Greetings Winers, (no whiners!),
This was most excellent last time.
Please bring something to share, nothing too precious...
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from Jason Kallsen <jkallsen(a)cpinternet.com> -----
From: Jason Kallsen <jkallsen(a)cpinternet.com>
To: "'Jim L. Ellingson'" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
Subject: Kallsen Studio open house for Art-A-Whirl
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 08:09:09 -0500
Jim -
One week from today, Friday May 16th, everybody is invited to the studio for
a wine party of massive proportions. 5-10pm, come when you can stay as long
as you want.
That is the opening weekend for Art-A-Whirl, so it's going to be very busy
around that neighborhood.
Hope to see you and the group there (please forward info).
Kallsen Studio
Thorp Building
1618 Central Avenue Northeast Suite 6
Minneapolis, MN 55413
612.789.9910
www.kallsenstudio.com <http://www.kallsenstudio.com/>
Jason Kallsen
cell 952.212.3965
voice mail 952.941.8795 x 301
"We are not creatures of circumstance,
we are creators of circumstance."
-Benjamin Disraeli
----- End forwarded message -----
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
Hi Lori,
Thank you for confirming.
You know how difficult it is to heard the cats who are us.
C,
j
On Fri, May 09, 2008 at 02:41:57PM +0000, l.ames(a)juno.com wrote:
> I'm pretty sure Joyce added my name to the list, but I'm in-Lori
> _____________________________________________________________
> Click here and choose from thousands of high quality used cars.
> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/Ioyw6i3oE0bl10k3cQdwRjTHp7rnkc0…
--
------------------------------
* 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 *
More details w/r/to Ingredients on 5/22.
Many thanks to Sheila and Joyce for setting this up.
We are in! Sheila set this up for us
It's Chefs' choice and they chose the theme of "Funky Whites" (viognier;
alberino, etc.)
Reservation is our usual 6:30 for 8-10 and $55/person including
tax/tip/meal. (by our 1/3 rule, it's abou $40 for the
dinner and then $15 for tax/tip/etc.)
Not sure who so I'll start us out.
Joyce
Russ/Sue
Jim/Louise
THanks to Gloria for filling in the details on the NE Tasting.
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 *
Yes, the NE tasting is this Thursday. Benefits East Side Neighborhood
Services. I happen to sit on the Board for ESNS, and this is a wonderful
event.
An array of over 200 fine wines for your tasting pleasure selected by
RIVER LIQUOR & SURDYK'S. Also featured are samples of famous East Side
cuisine, a selection of micro brews, alcohol free beers and wines, a cigar
tent presented by Sarna's Tobacco Depot, Superior Plating and Xcel Energy,
and a silent auction.
Thursday, MAY 8, 2008,
5:00 - 8:00 pm at the NICOLLET ISLAND PAVILION.
TICKETS - $40 in advance, and $50 at the door.
Tickets available at East Side Neighborhood Services,
Surdyk's and River Liquor Store.
Call 612-781-6011 for ticket information
Gloria Sheehan
Account Executive / Art Director
Communications Department
Graco Inc.
P: 612-623-6528
jellings(a)me.umn.edu
Sent by: wine-bounce(a)thebarn.com
05/07/08 11:27 AM
To
wine(a)thebarn.com
cc
Subject
[wine] Sales and Tastings
Greetings,
Not aware of anything for the group this week.
NE Tasting is Thursday.
1st Wed of month tasting is at Sam's tonight.
A variety of things at Sorella over the weekend.
Ingredients on 5/22, details to follow.
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from info(a)sorellawines.com -----
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 20:25:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sorella Wine&Spirits <info(a)sorellawines.com>
Reply-To: info(a)sorellawines.com
Subject: {Disarmed} Spring Wine Sale Ends Saturday
To: james(a)brewingnews.com
Visit Our Web Site
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AdkrlbeI9vi56QPHP86bd_X349j7YRVkSJzFyHIYYobgm8Qd…]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings!
This Saturday (May 10th) is the final day
of Sorella Wine & Spirits Spring Wine Sale - Save 15%-40% off
every wine in the store (if it is not yellow tagged, it will be discounted
15%
at the register).
Tastings: A representative of Kenwood Winery will
be pouring their current releases this Thursday from 4-7 p.m. This
Friday and Saturday,
we'll have a number of staff
favorites and best values open starting at 2:00 each
afternoon.
New arrivals: Limited quantities of the 2006 Turley
Zinfandels have arrived; this week will probably be your only chance to
purchase these wines at a discount as they always sell out. We have Old
Vine,
Juvenile, Duarte, Dusi and Mead Ranch. To get all these, I had to
promise not to
publish the prices, but retails run from approximately $30 to $60 per
bottle.
The 2006 Varner Chardonnays (Bee Block & Home Block, Reg. $41.99) are
here,
but they won't last long. Cade Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is in
(Reg.
$29.99). Bodegas Bleda Castillo de Jumilla Monastrel-Cabernet has just
switched
to 2006 vintage (Sale $6.27, will be open for tasting Friday).
Special Purchase (good availability): Brancott
Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 from Gisborne, New Zealand - Regular Price
$11.99, Sale
$6.47, Save 46%. (Available for tasting Friday and Saturday).
Special Purchase (limited availability): From
Laetitia Winery in California's Arroyo Grande Valley, Brut Cuvee
Sparkling Wine
Reg. $23.99 - Sale $14.97, Brut Rose Reg. $28.99 Sale $19.97.
Best Yet-Undiscovered Deals in the Catalog: The
Craneford Wines from Australia - we bought every bottle the
distributor had left
of Cabernet ($12.97 sale), Grenache ($17.97) and Shiraz ($12.97). Each of
the wines received 90 or 89 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, have
been
consistent favorites at our staff tastings, and they are all discounted
over 30%.
That's all for this week. We'll be sending out this
newsletter every other week going forward. We'd love to hear your
feedback.
Thanks for reading.
Darrin Minehan
Wine Buyer for Sorella Wine &
Spirits
Next time: Spring German Arrivals, Tastings &
Events, Steve's Recipe of the Month with great wine matches, and much
more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1010 Washington AVE S
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
612-339-4040
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forward email
http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1102036493414&ea=james@brewingn…
This email was sent to james(a)brewingnews.com,
by info(a)sorellawines.com
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Sorella Wine & Spirits | 1010 Washington AVE S | Minneapolis | MN | 55415
----- End forwarded message -----
Visit Our Web Site
Greetings!
This Saturday (May 10th) is the final day of Sorella Wine & Spirits Spring
Wine Sale - Save 15%-40% off every wine in the store (if it is not yellow
tagged, it will be discounted 15% at the register).
Tastings: A representative of Kenwood Winery will be pouring their current
releases this Thursday from 4-7 p.m. This Friday and Saturday, we'll have
a number of staff favorites and best values open starting at 2:00 each
afternoon.
New arrivals: Limited quantities of the 2006 Turley Zinfandels have
arrived; this week will probably be your only chance to purchase these
wines at a discount as they always sell out. We have Old Vine, Juvenile,
Duarte, Dusi and Mead Ranch. To get all these, I had to promise not to
publish the prices, but retails run from approximately $30 to $60 per
bottle. The 2006 Varner Chardonnays (Bee Block & Home Block, Reg. $41.99)
are here, but they won't last long. Cade Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007
is in (Reg. $29.99). Bodegas Bleda Castillo de Jumilla Monastrel-Cabernet
has just switched to 2006 vintage (Sale $6.27, will be open for tasting
Friday).
Special Purchase (good availability): Brancott Unoaked Chardonnay 2006
from Gisborne, New Zealand - Regular Price $11.99, Sale $6.47, Save 46%.
(Available for tasting Friday and Saturday).
Special Purchase (limited availability): From Laetitia Winery in
California's Arroyo Grande Valley, Brut Cuvee Sparkling Wine Reg. $23.99 -
Sale $14.97, Brut Rose Reg. $28.99 Sale $19.97.
Best Yet-Undiscovered Deals in the Catalog: The Craneford Wines from
Australia - we bought every bottle the distributor had left of Cabernet
($12.97 sale), Grenache ($17.97) and Shiraz ($12.97). Each of the wines
received 90 or 89 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, have been
consistent favorites at our staff tastings, and they are all discounted
over 30%.
That's all for this week. We'll be sending out this newsletter every other
week going forward. We'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks for reading.
Darrin Minehan
Wine Buyer for Sorella Wine & Spirits
Next time: Spring German Arrivals, Tastings & Events, Steve's Recipe of
the Month with great wine matches, and much more.
1010 Washington AVE S
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
612-339-4040
Forward email
This email was sent to james(a)brewingnews.com, by info(a)sorellawines.com
Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ |
Privacy Policy.
Email Marketing by
Sorella Wine & Spirits | 1010 Washington AVE S | Minneapolis | MN | 55415
Greetings,
Not aware of anything for the group this week.
NE Tasting is Thursday.
1st Wed of month tasting is at Sam's tonight.
A variety of things at Sorella over the weekend.
Ingredients on 5/22, details to follow.
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from info(a)sorellawines.com -----
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 20:25:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sorella Wine&Spirits <info(a)sorellawines.com>
Reply-To: info(a)sorellawines.com
Subject: {Disarmed} Spring Wine Sale Ends Saturday
To: james(a)brewingnews.com
Visit Our Web Site
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AdkrlbeI9vi56QPHP86bd_X349j7YRVkSJzFyHIYYobgm8Qd…]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings!
This Saturday (May 10th) is the final day
of Sorella Wine & Spirits Spring Wine Sale - Save 15%-40% off
every wine in the store (if it is not yellow tagged, it will be discounted 15%
at the register).
Tastings: A representative of Kenwood Winery will
be pouring their current releases this Thursday from 4-7 p.m. This
Friday and Saturday,
we'll have a number of staff
favorites and best values open starting at 2:00 each
afternoon.
New arrivals: Limited quantities of the 2006 Turley
Zinfandels have arrived; this week will probably be your only chance to
purchase these wines at a discount as they always sell out. We have Old Vine,
Juvenile, Duarte, Dusi and Mead Ranch. To get all these, I had to
promise not to
publish the prices, but retails run from approximately $30 to $60 per bottle.
The 2006 Varner Chardonnays (Bee Block & Home Block, Reg. $41.99) are here,
but they won't last long. Cade Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is in (Reg.
$29.99). Bodegas Bleda Castillo de Jumilla Monastrel-Cabernet has just
switched
to 2006 vintage (Sale $6.27, will be open for tasting Friday).
Special Purchase (good availability): Brancott
Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 from Gisborne, New Zealand - Regular Price
$11.99, Sale
$6.47, Save 46%. (Available for tasting Friday and Saturday).
Special Purchase (limited availability): From
Laetitia Winery in California's Arroyo Grande Valley, Brut Cuvee
Sparkling Wine
Reg. $23.99 - Sale $14.97, Brut Rose Reg. $28.99 Sale $19.97.
Best Yet-Undiscovered Deals in the Catalog: The
Craneford Wines from Australia - we bought every bottle the
distributor had left
of Cabernet ($12.97 sale), Grenache ($17.97) and Shiraz ($12.97). Each of
the wines received 90 or 89 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, have been
consistent favorites at our staff tastings, and they are all discounted
over 30%.
That's all for this week. We'll be sending out this
newsletter every other week going forward. We'd love to hear your feedback.
Thanks for reading.
Darrin Minehan
Wine Buyer for Sorella Wine &
Spirits
Next time: Spring German Arrivals, Tastings &
Events, Steve's Recipe of the Month with great wine matches, and much
more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1010 Washington AVE S
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
612-339-4040
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forward email
http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1102036493414&ea=james@brewingn…
This email was sent to james(a)brewingnews.com,
by info(a)sorellawines.com
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Email Marketing by
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Sorella Wine & Spirits | 1010 Washington AVE S | Minneapolis | MN | 55415
----- End forwarded message -----
Visit Our Web Site [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001AdkrlbeI9vi56QPHP86bd_X349j7YRVkSJzFyHIYYobgm8Qd…]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings!
This Saturday (May 10th) is the final day
of Sorella Wine & Spirits Spring Wine Sale - Save 15%-40% off
every wine in the store (if it is not yellow tagged, it will be discounted 15%
at the register).
Tastings: A representative of Kenwood Winery will
be pouring their current releases this Thursday from 4-7 p.m. This Friday and Saturday,
we'll have a number of staff
favorites and best values open starting at 2:00 each
afternoon.
New arrivals: Limited quantities of the 2006 Turley
Zinfandels have arrived; this week will probably be your only chance to
purchase these wines at a discount as they always sell out. We have Old Vine,
Juvenile, Duarte, Dusi and Mead Ranch. To get all these, I had to promise not to
publish the prices, but retails run from approximately $30 to $60 per bottle.
The 2006 Varner Chardonnays (Bee Block & Home Block, Reg. $41.99) are here,
but they won't last long. Cade Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is in (Reg.
$29.99). Bodegas Bleda Castillo de Jumilla Monastrel-Cabernet has just switched
to 2006 vintage (Sale $6.27, will be open for tasting Friday).
Special Purchase (good availability): Brancott
Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 from Gisborne, New Zealand - Regular Price $11.99, Sale
$6.47, Save 46%. (Available for tasting Friday and Saturday).
Special Purchase (limited availability): From
Laetitia Winery in California's Arroyo Grande Valley, Brut Cuvee Sparkling Wine
Reg. $23.99 - Sale $14.97, Brut Rose Reg. $28.99 Sale $19.97.
Best Yet-Undiscovered Deals in the Catalog: The
Craneford Wines from Australia - we bought every bottle the distributor had left
of Cabernet ($12.97 sale), Grenache ($17.97) and Shiraz ($12.97). Each of
the wines received 90 or 89 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, have been
consistent favorites at our staff tastings, and they are all discounted
over 30%.
That's all for this week. We'll be sending out this
newsletter every other week going forward. We'd love to hear your feedback.
Thanks for reading.
Darrin Minehan
Wine Buyer for Sorella Wine &
Spirits
Next time: Spring German Arrivals, Tastings &
Events, Steve's Recipe of the Month with great wine matches, and much
more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1010 Washington AVE S
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
612-339-4040
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forward email
http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1102036493414&ea=james@brewingn…
This email was sent to james(a)brewingnews.com,
by info(a)sorellawines.com
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Email Marketing by
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www.constantcontact.com
Sorella Wine & Spirits | 1010 Washington AVE S | Minneapolis | MN | 55415
Hi All:
is anyone meeting this Thursday?
if not, here's a free movie:
Meet Local Filmmaker Jon Springer
Springer's new film, The Hagstone Demon, screens at the Riverview on
Thursday, May 8.
by Erik McClanahan, photo courtesy of Cricket Films
May 6, 2008 (from the May 2008 Online)
Local filmmaker Jon Springer's new film The Hagstone Demon will be shown
as a free sneak preview Thursday, May 8, at the Riverview Theater. The
film stars Mark Borchardt, the subject of the Sundance award-winning
documentary American Movie, which made him a cult celebrity of the indie
film set.
This locally produced film — presented by Flat Earth Brewery, Copycats,
Cine-o-matic, and the MN Film & TV Board — will screen at the
Minneapolis theater, located at 3800 42nd Ave S. Cast, crew, and guests
are invited to an informal reception in the lobby beginning at 6 p.m.
General admission begins at 7 p.m. Mr. Borchardt will attend the screening.
Jon Springer is an award-winning horror writer/director with regional
and national acclaim, and is regarded as an established cult filmmaker.
Ain't it Cool News described Springer's film Living Dead Girl as a
"hilarious silent-movie spoof...a grotesque, full-color, Romero-style
gore fest," and in 2003, Film Threat called him "a filmmaker who sees
nothing as taboo and whose imagination is something to behold." City
Pages has described Springer as "the state's most audacious narrative
filmmaker." Springer was recently awarded the 2007 McKnight Filmmaker
Fellowship.
An after party will take place at the new Nick and Eddie Restaurant and
Bar (1612 Harmon Place, Mpls 55403.) JUST ANNOUNCED: It has been
confirmed that Grant Hart of the legendary post-punk band Hüsker Dü will
be performing live at the after party.
FYI/FYE.
We can only hope she's tall and has dark hair, eh Bob?
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-feiring5-2008may05,0,2…
From the Los Angeles Times
California wine? Down the drainToo much technology and a desire to
play to the critics have produced overblown, overpriced vintages.
By Alice Feiring
May 5, 2008
The peaches squirt, the tomatoes drip, and don't get me started on the
chew of the frisky, wild-yeasted bread. I love eating in California.
Whenever I return from the Golden State to my New York City five-floor
walk-up, I am laden down with the state's riches. So why is it that
for the last 10 years I can't drink the wines?
Back in the late '70s, California whupped the French at wine
competitions with offerings that were classily expressive and mostly
low-tech. But, by the year 2000, California lost its way, something I
attribute, in part, to the desperate desire for 95-plus-point ratings,
that ultimate affirmation from top wine critics. Forget "Eureka," the
new state motto can well be: "Anything worth doing is worth
overdoing." Today's California wines are overblown, over-alcoholed,
over-oaked, overpriced and over-manipulated.
When I first stopped drinking the Left Coast, it was because I was
offended by the overuse of wood, boring flavors and lack of structure.
The wines, many of which had plenty of edge and personality, seemed
neutered to me. I soon learned that the other part of the story was
that an arsenal of technology was deployed to make them that way:
yeast, enzymes, tannin, oak and acid, as well as over-extracting
techniques, micro-oxygenation, dialysis and reverse osmosis.
Even when winemakers shun these technologies and attempt a naturalish
wine, their grapes are often picked so ripe -- all the rage since
famed winemaker Helen Turley was anointed a grape goddess by famed
critic Robert M. Parker Jr. back in the mid-1990s -- that all chance
for complexity and interest is stripped away. There are so many
strikes against the local wines -- not the least the taste and the
cost -- that when I evaluate them, I think not in terms of whether I
like them but whether I can tolerate them.
But take heart, Golden State, you're not alone in making what I
consider to be undrinkable wine. About 90% of the rest of mondo del
vino has been similarly corrupted. Mercifully, there are still a few
beauties made, mostly in France, by vignerons who could care less what
the critics think or even what the public thinks it likes. Instead,
they make wines of authenticity. Try, for example, the cot (malbec)
from the Loire's Clos Roche Blanche (under $20), which makes me
conjure up violets floating through a chalk straw. Or Pierre Gonon's
St. Joseph (under $40), which illustrates what syrah should taste like
-- and it's not cherry vanilla.
Sure, France makes oceans of crappy stuff, but there is also an
ever-expanding band of winemakers fiercely committed to working with,
not against, nature. Their philosophy is spreading to Italy and slowly
to the rest of Europe, while California has been slow on the uptake.
And what's more, even with the beastly exchange rate, they are
bargains compared with the pricey bottles from Napa or Santa Barbara
counties.
This spring, I wondered if while I was otherwise occupied, California
vintners had found the road to sanity. I took advantage of the
flowering of spring distributor events in New York City. I went
tasting and found too many wines still based on over-ripe fruit.
Alcohol levels still flirted with those as high as port. Even wine
from prized makers such as Heidi Barrett or the highly touted ones
from Sea Smoke and Brewer-Clifton were disasters.
At one tasting, I stopped by a relative newcomer, Stewart Cellars.
Michael Stewart, a Texan, told me he discarded the 2005 vintage
because it tasted "too French." When asked what that meant, he replied
"more earth than fruit." Then he added, "I want to make a California
wine, not a French wine."
Dull, fruit-driven, alcoholic wines have become the incontrovertible
wine identity of California. Or is there hope?
Two tables down, Napa winemaker Cathy Corison stood flanked by
decanters and bottles. Her '03 Kronos was shockingly elegant. Her 1996
cabernet wore its gorgeous herbs unapologetically, with vibrancy. The
wines weighed in at a miraculous 13.6% alcohol, compared with a more
typical 14.9% and beyond. I asked her how she managed this remarkable
feat, and she answered: "I don't make wine from prunes. I don't make
Las Vegas showgirls."
Forever the cynic, I asked if she had perhaps reduced the alcohol with
reverse osmosis. Her response was something along the line of: On a
cold day in hell, I would. She has never followed the fashion; she has
stayed true to her mission. There aren't many like her around.
Around the aisle from her stood a grinning Mike Dashe. I heard he
recently made a wine so un-Californian he was at risk of deportation.
It was made in a manner worthy of the French natural wine movement:
organic, no added yeasts or trickery, no wood influence. It was a
zinfandel with structure and earth and lightness. It also had a color
that a famous wine critic might call "feeble."
"I can't show this to critics," Dashe said. "They'd be offended." It
was delicious.
Maybe these two represent a fledgling natural wine revolution. If so,
I'll certainly wave that flag. But until the overthrow is complete and
more California vintners give making real wine a go, I'll always have
France.
Alice Feiring is a journalist, food critic and the author of the
forthcoming book, "The Battle for Wine and Love -- Or How I Saved the
World from Parkerization."
Nice time at Sorella last night. Nice wines as well.
The Chronicle Wine Selections: 2006 German Spatlese, Auslese and Beerenauslese Riesling
Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, April 25, 2008
Last week, we provided German QbA and Kabinett Riesling recommendations. This week's recommendations - Spatlese, Auslese and Beerenauslese (BA) - are riper, sweeter and weightier. Some can be weighty but dry and usually carry a halbtrocken (half-dry) or trocken (dry) designation.
The Spatlese and Auslese the panel tasted from the 2006 vintage seem to be from wonderful fruit of more even ripeness and excellent, more consistent quality than the QbAs and Kabinetts.
The panel tasted 37 wines in these three progressively riper categories, recommending 20, with more than half racking up three stars or better. No Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the top level in the ripe, rare category, were submitted for our tasting.
With concentrated fruit and stunning acidity, Spatlese and Auslese Rieslings are generally affordable and long-lived. They are lovely to have with a meal or on their own. If you ever have an opportunity to try a BA or TBA, consider yourself fortunate and enjoy the experience.
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Alte Reben Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($22) A fuller, riper wine with a slightly muted nose that opens to soft pear, golden apple and quince aromas with sorrel, lime zest and citrus acidity on palate. Rich but somewhat racy; layered and complex. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: FOUR STARS 2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Beerenauslese ($170/375 ml) An exotic wine. Aromas of syrupy honeycomb, dried fruit - apple, apricot and papaya - with hints of pencil lead and diesel. Explosive apricot, dried pineapple and surging acidity on the unctuous palate. Superb definition and grip with great structure and balance. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Eisendell Nahe Spatlese ($27) Crushed rose, sandalwood, cassis, spiced apple and lime zest fragrances on the dark, stony nose. A firm, slightly honeyed approach on the palate with round mineral on the pitch-perfect finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik )
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 von Hovel Scharzhofberg Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($22) Exotic and zingy with Anjou pear, apricot, floral and dried plum aromas; dark mineral, gravel and galvanizing acidity to match the dense texture. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 von Hovel Kanzemer Horecker Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($63) Golden with beeswax, granite, lurid apricot, rich nectarine and rambutan aromas. Similar flavors plus hint of caramel corn; unctuous, almost thick mouthfeel. Balanced with galvanizing acidity. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Josef Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($26) Fresh and balanced, rich but still racy, with focused lemon-lime, roses, honey and pineapple aromas. Juicy fruit is dense on the palate; zippy acidity and mineral notes complete it. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Rheinhessen Spatlese Goldkapsel ($50) "Goldkapsel" or gold capsule - indicates a producer's "extra-good" wine with an actual gold-colored foil capsule around the neck of the bottle. Delicate floral, chervil, apricot, citrus rind and honey aromas with hint of petrol. Very intense, concentrated palate that shows some botrytis - white nectarine, Asian pear, ripe honeyed apricot and mineral. Complex and elegant. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel Artist Label Spatlese* ($33) Stars or asterisks on a label is a producer's special designation, which is not regulated by German wine law. While it varies from producer to producer, an increasing number of stars generally indicates a greater ripeness level from the standard bottling - two star is riper than a one star. Stone fruit and tangerine peel with a hint of green herb on the nose with some sulfur dioxide present. Softer palate of sweet caramel with a ripe fruit finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Dr. Loosen BA Mosel Beerenauslese ($25/187 ml) This is a great way to test the Beerenauslese waters at a relatively modest price for an unusual offering, a blend of multiple vineyard sites, which is rare for a BA. Fresh herb, rose, green papaya, lime, dense honeyed nectar and mineral/slate on nose and palate. Though dense and viscous, it maintains freshness and vibrancy with a surprisingly racy finish. (Importer: Loosen Bros.)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Himmelreich Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Beerenauslese ($100/375 ml) Orange blossom, acacia honey, persimmon, cinnamon apple and slate aromas. Honey and tropical notes dominate but are tempered with mineral and a delicious, bright, slightly syrupy finish. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese** ($60) Subtle nose of lime, apricot, clover honey, petrol and mineral. Intense papaya, dried apricot and beeswax flavors on the palate, which is a touch on the dry side. Lovely grapefruit peel balances the haunting finish. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($30) Ripe, rich, full nose of rose, red apple and honey wrapped in mineral. Palate starts with a racy, sharp mineral twang then finishes with honey and bright apple and its skin; slightly spritzy. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Peter Geiben Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies'chen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($60) Rich, ripe nose of peach skin, navel orange, dark mineral and hints of wax. The buoyant palate is more compelling - crisp orange peel, stony notes with moderate botrytis and honeyed richness, and almost mouthwatering acidity. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Rating: THREE AND A HALF STARS 2006 Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer Rheingau Spatlese Goldkapsel ($39/375ml) Subtle petrol, freshly zested lime, pineapple and dried peach aromas; vibrant, focused palate of apricot, ripe pear, green apple and rose hip with rigid mineral underpinning and a racy, long finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Schloss Vollrads Rheingau Spatlese ($29.50) Rich nose of pineapple, apple and ripe peach with a white mineral underpinning. Sweet fruit flavors have buoyancy and kick; long, intense midpalate with guava on the slightly fading finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese** ($28.50/500 ml) Aromas of wet stone, tangerine and a slight fiery note akin to cinnamon and gasoline. Baked apple, lemon zest, tangerine and intensely sweet peach flavors knit together with intense acidity; subtle grainy texture on the refined finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Seebrich Niersteiner Hipping Rheinhessen Auslese ($23) Moderate length and complexity, clean and straightforward with zesty tangerine, pomelo, pineapple and peach aromas and flavors. Firm mineral palate. (Importer: Winesellers)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($32) Ripe apple, quince, loam, apricot and clover honey on nose. Fresh, nectar-driven palate that is rich yet not overly extracted; lovely backbone of minerally acidity. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Dr. H. Thanisch Berncasteler Doctor Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($60/375 ml) A lovely bit of earthiness and paraffin underscore strawberry, dried apricot, dried papaya and apricot cream notes on the nose. A softer palate with lots of honey - almost Sauternes-like - but acidity picks up on the finish. (Importer: Winesellers)
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Theo Minges Gleisweiler Holle Pfalz Spatlese ($27) With 11.5 percent alcohol, this is a drier style wine but lacks a trocken designation on the label. Citrus, white peach and honeycomb aromas; leaner palate with bright acidity and long, citrusy finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon Bonné, Chronicle wine editor; Larry Stone, general manager, Rubicon Estate. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine.
Key:
FOUR STARS: Extraordinary
THREE STARS: Excellent
TWO STARS: Good
Editor's note: As of last week, The Chronicle Wine Selections is listing the importers for all imported wines that we recommend. Not all wines may be carried by your local retailers, but we hope this added information will help to track them down. Please share your thoughts with us at wine@ sfchronicle.com.
- Lynne Char Bennett
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/WI2P107PP7.DTL
This article appeared on page F - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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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 maybe Brunello Parkerchino?
Turlello Montelicino?
April 23, 2008
‘Bolt From the Blue’ on a Tuscan Red
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
MONTALCINO, Italy
THE vineyards that surround this medieval hill town and the wine they produce have been a source of local pride for years.
But lately they’ve also been a source of embarrassment. Since late last year a prosecutor has been investigating whether some of the major producers of the wine — brunello di Montalcino — have been violating the laws that determine whether their product can bear that name, the most prestigious among all Tuscan wines.
The prosecutor has impounded more than a million bottles from some of the most prominent Italian winemakers — including Antinori and Frescobaldi — while he determines whether they used unapproved techniques or grapes other than brunello, the local name for sangiovese, supposedly to give their idiosyncratic wine a broader international appeal.
“It was a bolt from the blue, it threw us all off,” said Fabrizio Bindocci, the agronomist for Tenuta Il Poggione, known for its traditional style, and which he says is not being investigated.
He spoke as he maneuvered an S.U.V. along a worn dirt path lined by rows of gnarly brunello vines just beginning to show shoots. “It makes you feel badly,” he said, “because you realize that the world is not what you thought it was.”
The news of the investigation, and wilder, unfounded rumors about what was involved, broke earlier this year in local papers. But international wine blogs began publicizing it a few weeks ago just before the opening of Vinitaly, Italy’s largest wine trade fair. Brunello makers spent most of the fair fielding panicky calls from importers.
“Italians are masters at damaging their own interests,” Montalcino’s mayor, Maurizio Buffi, said wryly.
The woes of Montalcino come on top of other scandals that have called into question the purity of some of Italy’s most famous products. On Monday, Italian police said extra virgin olive oil from seven factories had been doctored with sunflower and soybean oil. There have been concerns that mozzarella might have been contaminated because of illegal garbage dumping around Naples, and adulterated wine is said to have been found in several regions.
So any rumor about brunello seemed believable. At first there were reports that winemakers had been indicted, that truckloads of cheap grapes had been trucked in from Mafia-controlled vineyards in the south, that adulterated wine had also been found in Montalcino.
“It was difficult to see wine written about in the same way you’d write about terrorism,” said Filippo Chia, whose family has made brunello at Castello Romitorio for the past two decades. (He, too, said his wine is not being investigated.) “That’s not in tune with our world, which is not a world of shock and awe but subtleties.”
But even the more subtle contours of reality in this case are stunning.
While nobody has been indicted, the prosecutor, Nino Calabrese, is considering commercial fraud charges that carry maximum sentences of up to six years imprisonment. Conviction could also lead to expulsion from the Consorzio del Vino Brunello. That group, for more than 40 years, has overseen production by the area’s 250 brunello makers to make sure, among other things, that they used nothing but sangiovese grapes, grown in vineyards on which no more than 80 hectoliters of fruit are harvested on every hectare, and that they aged their wine at least two years in oak barrels.
In a telephone interview from his office in Siena, Mr. Calabrese, the province’s chief prosecutor and a self-professed teetotaler, would only say his office had impounded the wine, from the 2003 vintage that went on sale in January, until he finds whether the winemakers had violated the brunello rules.
“It would seem that some people used different grapes to make the wine more tasty,” he said.
Why would anyone want to use unapproved grapes?
“Very simple,” said Franco Ziliani, the Italian wine expert who helped spread the word about the scandal on his blog, vinowire.com. “Adding cabernet or merlot, which are more pleasant to the American palate, makes for a more appealing wine for the average consumer as well as critics.”
The American market, Mr. Ziliani said, is among the most lucrative and prestigious.
Merlot in particular, he said, “makes sangiovese’s acidic tannins rounder, and more ready to drink,” and these grapes give these wines a darker color. Such wines regularly score in the high 90s with American critics, which usually translates into big sales.
He and others believe winemakers in the region have been doctoring their brunello for much of the past decade.
Accusations like this would seem familiar to winemakers in many areas of Europe. In Burgundy and Rioja, Barolo and Montalcino, qualities that have made local wines great, that have given their names international cachet, may not be the qualities that conform to international tastes. Some winemakers in those areas have changed their techniques to make less traditional wines with greater appeal in the export market — softer, fruitier, richer. It’s often rumored that some winemakers go further, actually breaking the rules under which they were allowed to use the famous names.
Some argue that a less pure brunello could actually be a better wine, but that it just should not be called a brunello. This was the origin of the famed super-Tuscan wines, which use non-traditional grapes like cabernet sauvignon.
“There’s been a debate on whether to add other grapes, but it’s been hypothetical,” said Tiziana Frescobaldi, director of communications for the family firm, whose brunello production — some 200,000 bottles at their Castelgiocondo estate — was impounded by the prosecutor. At Frescobaldi, she insisted, “We don’t want the rules to change; our brunello is 100 percent sangiovese.”
Lawyers for the grower have asked a court to release the wine, and she said they were waiting for a response.
Closing ranks, local wine growers argue that the regulations allow for a wide range of differences among individual wines. Their vineyards are spread over different soils and altitudes, and producers use a variety of techniques for aging and bottling. Even climate change has had an impact, they say.
“That’s the beauty of brunello, all its varying facets,” said Patrizio Cencioni, the brunello consortium’s vice president. Mr. Cencioni said the group has tightened oversight since 2004 and approved the procedures used by most of the producers being investigated.
“The prosecutors are investigating on the basis of information that’s different than what we found when we examined the vineyards,” he said.
Renzo Cotarella, managing director of Antinori, which has had around 150,000 bottles of its Pian delle Vigne impounded, said his company would emerge unblemished, though the media attention has already hurt them.
“In Italy, unfortunately,” he said, “you’re guilty until proven innocent, which I am certain we are.”
Even winemakers who have not been implicated want the scandal resolved.
“The credibility of all brunello is at risk," Mr. Bindocci of Tenuta Il Poggione said. “We shouldn’t all be penalized for the errors of others.”
But there are fears that Italy’s notoriously slow justice system will drag this out for months. While the consortium voted two weeks ago to preserve existing rules, some winemakers under investigation say they will abandon the brunello name for the 2003 vintage.
Argiano, one of the estates under investigation, said on Monday that it would declassify the 80,000 bottles that the prosecutor has impounded, charging 10 percent less than their normal price of $65 to $70.
“Our decision isn’t because we feel guilty,” said Stéphane Schaeffer, Argiano’s sales manager, who flew to the United States this week to tell customers that the company had done nothing wrong. “We can’t wait passively for months. We need to be on the market.”
The wine will be labeled Il Duemilatre di Argiano (Argiano’s 2003). Mr. Schaeffer said they decided against calling it Il Castigato, the chastised.
Beyond the individual winemakers, the local economy as a whole stands to suffer. Montalcino is a one-industry town and winemaking gives work to more than half of its 5,200 residents. Tourism brings in about 2 million visitors, the mayor said.
“I hope this is all resolved as quickly as possible because the territory risks serious economic damage,” the mayor said.
There could be layoffs soon, said Lars Leicht, a spokesman for the American-owned Castello Banfi, who said prosecutors have locked up around 600,000 bottles to investigate whether their vineyard yields were too high.
Still, Mr. Ziliani, the critic, is outraged by the reaction of many winemakers.
“Even though honest growers might be upset that the rules have been broken, they’re also irritated — and this is very Italian — that it’s interfering with their business,” he said. “I think most producers in Montalcino would have preferred that things went on as before — with some companies selling real brunello, and others not — because in any case brunello sells.”
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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 *
Sometimes, Love Means Cutting the Grass
By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
Wednesday, April 23, 2008; F05
For as long as we've known each other, we haven't always seen eye to eye when it comes to wine. More than 20 years ago, not long after we met, Karen took a sip of a light-bodied dry white wine we were poured at a party and winced. "Sauvignon blanc -- ugh!" she whispered to Andrew. "It's like trying to drink a glassful of grass." A California native, Andrew found the same wine's boldly grassy aromas and herbal flavors delightful, and a welcome taste of home. Could this relationship survive?
Personal chemistry overcame that rift, and three discoveries salvaged Karen's relationship with sauvignon blanc.
· Discovery No. 1: Sauvignon blancs from various parts of the world taste very different. From France's Loire Valley, 100 percent sauvignon blanc-based Sancerre is crisp and steely, with minerally aromas and flavors, making it a perfect match for raw oysters.
In Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc is often blended with Semillon's more-honeyed fruit to round out its sharpness. We were wowed recently by an unusual example from Gascony made in that style (85 percent sauvignon, 15 percent Semillon): The 2006 Domaine La Hitaire Hors Saison ($11) is like sniffing a wet stone, and its flavors include nectarine fruitiness, mineral notes and a long, lemony finish. It's fantastic for the price.
Karen's first taste of aggressively fruit-forward New Zealand sauvignon blanc also won her over. Its zippy tropical fruit and grapefruit flavors were nicely balanced by rounder, peachy notes. A delicately finessed version can be found in the 2007 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($25), a single-vineyard wine from Martinborough whose elegance and captivating lime-meets-nectarine flavors make it perfect for special-occasion sipping on its own or for pairing with food.
· Discovery No. 2: Sauvignon blanc pairs amazingly well with food. It would not be our first choice for a cocktail party, especially without food, since its strong aromatics and flavors are not guaranteed crowd-pleasers on their own. But just try to find a better partner for white fish and shellfish dishes. And it's absolutely magical with all manner of goat cheese, especially fresh chevre, on its own or atop a summer salad.
In fact, spotting a goat cheese and leek tartlet with a baby organic green salad on the menu at Seasons restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown inspired us to split a couple of glasses of sauvignon blanc to go with it. What turned out to be one of the best goat cheese tarts we've ever tasted was enhanced by both the minerally 2006 Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre ($13 a glass) and the citrusy 2006 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($12 a glass).
That tasting inspired Karen's pick this week: The 2007 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($18) is an impressively well-balanced wine, with even brighter citrus fruit than the 2006 vintage. About a third of this unoaked wine underwent malolactic fermentation, resulting in a slightly rounder acidity while retaining the grape's characteristic spirit.
· Discovery No. 3: Though some California winemakers celebrate sauvignon blanc's grassiness (Andrew loves the 2006 Diogenes Lake County Sauvignon Blanc, $18), many have been taking steps to deemphasize such overtly green flavors. Robert Mondavi went so far as to age his in oak, which brought out softer, more melonlike fruitiness in the wine. He even re-christened it fume blanc, suggesting the smoky flavors that sometimes (but not invariably) result. California's 2006 Meridian Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($10) isn't marred by grassiness, and it paired surprisingly well with lemon-sauced veal and shellfish and with green salads and other vegetable dishes. Keep an eye out for Meridian's other well-priced wines; we've previously recommended the 2006 Meridian Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($10), which has flavors reminiscent of Key lime pie, as an "affordable weeknight wonder."
Andrew's pick this week, the 2006 Benziger Family Winery North Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($13), is a crisp California wine that accompanied pasta with white clam sauce beautifully. Benziger is as proud of the methods used to farm its grapes as it is of its wines, and it intends the 2007 vintage of its sauvignon blanc, due out in August, to be "certified sustainable." The 2006 has peach-meets-grapefruit flavors and such subtle grassy and herbaceous notes that even Karen can't deny the attraction.
On that note, we couldn't agree more.
Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat," can be reached through their Web site, http://www.becomingachef.com, or at food(a)washpost.com.
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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 *
