Alois Kracher, the esteemed producer of Austrian sweet wines, passed
away last night at age 48 from cancer. A short obituary appears at
http://www.decanter.com/news/165896.html (among other sources).
The Rosewood Room Wine Club
Date: Dec 04, 2007 (Tue)
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Cost: $15 @ Door / $75 6mo Membership
Place: The Rosewood Room
400 3rd Ave N
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
Phone: 612-465-8585
December 4th, 2007, enjoy Sparkling Wines & Champanges, just in time for
the holidays! Labels tasted will be complimented with an assortment of
fruits, cheeses, oysters, scallops & cavier. Cost of the event is $15 at
the door, or purchase a 6mo membership for $75. Door Prizes will be
given away throughout the night! For more information, call Jessica @
612-465-8585 or visit us on the web @ www.therosewoodroom.com.
January's Theme: West Coast Wines (*please note due to the holidays, The
Rosewood Room Wine Club will resume on January 8th, 2008.)
All:
I attended a free screening of this movie and was *quite* taken by
it...it's about a whipsmart pregnant teenager named Juno, and it's
written by a Minnesotan. So if you're interested, go to:
www.foxsearchlight.com/juno/
scroll down below the big photo of the Juno cast members
look to the right; there's a box labeled SHOWTIMES & TICKETS
click on Attend a Free Screening
to see just Minneapolis, use the drop down "Select a new location" box
the movie's at Lagoon theater in Uptown. When Nicolai and I went,
we received free Juno tshirts. The audience reacted very positively
to the screening; we both thought the dialogue was just swell.
-Karin
Anything happening this week?
I see there's a Brgndy Tasting by Wine Street at Kozlaks.
6:30. $40.
Not sure what Zips is pouring.
Anything else?
I'm mostly off line so call me at 822 1481.
Cheers,
Jim
www.fortsnellingclub.com
*November Wine Tasting Event to benefit the Minnehaha Food Shelf.*
The Fort Snelling Employees Association, a non-profit organization, will
be holding its annual Wine Tasting Experience, Friday, Nov 16, from 5 to
9pm at the Fort Snelling Club, located just east of the Fort Snelling
LRT Station
The cost is only $12.00 per person. A variety of wines will be available
for tasting, as well as hor dourves.
Attendees are requested to bring a non-perishable food or toiletry item
or make a monetary contribution benefiting the Minnehaha Food Shelf.
The Minnehaha Food Shelf distributes some 9,000 pounds of food to nearly
150 families each month. The Food Shelf is a combined effort of
Minnehaha United Methodist, St. James Episcopal, and Lake Nokomis
Lutheran Churches, all located within Nokomis East
Tipping points - A diner's guide to wine-service etiquette
Marisa D'Vari, Special to The Chronicle
Friday, November 16, 2007
Cezar Kusik, sommelier at Rubicon in San Francisco, prese... Kusik decants a wine in the dining room. Chronicle photo ... Kusik confers with sous chef Brett Cooper in the kitchen....
Like religion and politics, tipping is rarely discussed in polite company. Yet if you've been to some of the high-end and even mid-level restaurants in the Bay Area, you might have seen a "green handshake" as a customer thanks a sommelier for an excellent wine suggestion. It begs a couple reasonable questions: How exactly are sommeliers paid, and how should you tip them?
"Each house has a system to ensure fair compensation," explains Christopher Potter, one of the managing partners of Nectar Wine Lounge, which has locations in San Francisco and Burlingame. "At some houses, the gratuity you leave a waiter is pooled, with certain percentages or points going to the sommelier and other staffers (called 'back tipping'), while others have a system in which the sommelier gets a service fee or percentage of the wine sales on that shift."
Fair enough. Yet the problem, according to sommeliers and restaurant managers, is that some people skimp when it comes to tipping on wine. In the past year, the subject of tipping drew fire after Wine Spectator publisher Marvin Shanken described how he had tipped 20 percent on food and 7 1/2 percent on wine. Some Wine Spectator readers commented favorably on this method, resentful of tipping on highly marked-up wine when in their opinion the server just "pulls a cork." Shanken did not return calls and e-mails for comment.
Reward expertise
A quick poll of several San Francisco sommeliers revealed no trend in reduced tips for wine, and a tip below 15 to 20 percent could always reflect poor overall service. But they were quick to describe why a tip should reflect the total check.
"People should tip for good service, whether it's food service, wine service, or both," says Potter.
Cezar Kusik, wine director of Rubicon in San Francisco, agrees, saying that when a sommelier's expertise enhances a guest's dinner experience and wine knowledge, tipping on both food and wine is appropriate. "Proper wine etiquette has evolved into a very detail-oriented procedure of restaurant life where graceful service is indispensable for a pleasurable evening. Tipping sommeliers in cash, beyond adding the customary 15 to 20 percent tip on the bill, is up the customer's discretion."
Another reason for tipping the typical 15 to 20 percent on food and wine is the tax liability for servers. According to Paul Einbund, sommelier and partner at Coi Restaurant in San Francisco, the IRS calculates income as a minimum of 8 percent on the total check, regardless of tip, which can punish a waiter at tax time. "The government doesn't look to see whether a server's sales were food or wine, they just look at the total sales amount," Einbund says.
Andrew Bell, president of the American Sommelier Association, feels that tipping shortfalls stint the livelihood of thousands of service professionals.
"Sommeliers and many wine- savvy servers go to school for years to learn about wines of the world, as well as appropriate wine and food pairings," Bell says. "Their education is not reflected in their wages, but there is an understanding that they will be compensated appropriately through tips. In a restaurant, you take up real estate and you take up time, so it's important to tip the customary amount on the total of wine and food."
Bell compares the reluctance to leave a full tip on wine service to someone who goes to an expensive restaurant and refuses to tip the full amount because he or she feels the price of the food is too high. And as for Shanken's tipping example, Bell wonders if he's asking for his money back when he goes to Michelin-rated restaurants in Europe because they all charge an automatic service fee on both wine and food.
Maybe that's why Chez Panisse in Berkeley adds an automatic 17 percent service charge to every check, regardless of the cost of the wine. Asked if any customers have become irate on having to pay 17 percent on a $1,000 bottle, Jonathan Waters, wine director, says the wine list in both the cafe and restaurant currently tops out at $300 and he tries to keep his economic sweet spot between $40 and $90 per bottle. If customers bring their own wine, the corkage fee is $25 per bottle. Beyond the 17 percent service charge, no additional tip is expected.
The tip pool
As to the green handshake, is it ever appropriate? "We discourage that particular form of gratuity," says Michael Wild, owner and chef at Bay Wolf restaurant in Oakland. "Yet we do have a number of customers who bring their own special bottles and tip extravagantly. One party occupied the table for four hours, received wonderful treatment, and left quite a few hundred dollars on the table when they left in appreciation for the extra time and service. Also, some people tip more than usual to make up for an obnoxious guest. If a green handshake does happen, the money goes into the tip pool, not the individual's pockets. It's a point of honor in this restaurant."
John Mark, general manager and wine director at Citizen Cake in San Francisco, admits that he is sometimes slipped an extra bill or two by regular clients and accepts it graciously. "After seven years I know our clientele and what kinds of wines they like, so sometimes I'll order wine with them in mind and will call them to let them know it's coming in. The green handshake is a gesture of recognition."
Tipping on a corkage fee, an all-too-common occurrence in the Bay Area, is an even thornier question. According to Coi's Einbund, it depends on the level of service.
"If it's just basic service, with the sommelier opening the wine and pouring it into standard glasses, a 15 to 20 percent tip (on the fee) is appropriate. But if the sommelier is bringing out beautiful stemware, decanting the wine, adjusting the temperature, and being especially attentive, by all means adjust the tip accordingly." Kusik adds that sometimes customers tip a bit extra to show appreciation for handling an "outside bottle."
Rom Toulon, sommelier at the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, recalls a recent Saturday night when a table of eight brought 10 wines, five of which were to be decanted. It was a perfect justification of the restaurant's $30 corkage fee. "That's 80 glasses, five decanters and extra time spent 'off' the floor. We were happy to accommodate. This is the exact same service that anyone would have received who had bought the wine from the wine list."
Offer a taste
Now that you know the value of a sommelier, what can you do - in addition to an appropriate tip - to get on his or her good side? Some guests, charmed by a sommelier's selection of wine and appreciative of their knowledge, wonder if it is ever appropriate to offer the sommelier or waiter a taste or even a glass. The answer is yes.
"About 80 percent of guests who bring their own wines to the restaurant will share a taste with the sommelier and ask for more information or feedback on the wines," says Meadowood's Toulon. "I believe this is a great way for a sommelier to spend time at the table with a dinner party as there is always a story behind the label."
Coi's Einbund adds that sommeliers and wine-savvy waiters always appreciate the opportunity to taste a rare or unusual wine.
"Sometimes guests invite me to taste, and I'll share it with my chef and the server because only through tasting can people understand a wine. When a guest offers to share their wine, it's a very generous thing. Many guests, including myself when I dine out, like to share our wine because sharing is a big part of food and wine society."
So if you've been tipping the customary amount on the total check in the past, you can relax in knowing that sommeliers do not expect further compensation. And if you develop a relationship with a sommelier you see regularly who fills out your wine education, orders you special bottles, and perhaps gives you a taste of what a distributor left during an afternoon tasting, what's the harm of an additional gesture?
Marisa D'Vari is the publisher of the online magazine AWineStory.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/16/WIC7TAVP0.DTL
This article appeared on page F - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Several of our favorites scored well.
US Liquor has an amazing selection of really good beer.
I saw several new things.....
What time is the Inoni thing on Sunday?
Cheers,
Jim
Oregon Pinot Noir
Friday, November 16, 2007
Oregon wine production has exploded from about 120 wineries in 1999 farming 7,500 acres of wine grapes across five appellations to more than 300 wineries in 2006 with 15,600 producing acres within 15 appellations, including several approved last year.
With more than 50 percent of acreage planted to Pinot Noir, this is clearly Oregon's major grape, also evidenced by the 123 wines submitted for tasting. A cooler, more humid climate leads to a more restrained, elegant style of wine with the high acidity and generally low alcohol that's preferred by many Pinot Noir lovers.
Most Oregon wineries are small with limited production, so some recommended wines may be available only through the winery.
- Lynne Char Bennett
Rating: THREE STARS 2004 Anne Amie Deux Vert Yamhill-Carlton District ($50) The meld of aromas and flavors - damp mushroom, candied cherry, ripe plum, sweet spice and woodsy mineral - proclaim "Oregon Pinot." This wine's balanced combination of leafy cool fruit and earth is lovely with a finish that goes on and on.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Arbor Brook Vineyards Estate 777 Block Yamhill Pinot Noir ($35) This wine's nose - intriguing to one panelist but slightly boring to another - shows eucalyptus, oregano, cocoa and sweet red cherry with hint of barnyard. Concentrated but delicate bright fruit flavors are wrapped in notes of lavish wood. There's a touch of heat on the finish.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2004 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($37) Dark, dusty boysenberry, cola and juniper with hints of pencil lead aromas announce a ripe, fruit-forward Pinot with plenty of extract and sweet oak shadings. Well executed and balanced.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($26) There's plenty of forest floor and herb aromas in this lean wine, which has soft, ripe but tart cherry, cranberry and dark plum on nose and palate. Warm spice hints emerge on the finish along with lingering fruit tannins.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Brandborg Northern Reach Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir ($25) Aromas of dark, warm blueberry and good bit of oak toast have a zesty lift and mineral overtones, which also rescue the slightly oaky palate. Masterfully done.
Rating: THREE STARS 2005 Broadley Shea Vineyards Old Vines Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($48) Some high-toned floral perfume makes an appearance in this wine, adding to the intense mint, eucalyptus and dark fruit aromas. Minerality drives the rather salty palate that's gently dark and chewy. Focused fruit and mouthwatering red pie cherry acidity provide balancing brightness to the long finessed finish.
Rating: THREE STARS 2005 Chehalem Ridgecrest Vineyards Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir ($44) A bit of earthy barnyard, mineral, sweet licorice, blackberry, tamarind and soy combine with warm spice and slightly tannic but ripe fruit; this wine has balance and textural tannins.
Rating: THREE AND A HALF STARS 2005 Cristom Jessie's Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir ($50) This wine has some tannins and density with durability enough for aging but acidity and dark red fruit balances. Warm aromas and flavors: matsutake mushroom, forest floor, dark earth and ripe berry compote form nuanced layers that end with a plum skin finish. An alcohol level of 13.5 percent lets this Pinot's elegance shine.
Rating: THREE STARS 2005 Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($30) A well-balanced wine, there's rich cherry, cool pine-forest, warm earth and spice which mingle with black cherry flavors. The tannins are a bit more grippy, but there is still nuance in the wine that speaks of pure Pinot Noir.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Domaine Drouhin Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($45) There's quite a bit of earthy funk here, but it's mixed in with high-toned floral notes and mineral structure. Ripe berry/ dusty cherry, strawberry, bright zest and lifted fruit. There's grip and velvety tannins.
Rating: THREE STARS 2005 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($65) Powerful and tightly knit, Domaine Drouhin's flagship Pinot continues to show a minerally backbone that's surrounded with exotic pine needle, dried bay leaf, wild strawberry, dried cherry and lemon zest. Plenty of oak and vanilla layer this elegant wine's cherry-ish palate.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($40) This wine is sleek and smooth with citrus, sweet oaky vanilla and spice. Dark fruit is tempered by red raspberry and cranberry highlights. There's more red than black fruit here and the tannic structure helps pull the pieces together.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($25) A darker, fuller wine with an elegant nose that has forest floor with oak notes sprinkled among the ripe cocoa-dusted raspberry. Mouth filling and rich, the palate also offers roasted blackberry, black cherry. There are firm tannins and slightly increased alcohol but this wine handles it well.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Gypsy Dancer Gary & Christine's Vineyard Oregon Pinot Noir ($43) Gray mineral, pine needle, pencil lead aromas and bright, but dusty ripe cherry with wild strawberry highlights punctuate the underlying hints of earth and porcini. Tart blackberry and galvanizing acidity balance the ripe, weighty palate, which has firm but balanced tannins.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Stoller JV Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($25) Similar to its more expensive sibling, this Stoller has mint and dry forest floor, but shows an earthier side with earth, mushroom and spice plus black cherry cola. The wine's delicate fruit holds its own with grippy tannins and acidity.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 Stoller Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir ($40) Sweet blackberry dominates; lovely aromatics blend with mint chocolate, dried branch and toast. This wine's darker character goes full bore with boysenberry jam and cassis, but its high-toned highlights even things out, leaving some balance and grace.
Rating: THREE STARS 2005 Willamette Valley Vineyards Oregon Pinot Noir ($24) Willamette Valley Vineyards, one of Oregon's largest producers, has made a wine with juicy ruby fruit with ripe spiced orange, smoke, spice and touch of dusty earthiness on the nose. Lush dark fruit, cherry and sweet oak spice lift the palate, which finishes with bright acidity and subtle tannic grip. This is a balanced, great value Oregon Pinot.
Key: Rating: FOUR STARS Extraordinary Rating: THREE STARS Excellent Rating: TWO STARS Good
Today's panelists: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon BonnéChronicle wine editor; Samantha Brennan-Kapash, executive wine director; Pres a Vi. For additional recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/16/WIART9K0M.DTL
This article appeared on page F - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Looks like a few of us are heading west
or in Russ/Sue's case, east.
Russ, Nicolai and I may well be at US Liq sometime after 6 or so.
I'm shooting for 6:30.
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from "russellmccandless(a)frontiernet.net" <russellmccandless(a)frontiernet.net> -----
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:14:36 +0000
From: "russellmccandless(a)frontiernet.net" <russellmccandless(a)frontiernet.net>
To: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
Subject: Re: [wine] US Liq Beer Tasting
We suggest Chalet Pizza, 4316 Shady Oak Road. The liquor store is at
Hwy 7 and Hopkins Crossroad; from there, go west on Hwy 7 and Shady
Oak is the next traffic light; left on Shady Oak, and Chalet will be
on your right in about one third mile. I'll probably see you there
but am still juggling multiple commitments at this writing -
R.
Quoting "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>:
>FYI, a free beer tasting on Thursday. Logos in the announcement
>include Sixtus, Kwak, Del Tremons, Saison Dupont, Chimay,
>Duvel, St. Bernardus, Lindemans Framboise, La Chouffe, Schwelmer
>Alt, Golden Drach and a few others.
>
>It's in the western end of town, in a former "Cellars".
>
>NOt sure where we can find some good pizza near by
>but suspect we can. Russ?
>
>Also, something killed my "Outlook" today. I may have
>been this attachment, probably stripped by "mutt" or by
>The Barn.
>
>Cheers,
>Jim
>
>Beer Tasting
>
>Hello All,
> We have beer tasting coming up on Nov.15
> @6.00pm. in the store. All specialty beer taste
> By Brad (beerguy). No Admission, every thing
> Is free, Join us & taste some new Beers.
> Thank you,
> U.S. Liquor & Wine
> 11333 hway 7
> Minnetonka MN-55305
> Ph: (952)912-0293
>
>
>
>
>----- Forwarded message from WAYNE THEUER <wayneat53(a)msn.com> -----
>
>From: WAYNE THEUER <wayneat53(a)msn.com>
>To: allan_boyce <allan.boyce(a)usbank.com>,
> Brian Hatcher <brian_hatcher(a)xiotech.com>,
> Curtis_Stock <Curtis.Stock(a)state.mn.us>, Jane G <jgreig(a)mn.rr.com>,
> Jim Ellingson <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>, lori ames <l.ames(a)juno.com>,
> Betsy Kremser <Betsy.Kremser(a)co.anoka.mn.us>,
> MGBrew <MGBrew(a)comcast.net>,
> Mike Moranz <mike.moranz(a)co.ramsey.mn.us>,
> Paul Norton <Paul_Norton(a)Malt-O-Meal.com>,
> Rick_Oftel <Rick.Oftel(a)toro.com>
>Subject: Fw: BEER TASTING
>Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:12:14 -0600
>----- Original Message -----
>From: usliquor11333(a)netzero.net<mailto:usliquor11333@netzero.net>
>To: wayneat53(a)msn.com<mailto:wayneat53@msn.com> ;
>wawood(a)mchsi.com<mailto:wawood@mchsi.com>
>Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 2:23 PM
>Subject: BEER TASTING
>--
--
------------------------------ *
* Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *
Fellow Corkdorks:
is Eric hosting his annual Beaujolais party this year?
here's a free Wine event to consider:
Gallery Grooves at the Hennepin History Museum
Nov 15, 2007 from 7 pm to 9 pm
Join us for Gallery Grooves, The Rake's monthly art, jazz, and wine
event. Socialize and discuss the latest jazz with Kevin Barnes from
KBEM. Enjoy free libations compliments of The Wine Company.
Hennepin History Museum's current exhibition, Studies from Life, feature
costume and object portraits by Minneapolis artist Timothy G.
Piotrowski. Come meet Piotrowski and learn more about how he uniquely
interprets and photographs Hennepin History Museum's luscious costume
collections on living models against a back-drop of vintage furniture,
art objects, and historic locations.
Featured Jazz Selections:
Champian Fulton, Champian
Herbie Hancock, River
New York Voices, A Day Like This
Hennepin History Museum
2303 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-1329
Brought to you by The Rake, KBEM Jazz 88, The Wine Company, and Applause
Music & Movies.
http://hennepinhistory.org/default.aspx
is anyone interested in this one??
I rather am....
email me if you are, too!
-Karin
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HISTORIC AFTON HOUSE INN PRESENTS:
Italian Wine Dinner
Friday, November 16, 2007
4-Course Dinner plus hors d’oeuvres perfectly paired with 5 Italian wines
$59.95 per person (Does not include tax and gratuity)
6:30pm Meet & Greet / Hors d’oeuvres • 7:00 pm -Five Course Dinner Served
Passed Hors'Doeuvres
Chef Selected Canapés
Prosecco ~Candonni~ Veneto, Italy
Ensalada: Mixed Field Greens Tossed with Walnuts, Shallots,Thyme,Fennel
and Strawberries with a Balsamic Vinagrette
Pinot Grigio~Danzante~Venezi Italy
Zuppa: cream of Butternut Squash with Chive Cream Fresh
Dolcetto d'Alba~Pio Cesare~Piedmont, Italy
Entree
Truffle Crusted Rib Eye of Beef Served Over Lobster Gnocchi with Spinach
and a White Truffle Burre Blanc
Chianti Rufina~Marchesi de Frescobaldi~Nipozzano, Tuscany
Dessert
Chocolate Profidios with Caramel & Chocolate Sauce
Moscato d'Asti~Beviamo~Piedmont
