I just spoke with our good friend Mike at Tournament Liquors.
If you buy your tix on the Tournament web site, you can pick them up
at Will Call at the event.
What R U waiting 4?
C,
J
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:43:35 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Fresh Taste Festival, $33
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i
X-Spam-Score: 0.025 () AWL
X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.63 on 128.101.142.226
Greetings,
Our friend Joyce informs us they've only sold 300 tix for the
Fresh Taste Festival.
Sunday, 11/17, from 11 until 5 at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.
Full details, including a list of wines at the Fresh Taste web site.
Tix are just $33 from Tournament Liquor.
Tix are $55 from other sources and $65 at the gate.
Linkes below.
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/August-2008/Twin-Ci…http://www.freshtaste.com/index.htmlhttp://www.tournamentliquor.com
I've ordered my tix, printed out the order details, since I don't know
if they are "e-tickets", will call tix, pick up at the store tix
or what.
If they have to be picked up at the store, we may want to arrange
for a single pick up for the group.
Cheers,
Jim
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
----- 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 *
Greetings,
Our friend Joyce informs us they've only sold 300 tix for the
Fresh Taste Festival.
Sunday, 11/17, from 11 until 5 at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.
Full details, including a list of wines at the Fresh Taste web site.
Tix are just $33 from Tournament Liquor.
Tix are $55 from other sources and $65 at the gate.
Linkes below.
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/August-2008/Twin-Ci…http://www.freshtaste.com/index.htmlhttp://www.tournamentliquor.com
I've ordered my tix, printed out the order details, since I don't know
if they are "e-tickets", will call tix, pick up at the store tix
or what.
If they have to be picked up at the store, we may want to arrange
for a single pick up for the group.
Cheers,
Jim
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
Mendocino Pinot Noir
Jon BonnéFriday, August 15, 2008
Mendocino County has the potential to make some of California's most distinct expressions of Pinot Noir. Most Pinot can be found in the remote Anderson Valley, where cool nights and plenty of coastal fog influence have long provided a haven for Pinot amid the northern redwoods. A stable, steady 2006 growing season certainly provided an opportunity for the region to shine.
This latest round of wines, though, provided further evidence that even in Anderson Valley, focus seems to be shifting to a forceful, oak-driven style of Pinot - more overt power, lots of black fruit and cola flavors dominating over aromas of earth and forest, and lighter red fruit. Alcohol levels are creeping up, too; almost every wine among our Anderson Valley selections cleared 14.5 percent. Several wines among the 42 we tasted revealed such an imbalanced oak presence that it was hard to find pleasurable fruit beneath it.
That said, the quality of winemaking in our 11 recommended wines was impressive. Even if styles are shifting, Mendocino - and especially Anderson Valley - remains a terrific source for Pinot, which explains why some of California's most respected Pinot producers are increasingly looking north to find fruit there.
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Black Kite Cellars Kite's Rest Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($38) Telecom entrepreneur Donald Green and his family purchased the Kite's Rest vineyard site in the northern part of the valley in 1995, northwest of Philo toward the coast. Their Black Kite Cellars showed remarkably well in our panel. The wines are made by Jeff Gaffner, whose Saxon Brown label turns out superior Zinfandels. This blend of the various blocks, the most affordable of the bunch, is a fantastically pure expression of Anderson Valley Pinot, with toasted spice and dry pine on the nose, a bit of funky earth and then layers of buoyant cranberry and black cherry. There's clarity and acid-led definition, doubly surprising given the 14.7 percent alcohol (apparently standard for the 2006 Black Kite wines).
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Black Kite Cellars Redwoods' Edge Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($48) Redwoods' Edge is the highest (321 feet), steepest and lowest yielding of Black Kite's three blocks, providing less than 2 tons of fruit per acre. It offers up a heftier wine, with more overt oak and heat amid a mix of very ripe and leaner, more tangy bright fruit, plus berry-leaf notes, cinnamon and allspice. One taster detected sweet corn. There's impressive delicacy given its size.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Black Kite Cellars River Turn Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($48) By contrast, River Turn is the lowest of Black Kite's parcels, planted to Pommard clone with more sand and silt in the soil. The oak is overt, but to match there is a subtle fragrance: allspice, lavender and floral hints. That's offset with dusty, dark loam notes, sappy cherry, cranberry and boysenberry. The fruit is lush and juicy, and the structure is very well managed.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Deux Amis Donnelly Creek Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($34) Though this Healdsburg producer mostly focuses on Zinfandel, its 114 cases of Anderson Valley Pinot, aged for 17 months in French oak for a toasty hint, provided delicate mint on the nose, plus roasted strawberry and a citrus tang. A richness to it balances out the bright cherried core.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Foursight Wines Charles Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($46) Wine marketing pro Kristy Charles moved back home to Boonville last summer not only to become executive director of the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association, but also to help with this new vineyard founded by her parents Bill and Nancy Charles, and her fiance, Joseph Webb. Their inaugural effort is earthy and focused, very much in the Anderson Valley style, with a mix of Bing cherry, blueberry and rhubarb. It's a straightforward, promising debut, with plenty of delicate red fruit, and a savory, smoky, seaweed-like tinge for nuance.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Handley Cellars Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($30) If anyone knows Anderson Valley well, it's Milla Handley, who continues to strike the right balance of richness and verve in her Pinot. With 29 percent new oak, the nose gives off fiery spicy and wood. Lots of rich, plummy fruit, with bright citrus pith and some wood presence emerging on the finish to bolster what's already a pretty strong structure.
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Jim Ball Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($60) Illinois attorney Jim Ball fulfilled a longtime fascination with the North Coast when he bought the Middleridge Ranch vineyard north of Boonville in 2000. Then he founded this estate winery in Philo, hiring Pinot maestro Greg La Follette (Flowers, Tandem) as his consultant. This ambitious debut shows a full-bore black-fruit style that would feel at home in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Unabashed oak gives off sweet, warm notes of pound cake and smoke, matched by candied cherry to bring a bright note. Power and wood tannins are in full supply, though reining it in a bit would really show off the quality of the fruit.
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Londer Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($35) The Londer family brings a powerful, heady approach to their Pinots. At 14.8 percent alcohol, this blend of four valley vineyards is by no means shy; with a dusty, smoky nose filled with tobacco and thyme, it's defined by an distinct oak presence. Leathery, sweet cherry fruit and a cinnamon tinge on the palate carry through, though a touch of alcoholic heat and a slight grain step forward at moments.
Rating: THREE AND A HALF STARS 2006 MacPhail Wightman House Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($60) James MacPhail seems to bring out the best in Pinot, both from the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley. One of his lighter efforts from the valley (14.1 percent), from a Boonville vineyard planted to Martini clones and yielding less than 2 tons per acre, this got nearly a week of cold soak and native yeast fermentation. It's wildly earthy, almost evoking a Bonnes Mares in its ferocity, but with plenty of sweet, deep cherry and currant to match. Savory notes of dried leaf and meat add more interest. It's intense and nearly flawless, if in short supply (192 cases).
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Naughty Boy Vineyards Potter Valley Pinot Noir ($27) Greg Graziano works far to the east of Mendocino for this Pinot, to Potter Valley, tucked into the hills at around 1,000 feet 10 miles northeast of Ukiah. We liked the 2005 Naughty Boy for its lighter profile and savory aromas, and it delivered quite well again - at least for lovers of that rustic style. Slight hints of mint, dill, tangy soy and tamarind, and a slight impression of earthy Brett overlay its meaty red fruit. Drink now.
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Standish Wine Co. Day Ranch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($45) Strong herbal notes of eucalyptus, hemp and Tiger Balm lead to notably ripe (almost overripe) fruit, with tart rhubarb highlights and mixed bramble berries. An unmistakable oak presence supports the fruit, though a bit of grainy tannin starts to dominate.
Panelists: Jon BonnéChronicle wine editor; Paul Einbund, sommelier, Coi restaurant; Chris Tavelli, co-owner, Yield Wine Bar. For additional recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine.
Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARS Excellent Rating: TWO STARS Good
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/15/WI41127OJK.DTL
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
DIY Annette Peters impressions as you pronounce these wine names.
August 13, 2008
WINES OF THE TIMES
Living and Drinking in the Moment
By ERIC ASIMOV
THE middle of August has arrived, and you know what that means. The stores are decked out with sweaters and woolens, food magazines are beginning to offer recipes for hearty stews and, by the way, if you have Christmas travel plans, you had better book now.
Has anybody looked out the window or checked the temperature?
Here at Wines of The Times, that sort of desperate forward thinking stops right here and right now. Let the ants fuss with their preparations for storm windows and winter insulation; we grasshoppers are still in a relaxed summer mood. We continue to thirst for crisp, refreshing white wines like albariñone of Spain.s finer contributions to warm-weather drinking.
The rocket trajectory of Spain.s transition into a modern wine-producing powerhouse makes it highly susceptible to a focus on the next new thing, in which each pleasant discovery quickly overtakes the last. In the 1980s, albariñas one of the first wines to emerge from modern Spain, which in the current scheme of things makes it positively ancient.
By all rights, more recent moments in the spotlight for txakolífrom the Basque country and verdejos from Rueda should have hastened albariñoward a rendezvous with the scrapheap of has-been wine fads. Yet albariñremain highly popular, especially in the United States, which continues to be the top export market for these wines.
The consistent popularity of albariñs a tribute both to the fundamental appeal of these bright, thirst-quenching wines and to the canny marketing efforts of Spanish winemakers, who made it the signature white wine of the Rí Baixas region of Galicia, in northwestern Spain.
To take the temperature of the current crop of albariñin the marketplace, the wine panel recently sampled 25 bottles, 17 from the 2006 vintage and 8 from the 2007.
For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Stephen Paul Mancini, the wine and spirits director at Union Square Cafe, and my friend Rafael Mateo, the proprietor of Pata Negra, a ham and tapas bar in the East Village.
Most of the albariñ at least the ones that we liked, fit into two main categories. Some were lean and crisp, with pronounced mineral and citrus flavors. Others were round and plump, retaining the citrus and mineral qualities, but emphasizing peach, cantaloupe and tropical fruit flavors.
Either way, the good ones were consummate summer wines, a paradox, as Florence pointed out, because they come from the Atlantic coast of Spain, where persistent rainfall and mist can make summer fleeting at best.
As enjoyable as albariñcan be, they are modest wines, easy to enjoy without prolonged analysis. While the wines were fairly consistent, we did have to navigate through some dull, insipid examples.
That.s not a surprise, given its success. When a wine like an albariñchieves something approaching brand status, some producers may try to capitalize by emphasizing quantity over quality.
Nonetheless, many of these wines remain good values despite the exchange rate. In fact, our No. 1 wine, the 2006 Orballo, was also our best value at $13.
It epitomized what we liked best in these wines by combining crisp floral, citrus and mineral flavors with a snappy, tangy liveliness that sort of lifts one up with each sip. To me, this energy is an essential component not only for a summer wine, but for great wines of any kind.
Of the 25 bottles, 18 were $20 and under. The most expensive bottle, at $31, was the 2006 Torroxal, made in the O Rosal area in the southern end of Rí Baixas, near the Portuguese border.
The Torroxal was altogether fresh and enjoyable with mineral, peach and lime flavors, but it clearly was not the best value in the tasting.
By contrast, our No. 2 and No. 3 wines were less expensive. I especially liked the 2006 Terramaior at $22, both for its depth of flavor and for its persistent minerality, a quality I love. The 2006 Licia, at $17, was more on the plump side with ripe flavors of peach and litchi.
Others in our top 10 that seemed to fit this profile were the 2007 Burgans, the 2007 Viñora and the 2007 Condes de Albarei Salneval.
The 2006 GranbazáAmbar stood out among these wines both for its golden color and for a kind of honeysuckle quality, which suggested sweetness without ever straying over the line. Instead, the wine seemed well balanced with persistent mineral flavors.
As occasionally happens in a blind tasting, some favorite producers did not make the cut. The 2006 Do Ferreiro seemed a little sweet and fatiguing, not at all like the dry, juicy Do Ferreiros to which I.ve been accustomed. We found nothing wrong with the 2006 Martin Codax or the 2006 Pazo Señns, but they could not edge their way into the top 10.
Unlike many other emerging white wine regions, few producers in Rí Baixas seem to be playing around with barrel fermentation or other techniques often associated with chardonnay. As a result few of these wines are overtly oaky or laden with flavors of butter or vanilla.
These wines naturally scream out for seafood. In fact, for grilled octopus, you could not select a better wine.
For those of you already planning your winter stews, see me later for some remedial training in enjoying the moment.
Tasting Report: AlbariñThrough Labor Day
BEST VALUE
Orballo Rí Baixas 2006
$13
***
Lively, refreshing and energetic with crisp citrus, floral and mineral flavors. (Importer: Quality Wines of Spain, New York)
Terramaior Rí Baixas 2006
$22
***
Floral, lime and mint flavors with persistent minerality. (Vinamericas Selections, Miami)
Licia Rí Baixas 2006
$17
** 1/2
Bright and aromatic with sumptuous flavors of peach, litchi and minerals. (Winebow, New York)
Torroxal Rí Baixas 2006
$31
** 1/2
Lively and refreshing with flavors of peach, lime and minerals. (Marble Hill Cellars, Brooklyn)
Burgans Rí Baixas 2007
$12
** 1/2
Ripe and full with aromas of ginger, cantaloupe and tropical fruit. (European Cellars/Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, N.C.)
Vina Nora Rí Baixas 2007
$16
** 1/2
Ripe and round with peach flavors. (Tempranillo, New Rochelle, N.Y.)
Condes de Albarei Rí Baixas 2007
$18
** 1/2
Balanced and lively with peach, mineral and floral components. (C.I.V. U.S.A., Sacramento)
Lagar de Cervera Rí Baixas 2006
$16
**
Crisp and refreshing with aromas of peaches and citrus, and plenty of minerality. (Europvin U.S.A., Los Angeles)
Granbazan Rí Baixas Ambar 2006
$22
**
Ripe yet balanced with aromas of honeysuckle and minerals. (Agrodebazan U.S.A., Newark)
Condes de Albarei Rí Baixas Salneval 2007
$8
**
Pleasing, with flavors of white peaches, cantaloupe and lemon. (C.I.V. U.S.A.)
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
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
FYI
Loire wine tasting this Thursday.
Free parking.
C,
J
----- Forwarded message from Sorella Wine & Spirits <info(a)sorellawines.com> -----
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sorella Wine & Spirits <info(a)sorellawines.com>
Reply-To: info(a)sorellawines.com
To: james(a)brewingnews.com
Subject: {Disarmed} Wine News, French Wine Tasting...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A peek at the wine shelves [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001LA6qbuzPdjdOegzzizRUDKCjm8Ew5VAuymLfEpOKyncpRGcx…]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorella Wine News
August 12, 2008
Vol 1, Issue 8
In This Issue
Wine Tastings
Wine Friendly Recipe
Winebuyer's Picks
New Arrivals
Snail Mail List
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Quick Links
Our Website [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001LA6qbuzPdjdOegzzizRUDKCjm8Ew5VAuymLfEpOKyncpRGcx…]
- Click to see what else is going on at the store including our Summer Beer Sale,
which runs thru August 23rd.
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Join Our Mailing List! [http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1102036493414]
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Greetings!
Has anyone else noticed those hints of Fall in the air? We know it isn't even State
Fair time yet, but we're starting to get the fever for big bold red wines, maybe
even a glass of port. O.K., that may be a bit premature, but we can no longer survive
on Sauvignon Blanc and dry rose alone. It is time to try one of those wines colored
like the contents of a fountain pen. This Thursday would be a great opportunity
to do so when our old friend Chris Osgood visits the store (see tastings below).
If you haven't tried a Cahors (pronounced kah-OR), the so called "Black Wine" of
Southwest France, made from Malbec blended with Tannat and Merlot, you don't know
what you're missing.
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Hours
Weekday hours are 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
We are now open 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Wine Tastings
This Thursday, August 14th, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Rock Star French Wine Importer
Chris Osgood
will be on in our store pouring the latest vintages of his outstanding, hand-chosen
selections from the Loire Valley and Southwest France. A variety of wine styles
and price ranges will be represented. Special pricing will be offered for those
in attendance at the tasting. Don't miss out on this one! Here is the tentative
list of items we will be tasting:
Whites:
Grande Reserve des Bastides Gaillac Blanc 2005
Chateau Jolys Jurancon Sec 2005
Cave de Saumur, Saumur Blanc 2006
Reds:
Chateau d'Aydie Madiran Ode d'Aydie 2004
Chateau d'Aydie Madiran Estate 2004
Chateau Eugenie Cahors Tradition 2002
Chateau Eugenie Cahors Reserve Aieul 2004
Dessert:
Chateau Jolys Jurancon Cuvee Jean 2003
Every Friday after 2:00 p.m. & Saturday, beginning at noon - ending?
A variety of new arrivals and favorites (usually at least 5 wines)
All samples are poured in Riedel crystal glasses - no plastic medicine cups here!
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Steve's Wine Friendly Recipe of the Month
Hello Foodies,
As we start our slide towards the fall season, I thought the best thing to do would
be to get one more grill-friendly item in that I love. I realize this will be two
poultry recipes in a row, but this is a much better outdoor dish than indoor. This
a very elegant dinner treat and buying the Hens at one of the basic grocery stores
keeps the cost down(about 4 bucks each). I'm listing 2-3 birds, depending on appetite
size. Also, you may be able to find porcini already ground if you don't own a spice/coffee
grinder.
Grilled Porcini Cornish Game Hens with Vegetables
2-3 Cornish Game Hens(halved, backbones removed) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
oil
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms(ground in a spice grinder)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick rectangles
1 large red onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick
12 cremini(baby portabellos) mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
flat-leaf parsley, medium chop
With a poultry shears, cut along side the backbone from one end to the other and
then down the other side discarding the backbone. Flip over and cut down the center
of the breast area into two equal halves. Rinse the halves and pat dry with paper
towels. Brush the inner/bone side of birds with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Season both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the skin sides all over with
the porcini 'dust'.
Brush the veggies with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill the bird halves bone side down over indirect heat about 20-25 minutes until
the juice runs clear on the bone side. If you like, do skin side down over direct
heat at the end for 3-5 minutes for more char on skin. Let them rest for 6-8 minutes
while you grill the veggies. When you bring the veggies inside, toss with the parsley.
Serves 4
For chasing down these juicy birds...
2005 Domaine Chene Bourgogne Pinot Noir $12.49
A well made light to medium-bodied Pinot from a great vintage in Burgundy. A pretty
cherry/brown spice nose and flavors with just enough earthiness to marry well with
the game hens. Finding Pinot Noir in this price range and quality level is an amazing
accomplishment these days.
2005 Forchini Papa Nonno 'Tuscan style red wine' $17.49
This is a small family-owned winery in the Dry Creek Valley northwest of Healdsburg
in Sonoma County. A total of 3000 cases made annually of six different wines.
The Papa Nonno if a field blend of mostly Zinfandel, then Cabernet, some Carignan
and some mix of whites they won't let on to. A well-balanced palate of cherry/berry
flavors and light wood spice that is also very applicable to Italian food.
1999 Torreoria Reserva Tempranillo $16.29
Much like a aged rioja, this wine from southeast Spain, inland of Valencia, is a
great poultry, pork and even meatier fish accompaniment. From an old, but up-and-coming
region called Utiel-Requena this wine spends 16 months in American oak and 24 months
in bottle. Smokey and spicy aromas give way to feminine cherry/incense taste that
are fully developed and very silky.
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Winebuyer's "Get 'em before they're gone" Picks
I'm going to try to make this a regular feature. Great deals come our way in limited
quantities fairly often, but they generally don't stick around forever. Here's what's
hot now:
Pine Ridge Encantado, Napa Valley Rose 2006
While we're stocking mostly 2007 roses these days, this particular 2006 is still
drinking exceptionally well due to the Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon &
Cabernet Franc) used to produce it. I've always found it to be well worth the winery's
asking price of $18, but at our sale price of $9.97/btl it is an absolute steal.
1 case remaining at press time.
Sneakers Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Bench 2005
Rutherford Bench is where many of Napa Valley's big boys source the fruit for their
Cabs typically retailing in the $75-$200 range. The "Sneakers" name is meant to
hint at this once prominent winemaker's sneaking around the valley, buying up lots
of wine from his old friends, the aforementioned big boys of Napa. This wine's regular
retail is about $23; we're selling it for $12.97. We started with twelve cases,
there are about two and a half left as of this mailing.
Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut Non-Vintage
This is Italy's answer to Champagne. Made in the traditional Champagne method using
classic bubbly varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a dollop of Pinot Bianco
added in. The Contadi Castaldi is a perfect example of the style with the classic
aromas of fresh baked bread and a pure apple fruit palate finishing crisp and dry.
Was $25.99, Sale $15.97. 5 six packs remaining.
Chateau Menaut Bordeaux Blanc, Pessac-Leognan 2005
This newer appelation in the northern part of the "Graves" region of Bordeaux produces
many of the area's best white wines. This one is 100% Sauvignon Blanc making it
a tad crisper than the wines from here that are blended with Semillon and Muscadelle.
It displays great citrus tones with a touch of minerallity. Reg. $16.99, Sale $11.97.
About 3 cases remained as of this mailing.
Craneford Grenache John Zilm 2005
We've noticed that people's resistance to Grenache is finally breaking down, and
all we can say is - it's about time. Afterall Grenache is the principle grape in
one of the world's greatest wines - Chateauneuf du Pape. We recently blew through
10 six packs of D'Arenberg's Derelict Grenache at about $16/bottle. This wine is
of similar style and quality and also a bargain on sale at just $17.97. Regular
price was $28.99, but another distributor found themselves overstocked on Aussies
and we bought it all up. 2 cases remaining.
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New Arrivals - Milestone Reached?
If you've read the past few newsletters, you know that we have been on the verge
3000 wines in stock. The dust hasn't completely settled, but after adding these
items to the database and deleting items that have recently sold out, my spreadsheet
read 3004 columns. But don't think that we'll be resting on our laurels; we plan
to keep searching for the best wines and the best values from around the globe.
Here's some of the progress we've made in the last 2 weeks:
Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Castle Rock Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2007
Duband Haut Cotes de Nuits 2005
Fillaboa Albarino 2007
Flora Springs Trilogy 2005
Hana Sparkling Sake
Hawley Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek 2002
Karantes Carignan 2005
Kasumi Sake Kim XD
KO In Cot We Trust 2005
Kroara Barbera 2007
Kroara Cortese 2007
La Vendimia Rioja 2006
Karl Lawerence Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Luchador Shiraz 2006
Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2004, 1.5 Liter Bottle
Noellat Fixin 2005
Peller Estate Icewine 2006
Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad 2005
SchichiHon Sake Yari
Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Wieninger Gruner Veltliner 2006
Andrew Will Two Blondes 2005
And certainly a dozen more that we are forgetting.
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Snail Mail
We will be sending out our Fall Wine Sale Catalog in early-to-mid September. The
catalog will be available for download then off our website, but if you would like
to recieve a hard copy via the U.S. Mail, please e-mail your name and mailing address
to info(a)sorellawines.com [mailto:info@sorellawines.com]
Please use the subject "Add to Mailing List." We only use this mailing list 3 or
4 times a year for our biggest sales/events, and we do not share the list with
anyone else.
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Save 15%
Try Something New at Sorella
We like to encourage people (including ourselves) to bust out of their shells, so
we'll be offering incentives like this only to our E-newsletter subscribers:
Mix and Match just 3 bottles (or more) of any regular priced wines in these underappreciated
categories for a 15% discount.
* Sherry
* Washington (State) Wines
* Half-Bottles (375ml)
Our resident cork-dorks would be happy to recommend a few if you find these categories
daunting.
Offer Expires: 8/30/08
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Thanks again for reading. Please share this e-mail with your friends who enjoy wine
and bring them along to one of the tastings. Hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone at Sorella Wine & Spirits
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* 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 *
FYI/FYE
August 6, 2008
WINES OF THE TIMES
Crisp, Refreshing and Greek
By ERIC ASIMOV
IT.S so easy to fall into a wine-drinking rut. We all have wines that we enjoy and look forward to for just about any occasion or type of food, so why even think about choosing a different bottle?
I get it completely. Some people never tire of exploring France, so never daydream about vacationing in Spain. My own two sons, my own flesh and blood, might consider altering their orders in a Chinese restaurant . but they never do. Not that there.s anything wrong with that. It.s just that we are living in a golden age of wine drinking, where so much pleasure is to be had from so many different parts of the world that I find it a shame not to branch out occasionally.
In this spirit of exploration I give you the white wines of Greece, which at the very least will expand your perspective on the popular genre of cool, crisp, refreshing wines that immediately improve any Mediterranean-style meal. You know the type: wines that are lively and unpretentious, that smack of sunshine, whitewashed walls and seafood. They are made to be drunk young and they come most often but not exclusively from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.
Greece simply offers a subtly different take on these familiar wines. But it.s a great different take, with unfamiliar, indigenous grapes grown nowhere else. From the windswept volcanic island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea comes the assyrtiko grape, which produces dry, deliciously minerally wines. The assyrtiko vines, by the way, are trained in little bushlike circles that hug the ground, both to protect them from the wind and so that they can absorb the morning dew on this largely dry island.
>From the Peloponnesus comes the pink-skinned moschofilero grape, which produces highly floral wines that can often have a rosy tinge to them. And there are so many others, like the ancient athiri, the light, citrus-imbued roditis and the textured savatiano. Of course, this is the modern world, so Greece has a growing proportion of nonindigenous grapes, like sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, but so far they play a supporting role.
The wine panel last tasted Greek wines four years ago, at the time of the Athens Olympics, and since another summer Olympics is about to begin it.s time to revisit them. So much has changed and improved.
In 2004, we had to taste both whites and reds to get a full complement of wines. This time we had no trouble finding 25 bottles of white wine. Last time we found too many bottles that tasted tired from languishing on store shelves (always an issue with unfamiliar wines) or that were overpowered by the struck-match smell of sulfur dioxide, used as a preservative but best in amounts too minute to notice.
This time, fewer bottles were dragged down by sulfur, and freshness was not an issue. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by the husband-and-wife team of Scott Mayger, the general manager of Telepan on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and Beth von Benz, a senior wine buyer at Zachys in Scarsdale, N.Y. We were all impressed with the variety of flavors.
.They.re all about summer, freshness, communal eating and all that one envisions going along with that,. Scott said. Beth got even more specific. .Lemon, capers, fish, tomatoes,. she said before trailing off, thinking as well, perhaps, about all that goes with communal eating. I think maybe I haven.t spent enough time in the Mediterranean.
Our No. 1 wine was the 2007 Tselepos moschofilero from the Mantinia region of the Peloponnesus, an unusual yet delicious wine that smelled like roses and tasted like grapefruit. The 2003 was one of our favorites four years ago. Back then I said it reminded me of gewüminer, and I can still see that today. Our No. 2 wine, the 2007 Ktima Pavlidis Thema, comes from Macedonia in eastern Greece, near the city of Drama, and is a combination of assyrtiko and sauvignon blanc. Together they produce a floral, earthy wine with flavors of minerals and lime.
We were all big fans of the moschofilero wines from the Peloponnesus, including the 2006 Antonopoulos; the 2007 Boutari, which was also our best value at $12; and the 2007 from Domaine Skouras. Incidentally, Greece uses a French-style system for appellations, including French-language designations. The Skouras, produced outside the boundaries of the Mantinia appellation, therefore receives the appellation Peloponnese.
Our No. 6 wine, the 2007 Sigalas assyrtiko Barrel from Santorini, so-called because it is barrel-fermented in the manner of chardonnay, was the most expensive wine in the group at $33. While it might be easy to deride a wine like this as pretentious, it was in fact well done, taking on a lush, smoky richness. By contrast, another 2007 wine from Sigalas, made from 70 percent assyrtiko and 30 percent athiri and without the oak treatment, was simply clean and refreshing.
A number of these wines are surprisingly low in alcohol, 12 percent and under, which is rare for a dry wine these days. The Antonopoulos was 11.5 percent and the Boutari and the Skouras were 11 percent. Frankly, it.s not something that you think about when drinking these wines, but it does make them all the more appealing in the sun.
I mentioned that fewer wines had sulfur problems, but one was a wine that I.ve grown fond of, the Gaia Thalassitis, an assyrtiko wine from Santorini. I.d made the 2006 a staple in my fridge and had found the citrus, honey and mineral flavors attractive at any time of the year. But in our blind tasting, I marked down the 2007 for having too much sulfur.
I happened to have a bottle of the 2007 at home and opened it to check again. It, too, was burdened by a sulfur aroma. Even after decanting and waiting 10 minutes, it remained. I may wait for the 2008s.
Tasting Report: Conjuring Whitewashed Walls and an Azure Sea
Tselepos Mantinia Moschofilero 2007
$16
***
Rosy in color, dry and precise with rose petal perfume and grapefruit flavor. (Importer: Athena Importing, Atlanta)
Ktima Pavlidis Themis Drama 2007
$15
***
Pretty and floral, with lovely texture and persistent flavors of citrus and minerals. (Athené Hempstead, N.Y.)
Antonopoulos Mantinia Moschofilero 2006
$17
** 1/2
Tart, tangy and refreshing with aromas of grapefruit and flowers. (Fantis, Carlstadt, N.J.)
BEST VALUE
Boutari Mantinia Moschofilero 2007
$12
** 1/2
Juicy and lip-smacking with citrus, floral and herbal flavors. (Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, Ill.)
Domaine Skouras Peloponnesus Moschofilero 2007
$18
** 1/2
Dry, lively and minerally with zesty lemon-lime flavors. (Diamond Importing, Chicago)
Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko Barrel 2007
$33
** 1/2
Rich and smoky with lush texture and juicy tropical fruit flavors. (Diamond Importing)
Emery Rhodes Athiri 2006
$14
**
Rich and golden with creamy texture and distinctive herbal and floral aromas. (Athené
Megapanos Spata Savatiano 2006
$12
**
Dense and dry with a pleasing texture and floral and mineral flavors. (Wonderful Ethnic Imports, New York)
Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko 2007
$17
**
Clean and refreshing with peach and tropical fruit flavors. (Diamond Importing)
Mercouri Foloi Pisatis 2007
$13
**
Floral and zesty with mineral notes. (Athené
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
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* 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 *
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-wine6-2008aug06,0,4155177.story
>From the Los Angeles Times
MEDIA DISH
Movie 'Bottle Shock' recounts the historic 1976 Paris wine-tasting contest
A film based on the historic event that put California wine on the map -- starring Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman -- opens in Southern California.
By S. Irene Virbila
Times Restaurant Critic
August 6, 2008
"Bottle Shock," a new independent film based, very loosely, on the famous 1976 blind tasting in Paris in which two California wines came out on top, much to the chagrin of the expert -- and very French -- wine tasters, opens today at theaters across the Southland.
>From the husband-wife filmmaking team of Randall Miller and Jody Savin (he's directing; they're co-writers and producers), the film stars Alan Rickman (Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" films) as British-born, Paris-based wine merchant Steven Spurrier, who organized the tasting; Bill Pullman ("Independence Day," "Sleepless in Seattle") as Jim Barrett, the beleaguered owner of Chateau Montelena (which won for its 1973 Alexander Valley Chardonnay); and Chris Pine ("Carriers," "Just My Luck") as Jim's long-haired son Bo Barrett.
Filmed in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, "Bottle Shock" takes a romantic view of winemaking and the significance of that long-ago tasting, embellishing and heightening the drama for the screen.
Four writers took a stab at the screenplay, which in places reads like Wine 101 with the Spurrier character pompously opining that "great wine is great art. I am a shepherd . . . ." Hokey violin music playing in the background doesn't help.
I foresee giggles from the audience when Spurrier's fictional Paris neighbor Maurice, played by Dennis Farina, says he'll return to America when the country starts making wine as good as France's and Rickman lets loose the line, "No offense, but I don't see the imminent cultivation of the Chicago vine."
Still, the filmmakers manage to inject some suspense in the plot (which we all know ends with Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay winning over Burgundies of impeccable pedigree) by having Barrett refuse to submit his wines and his son Bo save the day by making an end run around his father.
Rickman is a hoot as Spurrier, though nothing like the actual man -- who is not at all a snob, though indeed guilty of having a tony British accent. Making the wine merchant a pompous ass obviously works better for the plot.
The sight of Rickman in a three-piece bespoke suit languidly dipping his hand into a bucket of KFC that sits beside him in the crummy car he rents to explore Napa Valley may just be worth the price of admission. He's equally hilarious tasting his first guacamole, or sipping Sauvignon Blanc out of a jelly glass.
Oddly, the film leaves out the fact that it was winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich who made Chateau Montelena's winning wine, focusing instead on Grgich's assistant Gustavo Brambila, the son of a field hand who later opened his own winery. He's played by Freddy Rodriguez ("Ugly Betty").
It also omits (until the closing credits) any mention of the wine that triumphed over the French in the red wine category. That would be Warren Winiarski's 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.
To inject some sexiness into the Napa winemaking scene of those early days, Sam, the fetching female intern played by Rachael Taylor ("Transformers"), who shows up that summer to work at Montelena is given to wearing fringed denim hot pants like a '70s Daisy Mae. And as Jim Barrett, the former L.A. lawyer who bought the property in 1969, Bill Pullman pontificates on viticulture and cellar techniques.
In one scene on his first reluctant day back at his law firm, he gets a call telling him his wine isn't ruined after all (you'll have to see the film), grabs a decorative sword off a wall, beheads a bottle of his Chardonnay and pours wine for everyone before high-tailing it back to his life at Chateau Montelena. The winery is going to make it after all.
In the film, everything gets wrapped up in a beautiful bow. In real life, Bo Barrett went on to earn a degree in viticulture and in 1982 became the winemaker for Chateau Montelena.
Winery just sold
AND ALSO in real life, the Chateau was just sold -- in late July, in fact -- for an undisclosed sum to Frenchman Michel Reybier, owner of the Bordeaux estate Châau Cos d.Estournel. And so one of the wineries that first alerted France to the quality of wines coming from California has now been bought up by the French on the strength of the euro against the dollar.
The film was shot at several Napa locations -- including Chateau Montelena, Buena Vista Winery and Kunde -- and the premiere was held at Chateau Montelena on July 26. It also was shown at Sundance Film Festival in January.
In Southern California, Red Carpet Wine in Glendale recently held a tasting that replicated the one in 1976, and Duke of Bourbon, a wine shop in Canoga Park, is organizing an excursion to the ArcLight in Sherman Oaks this evening to see the film.
Hold on: There's yet another film based on the historic tasting in the works. It's titled "Judgment of Paris" from Clear Pictures Entertainment, and is based on Time journalist George M. Taber.s 2005 book of the same name, with a screenplay by veteran screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen, who owns Kamen Estate Wines in Sonoma. Reached by phone, Elizabeth Fowler, who is producing the film with Clark Peterson, said the film has not been cast.
To see the brief article about the tasting that Taber wrote for Time magazine in 1976, go to www.montelena.com and click on "Paris tasting."
"Last week in Paris, at a formal wine tasting organized by Spurrier," he wrote, "the unthinkable happened: California defeated all Gaul." Get this, though: "The U.S. winners are little known to wine lovers, since they are in short supply even in California and rather expensive ($6 plus)."
Those were the days.
virbila(a)latimes.com
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* 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 *
The Zen of Zin?
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Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: Wine Focus - The styles of Zin
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THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, Aug. 4, 2008
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IN THIS ISSUE
* WINE FOCUS - THE STYLES OF ZIN Okay, so you love Zinfandel. But which
Zin? Zinfandel styles may range from elegant and claret-like to intense,
high-alcohol blockbusters.
* THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB No Billing and No Shipping Until December
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* PEACHY CANYON 2006 "INCREDIBLE RED" PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL ($11.99)
Neither an old-fashioned "field blend" nor a modern "blockbuster," it
falls close to the "claret-style" category.
* THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM Randy "Bucko" Buckner reports on 100
new wines, and the WineLovers Discussion Group extensively debates the
value of a "taste scale" for Riesling.
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WINE FOCUS - THE STYLES OF ZIN
Okay, so you love Zinfandel. But which Zin? Perhaps more than any of the
other top grape varieties except Riesling, which appears in dozens of
guises, Zinfandel may be made in styles that range from elegant and
claret-like to intense, high-alcohol blockbusters.
Not counting the justly maligned White Zinfandel, I can think offhand of
three major stylistic categories for Zin. Some of you may be able to
come up with more:
1. Historic, classic-style California Zin, actually a rustic "field
blend" of Zin with such other usual suspects as Petite Sirah, maybe
Carignan and others. The Pedroncelli 2005 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County
"Mother Clone" Zinfandel featured in the July 23, 2008, 30 Second Wine
Advisor, could be listed as a modern example of this style; Ridge
Geyserville may be one of the most iconic examples.
2. Lighter, "claret-style" Zins with good fruit but lighter body and
(relatively) low alcohol. The Peachy Canyon "Incredible Red" featured in
my tasting notes below fit into this category for me.
3. The huge, blockbuster-style Zins, ranging upward from 15 percent
alcohol, typically fruit bombs and often carrying a style that's
reminiscent of berry liqueurs, tend to win high ratings points and are
immensely popular with those who like them. More suited in my opinion as
a cocktail than a food wine, it's not my favorite style of Zin.
What's more, none of this takes into accunt regional differences in
Zinfandels among the Sierra Foothills, Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and
other distinctive growing areas in California alone.
This month we're looking at Zinfandel as our online Wine Focus project
for August, with a particular interest in examining the various styles
that have emerged in this variety that came from Croatia to Italy and
California and is grown in Australia and elsewhere, but that many now
consider one of the most American of grapes.
You're welcome to join the Wine Focus conversations with your comments
on any Zin from any zone, and Italian Primitivo - which is genetically
identical to Zinfandel - is certainly acceptable as an alternative,
especially for those in Europe who may find it hard to get a good
selection of Zin.
When you post, it would be interesting to try to place your sample
stylistically and discuss how the particular style works for you.
Personally, I'm going to be following my usual practice of checking the
alcohol content on the label before I buy, and rejecting those in the
high-octane range.
To participate in Wine Focus, simply click to
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewforum.php?f=18
The discussions are open for public viewing, but you must register to
post. Registration is free and easy; we ask only that you join following
our Real Names Real Format system, using your real name in the format
"John Doe" or "John D".
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TODAY'S SPONSOR
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It's that time of year again when The California Wine Club offers deep
discounts on holiday gifts reserved now.
Sure, we know that thinking about the holidays during the summer is
tough to do. However, the money and time you save by planning now make
it enormously rewarding in December!
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When you are ready to take advantage of the savings and reserve your
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PEACHY CANYON 2006 "INCREDIBLE RED" PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL ($11.99)
Consciously chosen as the only Zin under 14% alcohol on my neighborhood
wine shop's shelf, this Central Coast Zin is dark ruby in color, with
bright reddish-orange glints. Light red-berry aromas are pleasant but
surprisingly subtle for a Zin, at least within the first hour after
opening, but it does open up well with time, adding richer berry fruit
after a couple of hours and even overnight. Good mouthfeel, tart, zingy
fruit, definitely styled to go with food, with appropriately strong but
not overpowering 13.9% alcohol. Neither an old-fashioned "field blend"
nor a modern "blockbuster," it falls closer to the "claret-style"
category, a niche that I was afraid had just about disappeared. (July
31, 2008)
FOOD MATCH: Excellent with fresh local lamb chops crusted with pepper
and pan-seared.
VALUE: Twelve bucks? Buy it by the case, and doubly so if you find it
discounted below this local price, which matches the winery price. But
at least at this stage in its evolution, do give it an hour or two
before dinner to open up more fully in the decanter or glass.
WHEN TO DRINK: Ready to go now, but its performance under breathing
suggests that this is one Zin that might gain a bit with a year or two
of careful cellar time.
WEB LINK:
Here's a link to the Peachy Canyon Website, which includes wine sales
and a mail-order wine club where the law permits:
http://www.peachycanyon.com/
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Look for vendors and compare prices for Peachy Canyon "Incredible Red"
on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Peachy%2bIncredible/-/-/USD/A?referring_s…
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To contact me by E-mail, write wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond
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THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM
* BUCKO'S WINE REPORTS: 100 new wines
White wines and ros�s from around the world will refresh you during the
dog days of summer, but you'll still need some big reds to go with that
grilled steak. Randy "Bucko" Buckner reports this month on 100 new wines
in a variety of categories.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/bucko/bucko0708.phtml
* WINELOVERS DISCUSSION GROUP: A "taste scale" for Riesling?
Riesling is arguably one of the greatest grape varieties, but it can
also be one of the most frustrating in that it comes in so many styles,
not all obvious from the label. The WineLovers Discussion Group is
talking about a new proposal for a definitive scale. What do you think?
Come, join the conversation.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17337
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LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX
The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on
Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns. Please note that
for a small summer break, we've put the FoodLetter on a short-term
vacation and are skipping some (but not all) Friday editions.
* Tasting Potpourri (July 30, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080730.php
* Recession busters - making a list (July 28, 2008)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080728.php
* Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php
* Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
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All the wine-tasting reports posted here are
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Monday, August 4, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
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* 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 *
July 31, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Slow Train to Champagne
By ROGER COHEN
ÉERNAY, France
Uniformity of style is one of the depressing aspects of globalization, and nowhere more so than in the wine business. The global craving for big, fruity, caramel-laced reds, heavy on berry-filled taste but short on structure, has caused winemakers the world over to jump on the easy-drinking bandwagon.
I drink Chiantis these days that have nothing to do with the wonderful, rough, tannic wine I consumed by the fiasco when a student in Florence in the 1970s. They.ve gone all soft and facile, their distinguishing tannins and acidity smoothed away for the global palate. A peasant wine has been smartened up and undermined. Many Spanish Riojas have undergone similar taming.
The result is wines well-adapted to our instant-gratification world, offering a blast of flavor followed by a great void. Because the new wines yield so easily, they have nothing left to give.
The years cannot soften nonexistent tannins; fruit cannot be offset by nonexistent acidity. Aging is pointless. The Californization of Chianti is globalization at its banalizing worst.
France has not been immune to this rush for a global taste; some wine-growing areas have had trouble competing with aggressively marketed New World wines. But this is a conservative country that knows that ease and good wine are rarely bedfellows, and a visit to Champagne remains a comforting experience.
Here, all the talk is of a redefinition . read modest expansion . of the wine-growing area that has had the right to produce Champagne since a 1927 law set boundaries defined by soil, sun, moisture and the ineffable ingredients forming what the French call .terroir..
Champagne is a name and trademark that have been vigorously defended over the years against everything from Spanish manufacturers of sparkling wine to French perfume makers who thought they could exploit the name.s effervescent associations. Any change in what defines it is controversial.
It is especially so when demand for the celebratory drink from high-rolling new consumers in Russia, China, India and other wealth-accumulating economies has sent the value of land certified to make Champagne spiraling. At the high end, rather than imposing uniformity, globalization accentuates the quest for premium distinctiveness.
The question therefore arises of whether Champagne, in revising its 1927 law, is merely trying to cash in. That would be as depressing, in its way, as the rush to red-wine sameness.
But a conversation with Ghislain de Montgolfier, the co-president of the Champagne producers. committee overseeing the revision, was reassuring.
De Montgolfier.s work has been painstaking. Five years have already passed since the decision was taken to look again at whether 81-year-old criteria for the land that can produce Champagne needed updating.
It resulted last March, after extensive review, in 40 communes being added, and two being removed, from the list of almost 320 entitled to Champagne.s Appellation d.Origine Contrô (A.O.C.), France.s coveted certification of quality and origin.
That decision, taken by the national institute overseeing A.O.C..s, is, however, only the beginning. .Now we will have to go field by field in these communes to determine those able to produce Champagne,. de Montgolfier said. .The first drop of new Champagne will not be made until about 2020..
Once each field has been analyzed . a process that will take at least four years . vines will be planted, a time-consuming process that also involves getting approval from the European Union. After planting, a minimum of three years is needed before vines produce grapes apt for Champagne.
.In the end,. de Montgolfier, .we will have better overall quality because the new criteria are more precise than the old..
That.s change I can believe in, at least where wine is concerned, one that takes 17 years or so from onset to completion. No rush to accommodate the global palate is at work here.
The fact is, of course, Champagne has no need to hurry change. It.s a recession-free zone.
Indeed, some people allude to the current economic slowdown as a .Prosecco recession. . an allusion to the cheaper Italian sparking wine Germans in particular love to serve as a Champagne-substitute. That.s to say, a recession that affects ordinary mortals but not the global elite.
Despite some slowing in the U.S. market, Champagne sales remain strong, spurred by the new markets of an upside-down world.
.Champagne has been brilliantly positioned as the wine of celebration, of special moments, the high-quality aperitif,. said Jéme Philipon, the managing director of Bollinger, one of the finest Champagne houses. .This branding, along with consistent quality, explains our growing global appeal..
Bollinger has just started selling a superb Roséhampagne, its first new product since 1976. The wine.s development took a mere eight years from idea to the market: more snail-paced change you can believe in.
It.s holiday season. My wine curmudgeon.s advice: shun instant-gratification uniformity for the slow, more difficult pleasures born of stubborn tradition.
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* 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 *
