win April 2008

win@thebarn.com

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[wine] 2006 Riesling Spat and beyond

by Jim L. Ellingson

Nice time at Sorella last night. Nice wines as well. The Chronicle Wine Selections: 2006 German Spatlese, Auslese and Beerenauslese Riesling Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, April 25, 2008 Last week, we provided German QbA and Kabinett Riesling recommendations. This week's recommendations - Spatlese, Auslese and Beerenauslese (BA) - are riper, sweeter and weightier. Some can be weighty but dry and usually carry a halbtrocken (half-dry) or trocken (dry) designation. The Spatlese and Auslese the panel tasted from the 2006 vintage seem to be from wonderful fruit of more even ripeness and excellent, more consistent quality than the QbAs and Kabinetts. The panel tasted 37 wines in these three progressively riper categories, recommending 20, with more than half racking up three stars or better. No Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the top level in the ripe, rare category, were submitted for our tasting. With concentrated fruit and stunning acidity, Spatlese and Auslese Rieslings are generally affordable and long-lived. They are lovely to have with a meal or on their own. If you ever have an opportunity to try a BA or TBA, consider yourself fortunate and enjoy the experience. Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Alte Reben Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($22) A fuller, riper wine with a slightly muted nose that opens to soft pear, golden apple and quince aromas with sorrel, lime zest and citrus acidity on palate. Rich but somewhat racy; layered and complex. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: FOUR STARS 2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Beerenauslese ($170/375 ml) An exotic wine. Aromas of syrupy honeycomb, dried fruit - apple, apricot and papaya - with hints of pencil lead and diesel. Explosive apricot, dried pineapple and surging acidity on the unctuous palate. Superb definition and grip with great structure and balance. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Eisendell Nahe Spatlese ($27) Crushed rose, sandalwood, cassis, spiced apple and lime zest fragrances on the dark, stony nose. A firm, slightly honeyed approach on the palate with round mineral on the pitch-perfect finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik ) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 von Hovel Scharzhofberg Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($22) Exotic and zingy with Anjou pear, apricot, floral and dried plum aromas; dark mineral, gravel and galvanizing acidity to match the dense texture. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 von Hovel Kanzemer Horecker Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($63) Golden with beeswax, granite, lurid apricot, rich nectarine and rambutan aromas. Similar flavors plus hint of caramel corn; unctuous, almost thick mouthfeel. Balanced with galvanizing acidity. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Josef Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($26) Fresh and balanced, rich but still racy, with focused lemon-lime, roses, honey and pineapple aromas. Juicy fruit is dense on the palate; zippy acidity and mineral notes complete it. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Rheinhessen Spatlese Goldkapsel ($50) "Goldkapsel" or gold capsule - indicates a producer's "extra-good" wine with an actual gold-colored foil capsule around the neck of the bottle. Delicate floral, chervil, apricot, citrus rind and honey aromas with hint of petrol. Very intense, concentrated palate that shows some botrytis - white nectarine, Asian pear, ripe honeyed apricot and mineral. Complex and elegant. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel Artist Label Spatlese* ($33) Stars or asterisks on a label is a producer's special designation, which is not regulated by German wine law. While it varies from producer to producer, an increasing number of stars generally indicates a greater ripeness level from the standard bottling - two star is riper than a one star. Stone fruit and tangerine peel with a hint of green herb on the nose with some sulfur dioxide present. Softer palate of sweet caramel with a ripe fruit finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Dr. Loosen BA Mosel Beerenauslese ($25/187 ml) This is a great way to test the Beerenauslese waters at a relatively modest price for an unusual offering, a blend of multiple vineyard sites, which is rare for a BA. Fresh herb, rose, green papaya, lime, dense honeyed nectar and mineral/slate on nose and palate. Though dense and viscous, it maintains freshness and vibrancy with a surprisingly racy finish. (Importer: Loosen Bros.) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Himmelreich Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Beerenauslese ($100/375 ml) Orange blossom, acacia honey, persimmon, cinnamon apple and slate aromas. Honey and tropical notes dominate but are tempered with mineral and a delicious, bright, slightly syrupy finish. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese** ($60) Subtle nose of lime, apricot, clover honey, petrol and mineral. Intense papaya, dried apricot and beeswax flavors on the palate, which is a touch on the dry side. Lovely grapefruit peel balances the haunting finish. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($30) Ripe, rich, full nose of rose, red apple and honey wrapped in mineral. Palate starts with a racy, sharp mineral twang then finishes with honey and bright apple and its skin; slightly spritzy. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Peter Geiben Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies'chen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($60) Rich, ripe nose of peach skin, navel orange, dark mineral and hints of wax. The buoyant palate is more compelling - crisp orange peel, stony notes with moderate botrytis and honeyed richness, and almost mouthwatering acidity. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik) Rating: THREE AND A HALF STARS 2006 Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer Rheingau Spatlese Goldkapsel ($39/375ml) Subtle petrol, freshly zested lime, pineapple and dried peach aromas; vibrant, focused palate of apricot, ripe pear, green apple and rose hip with rigid mineral underpinning and a racy, long finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Schloss Vollrads Rheingau Spatlese ($29.50) Rich nose of pineapple, apple and ripe peach with a white mineral underpinning. Sweet fruit flavors have buoyancy and kick; long, intense midpalate with guava on the slightly fading finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese** ($28.50/500 ml) Aromas of wet stone, tangerine and a slight fiery note akin to cinnamon and gasoline. Baked apple, lemon zest, tangerine and intensely sweet peach flavors knit together with intense acidity; subtle grainy texture on the refined finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Seebrich Niersteiner Hipping Rheinhessen Auslese ($23) Moderate length and complexity, clean and straightforward with zesty tangerine, pomelo, pineapple and peach aromas and flavors. Firm mineral palate. (Importer: Winesellers) Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($32) Ripe apple, quince, loam, apricot and clover honey on nose. Fresh, nectar-driven palate that is rich yet not overly extracted; lovely backbone of minerally acidity. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Dr. H. Thanisch Berncasteler Doctor Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($60/375 ml) A lovely bit of earthiness and paraffin underscore strawberry, dried apricot, dried papaya and apricot cream notes on the nose. A softer palate with lots of honey - almost Sauternes-like - but acidity picks up on the finish. (Importer: Winesellers) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Theo Minges Gleisweiler Holle Pfalz Spatlese ($27) With 11.5 percent alcohol, this is a drier style wine but lacks a trocken designation on the label. Citrus, white peach and honeycomb aromas; leaner palate with bright acidity and long, citrusy finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik) Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon Bonné, Chronicle wine editor; Larry Stone, general manager, Rubicon Estate. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine. Key: FOUR STARS: Extraordinary THREE STARS: Excellent TWO STARS: Good Editor's note: As of last week, The Chronicle Wine Selections is listing the importers for all imported wines that we recommend. Not all wines may be carried by your local retailers, but we hope this added information will help to track them down. Please share your thoughts with us at wine@ sfchronicle.com. - Lynne Char Bennett http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/WI2P107PP7.DTL This article appeared on page F - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Brownello Montacino ??

by Jim L. Ellingson

Or maybe Brunello Parkerchino? Turlello Montelicino? April 23, 2008 ‘Bolt From the Blue’ on a Tuscan Red By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO MONTALCINO, Italy THE vineyards that surround this medieval hill town and the wine they produce have been a source of local pride for years. But lately they’ve also been a source of embarrassment. Since late last year a prosecutor has been investigating whether some of the major producers of the wine — brunello di Montalcino — have been violating the laws that determine whether their product can bear that name, the most prestigious among all Tuscan wines. The prosecutor has impounded more than a million bottles from some of the most prominent Italian winemakers — including Antinori and Frescobaldi — while he determines whether they used unapproved techniques or grapes other than brunello, the local name for sangiovese, supposedly to give their idiosyncratic wine a broader international appeal. “It was a bolt from the blue, it threw us all off,” said Fabrizio Bindocci, the agronomist for Tenuta Il Poggione, known for its traditional style, and which he says is not being investigated. He spoke as he maneuvered an S.U.V. along a worn dirt path lined by rows of gnarly brunello vines just beginning to show shoots. “It makes you feel badly,” he said, “because you realize that the world is not what you thought it was.” The news of the investigation, and wilder, unfounded rumors about what was involved, broke earlier this year in local papers. But international wine blogs began publicizing it a few weeks ago just before the opening of Vinitaly, Italy’s largest wine trade fair. Brunello makers spent most of the fair fielding panicky calls from importers. “Italians are masters at damaging their own interests,” Montalcino’s mayor, Maurizio Buffi, said wryly. The woes of Montalcino come on top of other scandals that have called into question the purity of some of Italy’s most famous products. On Monday, Italian police said extra virgin olive oil from seven factories had been doctored with sunflower and soybean oil. There have been concerns that mozzarella might have been contaminated because of illegal garbage dumping around Naples, and adulterated wine is said to have been found in several regions. So any rumor about brunello seemed believable. At first there were reports that winemakers had been indicted, that truckloads of cheap grapes had been trucked in from Mafia-controlled vineyards in the south, that adulterated wine had also been found in Montalcino. “It was difficult to see wine written about in the same way you’d write about terrorism,” said Filippo Chia, whose family has made brunello at Castello Romitorio for the past two decades. (He, too, said his wine is not being investigated.) “That’s not in tune with our world, which is not a world of shock and awe but subtleties.” But even the more subtle contours of reality in this case are stunning. While nobody has been indicted, the prosecutor, Nino Calabrese, is considering commercial fraud charges that carry maximum sentences of up to six years imprisonment. Conviction could also lead to expulsion from the Consorzio del Vino Brunello. That group, for more than 40 years, has overseen production by the area’s 250 brunello makers to make sure, among other things, that they used nothing but sangiovese grapes, grown in vineyards on which no more than 80 hectoliters of fruit are harvested on every hectare, and that they aged their wine at least two years in oak barrels. In a telephone interview from his office in Siena, Mr. Calabrese, the province’s chief prosecutor and a self-professed teetotaler, would only say his office had impounded the wine, from the 2003 vintage that went on sale in January, until he finds whether the winemakers had violated the brunello rules. “It would seem that some people used different grapes to make the wine more tasty,” he said. Why would anyone want to use unapproved grapes? “Very simple,” said Franco Ziliani, the Italian wine expert who helped spread the word about the scandal on his blog, vinowire.com. “Adding cabernet or merlot, which are more pleasant to the American palate, makes for a more appealing wine for the average consumer as well as critics.” The American market, Mr. Ziliani said, is among the most lucrative and prestigious. Merlot in particular, he said, “makes sangiovese’s acidic tannins rounder, and more ready to drink,” and these grapes give these wines a darker color. Such wines regularly score in the high 90s with American critics, which usually translates into big sales. He and others believe winemakers in the region have been doctoring their brunello for much of the past decade. Accusations like this would seem familiar to winemakers in many areas of Europe. In Burgundy and Rioja, Barolo and Montalcino, qualities that have made local wines great, that have given their names international cachet, may not be the qualities that conform to international tastes. Some winemakers in those areas have changed their techniques to make less traditional wines with greater appeal in the export market — softer, fruitier, richer. It’s often rumored that some winemakers go further, actually breaking the rules under which they were allowed to use the famous names. Some argue that a less pure brunello could actually be a better wine, but that it just should not be called a brunello. This was the origin of the famed super-Tuscan wines, which use non-traditional grapes like cabernet sauvignon. “There’s been a debate on whether to add other grapes, but it’s been hypothetical,” said Tiziana Frescobaldi, director of communications for the family firm, whose brunello production — some 200,000 bottles at their Castelgiocondo estate — was impounded by the prosecutor. At Frescobaldi, she insisted, “We don’t want the rules to change; our brunello is 100 percent sangiovese.” Lawyers for the grower have asked a court to release the wine, and she said they were waiting for a response. Closing ranks, local wine growers argue that the regulations allow for a wide range of differences among individual wines. Their vineyards are spread over different soils and altitudes, and producers use a variety of techniques for aging and bottling. Even climate change has had an impact, they say. “That’s the beauty of brunello, all its varying facets,” said Patrizio Cencioni, the brunello consortium’s vice president. Mr. Cencioni said the group has tightened oversight since 2004 and approved the procedures used by most of the producers being investigated. “The prosecutors are investigating on the basis of information that’s different than what we found when we examined the vineyards,” he said. Renzo Cotarella, managing director of Antinori, which has had around 150,000 bottles of its Pian delle Vigne impounded, said his company would emerge unblemished, though the media attention has already hurt them. “In Italy, unfortunately,” he said, “you’re guilty until proven innocent, which I am certain we are.” Even winemakers who have not been implicated want the scandal resolved. “The credibility of all brunello is at risk," Mr. Bindocci of Tenuta Il Poggione said. “We shouldn’t all be penalized for the errors of others.” But there are fears that Italy’s notoriously slow justice system will drag this out for months. While the consortium voted two weeks ago to preserve existing rules, some winemakers under investigation say they will abandon the brunello name for the 2003 vintage. Argiano, one of the estates under investigation, said on Monday that it would declassify the 80,000 bottles that the prosecutor has impounded, charging 10 percent less than their normal price of $65 to $70. “Our decision isn’t because we feel guilty,” said Stéphane Schaeffer, Argiano’s sales manager, who flew to the United States this week to tell customers that the company had done nothing wrong. “We can’t wait passively for months. We need to be on the market.” The wine will be labeled Il Duemilatre di Argiano (Argiano’s 2003). Mr. Schaeffer said they decided against calling it Il Castigato, the chastised. Beyond the individual winemakers, the local economy as a whole stands to suffer. Montalcino is a one-industry town and winemaking gives work to more than half of its 5,200 residents. Tourism brings in about 2 million visitors, the mayor said. “I hope this is all resolved as quickly as possible because the territory risks serious economic damage,” the mayor said. There could be layoffs soon, said Lars Leicht, a spokesman for the American-owned Castello Banfi, who said prosecutors have locked up around 600,000 bottles to investigate whether their vineyard yields were too high. Still, Mr. Ziliani, the critic, is outraged by the reaction of many winemakers. “Even though honest growers might be upset that the rules have been broken, they’re also irritated — and this is very Italian — that it’s interfering with their business,” he said. “I think most producers in Montalcino would have preferred that things went on as before — with some companies selling real brunello, and others not — because in any case brunello sells.” -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Cutting The Grass - S Blanc

by Jim L. Ellingson

Sometimes, Love Means Cutting the Grass By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Wednesday, April 23, 2008; F05 For as long as we've known each other, we haven't always seen eye to eye when it comes to wine. More than 20 years ago, not long after we met, Karen took a sip of a light-bodied dry white wine we were poured at a party and winced. "Sauvignon blanc -- ugh!" she whispered to Andrew. "It's like trying to drink a glassful of grass." A California native, Andrew found the same wine's boldly grassy aromas and herbal flavors delightful, and a welcome taste of home. Could this relationship survive? Personal chemistry overcame that rift, and three discoveries salvaged Karen's relationship with sauvignon blanc. · Discovery No. 1: Sauvignon blancs from various parts of the world taste very different. From France's Loire Valley, 100 percent sauvignon blanc-based Sancerre is crisp and steely, with minerally aromas and flavors, making it a perfect match for raw oysters. In Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc is often blended with Semillon's more-honeyed fruit to round out its sharpness. We were wowed recently by an unusual example from Gascony made in that style (85 percent sauvignon, 15 percent Semillon): The 2006 Domaine La Hitaire Hors Saison ($11) is like sniffing a wet stone, and its flavors include nectarine fruitiness, mineral notes and a long, lemony finish. It's fantastic for the price. Karen's first taste of aggressively fruit-forward New Zealand sauvignon blanc also won her over. Its zippy tropical fruit and grapefruit flavors were nicely balanced by rounder, peachy notes. A delicately finessed version can be found in the 2007 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($25), a single-vineyard wine from Martinborough whose elegance and captivating lime-meets-nectarine flavors make it perfect for special-occasion sipping on its own or for pairing with food. · Discovery No. 2: Sauvignon blanc pairs amazingly well with food. It would not be our first choice for a cocktail party, especially without food, since its strong aromatics and flavors are not guaranteed crowd-pleasers on their own. But just try to find a better partner for white fish and shellfish dishes. And it's absolutely magical with all manner of goat cheese, especially fresh chevre, on its own or atop a summer salad. In fact, spotting a goat cheese and leek tartlet with a baby organic green salad on the menu at Seasons restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown inspired us to split a couple of glasses of sauvignon blanc to go with it. What turned out to be one of the best goat cheese tarts we've ever tasted was enhanced by both the minerally 2006 Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre ($13 a glass) and the citrusy 2006 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($12 a glass). That tasting inspired Karen's pick this week: The 2007 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($18) is an impressively well-balanced wine, with even brighter citrus fruit than the 2006 vintage. About a third of this unoaked wine underwent malolactic fermentation, resulting in a slightly rounder acidity while retaining the grape's characteristic spirit. · Discovery No. 3: Though some California winemakers celebrate sauvignon blanc's grassiness (Andrew loves the 2006 Diogenes Lake County Sauvignon Blanc, $18), many have been taking steps to deemphasize such overtly green flavors. Robert Mondavi went so far as to age his in oak, which brought out softer, more melonlike fruitiness in the wine. He even re-christened it fume blanc, suggesting the smoky flavors that sometimes (but not invariably) result. California's 2006 Meridian Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($10) isn't marred by grassiness, and it paired surprisingly well with lemon-sauced veal and shellfish and with green salads and other vegetable dishes. Keep an eye out for Meridian's other well-priced wines; we've previously recommended the 2006 Meridian Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($10), which has flavors reminiscent of Key lime pie, as an "affordable weeknight wonder." Andrew's pick this week, the 2006 Benziger Family Winery North Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($13), is a crisp California wine that accompanied pasta with white clam sauce beautifully. Benziger is as proud of the methods used to farm its grapes as it is of its wines, and it intends the 2007 vintage of its sauvignon blanc, due out in August, to be "certified sustainable." The 2006 has peach-meets-grapefruit flavors and such subtle grassy and herbaceous notes that even Karen can't deny the attraction. On that note, we couldn't agree more. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat," can be reached through their Web site, http://www.becomingachef.com, or at food(a)washpost.com. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Wine article recommended by Warren Gregory

by warren＠warrenswineworld.com

Warren Gregory has sent you this article from AppellationAmerica: Your Genetics May Determine The Wines You Prefer http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/Tasting-Genetics.html Comments: as we try to plumb the complexity of individual taste preference ... here's another angle on decoding what everyone else is tasting.

17 years, 7 months

[wine] BMW

by karin

Hi All: Jim alerted me that the photo did not come through, so here's the info: Friday, 6-9 free valet parking wine + hors de oeurves by Spill the Wine pastries by Patricks Bakery celebrating BMW 1, X6, M3 cars (it's a nice dealer - have been there for the Mini Cooper events) Karin

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Taking charge - wine service

by Jim L. Ellingson

I haven't heard of a group meeting this week. Butterfly Bob is busy this week and next, so Pinto and Barolo are excellent choices. Wine shop at 46th and Chicago (Ken and Norms?) is hosting a tasting across the street at Michaels Cafe. Tix are $20 in advance, $30 at the door. We were able to sign up w/o providing a credit card. Wines from Artisan/Wine Co, Etica, and others along with Greek nosh. Presentations from Cat & Fiddle, Etica, Paustis Wines, and The Wine Company. There's a new model intro at Motorworks BMW on Friday. I suspect it's the 1 series (e.g. 135) Also on Friday, Arborfest fund raiser at Macalaster. Sample beer and food at Kagan hall. Live music. proceeds bennefit the Family Tree Clinic. Cheers, Jim [wine, wine tastings, wine dinners, wine education] A Spring Wine Tasting... Date: Apr 21, 2008 (Mon) Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Cost: $20 Place: Michael's Cafe 4810 Chicago Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55417 View Map Phone: 6128220030 Join us for a wine tasting. Admission includes samples from principal regions around the globe, light appetizers by Chef Michael, and music by Pat Mackin, Casual Sax. $20 Advance ($30 at the door) includes a 10% discounted coupon at Ken $ Norm's Liquors, plus 10% discount at Michael's Cafe, and a chance at a $100 value door prize. Presentations from Cat & Fiddle, Etica, Paustis Wines, and The Wine Company April 21, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist Of Wine, Haste and Religion By ROGER COHEN I was dining the other night with a colleague, enjoying a respectable Russian River Pinot Noir, when he said with a steely firmness: “We’ll pour our own wine, thank you.” This declaration of independence was prompted by that quintessential New York restaurant phenomenon: a server reducing a bottle of wine to a seven-minute, four-glass experience through overfilling and topping-up of a fanaticism found rarely outside the Middle East. I know I’m being elitist here, a terrible thing in this political season, and quite possibly nobody in small-town Pennsylvania gives a damn how wine is poured. But I don’t care and, come to think of it, last time I was in small-town Pennsylvania — at Gettysburg — I drank rather well. Acceptable cappuccino was also available throughout the commonwealth at Dunkin’ Donuts outlets, which makes one wonder if liberal elitism really begins and ends in Cambridge, Hyde Park and Berkeley these days. I even saw a Volvo somewhere west of Harrisburg. But that’s another story, albeit important, of seeping American sophistication-cum-Europeanization. The liberation I felt at my colleague’s I’ll-pour boldness was intoxicating. That’s right, I thought, we need to take our lives back. Drinking at your own pace is the best revenge. It’s humiliating to pay through the nose and suffer at affronts to good taste. Wine should glide, not glug, from a tilted, not tipped, bottle. The time that goes into the making of it should be reflected in the time it takes to drink. That’s so obvious that I got to wondering why wine glasses, even at fine New York tables, get filled almost to the brim, and refilled to that unseemly level, every time you’re distracted from Second Amendment-authorized armed guard of your receptacle. As with many things, there’s a generous view and a mean one. The kind interpretation would be that, through a gross misunderstanding of the nature of pleasure, servers and the restaurant managers behind them are convinced that solicitude is measured by the regularity with which a glass is topped up. The uncharitable view would be that, guided by an acute understanding of the nature of commerce, servers are told by restaurant managers to hustle clients through a meal and as many bottles of wine as possible. After long reflection, of at least 12 seconds, as measured on my elitist Rolex, I’ve decided the second theory is more convincing. It’s more plausible partly because it tracks with another unhappy New York dining phenomenon at some remove from the languorous pleasures of Manet’s “Déjeuner Sur L’Herbe.” I refer to the vacuuming away of your plate, at about the speed of light, the second you are deemed to have consumed the last mouthful. Just as you prepare to dab bread into the unctuous leftover sauce from those slide-from-the-bone short ribs, the plate vanishes. The fact that others around the table may still be eating — and to be without a plate is to feel naked in such circumstances — does not trouble the stealthy masters of this Houdini routine. As usual, in such matters, the French have it right. If you deconstruct the leftover, you find something that’s yours, a little messy, even mucky, but yours. No wonder there’s pleasure in poking around in it a little. Manet’s revelers are surrounded by their picnic leftovers. Nobody’s whisked them away. In the same way, that mix of soil, hearth and tradition the French call “terroir” is personal. You poke around in it and discover that some ineffable mix of the land, its particular characteristics, and a unique human bond has found expression in a wine – not a “Cabernet” or a “Pinot” or a “Merlot” but, say, a Chambolle-Musigny Derrière La Grange. That’s because “derriere la grange” — behind the barn — a small parcel of land produces a Burgundy distinct from another 50 yards away. Discovering this takes time, just as it takes time after bottling — perhaps a decade — for fruit, tannin and acidity to attain their full harmony. American wine is rushed onto the table, as well as into the glass. Most is drunk five to ten years too early. But, hey, this is a country in a hurry: Google’s founders made a couple of billion dollars overnight last week, an un-French achievement. This is a great nation. Perhaps it’s so great I should wear an American flag lapel pin. Perhaps it’s so great I should put myself in a duck blind this weekend. Perhaps it’s so great I should join the great U.S. blood sport of anti-intellectualism. Perhaps it’s so great I should go bowling more often. Perhaps it’s so great I should stop praising France and conceal the fact I speak French. But I don’t want to grow bitter. Maybe I’ll just cling — yes, cling — to my glass and the religion that’s in it. Blog: www.iht.com/passages -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Fwd: Motorwerks BMW New Model Launch Party

by karin

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Saturday Nite Art Party

by karin

Fellow Winers: my friend Bruce is having a 'closing' art show at Flanders Gallery this coming Saturday, April 19, 6-9. Free munchies, wine, beer, soda, and performance by Willie Murphy. Flanders Gallery is located at 3012 Lyndale Avenue South, Mpls. it's always fun to people-watch at these events. Am attaching the postcard.

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Brdx Blends at JPs

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Mostly an update. I have 9 on my not so confirmed list. Article from the post regarding "other" varietals from well known producers. e.g. Cline Syrah, KJ Syrah, Morgon Sauv Blanc, Iron Horse Chards. Bob Betsy Bill Double A Anderson Russel/Susan Ruth Joyce (later) Jim Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:05:26 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Brdx Blends (?) at JP's, Taste Bud-o-meter ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Syrah/Shiraz at JPs Greetings, Had a nice meal at Sapor. Driving was another matter. Happiness is a well designed electronic stability control system, with an off button. Group is going to JP's on Thursday. Not sure if this is where things settled. Vin du jour was in flux when I left. Wine is Bordeaux blends from anywhere. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:52:46 -0600 Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:08:10 -0600 Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:55:23 -0500 Greetings, Ringers, sparklings, dessert wines, etc. always welcome. Thursday at 6:30 at JPs Bistro. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or Please trim the articles form your replys to me or the list. Bob Betsy Bill Russel Ruth Lori JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Lot of consctuction on Lyndale, so side streets may be a better option. Parking: Meters were free after 6 or 6:30. Side streets may be an option. Pay lot behind the restaurant. Cheers, Jim Some Makers Can't Be Labeled By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Wednesday, April 16, 2008; F05 When "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was released in 2004, we almost skipped it. Jim Carrey? We immediately pictured the star's over-the-top, cartoonish persona and had a hard time believing he could credibly play a dramatic role. But he surprised us -- pleasantly. Some winemakers are even more typecast than Hollywood actors. Say "Georges Duboeuf," and it's hard to think of anything other than Beaujolais, even though the leading exporter of French wines makes a wide array of both whites and reds. At a recent preview of the Georges Duboeuf 2007 vintage wines, to be released in September, we dove into the reds almost instinctively. But when we went back to taste the whites a couple of hours later, we were surprised at how impressed we were -- and said as much to the "king of Beaujolais" himself and his son, Franck, who oversees operations for Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. "I don't know why people are often so surprised to find how much they enjoy our whites," Franck Duboeuf responded with a laugh. "Our family has been in the [Pouilly-Fuisse] region for more than four centuries." It shows. Although the 2007 Pouilly-Fuisse was still very young, it already exhibited great promise of rounding out into a beautifully elegant wine, much as the 2005 and 2006 Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuisse ($24) have done. Those crisp, full-bodied, fruity yet well-balanced wines with notes of almond and vanilla were Karen's food-friendly find of the week. We plan to keep a bottle or two on hand all spring and summer to pair with chicken, fish, pork, veal and turkey. Later, curiosity about what other overlooked treasures we might be missing out on led us to sample whites from Jordan Winery, which makes a celebrated cabernet sauvignon. Andrew especially loved the rich complexity of the 2006 Jordan Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($30), which is fermented in French oak. Jordan's executive chef, Todd Knoll, who devises dishes to pair with the wines, recommends a potage Saint-Germain (pea soup) with Atlantic lobster with this one. But we enjoyed this creamy-bodied white with sauteed chicken in a lemon-butter sauce and with cheese ravioli in basil pesto sauce, the latter of which brought out some nice herbaceous qualities in the wine. (By the way, both of our picks this week were acidic enough to pair well with salads. Our secrets for a better pairing are to dress your greens with a softly acidic -- thus more wine-friendly -- champagne vinaigrette and to shave a little Parmesan cheese on top.) Here are some other discoveries that play against type for each winemaker: Beringer Vineyards: This Napa Valley winemaker is much better known for its cabernet and chardonnay table wines, so we were surprised to be charmed by its 2004 Beringer Nightingale Botrytised Napa Valley Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine ($40 for 375 ml). Its lighter-bodied (as opposed to syrupy) weight and honeyed apricot flavors lend themselves beautifully to either a cheese course or pâté. Bernardus Winery: Better known for its cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, the winemaker also boasts an impressive grapefruity and grassy sauvignon blanc in the 2006 Bernardus Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc ($15), which is rounded out by the addition of 4 percent Semillon. Blackstone Winery: We both like its ubiquitous merlot, but even more so its 2005 Blackstone California Zinfandel ($12), which is full-bodied with cooked-plum fruitiness and notes of white pepper. It's a good choice with barbecued ribs or lamb, as is the next wine. Cline Cellars: It is best known for its zinfandel, but don't overlook the winery's 2006 Cline Syrah ($12) from Sonoma County, a rich expression of the syrah grape with its red-berry fruitiness and hints of spice. Domaine Chandon: Its lovely sparkling wines made in the traditional champagne method from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes are much better known, but the 2005 Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier ($35), with flavors of cherry and a touch of cinnamon, is enjoyable in its own right. Pair it with duck, lamb or pork. Dr. Konstantin Frank: Best known for its Riesling, Dr. Frank makes other crisp, refreshing whites ideal for spring sipping, including the unusual 2006 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli ($20), which tastes like a blend of Riesling, Gewuerztraminer, Gruener Veltliner and New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Iron Horse Vineyards: Iron Horse makes our favorite domestic sparkling wines, but its full-bodied chardonnays have their own appeal. You'll find rounded flavors of pear and a hint of grapefruit curd in the 2006 Iron Horse UnOaked Chardonnay ($26). The French-oaked 2006 Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay ($28) features exuberant coconut on its long finish. The latter employs water-bent (as opposed to the usual fire-bent) barrels, which winemaker Joy Sterling characterizes as "more flattering to our fruit." Kendall-Jackson Winery: K-J is almost synonymous with chardonnay, but it has a terrific syrah in the full-bodied 2005 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve California Syrah ($12), which is ripe with blackberry fruitiness and notes of black pepper. Morgan Winery: Best known for its pinot noir, Morgan is well worth checking out for its refreshing, light-bodied and tropical-fruity 2006 Morgan Sauvignon Blanc ($15), composed primarily of sauvignon musque (a sauvignon blanc clone) with added Semillon and sauvignon blanc. Penfolds: Penfolds may make the single best shiraz on the planet, but it would be a shame to miss sampling its racy, bone-dry and mineral-laden 2007 Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling ($20), especially with oysters. Shafer Vineyards: The maker of one of our very favorite merlots turns out to have a special way with chardonnay, too. Its 2006 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay ($48) is made without malolactic fermentation, the secondary fermentation process that results in softer lactic acidity and, often, a buttery aroma. This beautifully balanced chardonnay exhibits a lively natural acidity and minerality along with bright apple and apricot flavors. If you still have your doubts, give a few of these a try anyway. You might turn up some delicious surprises. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Brdx Blends (?) at JP's, Taste Bud-o-meter

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Syrah/Shiraz at JPs Greetings, Had a nice meal at Sapor. Driving was another matter. Happiness is a well designed electronic stability control system, with an off button. Group is going to JP's on Thursday. Not sure if this is where things settled. Vin du jour was in flux when I left. Wine is Bordeaux blends from anywhere. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:52:46 -0600 Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:08:10 -0600 Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:55:23 -0500 Greetings, Ringers, sparklings, dessert wines, etc. always welcome. Thursday at 6:30 at JPs Bistro. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or Please trim the articles form your replys to me or the list. Bob Betsy Bill Russel Ruth Lori JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Lot of consctuction on Lyndale, so side streets may be a better option. Parking: Meters were free after 6 or 6:30. Side streets may be an option. Pay lot behind the restaurant. Cheers, Jim ----- End forwarded message ----- Which wine drinker are you? Consultant aims to demystify taste By Jane Black Washington Post Article Last Updated: 04/09/2008 01:24:44 PM CDT Of 11 wines on the tasting table, the Col d'Orcia Rosso di Montalcino, a full-bodied, fruity Tuscan red, was Tom Natan's top choice. Adam Manson hated it. Both men have well-trained and well-respected palates. Natan is a partner in the Washington-based importer and retailer First Vine. Manson is a co-owner of Veritas, a popular wine bar in Washington. But the physiological differences in their tongues, coupled with their varied experiences, mean the same wine tastes different to each of them. To Natan, the big, juicy flavors are luscious. To Manson, they are overwhelming, even bitter. And neither is right or wrong, says Tim Hanni, a California wine consultant. At a tasting organized by the Washington Post recently at Phillips Seafood, Hanni analyzed the two men's taste buds, a process he calls "getting your buds done." After watching them taste and then scrutinizing their tongues through an industrial magnifying glass, Hanni labeled Natan a "tolerant" taster because he has fewer taste buds and tends to prefer ripe, concentrated wines. Manson, with more taste buds, is a "sensitive" taster and usually likes more-balanced wines without strong tannins. "Hypersensitive" tasters, Hanni's third category, tend toward delicate, slightly sweeter wines, such as rieslings, that are easy on the palate. "Sweet" tasters, the final group, are also hypersensitive, Hanni says, with confidence in their taste and little interest in learning to like Advertisement drier wines. Knowing your type is akin to knowing your shoe size, Hanni says. Wearing a size 8 is not good or bad; it's just a fact that helps you find something that fits. "People live in different sensory worlds," he says. "We need to acknowledge that." PERSONALIZED RATINGS If it becomes widely accepted, Hanni's system could upend the way we think, judge, even talk about wine. Instead of 100-point scales or talk of "grassy," "gooseberry" notes — wine descriptors that Hanni says can become "insufferable" mumbo jumbo — drinkers would need only to understand what makes up a perfect score or pleasant flavor for them. That can vary widely depending on physiology, sex and personal experience. At a 2006 pinot noir judging in San Francisco, the female judges' first choice came in 35th out of 40 among the men. The men's first choice came in 35th out of 40 for the women. (Women are much more likely than men to be sensitive or hypersensitive tasters, though sex isn't a determining factor.) Recently, Hanni was putting his methods to the test at the first Lodi International Wine Awards in California. He says he developed the awards to help consumers and to improve traditional wine competitions, where he says one outspoken judge can sway other panelists with different palates. Instead of giving out medals, taste-bud-tested judges will bestow prizes based on taste preferences. So, a wine may win a top prize for tolerant tasters but only a bronze — or no medal at all — for hypersensitive drinkers. Consumers who know their type can then buy wines that are at the top of the class for their palate, not an anonymous judge's. His goal, Hanni says, is to democratize wine once and for all. It's something the industry has been talking about for years: getting rid of the snooty sommeliers and insisting it's OK to drink white zinfandel with your steak if that's what you like. "There's no right or wrong" has become a mantra of the new generation of wine professionals. But the overwhelming nature of the wine business has made it tough to persuade consumers to trust their palates. "I don't know of any other industry that has such a broad range of products and prices," says Natalie MacLean, an author and the editor of a free wine newsletter at natalie maclean.com. "There are more than a million producers, and each one makes at least a few wines, all of which change every year. Multiply that together, and it's dazzling, overwhelming and confusing." TONGUE ANALYSIS The Budometer, a computerized palate assessment tool, aims to turn theory into practice. Consumers fill out a survey at budometer.com. that is designed to gauge their tastes. (Hint: If you like black coffee or Scotch or, counter-intuitively, find foods too salty — salt suppresses bitterness — you're probably a "tolerant" taster.) The Budometer instantly tells consumers what kind of taster they are. It offers up styles to look for — tannic reds, New World pinot noirs, Alsatian whites — and specific wines they might enjoy. Starting in May, visitors to Copia, an education center in Napa, Calif., that promotes the understanding of food and wine, can confirm their status by having their tongues analyzed. Hanni developed the Budometer with the help of two sensory scientists at the University of California at Davis. It takes into account a decade of research on taste and sensory perception; Hanni calls it neurogastronomic programming. Designed for neophytes, it asks five questions, but Hanni plans to add a more advanced questionnaire for enthusiasts soon. The extended survey will help people understand how experiences affect or even overcome genetic predispositions, he says. A tolerant taster might love French pinot noirs, which by the book would be too thin and dull to appeal, because he spent his honeymoon touring Burgundy. "The struggle is to take away the mystery of wine without taking the magic," MacLean says. "Tim's idea is a big step forward, because he is not just spouting the old cliches about 'Wine is for everyone.' There's methodology behind his theories." As important as the science is Hanni's fervor for making wine easy, whatever it takes. He developed the first "progressive" wine list in 1985 for Murphy's restaurant in Atlanta, grouping bottles not by country but by styles, such as "light and fruity" or "lush and full-bodied." He also developed and sells Vignon, a blend of salt and spices designed to help any food pair well with wine — even asparagus and artichokes, which are notoriously difficult to match. A recovering alcoholic, Hanni hasn't swallowed a sip of wine in 14 years, something he insists hasn't affected his ability to work with wine. In fact, he says it helps: "There are people who write me off as an idiot, because how could I know what I'm talking about if I don't taste? When I stopped drinking, I became an observer. What I do isn't dependent on tasting; it's dependent on observing and studying and researching why you like what you like." IT'S ONLY WINE Some of his ideas might seem heretical, but Hanni, one of the first two Americans to obtain a master of wine designation, is careful to present his creations in a way that is welcoming to wine novices and unthreatening to the establishment. At 55, Hanni still has a bit of the hippie in him. His most common expression is, "I'm having a blast." Every e-mail ends with his tag line: "Peace, Partnership and Prosperity." The message: It's only wine. Why can't we all get along? So far, so good. Though the Budometer is still in its beta phase, it has had a warm reception. Wine writer Andrea Immer, enologist Richard Peterson and Copia's senior vice president of wine Peter Marks are fans. And once consumers comprehend exactly what Hanni is talking about (the shoe analogy helps), they, too, get excited about the prospect of being able to better navigate a wine list or simply trust their instincts. Janice Iwama, a 24-year-old research analyst who attended the recent tasting, for example, was happy to learn she fell into the sweet category, which explained her intense dislike for red wines. Taster Tom Broughan, a George Washington University law student, said "having guidelines is helpful to focus my picks and get away from things I know I don't like." His previous strategy was to look for a brand he knew his father liked. To be sure, some worry the Budometer may be too confusing for people who just want a glass of wine after work. "Wine enthusiasts love it. But if it adds another layer of information or complexity on behalf of the casual consumer, it may not make it easier," says Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi Wine Grape Commission. "It's one more piece of information you have to know." Then, there are those who just don't want to find out they lack taste buds. Karen McMullen, managing director of Washington Wine and Women, was disappointed the Budometer pegged her as a tolerant taster, because she has always preferred the subtle French and Italian wines she learned to love while summering in Europe as a young woman. Hanni, however, wasn't surprised at all. When he reviewed the selections she preferred at the tasting, he saw that despite her physiology, she did favor the delicate European wines. "The Budometer is geared for new wine drinkers," Hanni says. "Once you graduate intellectually to Karen's level, experience takes over." If the Budometer takes off, any stigma could soon disappear. "You are what you are," says tolerant taster Natan. "I don't mind being tolerant. Isn't that a good thing?" Return to Top The Pioneer Press is happy to host community conversations about news and life in the Twin Cities. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

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