win November 2007

win@thebarn.com

6 participants
19 discussions

by Russell McCandless

Dear friends, I received today from Spain, via SNAIL MAIL, an offer many of us have gotten a dozen versions of via e-mail spam: there's a fortune tied up in court in a foreign country and if you help me get hold of it, I'll give you 40 percent, etc. I'm mentioning this to the wine board because the item strongly suggests to me that the scam artists got hold of the mailing list of the Spanish wine promotion agency (can't remember that agency's exact name, nor whether it's a government agency or trade association). A couple of observations: 1. Apparently this scam and its brothers and sisters are sufficiently effective that the scammers are able to spend well over a dollar per address looking for prospects. The item I received cost 0.78 Euros to mail, plus printer paper, envelopes, printer cartridges, employee labor, travel costs to the post office in Madrid, etc. The next item might be less amateurish; be alert. 2. Item #1 suggests that spam filtering software has gotten several orders of magnitude better than it used to be. Best regards, Russ

18 years

[wine] jPs winter menu

by karin

they just sent me this (and now I'm *hungry*!): Sushi -Grade Tuna burger on a Birchwood cafe sesame roll with sriracha mayonaisse and served with pommes frites,red onions and tomato Roasted butternut squash agnolotti tossed in preserved lemon beurre monte with toasted walnuts and pecorino Pacific Arctic Char served on yukon gold potato puree with honey roasted beets and horseradish creme fraiche Wild Arces chicken breast served with potato gnocchi tossed with organic broccoli and pickled serrano and oven roasted Star Prairie trout stuffed with caramelized onion,portobello mushrooms and bacon,served with butternut squash puree.

18 years

[wine] Whites and Petite Sirah at JPs Tonight

by Jim L. Ellingson

I have some updates on the head count. Also, I'm getting a new job. I just don't know where or when. :) ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:08:10 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Whites and Pet. Sirah at JP's Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:55:23 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, Vins du jour: Whites and/or Petite Sirah at JP's Ringers, sparklings, dessert wines, etc. always welcome. Thursday at 6:30 at JPs Bistro. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or reply to me if you can make it. Please trim the articles form your replys to me or the list. Bob Bill Russell Jim/Louise Ruth ?? Karin/Nicolai ?? ?? Betsy is iffy towards "no" Lori is "no" will be writing. JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Lot of consctuction on Lyndale, so side streets may be a better option. Parking: Meters were free after 6 or 6:30. Side streets may be an option. Pay lot behind the restaurant. Cheers, Jim

18 years

[wine] Ranting about corks

by russellmccandless＠frontiernet.net

For a change, statistics and not just anecdotes: "James Laube Unfined" (James Laube's blog in Wine Spectator on line) The Year in Corks Posted: 04:14 PM ET, November 06, 2007 "I missed the debate about wine closures in Napa on Oct. 27, which featured To Cork or Not to Cork author George M. Taber, along with other industry experts, who discussed twist offs and synthetic closures. But it reminded me to check on how corks performed last year in our California wine tastings. "In the past year we tasted about 3,600 wines, most new releases, and flagged 325 as being flawed by bad corks, or about 9 percent. "I know cork producers insist they are cleaning up their acts and that fewer wines are marred by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, or TCA. But our results, all from blind tastings, suggest the problem is as serious as ever, and maybe even worse. At 9 percent, you?re close to having one bad bottle per 12-bottle case spoiled, and that?s absurd. If you add in the 193 wines that we tasted out of twist offs, it raises the percentage of bad bottles even higher, to 9.5. "I blame wine producers as much as cork makers for this problem, since they are the ones that choose what to seal their wines with and the failure rate of corks is pathetic. "We keep hearing the same old refrain about corks, that progress is being made. But if a 9 percent failure rate is considered progress, I wonder what percentage cork makers would consider a disaster?" Note from Russ: Mr. Laube is not a mathematician; one corked bottle per case would be 8.333%; so, nine percent corked bottles is MORE (worse) than one per case on the average. A blog commenter pointed out that assuming the nine percent corked rate prevails industrywide, your chances of getting at least one corked bottle per case are about two out of three, and your chances of getting at least one corked bottle in two cases are about 90%.

18 years

[wine] Whites and Pet. Sirah at JP's

by Jim L. Ellingson

Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:55:23 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, Vins du jour: Whites and/or Petite Sirah at JP's Ringers, sparklings, dessert wines, etc. always welcome. Thursday at 6:30 at JPs Bistro. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or reply to me if you can make it. Please trim the articles form your replys to me or the list. Bob Betsy Bill Russel Ruth Lori Karin/Nicolai Jim/Louise JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Lot of consctuction on Lyndale, so side streets may be a better option. Parking: Meters were free after 6 or 6:30. Side streets may be an option. Pay lot behind the restaurant. Cheers, Jim THE CHRONICLE WINE SELECTIONS California Petite Sirah - Linda Murphy Thursday, January 12, 2006 There is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. This black grape, grown throughout the warmer regions of California, produces teeth-staining, brawny wines with dark berry and plum fruit, a grind of spice (usually black pepper) and sturdy tannins. Once considered a rustic wine, California Petite Sirah has become softer and more polished in recent years, as winemakers have learned to tame the tannins and astringency with various techniques in the vineyard and cellar. Petite Sirah -- intentionally misspelled "Petite Syrah" by some producers -- is the same as Durif, a workhorse grape of southern France. Petite Sirah is also related to "regular" Syrah; Syrah is Petite's father, Peloursin the mother. Despite their common genes, Petite Sirah and Syrah are very different wines -- the "petite" son has more muscles and hair on his chest than Dad. Here are our favorites from the 65 Petite Sirahs tasted for today: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2003 Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux Napa Valley Petite Sirah ($50) Napa Valley chef and Food Network star Michael Chiarello produces this wine, which despite its somewhat high 15.2 percent alcohol, tastes balanced and bright with crisp acidity. Racy raspberry, blackberry and cassis flavors are enhanced by black peppercorn, black tea, mocha and toast notes. If Petite Sirah can be pretty, this is it. TWO AND A HALF STARS 2003 Concannon Central Coast Limited Release Petite Sirah ($15) Sweet vanilla and black-fruit aromas lead to a ripe, blueberry- and black cherry-filled wine. It's spicy and toasty, yet refreshing thanks to brisk acidity. TWO STARS 2003 Foppiano Vineyards Estate Russian River Valley Petite Sirah ($23) While toasty oak dominates the nose, the palate delivers rich, ripe wild blackberry and black plum flavors and an intense black-pepper spice. There is a slight mid-palate dryness, though a burst of juicy raspberry fruit and crisp acidity plumps up the finish. THREE STARS 2004 Michael-David Earthquake Lodi Petite Sirah ($28) This is the big one, with massive, jammy fruit (blackberry, black cherry and pie cherry), powerful tannins and a Richter-scale 15.7 alcohol content. Rarely are wines of this size balanced, yet Earthquake maintains its equilibrium and offers fine complexity in its toast, smoked meat, cola, vanilla and white-pepper notes. TWO AND A HALF STARS 2003 Mitchell Katz Ruby Hill Vineyard Livermore Valley Petite Sirah ($16) Yes, Virginia, the Livermore Valley can produce great wine, and here's proof. This wine is incredibly smooth and fine-textured -- full, rich and concentrated in its blackberry, blueberry and cassis flavors with vanilla and black pepper accents. It has great balance, firm acidity and a lingering finish that does not taste hot, as the labeled 15.4 percent alcohol might suggest it would. Great price, too. THREE STARS 2002 Quixote Panza Stags' Leap Ranch Napa Valley Petite Syrah ($40) Carl Doumani, who made Petite Sirah fashionable in Napa Valley when he owned Stags' Leap Winery (he was also the first to purposely spell it "Syrah" on the label), now makes the varietal at his Quixote Winery nearby. His 2002 effort, sealed with a screw cap, is inky-purple in color, toasty in aroma and tastes intensely of black fruit. There are also hints of blueberry, spice, coffee and chocolate, wrapped in supple tannins. TWO AND A HALF STARS 2003 Quivira Wine Creek Ranch Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah ($24) Black never goes out of style, as demonstrated by this blackberry/black plum/black licorice-loaded wine. While it's deep and dark, there's no brooding here, as the juicy fruit, peppery spice, gentle toastiness and moderate 14.2 percent alcohol content give the wine a sense of elegance not often found in Petite Sirah. THREE STARS 2003 Rosenblum Pickett Road Napa Valley Petite Sirah ($28) Lush blackberry and blueberry fruit, black pepper and licorice notes, rustic earthiness and big, chewy tannins make this the powerhouse that Petite Sirah aficionados seek. Despite its size, the wine has wonderful balance and palate-cleansing acidity. The alcohol is a heady 15.6 percent, yet there isn't a lot of heat on the palate. TWO AND A HALF STARS 2003 Rosenblum Rockpile Road Vineyard Rockpile Petite Sirah ($36) Deep purple and intensely fruity -- almost Port-like -- this wine pushes the envelope with its very jammy blackberry and black plum fruit, yet has enough acidity, peppery spice and worn-leather complexity for balance. At 15.4 percent alcohol, it packs a punch. TWO AND A HALF STARS 2002 Vina Robles Jardine Vineyard Paso Robles Petite Sirah ($26) Stop reading if you don't like big, hedonistic wines, because this one is huge, loaded with wild, brambly blackberry fruit, black pepper, espresso, toast and vanilla flavors. The tannins are muscular and the palate is ripe, with a touch of residual sweetness. TWO STARS 2004 Vinum Cellars Pets Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($14) "Pets" is what some producers call Petite Sirah, and this wine is as easygoing as the family golden retriever. It's packed with juicy blackberry and blueberry fruit and notes of spice, chocolate, saddle leather and vanilla, with medium tannins. A portion of the sales proceeds go to the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ________________________________________ Key: FOUR STARS Extraordinary THREE STARS Excellent TWO STARS Good Page F - 3 URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/12/WIG74GL8G71.DTL

18 years

[wine] Surly Gold Medal - Coffee Bender, Darkness & Chicago

by zsparky＠aol.com

Greetings Surly Nation, Its been a good month at Surly Brewing. 1st off, we won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Coffee Bender took home the gold in Coffee Flavored Beers! Were pretty happy about that as it was the first year we entered the festival. Omar and Becca went to the Fest and met up with lots of Surly fans and made many more. Check out https://www.surlybrewing.com/pictures.php for photos of Surly Nation. See you there next year! 2nd Surly Ultimate, a Frisbee team made up of old guys sponsored by the brewery, took 2nd place at UPA Nationals last weekend in Sarasota, FL. It was a great culmination of my 2 favorite hobbies, drinking beer and playing Ultimate. You know that beer helps make friends as we also took home the Spirit Award for the tournament. Next year, well bring more beer, see you down there. 3rd Tuesday, October 30th - Darkness release tomorrow night at the Blue Nile in Minneapolis! The bar is located at 2027 East Franklin Ave. Official pouring begins at 7:00. Most of the Surly gang will be there with the new Darkness posters and Darkness t-shirts for sale. Thanks to Adam Turman for coming up with a great look for this years Darkness. Check out his art-work at www.adamturman.com. See you tomorrow night! 4th Coffee Bender at Joes Garage Halloween night. Come grab a glass of this years Gold Medal winning beer! Check out the Home Grown Halloween Rooftop Double Feature. Joe's Garage Restaurant and Shadow Creek Studios will be showing "The Monster of Phantom Lake" and "It Came From Another World!" on its rooftop patio, Halloween night, starting at 8:30 (doors to open at 7:30). Grilled Hamburgers, hotdogs, and other tasty treats available for purchase. For those who like to alter their egos, we'll be having a costume contest, plus we'll be featuring Surly Coffee Bender, spiked apple cider, and a few other drink specials. There is no cover charge or cost to attend, only your love of the campy, ghoulish, and delicious. Joe's will, however, be accepting donations from folks to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation 5th Tour! This Saturday, November 3rd. Tour times are at 12:30 & 1:30. As always, no reservations are needed. See you there. 6th Surly goes to Chicago! Surly beer will be available on draft at select Chicago bars. The whole Surly crew is going down, and we would love to see you as we kick-off Darkness at the following bars: November 12th - Hopleaf & The Map November 13th - Clark Street Ale House, Small Bar - Division, Kuma's Corner & Sheffields Each bar is only getting one keg of Darkness. So if you want to try some of this beer, you better get there early. Times to be determined and will be listed on the Surly calendar page. See you in Chicago! Thats it for now, See you drinking, Omar www.surlybrewing.com To be removed from all of our mailing lists, click here: https://www.surlybrewing.com/mailinglists/mailinglists.php?p=mlist&rem=jame…

18 years, 1 month

[wine] [info@surdyks.com: {Disarmed} Terry Theise Wine Tasting this Friday!]

by Jim L. Ellingson

FYI - T Theise Tasting tonight. Cedar's Hall, 604 University NE 6:30 to 9 $40 Karin posted the line up on Wednesday (thnx). Saturday - Surly Brewery Tours - 11:30 and 12:30 Hwy 100 to 45th (?). straight off the ramp, then left, right, left, etc to 48xx Dusharme Surly SurlyBrewing.com 4811 Dusharme Dr. Brooklyn Ctr, MN 55429 612-210-7328 Omar Ansari Hwy 100 to France to 48th. Also Saturday - Teach a friend to Brew at Barley Johns. 35W to CR D. Left/west to the top of the hill, BJ's is on the right. Next week, Thursday 11/8 Whites and/or Petite Syrah at JP's ----- Forwarded message from Surdyk's Wine Department <info(a)surdyks.com> ----- Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:42:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Surdyk's Wine Department <info(a)surdyks.com> Reply-To: info(a)surdyks.com To: james(a)brewingnews.com Subject: {Disarmed} Terry Theise Wine Tasting this Friday! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TT [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Q4XqpMzYGNCze-RaxLyR5AFeEv6fYvZL51sZDdEjk-sIgzq_…] TERRY THEISE IS BACK! THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2007 The World-Famous and America's most celebrated importer of estate grown German and Austrian wines and cutting edge importer of Champagnes will be making his yearly visit to the Twin Cities. He is regarded as one of the best writers in the U.S. about all things wine and this is sure to be an exciting and engaging evening! Join us for your opportunity to be the first to taste over a dozen of his newest and finest offerings from his portfolio. These are the very best German estate wines in the World! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "No one in America has done more to focus the consumer's attention then Terry Theise. ...Theise is notoriously funny and irreverent, with a disarming contempt for authority figures. In a country where selling high-quality German and small estate-bottled Champagne is akin to swimming against the current, he has done a remarkable job, making true believers out of many skeptics." The Most Influential Wine Personalities of the Last 20 Years As selected by The Wine Advocate ================================================================================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make your reservations as soon as possible to guarantee your spot by calling: 612-379-3232 or ONLINE [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Q4XqpMzYGNDg0KfI0ohoUiWkIBMtDofBq8mf2A_-C31Sbg47…] Do Not Delay! Space is Limited!!! Time: 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. This event will be held at Cedars Hall (the event center next to St. Maron's Church). Less than 1/2 mile from Surdyk's. 602 University Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55413 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note: All classes/events are non-refundable. We make no exceptions to this policy; much like purchasing a ticket to a cultural or sporting event. We encourage you to send someone in your place if you are unable to attend a class/event. Those classes/events with insufficient enrollment will be canceled prior to their starting date. Therefore, early enrollment is desirable. If Surdyk's cancels a class/event, registered attendees will be notified by phone and they can then elect to take another class/event (of the same value) from the current schedule or be fully refunded. We reserve the right to cancel or modify classes/events and menus. If we cancel a class/event due to inclement weather, we will notify you as soon as that decision is made and fully refund your registration; but if we hold a class/event, there will be no refunds due to the weather. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101769315773&ea=james@brewingn… This email was sent to james(a)brewingnews.com, by info(a)surdyks.com Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=oo&m=1101769315773&ea=james%40br… Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&m=1101769315773&ea=james%40br… Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Email Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Surdyks Liquor & Cheese Shop | 303 East Hennepin Ave | Minneapolis | MN | 55414 ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

18 years, 1 month

[wine] Arezzo Tonight

by Jim L. Ellingson

Minor updates to the headcount. 11 +/- Karin, Nicolai Alicia and Sue plan to be there. John may join us for dessert cheers, jim Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 10:52:44 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] [jellings(a)me.umn.edu: Other Italian at Arezzo] ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:09:35 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Other Italian at Arezzo Jim-We decided on Arrezzo for Thurs. The wine is not Piedmont and not Tuscany. Everything else goes. The players are Bob, Betsy, Ruth and Lori. Bob will call today for a reservation. We don't have a back up plan. Lori ----- End forwarded message ----- Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:35:43 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Barbera at Arezzo Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:52:29 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, The group is going to Arezzo, 6:30 on Thursday. Vin du jour is Other Italian i.e. not from Tuscany, not from Piedmont. > on 6/12/06 5:46 PM, Jim L. Ellingson at jellings(a)me.umn.edu wrote: > > > Greetings, > > Bob will make the reservation for 8. Can adjust up or down as needed. > > > > Bob has negotiated a $5 per person charge in > > leu of corkage. Menu is on line. Wine list is not on line.... > > > > Prices are reasonable, w/ $10-12 pizza and most entrees (Primi) under $20. > > > >> Who Bob Betsy Ruth Lori Jim Russ/Sue Dave T Bill S Alicia A / John Karin/Nicolai? > > Arezzo Ristorante > > 612 285-7444 > > 5057 France Ave S, Minneapolis, 55410 > > www.arezzo-ristorante.com A sampling of great Italian dessert wines Leslie Brenner April 18, 2007 Many great Italian dessert wines, with their limited production and distribution, aren't easy to find, nor are they inexpensive; most come in small-format (375- or 500-milliliter) bottles. Chill the whites, but not too cold, and serve the reds either lightly chilled (especially in warmer weather) or at cellar temperature. Listed in order of vintage. 2002 Abbazia di Novacella Moscato Rosa. Made from a red sub-variety of Moscato, this intriguing wine has a lovely clear garnet-ruby color, an unusual bouquet of sweet cassis, red berries, pomegranate and an herbal finish. It's well-balanced . not cloyingly sweet, and with good acid. At Liquorama in Upland, (909) 985-3131, http://www.finewinehouse.com ; and at Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731; http://www.winehouse.com , $40 (375 ml). 2001 Forteto della Luja Moscato Passito Loazzolo. This luscious, full-bodied wine has a beautiful, clear, deep golden color with a rose tint, a gorgeous honeyed aroma that whispers botrytis, and delicious flavors of honey, mushrooms and vanilla. It's very sweet, with a long finish: a serious argument for passing up the tiramisu. At Wine House, $35 (375 ml). 2001 Giuliano Ruggeri Montefalco Sagrantino Passito. Deep and dark purplish-red, this wine has herbal, earthy aromas that belie its sweet character. On the palate it's full-bodied, sweet and a little viscous (with 15% alcohol) with serious tannins and intense flavors of roasted cherries, vanilla and good butter. The finish is curiously dry, almost grapey. At Wine House, $50 (500 ml). 2000 Le Salette Recioto della Valpolicella "Pergole Vece." Recioto della Valpolicella is known as the Veneto's answer to Port. This one is concentrated, well-balanced and complex, with a pleasant hint of bitterness and a long, lip-smacking finish. It's all preceded by aromas of warm red fruit, brambles and herbs. At Liquorama and Wine House, $70 (500 ml). 1999 Salvatore Murana Moscato Passito di Pantelleria "Martingana." A lovely, tawny-colored wine that greets you with racy, attractive, slightly rancio aromas of prunes, black cherries, herbs and burnt caramel. On the palate, the texture is silky and luxuriant, and the wine is full-bodied and sweet but not cloying, with enough acid to support the sugar, and fabulous flavors of dried apricot and red fruit. Delicious and intriguing. At Wine Expo in Santa Monica, (310) 828-4428, $80 (375 ml). 1959 Cantine Antonio Ferrari Solaria Jonica. Wow! The Solaria Jonica is unforgettable, even down to its color, which is deep and dark, almost black, but brilliant. The aromas are intense and alluring: roasted black cherries in aged balsamic and prunes . specifically, pruneaux d'Agen, the high-toned, deeply flavored prunes from the southwest of France. The texture is velvety, the flavors soft and caressing, but with some oomph. It's a terrifically balanced wine with layers of flavor, seriously complex, not cloyingly sweet, with lots of ripe fruit (even at its advanced age) and tannins that have completely mellowed. It's gutsy, but with some finesse, a lovely strawberry finish and amazing length. At Wine House, $190 (500 ml); or http://www.smithandvine.com , $150 (500 ml). . Leslie Brenner ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

18 years, 1 month

[wine] [jellings@me.umn.edu: Other Italian at Arezzo]

by Jim L. Ellingson

A quick update on the head count. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:09:35 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Other Italian at Arezzo Jim-We decided on Arrezzo for Thurs. The wine is not Piedmont and not Tuscany. Everything else goes. The players are Bob, Betsy, Ruth and Lori. Bob will call today for a reservation. We don't have a back up plan. Lori ----- End forwarded message ----- Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:35:43 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Barbera at Arezzo Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:52:29 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, The group is going to Arezzo, 6:30 on Thursday. Vin du jour is Other Italian i.e. not from Tuscany, not from Piedmont. > on 6/12/06 5:46 PM, Jim L. Ellingson at jellings(a)me.umn.edu wrote: > > > Greetings, > > Bob will make the reservation for 8. Can adjust up or down as needed. > > > > Bob has negotiated a $5 per person charge in > > leu of corkage. Menu is on line. Wine list is not on line.... > > > > Prices are reasonable, w/ $10-12 pizza and most entrees (Primi) under $20. > > > >> Who Bob Betsy Ruth Lori Jim Russ Dave T Bill S Karin/Nicolai? > > Arezzo Ristorante > > 612 285-7444 > > 5057 France Ave S, Minneapolis, 55410 > > www.arezzo-ristorante.com A sampling of great Italian dessert wines Leslie Brenner April 18, 2007 Many great Italian dessert wines, with their limited production and distribution, aren't easy to find, nor are they inexpensive; most come in small-format (375- or 500-milliliter) bottles. Chill the whites, but not too cold, and serve the reds either lightly chilled (especially in warmer weather) or at cellar temperature. Listed in order of vintage. 2002 Abbazia di Novacella Moscato Rosa. Made from a red sub-variety of Moscato, this intriguing wine has a lovely clear garnet-ruby color, an unusual bouquet of sweet cassis, red berries, pomegranate and an herbal finish. It's well-balanced . not cloyingly sweet, and with good acid. At Liquorama in Upland, (909) 985-3131, http://www.finewinehouse.com ; and at Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731; http://www.winehouse.com , $40 (375 ml). 2001 Forteto della Luja Moscato Passito Loazzolo. This luscious, full-bodied wine has a beautiful, clear, deep golden color with a rose tint, a gorgeous honeyed aroma that whispers botrytis, and delicious flavors of honey, mushrooms and vanilla. It's very sweet, with a long finish: a serious argument for passing up the tiramisu. At Wine House, $35 (375 ml). 2001 Giuliano Ruggeri Montefalco Sagrantino Passito. Deep and dark purplish-red, this wine has herbal, earthy aromas that belie its sweet character. On the palate it's full-bodied, sweet and a little viscous (with 15% alcohol) with serious tannins and intense flavors of roasted cherries, vanilla and good butter. The finish is curiously dry, almost grapey. At Wine House, $50 (500 ml). 2000 Le Salette Recioto della Valpolicella "Pergole Vece." Recioto della Valpolicella is known as the Veneto's answer to Port. This one is concentrated, well-balanced and complex, with a pleasant hint of bitterness and a long, lip-smacking finish. It's all preceded by aromas of warm red fruit, brambles and herbs. At Liquorama and Wine House, $70 (500 ml). 1999 Salvatore Murana Moscato Passito di Pantelleria "Martingana." A lovely, tawny-colored wine that greets you with racy, attractive, slightly rancio aromas of prunes, black cherries, herbs and burnt caramel. On the palate, the texture is silky and luxuriant, and the wine is full-bodied and sweet but not cloying, with enough acid to support the sugar, and fabulous flavors of dried apricot and red fruit. Delicious and intriguing. At Wine Expo in Santa Monica, (310) 828-4428, $80 (375 ml). 1959 Cantine Antonio Ferrari Solaria Jonica. Wow! The Solaria Jonica is unforgettable, even down to its color, which is deep and dark, almost black, but brilliant. The aromas are intense and alluring: roasted black cherries in aged balsamic and prunes . specifically, pruneaux d'Agen, the high-toned, deeply flavored prunes from the southwest of France. The texture is velvety, the flavors soft and caressing, but with some oomph. It's a terrifically balanced wine with layers of flavor, seriously complex, not cloyingly sweet, with lots of ripe fruit (even at its advanced age) and tannins that have completely mellowed. It's gutsy, but with some finesse, a lovely strawberry finish and amazing length. At Wine House, $190 (500 ml); or http://www.smithandvine.com , $150 (500 ml). . Leslie Brenner

18 years, 1 month

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win November 2007