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[wine] Wine article recommended by Warren Gregory

by warren＠warrenswineworld.com

Warren Gregory has sent you this article from AppellationAmerica: Your Genetics May Determine The Wines You Prefer http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/Tasting-Genetics.html Comments: as we try to plumb the complexity of individual taste preference ... here's another angle on decoding what everyone else is tasting.

17 years, 7 months

[wine] BMW

by karin

Hi All: Jim alerted me that the photo did not come through, so here's the info: Friday, 6-9 free valet parking wine + hors de oeurves by Spill the Wine pastries by Patricks Bakery celebrating BMW 1, X6, M3 cars (it's a nice dealer - have been there for the Mini Cooper events) Karin

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Taking charge - wine service

by Jim L. Ellingson

I haven't heard of a group meeting this week. Butterfly Bob is busy this week and next, so Pinto and Barolo are excellent choices. Wine shop at 46th and Chicago (Ken and Norms?) is hosting a tasting across the street at Michaels Cafe. Tix are $20 in advance, $30 at the door. We were able to sign up w/o providing a credit card. Wines from Artisan/Wine Co, Etica, and others along with Greek nosh. Presentations from Cat & Fiddle, Etica, Paustis Wines, and The Wine Company. There's a new model intro at Motorworks BMW on Friday. I suspect it's the 1 series (e.g. 135) Also on Friday, Arborfest fund raiser at Macalaster. Sample beer and food at Kagan hall. Live music. proceeds bennefit the Family Tree Clinic. Cheers, Jim [wine, wine tastings, wine dinners, wine education] A Spring Wine Tasting... Date: Apr 21, 2008 (Mon) Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Cost: $20 Place: Michael's Cafe 4810 Chicago Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55417 View Map Phone: 6128220030 Join us for a wine tasting. Admission includes samples from principal regions around the globe, light appetizers by Chef Michael, and music by Pat Mackin, Casual Sax. $20 Advance ($30 at the door) includes a 10% discounted coupon at Ken $ Norm's Liquors, plus 10% discount at Michael's Cafe, and a chance at a $100 value door prize. Presentations from Cat & Fiddle, Etica, Paustis Wines, and The Wine Company April 21, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist Of Wine, Haste and Religion By ROGER COHEN I was dining the other night with a colleague, enjoying a respectable Russian River Pinot Noir, when he said with a steely firmness: “We’ll pour our own wine, thank you.” This declaration of independence was prompted by that quintessential New York restaurant phenomenon: a server reducing a bottle of wine to a seven-minute, four-glass experience through overfilling and topping-up of a fanaticism found rarely outside the Middle East. I know I’m being elitist here, a terrible thing in this political season, and quite possibly nobody in small-town Pennsylvania gives a damn how wine is poured. But I don’t care and, come to think of it, last time I was in small-town Pennsylvania — at Gettysburg — I drank rather well. Acceptable cappuccino was also available throughout the commonwealth at Dunkin’ Donuts outlets, which makes one wonder if liberal elitism really begins and ends in Cambridge, Hyde Park and Berkeley these days. I even saw a Volvo somewhere west of Harrisburg. But that’s another story, albeit important, of seeping American sophistication-cum-Europeanization. The liberation I felt at my colleague’s I’ll-pour boldness was intoxicating. That’s right, I thought, we need to take our lives back. Drinking at your own pace is the best revenge. It’s humiliating to pay through the nose and suffer at affronts to good taste. Wine should glide, not glug, from a tilted, not tipped, bottle. The time that goes into the making of it should be reflected in the time it takes to drink. That’s so obvious that I got to wondering why wine glasses, even at fine New York tables, get filled almost to the brim, and refilled to that unseemly level, every time you’re distracted from Second Amendment-authorized armed guard of your receptacle. As with many things, there’s a generous view and a mean one. The kind interpretation would be that, through a gross misunderstanding of the nature of pleasure, servers and the restaurant managers behind them are convinced that solicitude is measured by the regularity with which a glass is topped up. The uncharitable view would be that, guided by an acute understanding of the nature of commerce, servers are told by restaurant managers to hustle clients through a meal and as many bottles of wine as possible. After long reflection, of at least 12 seconds, as measured on my elitist Rolex, I’ve decided the second theory is more convincing. It’s more plausible partly because it tracks with another unhappy New York dining phenomenon at some remove from the languorous pleasures of Manet’s “Déjeuner Sur L’Herbe.” I refer to the vacuuming away of your plate, at about the speed of light, the second you are deemed to have consumed the last mouthful. Just as you prepare to dab bread into the unctuous leftover sauce from those slide-from-the-bone short ribs, the plate vanishes. The fact that others around the table may still be eating — and to be without a plate is to feel naked in such circumstances — does not trouble the stealthy masters of this Houdini routine. As usual, in such matters, the French have it right. If you deconstruct the leftover, you find something that’s yours, a little messy, even mucky, but yours. No wonder there’s pleasure in poking around in it a little. Manet’s revelers are surrounded by their picnic leftovers. Nobody’s whisked them away. In the same way, that mix of soil, hearth and tradition the French call “terroir” is personal. You poke around in it and discover that some ineffable mix of the land, its particular characteristics, and a unique human bond has found expression in a wine – not a “Cabernet” or a “Pinot” or a “Merlot” but, say, a Chambolle-Musigny Derrière La Grange. That’s because “derriere la grange” — behind the barn — a small parcel of land produces a Burgundy distinct from another 50 yards away. Discovering this takes time, just as it takes time after bottling — perhaps a decade — for fruit, tannin and acidity to attain their full harmony. American wine is rushed onto the table, as well as into the glass. Most is drunk five to ten years too early. But, hey, this is a country in a hurry: Google’s founders made a couple of billion dollars overnight last week, an un-French achievement. This is a great nation. Perhaps it’s so great I should wear an American flag lapel pin. Perhaps it’s so great I should put myself in a duck blind this weekend. Perhaps it’s so great I should join the great U.S. blood sport of anti-intellectualism. Perhaps it’s so great I should go bowling more often. Perhaps it’s so great I should stop praising France and conceal the fact I speak French. But I don’t want to grow bitter. Maybe I’ll just cling — yes, cling — to my glass and the religion that’s in it. Blog: www.iht.com/passages -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Fwd: Motorwerks BMW New Model Launch Party

by karin

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Saturday Nite Art Party

by karin

Fellow Winers: my friend Bruce is having a 'closing' art show at Flanders Gallery this coming Saturday, April 19, 6-9. Free munchies, wine, beer, soda, and performance by Willie Murphy. Flanders Gallery is located at 3012 Lyndale Avenue South, Mpls. it's always fun to people-watch at these events. Am attaching the postcard.

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Brdx Blends at JPs

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Mostly an update. I have 9 on my not so confirmed list. Article from the post regarding "other" varietals from well known producers. e.g. Cline Syrah, KJ Syrah, Morgon Sauv Blanc, Iron Horse Chards. Bob Betsy Bill Double A Anderson Russel/Susan Ruth Joyce (later) Jim Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:05:26 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Brdx Blends (?) at JP's, Taste Bud-o-meter ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Syrah/Shiraz at JPs Greetings, Had a nice meal at Sapor. Driving was another matter. Happiness is a well designed electronic stability control system, with an off button. Group is going to JP's on Thursday. Not sure if this is where things settled. Vin du jour was in flux when I left. Wine is Bordeaux blends from anywhere. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:52:46 -0600 Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:08:10 -0600 Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:55:23 -0500 Greetings, Ringers, sparklings, dessert wines, etc. always welcome. Thursday at 6:30 at JPs Bistro. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or Please trim the articles form your replys to me or the list. Bob Betsy Bill Russel Ruth Lori JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Lot of consctuction on Lyndale, so side streets may be a better option. Parking: Meters were free after 6 or 6:30. Side streets may be an option. Pay lot behind the restaurant. Cheers, Jim Some Makers Can't Be Labeled By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Wednesday, April 16, 2008; F05 When "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was released in 2004, we almost skipped it. Jim Carrey? We immediately pictured the star's over-the-top, cartoonish persona and had a hard time believing he could credibly play a dramatic role. But he surprised us -- pleasantly. Some winemakers are even more typecast than Hollywood actors. Say "Georges Duboeuf," and it's hard to think of anything other than Beaujolais, even though the leading exporter of French wines makes a wide array of both whites and reds. At a recent preview of the Georges Duboeuf 2007 vintage wines, to be released in September, we dove into the reds almost instinctively. But when we went back to taste the whites a couple of hours later, we were surprised at how impressed we were -- and said as much to the "king of Beaujolais" himself and his son, Franck, who oversees operations for Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. "I don't know why people are often so surprised to find how much they enjoy our whites," Franck Duboeuf responded with a laugh. "Our family has been in the [Pouilly-Fuisse] region for more than four centuries." It shows. Although the 2007 Pouilly-Fuisse was still very young, it already exhibited great promise of rounding out into a beautifully elegant wine, much as the 2005 and 2006 Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuisse ($24) have done. Those crisp, full-bodied, fruity yet well-balanced wines with notes of almond and vanilla were Karen's food-friendly find of the week. We plan to keep a bottle or two on hand all spring and summer to pair with chicken, fish, pork, veal and turkey. Later, curiosity about what other overlooked treasures we might be missing out on led us to sample whites from Jordan Winery, which makes a celebrated cabernet sauvignon. Andrew especially loved the rich complexity of the 2006 Jordan Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($30), which is fermented in French oak. Jordan's executive chef, Todd Knoll, who devises dishes to pair with the wines, recommends a potage Saint-Germain (pea soup) with Atlantic lobster with this one. But we enjoyed this creamy-bodied white with sauteed chicken in a lemon-butter sauce and with cheese ravioli in basil pesto sauce, the latter of which brought out some nice herbaceous qualities in the wine. (By the way, both of our picks this week were acidic enough to pair well with salads. Our secrets for a better pairing are to dress your greens with a softly acidic -- thus more wine-friendly -- champagne vinaigrette and to shave a little Parmesan cheese on top.) Here are some other discoveries that play against type for each winemaker: Beringer Vineyards: This Napa Valley winemaker is much better known for its cabernet and chardonnay table wines, so we were surprised to be charmed by its 2004 Beringer Nightingale Botrytised Napa Valley Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine ($40 for 375 ml). Its lighter-bodied (as opposed to syrupy) weight and honeyed apricot flavors lend themselves beautifully to either a cheese course or pâté. Bernardus Winery: Better known for its cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, the winemaker also boasts an impressive grapefruity and grassy sauvignon blanc in the 2006 Bernardus Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc ($15), which is rounded out by the addition of 4 percent Semillon. Blackstone Winery: We both like its ubiquitous merlot, but even more so its 2005 Blackstone California Zinfandel ($12), which is full-bodied with cooked-plum fruitiness and notes of white pepper. It's a good choice with barbecued ribs or lamb, as is the next wine. Cline Cellars: It is best known for its zinfandel, but don't overlook the winery's 2006 Cline Syrah ($12) from Sonoma County, a rich expression of the syrah grape with its red-berry fruitiness and hints of spice. Domaine Chandon: Its lovely sparkling wines made in the traditional champagne method from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes are much better known, but the 2005 Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier ($35), with flavors of cherry and a touch of cinnamon, is enjoyable in its own right. Pair it with duck, lamb or pork. Dr. Konstantin Frank: Best known for its Riesling, Dr. Frank makes other crisp, refreshing whites ideal for spring sipping, including the unusual 2006 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli ($20), which tastes like a blend of Riesling, Gewuerztraminer, Gruener Veltliner and New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Iron Horse Vineyards: Iron Horse makes our favorite domestic sparkling wines, but its full-bodied chardonnays have their own appeal. You'll find rounded flavors of pear and a hint of grapefruit curd in the 2006 Iron Horse UnOaked Chardonnay ($26). The French-oaked 2006 Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay ($28) features exuberant coconut on its long finish. The latter employs water-bent (as opposed to the usual fire-bent) barrels, which winemaker Joy Sterling characterizes as "more flattering to our fruit." Kendall-Jackson Winery: K-J is almost synonymous with chardonnay, but it has a terrific syrah in the full-bodied 2005 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve California Syrah ($12), which is ripe with blackberry fruitiness and notes of black pepper. Morgan Winery: Best known for its pinot noir, Morgan is well worth checking out for its refreshing, light-bodied and tropical-fruity 2006 Morgan Sauvignon Blanc ($15), composed primarily of sauvignon musque (a sauvignon blanc clone) with added Semillon and sauvignon blanc. Penfolds: Penfolds may make the single best shiraz on the planet, but it would be a shame to miss sampling its racy, bone-dry and mineral-laden 2007 Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling ($20), especially with oysters. Shafer Vineyards: The maker of one of our very favorite merlots turns out to have a special way with chardonnay, too. Its 2006 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay ($48) is made without malolactic fermentation, the secondary fermentation process that results in softer lactic acidity and, often, a buttery aroma. This beautifully balanced chardonnay exhibits a lively natural acidity and minerality along with bright apple and apricot flavors. If you still have your doubts, give a few of these a try anyway. You might turn up some delicious surprises. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 7 months

[wine] Brdx Blends (?) at JP's, Taste Bud-o-meter

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Syrah/Shiraz at JPs Greetings, Had a nice meal at Sapor. Driving was another matter. Happiness is a well designed electronic stability control system, with an off button. Group is going to JP's on Thursday. Not sure if this is where things settled. Vin du jour was in flux when I left. Wine is Bordeaux blends from anywhere. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:52:46 -0600 Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:08:10 -0600 Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:55:23 -0500 Greetings, Ringers, sparklings, dessert wines, etc. always welcome. Thursday at 6:30 at JPs Bistro. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or Please trim the articles form your replys to me or the list. Bob Betsy Bill Russel Ruth Lori JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Lot of consctuction on Lyndale, so side streets may be a better option. Parking: Meters were free after 6 or 6:30. Side streets may be an option. Pay lot behind the restaurant. Cheers, Jim ----- End forwarded message ----- Which wine drinker are you? Consultant aims to demystify taste By Jane Black Washington Post Article Last Updated: 04/09/2008 01:24:44 PM CDT Of 11 wines on the tasting table, the Col d'Orcia Rosso di Montalcino, a full-bodied, fruity Tuscan red, was Tom Natan's top choice. Adam Manson hated it. Both men have well-trained and well-respected palates. Natan is a partner in the Washington-based importer and retailer First Vine. Manson is a co-owner of Veritas, a popular wine bar in Washington. But the physiological differences in their tongues, coupled with their varied experiences, mean the same wine tastes different to each of them. To Natan, the big, juicy flavors are luscious. To Manson, they are overwhelming, even bitter. And neither is right or wrong, says Tim Hanni, a California wine consultant. At a tasting organized by the Washington Post recently at Phillips Seafood, Hanni analyzed the two men's taste buds, a process he calls "getting your buds done." After watching them taste and then scrutinizing their tongues through an industrial magnifying glass, Hanni labeled Natan a "tolerant" taster because he has fewer taste buds and tends to prefer ripe, concentrated wines. Manson, with more taste buds, is a "sensitive" taster and usually likes more-balanced wines without strong tannins. "Hypersensitive" tasters, Hanni's third category, tend toward delicate, slightly sweeter wines, such as rieslings, that are easy on the palate. "Sweet" tasters, the final group, are also hypersensitive, Hanni says, with confidence in their taste and little interest in learning to like Advertisement drier wines. Knowing your type is akin to knowing your shoe size, Hanni says. Wearing a size 8 is not good or bad; it's just a fact that helps you find something that fits. "People live in different sensory worlds," he says. "We need to acknowledge that." PERSONALIZED RATINGS If it becomes widely accepted, Hanni's system could upend the way we think, judge, even talk about wine. Instead of 100-point scales or talk of "grassy," "gooseberry" notes — wine descriptors that Hanni says can become "insufferable" mumbo jumbo — drinkers would need only to understand what makes up a perfect score or pleasant flavor for them. That can vary widely depending on physiology, sex and personal experience. At a 2006 pinot noir judging in San Francisco, the female judges' first choice came in 35th out of 40 among the men. The men's first choice came in 35th out of 40 for the women. (Women are much more likely than men to be sensitive or hypersensitive tasters, though sex isn't a determining factor.) Recently, Hanni was putting his methods to the test at the first Lodi International Wine Awards in California. He says he developed the awards to help consumers and to improve traditional wine competitions, where he says one outspoken judge can sway other panelists with different palates. Instead of giving out medals, taste-bud-tested judges will bestow prizes based on taste preferences. So, a wine may win a top prize for tolerant tasters but only a bronze — or no medal at all — for hypersensitive drinkers. Consumers who know their type can then buy wines that are at the top of the class for their palate, not an anonymous judge's. His goal, Hanni says, is to democratize wine once and for all. It's something the industry has been talking about for years: getting rid of the snooty sommeliers and insisting it's OK to drink white zinfandel with your steak if that's what you like. "There's no right or wrong" has become a mantra of the new generation of wine professionals. But the overwhelming nature of the wine business has made it tough to persuade consumers to trust their palates. "I don't know of any other industry that has such a broad range of products and prices," says Natalie MacLean, an author and the editor of a free wine newsletter at natalie maclean.com. "There are more than a million producers, and each one makes at least a few wines, all of which change every year. Multiply that together, and it's dazzling, overwhelming and confusing." TONGUE ANALYSIS The Budometer, a computerized palate assessment tool, aims to turn theory into practice. Consumers fill out a survey at budometer.com. that is designed to gauge their tastes. (Hint: If you like black coffee or Scotch or, counter-intuitively, find foods too salty — salt suppresses bitterness — you're probably a "tolerant" taster.) The Budometer instantly tells consumers what kind of taster they are. It offers up styles to look for — tannic reds, New World pinot noirs, Alsatian whites — and specific wines they might enjoy. Starting in May, visitors to Copia, an education center in Napa, Calif., that promotes the understanding of food and wine, can confirm their status by having their tongues analyzed. Hanni developed the Budometer with the help of two sensory scientists at the University of California at Davis. It takes into account a decade of research on taste and sensory perception; Hanni calls it neurogastronomic programming. Designed for neophytes, it asks five questions, but Hanni plans to add a more advanced questionnaire for enthusiasts soon. The extended survey will help people understand how experiences affect or even overcome genetic predispositions, he says. A tolerant taster might love French pinot noirs, which by the book would be too thin and dull to appeal, because he spent his honeymoon touring Burgundy. "The struggle is to take away the mystery of wine without taking the magic," MacLean says. "Tim's idea is a big step forward, because he is not just spouting the old cliches about 'Wine is for everyone.' There's methodology behind his theories." As important as the science is Hanni's fervor for making wine easy, whatever it takes. He developed the first "progressive" wine list in 1985 for Murphy's restaurant in Atlanta, grouping bottles not by country but by styles, such as "light and fruity" or "lush and full-bodied." He also developed and sells Vignon, a blend of salt and spices designed to help any food pair well with wine — even asparagus and artichokes, which are notoriously difficult to match. A recovering alcoholic, Hanni hasn't swallowed a sip of wine in 14 years, something he insists hasn't affected his ability to work with wine. In fact, he says it helps: "There are people who write me off as an idiot, because how could I know what I'm talking about if I don't taste? When I stopped drinking, I became an observer. What I do isn't dependent on tasting; it's dependent on observing and studying and researching why you like what you like." IT'S ONLY WINE Some of his ideas might seem heretical, but Hanni, one of the first two Americans to obtain a master of wine designation, is careful to present his creations in a way that is welcoming to wine novices and unthreatening to the establishment. At 55, Hanni still has a bit of the hippie in him. His most common expression is, "I'm having a blast." Every e-mail ends with his tag line: "Peace, Partnership and Prosperity." The message: It's only wine. Why can't we all get along? So far, so good. Though the Budometer is still in its beta phase, it has had a warm reception. Wine writer Andrea Immer, enologist Richard Peterson and Copia's senior vice president of wine Peter Marks are fans. And once consumers comprehend exactly what Hanni is talking about (the shoe analogy helps), they, too, get excited about the prospect of being able to better navigate a wine list or simply trust their instincts. Janice Iwama, a 24-year-old research analyst who attended the recent tasting, for example, was happy to learn she fell into the sweet category, which explained her intense dislike for red wines. Taster Tom Broughan, a George Washington University law student, said "having guidelines is helpful to focus my picks and get away from things I know I don't like." His previous strategy was to look for a brand he knew his father liked. To be sure, some worry the Budometer may be too confusing for people who just want a glass of wine after work. "Wine enthusiasts love it. But if it adds another layer of information or complexity on behalf of the casual consumer, it may not make it easier," says Mark Chandler, executive director of the Lodi Wine Grape Commission. "It's one more piece of information you have to know." Then, there are those who just don't want to find out they lack taste buds. Karen McMullen, managing director of Washington Wine and Women, was disappointed the Budometer pegged her as a tolerant taster, because she has always preferred the subtle French and Italian wines she learned to love while summering in Europe as a young woman. Hanni, however, wasn't surprised at all. When he reviewed the selections she preferred at the tasting, he saw that despite her physiology, she did favor the delicate European wines. "The Budometer is geared for new wine drinkers," Hanni says. "Once you graduate intellectually to Karen's level, experience takes over." If the Budometer takes off, any stigma could soon disappear. "You are what you are," says tolerant taster Natan. "I don't mind being tolerant. Isn't that a good thing?" Return to Top The Pioneer Press is happy to host community conversations about news and life in the Twin Cities. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 8 months

[wine] Wine Temp ASAP

by Jim L. Ellingson

I stumbled accross this while looking for something unrelated: Hey Warren, Annette (s). Is this on the exam? Cheers, Jim FYI/FYE March 3, 1999 A Sommelier's Little Secret: The Microwave By WILLIAM GRIMES A NEW question is creeping into wine service in New York: How do you want that cooked? For many years, Americans have confounded the rest of the world by drinking their white wines too cold and their red wines too warm. Sommeliers no longer hesitate when diners ask that a luscious Corton-Charlemagne be plunged into an ice bucket. They just do it. It's easy. Red wine poses a different problem, since it often arrives at the table with a slight chill. If the diners want their wine the temperature of a blood transfusion, and fast, the sommelier must resort to wiles, and the wiliest wile of all, it turns out, is the microwave oven. Sometimes it's the customer who wants his wine 'waved. Sometimes it's the hard-pressed sommelier who makes the decision to go nuclear. But it happens. There really are wines that go into that silent chamber at 58 degrees and come out, like a client at a tanning salon, flush with radiation and 7 to 10 degrees warmer. ''There is no way any sommelier is going to admit to doing it,'' said Dan Perlman, the wine director at Veritas. ''They'll say, 'I've heard of it,' like I just did. I'm in the clear, though, because we don't have a microwave.'' The practice is by no means widespread, or even widely known, but it is something that happens at even the top restaurants. Alexis Ganter, the wine director at City Wine and Cigar, reacted with stunned silence when informed about the microwave trick. Then he let out a long, shuddering sigh and moaned, ''Oh my God.'' Like other members of the ''wine is a living thing'' school, Mr. Ganter expressed deep fear of this new technological breakthrough. Others showed a native American willingness to at least experiment. ''It makes sense,'' said Ralph Hersom, the wine director at Le Cirque 2000. ''I don't see that it would harm a wine, but I'd recommend doing it with a younger wine.'' Still others fessed up, some expressing shame but others not. ''I did it once when I was working at a wine bar in Madison, Wis.,'' said Eric Zillier, the wine director at the Hudson River Club. ''It was an '85 Burgundy from Verget, one of my favorites, but I made the customer, who was very insistent, swear he would never tell anyone I did it.'' Christopher Cannon, at the Judson Grill, has used the microwave and doesn't mind saying so. It's a method of last resort, but it is a method that works, and he will use it. ''I zap it for 5 to 10 seconds,'' he said. It seems more reasonable than the customer who wanted his Gaja barbaresco served with ice cubes. And why not? Most Champagne houses turn their bottles by machine, not hand. The plastic cork and the screw top work just as well, if not better, than a cork. So why resist the microwave? ''The microwaves are heating the water, which is the main constituent of wine,'' said Christian E. Butzke, an enologist at the University of California at Davis. ''If you do that for a very brief period -- 10 seconds maximum -- no other chemical reactions are going to take place, and nothing will be destroyed.'' The phenolic structure of the wine, Mr. Butzke said, should not be disturbed by the microwaves. ''It is awkward,'' he admitted, ''because you associate a microwave with TV dinners.'' Wine makers, somewhat surprisingly, do not run screaming from the room at the idea. ''It's not something I'd do with a fine wine,'' said Richard Draper, the wine maker at Ridge Vineyards, ''but if it's an industrial product, which 90 percent of wine is, it's been through a lot worse already.'' As for fine wines, Mr. Draper said that his objection to microwaving was philosophical rather than rational. Some wine lovers even see magical powers in the microwave. Richard Dean, the sommelier at the Mark Hotel, used to serve a wine club that gathered once a month at the Honolulu hotel where he worked. The members were convinced that warming a red wine in the microwave for five seconds put an extra five years of age on the wine. A professional to the tips of his fingers, Mr. Dean did not laugh. He did not argue. Nor did he tell his customers that the hotel had no microwave. He simply disappeared with the wine, reappeared after a decent interval, served it, and everyone was happy -- until a rival hotel snitched on him. ''That was embarrassing,'' he said. The same sommeliers who shrink before the microwave do not mind employing all sorts of nontechnological tricks, like running a decanter under warm water before pouring the wine in it, replacing glasses on the table with glasses that have just come out of the dishwasher, or even putting the bottle in the dishwasher. Joseph Funghini, the wine director at the Post House, said that he has wrapped a bottle in a warm towel. Others plunge the bottle into a bucket of warm water. Nearly every restaurant, bending to American preferences, has raised the storage temperature from classic cellar temperature, which is 55 degrees, to about 60 degrees. (Wines in long-term storage remain at 53 degrees to 55 degrees, with a humidity of 70 percent.) ''Ninety-five percent of customers will object to 55 degrees,'' Mr. Hersom of Le Cirque said. Some object to 75 degrees. ''I had a customer, very sophisticated, who simply liked to drink red wine at body temperature,'' said Mr. Perlman of Veritas. ''He asked that it be decanted and then placed on a shelf above the stove.'' Mr. Perlman has a lot of stories like that. There's the customer who wanted the Champagne decanted, to get rid of those annoying bubbles, and the one who wanted to add fruit juice to his Mouton-Rothschild to make a sangria. Mr. Perlman suggested a more modest red. The customer said no. He wanted a good sangria. The microwave, however, seems to be the philosophical point of no return. Some sommeliers simply cannot cross the threshold. ''You're destroying everything in the wine that makes it wine,'' Mr. Zillier of the Hudson River Club said. ''It's catastrophic.'' When informed of Mr. Butzke's line of argument, he dug in his heels. ''Instinct tells me the fragile biochemical ingredients are going to be affected by the highly excited water molecules,'' he said. ''You're cooking it. If you put wine in a saute pan to bring the temperature up, people would laugh at you. What's the difference?'' Convenience, for one thing. Efficiency for another. And one thing more. ''You get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, but you do these things,'' Mr. Perlman said. ''After all, the customer is paying for the bottle of wine.'' Now for the Gory Details: How to Nuke a Wine THERE is a very simple way to bring a chilled wine up a few degrees in temperature. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This technique, known to the ancients, produces spectacular results with minimal effort. But there are times when the harried host does not have 15 minutes. That's where the microwave comes in, for those with the nerve to put a cherished bottle on the hot seat. The microwave moment presents itself more frequently than one might think. True, most people do not have wine cellars, and therefore their wine is more likely to need chilling than warming. They do, however, have refrigerators. The red wine that was left to cool off a bit can come out cold, and white wine is almost certainly well below cellar temperature after several hours on the shelf. This is not a good thing. Cold helps mask the deficiencies of a white wine, accentuating its crispness and thirst-quenching properties, but it kills the taste of a complex white. Enter, to boos and hisses, the microwave oven. Before enlisting its help, remove the metal cap from the top of the bottle and discard. It is not necessary to remove the cork, since warming the wine a few degrees will not significantly expand the volume of air between the cork and the wine. Set the microwave on high power. Every five seconds of microwaving will elevate the wine's temperature by two degrees. Five degrees is probably the most extreme variation anyone would want to shoot for. A big-bodied red wine should be served at 60 to 65 degrees, a complex white wine from 55 to 60 degrees, and a light, fruity red at 50 to 55 degrees. Roses and simpler whites can be served at 45 degrees or even a little cooler. A digital thermometer inserted in the bottle neck will provide an instant progress report. WILLIAM GRIMES -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 8 months

[wine] wine?

by karin

are folks going to visit Joyce's tasting tonight? anything planned in the next few weeks????? Karin

17 years, 8 months

[wine] Common Wine Flaws (fwd)

by Jim L. Ellingson

FYI/FYE ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> ----- Authentication-Results: smtp-relay.enet.umn.edu from=wine(a)wineloverspage.com; sender-id=neutral; spf=neutral Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:02:04 -0500 (EST) To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: Cooked! From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, March 31, 2008 ________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSOR * COLOSSAL WINE SALE AT THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Last day to save during this month's wine sale at The California Wine Club. http://www.cawineclub.com/?utm_source=wadv&utm_medium=banner ________________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE * COOKED! Many common wine flaws are clearly defined and relatively easy to learn to recognize. Not so "cooked" wine, a widely cited problem but one that lacks a clear description. * DOMAINE LA TOUR BOIS�E 2005 VIN DE PAYS D'OC CABERNET SAUVIGNON ($9.99) Warm, a bit rough and rustic; but there's nothing wrong with that in this "wine of the country" table wine, fine with simple fare. * COLOSSAL WINE SALE AT THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Last day to save during this month's wine sale at The California Wine Club. * THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM Columnist Randy Caparoso comments on the convergence in wine lists; Jorge Eduardo Castillo ponders wine matches with eggs, and Tom Hyland reports from Gala Italia. WineLovers Discussion Group members talk about Von Schubert Maximin Gr�nhauser's excellent Mosel Rieslings. * ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe. ________________________________________________________________________ COOKED! So many bad things can happen to good wine! Many common wine flaws are clearly defined and fairly easy to learn to recognize. Wine judges learn to identify flaws as an aid to scoring wines in competition. Many wine enthusiasts pick them up quickly, as a hobby interest and a guide to identifying and discussing wine problems. A few examples: * CORK TAINT: A moldy, musty stench reminiscent of wet cardboard or a damp basement, often with an overtone of chlorine bleach, identifies wine afflicted by a faulty natural cork. * OXIDIZED: The familiar walnutty aroma of inexpensive Sherry signals a wine exposed to oxygen over time in the bottle or through a faulty cork or stopper. The geek-speak term "Maderized" is nearly synonymous, although as an exercise in wine pedantry, it's possible to draw a line between "oxidized" by air exposure and "maderized" by exposure to air and heat. * WILD YEAST: Earthy, "barnyard" aromas ranging from sweaty leather horse saddles to barnyards piled high with manure - often accompanied by a twangy acidic finish - usually denote contamination by wild yeast strains with names like brettanomyces ("brett") and dekkera. * VOLATILE ACIDITY: The bacterium acetobacter, afflicting carelessly made wines, can yield a range of "high-toned" aromas ranging from a whiff of furniture polish to a salad-dressing jolt of vinegar. * SULFUR: A range of sulfur compounds (not to be confused with sulfites used as a natural preservative) can cause a variety of aroma faults in wine from "burnt match" to offensively stinky smells of overcooked cabbage, sauerkraut or swamp gas. One of the most widely discussed wine faults, though, doesn't submit easily to dictionary-style definition. Today, following up on an extended conversation in our WineLovers Discussion Group, let's tighten our focus on "COOKED" wine, a common problem that lacks a clear description. Not literally "cooked" on a stove top, this term refers to a wine purportedly damaged by exposure to excessive heat - or, increasingly, exposed to any heat above the traditional 55F/13C temperature of underground cellars - during shipment or storage. This term is a relative newcomer to the world of wine evaluation. Wine encyclopedias and other reference books from as recently as the 1970s don't list it, at least not separately from oxidation and maderization. It rarely if ever comes up in wine judging in Europe (perhaps because these competitions usually feature new wines sent directly from storage at the winery). But dip into online wine forums or attend gatherings of wine enthusiasts, and it surely won't be long before you encounter an expert spitting out wine and declaring it "cooked." Getting those experts to agree on exactly what constitutes "cooked" and how to identify it, however, is a much stickier wicket. Why did a long-term non-issue so quickly bubble to the top of wine lovers' worry lists? I see a combination of two factors: First, a few strong wine importers - most notably Berkeley's irrepressible Kermit Lynch - made a virtue out of shipping their wines under carefully controlled conditions ... and pointing out that their competitors do not. Second, a significant increase of wine collecting and investment - as opposed to mere wine drinking - altered priorities among new wine enthusiasts. Amid a growing received wisdom that exposure to heat in shipment or storage compromises the potential longevity of ageworthy wines, collectors began paying attention to the provenance of their wines - and, soon enough, worrying about the storage status of all their wines. But what exactly does a "cooked" wine taste like? Frankly, you can ask five experts and get five answers. Based largely on personal, anecdotal experience, some cite "overripe fruit" "pruney fruit" or even "stewed fruit" as a dead giveaway. Others look for the telltale nutty but stale Sherry-like scent that betrays oxidation. Collectors, who rarely drink their treasures young, focus on the longer term: Overheat a wine, they fret, and it will "fall apart" in the cellar, losing its fruit while an undamaged wine would be maturing toward mellow complexity, the damage revealing to the collector's dismay only after years of storage. Although the science behind this theory is less than clear, I'm inclined toward the latter view. Back in the summer of 2001, I conducted some casual tests, deliberately "cooking" a bottle of modest Cabernet in a closed car on a searing summer day. Tasted later in a "blind" pairing with an identical but un-damaged bottle, the heated wine was actually more immediately appealing, showing more forward fruit and softness. The effect resembled "flash pasteurization," a sleazy treatment given some industrial-type commercial wines to bring up their fruit. It doesn't seem surprising to me that a wine so treated - not unlike an athlete overdosing on steroids - would give up its longevity in exchange for a youthful burst of power. Still, when I taste a wine and find it either forwardly fruity or hinting at Sherry, I can't say that "cooked" is the first explanation that comes to my mind. "Cooked" is often used generically for "damaged" in cases where it's not really possible to be more specific. I do believe that long-term exposure to warmth compromises longevity, but I'm not persuaded that cooking confers a short-term "stewed" or other character that can be consistently picked out with the level of confidence that wine judges bring to cork taint, volatile acidity or wild yeast contamination. At the end of the day, though, I see no reason to alter my conclusion in the 2001 article: It simply makes sense to take care of your wine and keep it cool ... and that goes double if you're talking about an expensive, ageworthy wine that you intend to keep for a long time. At the same time, the reassuring lesson is that, even if you make a mistake and let your wine get overheated - or if the power to your cellar goes off for a few hours on a hot, summer day - you needn't assume that it's ruined and can't still be enjoyed. Now, here's today's tasting report, a fine value in a rustic but food- friendly Old World Cabernet. ________________________________________________________________________ DOMAINE LA TOUR BOIS�E 2005 VIN DE PAYS D'OC CABERNET SAUVIGNON ($9.99) Clear but very dark blackish-purple, almost inky; clear garnet at the edge. Appealing red fruit and spice, hints of mixed berries and tart plums, pleasant but doesn't really jump out to me as varietal Cabernet. Flavors are consistent with the nose, fresh and tart, perhaps a hint of dark, bitter chocolate as a backdrop to the fruit. Tannins aren't obvious at first tasting, but show up as dry and rather scratchy astringency on the finish. Warm at 13.8% alcohol, a bit rough and rustic; but there's nothing the matter with that in this "wine of the country" table wine, fine with simple fare. U.S. importer: Wine Adventures Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa. (March 31, 2008) FOOD MATCH: Fine with red meat or pasta, or in this case, both: Leftover rare rib eye steak warmed through in a light sauce of fresh tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, garlic and Pecorino Romano as a sauce for mezzi rigatoni.. VALUE: The $10 price point for quality European wine is almost disappearing as the puny dollar continues to weaken. This rustic red, however, is well worth the toll. WHEN TO DRINK: Drinkable now and not really meant for aging, but fruit, balance and tannins will likely hold it for a few years. WEB LINK: The winery Website is published in French, English and what appears to be two dialects of Chinese: http://www.domainelatourboisee.com For a fact sheet on an earlier vintage of today's wine, see http://www.domainelatourboisee.com/wines/cabernet-sauvignon.html FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Distribution of Domaine La Tour Bois�e is limited. U.S. readers may be able to get information on sources from the import firm, Wine Adventures Inc. of West Des Moines, Iowa: http://www.wineadventures.com You'll find a few U.S. and international vendors for Domaine La Tour Bois�e on Wine-Searcher.com: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Tour%2bBoisee/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP ________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSOR: THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Last day to save during this month's wine sale at The California Wine Club! http://www.cawineclub.com/?utm_source=wadv&utm_medium=banner Stock up on limited production, award-winning wines and save up to 70 percent off normal retail prices. Access wines you would normally only discover at the winery itself and be secure in knowing that every wine is 100 percent guaranteed. Try the Napa Valley Merlot for just $6.50, or the highly-rated Santa Barbara Pinot Noir for $29. You'll find bold Sierra Foothills Syrahs for only $8.75 and many, many more! Visit the Wine Sale page at The California Wine Club or call 1-800-777- 4443. Time is running out to save, order now. http://www.cawineclub.com/?utm_source=wadv&utm_medium=banner ________________________________________________________________________ TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE If you have questions, comments or ideas to share about today's article or wine in general, you're always welcome to drop by our online WineLovers Discussion Group. This link will take you to the forum home page, where you can read discussions in all the forum sections: http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village Everyone is free to browse. If you'd like to post a comment, question or reply, you must register, but registration is free and easy. Do take care to register using your real name, or as a minimum, your real first name and last initial. Anonymous registrations are quietly discarded. To contact me by E-mail, write wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit. ________________________________________________________________________ PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or other wireless device. http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/2008/03/cooked-print.html ________________________________________________________________________ THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM * RANDY'S CULINARY WINE & FOOD ADVENTURES: Dragging Wine Lists Out of the Dark Ages What's happened to individuality in restaurant wine lists today? Randy Caparoso takes a look at why so many lists are so much alike. http://www.wineloverspage.com/randysworld/darkages.phtml * VINO 101: Green Eggs and ... Wine? Eggs aren't just for Easter, but many of us take for granted the flavor a simple egg can add to a particular dish, sauce or dessert. Jorge Eduardo Castillo looks some some wines that make particularly good pairings with popular egg dishes. http://www.wineloverspage.com/vino101/eggs0308.phtml * ITALIAN WINE GUIDE: Super Italian Wines - Tuscany and Elsewhere It seems like every Italian wine maker today is producing a "Super Tuscan." But why? At this year's Gala Italia, Tom Hyland hears just why so many producers are adding them to the traditional wines they make. http://www.wineloverspage.com/italwineguide/galaitalia08.phtml * WINELOVERS DISCUSSION GROUP: Maximin Bliss A tasting of Von Schubert Maximin Gr�nhauser's excellent Mosel Rieslings prompts an extended discussion among the German-wine lovers in our WineLovers Discussion Group. Read the posts and join in: http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14894 ________________________________________________________________________ LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). In recent weeks, however, we've published on Mondays only. Here's the index to last week's column and archives: * The value of a nose (March 24, 2008) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080324.php * Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php * Wine Advisor Foodletter archive: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/food/archives.php ________________________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: * WineLoversPage.com RSS Feed (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/rss/ * 30 Second Wine Advisor, daily or weekly (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/index.shtml * Wine Advisor FoodLetter, Thursdays (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodletter.shtml ARCHIVES: For all past editions: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/archives.php CONTACT US E-mail: wine(a)wineloverspage.com SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: For information, E-mail wine(a)wineloverspage.com ________________________________________________________________________ ADMINISTRIVIA To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other administrative matters, click to http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36d12e… We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone. All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry. Monday, March 31, 2008 Copyright 2008 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved. ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

17 years, 8 months

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