win April 2007

win@thebarn.com

5 participants
13 discussions

[wine] Ingredients Wine Dinner - thur - May 10th]

by Jim L. Ellingson

Just wanted to get this out, onto your calendars. Limit is 12. There has been some pre-selling in order to set the date. Joyce Russ/Sue Lori Alicia Jim/Louise ----- Forwarded message from jhegstrom(a)csom.umn.edu ----- Subject: Ingredients Wine Dinner - thur - May 10th To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu, jellings(a)me.umn.edu From: jhegstrom(a)csom.umn.edu Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 09:05:07 -0500 Jim I've set up a dinner for the Thursday night wine group up at Ingredients, which is right across the street from Ursula's in White Bear Lake. Cost is $55 which includes meal, tax and tip. Wine of the night is pinot noir. I need to let Ingredients know about numbers Tuesday the 8th. I was thinking about sending the announcement out around May 1st....or would you like to do it? If you want you could put a short sentence in your next group e-mail which mentions Ingredients dinner on May 10th. I'll also call Bob and let him know. JJ Tempura shrimp, Mango and spicy chorizo goat cheese and mush tart, arugala 25 year old balsamic roasted duck breast figs and braised cabbage baby rack of lamb, rattitulli with rosemary jus Flourless choc cake, Bananas and carmel ----- 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, 7 months

[wine] Calera dinner at Interlachen 4-26-07

by russellmccandless＠frontiernet.net

Dear friends, Annette has told me that if anyone (besides me) wants to go to this dinner, she needs to know so that she can contact Interlachen to adjust the number of reservations. In other words, please don't just show up without telling anyone in advance. If you're interested in going, please feel free to call me (office 952-939-0321, cell 763-458-9609) and I'll call Annette, or you can call Annette directly. Thanks! Russ

18 years, 7 months

[wine] Last Chance Fr. Imrs Schl Raffel

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Contact Steph TODAY if you would like to support Zoltan's French Immersion School. Looks like the group is taking a week off, other than the Callera event at Interlachen. I'm including some info on two of our favorite things, mushrooms and the wines that go with them, from the Post. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:55:29 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Cc: lohs0009(a)umn.edu Subject: [wine] Instant Cellar fund raiser Greetings, Here's a chance to have an instant wine cellar while supporting a great cause. The French Imersion School is raising money for native language tutors. Tickets are $10. Let Steph know no later than Wednesday night. She's at 651-645-2659 ----- Forwarded message from lohs0009(a)umn.edu ----- From: lohs0009(a)umn.edu To: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> Subject: I hear you like wine? Date: 21 Apr 2007 19:04:15 -0500 Hey Jim, Wolfgang mentioned the Wall of Wine raffle to you and you might be interested. In case you didn't get the details, each ticket costs $10 and has three chances to win: 1st prize = 75 bottles of wine 2nd prize = 50 bottles of wine 3rd prize = 25 bottles of wine Most of the wine is from a selection put together by Solo Vino and paid for by parents from Zoli's school (French immersion). The fundraiser is to raise money to pay for the French interns that work in the classrooms. Families host them, but the recruitment and their salaries cost money that isn't covered by the St Paul public schools. If you're interested, just let me know! I have to send the money and unused tickets back on Thursday (26th) but if you want one (or more), I can cover the cost until the next time we see you. Cheers, Steph p.s. Feel free to spread the word if you know anyone who is interested. Obviously, we think it's a good cause even we don't win! Great! I'll put a ticket aside for you. Thanks for passing the message along, and you can certainly include my phone number 651-645-2659. I noticed, though, that I have the date wrong: I have to return unused tickets by THURSDAY APRIL 26, and since this will be done via Zoli's school backpack, I need people to contact me by Wednesday night. ----- 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 * ----- End forwarded message ----- Making the Match With Mushrooms By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Wednesday, April 25, 2007; F05 In the old days, pairing wine and food was made easier by rules such as "white wine with fish" and "red wine with meat." But every rule has its exception. After chefs started serving fish in red wine sauces, wrapping them in prosciutto or dusting them with powdered porcini -- all of which call for an accompanying red wine -- things got a bit more complicated. However, red meat has stood firm: It almost always calls for red wine. We've come to think of mushrooms as the red meat of the vegetable kingdom (even though we know they're technically fungi) because -- almost invariably -- the sometimes-earthy, sometimes-meaty flavor of mushrooms says "red wine" to us. In fact, it's hard for us to think of mushrooms without immediately having pinot noir come to mind. The two are a match made in heaven. This time of year, as the markets fill with spring vegetables and seafood calling for lighter-bodied whites, mushrooms offer red-wine lovers the chance to pull a favorite out of their wine rack -- pinot noir or otherwise -- for an exceptional pairing. Of course, mushrooms don't have a singular flavor profile, as they range from the mildest of button mushrooms to porcini that pack a punch. Each suggests a different wine pairing, from lighter-bodied and more delicate for the former to fuller-bodied and more powerful for the latter. Patrick O'Connell, chef-proprietor of the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va., works magic with mushrooms, turning portobellos into a vegetarian-fantasy equivalent of filet mignon. The greatest dinner of our lives took place two years ago in his dining room in Washington, Va., where -- through equally magical wine pairings -- we learned that O'Connell's then-sommelier Scott Calvert had a way with mushrooms, too. Calvert, now a fine-wine consultant to restaurants and private collectors ( http://www.tastevinwines.com) was happy to share some of his mushroom pairing secrets with us. "Earthy mushrooms pair best with earthy wines," Calvert advises, in explaining why he pairs black trumpets, chanterelles and shiitakes with earthy reds such as Burgundy, nebbiolo and pinot noir. We've found earthy mushrooms a great match with one of the best-value earthy reds around: Kenwood Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Likewise, meaty mushrooms -- such as cremini, morels, porcini and portobellos -- pair best with meaty wines, among which Calvert counts pinot noir (which "can go either way" as earthy or meaty), sangiovese and syrah/shiraz. We recently sampled a meaty Kenwood Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon that shined with a portobello-topped steak. If you want bubbles with your mushrooms, turn to blanc de noirs champagne, a white wine made from a red grape, pinot noir. Mumm Napa Blanc de Noirs is a sparkler offering impressive flavor for the price, about $18. As you can imagine, the mushrooms themselves are only the starting point: What you do to and with them matters, too. With more ambitious dishes, such as O'Connell's signature Portobello Mushrooms Pretending to Be a Filet Mignon, other dominant elements of the dish come into play. Calvert recalls, "I found it was best with a sangiovese that was brightly acidic to match the tomato, with a bit of a gamey scent to play with the meatiness of the portobello, plus nice, sweet fruit to bring out the sweetness of the caramelized shallot. "As a pairing, I found that Fossi Chianti Classico -- which had perfect acidity and sweet fruit plus an amazing, almost roasted-meat quality on the nose -- truly transported this dish to filet mignon status." With simpler fare, such as a mushroom pizza, we tend to think regionally -- the first rule of food and wine pairing. While such food goes well with wines as varied as red Burgundy and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, we like to opt for an Italian red, such as a sangiovese. We're happy to accompany our pizza any day of the week with a simple, fruity wine such as Da Vinci Chianti, or even a Chianti Classico from a top producer such as Antinori, Dievole, Felsina or Ruffino. Now for those exceptions: We'll admit that we once loved a steak tartare served to us with a golden glass of off-dry Riesling, deliciously breaking the old "red wine with meat" rule. And even Calvert likes a pinot gris (which he says can have "a smoky, bacon quality") with meatier mushrooms. When we encounter milder mushrooms in butter or cream sauces, a full-bodied white can be the way to go. For special occasions, a 100 percent chardonnay-based champagne or sparkling wine such as a 2003 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs works beautifully. But keep an eye out for the new release of the delicious, gently oaked -- and gently priced -- 2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay, an exceptional value that can cut beautifully through mushroom cream sauces bathing any chicken, pork or pasta dish. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, award-winning authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat" and several other books, can be reached through their Web site,http://www.becomingachef.com, or atfood(a)washpost.com. -- ------------------------------ * * 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, 7 months

[wine] Instant Cellar fund raiser

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Here's a chance to have an instant wine cellar while supporting a great cause. The French Imersion School is raising money for native language tutors. Tickets are $10. Let Steph know no later than Wednesday night. She's at 651-645-2659 ----- Forwarded message from lohs0009(a)umn.edu ----- From: lohs0009(a)umn.edu To: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> Subject: I hear you like wine? Date: 21 Apr 2007 19:04:15 -0500 Hey Jim, Wolfgang mentioned the Wall of Wine raffle to you and you might be interested. In case you didn't get the details, each ticket costs $10 and has three chances to win: 1st prize = 75 bottles of wine 2nd prize = 50 bottles of wine 3rd prize = 25 bottles of wine Most of the wine is from a selection put together by Solo Vino and paid for by parents from Zoli's school (French immersion). The fundraiser is to raise money to pay for the French interns that work in the classrooms. Families host them, but the recruitment and their salaries cost money that isn't covered by the St Paul public schools. If you're interested, just let me know! I have to send the money and unused tickets back on Thursday (26th) but if you want one (or more), I can cover the cost until the next time we see you. Cheers, Steph p.s. Feel free to spread the word if you know anyone who is interested. Obviously, we think it's a good cause even we don't win! Great! I'll put a ticket aside for you. Thanks for passing the message along, and you can certainly include my phone number 651-645-2659. I noticed, though, that I have the date wrong: I have to return unused tickets by THURSDAY APRIL 26, and since this will be done via Zoli's school backpack, I need people to contact me by Wednesday night. ----- 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, 7 months

[wine] thursday 4/26

by Annette Stadelman

Hi, Here's an idea for next Thursday. Tom at Interlachen CC is having a Calera wine dinner and is opening it up to the public since there are some seats to fill. Marta Rich from Calera will be the speaker. Cost is $75 and Tom will waive tax and tip. Here's the menu: Amuse Bouche - Mt Harlan Viognier '05 Scallop and crabmeat St. Jacques - Mt Harlan Chard '04 ARugula and Frisse w/ walnut oil. Pear Granita Angus Tenderloin w/ port reduction Cocoa dusted foie gras Spring Champignons White cheddar potato pave Selleck Pinot '02 Mills Pinot '02 Mills Pinot '95 Artisan cheeses - LH Viognier '05 Unfortunately, I'll be out of town next Thurs. but if you want to discuss tonight and let me know by Monday I can put in the reservation. I've been to wine dinners there before and the food has been excellent. Could someone print to share tonight? Thought it sounded like a good deal. Annette Stadelman Phillips Wine and Spirits 651-637-3351

18 years, 7 months

[wine] Barbera, Arezzo, TONIGHT

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- 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 Barbera from anywhere > on 6/12/06 5:46 PM, Jim L. Ellingson at jellings(a)me.umn.edu wrote: > > > Greetings, > > > > We're doing "Barbera" from anywhere at Arezzo. Bob has made the reservation for 8. Can adjust up or down as needed. I'll be off line tomorrow, at a conference. > > > > 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 Warren Ruth Dave T Jim Russ Eric F Lori Annette S. can't make it this week or next. > > > > 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, 7 months

[wine] Barbera at Arezzo

by Jim L. Ellingson

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 Barbera > on 6/12/06 5:46 PM, Jim L. Ellingson at jellings(a)me.umn.edu wrote: > > > Greetings, > > > > We're doing "Barbera" from anywhere at Arezzo. Bob has made the reservation for 8. Can adjust up or down as needed. I'll be off line tomorrow, at a conference. > > > > 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 guesses Bob Betsy Ruth Dave T Jim Russ Annette S. Bill > > > > Arezzo Ristorante > > 612 285-7444 > > 5057 France Ave S, Minneapolis, 55410 > > www.arezzo-ristorante.com -- ------------------------------ * * 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, 7 months

[wine] TN Wine Street Spirits tasting at Kozlaks 4-12-07

by Russell McCandless

Excellent tasting! Notes attached.

18 years, 7 months

[wine] Fw: Nat Decants Newsletter: Wine Cellars

by jhegstrom＠csom.umn.edu

For those of you who get the Minneapolis Star Tribune there is a great article on the front of the taste section about Natalie and her new book "red, White, and Drunk All Over." One of my best reads....it's entertaining and informative. also check our her website to sign up for her bi-weekly newsletter www.nataliemaclean.com Joyce ----- Forwarded by Joyce Hegstrom/FS/CarlsonSchool on 04/12/2007 08:49 AM ----- Natalie MacLean <natalie@nataliem aclean.com> To jhegstrom(a)csom.umn.edu 04/10/2007 05:22 cc AM Subject Nat Decants Newsletter: Wine Please respond to Cellars "Natalie MacLean" <Natalie_MacLean_ ztszsg(a)cmpgnr.com > (Embedded image moved to file: pic24575.jpg) (Embedded image moved to file: pic23251.jpg) (Embedded image moved to file: pic27467.jpg) (Embedded image moved to file: pic19094.jpg) (Embedded (Embedded image April 10, 2007 image moved moved to file: to file: pic51881.gif) Dear Joyce, pic60152.gif) Organic wines are among the fastest growing (Embedded image segments in the liquor store, but they're also moved to file: widely misunderstood, from how they're made to pic31691.jpg) their health benefits. I hope this piece helps (Embedded image to shed some light on these questions. moved to file: pic08181.jpg) In future issues of the newsletter, look for (Embedded image features on hot drinks, the impact of global moved to file: warming on wine, and the battle between beer and pic10618.jpg) wine (which is better?). The next newsletter (Embedded image will go out April 27. You can find more articles moved to file: and wine picks www.nataliemaclean.com. pic19977.jpg) (Embedded image Regarding the changes I've made to the wine moved to file: picks recently: You can still look at the pic51887.jpg) complete list of all the wines I choose each (Embedded image week without having to use the new search moved to file: engine. As usual, I include just four of the pic03011.jpg) wines in the newsletter itself so that it (Embedded image doesn't get too long. The rest of the moved to file: newly-recommended wines for the week, usually pic60816.jpg) 15-25 bottles, are posted in my Wine Picks (Embedded image section. moved to file: pic08158.jpg) Just click through to the Wine Picks section on (Embedded image my site, and then click on the latest date: moved to file: voilá, they're all there posted on that page and pic64219.jpg) you can print them out as a shopping list. The (Embedded image only change I made was to make the search engine moved to file: more sophisticated for when you do want to pic10705.jpg) search for wines I've recommended previously. (Embedded image moved to file: I've added a new feature to the web site and pic27123.jpg) newsletter this week: delicious recipes! For (Embedded image details on these, see below just under this moved to file: note. pic58660.jpg) (Embedded image Please forward this issue to other wine lovers moved to file: whom you think would enjoy it. You can also pic19260.jpg) suggest friends and I'll send them an intro note (Embedded image on your behalf. moved to file: pic12843.jpg) You can change your e-mail address quickly and (Embedded image easily online here or add a second address for moved to file: yourself if you'd like to receive the newsletter pic21328.jpg) both at home and at work. (Embedded image moved to file: I now get tens of thousands of visitors to my pic54677.jpg) web site weekly. Just let me know if you'd like (Embedded image to exchange food- and wine-related web site moved to file: links. pic54643.jpg) Have a great weekend! (Embedded image moved to file: Cheers, pic23438.jpg) (Embedded image (Embedded image moved to file: pic53688.gif) moved to file: pic24259.jpg) Book American Edition Wine & Recipe of the Week "Ms. MacLean is the disarming Here's a new feature for the newsletter and web Everywoman ... site that I hope you'll love: recipe and wine of She loves wine, the week! In each newsletter, I'll highlight a loves drinking delicious, wine-loving recipe from a ... a winning professional cook, and then I'll suggest a wine formula." or two to complement the dish from my recent - The New York wine picks. Times To kick things off, I'd like to highlight two "We may have a recipes, the first one from Tracey Black, chef new genre here: and co-owner of Epicuria, a retail fine food The wine book as store and full service caterer in Ottawa. bodice-ripper. Throughout, she Tracey has suggested a wonderful spring dish: remains Herb Grilled Chicken With Orange Balsamic Sauce. engaging, I'd pair it with a zesty New Zealand sauvignon colorful and blanc that has citrus notes, such as Kim informative." Crawford, Villa Maria or Governors Bay. For - Miami Herald reds, I'd try a Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina (from the March 31 "Neither an wine picks). excoriating polemic nor a The second recipe, Pork Chops Stuffed With Red shameless Onion Confit, Dates And Dried Cranberries, comes exaltation of from Larry Irons, the San Diego-based author of the famous and the Bizarre Chef Recipe Collection Cookbook on the fatuous, CD-ROM (which you buy by calling 800-584-0756) MacLean's book and the Bizarre Chef Newsletter. I'd pair this refreshes with dish with Studert-Prüm Riesling, Germany or its evenhanded Punters Corner Triple Crown Cabernet, Merlot, treatment of the Australia. outsized personalities You can search for more recipes now on the site. populating this If you'd like to submit recipes to be posted on industry." the site and featured in this newsletter with - Newsweek credits to you and your company, please e-mail me at natdecants(a)nataliemaclean.com. "Red, White, and Drunk All Over As I am a hopeless cook, or rather, I don't will please the cook, I don't have the skills or knowledge to palates of wine test recipes. So at this point, I ask that lovers recipes be submitted by those who cook everywhere." professionally in restaurants, catering - Los Angeles operations, personal chefs, cookbook/food Times writers, and so on. Please share your most mouth-watering creations with the 70,738 wine (Embedded image lovers who subscribe to Nat Decants! moved to file: pic20576.jpg) Book Wine Words of the Week Canadian Edition The first word of the week is grand vin. This is the French word for "grand or great wine," and "MacLean has refers to the best quality wine made by a very cleverly chateau. Many wineries make second and third wrapped a wine labels that aren't considered as good as their primer in such grand vin. Although it sounds impressive, it appealing actually has no legal or official designation. anecdote that However, giving a bottle of wine with this on any reader, male the label to friends may increase its value (and or female, yours) in their eyes. should find learning about The second word is botrytis cineria. Also known wine completely as "noble rot," and shouldn't be confused with painless." - winemakers who cash out their interest in making Jancis Robinson, quality wine for higher profits. This is a good mold that attacks grapes causing them to shrivel Financial Times up. As a result, the grape juice has a higher of London sugar content and the flavor of the dessert wine made from this juice is more concentrated, "Revel. Imbibe. complex and delicious. The most famous examples Hector. Seduce. of these wines come from Sauternes in Bordeaux There is little and the king of them all is Château d'Yquem. that has been as cosmopolitan or You can find more definitions in my wine as pleasantly glossary. complete." - Globe & Mail, Top Books of the Year Wine Question of the Week "Natalie writes The question of the week is how long do wines about wine with age? Related to this are when should I drink a sensuous this wine and are vintage charts useful? obsession... often The right time to drink wine depends on the laugh-out-loud region, the climate that year and the wine's funny… longevity. I suggest you consult a vintage chart terrific." - Rex online: Berry Brothers & Rudd. Pickett, author of Sideways You can also pick up one of two excellent pocket guides to wine vintages from either Hugh Johnson "Red, White and or Oz Clark. They will tell you whether it was a Drunk All Over good year for almost every good bottle on the is like A Year market and whether the wine needs more age or in Provence may be over the hill. Keep in mind that 99% of meets Kitchen wines are made to be consumed within a year or Confidential two of buying them. I hope this helps! then goes Sideways." - Although I can't answer all of the e-mails I Capital Style receive (several hundred a day), I try to answer as many as I can in the frequently asked wine questions section of my site. Note: The American and In my new book, Red, White, and Drunk All Over, Canadian I also tackle many of the aspects of wine from editions are the grape to glass: how wine is made, marketed, same except for matched with food, consumed and cellared. I do the cover art. this through storytelling, taking my readers Different behind the scenes of the international wine publishers chose world, visiting its most evocative places and different sharing adventures with its most colorful and approaches hilarious personalities. If you'd like to find visually. out more, you can read media and reader reviews of the book. (Embedded image Story of the Week: Wine Naturally moved to file: pic16030.jpg) Note: If you're more audibly-oriented, you can also listen to this week's podcast of this story. Back in the '70s, the concept of "organic wine" conjured up images of pony-tailed vintners in tie-dyed T-shirts, producing wines more for ideology than taste. Thankfully, those days are just a watery memory now. Today, organic wines are no longer just for health nuts and tree huggers. Wine lovers drink them for their quality. They've gone mainstream and represent one of the fastest-growing categories at the liquor store. Getting into the mainstream required settling some key issues, and that story reveals as much about contemporary life as it does about organic wines. Until the 1950s, most grapes grown for wine (like most crops of all kinds then) were "organic": that is, they were grown without using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. This often meant that crops were at the mercy of diseases and pests and farmers had no choice but to wait until nature recalibrated itself after the blight died out with its food source, the crop. Then along came the so-called "green revolution" and the chemicals perceived as the modern and progressive way to farm. They seemed to offer problem-free fields without destroying the crops. For two decades or so, these intensive and expensive interventions ruled agriculture in North America and around the world. The backlash started with the back-to-the-land movement of the 1970s. Consumers worried about the domination of big business, about harm to the environment and the long-term effects of chemicals used to produce food and drink. (Embedded image moved to file: pic19494.jpg) Wine Glasses Scientists now believe that all such substances accumulate in our bodies; and since they've only been used for a few decades, we don't yet know the long-term effects. These factors, together with the yearning for self-sufficiency of the hippie culture, strengthened the public desire for natural food products. Modern food concerns since then—genetically modified foods, mercury poisoning, mad cow disease, fast food, and obesity—have all contributed to the momentum. What is organic wine? Many foods are described as "organic" nowadays, but what does it actually mean applied to wine? Making wine is a two-step process: first you grow the grapes and then you make the wine. That means there's a difference between wine from "organically grown grapes" and "organic wine." Grapes that are organically grown must have no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or soil fumigants used on them. There's still debate over whether organic grapes are allowed to be irrigated with "gray water" (partially treated waste water). Purists also nix the use of genetically modified vines and growth hormones. To qualify for the organic designation, the farm or vineyard must be free of chemicals for a certain period as determined by governmental agencies, such as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. This varies by country, but three years is the most common length of time for the soil to be declared free of most chemical residue. "Organic wine" takes the no-chemical use a step further. It means that not only were the grapes grown organically, but the wine itself was then made with none of the 500 available additives and agents, except for small amounts of sulfur dioxide, a common preservative noted as "sulfites" on the bottle label. Who defines what's organic? This is a confusing subject because different winemaking regions use different definitions and several organizations provide a number of different certifications. For example, the California Certified Organic Farmers organization inspects and certifies member growers according to its own standards, which are more stringent than those in the California Organic Food Act of 1979. Many producers are advocating a single set of international standards, which would help consumers to understand and trust the organic designation. What do organic vintners use instead of chemicals? In their quest to enrich the soil and keep pests at bay, many vintners inter-plant the vine rows with other crops, such as rye grass, chicory, fescue, oats, mustard, lupins, and red clover. These cover crops control weeds and encourage bugs to feed on them rather than on the vines. They can also be ploughed back into the soil to replenish its nitrogen. Some organic winemakers also add compost made from pomace, the solid material left over from pressing the grapes. Another tactic is encouraging the "good bugs" to eat the "bad bugs." The advantage is that good bugs are selective about what they eat, whereas insecticides destroy every bug in its path, and leave a vineyard more vulnerable to pest attacks the next year. (Embedded image moved to file: pic30209.jpg) Wine Glasses Some vintners allow chickens the run of their vineyards, since they both eat bugs and scratch the soil, naturally tilling it. Others build nesting boxes and perches to encourage hawks and owls to roost and hunt rodents and other pests in the vineyard. This can be surprisingly effective. Doug Price, viticulturist at the California winery Clos de Bois, once laid out a tarp under one of the 30 owl boxes he built around the vineyard. Over the course of one summer, it collected more than 500 gopher skulls. What's the big deal about sulfites? Most wine labels bear the warning "contains sulfites," which can alarm consumers into thinking that the substance is harmful or unhealthy. In fact, sulfites (the salts of sulfurous acid) are just a common food preservative that prevents the wine from oxidizing after fermentation (it turns brown and the fruit aromas go stale) or spoiling from bacteria once bottled. In Europe no warning label is required if there is less than 100 parts per million of sulfites added, since they're considered a traditional and safe additive there. Most experts recommend drinking sulfite-free wines only at the winery since these wines don't keep or travel well. Sulfites are harmless to most people; their danger is to asthmatics, about 5 percent of whom are allergic or extremely sensitive to them. The only time when sulfites are intrusive for most drinkers is when incompetent winemakers use too much, which masks the wine's flavors and gives it an acrid smell, like a lit match. Despite some sticklers who believe that organic wine should contain absolutely no sulfites, the more moderate and common opinion is that their use should not exceed between 10 and 100 parts per million (ppm)—just enough to stabilize the wine and to keep barrels and bottles free of microbes. Today, modern techniques and winery hygiene mean that fewer sulfites are required. Federal law in Canada and the U.S. allows all wine to have up to 350 ppm of sulfites. However, wine that's labeled organic must limit the amount to just 90 ppm for red wines, and 100 ppm for white and sparkling wines. Many organic wines contain no more than 40 ppm. What's more important to remember, however, is that even wines labelled as having "no sulfites added," still have a small amount since sulfites are a natural byproduct of fermentation. Sulfur exists naturally in grapes, potatoes, broccoli, garlic, onions, fruit juices, dried fruits, jams, baked goods, salad bars and bottled mineral water. You can't escape it. Despite the furor over sulfites in wine, a single serving of most of these foods has more sulfites than a whole bottle. Are organic wines really better for you? The good news about even non-organic wine grapes is that far fewer chemicals are used on them than on other fruit. Consumers want strawberries and pears to look good on the fruit stands, so they ignore the chemicals that keep them that way even to the detriment of taste and health. However, the appearance of wine grapes is irrelevant, since they're going to be crushed. As a result, they're grown specifically to optimize their taste. Still, there are 17 chemicals commonly used in vineyards today and grapes aren't washed before being crushed. This means non-organic fruit may have trace amounts of chemicals, but the process of fermentation neutralizes almost all such residues and filtering the finished wine usually removes whatever might remain. After all, federal law stipulates that there can't be any chemical residue in the finished wine, organic or not. There's really no evidence that organic wine is any better for you than non-organic, or that it will reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease or other illnesses. Does organic wine cause fewer hangovers? Sadly, no. The only cause of a hangover is drinking too much alcohol. Organic wine won't even make your hangover less severe. Do organic wines taste better? In blind taste tests, many experts perceive no difference between well-made organic and non-organic wines. Still, in the words of Randall Grahm, owner of California's Bonny Doon Vineyards: "Our vision must go beyond taste. We have to ask, 'What are the costs of chemical co-dependency? Does our business advance values that we esteem? Are we making a product that customers want to buy?'" Having said that, wine is an expression of the earth in which the vines grow. If that earth is rich and alive, rather than a chemical wasteland, that's got to affect the wine, even though the difference may be subtle. Winemakers themselves certainly believe that their wines are more complex when the grapes are organically farmed. That process demands careful hands-on attention to matters such as canopy management, when growers prune back the leaves to create better air circulation among the grape bunches so that there's less chance of rot. How is organic wine different from vegan wine? It's all in the clarifying—the removal of the particles which create cloudiness. (Some vintners skip this step because they believe it can strip the wine of some of its character.) One of the traditional ways of "fining" wine is to add whisked egg whites to the barrels of fermenting wine. As these settle through the liquid, they bond with particles and eventually float back to the top, where the vintner scoops them out. Organic wines allow the use of the whites of organic eggs, but not vegan wines. Vegan wines also don't use clarifying substances in the trade like gelatin, blood, skim milk, and fish bladders in favor of certain types of clay, centrifuge machines or cellulose filters. Another method is to simply allow the wine a longer time in the barrel so that any particles settle naturally at the bottom and can be left behind when the wine is drained out into bottles. Why farm organically? Many winemakers consider the approach as part of their overall commitment to quality. Organic farming requires a much deeper understanding of the vineyard and a greater vigilance over it. Problems must be detected early because organic fixes take longer. Another benefit is the social responsibility for winery workers' health and not exposing them to toxic chemicals. What are the environmental benefits? Many wineries have locked horns with environmentalists and local residents over the issue of deforesting the land in order to plant vineyards. Hillsides are a flash point. Winemakers know that vineyards on slopes produce some of the finest wines because water runs downhill and the vines must struggle for moisture and nutrients when it doesn't seep into the hillside, reaching their roots deeper into the earth and picking up more nuances. But the flip side is hillsides soil erosion, since vine roots aren't as extensive as those of the trees. As well, if the winery uses chemicals, its run-off can contaminate local waterways and harm wildlife. The organic approach can mitigate both soil erosion and contamination. Organic growers don't use chemicals, so the run-off water is clean; and they plant cover crops and trees within the vineyard, which reduces erosion. In Santa Barbara County, California, a forested area surrounds the vineyards as a natural habitat for birds, wild pigs, and deer. To reduce chemical contamination, some organic vintners also use only whole cork bark rather than cork particles glued together, and they avoid plastic corks or pesticide-treated corks altogether. Others use beeswax seals for the bottles, recycled paper for labels and inks developed without animal testing. What's the difference between organic and sustainable farming? Sustainable farming tries to minimize the use of chemicals and the winery's impact on the environment. They also attempt to be more efficient in their use of all resources, including water and energy, and to use recycled and non-polluting materials wherever possible. At the California winery Fetzer, for example, tractors use biodiesel derived from vegetable oil rather than petrochemicals. The winery irrigates the vineyard with recycled water, has cut its landfill usage by more than 90 percent and makes its own recyclable capsules to cover the corks in the bottles. While sustainable farming often incorporates organic principles, it is not organic, nor are there any legal requirements. Why don't more organic wineries promote the fact on their labels? In a word, perception. Rightly, most consumers already think of wine as a natural product, though they're likely influenced less by knowledge of winemaking and more by those lovely leafy vineyards pictured on labels and in ads. So although they may seek out organic versions of lettuce, tomatoes or beef, they don't necessarily think to do so for wine. Many wineries are cautious about promoting their organic designation. They know that most consumers buy wine based on its taste and quality—the organic part is just a bonus. Understandably, it's a point of pride for many winemakers that consumers buy their wines for the "right reason": taste not ideology. Organic wines also have an unfortunate history. In the past, they were perceived (often correctly) as being poorly made and prone to going bad quickly because they lacked preservatives. Another legacy is the reputation for preachiness and moralizing—no one wants to be scolded into virtue, even though today's consumers are much more aware of the environmental impact of their food and drink. As well, many vintners are wary of the red tape and cost required to designate themselves organic. They may not want to lock themselves into just one mode of production—especially in the event of a virulent attack of pests or rot, which might require emergency chemical treatment. In that situation, if an "organic" winery had to remove the designation from its label, it would be in the awkward situation of having to explain why to its consumers. Further, if a winery has several products, and not all are organic, that might reflect badly on the others. For all these complex reasons, only a few organic wines actually make a selling point of the fact and highlight it on the label. Most others hide it on the back of the bottle in small print or don't mention it at all. What are the challenges to making organic wine? They vary by region. Chile, for instance, with its dry climate and natural irrigation from the Andes snowmelt, is a much easier environment for organic grapes than many other areas. Oregon has fewer harmful local insects than California and its wineries need less pesticide. By contrast, in colder and rainier climates, such as northern France and Canada, vintners must battle rot and can count on less warmth to ripen their grapes; many consequently use "Bordeaux mixture," made from copper sulfate, a traditional fungicide to fight rot. The economic challenges of organic winemaking are high: start-up costs can be substantial, especially when vintners must first wean a vineyard off a chemical dependency. Much like drug-dependent humans, vines can come to rely on chemicals and the habit that's both expensive and hard to kick. Chemical dependency creates imbalances in the plant's immune system and weakens its natural ability to fight pests, disease, drought, heat and rot. The substances also disrupt the ecosystem of the soil, killing all the microbes that normally produce phytochemicals, natural nutrients and trace elements a vine needs. The roots normally soak up these elements, which affect the flavor of the grapes. But organic vintners say their costs go down again in the long run. Once their vines are back on a natural footing and able to reassert their own vigor, they're better able to fight diseases and pests naturally. Expensive chemicals aren't needed. What's the difference between organic and biodynamic? Biodynamic viticulture is based on a theory first propounded by the Austrian agronomist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the early 1900s. Like organic farming, it also encourages fostering a healthy balance in the soil and eschewing artificial pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. It differs from organic farming by stressing the link between the cosmos and the plant's health. The biodynamic theory holds that four cosmic elements affect the vines: the earth element energizes the roots; light, the flowers; heat, the fruit; and water, the leaves. Where organic vintners use compost to fertilize the soil, biodynamic vintners use minute quantities of homeopathic-style preparations. As in homeopathic medicine, the idea is to encourage the body to heal itself rather than to just treat the symptoms. Who makes organic wine? The number of wineries making organic wines is increasing steadily, with the result that they're available in a far greater range of styles than ever before. Formerly, they were only the domain of small producers, but now large companies are taking an interest as a way to diversify their offerings and to improve their environmental images. Some of the producers implement some organic principles and not others, some grow organic grapes but don't make organic wine and still others make both organic and non-organic wines. So check the labels carefully. I've reviewed the wines of several producers on my web site and the new advanced search engine allows you to designate organic wine as a search criteria. What's the future of organic wine? The category is growing at about 20 percent a year, albeit from a small base. Encouragingly, even when winemakers don't aspire to be fully organic, more and more are still trying to reduce their dependency on chemicals. That's good news for wine drinkers because wine is an expression of the place it's grown. That place shouldn't be a chemical-ridden wasteland, but rather a place that's as diverse and nuanced as the wine we drink—and a place we can all live in. Please note: The content of this article is registered under copyright by Natalie MacLean. No part of this article may be copied or distributed in print or on the internet without first securing written permission of the author. Thanks! Wine Picks for April 14 I include just four of the wines I recommend this week in the newsletter to keep it short. The rest of the new wines I've picked are in the Wine Picks section of my site, as well as many more wines from previous weeks. You can print a text-only version of these wines, without the top note or graphics. Trying to find these wines in your local store?

18 years, 7 months

[wine] TN Syrahs at JP American Bistro 04-05-2007

by russellmccandless＠frontiernet.net

Twenty three point five percent corked wines. All those ready for screw caps on everything, raise your hands, please. W1 ? terrific fresh fruit and herbs nose, sauv blanc? Round and sweet, with good acid snap, no longer sure of the sauv blanc identification, flavor and finishing aromatics quite floral for that grape. Interesting, delicious wine. 2005 Kaesler Old Vine Semillon, Barossa Valley. W2 ? very shy nose of licorice, mineral spirits and herbs; weighty and attractive in the mouth, very licorishy flavor, enough acid structure, good length, honey hints, seems well past its primary fruit stage although I don't taste oxidation. 2002 Beckmen Marsanne, Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley. W3 ? corked. W4 - amylic nose evolving to stinky, musty, moldy. Not tasted. Hopefully not a representative bottle. 2003 Hawley Viognier, Placer County (California). (Label says "Barrel Fermented" and "24% Sonoma.") 1.1 ? dark young purple; nose attractively meaty, smoke and herbs; light body, high alcohol, lacks fruit in the mouth compared to the nose, light finish, midpalate and finish flavor profile similar to nose, just OK. 2005 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz, Barossa Valley. 1.2 ? medium color; smells thin and alcoholic; midpalate flabby, chocolate, coconut, some fruit; decent length. 2001 Hogue Syrah, Columbia Valley. 1.3 ? corked. 1.4 - medium color; nose of pepper, oak and berries; general flavor profile similar to the nose but is there some faint weird sour tone? OK length. 2003 Elemental Cellars Syrah, Deux Vert Vineyard, Willamette Valley. 1.5 ? medium to dark; nice depth of fruit on nose, subtle hints of smoked meat; midweight in the mouth, red fruits prominently featured, pepper, plenty of acid structure; just a trace of an unclean flavor at transition, then decent length. Could wish for more fruit overall. Are these quick whiffs of inappropriate flavors coming from the wines, or is there something in the Minneapolis water tonight? 1999 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah, Mendocino. 2.1 ? medium to dark purple; nose of blackberry primary fruit, touch of pepper; midpalate explosive fruit, very Australian, noticeably but not offensively oaky; nice transition, warm fruity finish, carries its alcohol gracefully, a fruit bomb but very hard to dislike. 2005 Archetype Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa. 2.2 ? medium to dark purple; nose of cotton candy oak and alcohol, not my style, not tasted. 2004 Coteaux de Languedoc, Les Hauts de la Brune. 2.3 ? quite dark purple; nose of smoke, pepper, alcohol, lacks fruit on nose; smooth mouthfeel, tastes off, pretty sure this is corked. 2003 Benegas Syrah, Mendoza. 2.4 ? corked. 3.1 ? medium purple; aristocratic nose of some depth, smoked meat, pepper, dark fruits, herbs; medium body, medium intensity, still a bit youthfully closed? True, full finish reinforces the impression that the wine still needs time. Grew noticeably oakier with air. 2001 Paradise Ridge Syrah, Honselaars Vineyard Upper Block, Sonoma. 3.2 ? ketone nose, bretty? Not tasted. 2002 Delheim Shiraz, Simonsberg ? Stellenbosch (South Africa). 3.3 ? shoe polish and leather on nose; rough rustic wine of medium size, medium plus intensity, good length but mineral spirits on finish, licorice flavor, probably would have been better younger. 1999 Ferrari-Carano Tre Monte Syrah, Sonoma. 3.4 ? medium color; attractive Aussie nose, dark fruit with spirits and shoe polish tones; attractive red fruits flavors in the mouth, midweight, finesse transition, excellent length, herbal tones, fine wine! Black pepper aromas and flavors more pronounced with air, although well balanced with other elements. 1996 Riddoch Estate Shiraz, Coonawarra.

18 years, 7 months

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

win April 2007