Greetings,
Had some interesting wines at St. Paul Grill.
Much of the food was very good. The Roast Beef Loin was rather
boring. Lacked flavor, texture. Ribeye was fantastic.
Pork chop looked to be excellent.
This week, Rhone style grapes/wines at Town Talk Diner.
Thanks to Warren for setting it up.
TOWN TALK DINER,
2707 1/2 E. Lake St.,
Minneapolis, 612.722.1312; www.towntalkdiner.com.
Yes:
Bob
Betsy
Lori
Warren/Ruth
Chris
Bill
Jim
France 44 Sale is on now.
Ditto Haskell's "nickel" sale.
Cheers,
Jim
Talkin' Bout Town Talk: Remember the good old days, when all the cars had fins, all the girls' hair was up in beehives, and all the malted milkshakes were health food for growing boys? Me neither. Nonetheless, I can't wait for the rebirth of the dear, long-departed Town Talk Diner. Yes, Minneapolis's most beloved and most photographed abandoned restaurant is about to light up anew, as...the Town Talk Diner. Not the old one, the new one.
While the name will be exactly the same, everything else should be exactly different: The restaurant is the first by three young partners with more fine-dining experience than any other group of Gen-X/Gen-Yers I can think of: Tim Niver (the sweet, slick former general manager of the Minneapolis Aquavit), Aaron Johnson (onetime restaurant and bar manager of Cosmos, the Le Meridien hotel restaurant), and chef David Vlach, who spent two years working at California's beyond-legendary French Laundry and cooked at Levain for Stewart Woodman in that restaurant's opening days. These three young-uns, who have more rarefied, ultra-fine-dining experience than you'll find in many of our local white-tablecloth hot spots, are trading in an obvious future in squab and mother-of-pearl caviar spoons for a less obvious one in burgers, malts, "canned beer and hard-core American food," as Niver told me.
Canned beer? From people who emerge straight from the world of kitchen-steeped fresh wasabi-aquavit and cauliflower panna cotta? Well, there will be bottled beer too, but I think it's safe to say you can expect a beverage program as ambitious as the ones at the big-ticket restaurants downtown, but built along everyday south Minneapolis lines. Think $3 and $4 everyday picnic wines by the glass, as well as homemade Cherry Coke floats (don't ask me, I don't know how that'll work either) and, for dessert, a few shakes and malts made with (don't tell the kids!) special grownups-only ingredients, like orange vodka in the Dreamsicles.
"The general idea we're working with is, good and tasty, but also light and lively," explains Niver. To wit, options on the opening dinner menu will include crowd-pleasers like smoked-tomato soup with a grilled cheddar-cheese sandwich, as well as more highfalutin, but still down-home, choices like a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with endive jam and cherry sauce.
If you remember the old itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny Town Talk space, you should know that the new diner will have an additional attached dining room, bringing the total seat count to about 80. "We're hoping that this will be the kind of place that people can come into three times a week and not break the bank," says Niver. "It will also have great, well-trained service. Hopefully people will sit there and think, I can't believe we're getting this incredible level of service in a diner."
The new Town Talk is hoping to open in mid-August; keep an eye out for the big sign--when it's lit up, that will be your chance to see what our youngest generation of up-and-comers can do when they pay for the griddle, and thus get to decide what to do with it. (TOWN TALK DINER, 2707 1/2 E. Lake St., Minneapolis, 612.722.1312; www.towntalkdiner.com.)
----- Forwarded message from Russell McCandless <russellmccandless(a)frontiernet.net> -----
From: Russell McCandless <russellmccandless(a)frontiernet.net>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: [wine] TN Rhone Grapes at Oddfellows 2-2-06
Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 12:31:13 -0600
Rhone Grapes at Oddfellow's - 2-2-2006
W1 - bashful nose (wine very cold), SO2; lacks fruit in the mouth; finishes
appealing citric, surprising length, is this just closed? 2002 Elemental
Cellars Viognier, Deux Vert Vyd, Willamette Valley. (Popular at the table,
but just never opened up for me.)
W2 - full gold; powerful floral nose, minerals, touch of honey, floral
quality suggests viognier; midpalate minerals, smoke, considerable oak, this
sure isn't all about the fruit, slightly odd mouthfeel; smooth transition to
aromatically reticent finish, again I'd like to be finding more fruit, quite
long though, interesting wine. 2003 Tablas Creek Roussanne, Paso Robles.
W3 - light gold; attractive honeyed nose; midpalate soft, richly honeyed
fruit, delicious in a very southern Rhone style; finesse transition to a
minerally finish, excellent length, very nice wine overall. 2003 Tablas
Creek Roussanne, Paso Robles. (My analysis is that W2 was corked, not
enough for any of us - not even Betsy - to actually smell the TCA, but
enough to kill the fruit a little and upset the wine's balance. Note that
these two identical wines were not even the same color. The wood was quite
obvious in W2, but much better balanced with W3's higher fruit level. W2
was shipped directly from the winery and went right into my cellar; so, the
difference between the wines is likely to have been the corks.)
1.1 - light purple; sour note on nose, just a bit odd, gunpowder and
bacon; tastes as it smells, mouthfilling flavor despite light body; finish
lacks fruit (getting old?) but reasonable minerality and length. 2000 Cotes
du Rhone, Perrin, Reserve.
1.2 - medium red; attractive smoky, bacony nose; very oaky and tannic in
the mouth though, and excessive smoked meat flavor, body medium minus;
dominant smoked meat on the finish, quite long. 1996 Lirac, Domaine de la
Mordoree.
1.3 - medium purple; light fruit on nose; in the mouth, some richness
and structure, finishes very light though; attractive small wine. 2002 les
Baux de Provence (AC), Mas de Gourgonnier.
1.4 - medium-dark purple; oaky candied nose; sour flavor, light body, little
finish. 1999 Cotes du Rhone Villages. (I failed to note the producer, who
may wish to remain anonymous in any case.)
2.1 - medium purple; attractive primary fruit nose; lovely balance in the
mouth, young fruit and smoke; finishes as it tastes, could wish for more
length but this is quite young, very attractive overall. 2003 Tablas Creek
Mourvedre, Paso Robles.
2.2 - inky; black fruits and menthol on nose, considerable depth; rich
Aussie midpalate, big fruit, high deliciousness factor; smooth transition to
a building finish, excellent wine. 2001 Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa
Valley. (This stood up well to a bite of the extremely spicy blackened
salmon.)
2.3 - inky, but just a touch of age showing at the rim; bacony northern
Rhone nose with some real breed; light to medium body, tastes like Cote
Rotie, could be more concentrated, very good though; finish is best feature,
fruit coming out, classy. 1993 Cote Rotie, Chapoutier, La Mordoree. (An
off vintage, which Parker rates "appalling." Good example of fact that with
sufficiently strict selection, fine wine can be made in almost any vintage.)
2.4 - medium purple; very clear cotton candy note on nose, with smoky fruit
and bacon; medium body, this one tastes like Cote Rotie too, plenty of
fruit; excellent aromatic finish although this seems to lack the power and
concentration of a really big vintage. 1998 Cote Rotie, Chapoutier, Les
Becasses. (Not quite the massively ripe year in the north that it was in
the south, but it's hard to complain about getting served two Chapoutier
Cote Roties back to back! Thursday night wine tasting is a tough job, but
someone has to do it..)
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Greetings,
Annette S. has arranged for us to go to the Saint Paul Grill
this Thursday. Time is 6:30. Vin du juor is New World Brdx Blends.
The SPG is red meat heaven, but whites are always welcome.
We were last there in May of 2005. I have not updated the wine
list nor did I expand it to include the more general New World Brdx Blends.
Cheers,
Jim
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 11:18:05 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: [wine] St. Paul Grill Wine List
Greetings,
I've copied the Cab section of the wine list: They may well
appreciate that a 95 or 97 Arrowood is different from a 2000, but
why push the issue.
More info at:
http://www.stpaulgrill.com/
St. Paul Grill
350 Market St
(651) 224-7455
Parking: Some of the Meters are free after 4:30 or some such.
Your chances of finding a spot improves as you move away from the Ordway.
Open lot accross from Fima, Marshall Fields is inexpensive. (6th and Wabasha)
Annette S.
Bob
Betsy
Warren/Ruth
Russ
Jim (late: 7-ish)
Karen T.
Nicolai
Cheers,
Jim
512 Arrowood, 2000, Sonoma
501 Beaulieu Vineyard, 2001, Napa
508 Beringer, Knight.s Valley, 2000, Sonoma
518 Cakebread, 2001, Napa
513 Carmenet, Dynamite Cabernet, 2001, Sonoma
519 Chalk Hill, Estate, 1999, Sonoma
517 Conn Creek, 2000, Napa
68 Cathy Corison, 1998,Napa
506 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cold Creek, 2001, Columbia Valley
520 Chimney Rock, 2000, Stag.s Leap Napa
608 Estancia, .Meritage., 2000, Alexander Valley
611 Franciscan, .Magnificat., 2000, Napa
502 Franciscan, Oakville Estate, 2001, Napa
507 Freemark Abbey, 2001, Napa
523 Grgich, 1999, Napa
515 Jordan, 2000, Alexander Valley
500 J. Lohr, Seven Oaks, 2001, Santa Clara
503 Robert Mondavi, 2000, Napa
509 Mettler Family Vineyards, 2001, Ukiah
612 Mount Veeder, 2000, Napa
504 Newton, Claret, 2000, Napa
521 Provenance Vineyards, 2000, Rutherford
605 St. Francis, 2000, Sonoma
85 Silver Oak, 1999, Alexander Valley
609 Simi, 2000, Alexander Valley
63 Spring Mountain, 1998, Napa
524 Stag.s Leap, 2000, Napa
511 Trefethen, 2000, Napa
94 Truchard, 1999, Carneros
516 Turnbull, 2000, Napa
600 White Oak, 2000, Napa
66 Viader, 1999, Napa
EUROPE
505 Chateau Clerc Milon, Pauillac, 1999
514 Chateau Duhart-Milon Rothschild, Pauillac, 2000
45 Chateau Gloria, St. Julien, 2000
907 Chateau La Cardonne Rothschild, Medoc, 1998
50 Chateau Le Ormes de Pez, St. Estephe, 2000
52 Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac, 2000
950 Lafite, Pauillac Reserve, 1999
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
510 Henry.s Drive, 2002, Padthaway
910 Penfolds, Bin 407, 2001, Australia
903 Santa Rita, .Medalla Real., Maipo Valley, 2001, Chile
http://www.wineskinny.com/wine_review_archives/archive_californiameritage_r…
April/May 2006
Wine Review Archive - California Meritage and Bordeaux Blends, Red
Benziger 1997 Rancho Salina Red Table Wine ($35). We're all hyped up about California red Bordeaux blends these days, and this is a very nice example. This one is about 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and 20% Cab Franc. It is rich and heady with concentrated fruit like ripe plum, cherry, and red currant, and it has earthy accents alongside the solid oak notes. Delicious now and should age well for the next few years. Wonderful with hearty, cold weather comfort foods. (Weekend Wine, 01/01)
Beringer 2000 Alluvium Knights Valley ($30). A very good value, considering the high level of winemaking -- and the smooth, enchanting results! A pretty, aromatic, Merlot-based blend, with velvety blackberry flavors mingling with mocha, mint and a sweet, smoky note. So easy to pair with food -- try it with something like pork tenderloin or rack of lamb! Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. (Weekend Wine, 11/04)
Bernardus 1997 Marinus Carmel Valley ($46). Marinus is Bernardus' Bordeaux blend. The 1997 is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (79%), with Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Although I thought this was a tasty wine, I didn't think it came close to justifying the fairly steep price tag. Enjoyable, medium-bodied, and showing ripe fruit and spice, but the finish stopped a bit short. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. (Weekend Wine, 12/01)
Burgess Cellars 1997 Enveiere Napa Valley ($85). This is the first vintage of this red Meritage, and it is a blockbuster success. Concentrated and intense, it shows concentrated black cherry, plum, and berry fruit with plenty of oak and cedar and sophisticated herb flavors. It is outstanding now and should only continue to improve with age. Can cellar easily for 10 years. (Weekend Wine, 02/01)
Byington 1999 Alliage Sonoma County ($21). A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Cherry and cassis fruit on a medium-bodied frame, with nutmeg, smoke and herbal notes. Ready to drink now and over the next three years. (Weekend Wine, 11/02)
Casa Nuestra
2000 Meritage Napa Valley St. Helena Estate ($45). Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) blend seamlessly and produce smooth red cherry and plum fruit with milk chocolate, heather and roasted nut accents. Long, supple finish. Very food-friendly. Easy to enjoy now and over the next five or six years. (Winery Spotlight, 04/03)
1997 Quixote ($23). This is a classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Franc (31%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (9%). And it is delicious. Medium bodied and smooth, featuring cherry, red currant, and chocolate flavors with a pronounced herbal, earthy note. Drink now and over the next four or five years. (Weekend Wine, 01/01)
Clos du Bois 2001 Marlstone Alexander Valley ($39). A rich, complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this California red offers aromatic dark chocolate and leather accents to velvety black cherry and currant fruit. Very good now and over the next three or four years. (Weekend Wine 04/05)
deLorimier Winery
1999 Mosaic Meritage Alexander Valley ($30). Full-bodied and with plenty of tannic backbone, this wine features currant and red cherry fruit, with milk chocolate, herbal notes and toasty oak. Could use a bit more bottle time to smooth out the tannins. Drink from 2004-2008. (Robyn's Picks, 10/02)
1997 Mosaic Red Meritage Alexander Valley ($28). Founders Al and Sandy deLorimier are committed to the concept that a well-crafted blend is superior to a varietal wine due to the unique contributions of each grape in the blend and the resulting complexities that cannot be found in a varietal wine. This Mosaic is a very good example. It is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, and it is an excellent wine. Concentrated and rich, with a velvety texture, and featuring black cherry and berry fruit with coffee and cola accents, this wine is approachable now and has the potential to age for at least another five years. (Weekend Wine, 11/00)
Dry Creek Vineyard 1999 Meritage Dry Creek Valley ($28). Spicy blackberry bouquet leads to rich red currant, black plum, and cherry fruit with clove and licorice accents. Nicely balanced, rich but still elegant, with a ripe, generous finish. Delicious. Ready to drink now and over the next four or five years. (Robyn's Picks, 10/02)
EOS 2001 French Connection Paso Robles ($20). Delicious Meritage blend (58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc and 18% Merlot), with medium-bodied ripe red cherry and plum fruit laced with mint and spicy notes. Nice tannic structure and finish. Very enjoyable overall package. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. (Party Planning, 02/04)
Flora Springs 1999 Trilogy Napa Valley ($60). Deep reddish purple color and appealing spicy cherry bouquet introduce concentrated black cherry and berry flavors that are layered with rich chocolate, smoke and herbal notes. Picks up light vanilla extract on the luxurious finish. Very good now and should age nicely for at least six or seven years. (Robyn's Picks, 10/02)
IO 2000 Santa Barbara County ($60). Concentrated color, bouquet and flavors on a plush, silky frame. Black currant, blueberry, white pepper, tobacco, mineral and a light touch of mint. Nice acidity and a lingering finish. Very good. Ready to drink now and over the next five or six years. (Splurge Wine, 04/04)
Joseph Phelps 2000 Insignia Napa Valley ($137). A super splurge! But a beautiful wine, with deep, rich, concentrated blackberry and black cherry fruit layered with creamy chocolate, warm spices, tobacco and a light mineral note. Lush from start to lingering finish. Should age beautifully. Tempting now and over the next ten years. (Splurge Wine, 04/04)
Justin 2001 Justification Paso Robles ($37). Blend of Cabernet Franc (71%) and Merlot (29%) offers smooth black cherry and wild blueberry fruit laced with violet, earth and mint notes. Lovely, smooth and perfumed wine. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. (Weekend Wine, 07/03)
Norman 1996 No Nonsense Red Paso Robles Claret ($12-$15). A blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Cab Franc, and you have to like the name! This is really great for drinking now, has a beautiful crimson hue, and a bright fruity taste. I think you'll like it! (Richard.s Picks, 6/99)
Quintessa 2000 Rutherford ($110). Substantial tannic structure holds up equal portions of rich, concentrated blackberry and plum fruit and funky, earthy aromas and flavors. Picks up sweet tobacco and anise accents on the finish. A really big, powerfully structured wine. Drink now (decant first!) and over the next 6-8 years. (Splurge Wine, 04/04)
Robert Craig
2001 Affinity Napa Valley ($40). Excellent value on a powerful, complex wine. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with 20% Merlot and a dash of Cab Franc, this deeply colored wine offers a ripe, fruity bouquet with sweet spice and espresso notes. Flavors feature focused black cherry and berry fruit with layers of tobacco, earth and licorice. Full, lingering finish. Nicely balanced. Ready to drink now and over the next five or six years. (Splurge Wine, 04/04)
1999 Affinity Napa Valley ($48). This is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (18%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). It is a beautiful deep red and offers a heady bouquet of spicy plum and sweet black cherry. Concentrated cherry and berry fruit are layered with earthy notes, savory herbs, and subtle caramelized oak. This wine manages to be quite full-bodied and rich, but still elegant. Lush, generous finish. Very good now and over the next four or five years. (Winery Spotlight, 04/02)
Spring Mountain 2001 Elivette Napa Valley ($90). Mostly Cabernet (89%), with Merlot and Petit Verdot making up the balance, this is a rich, powerful wine that offers deeply concentrated blackberry and cherry flavors and aromas layered with spicy, toasty oak throughout along with green olive, espresso and a touch of sage. Absolutely delicious! Ready to drink now and over the next six or seven years. (Weekend Wine, 11/04)
St. Clement
2001 Oroppas Napa Valley ($50). Full-bodied and structured, with good balance between the rich black plum and berry flavors, waves of warm baking spices, and restrained touches of chocolate, eucalyptus and earth. Complex, lingering finish. Ready to drink now and over the next four or five years. (Weekend Wine, 11/04)
1999 Oroppas Napa Valley ($50). Mind-melting bouquet of rich red cherry, chocolate, and sweet oak notes that repeat on the palate, playing off focused blackberry and black plum fruit, tobacco, and spice. Lingering finish. Huge wine. Wonderful now and over the next five or six years. (Robyn's Picks, 10/02)
St. Supery 1998 Meritage Red Napa Valley ($50). A well-crafted effort in a challenging California vintage. Elegant plum, black cherry and cassis fruit is interwoven with tobacco, mineral, and earthy notes. Nice finish. Medium bodied. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. (Weekend Wine, 04/01)
Stonestreet 1997 Legacy Red Meritage ($60). Wow, this was a fantastic wine. A wine list splurge at Fleming's Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Houston (although at $125, not a bad deal at all!), it packed a powerful punch, featuring concentrated blackberry and cherry fruit, layers of bittersweet chocolate, cedar, and tobacco, all on a firmly tannic frame. About half Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Delicious now and will continue to evolve beautifully over the next ten years. (Weekend Wine, 02/03)
Viader 2001 Napa Valley ($80). Ripe and jammy, with lush blackberry and blueberry flavors and aromas picking up smoke, bittersweet chocolate and dried herb accents. Finishes with an earthy note. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. (Splurge Wine, 04/04)
White Oak Vineyards 1997 Myers Limited Red Reserve Sonoma County ($32). This is from a small yielding winery in California. This particular red Meritage (50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Cabernet Franc) is a very deep ruby red with delicious cherry and licorice flavors, and a slight earthiness on the palate. The finish was what I enjoyed the most about the wine -- it is very elegant and drinkable now. (Richard's Picks, 04/00)
We're going to Sophia in Riverplace this week.
Note the change from the previous announcement.
Sorry about the SNAFU. Info corrected below.
Also articles on Riesling and Merlto from the Post, NYTimes.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:16:45 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: [wine] Vno Sans "C" at Sofitel, Corkage
Greetings,
Lori has made arrangements for us to go to Sophia this week.
Bob's first thought was "French White Wine on the order of
Entre Deux Mears and such." That bounced about and
settled in on "Grapes that do not begin with C."
So bring your favorite "White and Right" or Red and Ready" (tm) as
long as it isn't a chard, a chenin blanc, a cab, a carginon, etc.
Reservation is in Lori's name.
Sophia Bistro
65 Southeast Main Street at Riverplace
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612 379 1111
Info, menus, wine lists, etc. on line at
http://www.sophiaattheriver.com/
Time is 6:30 on Thursday.
Count is 10, can be adjusted as needed.
Arrangement is "free corkage" BUT the house would
like some of the 20 to 30% we leave for the server.
There are places where we pay $5/person in lieu of corkage.
Seems the bill always gets hosed up when we do that. Not sure
how to best manage this situation.
1. Use the 1/3 rule, but round up and add a dollar (e.g. 40 + 14 + 1 = 55)?j
2. Go for 40% (bill plus half, minus 10%. e.g. 40 + 20 - 4 = 56)?
Not sure how the house moves their cut into the register, but then
we don't really want to know how sausage is made either.
Lori
Betsy
Bob
Bill (?)
Ruth
Russ-yes Sue-maybe (Pinot Champagne? Proseco?)
Jim/Louise
Nicolai
Below is the artical from the SFGC on "corkage". Interesting stuff,
but the issues are diffferent.
SF is a bit higher ($ and Quality) on the food chain than MSP
SF is wine country (Vintners working w/ restaurants).
Per the article, one for one seems quite workable. That is,
buy one off their list and bring one in w/o corkage.
The straight $20 markup seems both fair and rare.
200% markup on wine and food would be reasonable if applied
to the true cost. If we're buying it for 10, the restaurant is
probably buying it for $8. Why is it on the list for $40 instead of $24?
Cheers,
Jim
April 12, 2006
The Pour
Rieslings From Germany Scale the Heights
By ERIC ASIMOV
THE sap rises. The swallows return. And without fail each year something in the spring air touches the nerve that causes me to crave riesling.
Could it be the scent of the tulips along Park Avenue? The shedding of the winter woolens? The thwack of ball against bat? All right, all right, I'll lose the seasonal romance. It's the clogging of the sinuses, the car alarms now all too audible through open windows, the promise of sweaty days ahead, whatever. Either way, the first warm days of spring signal the official opening of riesling season.
Many wines have their seasonal associations. I think of Sancerre and sauvignon blanc in the summer, Rhone wines in the fall, Amarone in the winter, and Burgundy and Champagne pretty much any time at all. Yet, just as riesling reigns among wines in conveying a sense of origin, it is also unsurpassed in connoting the sense of rebirth and renewal that we almost physically equate with spring. Among its less mystical attributes, riesling is also one of the most versatile wines to pair with food.
You would think that with all of this going for it, riesling would be one of the most popular, revered wines in the world. Instead, it remains something of an insider's wine, enjoyed passionately by a relatively small number of consumers who seemingly can't decide whether to rejoice in the mainstream neglect, which keeps prices reasonable, or despair in having to forge their own path in an oaky, vanilla, fruit cocktail white wine kind of world. (Righteous indignation, you see, is an essential component of riesling love.)
I can point to many occasions over the last 20 years when riesling-loving wine writers asserted that the tide had turned, that riesling was finally about to have its moment. We're still waiting for that wave to arrive.
Hopeful signs abound, nonetheless. Maybe it's just spring talking, but in New York, at least, sommeliers like Paul Grieco at Hearth in the East Village and Rebecca Foster at Cookshop in Chelsea are big believers in riesling and effectively convey their enthusiasm through their wine lists. Retail shops are doing a much better job among themselves of featuring riesling. Best of all, more great riesling is being made today than ever before, and it is coming from more places.
Alsace, of course, has a proud riesling heritage, and its wines can be among the most powerful and profound whites in the world. I've grown to love the dry, rich, minerally rieslings of Austria, while the surprisingly good rieslings of Australia may come to be recognized one day as the best Australian whites of all. California has a few riesling pockets, like Navarro in Mendocino County and Smith-Madrone in Napa Valley, though the best American rieslings may come from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. But for dedication to the riesling grape and for wines of a rare beauty, depth and clarity that can match fragility with intensity, no country can rival Germany.
The drawbacks of German rieslings are all too well known. The labels are indecipherable, the nomenclature is confusing, and the language, for non-German speakers, is difficult to translate. All true, yet ultimately irrelevant. Burgundy is awfully confusing as well, yet because the wines are worth the effort, people eventually figure it out. Believe me, German rieslings are worth the effort, too.
One more thing comes to many people's minds about these wines: they are sweet. Indeed, this is frequently the case, yet again, it often doesn't matter. Why is this? Consider for a moment that although many popular American wines claim to be dry, they are in fact slightly sweet. Believe it or not, these American wines often taste sweeter than many rieslings because the sugar in the German wines, unlike in the American ones, is balanced by high acidity. Paradoxically, these sweet German rieslings taste drier than the so-called dry New World cabernets and chardonnays.
Here's a bottle that reflects all that Americans consider nightmarish about German rieslings: It's a 2004 R�desheimer Magdalenenkreuz sp�tlese from Josef Leitz, one of the excellent producers that are rejuvenating the reputation of the Rheingau, a small, historic area full of crumbling castles and vineyards that rise up from the Rhine on unbelievably steep slopes.
Forget the mouthful of words. What's important to know is that this wine offers exactly the sort of tension between sweetness and acidity that gives German rieslings their taut precision and focus. It is light and graceful, full of lingering mineral and rich lemon flavors, and even though it has some residual sugar, the wine tastes almost dry because each element is in harmony. It's a difficult balancing act, made to look easy. Oh, and it's just 8 percent alcohol.
While the Leitz tastes dry, some Rheingau wines are legitimately dry. Robert Weil, another Rheingau producer, makes a wonderful sp�tlese, but also makes a dry wine (with a label in English that simply reads, "Estate Riesling Dry"). Like most German rieslings, the predominant flavors are of minerals, but the Weil also has a floral component, and the 2004 has a slight fizziness that is characteristic of many young rieslings. Because in dry rieslings all the sugar has been fermented into alcohol, they tend to have a higher level of alcohol than wines in which the fermentation is halted, leaving residual sugar. The Weil is all of 11.5 percent, as against the 14-plus percent typical of most American wines.
Along with the Rheingau, the most famous German wine region is the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. It is the home of many great producers, like J. J. Pr�m, Fritz Haag and Selbach-Oster. But producers in other regions are worth following, too. I've recently enjoyed superb wines from Hexamer, D�nnhoff and Sch�fer-Fr�hlich in the Nahe and M�ller-Catoir in the Pfalz. Most remarkable of all was a riesling from the lowly Mittelrhein, which mostly produces plonk from the M�ller-Thurgau grape.
This bottle, a 2004 Bopparder Hamm Ohlenberg sp�tlese from Weingart, was another of those exquisitely balanced sweet wines that taste dry. But in addition to its lively floral and mineral qualities, this one had intense peach and apricot flavors, and delicacy, too. What more could you want?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe saut�ed river trout or scallops? Or Dover sole, or white asparagus, or roasted squab?
I'd even settle for another glass.
WINE
Misunderstood Merlot Deserves Another Chance
Wednesday, April 12, 2006; F05
BEN GILIBERTI
If you've recently made up your mind that merlot is not for you, I have two recommendations: taste more merlots and check out a new Web site called Merlot Fights Back ( http://www.merlotfightsback.com ).
The site, which features detailed information on soil, climate and other factors that affect the quality of merlot, is the leading edge of an ambitious campaign undertaken by Napa Valley's Swanson Vineyards to bolster merlot's flagging popularity. In addition to the Web site, Swanson winemaker Chris Phelps has embarked on a nine-city tour touting what he refers to as merlot's "complex uniqueness." The tour features tastings of not only the merlots that Swanson produces from its 50 acres of vineyards in Napa's Oakville district, but also those of quality producers elsewhere in California and in Italy, France and South America.
"What we're trying to show is that when merlot is planted in the right soils and climate, it's one of the world's great grape varieties," Phelps said.
While conceding there are many insipid merlots, he blames not the grape but the red wine boom, which caused merlot to be planted in unsuitable places, sullying the reputation of all merlot. "I wonder if Miles [the merlot-phobic character in the 2004 movie "Sideways"] even realizes that the '61 Cheval Blanc he opened on his birthday was almost 50 percent merlot," Phelps said.
The lovely Swanson 2002 Merlot ($30) is a prime example of merlot's quality potential. Phelps's training at Chateau Petrus in Pomerol comes through in the tight focus of the fruit and the weaving in of subtle cassis and mineral notes on the finish.
Swanson stands in good company. The following merlots are highly recommended based on the combination of quality and value. Prices are approximate.
Beringer 2003 Merlot "Napa Valley" ($19; California; distributed by Washington Wholesale): This sumptuous merlot is a knockout. Vigorously fruity, with warm, ripe tannins, it has the power and concentration to embarrass most cabernet sauvignons. Match with grilled steak.
J. Lohr Estates 2002 Merlot "Los Osos" ($16; California; NDC): Deep purple in color, this merlot from the Paso Robles region of California serves up a powerful bouquet of toasty vanilla, cassis and blackberries, followed on the palate by ripe, fleshy fruit. This deserves prime lamb chops (limited supply).
Chateau Lauriol 2003 Bordeaux ($12; France; Alain Blanchon Selections: The second wine of the respected Chateau Puygueraud in the Cote de Francs region of Bordeaux, this has an intriguing nose of spice and light cedar, followed on the palate by polished flavors of berry and cassis. Much class for the price.
Domaine de Montpezat 2003 Merlot "Les Enclos" ($12; France; Kacher Selections): Offering a full quotient of rustic charm for which the wines of the southern French region of the Languedoc are justly famous, the generous red and black fruit flavors of this wine are tailor-made for grilled red meats.
Kendall-Jackson 2003 Grand Reserve Merlot ($25; California; NDC): Grand Reserve Merlot comes primarily from Kendall-Jackson's premium hillside vineyards in Sonoma. The red berry fruit is lush and layered, with a finishing sheen of vanilla from aging in new oak barrels. Medium in body, it will match well with poultry and salmon but has sufficient structure to handle red meat.
Tortoise Creek 2005 Merlot ($8 to $9; France; Henry Wine Group): Although this is from the small village of St.-Chinian in the Languedoc, it has the pure berrylike fruitiness and complexity of a young petite chateau from the St.-Emilion region of Bordeaux. Its bright fruitiness makes it a superb aperitif red. Exceptional value.
Castillo de Monjard�n 2002 Merlot Deyo ($22; Navarre, Spain; Winebow): The French-influenced Navarre region enjoys a long history with merlot. This generously oaked wine offers layered fruit with a fresh bouquet of vanilla, bing cherries and cassis.
Domaine de St. Antoine 2004 Merlot ($10; France; Robert Kacher Selections): This youthful wine from the Costieres de Nimes region of southern France offers exuberant fruit, moderate tannins and notes of Provencal herbs in a pleasing, drink-now style.
American Winetasters Society 2003 Merlot "Stags Leap District" ($16; Napa; Wine Partners): This is blended from the overproduction of several respected wineries in the prestigious Stags Leap district of Napa, and displays a violet scented bouquet, followed by silky fruit on the palate. Light to medium-bodied, it matches best with veal, duck or roast chicken.
Ben Giliberti, The Post's wine critic since 1987, can be reached atfood(a)washpost.com.
� 2006 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 *
Greetings,
Lori has made arrangements for us to go to Sofitel this week.
Bob's first thought was "French White Wine on the order of
Entre Deux Mears and such." That bounced about and
settled in on "Grapes that do not begin with C."
So bring you favorite White and Right or Red and Ready as
long as it isn't a chard, a chenin blanc, a cab, a carginon, etc.
Not sure if we're at Collette or La Fougasse.
Reservation is in Lori's name.
Hotel Sofitel
5601 West 78TH Street
BLOOMINGTON 55439
952/835-1900
Time is 6:30 on Thursday.
Count is 10, can be adjusted as needed.
Arrangement is "free corkage" BUT the house would
like some of the 20 to 30% we leave for the server.
There are places where we pay $5/person in lieu of corkage.
Seems the bill always gets hosed up when we do that. Not sure
how to best manage this situation.
1. Use the 1/3 rule, but round up and add a dollar (e.g. 40 + 14 + 1 = 55)?j
2. Go for 40% (bill plus half, minus 10%. e.g. 40 + 20 - 4 = 56)?
Not sure how the house moves their cut into the register, but then
we don't really want to know how sausage is made either.
Lori
Betsy
Bob
Annette
Bill (?)
Ruth/Warren
Russ/Sue (Pinot Champagne? Proseco?)
Jim/Louise
Nicolai
Below is the artical from the SFGC on "corkage". Interesting stuff,
but the issues are diffferent.
SF is a bit higher ($ and Quality) on the food chain than MSP
SF is wine country (Vintners working w/ restaurants).
Per the article, one for one seems quite workable. That is,
buy one off their list and bring one in w/o corkage.
The straight $20 markup seems both fair and rare.
200% markup on wine and food would be reasonable if applied
to the true cost. If we're buying it for 10, the restaurant is
probably buying it for $8. Why is it on the list for $40 instead of $24?
Cheers,
Jim
Taming of the screw
Diners and restaurateurs alike are confounded by corkage fees
- Amanda Gold, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, April 6, 2006
Click to ViewClick to ViewClick to View
When Craig Stoll decided to prohibit diners from bringing their own wines into his Pizzeria Delfina, he didn't think he was doing anything newsworthy.
Was he ever wrong.
Just ask the angry pack of wine-toting customers huddled on the sidewalk outside Stoll's San Francisco pizzeria on a Friday night after they were told they'd have to leave their bottles at the door.
Sure, it's just a pizza place, and with a very reasonably priced wine list. Yet the backlash that ensued when Pizzeria Delfina opened in July 2005 with its don't-bring-your-own-bottle policy shows that the ability to take one's own wine into Bay Area restaurants has become as commonplace -- and accepted -- as sharing plates. It also spotlighted the dilemma restaurateurs face when they create their BYOB policies -- and few Bay Area restaurants don't allow the practice.
Restaurants charge what's called a "corkage" fee to open and serve the wines brought in by patrons, but corkage doesn't make up for lost sales from the restaurants' wine lists, or the resources it takes to pour customers' wines. BYOB also shows a disregard, restaurateurs say, for the wine program they have carefully crafted to match their cuisine and atmosphere.
While it's up to individual restaurateurs to set their corkage fees -- or as Pizzeria Delfina has done, ban corkage altogether -- the ambiguity of corkage policies has created heated debate among restaurateurs and their customers.
For some consumers, taking a bottle to dinner might be considered a necessity; high markups and/or limited wine list selections encourage them to bring wine from home. The amount they pay for this privilege -- usually between $15 and $25 in the Bay Area -- is often less than the amount spent ordering from the list.
Yet there's another side.
"I just don't understand what the whole fuss is about," Stoll says. "We're working really hard at putting our wine program together. It's our package, our vision. The program is part of the restaurant, like a painting on the wall or the food on your plate. I don't understand why people feel so entitled to bring their own.
"What if you collected fine tablecloths from all over the world, and you don't ever cook at home so you wanted to bring one in to eat off of? It's ridiculous."
It's also a sentiment echoed by other restaurateurs, who say they spend countless hours and dollars developing wine programs, purchasing and replacing crystal stemware and decanters, investing in temperature-controlled storage, hiring and training wine-service staff and keeping a well-regarded sommelier.
For Bay Area folks, however, it seems natural that with Wine Country in their backyard, and wine being an important part of dining, they should be able to enjoy a bottle at dinner without paying an enormous price for it.
Hal Oates, who runs the online wine shop www.porthos.com, sells to collectors all over the country. He says his customers are "jealous of those of us in California who can bring our wine to restaurants," as it's illegal to do so in some states. For him, taking his own wine to dinner has become so routine that he first chooses the bottle, then decides where to eat.
Echoes Alder Yarrow, author of the wine blog Vinography.com, "Bringing in a special bottle to share with friends over dinner is one of the great pleasures of the wine connoisseur, and great pleasures tend to mean good things for those in the hospitality business."
But it's no longer just about special bottles.
Just ask Lance Cutler, a "commander" of Sonoma-based Wine Patrol, an organization that, among other things, lobbies against expensive restaurant wine.
In an e-mail, he writes, "It used to be that most people who brought wine to restaurants were bringing 'special' bottles to open at special dinners, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and the like ... As restaurant wine prices shot into the stratosphere, more and more customers started bringing bottles in an attempt to keep their dinner bills within the national budget. It was a type of financial self-defense."
Most consumers' consternation comes from what they believe to be greedy markups. Yet Napa wine consultant Ronn Wiegand, publisher of the newsletter Restaurant Wine, says wines sold at restaurants have the same markup as food.
"It's a common misconception among diners," he says.
Restaurants typically mark up wines between 2 and 3 times, meaning a bottle that the restaurant pays $10 for will land on the wine list at around $25, translating into $15 profit. At the higher end, however, there is a sliding scale. While the markup percentage isn't always as high on more expensive wines, the dollar amount -- the profit -- is usually greater.
These percentages are similar to food markups -- except that with wine, Wiegand says, there is a much greater range in pricing.
"The sky is the limit as to how much someone will spend," he says.
Some diners don't hestitate to buy a $200 bottle of Bordeaux, yet would never consider dropping $200 on a steak.
Corkage fees and the escalating prices of wines at restaurants feed the belief that restaurants are doing just fine on beverage sales.
As a result, it's almost as common for diners to bring a $7.99 bottle of Chardonnay from Safeway as it is for them to bring an '88 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. And why not? In most cases, paying corkage is still less expensive than buying off the list.
"It's gotten to the point that if I don't bring my own wine, I don't have much of a selection," says commercial real estate agent David DonHowe, who travels frequently between San Francisco and New York. "I usually have only a few bottles on the lower end of the spectrum to choose from."
Many restaurateurs say it's a vicious cycle -- the more wines people bring in, the fewer they're buying off the list. Without the income from wine sales, prices stay high and corkage fees climb.
Most consumers, restaurateurs claim, don't realize that those who bring in vast amounts of wine to be opened can be a major strain on their business plan.
"This is a huge, huge issue for me," says Richard Reddington, whose Redd restaurant in Yountville opened to much acclaim in November 2005. Due to the many vintners in Wine Country, BYOB is a particular problem for Napa and Sonoma county restaurateurs.
Reddington is not ungrateful -- his restaurant is full nightly and has a large local following. He acknowledges and appreciates his good fortune -- "I love being a local hangout; these are my friends," he says.
But "local" and "friend" often mean vintner, or a wine collector with a 15,000-bottle cellar. Reddington would like to waive corkage for his friends, but it becomes difficult when they bring bottles into Redd by the dozen.
"In an average night, I'll do 150 covers (dinners), which means I'm opening about 70 bottles of wine," says Reddington. "Thirty to 35 of those are corkage. Sometimes we'll open 20 bottles with corkage before 6:30 p.m."
For Reddington, making money back from lost wine sales is an uphill battle.
"When you write a budget," he says, "you think wine is going to represent a big chunk of your revenue. When it doesn't, the numbers don't make sense. I had no idea when I was putting the restaurant together that the amount of wine brought in would be this out of hand."
He adds that if he made money only on food sales, he'd have to do more than 200 covers a night to stay profitable. That's a huge leap for his 65-seat restaurant.
Reddington says two people dining together at Redd can spend anywhere from $80 to $400 on a meal; the amount depends largely on whether they order wine, bring in their own bottle and pay the $25 corkage fee, or skip wine altogether.
It's a similar situation all over Wine Country.
Press in St. Helena, another recent addition to the Napa Valley dining scene, charges $20 corkage, but waives it for local vintners who bring in their own wine. Press general manager Stefan Matulich says that policy offends local residents who aren't vintners and don't get the same treatment.
"People seem to think corkage fees should apply only to tourists," he says.
"It's a funny little dance we do," says Kenneth Goldfine, general manager of Syrah restaurant in Santa Rosa. "On the one hand, we don't want to offend or lose our customers. Our policy was designed to allow people to bring in a special bottle."
Now, he says, many patrons bring in bottles (and pay $15 corkage) that they've picked up at wineries and wine shops -- wines, he says, that are comparable to those on Syrah's list.
"It really undercuts our business model," he says.
Not all restaurateurs have this concern.
Bobby Stuckey, a master sommelier and former wine director at French Laundry in Yountville, left to open a restaurant in Boulder, Colo., where state law prohibits patrons from bringing in wine. He says the law works in everyone's favor, in terms of both price and selection.
"I mark my wines up only $20 above retail, no matter if it's $15 or $500 to begin with, and I can afford to do it because people support my wine list," he says.
Stuckey argues that the profit restaurants make on wine-list purchases allows them not only to keep prices lower, but also to amass interesting collections.
"Walk into a restaurant in any wine-growing region, like Burgundy or Alsace, where they don't allow corkage," he says, "and you're going to find some great, affordable wines with a lot of age on them."
Stuckey says lists with multiple vintages of a particular wine are harder to find in Northern California, because consumers can bring in their own aged wines. That makes it difficult for restaurants to cellar the good stuff -- they're not rewarded for doing so.
He also says the solution isn't to raise corkage fees, because those who can afford to bring in great wines aren't concerned about the cost of opening them.
"The average consumer thinks it's in their best interest to have corkage, but it's not true," he says. "It really only helps the people with a lot of money, because they're the ones who want to bring in something from their cellar."
Stuckey says he believes most diners don't have the opportunity to drink listed wines that are both affordable and mature because restaurants can't afford to buy and store them for years. If they do, they have to charge an astronomical amount.
So is the solution to ban BYOB altogether? It seems to work in Colorado, according to Stuckey.
Still, Stoll knows that while he can defend his pizzeria's no-BYOB policy -- most wines on the list are priced under what a corkage fee would cost -- his policy of charging $18 corkage per bottle at the more formal Delfina restaurant next door will remain. He sees an ocean of wine brought in each night, and that frustrates him.
Other San Francisco restaurants, including Fifth Floor, are trying more creative approaches to the corkage conundrum. After experiencing problems with a set $30 corkage fee, Emily Wines, sommelier at Fifth Floor, installed a graduated corkage policy that she says makes everyone happy.
The first bottle a patron brings in costs $20 to open; the second is an additional $40, the third an additional $60, and so on. Thus, someone bringing in six bottles will be charged $420.
"It means that when people have multiple bottles, it can be a hefty corkage, but on the first bottle, it offers a break to someone if they just have one special wine," she says.
At Boulevard in San Francisco, sommelier John Lancaster has a $25 corkage fee and a two-bottle limit.
"It happened because we were watching as people brought in cases of wine," he says.
On an average Saturday night, Lancaster says, he and his staff will open as many as 25 bottles brought in by diners, and that the number keeps increasing.
Bay Wolf in Oakland might open as many as five to seven bottles a night that weren't sold off the list. At the new Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, manager and server Tim Halsted says patrons continually bring in their own wines. Though the restaurant charges $20 corkage for the first two bottles, the fee goes up if many bottles are opened.
"It's hard," says Halsted, "because when parties bring in a lot of wine, it takes us away from other tables."
Though Bay Area restaurant staffers witness a mass of bottles being brought in, it doesn't compare to what's happening in Wine Country. Reddington and others say that the amount of wine coming into Napa and Sonoma restaurants is excessive, and it has become difficult to determine who gets charged a corkage fee and who doesn't.
Restaurants count on referral business from wineries, so when vintners come to dine, it's become common courtesy to waive their corkage fees. And that results in lost income.
"I have investors that I need and want to pay back," Reddington says. "How do I make up the profit?"
For starters, restaurants can charge higher corkage fees. Reddington's original fee of $15 -- with frequent comps for industry friends -- wasn't cutting it, so he raised it to $25, with a two-bottle limit. While he will comp corkage on one bottle for each bottle purchased, the policy applies to all, including the mayor of Yountville. He still loses money when diners don't purchase wine off the list and admits it's a struggle.
"I'll get someone in here who says, 'I waived your tasting fee when you came into the tasting room,' " he says. "But if I waive corkage for a table of vintners, it's like giving them 50 percent off their meal."
Down the street at French Laundry, corkage isn't as much of an issue. Though chef/owner Thomas Keller struggled for years to figure out a good system, he now has one that -- for the meantime -- works. Though it might be in line with the esteemed restaurant's stratospheric pricing, the corkage fee is double Redd's.
French Laundry wine director Paul Roberts doesn't see a problem with the corkage practice. He's happy to open wine brought into the restaurant as long as it's not already on the list. Yet he believes the $50 fee is necessary to generate a profit.
"I don't get why people look at it in a confrontational manner," says Roberts. "We're simply providing a service."
Roberts didn't flinch when a group walked in with two cases of wine for a tasting. The corkage charge was $1,200.
But if Reddington sees similar numbers of wines brought into Redd and is making only half the income, is it enough?
"All that corkage really covers is the 12 glasses that get ruined every night," he says. "We broke a $100 decanter the other night, and there's your corkage."
On the flip side, there are vintners selling their wines to restaurants at wholesale prices, only to see the wine marked up two to three times the retail price on a wine list. What's a vintner to do if he or she wants to pour a wine for someone over a meal -- buy it off the list, or bring it in and pay corkage?
Few vintners say they don't bring wine into a restaurant. Most expect to pay corkage.
"There's a very symbiotic relationship between Napa wineries and restaurants," says Garen Staglin, owner of Staglin Family Vineyards in Rutherford. "We've created this relationship by sending customers and bringing distributors to restaurants, and there's a tremendous amount of reciprocity."
Yet he understands that wine sales keep a restaurant afloat.
"Restaurants deserve a corkage," he says. They have to stay in business."
Don Stephens, proprietor of D.R. Stephens Estate, agrees. Stephens divides his time between his real estate business in San Francisco and his St. Helena winery, so he's constantly eating out.
"The times I go to a restaurant and don't bring my own wine is one out of 20," he says. "But I also expect to pay for it."
Stephens says that unless he's specifically working on a sale of a current vintage, he won't bring his own wine into a restaurant that carries it.
Michael Ouellette, owner of Blockheadia Winery in St. Helena and also a consultant who previously worked as a wine director for Napa Valley restaurants, including Mustards Grill and Budo, says it's ultimately the responsibility of vintners to pay corkage, but not everyone agrees. When he started as managing partner and wine director at Martini House in St. Helena in 2001, Ouellette decided he would find a system that could work for everyone.
"I thought, 100 percent no exclusions, everyone will pay corkage," he says. "But I'd do something to soften the blow."
That meant donating a portion of the corkage proceeds to charity, specifically the Napa Valley Farmworker Housing Authority, an organization that provides housing for the migrant workers who tend the vines.
"The hostility that I got back was shocking," says Ouellette. "People were completely taken aback that I was charging corkage."
These days, however, most California enophiles realize that they're lucky to be able to bring wine into a restaurant in the first place -- at whatever cost.
"Let's be clear," says Ouellette. "Just because you have a well-priced list doesn't mean you won't have an army bringing in wine."
Adds Reddington, "Half the time people come in, they don't even open the wine list."
While each sommelier or restaurateur has his or her own notion of what works, they agree that mutual respect is the key.
For restaurateurs, that might mean waiving corkage on one bottle brought in for each bottle purchased from the list. According to Yarrow, "Such a policy is an indication that the folks running the place value their wine-loving customers."
And for patrons, it's about focusing on special bottles, and showing support for those who spend time and money putting together interesting wine programs.
Reddington says, "The last thing I want to do is piss off my customers. The wine and food pairing clientele is my customer base. I just want them to understand that a beverage program is a big part of a restaurant."
At some point, Ouellette says, people will feel that they're better off buying the wine and trying the program than bringing in their own bottles.
And there's always the Stuckey school of thought: "If corkage was illegal," he says, excitement building in his voice, "18 months from now, the Bay Area would have the most rocking wine scene on the planet."
Wishful thinking, Bobby.
Sampling corkage policies
It's increasingly difficult to find a restaurant with a fee of less than $10 to $15, but more and more, restaurants are adopting the "one for one" policy: Purchase one bottle off the restaurant list and corkage is waived on one bottle that you bring in ("one for one"). Many are trying to limit the amount of bottles being brought in by setting a two-bottle limit. Some offer free corkage nights to bring in business.
Bottom line: it's up to the restaurateur to find a corkage policy that makes the most sense for the restaurant.
Here is a random sampling of restaurant corkage policies from the San Francisco Bay Area through wine country.
Campton Place (San Francisco) -- Graduated corkage policy: The first bottle is $30, the second $40, the third $50 and so on.
Chow (San Francisco and Lafayette) -- $7.50 per bottle.
Christopher's Nothing Fancy Caf� (Berkeley) -- No corkage fee.
Dry Creek Kitchen (Healdsburg) -- Free corkage on first two bottles brought in bearing a Sonoma label. Each additional bottle is $15.
Gary Danko (San Francisco) -- $30 per bottle, two-bottle limit.
Julia's Kitchen (Napa) -- $15 per bottle, two-bottle limit. Free corkage on Thursday nights.
Michael Mina (San Francisco) -- $35 per bottle, two bottle limit. The restaurant won't accept wines that are already on the list.
PlumpJack Restaurants -- $15 per bottle, one for one; corkage is waived on wine purchased from PlumpJack wine shops. At Jack Falstaff, corkage is free on Sunday nights.
Tra Vigne (Napa) -- $19 per bottle; one for one. No corkage at the attached pizzeria.
Syrah (Santa Rosa) -- $15 per bottle, double if the bottle is already on the list, one for one.
Viognier (San Mateo) -- $20 per bottle, $50 if it's on the restaurant list, $15 if it comes from the wine shop in Draeger's downstairs, two bottle limit.
-- Amanda Gold
BYO etiquette
Bringing your own wine? Here are a few know-before-you-go tips.
Call ahead. Check with the restaurant to see what its
policy is.
Don't double up. Many restaurants won't allow you to bring in wine if it's already on their list. If they do, it's still in poor taste to do so. When you call ahead, check and see if they already list your bottle. If so, buy it off the list or bring another.
Share the wealth. Offer to pour a taste for the staff -- they'll appreciate it. Even Richard Reddington says that if bringing in wine was banned, he wouldn't get to taste the great things he can't carry, like an '82 Bordeaux.
Make it count. In other words, that $7.99 bottle that you grabbed from Safeway on the way to the restaurant is better left at home. Most wine lists will have at least a small selection of bottles that are affordable based on the entree prices. If you can find something comparable on the list, it's a nice idea to support the program. If not, at least bring a special bottle.
Go one for one. Most restaurants will waive corkage if you purchase an additional bottle from the list.
Tip well. Even if you bring a bottle, your server or sommelier will treat it as though you've purchased it off the list. Let your tip reflect that.
-- Amanda Gold
E-mail Amanda Gold at agold(a)sfchronicle.com.
Page F - 1
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/04/06/WIGRPHVGP975.DTL
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------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Mostly an update, and an article on a small winery tasting in Paris.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 17:17:35 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Tuscan Wines at Tratoria Da Vinci
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Wow, it's been a year since we've been to TdV.
Back on Thursday, 6:30.
Wines from Tuscany.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 13:19:13 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Trattoria da Vinci
400 Sibley St., St. P,
55101 222-4050
It's in the "far end" of down town St. Paul, near the Farmer's
Market. If you're traveling on I94, take the 7th St. Exit.
Who?
Bob
Lori
Bill
Janet
Ruth yes Warren ??
Russ yes Sue ??
Jim yes Louise ??
Dave?
Nicolai?
Karin?
Annette?
Other things. Would be good to re-expand our Italian options.
Perhaps January/February would be a good time to get into the
place at Raymond and University in St. Paul (Biagio?)
Raskells Plug Nickel Sale starts on 4/5/06.
Cheers,
Jim
----- End forwarded message -----
April 5, 2006 Letter From Paris
Where Small Wineries Have Their Day By DONALD MORRISON
One nice thing about the French is that they like to stand up for the little guy. That helps explain why they show saintly patience with losing sports teams and touching fidelity to small shopkeepers. Also why half the country has seemed to be in revolt against a new labor law that affects a relative handful of youthful job-seekers. But for the most enduring, enjoyable and perhaps self-serving display of French fondness for the underdog, come to the Espace Champerret, a convention center in northwestern Paris, from April 7 to 10. There, as they have for more than two decades, smart Parisians flock to buy their wine. It's the Salon des Vins et Vignerons Ind�pendants, the semiannual show of wines from small producers representing every French wine-growing region from Aloxe-Corton to Vouvray.
Organized by Vignerons Ind�pendents de France (www.vigneron-independant.com) a 28-year-old club of 10,000 such small fry, the salon draws about 500 of them to its April show and more than 1,000 to the version in November at the larger Paris Expo center near the Porte de Versailles. Similar events take place in six other French cities every spring and fall, and together they attract nearly a half-million visitors a year. At every salon, the quality is high, the prices are low and the wines are generally not available in stores. Best of all, the spirit of solidarit� hovers over the hall like the bouquet of vanilla and nutmeg on a glass of Domaine de la Garni�re Chardonnay F�t de Ch�ne (a steal at 5.10 euros for the bottle, about $6.25 today, at 1.23 euros to the dollar).
That was my first purchase at my first Paris salon two years ago. I quickly became not only a regular visitor to the event, but also an unofficial dependant of the Fleurance family, which owns the 69-acre Domaine de la Garni�re at St.-Crespin-sur-Moine in the Loire valley. Marie-Th�r�se Fleurance, matriarch of the clan, is a typical small vintner . barely four feet tall. But her wines are big and lusty, unusual qualities in a region known for its austere, flinty and sometimes astringent output. I had put my address on the bill of sale, and she phoned me a few weeks later to make sure I was coming to the next show. Inexpert in French, I thought she was yet another telemarketer of insulated windows and hung up.
For producers like Ms. Fleurance and her sons (and co-proprietors) Pascal and Olivier, who lack the marketing budgets and economies of scale that big producers enjoy, the salons are make-or-break events. A few days later the Fleurances sent me a free ticket for the next salon. I used it, but sailed right by their stand . until Pascal called out my name, having remembered me from my pitifully small, six-bottle purchase of a half-year earlier. Now I receive regular invitations, price lists and other promotional material from the Domaine de la Garni�re, and I never fail to visit the stand. Or leave without a case or two.
For winelovers, the salon is a rhapsody in red, white and ros�. For students of France and democracy, it is an education. In any sense, it's a terrific bargain . prices are generally the same as at the cellar door, sometimes even less. After paying the gentle 6 euro admission fee ($7.35), you are handed a 7.25-ounce Institut National des Appellations d'Origine glass, the recognized standard for wine evaluation, and set loose into a vast sea of sipping, slurping, spitting Parisians.
The scene can be daunting at first. Acres of exhibitors are arranged randomly, not by region, to encourage browsing. Each one has the same, six-foot-long stand and is allowed to display no more than 10 wines. On my first visit, I wandered around in a daze for half an hour before working up the nerve to thrust my glass at a smiling vintner, who graciously poured a large mouthful of rough, nearly undrinkable red Cahors. I spit it out abruptly (every stand has a spittoon), thanked my benefactor . whose jollity never faded . and moved on. Two hours and about 60 wines later, I was having trouble distinguishing Rully from R�gni� . also seeing straight. And I was carrying two six-bottle cartons around in my arms. This was hard work.
Since then I have honed several strategies for a successful salon attack. I am pleased to share them:
Go early. The doors open at 10 a.m., and the crowds are mercifully thin until midafternoon. From then until closing time, at 8 p.m. (6 p.m. on the final night), it's madness. Either way, don't plan on doing any serious work afterward.
Spit. Though the temptation to swallow will be great, especially if you run across a truly great wine, you'll never make it past the first few stands if you hesitate to expectorate. You can buy a bottle and drink it at home.
Bring wheels. A folding luggage wheelie (take your own, or buy one in the hall for 39 euros) will let you tote away several cases, and both Paris shows are convenient to public transport. Better yet, take a taxi home. Just don't drive. France is cracking down on tipsy motorists, and random police checks are spreading.
Talk wine. Vintners love to discuss their work, and many of them speak English. But to earn their lifelong gratitude, arm yourself with a few key phrases, like "bien charpent�" (well structured), "belle robe" (beautiful color), "gras" (fat), "souple" (supple), or the ultimate accolade, in ironic understatement, "�a se laisse boire!" (It's drinkable!). It's bad form to assert, even truthfully, that a wine isn't good. "Tr�s inter�ssant" is a diplomatic observation. And always say "merci" when receiving yet another (free) taste.
I now look forward to the salons eagerly, trolling online discussion groups for tips about hot young vintners who may show up. Once in the hall, I'm always discovering great new wines, laughing along with wine-mellowed strangers as we jostle for attention at a popular stand, and even running into friends from the United States. My mailbox overflows with free salon tickets from winemakers whose wares I have sampled and schlepped home. Indeed, after hours in the company of these mostly gregarious, mostly struggling makers of a product they are willing to pour so generously and sell so cheaply, I find that I too am acquiring a decidedly French fondness for the underdog. Also for big lusty whites from the Loire.
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
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* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Wow, it's been a year since we've been to TdV
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 13:19:13 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Trattoria da Vinci
400 Sibley St., St. P,
55101 222-4050
It's in the "far end" of down town St. Paul, near the Farmer's
Market. If you're traveling on I94, take the 7th St. Exit.
Who?
Annette
Bob
Lori
Bill
Janet
Warren/Ruth
Russ/Sue
Jim/Louise
Dave?
Nicolai?
Karin?
Other things. Would be good to re-expand our Italian options.
Perhaps January/February would be a good time to get into the
place at Raymond and University in St. Paul (Biagio?)
Raskells Plug Nickel Sale starts on 4/5/06.
Cheers,
Jim
----- End forwarded message -----
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WINES OF TUSCANY
Chianti may well be synonomous with Tuscany, but there is far more diversity here than a visit to your average wine merchant would suggest. Recent years have witnessed considerable changes, with most articles on Tuscan wine commenting upon the shift of emphasis from quantity to quality,
Above all, Tuscany produces red wine and, above all, this wine is made from the Sangiovese grape. The practice of adding white grapes to the Chianti blend has, thankfully, all but disappeared; the last twenty or so years has seen Sangiovese find a new partner - Cabernet Sauvignon - and when this marriage works, as it often does, the resultant wines are usually excellent and, occasionally, truly great.
Brunello di Montalcino manages ably to retain the crown of `Italy's most expensive wine', although the likes of Tignanello and Sassicaia are not too far behind. Some other areas worthy of investigation are Morellino di Scansano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano, and wines of Lucca & Montecarlo.
The white wines of Tuscany are far less important than the reds. Produced predominantly from the workaday Trebbiano grape, a notable exception is Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Good Sauvignon and Chardonnay is made, but the prices tend to be quite high. Vin Santo, the famous after-dinner wine, is also seeing a renewed commitment to quality.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WINES OF CHIANTI
Chianti is without a doubt the most well known of all Italian wines. There may be only one denomination - Chianti D.O.C.G - but there are many different styles, ranging from light Beaujolais-style quaffing wines to structured, complex wines with enough backbone to reward aging and maturing.
The predominant grape variety is Sangiovese, but the laws allow for an addition of between 10 and 15% of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. A Riserva wine is one that has been aged longer before being released; it should come from a good year and benefit from further aging, although it is not always the guarantee of quality that might reasonably be expected. Click here for a brief history of the wines of Chianti over the centuries.
The vineyards of Chianti are scattered over much of central Tuscany; the Classico zone begins northwards of Siena and reaches most of the way to Florence. This zone generally produces the best wine. The other six zones are:
Colli Aretini The hills around Arezzo produce a medium-bodied Chianti, soft and best drunk young.
Colli Senesi From the hills to the south and west of Siena, this is the largest Chianti sub-zone. Chianti plays second fiddle to Brunello and Montepulciano.
Colli Fiorentini All styles of Chianti, from light everyday stuff to some excellent Riservas.
Montalbano From the hills west of Florence. The better grapes tend to go to make Carmignano.
Rufina The smallest of the seven, this zone, to the north east of Florence, produces some of the most complex and long-lived wines in Chianti.
Colline Pisane Pleasant, light wines from the hills around Pisa
There are various theories as to the origin of the name Chianti. The most popular has it that the word derives from the Latin clangor, meaning the cry of a bird or a high pitched note from a trumpet, and that this alludes to the wild and uncultivated countryside of the area, fit for hunting rather than agriculture. Another far more mundane theory ascribes the name to an Etruscan family of the area, or perhaps a winegrower from the hills above Florence.
What is more certain is that the name was well established by the early fifteenth century, although the wine known as Chianti in those days was almost certainly a white wine. As late as the 1960's there was still a Chianti bianco and even the DOC laws of 1967 allowed for 30% of white grapes in the red wine. By the early 1900's the wines of Chianti had become very popular - or at least the 'style' had, as a bottle labelled as Chianti may not have come from Chianti proper, if indeed it came from Tuscany at all.
The year 1924 saw the formation of the Consorzio per la difesa del vino tipico del Chianti, a group taking as its symbol the black cockerel, the Gallo Nero still seen on all bottles today. The significance of this dates to a border dispute between Siena and Florence, a dispute that saw the border drawn at the point where a horseman from each city would meet on the road. They were both to set out at the cock-crow, as indeed they did, except that the Florentine cockerel had been starved, and woke to greet the day considerably earlier than its Sienese counterpart.
The DOCG regulations of 1984 attempted to achieve what the DOC ones of 1967 failed to do in terms of quality and consistency, and there is no doubt that post DOCG Chianti is a much improved wine, however, many growers still found the rules too restrictive and archaic. This led to the rise of the so-called 'Super-Tuscans', wines made from the same grapes and the same vineyards as traditional Chianti, yet made in a way and using blends that 'flouted' regulations, and led them to be labelled as table-wines. This didn't bother the growers overmuch as these wines (then and now) command prices way beyond even the best Chianti Classico. Eventually, the regulations were altered to allow these wines back into the fold. Grape varieties that were outlawed are now permitted, and the requirement to effectively ruin a wine by forcing the inclusion of white grapes in the blend has lapsed.
There is a re-assessment of Chianti under way; ever higher standards coupled with some wonderful vintages are allowing the very best wines to walk tall, and many recent tastings have commented on the wonderful ageing potential of top Chianti. The prestige that that the 'Super-Tuscans' afforded the Sangiovese grape is now allowing the focus to return to the making of good Chianti.
A QUESTION OF STYLE
Between tradition and renewal, the challenge for Tuscan wines is to exploit the distinctive marks of the territory. To .dare. with less international wines but always with bigger personalities.
It is a difficult world, felicitous at times but with an uncertain future. Or so the lyrics of a song that was popular a few years ago would have it. The lyrics are even more appropriate today when applied to the situation of the Italian wine sector. I don.t wish to take this article as a pretext for wandering the byways of the current market and dispensing advice on marketing and prices. Not at this time when censors of bad habits are admonishing those who have erred and who threaten apocalyptic scenarios for the future of sales of Italian products.
It.s a shame that many of these admirable prophets were peddling entirely different theories until only a short time. Let.s say instead, and more honestly, that nearly all the leaders in the world wine sector galloped through the period of rampant euphoria of the last decade. In reality, however, there was no lack of factors that attenuated such attitudes. We went in the blink of an eye from the sour, immature, prickly, diluted and often defective wines of the past to products that are softer, rounder and fruitier. Perhaps a touch too marked by oak but even that, for heaven.s sake, is an indicator of renewal and modernity. It says .enough. with all those old, gross and stinking casks. And, then, why waste time with such irksome and capricious varieties like Sangiovese when we have at our disposal grapes of immediately efficacy like Cabernet and Merlot?
The response to that question was wines that automatically raised the level of consumer satisfaction and enthused even us critics. What a difference from the .antique. wines! What a pleasure! What concentration! This is the new Italian and Tuscan wine! This is the model to follow!
This type of recipe has worked without any setbacks until now but the first doubts are beginning to appear. The few bottles of some years ago are progressively becoming many, new vineyards are being planted and new estates are appearing, while others are giving themselves a makeover. Large numbers of wines have adopted the winning model or even expanding its intensity: super soft, super fruity, super concentrated and super bois�. In a few words, all are apparently more endowed but at the same time similar to one another. Have we, therefore, reached a notorious state of uniformity? Not yet, fortunately, but the risk is obvious and it is not easy to avoid it and to resist the pressures of the international market. The motive is clear. If I prepare wines with the flavor I have cited, which is accepted without complications by the majority of consumers and critics, the chances are good that I shall be able to sell it.
At first glance, nothing to object to but, if we look more closely we may come to other conclusions. In a world context consisting not of a million but a billion bottles, a territory like Chianti Classico, which appears so big to us, represents only a small speck, the so-called niche. And, in a niche, what sense is there in having the prospect of producing wines with an international flavor beaten in advance on the level of price? We must, therefore, make our wine distinctive. Premium wines must possess recognizable characters traceable to the zone of origin. That is what occurred at Bordeaux where, with a minimum of experience, the taster cannot mistake a Pauillac for a Margaux, and even more so in Burgundy where an abyss separates a Chambertin from a Volnay. And that.s not to mention the clear difference between a Barolo from Monforte or another from La Morra.
In Chianti Classico.but let.s expand the horizon to the whole of Tuscany.the imprint on a wine.s style of the enologist currently on duty is more frequently cited than the influence of the zone of origin. Please note, this is not an accusation directed at our technicians, who, like the referees in soccer, are among the best in the world. It is aimed instead at a diabolical system that demands determined results in time spans that, for viticulture are unnaturally short. The signs of the territory, on the other hand, emerge only with the value of the vineyard and will be much more incisive when the vines are older and more deeply rooted. Inevitably, more time is required along with a vision of greater depth and farsightedness in order to obtain results and a definite style.
In that sense, the privilege, although it is not exclusive, of native varieties that are more acclimatized to the territory is manifest. And then we can finally emerge from the opportunism and the provisional character of the gilded cage made with false gold. We can withdraw from the internationality trap and create wines with more authentic characters, wines that are sapid and mineral, with marked but still elegant contrasts. They are drinkable and never boring or predictable. There is the loss, perhaps, of a pinch of fruit and the softness may be too facile but they are wines in magical accord with our cooking and with flavors that are just as decisive and never cloying.
Ernesto Gentili
http://www.chianticlassico.com/english/magazine/200406/articolo0.asp
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* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
