B-Bob's fascination w/ many things French further explained.
Cheers,
Jim
Chardonnay, when unoaked, has a place at the summer table
By Dave McIntyre
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, August 17, 2010; 3:48 PM
When the humidity sucks the air from our lungs and our clothes stick to us like Velcro, our tendency is to reach for light, refreshing wines. Roséand crisp whites such as sauvignon blanc, Portugal's vinho verde or assyrtiko from Greece fit the bill nicely. We find ourselves avoiding bigger wines, those with bold fruit, low acidity and copious oak. In other words, ixnay on the chardonnay.
But we would be wrong to turn our backs on chardonnay altogether. True, chardonnay has more heft than most other white wines, but sometimes we need a wine with a little more structure to pair with bolder-flavored foods. And not all chardonnay is made in the low-acid, barrel-fermented style. Unoaked chardonnay (which marketers call "naked") has become a fad in recent years wherever the grape is grown, from Australia and New Zealand to California, New York and Virginia.
Unoaked chardonnay is not new. The French have been making chardonnay without barrels for centuries, especially in the northern and southern reaches of the grape's homeland, Burgundy. In Chablis to the north and the Maconnais to the south, unoaked chardonnay is the norm.
So what's wrong with using barrels to ferment and age chardonnay? Nothing. But barrels add tannin and wood flavors to the wine that make it bigger and heavier, fine for richer foods but inappropriate for summer heat.
Chardonnays from Chablis and the Maconnais have another advantage: They are lower in alcohol - typically 12 to 13 percent - than those from warmer climes such as California and Australia, which are usually 14 percent or higher. In winter, that may not matter, but in summer it makes for a more refreshing wine.
This week, I will focus on the mainstay chardonnays from the Maconnais, which are labeled Macon or Macon-Villages. We'll save the more serious Chablis for next week.
The Maconnais lies at the southern end of Burgundy, just north of Beaujolais. But more important, it is where France makes its leisurely transition from the rainy north to the sunny, Mediterranean-influenced south. The wines reflect this shift; they are neither as demanding nor austere as the great chardonnays of the Cote d'Or, such as Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. Yet their structure and minerality make them undeniably Burgundian. Best yet, they are affordable.
The Maconnais has five appellations: Macon, Macon-Villages, Saint Veran, Virélessénd Pouilly FuisséThe latter three tend to be higher in quality and price, while basic Macon is often simple table wine. The most interest and the best values can be found in Macon-Villages. These wines are usually labeled as Macon with the name of the particular village. So you might see a Macon-Uchizy or even a Macon-Chardonnay, from the commune that supposedly gave the grape its name. Each village has its own terroir.
Older-style wines may have a hint of oxidation that gives them an exotic tropical flavor that reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum. The 2008 Macon-Lugny from Maison Louis Latour, a major Burgundy wine shipper, is a prime example and a steal at $13. Many domaines now limit the wine's exposure to air, yielding a slight citrusy nature and emphasizing the wine's minerality. The 2008 Macon Solutréouilly from Domaine de la Chapelle ($20) is a nice example of this modern style; focused and powerful, the wine continues to evolve in the glass and tastes even better the day after opening.
Macon-Villages chardonnay can be delicious by itself, but the wine's acidity and minerality make it an excellent foil for a variety of foods, especially grilled chicken and fish. The key is to be receptive to a style of chardonnay that may be unfamiliar if you are accustomed to New World wines.
Recommended chardonnays
Tuesday, August 17, 2010; 3:55 PM
Christophe Cordier Macon-Charnay "Vieilles Vignes" 2008 Burgundy, France, $23
Superb focus and minerality draw your attention to your glass, where you'll find some really nice chardonnay.
Kacher/Washington Wholesale: Available in the District at Calvert Woodley, MacArthur Beverages, Pearson's; on the list at Adour and Marcel's.
Domaine de la Chapelle Macon Solutre Pouilly 2008 Burgundy, France, $20
It's big for a Macon, with great focus and intensity, plus a structure that unfurls with time in the glass; it tastes even better the day after it is opened. This is a white wine that might benefit from decanting about a half-hour before dinner.
Weygandt-Metzler/Potomac Selections: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Weygandt Wines; on the list at BlackSalt. Available in Maryland at the Wine Source and North Charles Fine Wine & Spirits in Baltimore; on the list at B Bistro in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Whole Foods Market Arlington.
Raphael Sallet Macon Uchizy "Les Maranches" 2008 Burgundy, France, $13
(Great Value)
This is focused and rich, with surprising intensity for the price.
M Touton Selection: Available in the District at Bacchus Wine Cellar, Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Paul's of Chevy Chase, S&S Liquors. Available in Maryland at Old Farm Liquors in Frederick. Available in Virginia at Balducci's in Alexandria, Whole Foods Market Vienna, various Wegmans locations.
Vincent Girardin Macon-Fuisse "Les Vielles Vignes" 2008 Burgundy, France, $18
Ripe and rich, it almost mimics a New World chardonnay, but the minerality at its core keeps it decidedly French.
Vineyard Brands/Bacchus: Available in the District at Zola Wine & Kitchen; and on the list at Againn, Chef Geoff's, Chef Geoff's Downtown, the Oval Room. Available in Maryland at Town & Country Wine Liquor Etc. in Easton, the Wine Bin and Pine Orchard Liquors in Ellicott City, Cranbrook Liquors in Cockeysville, Wells Discount Liquors and Pinehurst Wine Shoppe in Baltimore, Mays Chapel Wine and Spirit Shop in Timonium.
Celine et Laurent Tripoz Macon-Loche 2008 * 1/2 Burgundy, France, $18
This wine, Demeter-certified as biodynamic, is a bit of an outlier. It is decidedly riper than the others, suggesting a cut apple that has been left on the table awhile. After a few minutes in the glass, it begins to reveal additional complexity, and it continues to gain interest for some time after that.
Elite Wines: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits; on the list at Johnny's Half Shell and the Willard Room. Available in Maryland at Chesapeake Wine Co. in Baltimore; on the list at Jean-Michel in Bethesda and Woodberry Kitchen on Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Balducci's and Cheesetique in Alexandria, various Whole Foods Market locations.
Maison Louis Latour Macon-Lugny "Les Genievres" 2008 Burgundy, France, $13
(Great Value)
For the price, this wine is tough to beat. It offers crisp acidity and rich tree-fruit flavors of peach and apricot, with a hint of something more exotic.
M Touton Selection: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Burka's Wine & Liquor, Calvert Woodley, Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits, Circle Wine & Liquor, Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, MacArthur Beverages, Paul's of Chevy Chase, Pearson's, Wine Specialist and Yes! Organic Market. Available in Maryland at Silesia Liquors in Fort Washington, Adega Wine Cellars in Silver Spring, Rodman's in White Flint, Franklin Liquors in Ijamsville, Wine Cellars of Annapolis, Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Old Farm Liquors in Frederick, the Wine Shoppe in Waldorf, Rosewick Wine & Spirits in La Plata. Select Wines in Virginia: Available at various Giant Foods, Total Wine & More and Harris Teeter locations, and Wegmans in Fairfax and Lake Manassas.
Key
*** Exceptional ** Excellent * Very Good
Prices are approximate. Availability information is from distributors and might not reflect current inventory; call wine stores to verify, or ask a favorite store to order through a distributor.
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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 *
* james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *
August 10, 2010
Txakolina, a Tongue-Twisting Name for Simple Pleasure
By ERIC ASIMOV
FYI,
Not sure how to pronounce this. Ask Annette Peters next time we see her.
OTOH, I'm thinking about re-wording Carmelita to Txakolina.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmelita_%28song%29
Txakolina
Txakolina, so much tighter
I think I'm drinking down
I'm all strung out by humidity
On the outskirts of town
Carmelita by Warren Zevon (actually Murray McLauchlan)
I hear Mariachi static on my radio
And the tubes they glow in the dark
And I'm there with her in Ensenada
And I'm here in Echo Park
Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town
Well, I'm sittin' here playing solitaire
With my pearl-handled deck
The county won't give me no more methadone
And they cut off your welfare check
Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town
Well, I pawned my Smith Corona
And I went to meet my man
He hangs out down on Alvarado Street
By the Pioneer chicken stand
Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town
Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
Cheers,
Jim
August 10, 2010
Txakolina, a Tongue-Twisting Name for Simple Pleasure
By ERIC ASIMOV
GETARÍ, Spain
IN the terraced vineyards on a steep hillside overlooking this Basque town on the southern edge of the Bay of Biscay, it.s hard not to feel a powerful thirst. With a salty breeze blowing in off the Atlantic, bright sunshine pouring down and a panoramic view that stretches along the twisting shoreline all the way to Biarritz, the mouth begins to tingle in anticipation of fresh seafood and cold white wine.
This is the land of Txakolina, the bracing, refreshing, often fizzy white wine that is enjoyed throughout Basque country. In restaurants and pintxos bars, on terraces overlooking the ocean or in dark, rustic wood-and-stone cellars, you can.t help but notice Txakolina everywhere, especially as it is often poured in an exuberant arc from a bottle held high above the shoulder into tumblers to create a burst of bubbles in the glass.
.In San Sebastiá you wouldn.t believe how much Txakolina is drunk in the month of August alone,. said Ignacio Ameztoi Aranguren, whose family.s winery, Ameztoi, is a leading Txakolina producer. .Here in Basque country, they drink it year-round. They drink it with meat, too. That.s the culture..
The vast proportion of Txakolina is consumed in Basque country. You find it virtually nowhere else in Spain, except in Basque restaurants, and very little is exported around the world, with one major exception: the United States.
Surprisingly, given its tongue-twisting name, this wine . made from virtually unknown grapes in a light, simple, low-alcohol style . is becoming more and more popular in the United States. As recently as 2001, barely 1,000 cases, or 12,000 bottles, of Txakolina were exported to the United States, according to Wines From Spain, a trade organization. By 2006, that figure had shot up to 76,000 bottles, and by 2009, it was more than 111,000 bottles. Almost all of it is drunk in the summer months, mostly in restaurants where enthusiastic sommeliers preach the culinary benefits of zesty, high-acid whites.
.They.re simple, they.re fresh, they.re easy, and I think that people are starved for something like that,. said Andréamers of De Maison Selections, the leading American importer of Txakolina.
Yet, as with so many things Basque, Txakolina is nowhere near as simple as it may seem, beginning with the identity of the wine itself. In Basque it is mostly rendered as Txakolina (pronounced chock-oh-LEE-nah), but almost as often it shows up as Txakoli (CHOCK-oh-lee). Sometimes you.ll see both words on the same wine label. You might even see it referred to by its Castilian guise, Chacolí
The fresh, lightly fizzy wine made in the Getaríregion of northern Spain . the appellation is Getariako Txakolina . is the most familiar expression, but other Txakolinas are made as well, all worth exploring. In the neighboring appellation of Bizkaiko Txakolina, centered on Bilbao, the wines are less fizzy and a bit fuller and rounder. Bizkaiko Txakolina has many variations, even a little bit of delicious red, made by Doniene Gorrondona, from vines more than 100 years old in the town of Bakio. A third, tiny appellation, Arabako Txakolina, was established in 2003 in the inland region around Áava.
But it is the lightly carbonated Getariako Txakolina that forms the impression many people have of the wine. Txomin Etxaniz, officially established in 1930, but with records dating to 1649, is the granddaddy of Txakolina producers. With nearly 100 acres of vines, it is also the biggest.
Ninety percent of its vines are hondarrabi zuri, a white grape grown virtually nowhere else but in Basque country. The rest are hondarrabi beltza, a red grape that is blended into the wine. The grapes that are grown on terraces overlooking the ocean benefit from the sea breeze, a natural ventilation that helps to prevent mildew and disease in this humid, rainy environment. The vines on flatter areas are trained high on overhead pergolas, and workers constantly trim the vigorous foliage so the grapes will be exposed to the air.
.The grapes have to see the vista,. said Ernesto Txueka, whose family has run Txomin for generations.
Txomin and Ameztoi, and most Txakolina producers, for that matter, are surprisingly high-tech operations. At Txomin, the grapes are hand-harvested and delivered to the winery, where they are immediately chilled down nearly to freezing and blanketed with nitrogen, an inert gas that prevents oxidation, a process that preserves freshness, juiciness and tangy acidity.
The wines are then fermented with native yeasts in steel tanks, also kept cold and blanketed to capture carbon dioxide, which accounts for the fizziness. The carbonation is entirely natural, though it is widely suspected that less scrupulous Txakolina producers illegally inject their wines with carbon dioxide.
Standing on a catwalk in the spotless Txomin winery, one person can monitor the progress of the wines by way of a computer screen. A visitor in July, though, had to use the imagination. After the fall harvest, the first wines are ready to ship by December, and by June, the entire production of 300,000 bottles is sold out. For wine tourists accustomed to seeing last year.s production aging in barrels and the previous year.s settling in bottles, it.s a remarkably swift process, and profitable as well.
The 2009 Txomin Etxaniz is fresh and tangy, with a slightly chalky mineral and lemon flavor. It goes beautifully with the ubiquitous Basque snacks of anchovies and preserved tuna.
If it.s not exactly the image of Old World artisanal craftsmanship, that.s because the Txakolina industry is a relatively recent phenomenon. Wine production was a way of life for centuries in Basque country through the end of the 19th century. Much of the wine back then was red, with some rosé But phylloxera wiped out the vines around the turn of the 20th century, and the industry was slow to recover.
Not until the 1960s did winemaking stage a comeback, said Andoni Sarratea, one of the principals at Doniene Gorrondona.
.The Basque government encouraged planting vineyards as a way of keeping people from leaving for the cities,. he said. .They pushed for white wines so as not to compete with Rioja..
While the vast majority of Txakolina today is white, some producers are experimenting with reds and rosé Gorrondona.s old-vine red, Mr. Sarratea said, was inspired by his study of history. .The real Txakolina of the region is red,. he said. .The old people drink it because it.s what they remember..
Perhaps. But almost all of the deliciously spicy, herbal, raspberry-scented red goes to the United States, where Mr. Tamers, of De Maison, parcels it out in small quantities around the country.
Similarly, Ameztoi revived the tradition of making a Txakolina rosé few years ago. This gorgeously zingy, fruity wine was met with indifference in Basque country.
.This is a town that doesn.t like rosé Mr. Ameztoi said. .We sell it all to New York.. Mr. Tamers got 14,000 bottles this year, yet the crushing demand for it means he can allocate only a few bottles to a customer.
Despite the output at places like Ameztoi and Txomin, Txakolina has a few artisanal producers as well, like Roberto Ibarretxe Zorriketa of Uriondo, which made about 15,000 bottles of Bizkaiko Txakolina last year in a valley south of Bilbao. Here, on an idyllic south-facing slope amid apple trees and conifers, Mr. Ibarretxe grows not only hondarrabi zuri but txori mahatsa and mune mahatsa, the local names for sauvignon blanc and folle blanche respectively.
The apples distract the wild pigs from the grapes, but do little to dissuade foxes from threatening the vines, said Mr. Ibarretxe, a gentle, precise man dressed in a pale blue shirt and dark blue pants. He wears a Panama hat and has a blue cheesecloth scarf around his neck. A pair of white leather gloves poke out just so from a rear pocket.
.Even if I lose a few vines, I have to let the magic of the forest happen,. he said, speaking quietly but intently. .You can.t treat a vineyard for tomorrow, you have to treat it for the day after tomorrow..
In his winemaking facility, really just an expanded garage next to his house, he chills the grapes just a bit, not nearly as much as at Txomin or Ameztoi, and he handles them .tranquilo, tranquilo,. as gently as possible.
The wine itself is smooth and mellow . fresh, of course, as Txakolina must be . but tranquilo, like the man, lovely and dry with tangy, long-lasting citrus and mineral flavors.
Txakolina has come a long way in the United States since 1989, when the importer Jorge Ordoñintroduced the wine, bringing in 200 cases of Txomin Etxaniz. Even four years ago, Ron Miller, general manager of Solera, a Spanish restaurant on the East Side of Manhattan, spelled the wine phonetically on his list so people could order it.
Mr. Tamers occasionally fears that American demand for the wine will have to wane. Mr. Ameztoi, however, has no such doubts.
.We.re confident that anybody who tries this will enjoy it,. he said. .A lot of white wines use the same grapes and the same style, and they.re all the same. This is distinctive..
Can You Say Txakolina?
HERE are some recommended txakolinas. The wines are at their best when young and fresh . stick with the 2009 vintage except for experimental purposes.
AMEZTOI GETARIAKO TXAKOLINA Tart, tangy white ($19); superb rosécalled Rubentis ($20). (De Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, N.C.)
DONIENE GORRONDONA BIZKAIKO TXAKOLINA Spicy Tinto is a rare red txakolina ($28). (De Maison Selections)
GURRUTXAGA BIZKAIKO TXAKOLINA Crisp white ($19) and floral rosé$19). (De Maison Selections)
TALAI BERRI GETARIAKO TXAKOLINA Pleasing, lingering white ($21). (Spain Wine Collection, Congers, N.Y.)
TXOMIN ETXANIZ GETARIAKO TXAKOLINA The crisp, refreshing archetype ($24). (Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, Mass.)
ULACIA TXAKOLINA GETARIAKO TXAKOLINA Apple- and citrus-scented ($17). (Europvin U.S.A., Van Nuys, Calif.)
URIONDO BIZKAIKO TXAKOLINA A mellow, thoughtful wine ($17). (De Maison Selections)
XARMANT ARABAKO TXAKOLINA Lovely, light and delicious ($15). (De Maison Selections)
More in Dining & Wine (2 of 34 articles)
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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 *
* james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *
Point your browser to the website for the video.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/dining/06tipsy.html?ref=general&src=me&pa…
Cheers,
Jim
August 5, 2010
How I Spent My Summer of Riesling, by Terroir
By FRANK BRUNI
On June 21 the sommelier and restaurateur Paul Grieco did something mischievous, idealistic, provocative, ornery and, in its way, rather sweet. Which is to say he summed up, in one sweeping gesture, what makes him such an indelible character in the New York dining and drinking scene.
He revised the menus at his two Terroir wine bars in downtown Manhattan so that anyone interested in a white by the glass would be channeled . nay, forcefully herded . in a certain direction.
Chardonnay? Not an option, unless you were in for a whole bottle. Sauvignon blanc? Same deal, along with verdicchio, séllon, grüeltliner. In their stead you could order riesling, riesling or, if those didn.t appeal, riesling. And that will remain so through Sept. 22, when Mr. Grieco ends what he calls the Summer of Riesling, an act of evangelism for a grape he worships and a distillation of his idiosyncratic ways.
Mr. Grieco celebrated his first Summer of Riesling in 2008, but that year and the next it affected only the Terroir in the East Village, with just 24 seats. (The second Terroir, in TriBeCa, with about 75 seats, opened this April.)
He recalls that at the start, the chef Marco Canora, with whom he owns the wine bars and the East Village restaurant Hearth, suggested that he could make his point and have his fun but run less risk of disappointing patrons if he devoted, say, just half of the whites by the glass to riesling.
Mr. Grieco declined.
Some of the servers working for him implored him to consider the awkward position he was putting them in.
Mr. Grieco told them to buck up.
Riesling, he reasoned, deserved uncompromising advocacy, so that its popularity might finally catch up with what he sees as its extraordinary expressiveness, its underrated nimbleness, its food-friendliness and its cool counterpoint to a hot August day.
.There should be no fallback,. he said recently at his TriBeCa bar. Actually, he declaimed it. I could almost hear the trumpet blasts bracketing his words.
And this was the corresponding visual: above sneakers and cargo shorts he wore a T-shirt with, front and center, an image of a hokey, oversize, fill-in-the-blank tag that read, .Hello, My Name Is ... Summer of Riesling.. That same image immediately greets visitors to the Terroir Web site (wineisterroir.com)
Mr. Grieco, 44, tends to dress for effect. In a fancy mood he favors seersucker and striped suits, and pairs brightly colored shirts . Paul Smith is his preferred label . with boldly patterned ties. His philosophy when he puts together an outfit, he explained, is that .if, upon first reflection, you look at it and say it clashes, then I.ve accomplished my goal..
He grooms for effect, too, maintaining a mustache so thin that it prompts a double take . is that lip liner or actual hair? . and a goatee that on this occasion crawled like a spider plant to a destination below his chin. His natty-meets-naughty aesthetic is all his own, and it carries over to his phraseology, which weds scholarly words and cheeky colloquialisms. A little-known wine, for example, is .esoteric juice..
Riesling as a category isn.t esoteric, but a by-the-glass list of whites with about two dozen rieslings and nothing else certainly qualifies. I asked him: doesn.t it invert, or at least pervert, the usual relationship of restaurant host to guest?
He nodded, pensively.
.I.m taking a somewhat inhospitable view,. he conceded, adding, with a sparkle in his eye: .Let.s be honest. I.m forcing it down your throat..
He has been building toward this brand of naughty defiance since Hearth.s opening in 2003, when the wine list was less a presentation of alternatives than a volume of gonzo literature, thick with messianic riffs and madcap digressions.
Hearth.s current list preserves that spirit, presenting this meditation on one of the proprietors of Chateau Musar, a Lebanese winery: .If Jesus and Satan had a son (I guess the first question should be: in which state would Jesus and Satan get married?), he would be called Serge Hochar,. Mr. Grieco wrote. .He is my savior and tormentor..
At Insieme, a restaurant in Midtown that Mr. Canora and Mr. Grieco ran from 2007 until late last year, Mr. Grieco used an entire page of the wine list to link a celebrity in the news with a bottle of muscat on the menu.
.I cannot express the joy I felt earlier this week with the release of Paris Hilton from L.A. County jail,. he wrote, with gentle sarcasm. .The previous three weeks had been a living hell, wondering how she was doing.. This went on for many sentences, concluding with an exhortation that customers .celebrate with a cool little superfluous wine from southern Italy. It sparkles like Paris.s eyes, it titillates the soul like Paris.s video..
Where in the world did Mr. Grieco come from? Toronto, where his paternal grandfather opened what Mr. Grieco says was that city.s first formal Italian restaurant, La Scala, in 1961. It was a true family business, employing Mr. Grieco.s father and then Mr. Grieco, who bartended there after dropping out of college.
He relocated in 1991 to New York, where he worked as a waiter or manager in various Manhattan restaurants, starting with Remi. Its general manager at the time, Chris Cannon, says Mr. Grieco stood out for his fierce work ethic and vivid attire, which included a jacket with such broad gold and blue stripes that it called to mind pajamas.
.He likes to stir the pot,. Mr. Cannon said.
Mr. Grieco later moved to Gramercy Tavern, where he was named the beverage director in the late 1990s. By then, he said, he had caught the wine bug and, through travel and tasting, educated himself extensively. He largely credits a predecessor at Gramercy, Steven Olson, with opening his eyes (and palate) to the full magnificence of riesling.
I first really talked with him back at Insieme, asking him to choose the wines for my table. He brought us two bottles of red, each label obscured, and challenged us to guess which was from the Old World (Italy, say, or France) and which from the New (e.g. the Americas). This wasn.t conventional sommelier behavior, but it perfectly read the table.s mood . and captured Mr. Grieco.s particular charisma. For him playfulness and passion trump propriety.
At the Terroirs the wine lists, in three-ring binders, are chaotic with stickers, maps, photos, cartoons and, of course, Mr. Grieco.s musings, which touch on the Tea Party, Lindsay Lohan, the Emperor Palpatine in the .Star Wars. movies, Eliot Spitzer, global warming, Greek mythology and the Greek debt crisis, for which he proposes an oenological palliative: riesling, on account of its .bang for the buck..
The current Summer of Riesling is his most aggressive, and included a recent four-band concert at the Knitting Factory, where the only alcoholic beverage on hand was . you.ll never believe this . riesling.
I.m not nearly as mad for it as he is, and have cursed him at times for his stridency. But thanks to him and the two Terroirs, I do appreciate riesling more than ever. In that sense, I guess, Mr. Grieco has saved me . amid a minor measure of torment.
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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 *
* james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *
FYI:Amazon.com has a terrific deal on Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glasses. In the following link, you can find at the top of the first page, a set of 6 plus 2 bonus (total of 8) Vinum Bordeaux glasses for $136.83. If you can wait 5 to 9 business days, you can get free Super Saving Shipping. That means you get the 8 glasses for $17.10 each!!!! Regular price is typically $25-$28 each, plus sales tax.Ted Trampe
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A1055398%2Ck%3ARiedel%2Cp_8%3A222903…
Just in time for the dawg days of August (Daug Days?)
Cheers,
Jim
2009 Pinot Gris
Lynne Char Bennett
Sunday, August 1, 2010
2009 Acrobat Oregon Pinot Gris 2009 Castle Rock Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2009 Cline Cellars Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris 2009 Etude Wines Carneros Pinot Gris More...
Say the word "Pinot" and although most folks will answer "Noir," nowadays "Gris" is often the reply.
Pinot Gris - a mutation of Pinot Noir - is perhaps the most important white grape variety in Oregon, and increasingly in California. California bottlings made up nearly 40 percent of 3 dozen wines in this tasting.
Pinot Gris can offer more body, acidity and definitive fruit than Pinot Grigio (another name for the same grape), which is usually a fresh but unassuming, straightforward quaff.
This year, we were pleasantly surprised to discover more consistent quality. Most were bottlings that we would enjoy with dinner - a testament to the very food-friendly nature of this grape and a familial character shared with its Pinot Noir cousin.
2009 Acrobat Oregon Pinot Gris ($12): King Estate's second label sees time on its lees, though less than the King Estate Signature bottling. Medium-bodied; ripe and fruity with apple, pear and white peach underscored by tart citrus and hint of mineral. Fairly long, crisp finish.
2009 Castle Rock Willamette Valley Pinot Gris ($14): Castle Rock, a consistent performer in tastings, began sourcing Oregon fruit about five years ago. This is the company's second Pinot Gris but the first from Willamette Valley. Fresh and clean with sweet fruit and floral hints to accompany the light, lively palate. Well balanced with a long finish.
2009 Cline Cellars Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris ($12): Cline Cellars - known for its Rhone varietals and Zinfandel - also makes a goodly amount of Pinot Gris, sourced from the cool, breezy Petaluma Gap. An interesting light coppery-pink color; red apple, pear and cantaloupe with a savory hint; zippy but balanced acidity. Good availability.
2009 Etude Wines Carneros Pinot Gris ($24): Fruit for this wine comes from estate vineyards planted to certified Alsatian clones, which were planted a decade ago. A richer style, with Granny Smith apple, stone fruit and delicate tangerine; citrus zest on the finish.
2009 King Estate Winery Signature Oregon Pinot Gris ($17): Winemaker Jeff Kandarian kept 100 percent of this wine on the yeast for five months, which gives it the weight and mouthfeel to support this wine's riper style. Apple, pear and papaya with high citrus notes. Good acidity.
2009 Kings Ridge Oregon Pinot Gris ($13): This brand is from Union Wine Co., which brought on winemaker Greg Bauer last year to manage the new winery. Kiwi, apple, slight tropical fruit and stony aromas. A slightly round palate that hints at a bit of alcoholic heat; ending with more citrusy finish.
2009 Taz Santa Barbara County Pinot Gris ($15): After growing Napa Valley grapes for 40 years, Bob "Taz" Steinhauer moved to Santa Barbara County to further his craft. Fresh peach and yuzu with honeydew melon and pineapple. Juicy, tangy and a little creamy. A lovely, expressive bottling.
Panelists: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer; Pierre Gulick, sales representative, Dee Vine Wines; and John Vuong, sommelier, Gary Danko.
Lynne Char Bennett is a Chronicle staff writer. E-mail her at lbennett(a)sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/01/FDFD1EL6N4.DTL
This article appeared on page K - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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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 *
* james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *
