win July 2005

win@thebarn.com

1 participants
5 discussions

[wine] Steaks and Cabs at Greggory's Bucket's O' Blood....

by Jim L. Ellingson

Mostly an update. Sorry about the typo. We're talking BEEF tonight. Bob's steak will still be moo-ing. We are at capacity (14). Wine is cabernet. entree is Beef aka Strip Steaks aka NY Strip. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 18:58:46 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Red Meat, Redder wine at Chez Gregory User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Greetings, Ribs and Zins was a big hit. Thanks to Bob for hosting and everyone else for cooking. This week, we've been envited to Warren/Ruth's place. Entree will be BEEF steaks on the grill. We will all be pitching in to pay for our steaks. So, We MUST give Warren/Ruth an accurate count and we will pay for our steaks. PLEASE! Vin du jour is Cabernet Sauvignon. Summer Limit is 12 or so, including the 2 trim and talented folks who will be sharing the bench seat. The "white" and "desert" options are always open. Warren, Ruth Gregory 651-698-5337 2139 Randolph wrcgregory(a)qwest.net Who/What (14 so far. Bob Cheeses Betsy Lori Warren/Ruth will procure steaks and a side Jim/Louise Breads Nicolai Karin Russ McC Dave T. Lee/Melissa Roger L.C. Those are the 8 I know of. 4 more spots. Cheers, Jim Hi Jim, my list for Thurs. reads as follows; Lee/Mellisa Karin/Nicholai Ruth/Warren Bob/Betsy Jim/Louise Dave T. Roger L.C. Lori-is she a definite? We can squeeze in Russ if he wants to come but we should probably cap it at that. yes the weather should be beautiful! ----- 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, 4 months

[wine] Red Meat, Redder wine at Chez Gregory

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Ribs and Zins was a big hit. Thanks to Bob for hosting and everyone else for cooking. This week, we've been envited to Warren/Ruth's place. Entree will be Salmon steaks on the grill. We will all be pitching in to pay for our steaks. So, We MUST give Warren/Ruth an accurate count and we will pay for our steaks. PLEASE! Vin du jour is Cabernet Sauvignon. Summer Limit is 12 or so, including the 2 trim and talented folks who will be sharing the bench seat. The "white" and "desert" options are always open. Warren, Ruth Gregory 651-698-5337 2139 Randolph wrcgregory(a)qwest.net Who/What Bob Cheeses Betsy Lori Bill Warren/Ruth will procure steaks and a side Jim/Louise Breads and ??? Those are the 8 I know of. 4 more spots. Cheers, Jim * 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, 4 months

[wine] Zins at Bob's on Thursday

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Had a very nice time at the Auriga. If you haven't been there post-remodel, you really should go. Very nice place, food. Bob's Extra-Vin-Zin-ganza, Ertravigan-zin, Whatever! Zins and Ribs at Bobs Thursday, 21 July 2005 6:30 Primitivo Bob Kyllingstad's Party Room and 14th Story Wine Cellar Closer to Heaven, Further from the Street. 121 Washington Ave 612-672-0607 Party room is 315 Security code is 018. Ribfest has moved to St. Paul, so we'll be doing our own thing. Some brave souls will prepare their own ribs, salads, desserts to share/pass. Looks to be a relativley large group (say 20). So mangnums or pairing up to bring 2 bottls of same label/vintage would be a nice touch. Bob Betsy Pulled Pork Dave K? Dave T Lori Ted/Carman Ted's Ribs Ruth Greggory Bill S Annette Jim/Louise Salad, Bread Nicolai Karin Brian Malley Ribs Here are the Zin notes from a year ago. Zinfandel 2001 91-93 Should be memorable (mid 90's on the "100" point scale. 100 point scale my flask. When was the last time anyone saw a 50, 60 or even 70 point rating?). 2000 84 mixed quality Drink 1999 89 solid, rich, ripe, high EtOH. 1998 83 "challenging" Difficult, etc. 1997 90 1996 86 1995 95 1994 96 1999 Better than 98. Quality varies with some wines showing "late harvest" effects such as residual sweetness, dried fruit flavors, etc. Also be aware that some of the 99 CA Zin's are quite high in EtOH. (jle) Rating California Zinfandel Vintages 1980-1998 VINTAGE SCORE DRINKABILITY 2001 91-93 Should be memorable 2000 84 mixed quality Drink 1999 89 solid, rich, ripe, high EtOH. 1998 83 1998 83 Tough, cool year; mostly lean, simple wines -- Drink 1997 90 Best were ripe and potent, though quality varied -- Drink or hold 1996 87 Variable quality; best are well-balanced -- Drink or hold 1995 95 Brilliant fruit; ripe, complex, intense, balanced -- Drink or hold 1994 96 Dark, rich, intense, complex; classy -- Drink or hold 1993 88 Fruity, complex, fine balance-- Drink or hold 1992 93 Very ripe, opulent and complex -- Drink or hold 1991 92 Ripe, elegant, complex -- Drink or hold 1990 93 Rich, complex and concentrated-- Drink or hold 1989 82 Huge crop; uneven quality, tannic -- Drink 1988 84 Uneven crop; forward-balanced wines-- Drink 1987 92 Bright, rich and complex --Drink 1986 91 Firm, intense, tannic yet age-worthy -- Drink 1985 93 Wonderful balance and harmony -- Drink 1984 88 Ripe, opulent and complex -- Drink 1983 79 Uneven quality, tannic, average -- Drink 1982 82 Tight and firm, but uneven quality -- Drink 1981 85 Ripe, fruity, early-drinking -- Drink 1980 82 Hot harvest; uneven quality -- Drink Vintage Ratings: 95-100, classic; 90-94, outstanding; 80-89, good to very good; 70-79, average; 60-69, below average; 50-59, poor. Drinkability: "Drink" means most of the wines of the vintage are ready to drink; "hold" means most of the age-worthy wines have not fully matured. Zinfandel http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Spectator/Faqs/VarietalsFAQ.html ZINFANDEL (Red) [ZIHN-fan-dell] The origins of this tremendously versatile and popular grape are not known for certain, although it is thought to have come from Southern Italy as a cousin of Primitivo. It is the most widely planted red grape in California (though Australia has also played around with the grape). Much of it is vinified into white Zinfandel, a blush-colored, slightly sweet wine. Real Zinfandel, the red wine, is the quintessential California wine. It has been used for blending with other grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. It has been made in a claret style, with berry and cherry flavors, mild tannins and pretty oak shadings. It has been made into a full-bodied, ultraripe, intensely flavored and firmly tannic wine designed to age. And it has been made into late-harvest and Port-style wines that feature very ripe, raisiny flavors, alcohol above 15 percent and chewy tannins. Zinfandel's popularity among consumers fluctuates. In the 1990s Zinfandel is enjoying another groundswell of popularity, as winemakers took renewed interest, focusing on higher-quality vineyards in areas well suited to Zinfandel. Styles aimed more for the mainstream and less for extremes, emphasizing the grape's zesty, spicy pepper, raspberry, cherry, wild berry and plum flavors, and its complex range of tar, earth and leather notes. Zinfandel lends itself to blending. Zinfandel is a challenging grape to grow: its berry size varies significantly within a bunch, which leads to uneven ripening. Because of that, Zinfandel often needs to hang on the vine longer to ripen as many berries as possible. Closer attention to viticulture and an appreciation for older vines, which tend to produce smaller crops of uniformly higher quality, account for better balanced wines. --Excerpted from James Laube's book "California Wine," with some additions by James Molesworth -- ------------------------------ * * 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, 4 months

[wine] Rhone Grapes at Auriga

by Jim L. Ellingson

Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 17:01:17 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Australia at Bobino Greetings, This week, Rhone style grapes from anywhere at Auriga. Sparkling/white/ringer/dessert wines always welcome. Auriga Rest. 1930 Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 55403 612-871 -0777 Who: (mostly guesses) Wine Pro Bob Wine Pro Lori Betsy Bill Jim Nicolai Karin Annette S. Other events. 7/21. Zin and Ribs at Bob's place. Make or buy something interesting and bring it to Bob's party room. Cheers, Jim Delicious Syrah is made just about everywhere - W. Blake Gray, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, May 5, 2005 As Australia asserts itself on U.S. supermarket wine shelves, Americans are finally getting to know and love the Aussies' signature grape, Shiraz. And it's about time, because it's often one of the best buys in red wines. Syrah -- as the grape is known in its native France -- is thought to have been producing fine wines in the Rhone region since the Roman era. It's one of the most fascinating of the great French wine grapes because it can taste so different depending on where it's grown. In France, Syrah is often quite peppery, with strong aromas and flavors of roast meat. The 2002 Caves des Papes Heritage Cotes-du-Rhone ($10) is a good example of this style. It's so peppery that, sipped with barbecued meat, it could work as a condiment. Black fruit -- black currants and blackberries -- stay in the background. Scottish-born James Busby, called the father of Australian viticulture, is credited with taking Syrah Down Under in 1831 as one of 680 different vines he collected from botanical gardens in Montpellier, Paris and London. Fortunately for the Aussies, he did it before phylloxera arrived in Europe from the United States. The grapevines of the Rhone had to be replanted on American rootstock because of that epidemic, so Australia holds the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Daily use Down Under Like kangaroo steak, Shiraz was treated casually by Aussies for decades as a daily-use food without serious pretensions. The large producer Penfolds did the most to change that impression with its Grange wines, which began winning consistent international acclaim in the 1980s, just in time to alert the Aussies not to graft everything over to Cabernet Sauvignon. Nowadays, Australian Shiraz is so ubiquitous on supermarket shelves worldwide that producers have to take steps to stand out. The 2004 the Little Penguin South Eastern Australia Shiraz ($8) is packaged to attract younger customers with the cute waterfowl on the label. The flavors of cherry with an herbal note are somewhat shy, but it's innocuous and easy to drink. California was slow to embrace Syrah. In 1991, there were only 413 acres of Syrah planted in the entire state, according to the California Agricultural Statistics Service, out of more than 320,000 acres of wine grapes. Twenty different red grapes had more acreage, including now-obscure Mission, Centurian and Royalty. By 2004, Syrah was up to 17,151 acres (out of almost 467,000 overall), making it the fifth-most-planted red grape. And it's not just volume. The Chronicle tasting panel loves West Coast Syrahs, picking 17 among its Top 100 wines for 2004 -- more than any other varietal. Eight were from Washington state, while nine were from California, placing California Syrah just behind California Pinot Noir and California Chardonnay as The Chronicle's top-scoring wines by state. American consumers are starting to catch on to how good domestic Syrah can be. Sales tripled between 2000 and 2003, according to Impact Databank. The 2003 Screaming Jack North Coast Syrah ($10) shows why people are excited. There's a lot going on in this wine, starting with toast, cherry, dust, earth and mushroom in the aroma. On the palate, it's spicy with some earth and persistent cherry and a tannic backbone that carries through a medium-length finish. And it's bottled with my favorite closure -- a screw cap. The 2001 Martin Ray Angeline Paso Robles Syrah ($12) is another superstar wine worth a couple extra bucks. The fruit-forward aroma is full of distinct blackberry, raspberry and cherry, as well as some leather and earth. It's big- bodied, with good blackberry and raspberry fruit, decent acidity, hints of leather and earth and a medium-long finish. The 2003 Castle Rock Central Coast Syrah ($9) is simpler, with a shy aroma of cherry, red currant and some barnyard, and persistently tart flavors of cherry and red currant. This wine would be easy to match with most meat or poultry dishes. One for lovers of oak Oak fans will be delighted by the 2002 Forest Glen California Shiraz ($10), one of many bargain wines made by Bronco Wine Co. Its strong flavors and aromas of vanilla and cherry could just as well have been coaxed from Cabernet Sauvignon, but the moderate tannins and decent acidity make it more food-friendly than many wines in this style. Now that the world market for Syrah has been established, it's coming in from all over. The 2003 2 Brothers Big Tattoo Colchagua Syrah ($10) from Chile is more in the French style, with aromas of earth as well as blackberry. The tartness of the black currant flavors balances the big body and tannins, while flavors of earth and pepper lend complexity. Speaking of the French style, if you didn't know where the 2003 Handpicked Langhorne Creek Shiraz Viognier ($10) was from, you'd have to guess the northern Rhone. The winemaker of this unusual Aussie wine is French native Dominique Portet, whose brother Bernard Portet founded California's Clos du Val winery. Dominique has created a very peppery wine with raspberry fruit in the background and a slight floral hint from the 2 percent Viognier, which is often similarly used as a blending grape in the northern Rhone. If you prefer your Viognier by itself, here are two good ones. The 2004 Smoking Loon California Viognier ($9) has light flavors of Golden Delicious and green apple with floral and citrus accents. Try it with difficult-to-match Thai salads. I love the artificial cork, which reads, Whooh Whooh Whooh Whooh Cough. The 2004 McManis Family Vineyards California Viognier ($10) is richer, with flavors and aromas of pear, golden apple, apple tart, vanilla and slight floral hints. Chill it and serve it with simple salads garnished with shaved cheese. ________________________________________ Shopping list These are the best deals The Chronicle found for this week. WHITE 2004 McManis Family Vineyards California Viognier ($10) 2004 Smoking Loon California Viognier ($9) RED 2003 Castle Rock Central Coast Syrah ($9) 2002 Caves des Papes Heritage Cotes-du-Rhone ($10) 2002 Forest Glen California Shiraz ($10) 2003 Handpicked Langhorne Creek Shiraz Viognier ($10) 2004 The Little Penguin South Eastern Australia Shiraz ($8) 2001 Martin Ray Angeline Paso Robles Syrah ($12) 2003 Screaming Jack North Coast Syrah ($10) 2003 2 Brothers Big Tattoo Colchagua Syrah ($10) E-mail W. Blake Gray at wbgray(a)sfchronicle.com. Page F - 10 URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/05/WIGRECJJRJ1.DTL -- ------------------------------ * * 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, 4 months

[wine] Australia at Bobino

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, This week, wines from Australia at Bobino 6:30 on Thursday. Sparkling/white/ringer/dessert wines always welcome. Bobino 222 E. Henne 612-623-3301 Note that the street meters are no longer "Free after 6:00". Rates vary. The lot off the street allows for 4 hr parking vs just 2 on the street. Enter on University just S(SE?) of Hennepin. Who: (mostly guesses) Wine Pro Bob Wine Pro Lori Bill Jim Nicolai Karin Brian Other events. Next week, 7/14, Syrah at Auriga 7/21. Zin and Ribs at Bob's place. Make or buy something interesting and bring it to Bob's party room. Cheers, Jim July 23, 2003 A Rhone Grape Finds Glory in Australia By FRANK J. PRIAL THEY make good chardonnay in Australia, and the cabernet can be outstanding, as well. There is excellent grenache to be found, and some attractive sauvignon blanc. But when shiraz is mentioned, all the others fade away. Shiraz is Australia's most popular wine, with 50,000 acres of it planted from the Hunter Valley in the east to the Margaret River in the west. So popular was the grape in Australia that it was taken for granted. And when cabernet and merlot began to succeed there, some experts predicted its eventual demise. Then, in the late 1980's, thanks in part to Californian winemakers, the world was turned on to rich, beefy, Rhone-style wines. Overnight, it seemed, Australia was back in the shiraz business. All syrah and syrah-based wines are inevitably compared with the great red wines of the northern Rhone Valley in France where, since time immemorial, the syrah grape has been king. And the best Rhone wine made from syrah has long been Hermitage. Intense, muscular, deeply colored and long lived, it brooks no contenders for first place in its region. Only a few C�te R�ties even dare to compete. Australia's greatest wine, too, is a syrah, or as the Australians prefer to call it, shiraz. For me, shiraz, when it is good, is all about richness, power and harmony. For another Australian wine lover, Will Ford, who is the owner of Eight Mile Creek, an Australian restaurant in NoLIta, shiraz "is all about big, bold fruit." Late one recent morning, Mr. Ford joined the Dining section's tasting panel, Eric Asimov, Amanda Hesser and me, for a sampling of 25 Australian shirazes. And we all developed a soft spot for these hearty reds. Except for Ms. Hesser. She said she already had one. "It's easy to see why they're so appealing," Mr. Asimov said. "Most of them are well made, fruity and straightforward, with lots of oak." Ms. Hesser pointed out "that the woods work well here with the fresh fruit, unlike what you find with many California wines." Mr. Ford called them "nice drinking wines, with good range." I was impressed that there were very few poor wines in the tasting; even the lighter ones were nicely balanced. A great syrah comes from Penfolds, one of the country's oldest wineries, in the suburbs of Adelaide in South Australia. It is known simply as Grange. Syrah first came to Australia in 1832 but Grange was created in the 1950's by the country's first star winemaker, Max Schubert, at Penfolds. The wine was originally known as Grange Hermitage. Selected fruit, small oak barrels and three or four year's aging before bottling, all of it new to Australia, achieved what had been achieved in France: a great red wine. Even so, it took Australians almost 10 years to recognize what they had. From around 1960, Grange was recognized internationally as Australia's finest wine, and the public reacted predictably . the wine has been a prized rarity ever since. Recent vintages have sold new for more than $200 a bottle. Classic shiraz smells of spices, smoke, eucalyptus and tar; experienced tasters like to find in it flavors of spices, dark fruit, dried fruits, cassis and the vanilla flavors of new oak. The best Australian shiraz is a dense, intense, mouth-filling wine that can be difficult to drink when young but will ably repay extra years of cellaring. So it was with a certain degree of humility, along with curiosity, that we approached a modest collection of Australian shirazes to see what we could find . and learn. Most were from recent vintages. The oldest was a 1995. Prices ranged from $6 to $60; about 10 were $20 or less. with the average price about $27.50. One of the two $60 wines, a 1999 Trevor Jones Wild Witch Reserve, and the $6 wine, a Yellow Tail Shiraz that sells very well in the United States, both narrowly failed to make our top 10. The other $60 bottle, a Katnook Estate Prodigy, from Coonawarra, tied for fourth with two and a half stars. Consensus was rare in this tasting but everyone agreed that a very young wine, a 2002 from Southeast Australia with the bizarre name Woop Woop, was our favorite. We gave it three stars. And at $12, it was also our choice for best value. We found it to be a classic shiraz with beautiful balance and great structure. Two other wines, both from McLaren Vale, garnered three stars: a 2001 Mitolo, at $40, and a 2001 Yangarra Park, at $10. We included one Penfolds in our tasting, the Bin 28, and it made our top 10; it was one of five shirazes with two and a half stars. The four other wines at two and a half stars, a signal achievement with this consistently stingy panel, were: a 2000 Heritage Road, Noble Road Vineyard, from Southeast Australia; a 2001 from Clarendon Hills's Liandra Vineyard; a 2001 Rosemount Estate Diamond, also from Southeast Australia; and the 1998 Katnook Estate. The Heritage Road and Rosemount Estate wines were exceptional bargains at $9 each; the Clarendon Hills wine was $46 and the Bin 28 $26. The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale produce practically all of Australia's great shiraz, which doesn't stop growers in every wine region on the continent from trying their hands at making the wine. The result is a great sea of mediocre shiraz, little of which, fortunately, makes it way to this country. There is so much shiraz in Australia that some of it is used in blends with cabernet and occasionally merlot. Most of the wines we tasted were 100 percent shiraz. However, a few followed the practice in the C�te R�tie region of France of blending in some white viognier, rarely more than 7 or 8 percent, to the wine to soften its powerful attack. BEST VALUE: Woop Woop Southeast Australia 2002 $12 *** Consensus was rare in this tasting, but everybody liked this wine. Classic shiraz with beautiful balance and great structure, Frank J. Prial said. Eric Asimov called it big, clean and smooth with distinctive syrah flavors. Amanda Hesser found a lot of bandwidth, good tannins and lots going on. Will Ford liked the balance and powerful fruitiness. Mitolo McLaren Vale G.A.M. 2001 $40 *** Big and spicy, Ford said, with "nose up" fruit and soft tannins. Prial called it a big wine with good fruit. Brooding at first, Hesser said, then it turned mellow. Asimov called it balanced, but with little syrah character. Yangarra Park McLaren Vale 2001 $10 *** Great intensity, creamy and lush, Hesser said. Ford liked the smoothness and balance, and detected eucalyptus aromas. Prial called it long and powerful with good fruit and a tarry taste. But Asimov felt it was too oaky. Heritage Road Southeast Australia Noble Road Vineyard 2000 $9 ** 1/2 Vivid, Hesser said, with lots of spice, watermelon and licorice flavors. Prial liked the balance, the body and a tarry, smoky flavor. Ford found it musty but pleasant with a good finish. Asimov just found it musty. Clarendon Hills Syrah Liandra Vineyard 2001 $46 ** 1/2 Bright ripe fruit with herb and olive flavors and well-integrated oak, Asimov said. Ford detected soft fruit, chocolate flavors and a long finish. Prial called it rich and spicy. Hesser found it somewhat bitter. Rosemount Estate Diamond Southeast Australia 2001 $9 ** 1/2 Pleasant to drink, Hesser said, with dense berry and eucalyptus flavors. Ford called it a meaty wine, good for food and with a good finish. Simple but fresh, Asimov said. Prial found it nicely balanced with a smooth finish. Penfolds Bin 28 South Australia Kalimna Vineyard 2000 $26 ** 1/2 Typical shiraz, Ford said, with good balance, though very tannic. Asimov liked the syrah character, with spice and olive aromas. Hesser found it well made with a rustic quality that she liked. Prial called it balanced and dry. Katnook Estate Coonawarra Prodigy 1998 $60 ** 1/2 Plenty of fruit to stand up to the considerable oak, Asimov said. Ford found a nice bite to the wine. Prial and Hesser questioned whether the oak was too dominant. Prial liked the fruit, Hesser the finish. Lindemans Bin 50 Southeast Australia 2002 $7 ** Prial liked its freshness. Asimov found the fruit piercing. Full body but streamlined, Hesser said. Ford expressed uncertainty that it was shiraz. Torbreck Barossa Valley Woodcutters Red 2001 $20 ** Prial found it complex and unusual and predicted an interesting future. Fruity, straightforward, Asimov said. Funky but approachable, Ford said. Hesser smelled rotting apricots . which she liked. -- ------------------------------ * * 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, 5 months

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

win July 2005