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[wine] [jellings@me.umn.edu: Brdx at JP's]

by Jim L. Ellingson

Updates from Russ, Betsy, Fred and Bill. Many thanks. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Greetings, A big thanks to those of us who made their intentions known. This week, we're doing Bordeaux wines at JP's Bistro on Thursday. The Vintage Chart at the Wine Enthusiast web site says that Brdx wines from 1997 and older are mostly at or near peak, are ready to drink. They show a "HOLD" for red wines of 2000 and newer. Of course lighter, smaller wines may well be ready sooner. Bob Ruth Bill Jim Nicolai Karen JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Cheers, Jim ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Brdx at JP's

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, PLEASE let someone know that you're planning on attending. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or reply to me. A big thanks to those of us who made their intentions known. This week, we're doing Bordeaux wines at JP's Bistro on Thursday. The Vintage Chart at the Wine Enthusiast web site says that Brdx wines from 1997 and older are mostly at or near peak, are ready to drink. They show a "HOLD" for red wines of 2000 and newer. Of course lighter, smaller wines may well be ready sooner. As usual, I can only guess at who will be there. Betsy Bob Ruth Russ Jim Nicolai Karen JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Cheers, Jim WINE Second-Label Bordeaux: Just as Good at Half the Price Wednesday, June 7, 2006; F05 BEN GILIBERTI A lthough some wine consumers lust after fancy labels, others relish discovering what's inside the bottle. If you're in the enlightened second category, you'll find a lot to like about Bordeaux's so-called "second-label" wines. Made primarily from younger vines and overproduction, the best second-label Bordeaux are dead ringers for a Grand Vin but cost roughly half as much. Because they come from the same vineyards and are made by the same winemaking team as the estate's first wine, second-label wines are often of high quality, capturing the distinctive "taste of the soil" (that's gout de terroir , in winespeak) of the chateau. The chief difference is that they are made to be ready to drink without the need for additional cellaring, which is hardly a disadvantage for many of us. The following second-label Bordeaux, listed in order of personal preference, are highly recommended. Don't hesitate to try others, particularly those from a reputable chateau, that are recommended by your retail shop. Generally, if the first wine is good, the second will be, too. Prices are approximate. Carruades de Lafite 2002 ($44; Calvert Woodley): With a heavenly Pauillac bouquet of cedar and cassis and intricately layered fruit on the palate, the 2002 Carruades de Lafite delivers the authentic Chateau Lafite-Rothschild experience at one-fourth the price of the Grand Vin. Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet 2000 ($24; MacArthur Beverages): This textbook Pauillac from Chateau Pontet-Canet captures the ripe, powerful style of the great 2000 vintage at an excellent price. Amiral de Beychevelle 2002 ($29; Touton Selections): Impressively full-bodied fruit gives way on the finish to firm, chocolaty tannins. Drink now or age for three to five years. Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux 2003/2001 ($40 to $60; various importers): The renaissance in the quality of first-growth Chateau Margaux began with the reintroduction of second-label Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux in 1978. The 2003 Pavillon Rouge, accounting for more than 50 percent of the estate's production in that vintage, may be the best yet, followed closely by the exquisitely balanced 2001. Alter Ego de Palmer 2003 ($36 on preorder at MacArthur Beverages): Chateau Palmer's brilliant young winemaker, Thomas Duroux, prefers to look at Alter Ego as a "different expression" of the terroir of the estate, rather than a second label. Insomuch as Chateau Palmer has become more muscular and powerful in recent vintages, Alter Ego could be said to offer a ready-to-drink expression of Palmer's complex terroir. The subtle, berry-accented 2003 is superb. Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2003 ($25 to $35; Touton Selections): Showing even better now than winemaker Marcel Ducasse's outstanding Chateau Lagrange, the 2003 Les Fiefs de Lagrange is delicious now and will improve with three to five years in the cellar. Blason de L'Evangile 1998 and 2002 ($29-$39; Calvert Woodley): Another triumph for the Lafite winemaking team, which took over Chateau L'Evangile in Pomerol in 1990. The perfectly proportioned 1998 Blason de L'Evangile is hard to distinguish from the otherworldly 1998 Chateau L'Evangile. The muscular 2002 Blason L'Evangile doesn't have quite the finesse of the 1998 Blason, but the spicy blend of merlot and cabernet franc is delectable. Clos du Marquis 2002 ($35; MacArthur Beverages): Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases Saint-Julien has achieved virtual first-growth status, and second-label Clos du Marquis could easily pass for a classified growth. Like Las-Cases, a joy to drink. Chateau de Clairefont 1999 ($18; MacArthur Beverages): Delicately fruity with a violet-scented Margaux perfume, Prieure-Lichine's second label offers exceptional value. Chevalier des Lascombes 200 0 ($29; Touton Selections): Broodingly deep in color with full-bodied cabernet sauvignon flavors, this reflects the revived commitment to quality at Chateau Lascombes. Les Tourelles de Longueville 2001/2003 ($29; Total Wine): With a cedary Pauillac bouquet and complex fruit, the second label of Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is impressive in the 2001 and 2003 vintages. Les Allees de Cantemerle 2003 ($19; Touton Selections): A lighter version of the successful 2003 Chateau Cantemerle. Post wine critic Ben Giliberti can be reached atfood(a)washpost.com. WINE OF THE WEEK Blason d'Issan ($25 to $35; Bordeaux; various importers): Blason d'Issan is the second label of Chateau d'Issan. Grapes that don't go into the final blend of Chateau d'Issan are declassified into Blason d'Issan, which sells for much less. TASTES LIKE. . . A soaring bouquet of violets, red berries and vanilla, followed on the palate by intricate layers of berry fruit, with hints of fresh cedar and mocha. In other words, a classic Margaux appellation style. GRAPE VARIETIES Although the vineyards are planted with 70 percent cabernet sauvignon and 30 percent merlot, the final percentages in the wine are set only after determining how well each variety performed that vintage. HISTORICAL SIP Chateau d'Issan was served at the wedding of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152. The chateau building dates from the 17th century and has a working moat. GEOGRAPHY Vineyards are ideally positioned upon deep, gravelly soil in the prestigious Margaux appellation of Bordeaux. Neighboring vineyards include top-ranked Chateau Palmer and Premier Grand Cru Classe Chateau Margaux. ON THE LABEL Regum Mensis Aris Que Deorum ("For the tables of kings and the altars of the gods"). WHERE TO BUY IT The outstanding 2005 Blason d'Issan will be available shortly for preorder at Calvert Woodley and MacArthur Beverages (and probably other stores) for about $25 a bottle. MacArthur also offers the lovely 2004 Chateau d'Issan (the first label) from this overlooked vintage for an incredible $28 a bottle, also on preorder. MacArthur Beverages has 2000 Blason d'Issan (imported by Touton Selections) for $34 and the superb 2003 Chateau d'Issan for $44. Since Bordeaux pricing can be quirky, check with your favorite retailer for the best prices. >> TELL US WHAT YOU THOUGHT If you give the Blason d'Issan or other second-label Bordeaux a try, send your comments to food(a)washpost.com . We may excerpt them in an upcoming issue. � 2006 The Washington Post Company -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Pinot at A' Rebours Thursday

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 11:22:28 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Pinots at A' Rebours on Thursday User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Greetings, This week, the group goes to St. Paul. Wine is Pinot from anywhere. A Rebours 410 St. Peter, 55102 651 665 0656 Annette Bob (late) Ruth late Lori Betsy Jim Nicolai Russ McC The rest. is in the Hamm building? Better parking is away from the X and the Ordway. e.g. on 6th, Wabasha, 7th, etc. Meters are free after 5:00. Vallet Parking available. If your coming via I-94, then take the 10th st. exit to St. Peter, Right on St. Peter. Better parking on Wabasha, and on 6th st. One ways all around. Cheers, Jim OREGON'S EMERGING PINOT-SCAPE Winemakers define success on their own terms - Cole Danehower, Special to The Chronicle Thursday, May 18, 2006 Forty years ago this spring, David Lett planted the roots of Oregon's Pinot Noir industry when he put the first Pinot vines into the cool-climate earth of the Willamette Valley. Lett and a handful of other iconoclasts named Erath, Ponzi and Adelsheim created a distinctive winegrowing culture that celebrated both individualism and camaraderie. The community they built has helped the region grow to become one of the world's most respected sources of Pinot Noir wines. "It's a great and true story that has brought a lot of people to Oregon and helped build the industry," says Bergstrom Wines' Josh Bergstrom, 31, one of the most visible of the state's younger winemakers. "But something is happening in Oregon right now. The winds have changed." What has changed is growth. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Oregon Field Office, in the 10 years between 1995 and 2005 sales of Oregon wine doubled to nearly 1.6 million cases annually. Vineyard land doubled to more than 14,000 acres, and the number of wineries more than tripled to 300-plus. Pinot Noir is still the most important grape, but it's rivaled by Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Oregon Wine Center research estimates the economic contribution of the Oregon wine industry is now $1.4 billion. This dramatic influx of new money, people and market demand has affected the character of Oregon's wine community. What was once a collegial cottage industry that thrived on eccentricity and zeal is rapidly becoming a potent economic force, where success requires coping with unaccustomed issues of competition, marketing, product quality and brand identity. In the middle of such a fast-changing industry, some young and hard-charging winemakers are achieving marked success -- by being notably, Oregonian-ly, individualistic. Some are chronologically young like Bergstrom, while others are just young to winemaking. What they have in common is that they are working to preserve the best of Oregon's historical wine community character, while at the same time succeeding in the marketplace by doing things their own way. Bergstrom, for instance, believes the key to success is combining an attention to business detail with a commitment to quality winemaking. "We started out with a vision statement, a mission statement and a business plan," he says of his family's enterprise. "Our goal from the very beginning has been to craft the greatest possible wines we could, to stay true to our product and story, but to also have a successful growing business that allowed us to continue to do that." Bergstrom burst onto the scene when his first wine, the 1999 Bergstrom Winery Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, received high scores from influential critics. His wines continue to attract attention, and production has grown from 180 cases in 1999 to an expected 5,000 cases this year. That's a lot less than Oregon's largest wineries, such as King Estate, Bridgeview and Willamette Valley Vineyards, which produce between 80,000 and 100,000 cases a year. It's also way below what the now-mature pioneering wineries make today. Erath produces 65,000 cases annually, Adelsheim around 24,000, and the Eyrie Vineyards up to 15,000. But Bergstrom's small volume is typical of Oregon's newer winemakers. An energetically intense man with a broad smile, Bergstrom takes pride in both his wines' acceptance and his business growth. "I make wines that suit my palate, but I am also a businessman," he says. "I know what sells and I know what critics like. It's all about putting out a wine that I like and am proud of, yet I know the average American consumer will like, too." And what kind of wine is that? "Bergstrom Pinot Noir needs to be just like me," he says with a big grin, "young, opulent, a broad personality, sometimes obnoxious. It needs to make you smile and feel good. It needs to shock you into saying, 'Wow'!" While Bergstrom finds success with big-boned Pinots, fellow winemaker Scott Wright treads a different stylistic path to the market. "I have a very specific focus for my product that reflects what I think Oregon Pinot Noir can and should be," he says in a resonant, radio-announcer voice. "My wines are maybe lighter in body, more aromatic, with interesting textures, and driven more by fruit than by oak." Wright started making wine in 1999, under his Scott Paul Wines label, first in California with fruit from the Pisoni Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation of Monterey County, and then in Oregon. He spent time as managing director of Domaine Drouhin Oregon in Dundee before leaving to manage Scott Paul Wines full-time in 2004. Without vineyards of his own, Wright has had to forage for fruit. Having secured long-term contracts with big-name vineyards such as Shea and Stoller, Wright says his key challenge now "is to help our little brand find its way through the traffic." He recognizes that his style may make that more difficult. "I think the perception is that major critics seem to prefer bigger and more extracted Pinot Noirs. Those are wonderful wines, but it's just a different style than I want to make. My Pinot Noirs are more elegant, feminine -- Audrey Hepburn rather than Pamela Anderson." Wright seems to have found his like-minded market. This year he's opening his own 3,500-case capacity winery and tasting room, as well as launching a Burgundy import business. And Michael and Isabel Mondavi and their children Rob and Dina have asked Wright to work with them to make an Oregon Pinot Noir for their new I'M label. Jim Prosser, 43, is another winemaker having an impact with a go-it-alone style. He sees the changing Oregon market as challenging, but thinks the traditional local wine community values point the way to success. "The beauty of Oregon to date has been that we all work together, stacking strength on top of strength. If you are coming into the industry and your intention and actions move toward increasing the quality of Oregon winemaking, then the community accepts you and you can borrow expertise, equipment -- whatever you need," he says. A beneficiary of this culture, Prosser worked for some of the state's top wineries, including Erath, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Brick House and Chehalem, before establishing his own J.K. Carriere Wines company in 1999, near Newberg in Yamhill County. "I make only Pinot,'' he says. "I could live to be 108 and I'd still be learning about this singular grape." An outdoorsy guy with tousled good looks, Prosser speaks in thoughtful sentences. His 1,500-case production winery is in a century-old barn on a working hazelnut orchard that also houses a modern kinetic sculpture of a Viking "soul boat." His wine label depicts a wasp -- a tribute to the possibly fatal allergic reaction he risks if one stings him during harvest. "I'm not trying to be like the rest of the pack," he says. "It may not be fashionable to have finesse and subtlety in your Pinot Noir, to have high acidity and smooth tannins, or to age your wines for eight years before you drink them -- but those are things I like, and what I build my wines to achieve." Another independent Pinot producer is Eric Hamacher of Hamacher Wines, who says, "I believe in the importance of blending in order to achieve balanced wines. Blending shows off the vintage better, and it creates more consistency that consumers can rely on." In 1995, Hamacher brought to Oregon his U.C. Davis degree and experience working 15 harvests in California at Mondavi, Chalone, Etude and other wineries. Since then, he has been making only Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Fit and energetic, he conveys the sense of a cat ready to spring -- especially if you ask him about Pinot Noir. "I source fruit from as many as 10 or 12 vineyards because I can get many different lots that have distinct profiles that are characteristic of the vintage. When it comes to making the cut when I'm blending, I'm ruthless. I can leave up to 50 percent behind because I want only the best blend." He also holds his Pinot Noir in barrel and bottle far longer than the average. "American society has never really embraced the idea of cellaring -- we drink our wines faster -- and I think that's a shame," he says. Hamacher ages his wine for 18 months in oak (which is always lightly toasted -- carbon is a filter, he says, "so why would you put delicate and aromatic Pinot Noir into a charcoal-lined barrel?"), and then an additional 24 months in glass. "Oregon Pinot Noir gains succulence, texture and richness in the bottle," he explains. "If it is true that most wines get consumed within 24 hours of purchase, then I want my customers to experience what a mature Oregon Pinot is like when they open my wine." In essence, Hamacher ages his wines for his customers -- his current Pinot Noir release is from the 2001 vintage. Other Oregon Pinot makers have a different challenge: making wine that supports a brand someone else owns. For Tony Rynders, that means blending a consistent style of Pinot Noir for Domaine Serene winery, in the Dundee Hills of Yamhill County. "A lot of people make only single vineyard Pinot Noir every year," he says. "I'm a strong believer that often you need to blend to get the best wine -- not every single vineyard hits the mark every single year." Rynders, who has an easygoing friendliness combined with incisive intelligence, has been Domaine Serene's winemaker since 1998. His wines have gained national prominence, high ratings, and a reputation for consistency -- something Rynders believes is due as much to Oregon's winegrowing maturation as his own skills. "If you look over the last eight to 10 years of production, I think Oregon has conquered the last major hurdle to respectability, which is consistency. Not that the wines all taste the same, but that we've dampened the huge swings in quality between vintages." (See "The rise of Oregon's signature flavors" elsewhere on this page.) Using grapes from a variety of estate vineyards, he keeps individual blocks separate during fermentation and in barrel. From up to 80 lots each vintage, he puts together the winery's flagship wine, the Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir -- a wine that has become emblematic of Oregon Pinot Noir in many parts of the country. "I want our wines to be reflective of the vintage, but with a Domaine Serene overlay," he says. "I think our wines are very complex, fruit-driven, with good power, a mouth-filling generosity, but also with some elegance." Diners seem to agree: Domaine Serene is now the fourth most popular Pinot Noir in American restaurants, according to Wine & Spirits magazine. Also in the Dundee Hills, Melissa Burr, winemaker for Stoller Vineyards, strives for consistency, too, making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay exclusively with estate-grown fruit. In the early 1990s, local businessman Bill Stoller purchased a 373-acre former turkey farm outside of Dayton, Ore. It was where he had grown up, and he didn't want to see it become condo blocks. In 1995, he began planting a rigorously planned vineyard that quickly became one of Willamette Valley's most important sources of Pinot Noir fruit. In 2001, he started his own label, and earlier this year he opened a 10,000-case capacity winery. As Stoller's winemaker, Burr, 31, worked closely on the design of the innovative winery to help achieve both wine production quality and eco-friendliness. She is the first person to produce wine in what is today the country's only winery to be awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council at the prestigious Gold level. "Stoller fruit has always had a uniqueness to it, and I want to showcase that in our wines," she says. "We have a reputation for a trademark earthy and fruity elegance that shines through, so I don't want to disguise it with a lot of oak or too much extraction." Burr grew up in the Willamette Valley and learned winemaking by working locally. She's relied on the Oregon wine culture to support her. "The feeling of community and collaboration is wonderful -- it has helped my winemaking," she says. For Burr, expressing her individuality means bringing out the vineyard's character. "A lot of us are going after the same target of balanced Pinot Noirs that reflect our vineyards," she says. "I'm not here to do something radical in style. I want consistency of the product at the highest level of quality to show the Stoller uniqueness -- then it's going to be about marketing and placement and just getting the Stoller wine into the minds of the people." "Getting the wines into the minds of the people" might be a good mantra for today's Oregon Pinot Noir industry. On the global scale, the state's wine production is just a fraction of California's volume, and the wines tend to be expensive. Oregon's pioneering Pinot producers learned that getting the best quality fruit required costly hand farming and small yields, averaging about 2.5 tons of Pinot Noir fruit to the acre. Consequently, prices for the best Oregon Pinots are relatively high, $25 and up, and availability low, with many releases available only in the hundreds of cases. But historically, Oregon's Pinot Noir industry has succeeded in attracting market attention much greater than its size -- thanks largely to the individual passion of dedicated winemakers who focused on bringing only the best quality wines to consumers. Even as the Oregon wine industry grows and evolves, that legacy remains in good hands with today's newest generation of Pinot crafters. ________________________________________ Sampling Oregon variety The 2003 vintage of Pinot Noir from most Oregon producers is currently available on restaurant wine lists and wine shop shelves, with the low-yielding 2004 vintage wines beginning to be released as well. The Willamette Valley saw one of its warmest growing years ever in 2003, and many of the wines are plump, richly extracted and deeply flavorful, with strong structure. In 2004, the weather was cooler and there was some rain during harvest, but careful picking produced lithe and elegant wines with more acidity, fresh fruitiness, and less tannin than 2003. Here are some favorites from the featured winemakers: 2004 Bergstrom Winery Cumberland Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($35) Spicy red fruit aromas, supple cherry and blackberry flavors with hints of earth and vanilla, crisp acidity and round tannins make for a stylish Pinot Noir capable of further aging. 2003 Domaine Serene Winery Hill Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($75) Arresting aromas of blackberry, cedar and sweet dried potpourri introduce a layered and viscous palate of earthy black cherry, toasted spices and plush tannins -- worthy of cellaring. 2001 Hamacher Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($35) Earthy and lightly gamey trademark Pinot aromas are balanced against a sweet cherry core of silky, lean and lengthy fruit -- a wine that develops wonderfully in the glass. 2003 J.K. Carriere Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($36) Scents of smoke-ringed cherry and blueberry lead to similar flavor concentration on the tongue, with subtle herb and earth notes adding complexity to the deliciously balanced whole. 2004 Scott Paul Audrey Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($50) Lean and lightly sweet scents of strawberry and raspberry frame graceful yet high-toned flavors of cherry and blueberry with a light toast touch, youthful tannins and a graceful finish. 2004 Stoller JV Estate Grown Pinot Noir ($22) Scents of red fruit and autumn leaves combine with rich black cherry and tea leaf flavors for a well-balanced and satisfying drink-now character. -- Cole Danehower E-mail comments to wine(a)sfchronicle.com. Page F - 1 URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/18/WIG4RIQG9M1.DTL ________________________________________ �2006 San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Aussie at Sapor tonight.

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 16:12:23 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Aussie wines at Sapor ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:18:44 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Aussie at Sapor on Thursday User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i We're going to Sapor at 6:30 on Thursday. Style du jour is Australia. $5 per person in leu of corkage. Part of their wine list is on their web site. If you happen to bring something that's on the list or the shelf (easier than you might think. Ask Russ about a split of something obscure he'd bought at a winery that was on their shelf as well.... ) we'll just save it for another week. We're never short of wine. http://www.saporcafe.com/ 428 N. Washington, Mpls 612 375 1971 Yes Ruth Betsy Bob Annette S. Jim More guesses.... Nicolai Lori Roger LeClair Dave Sapor is very close to Sam's Wine Shop (closes at 8:00 M-Th). ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Italians, BBQ at Chez Gregory on Saturday.

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings All, We have a gracious invitation for a Memorial Time at the Gregories. Per Warren's note. Please bring an Italian in a bag and/or something entertaining. e.g. Proseco, whites, moscato di astis, desert wines. Please rsvp and coordinate w/ Warren and Ruth about bringing dishes to share. ----- Forwarded message from Warren Gregory <wbgregory(a)qwest.net> ----- Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 16:48:22 -0500 From: Warren Gregory <wbgregory(a)qwest.net> To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu Subject: saturday ... wine .. party Jim, We want to host a party on Saturdy night for anyone who can attend. We will have brats, burgers and an ice chest as well as some (limited) assorted side dishes. Ruth will talk to people on Thursday about bringing sides if they can come because our concern is, frankly that if everyone brings wine (which is great of course) we will end up drunk but hungry. The official rules of entry will be one bottle of Italian wine, wrapped and/or a bottle of non table, not-necessarily-Italian wine (that could be sparkling, dessert, fortified ...). People can call or e-mail if they want to bring a side and need a suggestion. Time:5:30 Saturday May 27 until whenever. 2139 Randolph Ave St Paul MN 55105 698-5337 wbgregory(a)qwest.net thanks, this message is for general distribution Warren G. ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Aussie wines at Sapor

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:18:44 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Aussie at Sapor on Thursday User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i We're going to Sapor at 6:30 on Thursday. Style du jour is Australia. $5 per person in leu of corkage. Part of their wine list is on their web site. If you happen to bring something that's on the list or the shelf (easier than you might think. Ask Russ about a split of something obscure he'd bought at a winery that was on their shelf as well.... ) we'll just save it for another week. We're never short of wine. http://www.saporcafe.com/ 428 N. Washington, Mpls 612 375 1971 Yes/Guess: Warren/Ruth Betsy Bob Nicolai Jim More guesses.... Lori Roger LeClair Annette S Dave Sapor is very close to Sam's Wine Shop (closes at 8:00 M-Th). A Match Made in Australia By ERIC ASIMOV YOU have to hand it to the Australians. By virtue of their geographical isolation, they were liberated from the ironclad wine rules of the Old World. Unlike the Americans, who have largely operated within the confines of European winemaking custom and tradition (though you can't always tell that from what's in the bottle), the Australians have freely tossed aside convention. Or maybe it was simply necessity that resulted in unorthodox grape blends like cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, one of Australia's noteworthy contributions to the world of wine. The hidebound lords who control French appellations would be aghast at the thought of combining cabernet, the mainstay of Bordeaux, with the northern Rhone's syrah, as shiraz is known elsewhere in the world. But to the freewheeling Aussies, it was a neat solution in the 1960's, when the demand rose for cabernet at the expense of shiraz, but not enough cabernet was available. Either way, the cabernet-and-shiraz combination is now featured in countless red wines, from cheap, fruity and easygoing labels to a few of Australia's most prestigious and expensive bottles. To get a taste of this unlikely duo, the Dining section's wine panel tasted 25 cabernet sauvignon-shiraz blends from different areas of Australia, covering vintages from 1999 to 2004. Florence Fabricant and I were joined for the tasting by a husband-and-wife team of wine consultants: Scott Mayger, who, incidentally, is Australian, and Beth von Benz. First, a few words about the Australian rules that govern such blended wines. For an Australian wine to be called by the name of a single grape, at least 85 percent of the wine must have been composed of that grape, as opposed to the California rule, which requires 75 percent. If no grape reaches the 85 percent threshold, then each grape must be named, up to a total of five, providing each is at least 5 percent of the blend. The grapes must be named in order, from highest proportion to lowest. Thus, a cabernet-shiraz would have more cabernet than shiraz, while the reverse would be true of a shiraz-cabernet. Got that? Let's give Australia the benefit of the doubt and assume that combining the grapes was a bold move borne of an experimental disposition. Cabernet, after all, provides a firm structure of tannins, while shiraz offers opulent fruit and power. Wouldn't the combination of aromas and flavors achieve a greater complexity than either grape would separately? Perhaps so, although when it comes to blends like these, evidence suggests that even the Australians have a conscience. Serious cabernet-shiraz blends do exist, but they are in the distinct minority among high-end wines. The Reserve from Yalumba, a $125 wine, is one. Penfolds's 1962 Bin 60A, half cabernet, half shiraz, is a legendary wine, and for the first time since then, in 2004, Penfolds produced another Bin 60A. In an auction at Christie's in New York last fall, a six-bottle lot sold for more than $4,900. Even the famous Grange, primarily a shiraz, sometimes has cabernet blended in. Yet these are the exceptions. At the top level, for the most part, Australia has taken a more conventional approach, sticking to tried-and-true Bordeaux or Rhone blends. The majority of cabernet-shiraz blends are moderately priced wines that epitomize Australia's skill at making soft, fruity crowd pleasers. Only five of our 25 wines cost more than $40. Nine were $10 and under, and six more were under $20. Frankly, the identity of the grapes in the blend turns out to be largely irrelevant, for these are juicy wines that may offer a lot of pleasure but have little character or individuality. "Somehow I think they're all the same wine," Mr. Mayger said, expressing the disappointment we shared at the lack of distinguishing characteristics in these wines. What these wines do offer is a sometimes extraordinary ratio of quality to price. Our No. 2 wine, the 2003 Oxford Landing (60 percent cabernet), was our best value, at $7. Bright and enjoyable, it blends the aromatic qualities of cabernet with the softness of inexpensive shiraz. Terroir? Don't trouble your pretty head. This is a wine for guzzling. Not far behind were three more wines: a 2003 Stonehaven (53 percent shiraz) for $9; a 2002 Salomon Estate Norwood (55 percent cabernet) for $12, and a 2001 Coriole Vineyards Redstone (80 percent shiraz) for $9. Each of these wines managed to be especially attractive for the price and stopped short of the overblown sweet fruit-bomb style that too many inexpensive Aussie reds possess. What was surprising about this tasting was how much we preferred the cheap wines over the high-end bottles. Only two of the seven wines that cost $40 or more made our list. One was clearly the best wine in the tasting. That was the 1999 Yalumba Signature (56 percent cabernet), a big, complex wine with aromas of licorice and coffee, and plenty of fruit. It far overshadowed the other expensive wine, the 1999 Mountain Blue from Rosemount (51 percent shiraz), a wine of ponderous fruitiness, which was matched by overpowering oak. But other wines, including the most expensive bottle at $70, the jammy, overripe 2000 Malleea from Majella, seemed too sweet, too oaky, too heavy, or all three. Perhaps this reflects on the stylistic ambitions of some Australian winemakers, who value power over any semblance of finesse. But it also indicates once again how the Aussies have mastered the mass production of pleasant, inexpensive wine, which impresses not only because it is good but because it's not bad. "In the end," Mr. Mayger said, recalling one of his father's fondest sayings, "they're such bargains you can't afford not to buy them." Tasting Report: Fruity Combinations That Please the Masses Yalumba Signature Barossa 1999 $45 *** Thick, tannic and complex, with lots of juicy fruit, good structure and lingering flavors. (Importer: Negociants USA, Napa, Calif.) BEST VALUE Oxford Landing Eden Valley 2003 $7 **� A bright, enjoyable crowd pleaser; smells like cabernet, tastes like shiraz. (Negociants USA, Napa, Calif.) Stonehaven South Eastern Australia 2003 $9 ** Restrained and pleasing, with good fruit and backbone. (Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, N.Y.) Salomon Estate Norwood 2002 $12 ** Fresh, fruity and juicy, with a silky texture. (Testa Wines of the World, Port Washington, N.Y.) Coriole Vineyards Redstone McLaren Vale 2001 $9 ** Dense fruit, with mint, herbal and oak flavors; put together well. (Robert Whale Selections, Washington, D.C.) J. J. Hahn Reginald Barossa Valley 2002 $33 ** Lots of bright fruit with equally pronounced flavors of oak; tastes expensive. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, Pa.) Penfolds Bin 389 South Australia 2001 $22 ** Tannic, with flavors of raspberries, flowers and anise. (PWG Vintners USA, Napa, Calif.) Barwick Blackwood Valley 2000 $9 *� Somewhat simple, with flavors of sour cherry and eucalyptus. (Great Sunsan Wine Imports, New York) Rosemount Estate Mountain Blue Mudgee 1999 $50 *� Both a fruit bomb and an oak bomb. (Rosemount Estates, Sonoma, Calif.) Leasingham Magnus Clare Valley 2002 $16 *� Big, thick and fruity with noticeable tannins and acidity. (International Cellars, Gonzales, Calif.) ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Re: tomorrow

by Betsy Kremser

Sapor works for me. If we're considering Auriga in near future, my request is that it isn't next Thursday since I'm eating there next Wed. night. Annette - are you going to coordinate w/Bob? Betsy >>> "Annette Stadelman" <mandastad(a)msn.com> 05/17/2006 3:25 PM >>> Anyone in for tomorrow at Sapor?? Annette Stadelman Phillips Wine and Spirits 651-637-3351

19 years, 6 months

[wine] Spanish at Auriga

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, One "feature" of Bob making the reservation is that he may not have all of the info. Since Bob didn't know about Annette's suggestion about doing Aussie at Sapor, he went ahead and made the reservation per at Auriga per Loris suggestion. Let's Pencil in "Aussie at Sapor" for next week or for the next time Annette is available. Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 16:22:31 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Spanish Wines at Auriga-Come out and Play! Greetings, This week, Spanish wines at Auriga. (Normally pronounced Are-eye-ga, but perhaps Oar-ree-Ga for our Spanish tasting.) Sparkling(cava?)/white(alvarino)/ringer/dessert wines always welcome. Auriga Rest. 1930 Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 55403 612-871 -0777 Who: (mostly guesses) Wine Pro Lori Wine Pro Emeritas Bob Betsy Annette S. Ruth Bill Jim Nicolai I'll be away from my desk much of day on Weds and off on Thursday. I will check my e-mail periodically. Alternately, give Bob a call. 612-672-0607 Cheers, Jim Spanish Adventure Southern California wine lovers are crazy for bargain reds and whites from Spain. By Corie BrownTimes Staff Writer May 10, 2006 PULL up a stool at Lou's, a wine bar that opened six weeks ago, sandwiched between a fluff-and-fold laundromat and a pawn shop near the corner of Melrose and Vine, and Lou Amdur can tell you all about Spanish wines. Rich Garnachas from Priorato and bracing Albari�os from R�as Baixas? His customers ask for these wines by name. Is that surprising? Not any more. The wine intelligentsia who frequent Lou's, bargain hunters at Trader Joe's, diners who want to try something fun by the glass at restaurants such as Sona, Spago, Providence and Jar. all are members of L.A.'s growing fan club for Spanish wines. Labels that few had heard of a year ago now are on wine lists all around town. And not just the better-known Riojas and Ribera del Dueros that have long had cachet; wines from emerging regions are developing avid fans too. A year ago, the customers at Mission Wines in South Pasadena discovered the Spanish wine section, says owner Chris Meeske. Now, "I can't keep the wines in stock. They are selling like crazy." The wines fill a need left vacant by California winemakers, he says. "People need interesting wines they can drink every day. And there are no wines like that from California." The values are extraordinary, says Rajat Parr, wine director for Michael Mina's restaurant group. At Mina's new Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach, the Tres Picos Garnacha offered for $12 a glass costs just $10 a bottle at local wine stores. How to justify that kind of markup? "People don't mind paying that for a glass of wine this good," he says. Orange County diners, Parr points out, are devoted to California wine. So he knew he was taking a risk when he cut back on local favorites to stock 50 Spanish wines. But, he says, "Spain has dialed it in. These wines are just right for the American palate. Lots of intense fruit." The Albari�os, Garnachas and Tempranillos will have to be hand-sold at first, Parr says. Then he predicts he'll have trouble keeping them in stock. Already, Spain has eclipsed Australian and Chilean wines on restaurant wine lists as the inexpensive alternative to California wines, say sommeliers. "They taste totally different than California wines, but they have that same intensity and structure," says Parr. And they cost half as much for the same quality. "No place in the world makes better value wines today than Spain," he says. A vine revival A revolution has swept Spain's wine industry. It started in the 1980s when a few independent winemakers started making ambitious wines. American wine lovers discovered them, and soon their popularity grew. Now vintners in every corner of Spain are dusting off old vineyards, overhauling wineries and cleaning up their acts in a bid to appeal to American wine drinkers. Suddenly, a seemingly limitless assortment of $10 and under bottles are for sale everywhere. Spanish wine sales in the United States rose 14.6% between 2004 and 2005, rising from 3.8 million cases worth $183 million to 4.3 million cases worth $209 million. Spanish wine sales in the U.S. started climbing in 1999 after a decade in which sales stagnated at around $75 million a year. It's all happening so fast that, unlike with every other wine region in the world, there are few experts focused on Spain. Only one wine writer, John Radford from Britain, has published a guide to Spanish wine that even attempts to be current and all-encompassing. "It will take another decade or two before Spain sorts through this revolution," says Doug Frost, an American Master of Wine who wrote the brief "The Far from Ordinary Spanish Wine Buying Guide," recently published by Wines From Spain, the Spanish wine industry's marketing arm. Until then, Spain will be a game where smart consumers keep up with the emerging regions and avoid getting snookered by the rising prices for wine from the more established regions. La Mancha and Calatayud were bulk wine regions that are now producing attractive, friendly red wines from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes, respectively. Campo de Borja, a southern bit of the Navarra region below Rioja, is making intense and fruity Garnachas. In the R�as Baixas zone in Galicia, the northwest corner of the country, crisp, fresh Albari�o is king. And in Rueda, fruity, structured white wines made from Verdejo grapes rule. Spain was ripe for this revolution. With more vines than any other country in the world . 3 million acres compared with France's 2.3 million acres and the U.S.' 1 million acres . the country has a plentiful supply of grapes. But since the Spanish Civil War, vintners had farmed the fruit with little care, using it almost exclusively for nondescript jug wines. If it was growing on a difficult to harvest hillside, they often let the grapes rot on the vines. The abundance of vines dates back to Gen. Francisco Franco's failed agricultural policies in the 1950s. Spain's infamous military dictator, who ruled from 1939 until his death in 1975, subsidized the planting of "permanent" crops such as olive trees and grape vines that could be managed by state-sponsored cooperatives. Without a sense of ownership in what they produced, the cooperatives operated like state-run wine factories. Neglected dry-farmed vineyards struggled to survive. In regions such as Priorato and Bierzo, there were vineyards located in "gravity defying areas that were simply too [difficult] to rip out and replant," says Eric Solomon, one of a few American importers who discovered Spanish wine early. It was Jorge Ordo�ez, a Spanish expatriate living in Boston, who first tapped the potential of those old Spanish vineyards. Growing up in the town of M�laga in southern Spain, Ordo�ez learned the wine business from his father, a gourmet food and wine distributor. After marrying his college sweetheart and moving to the States, the junior Ordo�ez set up a Spanish wine import company and started teaching Spanish vintners how to make wine the California way. 'Quality control' "SPAIN was very poor," says Ordo�ez. "It took us forever to recover from the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s." The prize vineyards were there . high altitude, dry farmed, old-vine vineyards. "The problem was quality control," he says. "There was no sophistication with wine." As economic reforms led to an increase in privatization, independent vintners began to reject the collective approach to making wine. Ordo�ez pushed these small vintners to modernize their wineries with stainless steel fermenters and to move toward more hygienic operations. "I'm adamant about quality control," he says. "No bacteria." If a winery complied with his recommendations and he could count on the wine being stable, he'd import it to America. "I hate funky wines because they are short-lived," says Ordo�ez. "I hate oxidized wines that have been improperly stored. They're cooked. I try to control as much of the process at the wineries as I can." It wasn't until 1990 that Ordo�ez had wines that sold well in the U.S.: the Garnachas and Tempranillos from Bodegas Borsao in Campo de Borja. As his portfolio of wineries grew, Ordo�ez took over marketing, packaging the wines with names such as "Wrongo Dongo" and "Mano a Mano." The first year, he sold 1,200 cases of Spanish wine. After eight years, he had enough business to hire his first employee. Now he sells more than half a million cases a year of Spanish wine in the United States. Ordo�ez was the icebreaker, says Solomon, who, along with Beaune Imports and Classical Wines of Spain, followed him. "Spain considered itself a third-world country. There was a malaise, a sense of 'we're not worthy of sharing the stage with the rest of the fine wine world,' " Solomon says. Solomon was an importer singularly focused on French wine 12 years ago when he tasted the Spanish wine that would change his life. It was Daphne Glorian's Clos Erasmus from Priorato. He liked it so much he married the winemaker and started searching for other wines as delicious as his wife's. In the last six years, the volume of Spanish wine Solomon imports into the U.S. has grown fifteenfold, he says. "The economy in Spain now is booming," says Solomon. "It's no longer the place to go when you have no money. For growers to make a living, to do the quality work that still needs to be done, the prices have to go up." The success of the inexpensive Spanish wines flowing out of the country isn't lost on longer-established Spanish wine entrepreneurs. Price inflation is sweeping through celebrated regions such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero, where prices can exceed $100 for the most sought-after bottles, as well as through newcomer Priorato. The promises of instant riches is inspiring overzealous young vintners to chase critical accolades with heavily extracted wines that taste like California wannabes. "Some Spanish vintners are too eager to cash in on their newfound popularity," says Parr, "jacking up prices to astronomical levels." Balancing that inflation is the wine from up-and-coming regions such as La Mancha and Navarra. Still trying to get their foot in the door with American consumers, they have to keep prices below $10 a bottle. An ocean of inexpensive Spanish wine has yet to reach America, says Fran Kysela, an importer who last year in the U.S. sold 50,000 cases of $6 wines from Calatayud. "The market is quick to respond to these wines." Steady transformation OF course, not all of Spain's inexpensive wines are worth drinking: The less-than-appealing ones can be funky, jammy or oxidized. "It's been a quiet revolution," says Solomon. "But the sleeping giant is waking up. The floodgates are now open. It's not just us little guys ferreting out small producers making better wines," he says. There now are a host of undemanding importers betting that these days anything with a Spanish label will sell. And more significantly, the behemoth wine companies . Constellation Brands and E. & J. Gallo Winery . have arrived in Spain, says Solomon. They are competing to be the first to create the Spanish equivalent of Australia's Yellow Tail: a simple, bulk wine with easy to drink fruity flavors. And there's a drawback to that thinking. "A certain homogeneity" has emerged in the rush to make wine that appeals to the expanding American wine market, Parr says. Bringing Spanish wineries up to acceptable health standards with modern technology and oak barrel fermentation got rid of the oxidized and funky smells and flavors associated with rustic wines. It also left the wines tasting a lot less, well, Spanish. Most people don't know the wines, most have never heard of these regions, but they can taste the quality, says Jar's wine director Bob Silverstein. He recently started dedicating 10% of the restaurant's wine list to Spanish wines. "I had to make room for them," he says. "The quality was there." A primer on grapes and places Emerging regions Bierzo. Fruit from the signature Menc�a vines from this region in northwest Tierra de Castilla go into reds that are terrific food wines, with more finesse than power. Campo de Borja. An emerging area south of Rioja, where the old-vine Garnacha vineyards climb the slopes of Sierra del Moncayo. Cari�ena. South of Campo de Borja, Cari�ena is the birthplace of a namesake grape variety, though Garnacha is the dominant grape. Calatayud. East of Cari�ena, Calatayud's high-altitude, old-vine Garnacha is just starting to show up in wines for export. Empord�-Costa Brava. This coastal zone of Catalunya has newly planted Tempranillo, Cabernet and Chardonnay vineyards. The signature wine is a rosado (ros�) made from Garnacha and Cari�ena grapes. Jumilla. A hot, high-altitude region southwest of Valencia known for bulk wine, Jumilla now is making modern wine with its old-vine Monastrell grapes. La Mancha. South of Madrid, the flat, inland region is hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, and dry all the time. White Air�ns and Tempranillos predominate. Navarra. Near the French border, west of Catalunya, the region is known for Garnacha, much of which is made into rosados. Tempranillo production is rising. Priorato. An area of Catalunya known for a wide elevation span (328 to 2,297 feet) and slate and quartzite soils; artisanal winemakers have planted Cabernet Sauvignon, but Garnacha and Cari�ena still predominate. R�as Baixas. This low-land, coastal region in Galicia, bordering Portugal, is known for its fresh, light Albari�os. Rueda. A Castilian region known for its white wines . Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and blends of the two . as well as Tempranillo. Tierra de Castilla. The historic heartland of Castilian Spain includes the wine zones Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro and Bierzo. Toro. Located within Tierra de Castilla, the region is known for its intense Tempranillos. Garnachas and Cabernets also are grown in the high-elevation vineyards. Valencia. The region surrounding the Mediterranean town of Valencia encompasses the Alicante, Valencia and Utiel-Requena zones, which grow a wide variety of grapes. Grape varieties Albari�o. A white wine grape native to Galicia known for producing wines with fresh peachy flavors, but it can also produce wines with the potential to gain complexity with age. Garnacha. A grape widely grown throughout Spain's northern regions, it adds spicy, cherry flavors to traditional Rioja red wines. Known in France as Grenache. Macabeo. Also known as Viura, this white wine grape used in Spain's sparkling cavas is the main white wine of Rioja and Navarra. Menc�a. A red wine grape that grows on hillside slopes and terraces in Bierzo, it's often blended with Garnacha to make an early-drinking wine. Tempranillo. The predominant red wine grape throughout Spain, it makes long-lasting, fragrant, fruity wines. It's the backbone of traditional Riojas. Verdejo. A white grape considered one of Spain's best; it makes aromatic wines with character. . Corie Brown Sources: "The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Spanish Wine" by John Radford, 2004; "The Wines of Spain" by Julian Jeffs, 1999 THE Times tasting panel met recently for a blind tasting of Spanish wines widely available at Los Angeles area retailers for $13 and less. Joining me on the panel were Food editor Leslie Brenner, Food columnist Russ Parsons and Randy Kemner, owner of the Wine Country in Signal Hill. The good news is there were plenty of simple but pleasing wines in this value category, as well as some surprisingly delightful wines that cost as little as $4. Our favorite white wine among the Albari�os, Verdejos and regional blends was the 2003 Protocolo, which retails for about $6. The best of the reds, which included Garnachas, Tempranillos and blends, was the 2003 Las Rocas de San Alejandro, an old-vines Garnacha that sells for about $10. Wines are listed in order of the panel's preference. . Corie Brown Whites 2003 Protocolo. A blend from Dominio de Eguren in Tierra de Castilla, imported by Jorge Ordo�ez. A well-balanced, earthy wine with intriguing aromas of lemon and olive oil, a bit of complexity and a melony finish. At Liquid Wine & Spirits in Chatsworth, (818) 709-5019, and Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, about $6. 2004 Con Class. A white wine blend from Rueda, imported by Eric Solomon's European Cellars. Sauvignon Blanc-like, with bracing acid, peach nectar and herbal flavors and aromas of fresh hay. Simple and pleasant. At Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits in West Hollywood, (323) 655-5557, and Wine Country in Signal Hill, (562) 597-8303, about $9. 2004 Rocaberdi. A blend (80% Macabeo, 20% Xarel-lo) from Catalonia, via Beaune Imports. A touch of oak dampens the tart grapefruit and peach aromas in this fun and likable blend. Nicely structured with crisp, bracing acids. At Wine Country, about $8. 2004 Naia. Imported by Jorge Ordo�ez, this bracing Verdejo from Rueda offers citrus aromas and flavors of freshly cut grass and sweet lime. At Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits and Mission Wines, about $11. 2004 Floresta. A blend (55% Macabeo, 45% Chardonnay) from Empord�-Costa Brava, imported by Beaune Imports. Peach and apricot aromas, with pleasant creamy apricot and tangerine flavors. At Liquid Wine and Spirits and the Wine Country, about $10. 2004 Burg�ns Albari�o. >From R�as Baixas, imported by Eric Solomon. Floral aromas, with a touch of turpentine, this wine has an off-putting vanilla- extract taste and an unpleasant finish. At Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits and Wine Country, about $10. 2004 Vionta Albari�o. With off-putting milk-chocolate aromas, this wine was badly oxidized. At Wine Hotel in L.A., (323) 937-9463, about $13. Reds 2003 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Vi�as Viejas Garnacha. >From old vines in Calatayud, imported by Eric Solomon. This wine, with its eucalyptus and herbal aromas and notes of tobacco and leather, has some character and complexity. At Mission Wines, about $10. 2004 Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha. >From Campo de Borja, imported by Jorge Ordo�ez. Sweet, smoky nose with flavors of black cherry and spices, this wine would pair well with charcuterie. At the Duke of Bourbon in Canoga Park, (818) 341-1234; Liquid Wine & Spirits; and Wine House in West L.A., (310) 479-3731, about $12. 2004 Mano a Mano. >From La Mancha, imported by Jorge Ordo�ez. This juicy Tempranillo has ripe berry and cassis aromas, black cherry flavors and a pleasant finish with some length. At Joan's on Third in Los Angeles, (323) 655-2285, and Mission Wines, about $9. 2004 Abrazo del Toro. A blend (80% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo) from Cari�ena. A young, drinkable wine with charming cherry aromas. At Trader Joe's stores, about $4. 2004 Wrongo Dongo. A blend from Jumilla, imported by Jorge Ordo�ez. This one-note green peppery wine has off-aromas. At Mission Wines and Duke of Bourbon, about $7. 2004 La Nunciatura Tempranillo. >From La Tierra de Castilla. Odd chocolate and grape aromas mar the simple, undistinguished flavors that follow. At Trader Joe's, about $4. 2004 Coto de Hayas Garnacha Centenaria. >From Campo de Borja. Sweet grapey aromas with an off-putting chemical note, a heavy dose of oak on the palate. Available at Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits and Wine House, about $11. 2004 Tikalo Albaliza. A pleasant yet undistinguished blend (65% Tempranillo, 35% Garnacha) from Tierra de Castilla, imported by Eric Solomon. Purple grape aromas with a funky leather flavor. At Wine House and Mel & Rose Wine and Spirits, about $6. 2001 Estola Reserva. The panel disagreed on this blend from Bodegas Ayuso in La Mancha , with curious licorice and menthol aromas. One panelist found it to be like an acceptable fruity jug wine; another called it "watery and bad at the same time." At Trader Joe's, about $5. 2003 Verole�n. A blend (70% Garnacha, 30% Merlot) from Navarra. The bottle we opened was so badly oxidized it was undrinkable. At Trader Joe's, about $5. Some older info/shopping list from the Post: Coronilla (Utiel-Requena) Reserva 2000 ($24, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners): The Bobal grape is even more obscure than the Utiel-Requena region, but this wine suggests that both should be taken seriously. Made entirely from 60-year-old Bobal vines, it shows dark color and impressive density, with dark berry fruit and interesting accents of roasted meat, smoke and spices. Ready to drink but still capable of further development. Vi�a Honda (Jumilla) 2001 "Allier-Finesse" 2001 ($17, Grapes of Spain/Elite): A blend of 85 percent Monastrell (known as mourvedre in France) and 15 percent Tempranillo, this is mature enough to show excellent softness and integration of flavors but also young enough to feature fresh black cherry fruit. Full-bodied and deeply flavored, it is nevertheless soft and smooth in texture. Casa Castillo "Valtosca" (Jumilla) Syrah 2002 ($22, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry Wine Group): Traditionalists may frown at a wine made from a French grape on Spanish soil, but their disapproval will likely wilt after a single sip of this. The dark, dense blackberry fruit is intense but drinkable, and so concentrated that it has already soaked up a serious dose of spicy oak, resulting in a bold but balanced profile. Alceo (Jumilla) 2001 ($17, Grapes of Spain/Elite): A heady blend of 50 percent Monastrell, 25 percent Tempranillo and 25 percent syrah, this displays intense aromas and flavors of ultra-ripe plums, dried black cherries, roasted nuts, black licorice and wood smoke. Full-bodied and deeply flavored, this is ill-suited to cocktail-style sipping, yet grilled meats should tame it sufficiently for near-term enjoyment. Casta�o "Solanera" (Yecla) Vi�as Viejas 2002 ($15, European Cellars/Henry): Dense, deliciously ripe fruit from old vines is the prime attraction here, and the winemaker has wisely let it stay in the forefront by eschewing fining [a clarification technique that can lessen flavor impact as it removes suspended particles from wine], filtration or excessive oak aging. Powerful but pure. Rozaleme (Utiel-Requena) Bobal/Tempranillo 2003 ($16, De Maison/Bacchus): Complete and convincing, this features complex fruit flavors recalling dark berries and red cherries. Admirably balanced between ripe richness and bright freshness, it shows well-proportioned accents of oak and culminates in a long, symmetrical finish. Casa de las Especias (Yecla) "Forte del Valle" 2004 ($17, De Maison/Bacchus): Impressive and tasty if still a bit raw and undeveloped, this powerhouse would benefit from a protracted timeout. However, if paired with robust meat dishes, its intense blackberry flavors will win many admirers. Dominio del Arenal (Utiel-Requena) Crianza 1998 ($10, Country Vintner/Country Vintner): I've tasted this wine several times over the past couple of years, and whereas it sometimes seemed to be overly oaky, it has now matured into a well-balanced beauty offering outstanding value. A blend of 50 percent Tempranillo and 50 percent syrah, it shows alluring scents of ripe berries, wood smoke, vanilla and roasted meat. Casa Castillo (Jumilla) Monastrell 2002 ($12, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry): With substance, elegance and symmetry, this is an exemplary rendition of Monastrell and an achievement at this price level. Given a little time to aerate and unwind after opening, it shows medium-bodied fruit that is expressive and generous without seeming chunky or obvious. Strong but soft, this is a steal. Alce�o (Jumilla) Tinto 2003 ($12, Grapes of Spain/Elite): Fruity and fun but hardly frivolous, this shows dark, concentrated blackberry fruit that is delightfully expressive, thanks to a light touch of oak. The fresh fruit can take a light chilling for use with grilled meats throughout the summer. Coronilla (Utiel-Requena) Crianza 2002 ($13, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners): Another winner crafted from the Bobal grape, this features vivid flavors of dark berries and cherries, and reserved accents of smoke and spices. Wrongo Dongo (Jumilla) 2003 ($9, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry): Generous to a fault, this is a bit chunky for a Spanish wine, yet it remains far less obvious than most California zinfandels. Ripe and juicy, it will work well with almost any sort of barbecued meat. ALSO RECOMMENDED: Finca Luzon (Jumilla) 2003 ($10, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry); Castillo del Baron (Yecla) Monastrell 2003 ($9, Europvin/Bacchus); Travitana (Alicante) Old Vines Monastrell 2003 ($11, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners); Los Monteros (Valencia) 2004 ($10, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners); Carchelo (Jumilla) Monastrell 2004 ($10, Classical Wines/Henry); Agarena (Utiel-Requena) 2003 ($7, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners). � 2005 The Washington Post Company -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 * --

19 years, 6 months

[wine] tomorrow

by Annette Stadelman

Anyone in for tomorrow at Sapor?? Annette Stadelman Phillips Wine and Spirits 651-637-3351

19 years, 6 months

[wine] [jkallsen@cpinternet.com: Badia a Coltibuono Winemaker's Dinner this Sunday]

by Jim L. Ellingson

----- Forwarded message from Jason Kallsen <jkallsen(a)cpinternet.com> ----- From: Jason Kallsen <jkallsen(a)cpinternet.com> To: "Jason Kallsen (World Class Wines)" <jasonk(a)worldclasswines.com> Subject: Badia a Coltibuono Winemaker's Dinner this Sunday Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 00:25:43 -0500 A special event has been put together for this Sunday, May 21st. Roberto Stucchi, the winemaker at Badia a Coltibuono is coming to Minneapolis. We'll be having an informal evening of wine and food at Corner Table restaurant, 43rd and Nicollet. There will be flights of his wines available, plus the regular menu to order from. Roberto will be strolling throughout the room and meeting everybody and answering questions. It will be one of the most enjoyable, high quality, low pressure, and affordable wine tastings of the year! If interested, please call Corner Table at 612-823-0011 to make reservations (www.cornertablerestaurant.com <http://www.cornertablerestaurant.com/> ). I'm picking up Roberto about 4:30 and we're going right to the dinner. The restaurant is open from 5:30 to 9:30 Sunday evenings. Visit www.coltibuono.com <http://www.coltibuono.com/> for more information on this historic Tuscan estate. Hope to see everyone there. Please pass the info to your friends! Jason Kallsen Jason Kallsen pager 612.579.9398 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 Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *

19 years, 6 months

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