win February 2007

win@thebarn.com

3 participants
13 discussions

[wine] Rhone style wines and Mousaka at Chez G.

by Jim L. Ellingson

Meeting tomorrow night, 6:30. BYOSS ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 10:52:18 -0600 To: wine(a)thebarn.com Warren and Ruth are preparing a mousaka. Rhone style Wines Hard Limit of 8. Please coordinate side dishes w/ the BG's. (Bixler-Gregorys). Best, Jim and a side and they should RSVP to us either by phone (651-698-5337) or e-mail (gregory.warren(a)yahoo.com) We will encourage a dessert from one person and a relish tray from another so if anyone has a urge to take up one of those asssignments they are welcom. > From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> > To: wine(a)thebarn.com > > > I-94 to Cretin-Vandalia. Go south to Randolph, > East to 2139. > > > > Warren, Ruth Gregory 651-698-5337 > > 2139 Randolph 55105 > > Yeses > > Warren/Ruth Mousaka > Jim Breads Bob Cheeses Betsy Salad? Three spots remaining: BYOSS = Bring Your Own Snow Shovel. Cheers, Jim Great Occasions Call for Great French Reds Wednesday, December 20, 2006; F02 Christmas and holiday dinners deserve a wine that is truly special. One of the best choices is Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France's most affordable great red wine. Made from a blend of up to 13 grape varieties, this full-bodied wine from the southern Rhone valley can compete in mellow complexity and aging ability with the top wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux, at much lower prices (starting at $25). Offering ultra-ripe, complex flavors of black fruit, pepper, Provencal herbs and cherry kirsch, Chateauneuf-du-Pape matches especially well with holiday recipes of beef, duck and goose. After dinner, it's one of the few dry reds that has the richness to be sipped with cheese or semisweet chocolate desserts. Cotes-du-Rhone and Cotes-du-Rhone Villages, most of which is made in vineyards surrounding Chateauneuf-du-Pape, also can offer a good deal of style and are even more affordable. (Prices start at about $10.) Prices are approximate. In addition to the contact information listed, resources for finding wines includehttp://www.winesearcher.comandhttp://www.wineaccess.com. Call stores to verify availability. CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Chateau Mont Thabor 2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($36; Jack Siler Selections, Country Vintner, 800-365-9463): Imbued with great perfume and intensity, this sumptuous wine rings with the flavors of ripe cherries, licorice and roasted Provencal herbs all the way through the long finish. An exceptional wine at its peak. Domaine Berthet-Rayne 2005/2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($25; Elite Wines Imports, 202-345-3623, lisa.giufre(a)elitewines.net) A joy to drink now even though still young; spicy on the nose, with pure, densely packed fruit on the palate. Great value. Patrick Lesec 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pierres Dorees ($45; Constantine Wines, 410-309-9463, maggie_constantinewines(a)yahoo.com) Patrick Lesec 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape les Galets Blonds ($54): I slightly prefer the Pierres Dorees bottling over the more expensive Galets Blonds, but both are outstanding, with subtle oak and violet aromas and exceptionally deep fruit flavors. Domaine Grand Veneur (Alain Jaume) 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($44; Kysela Pere et Fils Ltd., 540-722-9228); Alain Jaume 2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($37): Focused, concentrated and long, the 2004 Grand Veneur offers currant and plum flavors highlighted by notes of wild herbs and anise. The 2003 Alain Jaume, from the same producer, offers the riper, more exotic fruit of that vintage. Domaine de Monpertuis 2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($41; Rosenthal Wine Merchant/Potomac Selections, 301-583-8844): Full-bodied, concentrated and deeply fruity, with exotic, complex notes of wild herbs and cherry/kirsch in the bouquet. Les Cailloux 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($44; Robert Kacher Selections/Washington Wholesale, 202-832-9083): Even better than the delectable 2003, with a deep purple color, spice-box aromas of herbs and earth, and opulent flavors of blackberries and ground pepper with a hint of fig. COTES-DU-RHONE AND COTES-DU-RHONE VILLAGES Paul Jaboulet Aine 2005 Cotes-du-Rhone Parallele 45 ($12; NDC, 202-388-8235): Bright, fleshy fruit with good grip on the finish. J.L. Chave Selection 2004/2003 Cotes-du-Rhone Mon Coeur ($19; Bacchus, 443-692-6020): Get a taste of the legendary Chave Hermitage style for about one-20th the price. Selection Laurence Feraud Seguret 2005 ($15; Hand Picked Selections, john.heinel(a)handpickedselections.com) This Seguret packs a lot of flavor for the price. Do you have a question for wine columnist Ben Giliberti? E-mail him atfood(a)washpost.com.

18 years, 9 months

[wine] Pinot at Emmas

by Jim L. Ellingson

Mostly an update, and some future things: Bob's Cab Class at Erte: Sometime during the Big S Sale, go to Erte w/ assigned wines. e.g. 2 people each bring a cab from 1. Califonia 2. Australia 3. S. America 4. Washington 5. France etc. Bubbles Brdx at Signature on 22 March. Four course Prix Fixe at Signature. Chef is doing food to match/compliment Brdx. I'll assign Bob the Sauterne. :) C U Tonite. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:58:53 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Pinot at Emma's tomorrow We're going back to Emma's for Pinot. Last time, Bob requested "Proven Pinots" and that worked well quality wise, although the suspects were "usual". I'd prefer to see us maintain a diversity of offerings. That said, I won't be bringing anything from Transylvania for a good long while. I've heard from several people, one way or the other. Bill has Spokane. Emma's Restaurant and Lounge 2817 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls. 612.879.5800 Pinots at Emmas. 2817 Lyndale (was 3 Muses?). Bob Betsy Russ/Sue Joyce (is a maybe at this point) Ruth Jim Annette S Lori Nicolai/Karin Cheers, Jim Emma's Restaurant and Lounge A low-key neighborhood sweetheart with fine-dining aspirations, Emma's is where you'll find young chef and owner Emily Streeter cooking her likable French-touched classics. For dinner you'll find carefully made bistro classics as well as more ambitious showpieces. Streeter works particularly well with flavors along a single theme: One wintertime special of goose fat-braised duck crusted with fines herbes and served in a smoked tomato duck stock with potatoes, leeks, and fresh baby fava beans was unforgettable. During weekend brunch, unpretentious dishes like fried-egg cutouts and French toast as fluffy as bed pillows brighten every table--and cost the same as at nearby style-less diners. Emma's back lounge is a hidden oasis, and the wine, cocktails, and privacy are a welcome after-dinner treat for those who want a drink, but not a bar. American Posh. $$-$$$, Breakfast / Brunch, Great Bar.

18 years, 9 months

[wine] Pinot at Emma's tomorrow

by Jim L. Ellingson

We're going back to Emma's for Pinot. Last time, Bob requested "Proven Pinots" and that worked well quality wise, although the suspects were "usual". I'd prefer to see us maintain a diversity of offerings. That said, I won't be bringing anything from Transylvania for a good long while. I've heard from several people, one way or the other. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:27:55 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Pinot at Emma's Emma's Restaurant and Lounge 2817 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls. 612.879.5800 Pinots at Emmas. 2817 Lyndale (was 3 Muses?). Bob Betsy Russ/Sue Joyce Ruth Jim Annette S Lori Bill ? Cheers, Jim Emma's Restaurant and Lounge A low-key neighborhood sweetheart with fine-dining aspirations, Emma's is where you'll find young chef and owner Emily Streeter cooking her likable French-touched classics. For dinner you'll find carefully made bistro classics as well as more ambitious showpieces. Streeter works particularly well with flavors along a single theme: One wintertime special of goose fat-braised duck crusted with fines herbes and served in a smoked tomato duck stock with potatoes, leeks, and fresh baby fava beans was unforgettable. During weekend brunch, unpretentious dishes like fried-egg cutouts and French toast as fluffy as bed pillows brighten every table--and cost the same as at nearby style-less diners. Emma's back lounge is a hidden oasis, and the wine, cocktails, and privacy are a welcome after-dinner treat for those who want a drink, but not a bar. American Posh. $$-$$$, Breakfast / Brunch, Great Bar. ----- End forwarded message ----- A Finicky Grape With a Friendly Side Wednesday, January 24, 2007; F02 I've often wondered whether pinot noir is the wine folks really want when they order a cabernet sauvignon. It's friendlier, fruitier and more food-compatible. Though cabernet sauvignon is a great wine, it needs a lot of time in the cellar to reveal its magnificence, and its cedary, herbal flavors are something of an acquired taste. Until recently, the only reliable source of truly tasty pinot noir was the Cote d'Or region of Burgundy. Red Burgundy is the purest expression of pinot noir's delectable melange of bing cherry, vanilla bean and roast meat character, but it's often expensive, and the Burgundy nomenclature can be difficult to understand. American winemakers were slow to master the finicky pinot noir grape; their attempts tasted more like stringy versions of Beaujolais, zinfandel or syrah. But by the time sales of pinot took off in the wake of the 2004 motion picture "Sideways," winemakers had figured out that the grape must be planted in just the right places and handled extremely gently in the winery, and as a result, quality has soared. Though there's been some grumbling that new American pinot noirs are getting too intense and super-fruity, I've found just the opposite. If anything, the wines have become more fragrant and delicate, which is precisely what pinot noir should be. Here's a list in order of personal preference, based on the rapport between quality and price. Wines are from California except where noted. Resources for finding wines include http://www.winesearcher.com and http://www.wineaccess.com. Call stores to verify availability. Prices are approximate. Ponzi Vineyards Tavola 2005 Pinot Noir "Willamette Valley" ($25; Oregon): Irresistibly drinkable and luscious, from one of Oregon's best wineries. Copious black cherry and pomegranate fruit, with notes of toast and black currant. Lily 2005 Pinot Noir "Sonoma County" ($25): A fine center of deep, dark cherry fruit and teasing touches of vanilla beans and spice on the finish. Meridian 2005 Pinot Noir "Central Coast" ($11): An excellent value, with authentic pinot noir flavors in a quaffable style. Serve lightly chilled. Wild Horse 2005 Pinot Noir "Central Coast" ($20; half-bottle $12): Fragrant and berry-accented. Paraiso 2003 Pinot Noir "Santa Lucia Highlands" ($25): Powerfully concentrated. Martin Ray 2005 Pinot Noir "Santa Barbara County" ($25): Vivid ripe cherry and strawberry flavors energizing an elegant, silky wine. De Loach 2005 Pinot Noir "Russian River Valley" ($24): De Loach is back with admirable pinot noirs, including this exotically ripe one. Lockwood Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir "Block 7" ($19): Effusively fruity with soft tannins; highly quaffable. Gino da Pinot 2005 Pinot Noir "Monterey County" ($17): Excellent value, offering fresh cherry fruit lightly accented by oak. River Road Vineyards and Winery 2005 Pinot Noir "Russian River Valley" ($18): Pretty fruit layered over soft tannins. Beringer 2005 Pinot Noir "Third Century Central Coast" ($14): Rose petal and red fruit aromas; a well-made, food-friendly pinot noir from California's cool Central Coast. Jacuzzi Family Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir "Carneros" ($23): Chewy flavors of black raspberry, currants and chocolate; an ideal accompaniment to a thick porterhouse. Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir "Estate" ($20; Oregon): Vigorous, balanced flavors of roast meat and red fruit. Ramsay 2005 Pinot Noir "North Coast" ($22): Solid pinot flavors over a firm, tannic finish. Chateau St. Jean 2004 Pinot Noir "Sonoma County" ($19): Soft cranberry and pomegranate, accented with herbs and minerals. R. Stuart & Co. Big Fire 2005 Pinot Noir ($19; Oregon): Lots of Oregon's trademark red berry fruit. Rodney Strong 2005 Pinot Noir "Estate Vineyards Russian River Valley" ($22): Lean flavors and a crisp edge of acidity; a great match with salmon. Do you have a question for Ben Giliberti? E-mail him atfood(a)washpost.com. Please include your name and address. -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

18 years, 9 months

[wine] Any Italian at TDVinci

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Just a quick update. Great night for structured food/wine. Many thanks to all who responded yea or nay. I've got 7 confirmed. Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:08:33 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] [jellings(a)me.umn.edu: Italian at DaVinci] ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 14:02:27 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Italian at DaVinci Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 10:21:16 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Any Italy at Trat. de Vinci ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Italian Wines. (2/15) Trattoria da Vinci 400 Sibley St., St. Paul, 55101 651 222-4050 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 Janet Ruth and Warren Annette Jim Dave? Nicolai? Karin? Cheers, Jim ----- 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 *

18 years, 9 months

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

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 14:02:27 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Italian at DaVinci Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 10:21:16 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Any Italy at Trat. de Vinci ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Italian Wines. (2/15) Trattoria da Vinci 400 Sibley St., St. Paul, 55101 651 222-4050 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 Janet Ruth yes Warren ?? Dave? Nicolai? Karin? Annette? Cheers, Jim

18 years, 9 months

[wine] Italian at DaVinci

by Jim L. Ellingson

Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 10:21:16 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Any Italy at Trat. de Vinci ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Italian Wines from Tuscany and anywhere S. of Tuscany. (2/15) 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? Betsy Bob Lori Bill Janet Ruth yes Warren ?? Russ yes Sue ?? Dave? Nicolai? Karin? Annette? Cheers, Jim Unrelated wine but the story hits close to home. Our man in the sun, Tim T, writeabout Rhones going "respectable". Boohoo for Rhone wine funksters Jason, Ted. Not sure Bob will like them any better, but at least they'll be "clean". Rhone's Cornas cleans up its act Tim Teichgraeber, Special to The Chronicle Friday, February 9, 2007 Cornas vineyards produce wines that rival the best of the... Northern Rhone. Chronicle Graphic Editor's note: Look for The Essentials, profiles on noteworthy wine regions across the United States and around the world, every few weeks in Wine. The regions of Cote Rotie and Hermitage in France's northern Rhone Valley produce some of the world's most coveted Syrahs, long-lived, complex wines that are adored around the world. Syrahs from the nearby region of Cornas haven't always enjoyed the same respect. Syrah from Cote-Rotie is famous for its lavish fruit, smoky, bacon-like notes and heady aromatics, often boosted with a small dose of Viognier. Syrah from Hermitage is known for its plush mouthfeel, structure and spice. The slightly warmer, south-facing granite slopes of Cornas give its wines deep, dark fruit flavors and a stony streak of granite minerality and plenty of grainy tannin that can be comparatively brutish. Through the 1990s, wines from Cornas endured faint praise. They've been called coarse, rustic, even "knuckle draggers." Robert M. Parker Jr. described Cornas' tannins as "savage," and after a disappointing tasting of older Cornas wines in 2000, a frustrated Jancis Robinson (a Chronicle contributor) dubbed them "obdurate." I'm pretty sure she didn't mean it as a compliment. "When I started learning a bit about wine, all of the books always described (Cornas wines) as coarse and harsh, but I don't know that I find that to be true," says Steve Ledbetter of Berkeley wine importer Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, which imports wines from Cornas producers Thierry Allemand, Noel Verset and Domaine Clape. Ledbetter says Cornas can be quite silky once it's had a few years to settle down. Another Cornas fan is Stephane Lacroix, sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. Lacroix attended the Tain L'Hermitage Wine School in the northern Rhone and even worked a harvest for Cornas producer Robert Michel. "They don't have quite as much finesse as a Cote Rotie or Hermitage, but it has more of that meaty quality to it. It's a very old wine, and an outstanding wine for this time of year, when the game season comes in and the truffle season comes in," says Lacroix. "They're fairly popular in France, but more in the fall or winter. You don't really think about drinking Cornas in the summer." Lately some sophisticated wines from Cornas have been turning heads, and the region seems to be shedding its brutish reputation. In the last 30 years Cornas received a badly needed infusion of new blood -- an influx of newcomers like Michel and Allemand, along with Jean-Luc Colombo, now a prominent consulting oenologist and advocate for the region. Even at older Cornas estates like Clape a new generation has been coming up; son Pierre-Marie Clape now shares winemaking duties with his father, Auguste. Cornas had been slow to adopt improved growing and winemaking techniques, and to adapt its style to modern tastes, says Colombo. "Wines are getting more and more civilized," he explains, "and as Cornas is a very small appellation, it was left remote, and perhaps late in this evolution." Colombo credits Cornas' surge in quality to better growing techniques, cleaner cellars and barrels, and better temperature control in wineries -- the same things that have improved wines from so many other regions around the world. Cornas fans often distinguish between modern producers, of which Colombo is perhaps the most well known, and traditional producers, such as Clape and Verset. Colombo's wines are a bit more fruit-driven and have softer tannins. Some clearly believe that they are too "international" in style and not typical of the region. One importer tersely remarked that he hardly considered Colombo's wines to be Cornas at all. Colombo, for his part, isn't particularly interested in debating the issue. "The distinction between traditional and contemporary is idiotic. There is no traditional and contemporary Pauillac," he says, drawing a comparison to a Bordeaux appellation. The Clapes are usually cited as representatives of Cornas' old guard. Their wines have plenty of tannin and a reputation for longevity, but few dispute the complexity or class of Clape's Cornas. Winemaker Pierre-Marie Clape seldom destems the Syrah clusters before fermentation, and ages the domain's wines in traditional large oak tanks called foudres. A recent cellar tasting of Clape vintages going back to 1998 showed the wines to have enough dense, dark fruit to balance their tense structure. The Clape wines made before 2002 had mildly barnyardy aromas that some might consider rustic, but the recent vintages are cleaner, more vibrant and expressive. They're made in a traditional way, but have modern appeal. When top sommeliers and Rhone aficionados chatter about Cornas, the other name that invariably comes up is Allemand, a relative newcomer to the region. Allemand had no real experience in winegrowing before taking a cellar job with Robert Michel and buying a small parcel of land in the early 1980s. Since then, Allemand has employed a hodgepodge of modern and traditional growing and winemaking techniques to make wines that have few detractors. His "Reynard" and "Chaillot" single-vineyard bottlings and his Cornas cuvee are among the most expensive from the region -- hot commodities that generally sell for $75 to $100 a bottle. What's interesting about Allemand's wines is that they don't spark much ideological debate, just glowing admiration. Hopefully that's a harbinger of things to come for the region. Why rile yourself up debating which of these Syrahs are modern and which are traditional when they're all so good? There's Cornas to be drunk, and it's more civilized than ever. Remarkable what a shave and a haircut can do. Tasting Notes Wines from Cornas, when you can find them, sell for less than those from Cote Rotie or Hermitage but often rival them in quality. That doesn't mean these bottles come cheap, though. Expect a bottle of Cornas to set you back between $35 and $90. Today's wines from Cornas are still loaded with minerality and tannin, but they're more polished and cleaner than they once were. I tasted 12 bottles from seven producers and four different vintages and these were my favorites. All were remarkably sound, well-made wines with genuine regional flair. I'd be impressed to see that kind of consistency from any region, and it just goes to show that the rising tide of quality in Cornas has raised all ships. 2003 Domaine Clape Renaissance ($50) The venerable Clape family is keeping pace with the young guns of Cornas. This wine has sweet plum, cherry, raspberry aromas laced with pepper, mint, violets and coffee. It's richer tasting than the nose suggests, more so with time. Juicy but nimble, with a peppery, minerally finish. 2004 Jean-Luc Columbo La Louvee ($85) A very dynamic wine with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, gunpowder, licorice and mint, and rich but focused fruit flavors that finish with grainy granite tones, a touch of alcoholic heat and gentle, surprisingly tame tannins. 2004 Jean-Luc Columbo Terres Brulees ($78) Lucid deep scarlet in color with lavish plum, cherry, blackberry, vanilla, bacon, pepper, mint, leather and black licorice aromas and flavors. A massive, mouth-coating wine with spicy red fruit, soft oaky tones and sturdy tannins. 2000 Noel Verset ($50) An elegant, subtle Cornas from a veteran grower with pronounced black pepper, violet, cherry and plum aromas, edgy cherry and plum fruit flavors and hints of licorice and grilled meat on the stony, firm finish. 2003 Paul Jaboulet Aine Les Grandes Terrasses ($42) Full-bodied and mouth-filling with sweet raspberry, coffee and blackberry flavors giving way to taut mineral notes and sturdy tannins, toast and chocolate flavors. A solid value. 2002 Robert Michel La Geynale ($50) An enjoyable but more sinewy wine from a cooler vintage with pretty violet, black pepper and anise aromas, and stony cherry and plum flavors, finishing with meaty notes and tightly wound tannin. 2003 Thierry Allemand ($85) This cuvee from the tricky, hot 2003 vintage is stunning right out of the gate, with intense blackberry, clove, pepper, coriander, licorice, blueberry aromas and concentrated black fruit flavors finishing with more licorice and vanilla oak notes and stony, granite flavors. Truly exceptional. 2004 Vincent Paris Granit 60 Vielles Vignes ($35) Closed at first, then unwinds to reveal pretty rose petal, black pepper, black cherry, cranberry and blackberry aromas, compact dark fruit flavors and tight mineral notes on the finish. Subtly oaked and impeccably balanced, a great value and certain to improve with age -- T.T. Tim Teichgraeber is a San Francisco writer. E-mail him at wine(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/09/WIGPBNVNQH1.DTL This article appeared on page F - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

18 years, 9 months

[wine] [bdl525@yahoo.com: Update from Black Diamond Liquor]

by Jim L. Ellingson

Nice time at Craftsman. Check it out if you missed out. Sunday. Bubbly at Ursula. Champagne is the order of the day, but ringers, dessert, etc. are always welcome. Next week. Anything Italian at Trat Da Vinci in St. Paul Here's an e-mail from Nicolais store. We'll be in da U P. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from Brenda Szoka <bdl525(a)yahoo.com> ----- Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 10:07:55 -0800 (PST) From: Brenda Szoka <bdl525(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Update from Black Diamond Liquor To: Kristine Carlson <goteamcarlson(a)yahoo.com> Dear Wine Lovers, Now that we have survived the holiday season its time to look forward to 2007 with anticipation. The latest news is that the United States is close to surpassing France in wine consumption. With that in mind we are proud to announce our first ever wine sale. From February 12th through the 24th Black Diamond Liquor will have over 100 wines on sale from around the world. Whether its a Pinot Gris from Oregon or Shiraz from Australia, a wonderful variety of wines will be available at greatly reduced prices. In conjunction with this sale Black Diamond Liquor will be holding its first wine tasting benefit to help those in our community. Proceeds from this event will help support essential programs at the Mt. Calvary Family Resource Center. Mt. Calvary Resource Center is a food shelf and education resource center that serves people in need living in the south metro suburbs. It is located at 3910 Rahn Rd. in Eagan. You are cordially invited to our wine tasting event. It will take place on Saturday, February 17th from 4-8 pm at Black Diamond Liquor located at 525 Diffley Rd Suite 2050 in Eagan. Black Diamond will be sampling 30 40 wines from around the world. The tasting is free and open to the public. High quality Riedel wine glasses will be available for purchase for only $ 10.00 per glass. You may use the glass during the tasting and take it home to keep. You do not have to purchase a glass to participate. Small tasting cups will be provided. In addition we will be having a silent auction. Additional donations of cash and non-perishable food items are welcome. All proceeds from this event will go to Mt. Calvary Family Resource Center. Please invite your friends and joins us for this fun event! We would also thank everyone for your support by signing the petition in favor of a coffee shop. Eagan city council has changed the ban on our mall. We are now allowed to have a coffee/deli shop. Plans are underway and Old Lodge Coffee hopes to open this spring! Thanks to all of you. We hope to see all of you again soon! Keep watching your mail, (both e-mail and US), for the Money Mailer, Eagan THIS WEEK Newspaper as well as ads in the Pioneer Press to learn about additional wine tasting events and money saving offers. Have a Great Day! Brenda & Nicolai --------------------------------- We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love (and love to hate): Yahoo! TV's Guilty Pleasures list. ----- 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 *

18 years, 9 months

[wine] [jellings@me.umn.edu: Spanish at Craftsman, 4300 E. Lake TOnight

by Jim L. Ellingson

quick update ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 16:16:52 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Spanish at Craftsman, 4300 E. Lake User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i X-Spam-Score: -1.44 () ALL_TRUSTED X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.56 on 128.101.142.226 ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 10:23:01 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, We had a nice meal at Sapor and some interesting wines. Bob has made the reservation for 8 people, Thursday at 6:30. We will adjust as needed. We had their House Cured ham on Saturday. It was phenomenal. The Craftsman Restaurant 4300 E. Lake St. (NE Corner) Minneapolis 612.722.0175 www.craftsmanrestaurant.com Bob Ruth Warren Bill Betsy Annette Russ (Sue is a maybe at this point) Jim guesses: Lori Dave T. Janet? Anyone else? Cheers, Jim

18 years, 10 months

[wine] Sunday Sparkling Brunch ... Seats still available!

by jhegstrom＠csom.umn.edu

There are a few seats available for this Sunday's brunch at Ursala's in White Bear Lake. 2:00 p.m.; $40 (includes tax/tip); four courses. If you are interested, please let me know by Wednesday evening since I need to call the restaurant thursday afternoon with the final count. Russ Sue Jim Louise Lori Bob Ted Carmen Bubbles

18 years, 10 months

[wine] Spanish at Craftsman, 4300 E. Lake

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 10:23:01 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, We had a nice meal at Sapor and some interesting wines. Bob has made the reservation for 8 people, Thursday at 6:30. We will adjust as needed. We had their House Cured ham on Saturday. It was phenomenal. The Craftsman Restaurant 4300 E. Lake St. (NE Corner) Minneapolis 612.722.0175 www.craftsmanrestaurant.com Dave T. Bob Ruth Betsy Lori Russ Jim Janet? Annette? Anyone else? Cheers, Jim Spanish adventure Southern California wine lovers are crazy for bargain reds and whites from Spain. By Corie BrownTimes Staff Writer May 10, 2006 PULL up a stool at Lou's, a wine bar that opened six weeks ago, sandwiched between a fluff-and-fold laundromat and a pawn shop near the corner of Melrose and Vine, and Lou Amdur can tell you all about Spanish wines. Rich Garnachas from Priorato and bracing Albari�from R� Baixas? His customers ask for these wines by name. Is that surprising? Not any more. The wine intelligentsia who frequent Lou's, bargain hunters at Trader Joe's, diners who want to try something fun by the glass at restaurants such as Sona, Spago, Providence and Jar. all are members of L.A.'s growing fan club for Spanish wines. Labels that few had heard of a year ago now are on wine lists all around town. And not just the better-known Riojas and Ribera del Dueros that have long had cachet; wines from emerging regions are developing avid fans too. A year ago, the customers at Mission Wines in South Pasadena discovered the Spanish wine section, says owner Chris Meeske. Now, "I can't keep the wines in stock. They are selling like crazy." The wines fill a need left vacant by California winemakers, he says. "People need interesting wines they can drink every day. And there are no wines like that from California." The values are extraordinary, says Rajat Parr, wine director for Michael Mina's restaurant group. At Mina's new Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach, the Tres Picos Garnacha offered for $12 a glass costs just $10 a bottle at local wine stores. How to justify that kind of markup? "People don't mind paying that for a glass of wine this good," he says. Orange County diners, Parr points out, are devoted to California wine. So he knew he was taking a risk when he cut back on local favorites to stock 50 Spanish wines. But, he says, "Spain has dialed it in. These wines are just right for the American palate. Lots of intense fruit." The Albari� Garnachas and Tempranillos will have to be hand-sold at first, Parr says. Then he predicts he'll have trouble keeping them in stock. Already, Spain has eclipsed Australian and Chilean wines on restaurant wine lists as the inexpensive alternative to California wines, say sommeliers. "They taste totally different than California wines, but they have that same intensity and structure," says Parr. And they cost half as much for the same quality. "No place in the world makes better value wines today than Spain," he says. A vine revival A revolution has swept Spain's wine industry. It started in the 1980s when a few independent winemakers started making ambitious wines. American wine lovers discovered them, and soon their popularity grew. Now vintners in every corner of Spain are dusting off old vineyards, overhauling wineries and cleaning up their acts in a bid to appeal to American wine drinkers. Suddenly, a seemingly limitless assortment of $10 and under bottles are for sale everywhere. Spanish wine sales in the United States rose 14.6% between 2004 and 2005, rising from 3.8 million cases worth $183 million to 4.3 million cases worth $209 million. Spanish wine sales in the U.S. started climbing in 1999 after a decade in which sales stagnated at around $75 million a year. It's all happening so fast that, unlike with every other wine region in the world, there are few experts focused on Spain. Only one wine writer, John Radford from Britain, has published a guide to Spanish wine that even attempts to be current and all-encompassing. "It will take another decade or two before Spain sorts through this revolution," says Doug Frost, an American Master of Wine who wrote the brief "The Far from Ordinary Spanish Wine Buying Guide," recently published by Wines From Spain, the Spanish wine industry's marketing arm. Until then, Spain will be a game where smart consumers keep up with the emerging regions and avoid getting snookered by the rising prices for wine from the more established regions. La Mancha and Calatayud were bulk wine regions that are now producing attractive, friendly red wines from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes, respectively. Campo de Borja, a southern bit of the Navarra region below Rioja, is making intense and fruity Garnachas. In the R� Baixas zone in Galicia, the northwest corner of the country, crisp, fresh Albari�s king. And in Rueda, fruity, structured white wines made from Verdejo grapes rule. Spain was ripe for this revolution. With more vines than any other country in the world . 3 million acres compared with France's 2.3 million acres and the U.S.' 1 million acres . the country has a plentiful supply of grapes. But since the Spanish Civil War, vintners had farmed the fruit with little care, using it almost exclusively for nondescript jug wines. If it was growing on a difficult to harvest hillside, they often let the grapes rot on the vines. The abundance of vines dates back to Gen. Francisco Franco's failed agricultural policies in the 1950s. Spain's infamous military dictator, who ruled from 1939 until his death in 1975, subsidized the planting of "permanent" crops such as olive trees and grape vines that could be managed by state-sponsored cooperatives. Without a sense of ownership in what they produced, the cooperatives operated like state-run wine factories. Neglected dry-farmed vineyards struggled to survive. In regions such as Priorato and Bierzo, there were vineyards located in "gravity defying areas that were simply too [difficult] to rip out and replant," says Eric Solomon, one of a few American importers who discovered Spanish wine early. It was Jorge Ordo� a Spanish expatriate living in Boston, who first tapped the potential of those old Spanish vineyards. Growing up in the town of M�ga in southern Spain, Ordo�learned the wine business from his father, a gourmet food and wine distributor. After marrying his college sweetheart and moving to the States, the junior Ordo�set up a Spanish wine import company and started teaching Spanish vintners how to make wine the California way. 'Quality control' "SPAIN was very poor," says Ordo� "It took us forever to recover from the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s." The prize vineyards were there . high altitude, dry farmed, old-vine vineyards. "The problem was quality control," he says. "There was no sophistication with wine." As economic reforms led to an increase in privatization, independent vintners began to reject the collective approach to making wine. Ordo�pushed these small vintners to modernize their wineries with stainless steel fermenters and to move toward more hygienic operations. "I'm adamant about quality control," he says. "No bacteria." If a winery complied with his recommendations and he could count on the wine being stable, he'd import it to America. "I hate funky wines because they are short-lived," says Ordo� "I hate oxidized wines that have been improperly stored. They're cooked. I try to control as much of the process at the wineries as I can." It wasn't until 1990 that Ordo�had wines that sold well in the U.S.: the Garnachas and Tempranillos from Bodegas Borsao in Campo de Borja. As his portfolio of wineries grew, Ordo�took over marketing, packaging the wines with names such as "Wrongo Dongo" and "Mano a Mano." The first year, he sold 1,200 cases of Spanish wine. After eight years, he had enough business to hire his first employee. Now he sells more than half a million cases a year of Spanish wine in the United States. Ordo�was the icebreaker, says Solomon, who, along with Beaune Imports and Classical Wines of Spain, followed him. "Spain considered itself a third-world country. There was a malaise, a sense of 'we're not worthy of sharing the stage with the rest of the fine wine world,' " Solomon says. Solomon was an importer singularly focused on French wine 12 years ago when he tasted the Spanish wine that would change his life. It was Daphne Glorian's Clos Erasmus from Priorato. He liked it so much he married the winemaker and started searching for other wines as delicious as his wife's. In the last six years, the volume of Spanish wine Solomon imports into the U.S. has grown fifteenfold, he says. "The economy in Spain now is booming," says Solomon. "It's no longer the place to go when you have no money. For growers to make a living, to do the quality work that still needs to be done, the prices have to go up." The success of the inexpensive Spanish wines flowing out of the country isn't lost on longer-established Spanish wine entrepreneurs. Price inflation is sweeping through celebrated regions such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero, where prices can exceed $100 for the most sought-after bottles, as well as through newcomer Priorato. The promises of instant riches is inspiring overzealous young vintners to chase critical accolades with heavily extracted wines that taste like California wannabes. "Some Spanish vintners are too eager to cash in on their newfound popularity," says Parr, "jacking up prices to astronomical levels." Balancing that inflation is the wine from up-and-coming regions such as La Mancha and Navarra. Still trying to get their foot in the door with American consumers, they have to keep prices below $10 a bottle. An ocean of inexpensive Spanish wine has yet to reach America, says Fran Kysela, an importer who last year in the U.S. sold 50,000 cases of $6 wines from Calatayud. "The market is quick to respond to these wines." Steady transformation OF course, not all of Spain's inexpensive wines are worth drinking: The less-than-appealing ones can be funky, jammy or oxidized. "It's been a quiet revolution," says Solomon. "But the sleeping giant is waking up. The floodgates are now open. It's not just us little guys ferreting out small producers making better wines," he says. There now are a host of undemanding importers betting that these days anything with a Spanish label will sell. And more significantly, the behemoth wine companies . Constellation Brands and E. & J. Gallo Winery . have arrived in Spain, says Solomon. They are competing to be the first to create the Spanish equivalent of Australia's Yellow Tail: a simple, bulk wine with easy to drink fruity flavors. And there's a drawback to that thinking. "A certain homogeneity" has emerged in the rush to make wine that appeals to the expanding American wine market, Parr says. Bringing Spanish wineries up to acceptable health standards with modern technology and oak barrel fermentation got rid of the oxidized and funky smells and flavors associated with rustic wines. It also left the wines tasting a lot less, well, Spanish. Most people don't know the wines, most have never heard of these regions, but they can taste the quality, says Jar's wine director Bob Silverstein. He recently started dedicating 10% of the restaurant's wine list to Spanish wines. "I had to make room for them," he says. "The quality was there." A primer on grapes and places Emerging regions Bierzo. Fruit from the signature Menc�vines from this region in northwest Tierra de Castilla go into reds that are terrific food wines, with more finesse than power. Campo de Borja. An emerging area south of Rioja, where the old-vine Garnacha vineyards climb the slopes of Sierra del Moncayo. Cari�. South of Campo de Borja, Cari� is the birthplace of a namesake grape variety, though Garnacha is the dominant grape. Calatayud. East of Cari�, Calatayud's high-altitude, old-vine Garnacha is just starting to show up in wines for export. Empord�osta Brava. This coastal zone of Catalunya has newly planted Tempranillo, Cabernet and Chardonnay vineyards. The signature wine is a rosado (ros�made from Garnacha and Cari� grapes. Jumilla. A hot, high-altitude region southwest of Valencia known for bulk wine, Jumilla now is making modern wine with its old-vine Monastrell grapes. La Mancha. South of Madrid, the flat, inland region is hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, and dry all the time. White Air� and Tempranillos predominate. Navarra. Near the French border, west of Catalunya, the region is known for Garnacha, much of which is made into rosados. Tempranillo production is rising. Priorato. An area of Catalunya known for a wide elevation span (328 to 2,297 feet) and slate and quartzite soils; artisanal winemakers have planted Cabernet Sauvignon, but Garnacha and Cari� still predominate. R� Baixas. This low-land, coastal region in Galicia, bordering Portugal, is known for its fresh, light Albari� Rueda. A Castilian region known for its white wines . Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and blends of the two . as well as Tempranillo. Tierra de Castilla. The historic heartland of Castilian Spain includes the wine zones Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro and Bierzo. Toro. Located within Tierra de Castilla, the region is known for its intense Tempranillos. Garnachas and Cabernets also are grown in the high-elevation vineyards. Valencia. The region surrounding the Mediterranean town of Valencia encompasses the Alicante, Valencia and Utiel-Requena zones, which grow a wide variety of grapes. Grape varieties Albari�A white wine grape native to Galicia known for producing wines with fresh peachy flavors, but it can also produce wines with the potential to gain complexity with age. Garnacha. A grape widely grown throughout Spain's northern regions, it adds spicy, cherry flavors to traditional Rioja red wines. Known in France as Grenache. Macabeo. Also known as Viura, this white wine grape used in Spain's sparkling cavas is the main white wine of Rioja and Navarra. Menc� A red wine grape that grows on hillside slopes and terraces in Bierzo, it's often blended with Garnacha to make an early-drinking wine. Tempranillo. The predominant red wine grape throughout Spain, it makes long-lasting, fragrant, fruity wines. It's the backbone of traditional Riojas. Verdejo. A white grape considered one of Spain's best; it makes aromatic wines with character. . Corie Brown Sources: "The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Spanish Wine" by John Radford, 2004; "The Wines of Spain" by Julian Jeffs, 1999 THE Times tasting panel met recently for a blind tasting of Spanish wines widely available at Los Angeles area retailers for $13 and less. Joining me on the panel were Food editor Leslie Brenner, Food columnist Russ Parsons and Randy Kemner, owner of the Wine Country in Signal Hill. The good news is there were plenty of simple but pleasing wines in this value category, as well as some surprisingly delightful wines that cost as little as $4. Our favorite white wine among the Albari� Verdejos and regional blends was the 2003 Protocolo, which retails for about $6. The best of the reds, which included Garnachas, Tempranillos and blends, was the 2003 Las Rocas de San Alejandro, an old-vines Garnacha that sells for about $10. Wines are listed in order of the panel's preference. . Corie Brown Whites 2003 Protocolo. A blend from Dominio de Eguren in Tierra de Castilla, imported by Jorge Ordo� A well-balanced, earthy wine with intriguing aromas of lemon and olive oil, a bit of complexity and a melony finish. At Liquid Wine & Spirits in Chatsworth, (818) 709-5019, and Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, about $6. 2004 Con Class. A white wine blend from Rueda, imported by Eric Solomon's European Cellars. Sauvignon Blanc-like, with bracing acid, peach nectar and herbal flavors and aromas of fresh hay. Simple and pleasant. At Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits in West Hollywood, (323) 655-5557, and Wine Country in Signal Hill, (562) 597-8303, about $9. 2004 Rocaberdi. A blend (80% Macabeo, 20% Xarel-lo) from Catalonia, via Beaune Imports. A touch of oak dampens the tart grapefruit and peach aromas in this fun and likable blend. Nicely structured with crisp, bracing acids. At Wine Country, about $8. 2004 Naia. Imported by Jorge Ordo� this bracing Verdejo from Rueda offers citrus aromas and flavors of freshly cut grass and sweet lime. At Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits and Mission Wines, about $11. 2004 Floresta. A blend (55% Macabeo, 45% Chardonnay) from Empord�osta Brava, imported by Beaune Imports. Peach and apricot aromas, with pleasant creamy apricot and tangerine flavors. At Liquid Wine and Spirits and the Wine Country, about $10. 2004 Burg� Albari�From R� Baixas, imported by Eric Solomon. Floral aromas, with a touch of turpentine, this wine has an off-putting vanilla- extract taste and an unpleasant finish. At Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits and Wine Country, about $10. 2004 Vionta Albari�With off-putting milk-chocolate aromas, this wine was badly oxidized. At Wine Hotel in L.A., (323) 937-9463, about $13. Reds 2003 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Vi�Viejas Garnacha. From old vines in Calatayud, imported by Eric Solomon. This wine, with its eucalyptus and herbal aromas and notes of tobacco and leather, has some character and complexity. At Mission Wines, about $10. 2004 Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha. From Campo de Borja, imported by Jorge Ordo� Sweet, smoky nose with flavors of black cherry and spices, this wine would pair well with charcuterie. At the Duke of Bourbon in Canoga Park, (818) 341-1234; Liquid Wine & Spirits; and Wine House in West L.A., (310) 479-3731, about $12. 2004 Mano a Mano. From La Mancha, imported by Jorge Ordo� This juicy Tempranillo has ripe berry and cassis aromas, black cherry flavors and a pleasant finish with some length. At Joan's on Third in Los Angeles, (323) 655-2285, and Mission Wines, about $9. 2004 Abrazo del Toro. A blend (80% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo) from Cari�. A young, drinkable wine with charming cherry aromas. At Trader Joe's stores, about $4. 2004 Wrongo Dongo. A blend from Jumilla, imported by Jorge Ordo� This one-note green peppery wine has off-aromas. At Mission Wines and Duke of Bourbon, about $7. 2004 La Nunciatura Tempranillo. From La Tierra de Castilla. Odd chocolate and grape aromas mar the simple, undistinguished flavors that follow. At Trader Joe's, about $4. 2004 Coto de Hayas Garnacha Centenaria. From Campo de Borja. Sweet grapey aromas with an off-putting chemical note, a heavy dose of oak on the palate. Available at Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits and Wine House, about $11. 2004 Tikalo Albaliza. A pleasant yet undistinguished blend (65% Tempranillo, 35% Garnacha) from Tierra de Castilla, imported by Eric Solomon. Purple grape aromas with a funky leather flavor. At Wine House and Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits, about $6. 2001 Estola Reserva. The panel disagreed on this blend from Bodegas Ayuso in La Mancha , with curious licorice and menthol aromas. One panelist found it to be like an acceptable fruity jug wine; another called it "watery and bad at the same time." At Trader Joe's, about $5. 2003 Verole�A blend (70% Garnacha, 30% Merlot) from Navarra. The bottle we opened was so badly oxidized it was undrinkable. At Trader Joe's, about $5.

18 years, 10 months

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

win February 2007