win May 2008

win@thebarn.com

9 participants
21 discussions

by Jim L. Ellingson

As you konw, Craftsman has requested an accurate headcount no later than tomorrow morning. Here's the list as I know it. Bob Betsy Ruth Russ/Sue Jim/Louise If you've contatact Bob, great. Thanks to all who yea-ed or ney-ed. Style is rose' and Petite Syrah. Cheers, Jim Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 09:07:37 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] TBD at Craftsman, rose' ratings (fwd) Heading to Craftsman next week. Short week. Wine style is still being debated, although rose' was suggested. List of pairings in the SFGC makes a good case for rose. OTOH, I've stopped bringing rose' to the group because I find the wines to be so much more pleasant w/o the kvetching. (e.g. the 2.5 star rated Eye of the Toad dry PN Rose I've brought in the past.) Zin or Syrah might also work w/ the Craftsman menu. Cheers, Jim Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:25:18 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Craftsman tonight ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 10:53:50 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, Thursday at 6:30. The Craftsman Restaurant 4300 E. Lake St. (NE Corner) Minneapolis 612.722.0175 www.craftsmanrestaurant.com Hwy 55 to Lake, then East to 43rd. Hwy 94 to Cretin, South to Marshall, west to 43rd. River Road to Lake, west to 4300. Here's my best guess at the list. Lori Betsy Bob Ruth Russ/Sue Jim/Louise Ruth Warren Dave T. Cheers, Jim Rethink pink After tasting 135 domestic rosé here are our top picks Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, May 23, 2008 Rosévary in color from pale blush to raspberry, dependi... Roséas finally shed its sweet label. But with so many wineries scrambling to make a dry roséare the new arrivals any good? Production of premium American roséhas dramatically increased (see the accompanying story). Last year, The Chronicle Tasting Panel evaluated 81 domestic pink wines, 12 of which we recommended. This year the numbers were even higher, as U.S. wineries flooded us with 172 dry still rosé After excluding wines released more than a year ago and those not readily available at retail in the Bay Area, there were still more than 135 contenders to consider. We strapped in for a long ride. More wineries - noticing customer interest and rosé increasing sales - are producing pink wine. Roséan be made three ways. The traditional method is to crush red grapes, then bleed off some juice - referred to as "saignee" - to intensify the color and tannins of the remaining juice. Another method becoming more prevalent is choosing grapes specifically for rosépressing the whole clusters, allowing minimal skin contact, then fermenting it like white wine. Less usual is blending red wine with white wine for a resulting pink. Saignee rosés made by seasoned winemakers like Storybook Mountain's Jerry Seps, who has been making between 100 and 300 cases of Zinfandel roséor the past 12 years, and roséewcomer Blackbird Vineyards, which just released its first vintage of 400 cases made from 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Franc. Paul Leary, Blackbird's chief marketing and operating officer, says the production of roséas not been part of the winemaking regimen, but something both he and proprietor Michael Polenske decided to do as roséovers. Roséf Pinot Noir Other winemakers choose the whole-cluster route. Richard Sanford, founder and owner of Alma Rosa Winery and the co-founder of Sanford Winery, has been making whole-cluster Pinot Noir roséince 1976. Sanford and his wife, Thekla, love dry Pinot Noir Vin Gris for its unique flavor profile, aging it to develop some roundness - the 2006 vintage will soon be released. "Pinot Noir, with its subtle tannins and raspberry fruit quality, makes a beautiful rosé Sanford says. He prefers it to other grape varieties that have more aggressive tannins and can't bring himself to make rosérom anything else, despite the rising cost of Pinot Noir grapes, which curtails his production. On the flip side, Beam Wine Estates' large-volume Clos du Bois entered the roséarket last year with 4,600 cases of its inaugural 2006 vintage, which had limited distribution. Winemaker Erik Olson had wanted to make a dry French-style roséor some time but became more motivated after a trip to Southern France, where he thought it remarkable how much roséas consumed - "more roséit seemed, than anything else," he says. The Clos du Bois rosérogram combines saignee with whole-cluster press. Olson picks some roséesignated Syrah vineyards at 22.5 Brix, a measure of the grapes' ripeness - about three to four weeks earlier than Syrah destined for red wine. Earlier harvest means lower sugar (therefore lower alcohol) and more acidity, which is maintained with cooler harvest temperatures, one reason the grapes are picked at night or early in the morning. Syrah, Olson says, is a natural base grape to use for roséecause it is readily available and affordable. For the 2007 vintage, Clos du Bois upped its production of Sonoma County Roséo 20,000 cases. Besides Pinot Noir, Syrah and Grenache, Sangiovese also make good rosé Washington state's Barnard Griffin Winery, founded in 1983, began its rosérogram almost by accident. Owner-winemaker Rob Griffin's interest was piqued by the amount of dry roséine distributors were carrying from Spain and Southern France. Griffin's friend, grower Maury Balcom, planted 4 acres of Sangiovese, which Balcom intended to make into red wine. Washington-grown Sangiovese, Griffin noted, often makes a mediocre wine, but its fruit is well defined. Picking Sangiovese early for rosénhances its high acidity and the tannins are mitigated by avoiding overextraction. Griffin says, "I made 600 cases of Sangiovese rosén 2001 almost as a lark and it became successful beyond our wildest expectations. It seems that wines that make the lightest reds make the best rosé a lesser degree of ripeness and bright, fruit-driven characteristics that come on early - like Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and some Cabernet Franc - are best in Washington." East Coast pink While The Chronicle's Tasting Panel mostly reviewed West Coast roséthe East Coast is no stranger to it. Wolffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons, Long Island, first made 42 cases of rosén 1992. Only one or two Long Island wineries were making roséhen, but now almost every winery makes one, according to Wolffer winemaker and technical director Roman Roth. Roth, who began his winemaking career in Germany before moving on to Australia's Rosemount Estate, then to Saintsbury in Napa Valley, makes roséy blending white wine and wine made from red grapes. Roth says this blended style complements his red wine program - for instance, using Cabernet Sauvignon for rosén cooler years when it wouldn't do as well vinified as a red wine. Wolffer Rosé the 2007 vintage is a blend of 40 percent Chardonnay, 35 Merlot, 17 Cabernet Sauvignon and 8 Cabernet Franc - sells out each summer, even with the increase from 2,500 to 4,000 cases in 2006. Domestic wineries are making more solid roséBut during this year's panel tasting, 135 wines and 25 recommendations later, we discovered none that soared. Though we liked more wines, the highest rating was 2 1/2 stars; last year, three wines reached the 3-star mark. What's happening? While more wineries are jumping onto rosé bandwagon, the net effect seems to be that there are more subpar wines on the shelves. The panel found bottles that had volatile acidity, apparent bacterial off flavors and uneven winemaking. But there was still plenty to enjoy. The challenge of rosé future is to continue introducing wine lovers to dry pinks while maintaining the quality in the face of ever-expanding production. Winemakers need to discover the grape varieties, appellations and winemaking techniques that make the best rosé I can't wait until next year's tasting. Inside Chronicle Wine Selections F4 | Recipes for rosé5 E-mail Lynne Char Bennett at lbennett(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/23/WIAG10PADK.DTL THE CHRONICLE WINE SELECTIONS: Domestic Dry RoséFriday, May 23, 2008 Rating: TWO STARS 2007 A to Z Wineworks Oregon Rosé$13) Dark, ripe aromas and flavors of herb, bright berry and chocolate hints; a dusky, straightforward palatal grip with black plum skin on the finish. Basic but pleasing. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Balletto Russian River Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($16) A hint of earthiness underlies apricot, tangerine and some candied berry aromas; bright, juicy berry flavors are straightforward and refreshing. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Barnard Griffin Maurice Balcom Vineyard Columbia Valley Roséf Sangiovese ($12) Fresh, full strawberry with a touch of waxed red apple; intense strawberry flavors and sweet fruit core are balanced by buoyant acidity. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Bonterra Vineyards Mendocino County Rosé$14) This inaugural release is made from organically grown grapes. Cherry/strawberry Jolly Rancher, bright raspberry, mint and light peach aromas with fresh, focused palate. 54 percent Sangiovese, 24 Zinfandel, 22 Grenache. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Bybee B Vineyards & Habitat Russian River Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($24) The aromatic nose of black cherry and raspberry is a bit stoic; light but still substantial palate of cherry lozenge, dried citrus peel and red cherry on finish. Some structure from the healthy grip. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Clos du Bois Sonoma County Rosé$12) The perfumed nose offers floral notes with fresh lime, watermelon, pureed raspberry and hints of sugar but has a lean, clean palate. Intriguing bit of minerally grip on the finish. 70 percent Syrah, 30 Merlot. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Clos LaChance Pink-Throated Brilliant Central Coast Rosé$14) Straightforward ripe strawberry, huckleberry and pear, with a push of orange pith on the finish. A solid wine - fruit-forward but dry. 71 percent Grenache, 20 Syrah, 9 Pinot Noir. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Crane Brothers Eye of the Crane Napa Valley Syrah Rosé$20) Light aromatic red cherry, fresh herbal strawberry and pear but a touch of sulfur dioxide upon opening. Bright entry on palate with segue to nice fruit flavors but flattens a touch at the finish. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Epiphany Santa Barbara County Grenache Rosé$16) Tart red cherry, basic blackberry and citrusy tang with herb notes. Linear and a bit blocky on the lengthy finish but bright and food-friendly. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Fleur de California Carneros Vin Gris of Pinot Noir ($13) Luscious cherry and strawberry fruit with nose reminiscent of Jolly Rancher; dry, more serious palate with a zippy mouthful of ripe cherry and huckleberry. Lively and straightforward. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Heitz Wine Cellars Napa Valley Grignolino Rosé$18) California has about 100 acres planted to Grignolino, which means "many pips" in the Italian dialect of its native Piedmont region. Focused acidity and tannins nicely balance the cranberry, tart Bing cherry, nectarine and plum skin. Nuanced with great definition; one of the better Grignolino roséHeitz has made. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 La Crema Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Rosé$20) Some mineral, pine and dusty notes on the nose underscore sweet, brambly berry and subtle peach aromas and flavors. High-toned and fresh with real Pinot Noir depth. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Lazy Creek Vineyards Anderson Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($25) Light-bodied with lively acidity. Savory spice, fennel, cumin and florid peach tones; juicy, bright and invigorating with a depth on the finish from nuanced tannins. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Loomis Family Vineyards Air Napa Valley Rosé$12) More dry baking spice and loam atop the red fruit nose. Cranberry, lemon zest and Bing cherry flavors but the fresh, juicy palate is a bit compressed and underfruited for its style. 57 percent Syrah, 24 Grenache, 19 Mourvedre. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($20) Musky overtones amid sweet but delicate, tangy raspberry aromas; red berry flavors with a slightly soft, floral and rounded finish that shows a bit of alcoholic heat. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Montevina Terra d'Oro Amador County Rosé$14) Lilting red fruit with hints of mint, rose and underlying dusty character. An acid-driven palate with dense fresh cherry, nectarine and tart apple flavors. Tart, grippy finish goes better with food. Nebbiolo with 6 percent Syrah. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 SoloRosa Napa Valley Rosé$17) This "only roséwine is made from ripe Atlas Peak fruit and offers big gushes of dried orange skin, peach and tangy red berry with a balancing touch of tannic grip. 90 percent Sangiovese, 10 Syrah. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Zin Gris ($19) A substantial, earthy style with loam, rustic plum, dark ripe berry and high-toned hints. Plump palate of strawberry-rhubarb compote with bright citrus core offers some depth and grip. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad Sonoma County Dry Pinot Noir Rosé$10) Aromas of light strawberry, cherry and sweet herb with a slight dusty nuance. Light and dry with sweet cherry depth on the lively palate; pretty, with a welcome touch of tannic grip. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Toulouse Anderson Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($22) Concentrated fruit nose with a lurid, almost sweet palate that some people will love, and a tangy finish to lift it. Dense black raspberry, cherry and mandarin orange aromas; ripe strawberry and peach flavors Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Trentadue Monte Lago Vineyard Clear Lake Grenache Rosé$10) Attractive light rose color. Some high tones plus a pingpong of citrus and strawberry jam. A bit heavy on sweet fruit but has a bright, lively palate despite the touch of alcoholic heat on the finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Valley of the Moon Sonoma County Rosato di Sangiovese ($16) Attractive aromas of savory fresh herb, chive and raspberry; some dustiness on the nose. Sweet red fruit echoes on the palate; fresh and clean but a bit of heat shows on the finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Ventana Vineyards Arroyo Seco Dry Rosado ($18) Heavier aromas with dark, earthy red fruit wrapped with lots of pepper and herb notes; lively palate with notable grip, which balances the dense mouthfuls of fruit. 90 percent Grenache, 10 Syrah. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Wattle Creek Yorkville Highlands Rosé$17) Some interesting earth, meatiness and spice on the nose amid apricot jam, tangerine and stewed raspberry aromas and flavors. A tangy, linear finish. 95 percent Syrah, 5 Petite Sirah. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Wolffer Estate The Hamptons Roséable Wine($15) Light salmon color. Fairly complex nose with aromas and flavors of light herb, citrus, peach, mineral leanings and loamy nuance. Great length and vibrancy. 40 percent Chardonnay, 35 Merlot, 17 Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 Cabernet Franc. Limited availability. Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon BonnéChronicle wine editor; Richard Dean, sommelier, Campton Place. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine. Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARSExcellent Rating: TWO STARS Good Winery-only rosé Many wineries make small amounts of roséor their club members and tasting room sales; occasionally they can be found on restaurant wine lists. Here are some recommendations, some of which may also be ordered online: 2007 Amity Vineyards Willamette Valley Ravenous Rosé$18) 2007 Arrowood La Rose Lasseter Vineyards Sonoma Valley Roséable Wine ($20) 2007 Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste Napa Valley Rosé$25) 2007 Frog's Leap La Grenouille Rougante Rutherford Pink ($14) 2007 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Napa Valley Malbec Rosé$18) 2007 Hartford Court Sonoma Coast Roséf Pinot Noir ($22) 2006 McDowell Valley Mendocino Grenache Rosé$14) 2007 Navarro Vineyards Mendocino Rosé$17) 2007 The Ojai Winery California Rosé$16) 2007 Sebastiani Eye of the Swan Sonoma County White Pinot Noir ($13) 2007 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Rosé$17) 2007 Summerland Winery Paso Robles Grenache Rosé$15) 2007 Tolosa Edna Valley Roséable Wine ($18) 2007 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Vin Gris of Pinot Noir ($18) http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/23/WIT810HN4F.DTL This article appeared on page F - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * 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, 6 months

[wine] TBD at Craftsman, rose' ratings (fwd)

by Jim L. Ellingson

Heading to Craftsman next week. Short week. Wine style is still being debated, although rose' was suggested. List of pairings in the SFGC makes a good case for rose. OTOH, I've stopped bringing rose' to the group because I find the wines to be so much more pleasant w/o the kvetching. (e.g. the 2.5 star rated Eye of the Toad dry PN Rose I've brought in the past.) Zin or Syrah might also work w/ the Craftsman menu. Cheers, Jim Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:25:18 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Craftsman tonight ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 10:53:50 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Greetings, Thursday at 6:30. The Craftsman Restaurant 4300 E. Lake St. (NE Corner) Minneapolis 612.722.0175 www.craftsmanrestaurant.com Hwy 55 to Lake, then East to 43rd. Hwy 94 to Cretin, South to Marshall, west to 43rd. River Road to Lake, west to 4300. Here's my best guess at the list. Lori Betsy Bob Ruth Russ/Sue Jim/Louise Ruth Warren Dave T. Cheers, Jim Rethink pink After tasting 135 domestic rosé here are our top picks Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, May 23, 2008 Rosévary in color from pale blush to raspberry, dependi... Roséas finally shed its sweet label. But with so many wineries scrambling to make a dry roséare the new arrivals any good? Production of premium American roséhas dramatically increased (see the accompanying story). Last year, The Chronicle Tasting Panel evaluated 81 domestic pink wines, 12 of which we recommended. This year the numbers were even higher, as U.S. wineries flooded us with 172 dry still rosé After excluding wines released more than a year ago and those not readily available at retail in the Bay Area, there were still more than 135 contenders to consider. We strapped in for a long ride. More wineries - noticing customer interest and rosé increasing sales - are producing pink wine. Roséan be made three ways. The traditional method is to crush red grapes, then bleed off some juice - referred to as "saignee" - to intensify the color and tannins of the remaining juice. Another method becoming more prevalent is choosing grapes specifically for rosépressing the whole clusters, allowing minimal skin contact, then fermenting it like white wine. Less usual is blending red wine with white wine for a resulting pink. Saignee rosés made by seasoned winemakers like Storybook Mountain's Jerry Seps, who has been making between 100 and 300 cases of Zinfandel roséor the past 12 years, and roséewcomer Blackbird Vineyards, which just released its first vintage of 400 cases made from 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Franc. Paul Leary, Blackbird's chief marketing and operating officer, says the production of roséas not been part of the winemaking regimen, but something both he and proprietor Michael Polenske decided to do as roséovers. Roséf Pinot Noir Other winemakers choose the whole-cluster route. Richard Sanford, founder and owner of Alma Rosa Winery and the co-founder of Sanford Winery, has been making whole-cluster Pinot Noir roséince 1976. Sanford and his wife, Thekla, love dry Pinot Noir Vin Gris for its unique flavor profile, aging it to develop some roundness - the 2006 vintage will soon be released. "Pinot Noir, with its subtle tannins and raspberry fruit quality, makes a beautiful rosé Sanford says. He prefers it to other grape varieties that have more aggressive tannins and can't bring himself to make rosérom anything else, despite the rising cost of Pinot Noir grapes, which curtails his production. On the flip side, Beam Wine Estates' large-volume Clos du Bois entered the roséarket last year with 4,600 cases of its inaugural 2006 vintage, which had limited distribution. Winemaker Erik Olson had wanted to make a dry French-style roséor some time but became more motivated after a trip to Southern France, where he thought it remarkable how much roséas consumed - "more roséit seemed, than anything else," he says. The Clos du Bois rosérogram combines saignee with whole-cluster press. Olson picks some roséesignated Syrah vineyards at 22.5 Brix, a measure of the grapes' ripeness - about three to four weeks earlier than Syrah destined for red wine. Earlier harvest means lower sugar (therefore lower alcohol) and more acidity, which is maintained with cooler harvest temperatures, one reason the grapes are picked at night or early in the morning. Syrah, Olson says, is a natural base grape to use for roséecause it is readily available and affordable. For the 2007 vintage, Clos du Bois upped its production of Sonoma County Roséo 20,000 cases. Besides Pinot Noir, Syrah and Grenache, Sangiovese also make good rosé Washington state's Barnard Griffin Winery, founded in 1983, began its rosérogram almost by accident. Owner-winemaker Rob Griffin's interest was piqued by the amount of dry roséine distributors were carrying from Spain and Southern France. Griffin's friend, grower Maury Balcom, planted 4 acres of Sangiovese, which Balcom intended to make into red wine. Washington-grown Sangiovese, Griffin noted, often makes a mediocre wine, but its fruit is well defined. Picking Sangiovese early for rosénhances its high acidity and the tannins are mitigated by avoiding overextraction. Griffin says, "I made 600 cases of Sangiovese rosén 2001 almost as a lark and it became successful beyond our wildest expectations. It seems that wines that make the lightest reds make the best rosé a lesser degree of ripeness and bright, fruit-driven characteristics that come on early - like Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and some Cabernet Franc - are best in Washington." East Coast pink While The Chronicle's Tasting Panel mostly reviewed West Coast roséthe East Coast is no stranger to it. Wolffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons, Long Island, first made 42 cases of rosén 1992. Only one or two Long Island wineries were making roséhen, but now almost every winery makes one, according to Wolffer winemaker and technical director Roman Roth. Roth, who began his winemaking career in Germany before moving on to Australia's Rosemount Estate, then to Saintsbury in Napa Valley, makes roséy blending white wine and wine made from red grapes. Roth says this blended style complements his red wine program - for instance, using Cabernet Sauvignon for rosén cooler years when it wouldn't do as well vinified as a red wine. Wolffer Rosé the 2007 vintage is a blend of 40 percent Chardonnay, 35 Merlot, 17 Cabernet Sauvignon and 8 Cabernet Franc - sells out each summer, even with the increase from 2,500 to 4,000 cases in 2006. Domestic wineries are making more solid roséBut during this year's panel tasting, 135 wines and 25 recommendations later, we discovered none that soared. Though we liked more wines, the highest rating was 2 1/2 stars; last year, three wines reached the 3-star mark. What's happening? While more wineries are jumping onto rosé bandwagon, the net effect seems to be that there are more subpar wines on the shelves. The panel found bottles that had volatile acidity, apparent bacterial off flavors and uneven winemaking. But there was still plenty to enjoy. The challenge of rosé future is to continue introducing wine lovers to dry pinks while maintaining the quality in the face of ever-expanding production. Winemakers need to discover the grape varieties, appellations and winemaking techniques that make the best rosé I can't wait until next year's tasting. Inside Chronicle Wine Selections F4 | Recipes for rosé5 E-mail Lynne Char Bennett at lbennett(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/23/WIAG10PADK.DTL THE CHRONICLE WINE SELECTIONS: Domestic Dry RoséFriday, May 23, 2008 Rating: TWO STARS 2007 A to Z Wineworks Oregon Rosé$13) Dark, ripe aromas and flavors of herb, bright berry and chocolate hints; a dusky, straightforward palatal grip with black plum skin on the finish. Basic but pleasing. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Balletto Russian River Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($16) A hint of earthiness underlies apricot, tangerine and some candied berry aromas; bright, juicy berry flavors are straightforward and refreshing. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Barnard Griffin Maurice Balcom Vineyard Columbia Valley Roséf Sangiovese ($12) Fresh, full strawberry with a touch of waxed red apple; intense strawberry flavors and sweet fruit core are balanced by buoyant acidity. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Bonterra Vineyards Mendocino County Rosé$14) This inaugural release is made from organically grown grapes. Cherry/strawberry Jolly Rancher, bright raspberry, mint and light peach aromas with fresh, focused palate. 54 percent Sangiovese, 24 Zinfandel, 22 Grenache. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Bybee B Vineyards & Habitat Russian River Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($24) The aromatic nose of black cherry and raspberry is a bit stoic; light but still substantial palate of cherry lozenge, dried citrus peel and red cherry on finish. Some structure from the healthy grip. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Clos du Bois Sonoma County Rosé$12) The perfumed nose offers floral notes with fresh lime, watermelon, pureed raspberry and hints of sugar but has a lean, clean palate. Intriguing bit of minerally grip on the finish. 70 percent Syrah, 30 Merlot. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Clos LaChance Pink-Throated Brilliant Central Coast Rosé$14) Straightforward ripe strawberry, huckleberry and pear, with a push of orange pith on the finish. A solid wine - fruit-forward but dry. 71 percent Grenache, 20 Syrah, 9 Pinot Noir. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Crane Brothers Eye of the Crane Napa Valley Syrah Rosé$20) Light aromatic red cherry, fresh herbal strawberry and pear but a touch of sulfur dioxide upon opening. Bright entry on palate with segue to nice fruit flavors but flattens a touch at the finish. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Epiphany Santa Barbara County Grenache Rosé$16) Tart red cherry, basic blackberry and citrusy tang with herb notes. Linear and a bit blocky on the lengthy finish but bright and food-friendly. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Fleur de California Carneros Vin Gris of Pinot Noir ($13) Luscious cherry and strawberry fruit with nose reminiscent of Jolly Rancher; dry, more serious palate with a zippy mouthful of ripe cherry and huckleberry. Lively and straightforward. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Heitz Wine Cellars Napa Valley Grignolino Rosé$18) California has about 100 acres planted to Grignolino, which means "many pips" in the Italian dialect of its native Piedmont region. Focused acidity and tannins nicely balance the cranberry, tart Bing cherry, nectarine and plum skin. Nuanced with great definition; one of the better Grignolino roséHeitz has made. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 La Crema Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Rosé$20) Some mineral, pine and dusty notes on the nose underscore sweet, brambly berry and subtle peach aromas and flavors. High-toned and fresh with real Pinot Noir depth. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Lazy Creek Vineyards Anderson Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($25) Light-bodied with lively acidity. Savory spice, fennel, cumin and florid peach tones; juicy, bright and invigorating with a depth on the finish from nuanced tannins. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Loomis Family Vineyards Air Napa Valley Rosé$12) More dry baking spice and loam atop the red fruit nose. Cranberry, lemon zest and Bing cherry flavors but the fresh, juicy palate is a bit compressed and underfruited for its style. 57 percent Syrah, 24 Grenache, 19 Mourvedre. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($20) Musky overtones amid sweet but delicate, tangy raspberry aromas; red berry flavors with a slightly soft, floral and rounded finish that shows a bit of alcoholic heat. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Montevina Terra d'Oro Amador County Rosé$14) Lilting red fruit with hints of mint, rose and underlying dusty character. An acid-driven palate with dense fresh cherry, nectarine and tart apple flavors. Tart, grippy finish goes better with food. Nebbiolo with 6 percent Syrah. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 SoloRosa Napa Valley Rosé$17) This "only roséwine is made from ripe Atlas Peak fruit and offers big gushes of dried orange skin, peach and tangy red berry with a balancing touch of tannic grip. 90 percent Sangiovese, 10 Syrah. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Zin Gris ($19) A substantial, earthy style with loam, rustic plum, dark ripe berry and high-toned hints. Plump palate of strawberry-rhubarb compote with bright citrus core offers some depth and grip. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad Sonoma County Dry Pinot Noir Rosé$10) Aromas of light strawberry, cherry and sweet herb with a slight dusty nuance. Light and dry with sweet cherry depth on the lively palate; pretty, with a welcome touch of tannic grip. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Toulouse Anderson Valley Roséf Pinot Noir ($22) Concentrated fruit nose with a lurid, almost sweet palate that some people will love, and a tangy finish to lift it. Dense black raspberry, cherry and mandarin orange aromas; ripe strawberry and peach flavors Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Trentadue Monte Lago Vineyard Clear Lake Grenache Rosé$10) Attractive light rose color. Some high tones plus a pingpong of citrus and strawberry jam. A bit heavy on sweet fruit but has a bright, lively palate despite the touch of alcoholic heat on the finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Valley of the Moon Sonoma County Rosato di Sangiovese ($16) Attractive aromas of savory fresh herb, chive and raspberry; some dustiness on the nose. Sweet red fruit echoes on the palate; fresh and clean but a bit of heat shows on the finish. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Ventana Vineyards Arroyo Seco Dry Rosado ($18) Heavier aromas with dark, earthy red fruit wrapped with lots of pepper and herb notes; lively palate with notable grip, which balances the dense mouthfuls of fruit. 90 percent Grenache, 10 Syrah. Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Wattle Creek Yorkville Highlands Rosé$17) Some interesting earth, meatiness and spice on the nose amid apricot jam, tangerine and stewed raspberry aromas and flavors. A tangy, linear finish. 95 percent Syrah, 5 Petite Sirah. Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Wolffer Estate The Hamptons Roséable Wine($15) Light salmon color. Fairly complex nose with aromas and flavors of light herb, citrus, peach, mineral leanings and loamy nuance. Great length and vibrancy. 40 percent Chardonnay, 35 Merlot, 17 Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 Cabernet Franc. Limited availability. Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon BonnéChronicle wine editor; Richard Dean, sommelier, Campton Place. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine. Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARSExcellent Rating: TWO STARS Good Winery-only rosé Many wineries make small amounts of roséor their club members and tasting room sales; occasionally they can be found on restaurant wine lists. Here are some recommendations, some of which may also be ordered online: 2007 Amity Vineyards Willamette Valley Ravenous Rosé$18) 2007 Arrowood La Rose Lasseter Vineyards Sonoma Valley Roséable Wine ($20) 2007 Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste Napa Valley Rosé$25) 2007 Frog's Leap La Grenouille Rougante Rutherford Pink ($14) 2007 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Napa Valley Malbec Rosé$18) 2007 Hartford Court Sonoma Coast Roséf Pinot Noir ($22) 2006 McDowell Valley Mendocino Grenache Rosé$14) 2007 Navarro Vineyards Mendocino Rosé$17) 2007 The Ojai Winery California Rosé$16) 2007 Sebastiani Eye of the Swan Sonoma County White Pinot Noir ($13) 2007 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Rosé$17) 2007 Summerland Winery Paso Robles Grenache Rosé$15) 2007 Tolosa Edna Valley Roséable Wine ($18) 2007 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Vin Gris of Pinot Noir ($18) http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/23/WIT810HN4F.DTL This article appeared on page F - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle

17 years, 6 months

[wine] Terry Theise Tasting

by l.ames＠juno.com

Terry has had to postpone his visit here by one week. The Thursday June 12th tasting will be happening on Thursday June 19th. Same time and place and price, just one week later. Please call Surdyk's and reschedule or make arrangements with them. 612-379-3232. Hope to see you all there the following week. Lori Ames _____________________________________________________________ Click for free information on obtaining a second mortgage. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/Ioyw6i3m32ggZzltpmt4eBU3pVZwO30…

17 years, 6 months

[wine] Food made with wine (fwd)

by Jim L. Ellingson

Some nice ideas for summer fare. You Can Have Your Wine and Eat It, Too By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Wednesday, May 21, 2008; F05 There's a surefire secret to creating synergy between a dish of food and a glass of wine: Make sure the same wine is in each. Some of the greatest wine and food pairings in history are based on that principle. For example, boeuf bourguignon (beef braised in red wine) served with red Burgundy is what we consider a holy grail pairing that all food lovers should experience at least once. Whether it's boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin, when the same wine used for slow-cooking the protein also ends up in your glass accompanying the dish, it creates a natural bridge between the two. Of course, cooking changes a wine's flavor: As it heats up and alcohol evaporates, the flavors intensify. Beware of cooking with wines that are already high in acid; concentrated acidity can prove overwhelming. When you start with a wine that is smooth and fruity, the results can be divine. Case in point: Inspired by the excellent book "Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine With Food," by Evan Goldstein (with recipes by his mother, San Francisco chef Joyce Goldstein), we recently made a Swiss-style cheese fondue. Slowly melting a pound of Gruyere over a double boiler with one cup of Gewüminer, we thickened it with a teaspoon of cornstarch and flavored it with a clove of garlic plus pinches of nutmeg and white pepper. As we dipped cubes of bread into the fondue, we sipped the remaining four glasses of the wine and savored the experience of the same round, fruity flavors in the cheese and in our glass. With the fondue, our wine of choice was a 2005 Hugel et Fils Gewüminer ($19), a deliciously rich, full-bodied white with pear and litchi fruitiness and notes of ginger and cinnamon that is Andrew's pick this week. Anyone who enjoys dipping apples into cheese fondue would find this wine especially refreshing with their next potful. Keep an eye out for the 2006 vintage ($24), which is just starting to hit wine store shelves. With Karen's pick, the rich and velvety 2006 Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay ($18), Wente executive chef Jerry Regester recommends serving caramelized scallops with mushroom risotto. Playing off that idea, Andrew decided to test seared scallops with two butter sauces he made using two different wines. One was the Wente chardonnay. The other was the lighter and crisp-as-an-apple 2006 Domaine de la Quilla Sevre et Maine Muscadet ($12). Both wines are aged "sur lie" (on the lees, or yeast and grape sediment) for eight months, when they pick up their creamy textures and complex flavors. Reducing the wines emphasized the chardonnay's light lemon and vanilla flavors and the Muscadet's herbal, almost grassy notes. Again, each version of the scallops showed a remarkable affinity for glasses of the wine it contained, which became even more evident when tasting the two against each other. For better pairings, consider incorporating wine at any point in the cooking process: Before, marinate meats in wine-based marinades, which serve to soften tough meat fibers as they add flavor. During, poach fish in white wine broth, braise red meats in red wine sauce, stew fruit in sweet wine. After, deglaze the cooking pan with wine and a little stock to create a sauce to pour over the dish. Knowing to add a dash of the wine you're drinking to a dish can be helpful even if you don't cook: In restaurants, when we've found ourselves up against a less-than-optimal pairing, one of us has dribbled a bit of the wine we're drinking into a sauced dish to help the match along. (Don't add too much, because the alcohol isn't cooked off and can overpower the food.) The other night, we ordered dinner in: mussels in green curry. Before it arrived, Andrew reduced one-third cup each of two New Zealand sauvignon blancs that we chose for their tropical-fruit profile, which pairs well with mussels and spicy Thai flavors. The green curry was split into two batches, and each was spiked with a couple of tablespoons of one of the reduced wines. When we tasted each version with its respective wine, food and drink seemed magically to melt into one another. For the aforementioned mussels, reducing the 2005 Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($10) concentrated its green- mango-dominant tropical-fruit flavors, which played beautifully off the coconut-milk-based curry. Reducing the lemon- and grapefruit-dominant 2006 House of Nobilo Icon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($20) brought out its herbal notes and minerality, which played off the brininess of the mussels. Our biggest surprise was seeing how even when pairing similar wines with such a spicy dish, the subtle differences became more evident through this treatment. You can always tell when you hit upon a wonderful wine and food pairing, because it fills the space between the two. When you can find a way to add a splash of whatever is in your glass to what you're eating, not only does that space disappear, but an entirely new flavor experience replaces it. 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, 6 months

[wine] Older = Wiser

by Jim L. Ellingson

FYI/FYE May 20, 2008 Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain By SARA REISTAD-LONG When older people can no longer remember names at a cocktail party, they tend to think that their brainpower is declining. But a growing number of studies suggest that this assumption is often wrong. Instead, the research finds, the aging brain is simply taking in more data and trying to sift through a clutter of information, often to its long-term benefit. The studies are analyzed in a new edition of a neurology book, .Progress in Brain Research.. Some brains do deteriorate with age. Alzheimer.s disease, for example, strikes 13 percent of Americans 65 and older. But for most aging adults, the authors say, much of what occurs is a gradually widening focus of attention that makes it more difficult to latch onto just one fact, like a name or a telephone number. Although that can be frustrating, it is often useful. .It may be that distractibility is not, in fact, a bad thing,. said Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard whose work was cited in the book. .It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind.. For example, in studies where subjects are asked to read passages that are interrupted with unexpected words or phrases, adults 60 and older work much more slowly than college students. Although the students plow through the texts at a consistent speed regardless of what the out-of-place words mean, older people slow down even more when the words are related to the topic at hand. That indicates that they are not just stumbling over the extra information, but are taking it in and processing it. When both groups were later asked questions for which the out-of-place words might be answers, the older adults responded much better than the students. .For the young people, it.s as if the distraction never happened,. said an author of the review, Lynn Hasher, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. .But for older adults, because they.ve retained all this extra data, they.re now suddenly the better problem solvers. They can transfer the information they.ve soaked up from one situation to another.. Such tendencies can yield big advantages in the real world, where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important. A seemingly irrelevant point or suggestion in a memo can take on new meaning if the original plan changes. Or extra details that stole your attention, like others. yawning and fidgeting, may help you assess the speaker.s real impact. .A broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and the indirect message of what.s going on than their younger peers,. Dr. Hasher said. .We believe that this characteristic may play a significant role in why we think of older people as wiser.. In a 2003 study at Harvard, Dr. Carson and other researchers tested students. ability to tune out irrelevant information when exposed to a barrage of stimuli. The more creative the students were thought to be, determined by a questionnaire on past achievements, the more trouble they had ignoring the unwanted data. A reduced ability to filter and set priorities, the scientists concluded, could contribute to original thinking. This phenomenon, Dr. Carson said, is often linked to a decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. Studies have found that people who suffered an injury or disease that lowered activity in that region became more interested in creative pursuits. Jacqui Smith, a professor of psychology and research professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, who was not involved in the current research, said there was a word for what results when the mind is able to assimilate data and put it in its proper place . wisdom. .These findings are all very consistent with the context we.re building for what wisdom is,. she said. .If older people are taking in more information from a situation, and they.re then able to combine it with their comparatively greater store of general knowledge, they.re going to have a nice advantage.. -- ------------------------------ * 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, 6 months

[wine] Think Pink 4 Summer, KALLSEN

by Jim L. Ellingson

Apologies to Kallsen studios for my typos. Two L's please. The Chronicle Wine Selections: Dry Imported RoséLynne Char Bennett Friday, May 16, 2008 More stores and restaurants are responding to consumers' growing interest in roséine, which has become the hot quaffer to quell the heat of warm weather. Both imported and domestic roséare becoming increasingly available - a good thing since more consumers are discovering them. Most rosécurrently on retail shelves are imports, accounting for 76.6 percent of U.S. roséales, according to the Nielsen Co. Still, the number of domestic versions, which we will review next week, is also increasing dramatically. Practically every winemaking region produces this enjoyable pink drink. A similar diversity of grapes make these wines, including red Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, Barbera and Tempranillo, as well as more obscure grapes like Gaglioppo and Zweigelt. Rosés made with juice from red and black grapes that has had minimal contact with the dark grape skins, which contribute color and a small amount of tannins to the wine. Last year, the panel tasted 72 imported roséfrom 14 countries, recommending 11. This year's imports numbered 93, of which 17 are recommended below - a pleasant improvement from last year's less promising showing. Relatively few wines were submitted again this year, including last year's 3-star R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Crianza Rioja RoséBut the number of new entries this year underscores the diversity of choices available on shelves. The majority of our recommendations are from France, which comprised more than 25 percent of the wines we tasted. The French have been making roséor a while and for the most part doing it well. While the wines ranged from light- to medium-bodied, the panel enjoyed those with good fruit expression, moderate intensity, zippy acidity and great balance. Most had minimal tannins - as roséhould - but several showed a little grip, which adds textural interest. Well-made roséenerally garners a solid 2- to 2.5-star rating, though occasionally a few rise above. All should be enjoyable. Try a few bottles, find your favorite and stock up for the summer. Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Bastianich Venezia Giulia Rosato ($15) Earthy nose with loam and herb roots; high-pitched floral note above cherry, dried blackberry, and spice aromas and flavors. Exotic and lean with mineral bounce and grip on the palate. From winemaker and restaurateur Joseph Bastianich, who founded Italian Wine Merchants and whose mother is culinary expert Lydia Bastianich. This wine is 100 percent Refosco - a lesser-known Northern Italian red grape. (Importer: Dark Star Imports) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Cantina Terlan Alto Adige Lagrein Rosé$17) Slight musky aromas with citrus and olive. Dense, almost meaty texture; intense dusty blackberry. Medium body, brightness and grip with great expression. From Italy. (Importer: Banville & Jones Wine Merchants) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Cascina La Ghersa Piage Monferrato Chiaretto Barbera ($15) Slight funk and musk on nose amid tart raspberry and lemon zest, plus earth and mineral notes. Straightforward with bright, acidic backbone. From Italy. (Importer: Epic Wines) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Chateau Saint Martin de la Garrigue Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé$12) Slight herb and chive blossom notes over strawberry and passion fruit aromas; lean, fresh palate with plum, cherry and mineral nuance. Made with 50 percent Mourvedre, 40 Syrah, 10 Grenache Noir. From France. (Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Domaine du Jas D'Esclans Cru Classe Cotes de Provence Rosé$23) More complex, aromatic nose but less intensity on palate; strawberry, orange peel, chopped herb with pink grapefruit peel and grip on finish. Contains 60 percent Cinsault, 30 Grenache, 10 Carignan. From France. (Importer: Organic Vintners) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Domaine Saint Andre de Figuiere Le Saint Andre Vin de Pays du Var Rosé$10.50) Light salmon color with light, delicate body. Strawberry, plum skin and some mineral with fresh herb and a hint of cotton candy on finish; straightforward with mouthwatering acidity. French, with 25 percent each Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 El Portillo Mendoza Malbec Rosé$11) Meaty, peppery, earthy and soy notes under the sweet-tart currant, strawberry with tart citrus and herbal punch on finish. Spice, zippy acidity and grip in this straightforward Argentine wine. (Importer: San Francisco Wine Exchange; the 2007 vintage is imported by Palm Bay International) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Fra Guerau Montsant Rosé$15) Floral aromatics, roasted cauliflower, loam and caramel hints with crushed blueberry and peach skin on finish. A stoic, dark-toned effort with plenty of structure. Montsant is within Spain's larger Tarragona region. Made with 50 percent Merlot, 25 Syrah, 25 Garnacha. (Importer: Freixenet) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rosé$10) Meaty nose of bacon, underripe berry and nectarine with some underlying gravel and tannin on the clean fruit finish. Produced from 50 percent Cinsault, 40 Grenache and 10 Syrah by Jean Pierre Perrin - a member of France's Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel. (Importer: Vineyard Brands) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Librandi Ciro Rosato ($14) Crushed strawberry with peppery spice. Ripe, plush; a little alcohol showing. Mineral punch and grip on the finish. The wine is 100 percent Gaglioppo, which is prevalent in Calabria, Italy; when vinified as red wine, it has been described by some as a straightforward Nebbiolo. (Importer: Winebow) Rating: THREE STARS 2007 Loimer Kamptal Roséable Wine ($15) Stony slate, strawberry-rhubarb compote and crushed blackberry aromas and flavors. Lean, grippy, taut profile with lengthy finish. A standout for the price. It's 100 percent Zweigelt, which is Austria's most widely grown red grape - a 1922 cross between Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent. (Importer: Vin Divino) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Mas Grand Plagniol Costieres de Nimes Rosé$12) Full, weighty and a bit fleshy with a ripe but dry finish. Sweet cherry, ancho chile, cinnamon and plum aromas; similar flavors plus plum skin and some tannic grip on finish. Good even with medium-rare grilled beef. From France. (Importer: Winewise) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Sabine Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Syrah-Grenache Rosé$11) Named after winemaker Charles Bieler's daughter; cherry, peach pit and spiced, peppery finish. Weight and body enough to pair with pork and rare ahi tuna. Contains 70 percent Syrah, 30 Grenache from France. Good value. (Importer: Trinchero Vineyards) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Triennes Vin de Pays du Var Rosé$21) Dry dusty berry, red apple skin; lean with good acidity. Edgy, with pretty fruit on the palate. Pink grapefruit peel and slight grip on the finish. Outperforms its light profile. From France. (Importer: The Sorting Table) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Vignerons des Caves de Provence L'Estandon Cotes de Provence Rosé$11) Sweet raspberry, candied cherry Jolly Rancher and watermelon, with a spun sugar note on the nose, but lean and lively on the palate. Focused and tapered with slight pepper on the finish. Nice summer quaffer from France. (Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Vignerons du Mont-Ventoux Les Demoiselles Coiffees Cotes du Ventoux Rosé$11) Straightforward cherry, tangerine and mineral with herbal hint; lean acidity, light-bodied with long, focused finish. French-made blend of 50 percent Grenache, 30 Carignan and 20 Cinsault. (Importer: International Vineyards) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Vignerons du Mont-Ventoux Cotes du Ventoux O Rosé$13) Concentrated tart fruit on nose, plenty of mineral and herb, with watermelon, orange blossom and peach skin. Well-balanced French roséith less-ripe berry and an acidic backbone; even better with food. (Importer: International Vineyards) Panelists include Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jeff Berlin, sommelier, A CotéJon BonnéChronicle wine editor. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine. Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARSExcellent Rating: TWO STARS Good http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/16/WIT810HM6V.DTL This article appeared on page F - 4 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, 6 months

[wine] Kalsen Studio, Alice in Parkerland

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, A reminder of tonights open house. Also a second installment from Alice Feiring. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 10:02:52 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: fwd: Kalsen Studio Open House and art a whirl User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i X-Spam-Score: 0.011 () AWL X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.63 on 128.101.142.226 Greetings Winers, (no whiners!), This was most excellent last time. Please bring something to share, nothing too precious... Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from Jason Kallsen <jkallsen(a)cpinternet.com> ----- From: Jason Kallsen <jkallsen(a)cpinternet.com> To: "'Jim L. Ellingson'" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> Subject: Kallsen Studio open house for Art-A-Whirl Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 08:09:09 -0500 Jim - One week from today, Friday May 16th, everybody is invited to the studio for a wine party of massive proportions. 5-10pm, come when you can stay as long as you want. That is the opening weekend for Art-A-Whirl, so it's going to be very busy around that neighborhood. Hope to see you and the group there (please forward info). Kallsen Studio Thorp Building 1618 Central Avenue Northeast Suite 6 Minneapolis, MN 55413 612.789.9910 www.kallsenstudio.com <http://www.kallsenstudio.com/> Jason Kallsen cell 952.212.3965 voice mail 952.941.8795 x 301 "We are not creatures of circumstance, we are creators of circumstance." -Benjamin Disraeli ----- End forwarded message ----- Viewing wine through a Parkerized looking glass Alice Feiring, Special to The Chronicle Friday, May 16, 2008 Steve Edmunds, owner of Edmunds St. John Winery in Berkel... Despite criticism of his wines, says Steve Edmunds, "Plen... Wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr., a longtime supporter of... Saddled with the name Alice, I've long-suffered from the inevitable Wonderland reference. However, when it comes to the critical acclaim for New World-style winemaking, I really do wonder if I've stepped through the looking glass. I shun popular fruit-driven wines just as I do cardboard tomatoes. Others rush to them the way mice rush to sugar. Are we really tasting the same wines? Is my palate so peculiar? Or have others had their taste buds brainwashed? It occurs to me that larger forces might be at play, pushing these bold flavors, especially when a respected winemaker gets publicly paddled for making wine in a restrained style. And especially when it's a vintner whose wines were previously lauded, like Steve Edmunds of Berkeley's Edmunds St. John winery. I first experienced Edmunds' wine in the form of his Port O'Call New World Red. This was back at a 1989 wedding in the Berkeley hills, and it was everything I used to like about what California could produce. The grapes in the wine were identifiable as a Rhone-style blend with the taste of those lovely soft, barely cooked mi-cuit prunes from Provence, and didn't skimp on tannic structure, but it also had that California brightness. Uber critic Robert M. Parker Jr. liked it as well. In his early criticism, he heaped on praise, calling Edmunds St. John perhaps the "finest practitioner" of Californians working with Rhone grapes. He remained an Edmunds supporter for nearly two decades, even stating in a 1994 write-up, "I love this guy's wines." But something started to turn. Parker's current notes might say more about where the critic is now, than Edmunds. A couple of years back I traveled from New York to Paso Robles, on assignment researching the region's wines and attending Hospice du Rhone, an annual celebration of Rhone grapes. I'm a redhead who melts in the heat, and the sauna-like conditions on the day of the gala tasting - reminiscent of the real Rhone Valley - made me weak. I gulped some ice water and revived the old curmudgeon within as I grumbled, "OK, there must be something I can tolerate in this room." A few wineries impressed me - Pipestone, Adelaida and Tablas Creek. But California generally is out of my usual taste preference. Still, I was there to experience the scenery, so I sidestepped the exhibiting French vignerons and made rounds of the locals. Right next to where the hefty wines of Turley Wine Cellars were being poured was their polar opposite: Edmunds St. John. With graying blond hair and vintage pre-'90s spectacles, Steve Edmunds, a boyish 58, had a get-me-out-of-here-and-put-a-guitar-in-my-hand kind of demeanor. I took a sip of his Los Robles Red Viejos Rozet Vineyards Paso Robles from the 2000 vintage. I liked it and was so relieved to find Edmunds' mark of restraint still stamped on the wine. The 2001 Basseti Vineyard Syrah was next, all sunny and tasting of olive, with well-knit tannin. Good and healthy tannin. "There's hope," I thought. But not everyone shares my love of tannin, like the guy tasting next to me. He asked Edmunds: "Is this ever going to open up?" Like Edmunds' way of dressing, or his eyeglasses, little has changed in his winemaking. He still doesn't have his own winery. He buys his fruit from trusted sources. He approaches the wines as he has for more than 20 years. The dirt the grapes grew in did not change; neither did Edmunds' approach to the grapes. He still interprets the parcels he uses, with vintage and maturity being the only variables. He picks earlier than most and has never bowed to the gods of new oak. His aim is to work with the power of California fruit and not, as is popular today, augment it. The wine was plenty open for me. I directed Mr. Closed Wine to Turley. Parker on the attack Though Edmunds enjoyed Parker's praise, his scores never made it to the cult status of 95 points or higher. Since his first vintage in 1987, Edmunds' restrained style has made him an unsung hero for those who believe California should lower the sugar and lift the personality in its wines. But in Parker's eyes, Edmunds seemingly started to falter in 2004 and cracked in the 2005 vintage, when Parker slammed him with damning scores ranging from 84 to 87. Where in years past, even middling scores for Edmunds were accompanied by glowing prose, this time the words stung. In the August 2007 Wine Advocate Parker wrote, "What Steve is doing appears to be a deliberate attempt to make French-styled wines. Of course California is not France and therein may suggest the problem. If you want to make French wine, do it in France." "Wow," I thought, "wine critic on the attack." Criticizing a wine for trying to be French? As Edmunds has said, he does not want to augment the power that is natural to California. Was he punished for elegance or has America and its most favored critic forgotten the beauty of restraint? The personal attack seemed out of line, more like a spurned lover. There were also some choice words that would quickly lay me flat on a shrink's couch if they were used about a piece of my writing: "innocuous effort," "one-dimensional," "superfluous." Was Parker was playing the Wonderland Duchess, screaming, "Off with his head"? Parker's style has been quick to laud and hesitant to criticize. This show of displeasure was highly out of character. The words indicated offense, but what could be offensive? Did Edmunds disappoint by not succumbing to a preference for jam and oak? Was this to be a cautionary tale to those who take a stand against non-Parkerized wines? I wanted to inquire what Edmunds' thought of it all. Before we met up for dinner this March, I retasted some 2005s. I found the 2005 Parmelee Hills compelling, with touches of mint, the deep smoked blueberry of Syrah and a definite touch of granite in the rain. The wine had opened more than the last time I had it and was far from superfluous or innocuous. In fact, over the next few days it opened up and showed even more complexity. The Red Neck 101 Eaglepoint Ranch, which Parker said had a "superficial personality," sang with cocoa, forest and plum. Both of these wines were quite closed when I last tasted them five months previous. Edmunds' wines need some time. Sometimes a few months. Parker is an experienced taster, shouldn't he have known this? (I would have contacted Parker, but I suspected he wouldn't take the call.) I kicked off the Edmunds evening with a brilliant skid on the slick floor of New York's Gramercy Tavern restaurant that landed me right on my butt. As I nursed my wounds over a bottle of Beaujolais, Edmunds told me he, too, was mystified by the Parker debacle. It occurred to him that somehow he offended the critic. Perhaps it was a discussion of Syrah on Parker's Web site. "I said that I hoped that Syrah didn't get turned into an SUV, and Parker popped in on the thread and called me a wimp." Vintner sticks to his guns But there is evidence of discontent in the wings. Despite Edmunds' spanking, I'm hopeful that others might have the spunk to lower the dial on the fruit and expose the complexity California wine can have. "Plenty of people offered me encouragement," Edmunds said, "for being willing to take such a beating for not making the style of wine that Parker seems to demand." What helped ease the pain was that far from worrying about hurting his sales, Edmunds' East Coast sales rep sent out a mailing that said: "Edmunds St. John scores mediocre points in the Wine Advocate!" And the wine sold like hotcakes. Maybe I'm not in Wonderland after all. Alice Feiring is a wine journalist, blogger and author of the newly released book "The Battle for Wine and Love - Or How I Saved the World from Parkerization." E-mail her at wine(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/16/WIUU10KEOG.DTL This article appeared on page F - 1 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, 6 months

[wine] Varietally correct at Town Talk

by Jim L. Ellingson

MOstly an update: >From Lori: We are in at Town Talk Diner for Thurs. May 15th. The res is for 10 people and no corkage. The wine is +Identifiable Varietals. One big guessing game! Warren was kind enough to set this up for us-and Bill picked the wine! Thanks guys! Contact Jim for who's going to be there. Bill's wine wym is this: Bring things you feel are good arch types of style and source. Sounds like fun! Posting from todays NYTimes on Soave. Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 12:05:52 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Got Wood, Town Talk Looking to be at Town Talk this week. Back up is Arezzo. Vin du jour is in Bill's able hands. Bill Dave Lori Russ/Sue Jim/Louise Warren/Ruth Betsy Bob I'll be off line until wedesday. C, J May 14, 2008 Wines of The Times Soave Challenges Its Easy Image By ERIC ASIMOV ON the face of it Soave would seem to be about as controversial as a carrot. It.s a white wine, right? An Italian white, which to many people means a crisp, cold, characterless quaffing wine for knocking back, not for savoring. Yet there we were, the wine panel, completely divided over the merits of the 25 Soaves we had just tasted. I had been looking forward to this tasting for a while. The conventional attitude, that Soave was a synonym for insipid, was out of date, I felt, and needed to be re-evaluated. In recent years a small cadre of producers in Soave territory, in the northeastern Italian region of Veneto, had started to take the wine much more seriously. Instead of the bland mass-produced white of the 1960s and .70s that Americans had become familiar with, these producers were making delicious wines with a pronounced minerality that I had enjoyed tremendously. What was different? Instead of the large-scale farming techniques that had emphasized quantity over quality, they had drastically reduced yields in the vineyards, resulting in grapes with more character and intensity. They focused their efforts on the garganega grape, the most interesting of the Soave blend, rather than on the dull trebbiano Toscano. In fact, new rules for the Soave Classico appellation, which covers the best hillside vineyards, prohibited the trebbiano Toscano and required that Soave Classico be at least 70 percent garganega, with the remaining 30 percent made up of pinot bianco, chardonnay or trebbiano di Soave, the local name for verdicchio. I.ve had some good Soaves in recent years, and I thought the tasting bore out my feeling that Soave was a wine on the upswing. I found many well-made wines of strikingly different styles. Some were steely and dry, not conceptually distant from the Soaves of memory yet startlingly improved in quality. Our No. 1 wine, the 2006 Soave Classico from Monte Tondo, is a good example of this type of wine. It.s 100 percent garganega, though, picked by hand instead of by machine, and fermented in steel tanks. It.s a lovely wine, and a steal for $12. Other Soaves, like our No. 4 wine, the 2005 Soave Classico La Rocca from Pieropan, a rich, golden wine with a fleshy texture, clearly show the effects of aging in oak barrels, a technique not usually associated with Soave. By effect, I don.t mean the overbearing aromas or flavors of vanilla and chocolate that typically come from new oak. I mean the gentle effect of the microscopic amounts of air that penetrate the wood, which adds complexity and richness to the texture of the wine. To me, this was all to the good. Stylistic divisions in wine are often presented as traditionalism versus modernism, and I regularly find myself on the traditionalist side because modernism is often code for diminishing what makes a wine distinctive. But in the case of Soave, I sensed no such division. Both the Monte Tondo and the Pieropan seemed to me examples of enhanced Soaves, wines that were improved over what they might have been, say, 25 years ago but that still retained their fundamental Soave character. To my surprise, not everybody on the panel felt this way. .I was really saddened by what we tasted,. said Fred Plotkin, who has written numerous books on Italian culture as exemplified by its food, wine and music. Fred, who joined Florence Fabricant and me for the tasting, termed the changes in Soave .the alleged revival.. .The new point of view seems to be to mask the wine with weighty, heavy elements that are not friendly with any of the food of the area,. he said. .I was shocked at how many of the wines I didn.t like.. Needless to say, I disagreed with Fred. We did find some overbearing examples of Soave, redolent of butter and caramel like bad New World chardonnays, and we rejected them. But the wines I liked, whether of the leaner or richer variety, go wonderfully with food, at least in my experience. One wine on which we disagreed was our No. 10, the 2005 Strele Soave. Admittedly, this was an extreme wine in this tasting. It was oaky, which I would generally not like in these wines, and oily in texture, yet it had a pronounced minerality, with flavors of lemon and almonds that I felt made it focused and satisfying. But Fred felt it tasted of sour cheese. I had no answer for that. Florence and our second guest, David Lynch, the author with Joseph Bastianich of .Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy. (Clarkson Potter, 2005), took something of a middle ground in the debate. David said that while Soave should not be held to a sort of classic ideal, the region was in a profound identity crisis. .What Soave should be, nobody knows,. he said. And while Florence was not as disapproving as Fred she said too many of the wines were burdened by heaviness. These sorts of disagreements are an important reminder of how subjective the perception of wine can be. Clearly, we were all expecting something different from these wines. Yet even Fred and I found common ground on some favorites. Our No. 2, the 2005 Soave Classico Monte Carbonare from Suavia, was intense, juicy and well balanced, while our No. 3, the 2004 Soave Classico from Pieropan, was rich, complex and delicious, and was Fred.s favorite, by the way. And while we all felt that our No. 8 wine, the 2006 Classico from Inama, was pleasing, we also agreed that two more expensive bottlings from Inama, one of the top Soave names, were too hot and heavy. One well-known name, Anselmi, was not in our tasting but is worth seeking out. Quite simply, Roberto Anselmi, the proprietor, no longer uses the Soave designation because he disagrees with the appellation rules. Of our 10 favorites, seven cost $12 to $18, including our No. 1 wine, the Monte Tondo, at $12. Most are inexpensive enough to warrant taking a chance to find out how you feel about them. Tasting Report: An Old Acquaintance That.s Grown Nuanced With Age BEST VALUE Monte Tondo Soave Classico 2006 $12 *** Light, lovely and threaded through with flavors of minerals, nuts, lemon and flowers. (Importer: Clyde Thomas, New York) Suavia Soave Classico Monte Carbonare 2005 $24 *** Deep, intense and juicy with an enticingly rich texture. (Vias Imports, New York) Pieropan Soave Classico 2004 $26 *** Rich, honeyed and complex with aromas of flowers, anise, almonds and minerals. (Empson & Company, Alexandria, Va.) Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca 2005 $36 ** 1/2 Deep, intense and even richer than the .04 Pieropan; aromas of honeydew, flowers and minerals. (Empson & Company) Coffele Soave Classico Ca.Visco 2006 $18 ** Fresh, tangy and refreshing; cries out for seafood. (Bacchanal Wine Imports, New York) Pràoave Classico 2006 $16 ** Rich and honeyed, with lemon, floral and mineral aromas. (Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) Tedeschi Soave Classico Monte Tende 2005 $13 ** Steely and tart, with lingering flavors of lemon, flowers and nuts. (Dreyfus, Ashby & Company, New York) Inama Soave Classico 2006 $12 ** Creamy texture with fresh fruit and mineral flavors. (Inama U.S.A., Napa, Calif.) Santi Soave Classico Monteforte 2006 $13 ** Creamy, floral and focused. (Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York) Strele Soave 2005 $18 ** Rich, deep and controversial, with oily texture and flavors of minerals and lemon confit. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, Pa.) WHAT THE STARS MEAN: Ratings, from zero to four stars, reflect the panel.s reaction to the wines, which were tasted with names and vintages concealed. The wines represent a selection generally available in good retail shops and restaurants and on the Internet. Prices are those paid in shops in the New York region. Tasting Coordinator: Bernard Kirsch

17 years, 6 months

[wine] There could be a terrorist in that bottle of Brunello

by Russell McCandless

Courtesy of Dr. Vino's blog (www.drvino.com) 5-14-08: Not content with the FAA's Global War On Toiletries, US federal authorities are now turning their eyes on another liquid: Brunello di Montalcino! A recent scandal has revealed blending in of grapes other than sangiovese, the only one permissible under the local DOC rules. Now, as a result, the feds are threatening to block US imports of the pricey Italian wine as of June 9. "Part of our mandate is to make sure all labels are truthful, accurate and not misleading to the American consumer," Mr. Resnick of the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau told Eric Asimov of the Times. Um, OK, how about starting with Korbel "California Champagne"?

17 years, 6 months

[wine] Town Talk

by l.ames＠juno.com

We are in at Town Talk Diner for Thurs. May 15th. The res is for 10 people and no corkage. The wine is Identifiable Varietals. One big guessing game! Warren was kind enough to set this up for us-and Bill picked the wine! Thanks guys! Contact Jim for who's going to be there. _____________________________________________________________ Click here to find a massage therapy school near you. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/Ioyw6i3l9dempz8apdxXG5wsU0OUSDp…

17 years, 6 months

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