Probably preaching to the choir w.r.to number 5.
Cheers,
Five ways to drink well for less
Jon BonnéSunday, March 22, 2009
Cutting your wine budget is as simple as being open-minded.
When I ran out of money my freshman year in college, even ramen was too big a luxury. I spent over a month straight eating boiled macaroni. Plain. On Sundays I'd splurge for New York City's hugest slice of pizza (thanks, Koronet!), getting the better part of 2,000 calories for less than two bucks. Classy.
Compared to my noodle days, cutting my wine budget lately has been a breeze. It's as simple as being open-minded, and if it takes a corkscrewing economy to break us out of our wine ruts, so be it.
Do you really love that Chardonnay, or are you just scared of change? Here are five helpful ideas for drinking well in these trying times:
1. Try something new. The other night at the bar of one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants, I cringed as the guy behind my left shoulder shouted - loudly - for a glass of Pinot Grigio without even glancing at an innovative but Grigio-free wine list that contained everything from Spanish Godello to Carneros Cabernet Franc. It's 2009. Have we not evolved?
Pledge that you will try just one new type of wine this week. Stop and read the wine list. Check the three cheapest bottles, which just might be the most interesting. Ask questions about completely unpronounceable stuff.
Happiness right now lies in the less obvious. Maybe Portugal's Vinho Verde should be the official wine of the recession. Fresh, fizzy, totally without gravitas. Or Picpoul from the southern Rhone - tart, laser-sharp, always at attention. Or Chenin Blanc from South Africa (or Clarksburg, or Saumur). All should be available around $10 or less. Same with Monastrell or Bonarda. You won't remember them the rest of your life, but you don't need to.
While we're here, let's deal with the immortal love of Pinot Noir, ever more hobbled by its out-of-control popularity. Watch carefully as I perform my Jedi mind trick: These are not the wines you're looking for. Seek out Gamay, Blaufrankisch, Pineau d'Aunis. Look to Syrah, which might well be what you want in Pinot anyway.
2. Try somewhere new. Suspend your addiction to Napa Cabernet or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Catch a new region on its ascent. A decade ago, most of us never would have cited Extremadura, Puglia, Burgenland, Lake County's Red Hills or the Wahluke Slope as prime winemaking territory.
And obscurity now provides extra street cred. French vin de table, once a sign of rotgut, can now be more cutting-edge than those fuddy old appellations. Just look at a lineup like Vins Contéfrom the Loire, whose Gama Sutra might be to the trucker-cap set what Beaujolais was to their parents.
3. Revisit some old friends. Feels like ages, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. You, Gascony whites, we had such great times together at the picnic. And, Amador Zin, have you been hiding in the mountains? Wait - you all say you're still under 10 bucks? Really? We gotta catch up.
4. Learn to love steel. Or concrete. Or neutral oak. Wines made without the use of new wood flavors simply cost less to produce. If you're an oak lover, keep in mind that you're paying for your palate. This isn't just Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino. There are hundreds of examples of red wines made with Grenache, Refosco, Blaufrankisch, Nero d'Avola and anything else under the sun that give ample pleasure without oak.
5. Stop caring about what we think. Even the most carefree collector has a by-the-case bargain for Tuesday nights. Now isn't a time to worry about making an impression. You can get Gruner Veltliner from Berger or Ebner Ebenauer (see In Our Glasses, this page) for around $10 for a full liter - a size that stores beautifully in the fridge. Live with the screwcap. Your sommelier won't hold it against you.
When it comes to the fancy stuff, could it be time to start drinking your stash? You don't have to polish off your last bottle of '95 Insignia but really, do you need to keep aging that 2003 Cahors? You can refill. Enjoy what you took all that trouble to acquire in the first place.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal's wine duo celebrated the 10th anniversary of their Open That Bottle Night, meant to commemorate one special bottle from the cellar. Let's take the logical next step and declare this Open That Bottle Year.
Jon Bonnés The Chronicle's wine editor. E-mail him at jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/22/FDVL16EGT7.DTL
This article appeared on page E - 5 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 *
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Points for presentation - fyi/fye
March 15, 2009
Uncorked!
By KATHERINE BINDLEY
SPEND $500 on two magnums of Veuve Clicquot Champagne at Bagatelle on West 13th Street in the meatpacking district, and the bottles are delivered to your table with lighted sparklers stuck in their corks.
Spend $2,500 on a jeroboam of Veuve Clicquot and some magnums of Dom Pégnon, and the lights dim, the D.J. cues up the theme from .Superman,. and a waiter is hoisted onto the shoulders of his fellow servers. With a tablecloth knotted around his neck as a makeshift cape and his arms outstretched, he carries one of the blazing bottles of bubbly to your table.
As the waiter soars through the air, he does so against a backdrop of patrons fist-pumping Champagne flutes, flashing cameras capturing pictures ripe for Facebook and a dozen young women clad in sequins, stilettos and Chanel bags climbing onto chairs, banquettes, even tables . any elevated surface that is sturdy enough to dance on.
Christie Larkin, a 28-year-old who lives in Gramercy Park and works for a TriBeCa advertising agency, was brunching at Bagatelle for the first time. .It.s like Friday night in here!. she said upon walking in.
But it is not Friday night. It is 3:30 Saturday afternoon.
Champagne corks are always popping somewhere, of course, and the high life never disappears entirely, especially in New York. But these days, a $750 magnum of Perrier-Jouëstands in striking contrast to the scene outside Bagatelle.s glass-paneled door, where the Dow has lost half its value since the fall of 2007, the recession has claimed a net total of 4.4 million jobs since it began, more than 850,000 families lost their homes to foreclosure last year, and the word .depression. is being heard in the land.
.
For decades the New York brunch has been far more than just a meal. It is an institution, an event that can start in midmorning and continue until late afternoon, a ritual in which eggs Benedict are routinely washed down by a seemingly endless stream of mimosas and Bloody Marys.
And in recent months, two restaurants in the meatpacking district have begun taking Saturday brunch to a remarkable level of indulgence and expense, even by New York standards.
The latest incarnation of Saturday brunch began last April at Bagatelle, a French bistro with decorative moldings, crystal chandeliers and striking white dér; it seats 95 people. Six months later, the high-end brunch arrived at Merkato 55, a space on Gansevoort Street that can accommodate about 300 people and typically attracts a younger and slightly less affluent crowd, though the term affluent in this context may be relative.
The two scenes have recently garnered attention in the news media. Merkato 55 was voted .Best Bacchanal. by New York magazine this month. And the blog Guest of a Guest has weighed in on what the site describes as .the Battle of the Recession-Proof Brunches..
The Saturday brunch scene at Bagatelle and Merkato 55 . what some call the dance party brunch . suggests what exclusive New York nightclubs like Tenjune and 1 Oak would look like if the D.J..s arrived eight hours early and the bartenders served French toast. On any given Saturday, brunch enthusiasts can be found dancing on tables, throwing back tequila shots and racking up four- and five-figure tabs well before the sky turns dark.
The aim is to make partyers feel as if they are sipping rosét an upscale cafe along the French Riviera.
.They can feel like they.ve been away for a few hours in the South of France even though they.re in New York,. said Aymeric Clemente, one of the owners of Bagatelle, who grew up in Marseille and spent summers working in Saint-Tropez.
The concept took off just as most Americans were watching the value of their paychecks, stock portfolios and 401(k).s take a nosedive. This confluence is extremely perplexing to some and makes perfect sense to others, the argument being that dancing and drinking are age-old antidotes to troubled times.
.It.s been really more crazy since the recession,. said Mr. Clemente, who is 35. .In a time of crises, you have a tendency of wanting to be with people and see if you can feed from their energy. If you feel sad, you want to go to a lively place, to recharge your battery..
But even fans of the concept acknowledge it.s over the top.
.It.s obscene,. said Matt Sullivan, a 38-year-old owner of a building maintenance company in Miami who was in Bagatelle one recent Saturday to celebrate a friend.s 30th birthday. .We heard it was a hip brunch. But this is gluttony at its finest..
.
At 1:30 p.m. on a recent Saturday in Merkato 55, a two-level African-theme restaurant that makes ample use of dark, heavy wood, the afternoon started quietly. Some tables were empty; the music, though audible, did not cause the floor to vibrate; and bottles of wine sat sedately on ice.
Laura Nolte, a 23-year-old cocktail waitress, noted the relative calmness of the scene. In the upstairs room, which can seat 150, only two dozen people were actually eating.
.It.s funny,. Ms. Nolte said. .You always think, .The economy is hitting today.. By 7 p.m., you.re like, .What crisis?. .
An hour later, the momentum picked up, and Joey Brodish, 26, recently laid off as an editorial assistant for a gossip magazine, expressed a similar sentiment.
.It.s like, .What recession?. . said Ms. Brodish, who lives in TriBeCa and was dressed this afternoon in a glittery top paired with skinny black pants. .Look around. Do you see a recession?.
In her opinion, the Saturday afternoon dance party was just another facet of the dynamic city.
.There.s SoHo,. she said. .There.s the Empire State Building. There.s Merkato 55..
By 3 p.m., two members of the Gypsy Kings, special guests this day, had wrapped up their hourlong set and the D.J. had started spinning. In a large booth, a blonde wearing a short black dress with a plunging neckline mugged for a camera as she dangled a French fry from her teeth. Another woman popped out her hip and ran her tongue over the icing of a red velvet cupcake.
By 4 p.m., the place was wall-to-wall bodies, and people were taking hits from a roséilled bong in the shape of a flamingo. Downstairs, Adesh Baharani was celebrating his 35th birthday by showering all within 10 feet of him (not all of them members of his party) with the contents of a $500 bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
.It.s my birthday, and I want everyone to be happy,. said Mr. Baharani, who works in the jewelry business and lives in the Caribbean. .I might buy two more..
.
Just why so many people choose to throw an extravagant party on a Saturday afternoon may be less surprising than how they could afford to do so, given the country.s economic woes.
Remi Laba, a 32-year-old Frenchman who is a co-owner of Bagatelle, suggests that such celebrating is possible because his guests are not what he calls .recession-prone..
.There.s a very specific Saturday brunch clientele,. Mr. Laba said, seated at a corner table near the window as brunch was getting started. .Most of them are old money, people who don.t mind coming here and spending $5,000, up to $18,000 or $20,000 on a table..
In addition, Mr. Laba said, the typical Bagatelle customer has a cultural affinity with this sort of roséoaked afternoon reveling. For the most part, the customers are what he described as .European friendly,. meaning they either are European or aspire to be.
As for another set of partyers, the New York investment bankers whose once-hefty bonuses may have significantly diminished in recent months, .instead of having the $10,000 to $15,000 to spend on a Saturday afternoon, they might spend $2,000 to $3,000,. Mr. Laba said. .Which is fine..
The absence of a velvet rope outside Bagatelle does not signal a lack of exclusivity; patrons must know the cellphone number of one of the owners to get a reservation.
Through the window this afternoon, Mr. Laba observed two young men talking to the doorman about securing a table.
.They will be turned away,. he predicted.
And if they had been two beautiful women? .They.ll be sent to the bar,. he said. .I may even seat them..
Moments later, a striking woman standing 5 feet 11 made her way past the doorman. As she approached the host, Mr. Laba waved him over and exchanged a few quiet words with him.
.I wanted to make sure he wasn.t sending her away,. Mr. Laba said. .I.m fully booked, but she.s someone I want to keep in the restaurant..
What she had going for her, he said, was being stunning, sophisticated and African-American.
.It.s all about diversity,. Mr. Laba added. .Euros, Muslims, everything goes..
.
The dance party brunch concept, albeit in smaller and tamer form, took root in the mid-.90s at Le Bilboquet, a small restaurant on the Upper East Side where the atmosphere was notably reminiscent of upscale resorts in Saint-Tropez and St. Barts. Mr. Laba was a regular, and his future partner at Bagatelle, Mr. Clemente, was the general manager.
Also employed at Le Bilboquet as waiters were identical twins from Ohio named Derek and Daniel Koch, now 26. The brothers went on to work their way up in the club scene, and in October they became the pioneers of the Merkato 55 brunch.
At Merkato, which in a few weeks will rebrand itself with different cuisine and a different name, they have sought to make the brunch accessible to a wider range of people. Reservations are made by e-mail, first come first served, and a bottle of roséan be had for as little as $65.
.Everyone.s welcome,. Daniel Koch said. .It.s brunch. Give me a break..
.
Given the number of people apparently ready to throw down $200 for some eggs and copious amounts of Champagne, there seems to be room for two shows in town. At the end of the day, some patrons of Bagatelle wander the few blocks over to Merkato 55, which stays open an hour later. Though each brunch has its own personality, both crowds go wild to a pulsing dance remix of .I Need a Miracle.. And by 4 p.m., both places are redolent with the same peculiar smell of muggy Champagne mixed with the Fourth of July.
And increasingly hard economic times may even bode well for the burgeoning brunch scene. The Koch twins maintain that people drink in good times and people drink in bad times. As Karine Bakhoum, who handles public relations for Bagatelle, said as she surveyed a line of dancers along a banquette during a recent brunch: .Look around you. It.s not snobbery; it.s joy..
Lina Nguyen, 31, who lives in Midtown and works as an executive assistant for a law firm, seconded the notion of dance party brunch as therapy.
.I come here to forget everything!. Ms. Nguyen, who was the first to hop up on her chair that afternoon at Bagatelle, shouted over the music. .It beats sitting there being depressed!.
.
Whatever diversion these afternoons bring, some acknowledged that the sight of the young well-to-do partying hard when many financial firms are being castigated for profligate spending could appear embarrassing.
A man who works in finance and was standing near the bar of Merkato 55 the following Saturday started to talk about this issue, but then he had second thoughts, saying he could be fired for drawing attention to the subject in the news media. Any overt display of conspicuous spending, he added, even if not a dime was expensed to a corporate account, would not sit well with his employer. .Excess,. he said, .is frowned upon heavily..
As for how he and his fellow Wall Streeters could still afford such afternoons, he said: .We all made so much money in the past five years, it doesn.t matter..
A 29-year-old man who works for a large investment management firm and was at Bagatelle.s brunch one recent Saturday and at Merkato 55.s the next, put it another way: .If you.d asked me in October, I.d say it.d be a different situation, and I don.t think I.d be here. Then the government gave us $10 billion..
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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
My list and MNSHO.
1. Overature Red
2. Burgundy/Pinot
3. Overature sparkling
4. OR Pinot
5. Overature Magnum/Shiraz/Brdx
6. Scotch whiskey
7. Extreme Cab
8. Riesling
9. Dessert.
1. works for almost everything.
really need 2 (and 4) for brgndy/pinot.
champagne/sparkling is better out of 3.
After that, it depends on your tastes. 5 will cut the heat on
todays monsters.
6 makes the biggest difference of any on the list.
7 will dial back the oak.
Four - it's your magic number for wineglasses
Jon BonnéSunday, February 15, 2009
Dessert glass Bordeaux-style glass Burgundy glass Champagne flute More...
"So," asked one of my fellow scribes the other day, "how many types of wineglass do you need?"
Not the koan I'd prefer to ponder on a Tuesday morning, but a question I couldn't duck.
Wineglasses are like jewelry. A couple pieces might feel essential; beyond that is fetishism. Not that there's anything wrong with fetishism. But fear of using the wrong wineglass strikes far deeper than choosing the wrong cuff link.
The glassmakers of today would love for us to believe that there is a glass tuned to every grape. They've endeavored to make it so. If you've ever heard a member of the Riedel family describe the 200-odd taste trials conducted to home in on the perfect shape for a varietal, you conclude they take these projects very, very seriously.
But do you need to stock your cabinets with them? Does a glass whose sole reason for existence is to glorify the nuances of Chianti serve a greater moral purpose?
It's not an abstract question. Even top restaurants have a limited budget, limited storage space and a limited number of hands for buffing stemware. Some of us would be content with a single type of utility glass; others can afford to go full fetish.
So I stared thoughtfully into my cabinet. What number fits the Goldilocks principle?
Four.
Like this: one white wineglass; two for reds, one each in the styles usually called Bordeaux and Burgundy; and drinker's choice - either a dessert glass or Champagne flute. If you can live without that last, down to three.
What I'll call a white wineglass is slim enough to bring out the sharp lines in sharp wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling while not offending weightier fare. Many red wines do just fine in its care. These are the glasses I use for tasting at home and into which I fearlessly pour just about anything. If one is your lucky number, this is for you.
Is there folly in choosing two red wineglasses? I'd argue trial and error has proven me right. The Bordeaux-style glass - narrower, tapering upwards - brings out the best in Cabernet and its robust pals. The wider-bowled Burgundy glass commends itself to all forms of Pinot Noir and makes friends with finicky specimens like Beaujolais, some Grenache and almost any delicate red wine.
By one claim, the taller glass directs wine to the back of the tongue; the shorter to the front. This sort of thing inspires angry debates at glassware seminars. The now-discredited "tongue map" is inevitably referenced. But a roomful of lead crystal is nowhere to start a scientific, or pseudo-scientific, smackdown.
What I've concluded: Bordeaux glasses better handle those wines with ample tannin and fruit, and highlight the wine's more powerful aromas; less wine surface is exposed to air, but the wine can be swirled more vigorously. Perhaps that helps. Burgundy glasses seem to concentrate earthier, more non-fruit aromas in the bowl and your nose - and so best show off lighter, more delicate wines.
That said, Pinot Noir's increasingly oak-heavy, top-heavy, Cabernet-like style makes me wonder if the more head-pounding Pinots wouldn't feel at home in Bordeaux glasses. Research for another day.
Now to our fourth pick. A Champagne glass might be obvious, but even at our house there's a split decision on how to serve fizzy stuff. Typically our table ends up with both a narrow flute and a white wineglass. The wider glass is mine; it allows the wine to breathe more and aromas to hover in the glass, though the bubbles vanish quicker. Those who love the bubbles themselves will prefer a flute.
But Champagne is hard to offend. A wide Burgundy bowl brings out its true wine nature, scents of earth and yeast and mineral, and plays down the bubbles. Just avoid those bulbous coupes that have the imputed allure of Marie Antoinette's anatomy but no practical use except for cocktails.
Option B is a dessert glass, preferably slightly tapered and flared up top, not so much for dessert wines as for the many other things you might drink. A well-designed dessert glass is remarkably versatile.
Just to throw on one more dollop of confusion, there's the stem dilemma - a question that didn't need answering until glassmakers decided a few years back that the world needed the Lindsay Lohan of glassware. How you feel about that last sentence will probably dictate what'll make you happy.
Wineglass shapes
White wineglass: Relatively narrow and tapered, sometimes called a Chablis glass. Handles all manner of white wine and many lighter reds. Though some Chardonnay glasses are bulbous, most Chardonnays aren't nearly as abused by these as they often are by winemakers. Just avoid those universal tasting glasses, which have the unique ability to reduce any wine to mediocrity.
Bordeaux-style glass: Shows off well-structured red wines, not just Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but also much Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and most Spanish reds. Some softer interpretations (Cabernet Franc-based Chinon from the Loire, for instance) might fare as well in the Burgundy glass, depending on whether you want more fruit or fragrance.
Burgundy glass: Sometimes called a balloon glass. Most Pinot Noir will find a home here, as will other earthy, medium-bodied wines. Also good for more stoic wines like Nebbiolo-based Barolo, though some prefer it in the narrower glass. Surprisingly good for Champagne.
Champagne flute (Option A): Hard to beat for presentation or preserving bubbles. If you like serving cocktails in flutes, consider buying a second, less delicate set.
Dessert glass (Option B): Stemware makers have devised a glass not only for sweet wines but for every manner of spirit. As an all-purpose compromise, look for a glass with a modest bowl and a flare toward the rim, like Riedel's Rheingau glass. I don't actually use it for Riesling, but it's helpful for everything from sherry to Cognac.
Jon Bonnés The Chronicle's wine editor. E-mail him at jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/15/FDRL15OG3G.DTL
This article appeared on page E - 8 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 *
High-octane wines may just be a matter of taste
Jon BonnéSunday, March 8, 2009
Bottles of Ridge Zinfandels, including the 1970 Jimsomare...
It happened again last week as I tasted one of those hulking specimens of the Veneto, the 2003 Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore. Made from intentionally dried grapes and from a hot year, it clocked in at 15 percent alcohol. Yet there was moist earth and nuance, plenty of fresh cherry fruit. Modest? No. But certainly not out of balance.
And so returned all the old questions about alcohol levels. With standard bottles now routinely at 14 percent and beyond, is high alcohol the new normal?
The particulars of this complaint are familiar, down to the typical plea to return to a 12 percent standard. I should know; I've made it many times. It raises hackles. When Sacramento wine sage Darrell Corti took a stand against wines over 14.5 percent, the wine hordes were energized, enough for Robert Parker to step forward and call the move "appallingly stupid." But these days the complaint can as likely come from those under 40 as those over 65. An apparent Boomer preference for big wines is getting squeezed from both sides.
The temptation is to set a rigid rule, as though the 14 percent divider could stand as a magical Maginot line for booziness. Truth cannot be found between 13.9 and 14.1.
And if California wines are frequently a stalking horse, the larger world is more complicated. Many oversized wines can be perfectly balanced. Spanish Garnacha easily soars toward 15 percent without flinching, merely a reflection of that grape's high-sugar tendencies. In Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 14 percent is now merely a departure point. Many of these are virtuously grown wines from old vines without new oak or fancy winemaking.
Zinfandel functions fine in these upper realms - and not just in the modern, pumped-up style. The 1970 Ridge Vineyards Jimsomare clocked in at a husky 15.8 percent, and that from circa-1900 vines near the Monte Bello vineyard, where Cabernets barely scrape past 13 percent. The Sforzato wines of Valtellina, from dried Nebbiolo grapes grown in the shadow of the Alps, retain the brightness of that variety's high-acid ways; an example like the Nino Negri 5 Stelle can muster 15.5 percent without losing its balance. Even Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) from Germany's Ahr Valley, one of the world's northernmost sites for red grapes, can hit 14.5 percent. At the same time, many wines below 14 percent wear their alcohol overtly, often when the wine tastes manipulated.
Is this a matter of sensitivity? We all perceive alcohol differently; it may be sweeter or more bitter. Genetics and familiarity play a role. I thought there might be straightforward research about whether the alcohol argument is really a matter of taste. I'm still searching.
All that said, many wines have clearly become too alcoholic. No matter the amount of postgame patching; you can't grow grapes to 31 Brix (a measure of sugar) for a dry wine and not do damage. Pinot Noir at 15 percent and beyond almost inevitably tastes aberrant - as in blazing-hot 2003, when some Oregon vintners chose to land above 15 percent rather than surreptitiously add water. The results were drinkable, but dull.
Alcohol certainly isn't necessary to achieve amplitude. The makers of Muscadet in the Loire Valley long ago realized that leaving their efforts on the lees (yeast and grape residue) for long spells could transform wan white wines into something more subtle. I'm still marveling at a tank-aged 2007 Gruner Veltliner by Austria's Bernhard Ott that radiated opulence at just 11.5 percent alcohol.
Careful farming and low yields can help achieve intensity without heat. One reason biodynamic wines have such appeal is that they require attentive, old-fashioned farming. Old, head-trained vines achieve a different effect - high alcohol without loss of balance.
Other theories abound: that wine yeasts are far more effective now, boosting alcohol. But yeast makers vehemently dispute the super-yeast theory. Plenty of naturally fermented wines face similar inflation issues.
Did I mention this is complicated?
Here's what we know. Alcohol is a reflection of ripeness, and grapes are riper now than when many 12-percenters came of age. That's partly about changing climate, of course, but also the efficiencies of modern grapegrowing. While deliberately alcohol-driven wines collect scores for power - if not grace - many unintentionally high-octane wines can retain their subtleties. They're not steroidal; they're just big-boned.
Have I become an apologist for high alcohol? Lord, no. But building a barrier at 12 percent doesn't help to understand wine as it exists today. When we can put alcohol levels in context, we'll have done ourselves an enormous favor.
Jon Bonnés The Chronicle's Wine editor. E-mail comments to jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/08/FDJ415SU15.DTL
This article appeared on page E - 7 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 *
Warren Gregory has sent you an article from Slate Magazine.
Link: http://www.slate.com/id/2211597
drink
A Spoonful of Vino
Why are Americans obsessed with wine being good for you?
By Mike Steinberger
Posted Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 6:01 PM ET
60 Minutes recently ran a segment about the health benefits of red wine, specifically the apparently wondrous powers of resveratrol, a polyphenol that is found in the skin of grapes and is thought to prevent illness and promote longevity. This wasn't the first time 60 Minutes has trumpeted the virtues of red wine; in 1991, it called attention to the so-called French Paradox, which posited that the low rate of heart disease in France, despite a national diet gloriously abundant in rich foods, was due to the country's prodigious consumption of red wine. That report not only prompted an outbreak of oenophilia in the United States; it fanned an obsessive interest in the nutritional and therapeutic properties of wine. This seems to be a particularly American fixation, and it raises an intriguing question: Why are we—Americans—so anxious to find justifications for drinking wine beyond the fact that it tastes good and we like it?
Obviously, scientists aren't investigating wine's physiological impact because they are shills for the wine industry and want to encourage Americans to imbibe; the research is being pursued and the results disseminated because it appears that there really is a link between red wine and well-being. (For their part, vintners are not allowed to publicize these findings; federal and state laws prohibit advertising that touts the health benefits of alcoholic beverages.) It is now widely recognized that moderate red wine consumption—generally defined as one or two 5-ounce glasses a day for women and two or three for men, drunk with food—boosts HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that purges arteries of fatty deposits. In addition, scientists have determined that the flavonoids in red wine have an anticoagulant effect that can help prevent blood clots leading to heart attacks.
Resveratrol is also said to have a role in preventing clots and is believed to inhibit the production of LDL cholesterol—the bad kind. Judging by the headlines, resveratrol seems to be the omnipotent ingredient in red wine—a "vascular pipe-cleaner," as one physician put it. The recent 60 Minutes episode highlighted the work of Dr. Christoph Westphal and Harvard biochemist David Sinclair, whose research suggests that resveratrol can delay the aging process and forestall many gerontological diseases. A few years ago, scientists reported that resveratrol may discourage the onset of one such illness, Alzheimer's. It is also claimed that this antioxidant can boost stamina, reduce lung inflammation stemming from chronic pulmonary disease, and help stave off cancer. Last fall, University of Pittsburgh scientists reported that resveratrol might offer some protection against radiation poisoning. Then there is this joyous news, possibly upending age-old assumptions about alcohol a!
nd sexual performance: According to Men's Health in the United Kingdom, resveratrol works to enhance blood flow, which in turn may improve erectile function.
Personally, I'm thrilled to learn that red wine could help me avoid cancer, outlast opponents on the tennis court, survive a nuclear attack, and lead a long, lucid, and Viagra-free life. However, a little caution is in order. Most of the testing with resveratrol has been done on mice, and they have been given ungodly amounts of the stuff. As the New York Times pointed out in a 2006 article, the mice in one experiment were injected with 24 milligrams of resveratrol per kilogram of body weight; red wine contains around 1.5 to 3 milligrams of resveratrol per liter, so to get the equivalent dose, a 150-pound person would need to drink 750-1,500 bottles of wine a day. I weigh 195 pounds and can finish a bottle of Beaujolais and feel no different than if I'd had a bottle of Gatorade, but tossing back 1,100 liters of wine in a 24-hour period? Probably not.
This combination of lab mice, outlandishly large doses, and extravagant claims recently yielded a very funny piece in The New Yorker, one which zeroed in on an essential point: Red wine may contain resveratrol, but it contains substantially more alcohol. Regardless of how beneficial wine ultimately proves to be for the heart, lungs, groin, and other body parts, we already know it has a powerful and mostly salutary psychological influence. Wine—or, to be more precise, the alcohol in wine—leaves us happy; it is a relaxant, a stimulant, a balm. It can make a bad day good and a good one better. All this, coupled with the gustatory pleasure that wine confers, ought to be reason enough to uncork a bottle. So why are we so concerned about these other possible gains to be reaped?
Part of it is that we are a nation infatuated with quick-fix diets and painless remedies; the idea that sitting on a couch nursing a syrah could actually be making us thinner and fitter is irresistible. We are also a culture that fears growing old, and the possibility that a glass of red wine could be a fountain of youth is likewise a tantalizing prospect. I suspect the preoccupation with wine's health impact is a reflection, too, of our Puritan heritage and the conflicted attitude that Americans have always had about wine. Although we are consuming it in record quantities, wine is still seen as something effete and vaguely foreign. That's why the wine vs. beer dichotomy continues to be invoked every election season as a way of distinguishing urban elites from other Americans, and it is why candidates favored by those elites are invariably tarred as chardonnay-swilling swells.
At the risk of tarring myself as one such specimen, I think we should just lighten up and enjoy wine for the immediate gratification. It is great that science is uncovering so many possible ancillary benefits to merlot and pinot noir, and I hope that resveratrol is indeed the cure-all that mankind has been hoping for. But if and when a proven resveratrol tablet hits the market, I won't be liquidating my cellar, nor do I intend to load up on any of the resveratrol-enhanced wines that are apparently coming our way (unless, of course, they happen to be seriously good). Likewise, if it turns out the mice have been screwing with us and that red wine carries none of these magical side effects, there will still be a bottle on my dinner table every night. Wine is a habit that requires no rationale other than the pursuit of enjoyment.
The French, despite being the inspiration for so much of this research, have never much cared about wine's medicinal qualities; for them, a glass of vin rouge is simply a mealtime ritual. (Though, sadly, that is changing.) Jancis Robinson, Britain's leading wine writer , tells me that her compatriots give little thought to the health aspects of wine; they just like to drink (and are certainly very accomplished in that pursuit). In his excellent book A Hedonist in the Cellar, Jay McInerney notes, "In Europe, where wine has been a part of daily life for thousands of years, American oenophiles are sometimes viewed as monomaniacs—zealous and somewhat narrow-minded converts to a generous and pantheistic faith." He goes on to say that "American wine lovers need to broaden their vision and relax: to see wine as just another aspect of the well-lived life." L'chaim.
Mike Steinberger is Slate's wine columnist. He can be reached at slatewine(a)gmail.com.
Photographs of: man with wine glass by Jack Hollingsworth/Photodisc/Getty Images; wine on Slate's home page by Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images.
Copyright 2007 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC
Dear friends,
The following is the 2-5-09 posting (under the title "In Vino Veritas") on
John Holdredge's blog, http://pinotdiatribes.blogspot.com, which I commend
to your attention. John makes pinots, syrahs and zins from various
appellations around Sonoma County, and is an all around prince of a guy.
Quoting John now:
Blah, blah, blah, in wine there is truth...hell, you could say the same
about Vodka. Or beer. Drink enough, and even the most discreet individual
will say something he or she shouldn't have said. That's usually a good time
to take pictures of them by the way.
But there are certain truths in winemaking that are beyond dispute. Take any
facet of winemaking, and within that subject, some things just cannot be
argued. A good example is when is the best time to complete malolactic (ML)
fermentation? After all, ML takes a while to finish, and the progress is
affected by numerous things like ambient temperature (bacteria struggle
below 62 degrees or so), pH (high pH is easier, low pH is more challenging),
alcohol levels (high alcohol is a hostile environment), and more. ML
fermentation is anything but a straight line -which I guess is kind of like
that scene in Kill Bill 1 where "Black Mamba" is getting the Hittori Honzo
sword presented to her and Hittori Honzo says something like "revenge is
never a straight line"- or maybe not. Sometimes ML finishes before winter,
sometimes in spring, sometimes the next summer, sometimes it just doesn't
finish.
So which is the best time for an ML to finish? Easy question. Here is what I
know to be beyond dispute about the best time for ML fermentations to
finish**:
1. If your ML's complete before winter- that is the best possible thing
because you can sulfur your wines and keep them safe. This reflects a
conscious effort by the winemaker to always adhere to the best possible
practices.
2. If your ML's don't complete until spring, that is the best possible thing
because longer ML keeps the wine slightly blanketed with CO2.This reflects a
conscious effort by the winemaker to always adhere to the best possible
practices.
3. If your ML's don't complete until summer, that is the best possible thing
because if you bottle in the fall, you will probably have used less sulfur
if you waited to sulfur until ML is complete.This reflects a conscious
effort by the winemaker to always adhere to the best possible practices.
4. If your wines simply don't complete ML, that is the best possible thing,
because that harder profile of malic acid gives the wine an additional layer
of structure.This reflects a conscious effort by the winemaker to always
adhere to the best possible practices.
5. In all instances, NEVER admit anything is out of your control or that you
made a mistake. Instead, always make it clear that you are the ringmaster,
and whatever happens is all part of your grand design.
**this rather fuzzy logic can be applied to any facet of winemaking.
Recommendations
Wednesday, February 25, 2009; F05
Chateau de Francs 2005
** 1/2
Bordeaux-Cotes de Francs, Bordeaux, France, $18
(Good Value)
It's stylish, with a velvety texture and good tannin structure over full cherry and blackberry flavor.
M. Touton: available in the District at MacArthur Beverages (as a direct import), Pearson's; available in Maryland at Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Town & Country in Easton; available in Virginia at Cecile's Wine Cellar in McLean, Fern Street Gourmet in Alexandria.
Chateau Listran Cuvee Prestige 2005
** 1/2
Medoc, Bordeaux, France, $20
This wine features classic cabernet-Bordeaux aromas of roasted coffee, toffee, blackberry and graphite (think pencil lead). It also offers rich texture and a long finish.
RNDC: available in the District at Ace Beverage, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Continental Wine & Liquor, Lee-Irving Liquor; on the list at La Chaumiere.
Chateau Chabiran 2005
**
Bordeaux Superieur, France, $14
(Good Value)
Low yields and densely planted vineyards give this wine tremendous concentration. It is modern in style, with plum, cherry, cocoa and a hint of clove in the flavor mix and soft, grippy tannins on the finish. Gorgeous.
Wine Traditions: available in the District at De Vinos, Whole Foods Market P Street; on the list at Cashion's Eat Place. Available in Maryland at Finewine.com in Gaithersburg. Available in Virginia at Arrowine in Arlington, the Winery in Alexandria.
Chateau Le Doyenne 2005
**
Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, $20
A core of bright fruit gives nerve and energy to this wine, which shows textbook Bordeaux flavors of blackberry, plum and graphite.
M. Touton: available in the District at Pearson's; available in Maryland at Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis; available in Virginia at Arrowine in Arlington, Leesburg Vintner in Leesburg.
Chateau Prignac 2005
**
Medoc, Bordeaux, France, $11
(Good Value)
Cabernet sauvignon gives this wine a blackberry-black cherry character, which is accentuated by anise and a good balance and impressive finish.
M. Touton: available in the District at Ace Beverage, Burka's Wine & Liquor, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Modern Liquors, Pearson's; available in Maryland at Silesia Liquors in Fort Washington, Beers & Cheers in Germantown, Old Farm Liquors and Westridge Liquors in Frederick, Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis.
Lalande-Couturier 2005
**
Bordeaux, France, $18
This 100 percent merlot wine is from Jean-Luc Thunevin, the famed "garagiste" producer of Chateau Valandraud. Modern in style, it is dense and dark but features appealing bright fruit flavors and velvety texture throughout.
Simon N Cellars: available in the District at P&C Market, Potomac Wine & Spirits; on the list at Bistro Francais, Cafe du Parc. In Virginia, on the list at Inox in Tysons Corner.
Chateau de Castelnau Reserve 2005
* 1/2
Bordeaux, $13
This 100 percent merlot wine shows nice, ripe plum flavors with firm acidity and a medium-long finish.
M. Touton: available in the District at Cairo Wine & Liquor, Watergate Wine and Beverage; on the list at Peacock Cafe and Petits Plats. Available in Maryland at the Wine Shoppe in Waldorf, Town & Country Wine Liquor Etc. in Easton. Available in Virginia at Balducci's in Alexandria and McLean.
Chateau Sainte Colombe 2005
* 1/2
Cotes de Castillon, Bordeaux, France, $15
The blend of 70 percent merlot and the rest cabernet franc is a bit rough around the edges, with woodsy spice notes dominating its cherry and berry fruit. The texture is velvety, and soft tannins restore harmony for a delicious finish.
Direct import of MacArthur Beverages; may be available elsewhere.
Chateau Tour de Pic 2005
*
Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, $12
A hint of earthy mushrooms accentuates this wine's bright cherry flavors, lending complexity and interest.
M. Touton: available in the District at Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor; available in Virginia at Curious Grape in Shirlington and by the glass at Signature Theatre in Shirlington.
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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 *
I'm unable to verify the quote:
Churchill commented that 'a magnum is the perfect size for two gentlemen over lunch'.
I did find this quote about the Imperial Pint:
What, though, was so special about the imperial pint? Churchill believed it to be the perfect measure: just enough for two people to drink at lunch and for one person to drink at dinner," says Simpson. "He drank one every day, between his whisky and his brandy."
Cellaring Champagne? Supersize it, experts say.
Steve Pitcher, Special to The Chronicle
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sparkling wine ages longer and better in a magnum (left).
There's no denying that serving Champagne or sparkling wine from a magnum - a 1.5-liter bottle containing the equivalent of two standard bottles - is dramatic and impressive. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, consider that the amorous message bubbly sends is magnified twofold by a magnum.
But is there any difference between the same wine in the two bottle sizes, whether it's produced in Champagne or California? Most experts agree that not only does a sparkler in magnum taste different, but also it certainly will last longer, stay fresher and develop more character and complexity in the cellar. A cooking analogy might be useful. A beef roast will taste better when cooked at low temperature over a long period of time, compared to one cooked quickly at high temperature.
"Magnums age more gracefully than (standard) bottles," asserts Eileen Crane, president and winemaker at Domaine Carneros. "They promote a tempo and type of aging by which sparkling wine shows its best over time."
Standard bottles of bubbly are typically drunk soon after purchase, and that's just what the wineries expect. That's the beauty of bubbly: It's ready to drink when released, and will age in its standard 750 ml bottle. But it will age even better in a magnum. The consumer gets to make the choice.
How long can a well-made California sparkling wine age in magnum? "Let's pop that sucker when it's 20 years old!" advises Hugh Davies, president and vintner at Napa Valley's Schramsberg Vineyards, which has an extensive library of older vintages. "Sparkling wine and Champagne age longer and better in magnum than any wine, red or white."
For Davies, it's bubbly's extra ingredient that makes the difference. "The carbon dioxide in the wine acts as a preservative that helps keep it fresh over time," he says.
Davies' 20-year boast isn't an idle one. Serious Champagne collectors shudder at the thought of opening a magnum before its time - at least five to six years for most and up to 50 years or more in the case of some British aficionados, who make a habit of drinking their magnums of Bolly (that's Bollinger to the rest of us) quite old. That preference is sometimes called the "English palate" - an appreciation of the softened mouthfeel that comes as more and more carbon dioxide is absorbed into the wine over time, reducing the bubbles' persistence.
When bubbly is very young, regular-size bottles may be the way to go. "Within the first two years of release, the wine from the standard bottle will generally taste comparatively better," observes Crane, who has done extensive comparative tastings using various bottle sizes. "After that time, the same wine from magnum tastes better and shows more depth and complexity."
That's because, by then, an alchemy of sorts has begun to take place. Davies explains that within the first couple of years of development, the wine in magnum has only barely absorbed the trace amounts of oxygen remaining in the bottle. That slows the aging process. It's a faster process in smaller bottles because the air-to-wine ratio is greater.
"The slower the process, the more nuanced and complex the evolution of the wine," explains Davies. Crane adds that there's actually less oxygen in magnums because the bottle's longer neck allows a higher fill, thus reducing the ullage (the space between the bottom of the cork and the wine's surface, a source of trace oxygen).
Kyle Nadeau, manager of D&M Wines & Spirits, a Champagne retail specialist in San Francisco, advises that perceived differences depend greatly on the style of the winery or Champagne house. "The same vintage of Krug Champagne, which is made in a bigger, bolder style than most, will exhibit little difference between bottle and magnum on release, while a vintage of Perrier-Jouet, for example, a lighter-styled Champagne, will generally taste different, and I'd say better, from the magnum early on."
Then there is the matter of autolysis, a key component in the creation of sparkling wine, if one discussed only in the most wine-savvy company. Arnaud Weyrich, the French-trained winemaker at Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley, explains that autolysis - the gradual breakdown of yeast cells, known as lees, that provide the wine with its bubbles during a second fermentation - works differently in a magnum. There's proportionally more glass surface, which allows more contact between the lees on the inside of the bottle and the wine. "This results in more creaminess and roundness as the wine ages, finer, tinier bubbles and imparts complex aromas of baked brioche, cashew or hazelnut and spice," he says.
Tom Tiburzi, Domaine Chandon's winemaker, adds that autolysis takes more time in a magnum, up to four weeks longer than in a regular bottle. "During this time the yeast cells are in a struggling stage - going through a long, slow death, so to speak - and getting to more of the wine," he explains.
Particularly in Champagne, wineries presenting an important vertical tasting of their bubbly for visiting media or trade prefer to do so from magnums. At a tasting of Dom Perignon in 2005 with cellar master and winemaker Richard Geoffroy at the Dom's ancient abbey in Hautvillers, we were poured from imposing magnums the vintages of 1998, 1996, 1995 and 1990.
Comparing bubbly from magnum to the same wine poured from a regular bottle is sometimes possible at sparkling wineries. At Roederer Estate, for example, "a magnum is always open for tasting," says Sharon Sullivan, the director of hospitality.
The differences are immediately clear, as side-by-side tastes of Roederer's current nonvintage brut revealed. The regular bottle yielded a wine with little frothiness, forward apricot and creamy hazelnut aromas and a round mouthfeel. The same wine from magnum was far frothier (much more so than from a well-aged magnum) with aromas and flavors based more on citrus, and had a certain shyness to it.
If there's a note of caution, it's that some sparkling wineries produce magnums by transferring the contents of two standard bottles, which won't produce the enhanced results. But none of California's top sparkling wine houses employs the transfer process for magnums. And in Champagne, according to Sam Heitner, director of the Office of Champagne in Washington, D.C., regulations prohibit using the transfer process for magnums.
Some prefer not to complicate bubbly with scientific musings. More an affair of the heart than the brain, so to speak. As for me, a magnum of sparkling wine or Champagne is the perfect bottle for a party of two come Feb. 14 or any other day.
Buying guide
Magnums are usually priced slightly higher than two standard bottles of the same wine. If you don't see your choice on the shelf, ask the merchant to order it for you (but be prepared to pay for a six-magnum case).
Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for at least a year; label nonvintage wines with the year of purchase. If you do this every year, you'll have a constant supply of superior bubbly.
NV Arlaux Brut Champagne ($79) This tiny producer based in Vrigny, run by Christine Marechal, makes subtly fruity Champagnes primarily from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. (Importer: Wine House Ltd.)
NV Collard-Picard Cuvee Selection Brut Champagne ($75) A blend of 80 percent Pinot Meunier and 20 percent Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation. Round and full on the palate with richness to spare. (Importer: Premier Wine Co.)
NV Domaine Chandon Brut Classic ($32) This very well-priced sparkler is refreshingly soft and dry, offering complex aromas of apple and pear accented by subtle nuttiness and brioche.
NV Fleury Carte Rouge Brut Champagne ($89) From the first grower in the region to be certified biodynamic by Demeter. Made from Pinot Noir in a Blanc de Noir style, this is fruity and delicate, yet still rich, with low dosage, making it quite dry. (Importer: Premier Wine Co.)
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Blue Label Brut Champagne ($80) A blend of 40 percent each Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier with 20 percent Chardonnay, offering hazelnut and apple and quince aromas. (Importer: Chambers & Chambers)
NV Pommery Brut Royal Champagne ($75) From a large producer based in Reims, this classic, lighter-style Champagne offers fresh aromas of white flowers and citrus, with ample lemony fruit flavors, rich texture and a spicy finish. (Importer: W.J. Deutsch & Sons)
NV Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($48) Tasted against the standard 750 ml bottle ($22), it's a different wine. Livelier and more plentiful bubbles. Wine in the smaller bottle offered forward aromas of hazelnut cream, apricot and citrus, while this has shy aromas of lemon blossom and toasted brioche, enhanced by green apple and quince. In the mouth, very full and a bit frothy with more citrus flavors showing.
NV Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut Rosé$57) A blend of 60 percent Pinot Noir and 40 percent Chardonnay, with the lovely salmon hue coming from the addition of a small amount of still Pinot Noir. Full and round in the mouth with lively, tiny bubbles and a remarkable balancing act of elegance and austerity contributed by the Chardonnay.
- S.P.
Steve Pitcher is a contributing editor for Wine News magazine. E-mail him at wine(a)sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/08/FDPQ15H8J4.DTL
This article appeared on page E - 1 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 *
Or should I say "The Emperor's new score."
Poking a hole in wine judging
If you sub in three identical wines, will any judge notice?
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle, 2001
If you sub in three identical wines, will any judge notice?
The latest study to cause a fluster among winemakers has nothing to do with price points, labels or anything involving less household spending. It's about wine judging, specifically judges at wine competitions.
A paper released last month in the Journal of Wine Economics found that judges in the California State Fair wine competition were able to score the same wine with the same rating only about 10 percent of the time, and that less than half the judging panels provided consistent judging results. Nor were judges who judged consistently one year necessarily consistent the next. The study was conducted by Robert Hodgson, a retired professor at Humboldt State University who also runs Fieldbrook Winery in Humboldt County and has served as a wine judge at the state fair. He performed the study with the cooperation of the competition's organizers. (You can read the full paper here.)
Hodgson has said he wanted to delve into the inconsistencies that seem to plague wine competitions. A wine scores a gold in one; comes home empty-handed in another. Based on his own experiences, he suspected that judging dozens of wines per day might be too much to ask. As he told the Los Angeles Times: "Wine judges in the setting of a competition must make about a hundred decisions a day. It is in this environment where I think their ability is taxed beyond a reasonable level."
The study makes for interesting reading, and though I haven't had a chance to discuss the results with Hodgson directly, I'd love to query him in particular about this last notion -- that it's a matter of fatigue, presumably both mental and physical.
There's inevitably a portion of wine folk out there who are gazing at these findings with a big "So what?" on their faces, since it's no secret that judging results are often wildly inconsistent from competition to competition.
But there is plenty of interesting fodder in the results. Let's just separate two different issues at work here.
The first is whether judges are able to score the same wine with similar scores when presented with it. That goes to consistency, and though wine can show itself differently depending on when you're tasting it, how it has evolved and whether it's from the same bottle, Hodgson arranged for triplicate samples of the same wines to be served to 16 judging panels, typically all in the same flight and typically during the second flight of the day, before any palate fatigue set in. The second is to understand whether a wine is being judged on its own merits or on the subjective palate preferences of a judge.
This latter one is more difficult, and more interesting. My own experience judging tells me that both factors are in play; my panel at this year's Chronicle wine competition (which uses a similar judging method) spent a lot of time discussing technical execution of the wines we tasted, in part because I once again got the pleasure to taste with Dick Peterson, and to benefit from his decades of technical expertise in winemaking. Even in panel, it was clear that one person's technical fault in a wine may be what someone else considers an extra bit of character. (That's true even for the world's top wines, though a topic for another day. Sometime we'll discuss the volatile acidity in the 1947 Cheval Blanc.)
But beyond that, there's an inherent tension between the notion of wine judging as an extension of agricultural tradition -- the state fair connection very much a salient one -- versus being an aesthetic consideration of talent and quality. In the first, judging wine becomes just like judging ewes or pumpkins (though I suspect some squash and sheep connoisseurs out there take similar issue). In the second, wine becomes a matter of taste -- considered blind, perhaps, but ultimately not so different than the Academy Awards or, dare I say, the Grammies, or any award program that uses a series of expert judges, including those for journalism. Does this Merlot suck? Was "Wall-E" robbed? Discuss.
There are other factors to chew on, too -- ones that are somewhat harder to study. The claim that competitions are set up to hand out as many medals as possible, for instance. Or what the real value of a gold medal might be. Hodgson gives a nod to this last by noting that wineries spend over $1 million in entry fees at four California competitions, yet many consumers barely care whether the wine they're buying won a medal.
Which brings us to the ultimate question: Are wine competitions still relevant in a world flooded with 100-point scores, blogs (natch) and endless sources of opinion? What do you think?
Posted By: Jon BonnéEmail) | February 04 2009 at 09:30 AM
Listed Under: Events, News, Tastings, Winemakers | Comments (11) : Post Comment
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/wine/detail?&entry_id=35402
:wq
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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 *
