick Burke, former head of the traffic division. Fair, he said, has 15 years of experience and averages more than 100 drunken driving arrests a year and is well qualified to make the call. In 1998, Fair arrested Marlene Cooke, wife of the late Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke, for drunken driving after she piloted her Land Rover through Dupont Circle without the headlights on. She refused a breath test but was later convicted. "I always say the safe bet, if you drive, is not to drink at all," Burke said. "But even looking from a D.C. tourism standpoint, we'd be killing ourselves if we were saying you can't go out and have a glass of wine with dinner. That'd be ridiculous. So we tell people, you have to know your limits." Bolton sat in a jail cell until 4:30 a.m. As she left, Fair told her he had given her a warning, not a ticket, for driving without headlights. She walked the few blocks to Wisconsin Avenue NW, caught a cab to her car on K Street and drove across the bridge to Virginia. There, she said, she pulled over and cried for 45 minutes. Since what she refers to as her "unfortunate incarceration," Bolton has spent hours in D.C. Superior Court and at the DMV and $2,000 so far fighting the DUI charge. Her refusal to submit to the 12-week alcohol counseling diversion program has sent her on a "surreal" odyssey. Twice, after hours of waiting, prosecutors told her that they had lost her file and that she would have to come back. On Aug. 22, after four court appearances, prosecutors dropped the charge. But she spent all of September battling the DMV to keep her driving privileges from being suspended for three months. Corey Buffo, the DMV's general counsel, explained that the agency drops its procedures only after a case goes to trial and is dismissed on its merits. "Our burden of proof is lower" than the Superior Court's, he said. "Not enough evidence for them may be enough evidence for us." Yesterday, the DMV decided not to suspend her privileges and issued her a warning instead. After so many months, Debra Bolton is just glad it's over. "It's lunacy," she said. "I'm all for limits on drinking and driving. Whatever the rules are, I will abide by them. I just didn't know these were the rules." These days, Bolton goes out to eat in Virginia. And she keeps a yellow sticky note on her steering wheel to remind her to make sure her headlights are on. � 2005 The Washington Post Company -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Terry Thiese, Bubbles, Scotch

by Jim L. Ellingson

Calendar 10/13/05 Red and Ready at Bobino 10/20/05 Current Release Fr. Whites and Zinfandel (not necessarily current release and probably not from France....) at Oddfellows 11/8/05 Tuesday Scotch Tasting at Mpls Town Hall (Cedar/Riverside/Washington on the W. Bank) w/ Martin Duffey 11/10/05 Thursday Terry Theise. 7 pm at Millenium 12/1/01 Thursday Big S Champagne tasting probably at Millenium ----- Forwarded message from jhegstrom(a)csom.umn.edu ----- Subject: Fw: November 8 - Scotch Tasting To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu, jellings(a)me.umn.edu X-Mailer: Lotus Notes Release 6.5.4 March 27, 2005 From: jhegstrom(a)csom.umn.edu Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 13:16:36 -0500 Jim This could also be posted to the group if you think there is an interest! J Terry Theise: November 10th. Bubbles Discount of $5. Regular price is $35 but with the discount it's $30. Millenium Hotel and I'm guessing the time is 7:00 p.m. Need to make phone reservation with credit card. Call Zack or Lynn. There WILL be a bubbles discount for the Champagne Tasting which is December 1st. Not sure on price and discount on that yet. No bubbles discount as of now. 10/12/05 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WHO: Surdyk???s Presents Scotch Master Martin C. Duffy for an exclusive Scotch Tasting WHAT: Premier Scotch Tasting Event WHERE: Town Hall Brewery, 1430 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis WHEN: Tuesday, November 8th, 7:00 p.m. COST: $20 in advance, $25 at the door ??? Call 612/379-3232 for reservations Join Martin C. Duffy, Master of Scotch, for this unique Scotch Tasting! Mr. Duffy has worked for Johnnie Walker & The Classic Malts for nearly 10 years, the last two as their Master of Scotch. His Celtic heritage, love of the culture, history, and the Celtic region in general, are what fuels his passion for scotch and his enjoyment in being a Master of Scotch for Johnnie Walker Whiskies, which are revered throughout the world by distillers and Scotch enthusiasts alike! There will be spectacular prize giveaways the night of the event, as well as beer specials from the Town Hall Brewery. Attendees will have a chance to win glassware and bottles of Johnnie Walker. One lucky winner will take home a bottle of the highly coveted Johnnie Walker Blue Label! Seating is limited, so make your reservation today! Tamara Schultz Event Coordinator - Surdyk's Liquor & Bistro 2GO Direct Line - 612/676-2287 www.surdyks.com ----- 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 *

20 years, 1 month

[wine] BOBINO's This Week, NOT Oddfellows

by Betsy Kremser

Greetings, Just talked to Bob. He could not get us into Oddfellows tomorrow, Oct. 13, so he made a reservation at Bobino's. The theme will be *Red and Ready*. He made reservations for us at Oddfellows for next week, October 20, where the theme will be zins and new French whites, i.e., current vintage/currently available at stores. Betsy

20 years, 1 month

[wine] Re: Are we meeting this week? C-Pages

by Betsy Kremser

I believe we're meeting at Oddfellows and drinking new French white wines, and zins. Betsy >>> "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> 10/12/2005 11:53 AM >>> Are we meeting this week? Style? Venue? Cheers, Jim <snip>

20 years, 1 month

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win October 2005