Mostly an update, and an article on a small winery tasting in Paris.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 17:17:35 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Tuscan Wines at Tratoria Da Vinci
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Wow, it's been a year since we've been to TdV.
Back on Thursday, 6:30.
Wines from Tuscany.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 13:19:13 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Trattoria da Vinci
400 Sibley St., St. P,
55101 222-4050
It's in the "far end" of down town St. Paul, near the Farmer's
Market. If you're traveling on I94, take the 7th St. Exit.
Who?
Bob
Lori
Bill
Janet
Ruth yes Warren ??
Russ yes Sue ??
Jim yes Louise ??
Dave?
Nicolai?
Karin?
Annette?
Other things. Would be good to re-expand our Italian options.
Perhaps January/February would be a good time to get into the
place at Raymond and University in St. Paul (Biagio?)
Raskells Plug Nickel Sale starts on 4/5/06.
Cheers,
Jim
----- End forwarded message -----
April 5, 2006 Letter From Paris
Where Small Wineries Have Their Day By DONALD MORRISON
One nice thing about the French is that they like to stand up for the little guy. That helps explain why they show saintly patience with losing sports teams and touching fidelity to small shopkeepers. Also why half the country has seemed to be in revolt against a new labor law that affects a relative handful of youthful job-seekers. But for the most enduring, enjoyable and perhaps self-serving display of French fondness for the underdog, come to the Espace Champerret, a convention center in northwestern Paris, from April 7 to 10. There, as they have for more than two decades, smart Parisians flock to buy their wine. It's the Salon des Vins et Vignerons Ind�pendants, the semiannual show of wines from small producers representing every French wine-growing region from Aloxe-Corton to Vouvray.
Organized by Vignerons Ind�pendents de France (www.vigneron-independant.com) a 28-year-old club of 10,000 such small fry, the salon draws about 500 of them to its April show and more than 1,000 to the version in November at the larger Paris Expo center near the Porte de Versailles. Similar events take place in six other French cities every spring and fall, and together they attract nearly a half-million visitors a year. At every salon, the quality is high, the prices are low and the wines are generally not available in stores. Best of all, the spirit of solidarit� hovers over the hall like the bouquet of vanilla and nutmeg on a glass of Domaine de la Garni�re Chardonnay F�t de Ch�ne (a steal at 5.10 euros for the bottle, about $6.25 today, at 1.23 euros to the dollar).
That was my first purchase at my first Paris salon two years ago. I quickly became not only a regular visitor to the event, but also an unofficial dependant of the Fleurance family, which owns the 69-acre Domaine de la Garni�re at St.-Crespin-sur-Moine in the Loire valley. Marie-Th�r�se Fleurance, matriarch of the clan, is a typical small vintner . barely four feet tall. But her wines are big and lusty, unusual qualities in a region known for its austere, flinty and sometimes astringent output. I had put my address on the bill of sale, and she phoned me a few weeks later to make sure I was coming to the next show. Inexpert in French, I thought she was yet another telemarketer of insulated windows and hung up.
For producers like Ms. Fleurance and her sons (and co-proprietors) Pascal and Olivier, who lack the marketing budgets and economies of scale that big producers enjoy, the salons are make-or-break events. A few days later the Fleurances sent me a free ticket for the next salon. I used it, but sailed right by their stand . until Pascal called out my name, having remembered me from my pitifully small, six-bottle purchase of a half-year earlier. Now I receive regular invitations, price lists and other promotional material from the Domaine de la Garni�re, and I never fail to visit the stand. Or leave without a case or two.
For winelovers, the salon is a rhapsody in red, white and ros�. For students of France and democracy, it is an education. In any sense, it's a terrific bargain . prices are generally the same as at the cellar door, sometimes even less. After paying the gentle 6 euro admission fee ($7.35), you are handed a 7.25-ounce Institut National des Appellations d'Origine glass, the recognized standard for wine evaluation, and set loose into a vast sea of sipping, slurping, spitting Parisians.
The scene can be daunting at first. Acres of exhibitors are arranged randomly, not by region, to encourage browsing. Each one has the same, six-foot-long stand and is allowed to display no more than 10 wines. On my first visit, I wandered around in a daze for half an hour before working up the nerve to thrust my glass at a smiling vintner, who graciously poured a large mouthful of rough, nearly undrinkable red Cahors. I spit it out abruptly (every stand has a spittoon), thanked my benefactor . whose jollity never faded . and moved on. Two hours and about 60 wines later, I was having trouble distinguishing Rully from R�gni� . also seeing straight. And I was carrying two six-bottle cartons around in my arms. This was hard work.
Since then I have honed several strategies for a successful salon attack. I am pleased to share them:
Go early. The doors open at 10 a.m., and the crowds are mercifully thin until midafternoon. From then until closing time, at 8 p.m. (6 p.m. on the final night), it's madness. Either way, don't plan on doing any serious work afterward.
Spit. Though the temptation to swallow will be great, especially if you run across a truly great wine, you'll never make it past the first few stands if you hesitate to expectorate. You can buy a bottle and drink it at home.
Bring wheels. A folding luggage wheelie (take your own, or buy one in the hall for 39 euros) will let you tote away several cases, and both Paris shows are convenient to public transport. Better yet, take a taxi home. Just don't drive. France is cracking down on tipsy motorists, and random police checks are spreading.
Talk wine. Vintners love to discuss their work, and many of them speak English. But to earn their lifelong gratitude, arm yourself with a few key phrases, like "bien charpent�" (well structured), "belle robe" (beautiful color), "gras" (fat), "souple" (supple), or the ultimate accolade, in ironic understatement, "�a se laisse boire!" (It's drinkable!). It's bad form to assert, even truthfully, that a wine isn't good. "Tr�s inter�ssant" is a diplomatic observation. And always say "merci" when receiving yet another (free) taste.
I now look forward to the salons eagerly, trolling online discussion groups for tips about hot young vintners who may show up. Once in the hall, I'm always discovering great new wines, laughing along with wine-mellowed strangers as we jostle for attention at a popular stand, and even running into friends from the United States. My mailbox overflows with free salon tickets from winemakers whose wares I have sampled and schlepped home. Indeed, after hours in the company of these mostly gregarious, mostly struggling makers of a product they are willing to pour so generously and sell so cheaply, I find that I too am acquiring a decidedly French fondness for the underdog. Also for big lusty whites from the Loire.
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
----- 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 *
Wow, it's been a year since we've been to TdV
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 13:19:13 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Trattoria da Vinci
400 Sibley St., St. P,
55101 222-4050
It's in the "far end" of down town St. Paul, near the Farmer's
Market. If you're traveling on I94, take the 7th St. Exit.
Who?
Annette
Bob
Lori
Bill
Janet
Warren/Ruth
Russ/Sue
Jim/Louise
Dave?
Nicolai?
Karin?
Other things. Would be good to re-expand our Italian options.
Perhaps January/February would be a good time to get into the
place at Raymond and University in St. Paul (Biagio?)
Raskells Plug Nickel Sale starts on 4/5/06.
Cheers,
Jim
----- End forwarded message -----
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WINES OF TUSCANY
Chianti may well be synonomous with Tuscany, but there is far more diversity here than a visit to your average wine merchant would suggest. Recent years have witnessed considerable changes, with most articles on Tuscan wine commenting upon the shift of emphasis from quantity to quality,
Above all, Tuscany produces red wine and, above all, this wine is made from the Sangiovese grape. The practice of adding white grapes to the Chianti blend has, thankfully, all but disappeared; the last twenty or so years has seen Sangiovese find a new partner - Cabernet Sauvignon - and when this marriage works, as it often does, the resultant wines are usually excellent and, occasionally, truly great.
Brunello di Montalcino manages ably to retain the crown of `Italy's most expensive wine', although the likes of Tignanello and Sassicaia are not too far behind. Some other areas worthy of investigation are Morellino di Scansano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano, and wines of Lucca & Montecarlo.
The white wines of Tuscany are far less important than the reds. Produced predominantly from the workaday Trebbiano grape, a notable exception is Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Good Sauvignon and Chardonnay is made, but the prices tend to be quite high. Vin Santo, the famous after-dinner wine, is also seeing a renewed commitment to quality.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WINES OF CHIANTI
Chianti is without a doubt the most well known of all Italian wines. There may be only one denomination - Chianti D.O.C.G - but there are many different styles, ranging from light Beaujolais-style quaffing wines to structured, complex wines with enough backbone to reward aging and maturing.
The predominant grape variety is Sangiovese, but the laws allow for an addition of between 10 and 15% of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. A Riserva wine is one that has been aged longer before being released; it should come from a good year and benefit from further aging, although it is not always the guarantee of quality that might reasonably be expected. Click here for a brief history of the wines of Chianti over the centuries.
The vineyards of Chianti are scattered over much of central Tuscany; the Classico zone begins northwards of Siena and reaches most of the way to Florence. This zone generally produces the best wine. The other six zones are:
Colli Aretini The hills around Arezzo produce a medium-bodied Chianti, soft and best drunk young.
Colli Senesi From the hills to the south and west of Siena, this is the largest Chianti sub-zone. Chianti plays second fiddle to Brunello and Montepulciano.
Colli Fiorentini All styles of Chianti, from light everyday stuff to some excellent Riservas.
Montalbano From the hills west of Florence. The better grapes tend to go to make Carmignano.
Rufina The smallest of the seven, this zone, to the north east of Florence, produces some of the most complex and long-lived wines in Chianti.
Colline Pisane Pleasant, light wines from the hills around Pisa
There are various theories as to the origin of the name Chianti. The most popular has it that the word derives from the Latin clangor, meaning the cry of a bird or a high pitched note from a trumpet, and that this alludes to the wild and uncultivated countryside of the area, fit for hunting rather than agriculture. Another far more mundane theory ascribes the name to an Etruscan family of the area, or perhaps a winegrower from the hills above Florence.
What is more certain is that the name was well established by the early fifteenth century, although the wine known as Chianti in those days was almost certainly a white wine. As late as the 1960's there was still a Chianti bianco and even the DOC laws of 1967 allowed for 30% of white grapes in the red wine. By the early 1900's the wines of Chianti had become very popular - or at least the 'style' had, as a bottle labelled as Chianti may not have come from Chianti proper, if indeed it came from Tuscany at all.
The year 1924 saw the formation of the Consorzio per la difesa del vino tipico del Chianti, a group taking as its symbol the black cockerel, the Gallo Nero still seen on all bottles today. The significance of this dates to a border dispute between Siena and Florence, a dispute that saw the border drawn at the point where a horseman from each city would meet on the road. They were both to set out at the cock-crow, as indeed they did, except that the Florentine cockerel had been starved, and woke to greet the day considerably earlier than its Sienese counterpart.
The DOCG regulations of 1984 attempted to achieve what the DOC ones of 1967 failed to do in terms of quality and consistency, and there is no doubt that post DOCG Chianti is a much improved wine, however, many growers still found the rules too restrictive and archaic. This led to the rise of the so-called 'Super-Tuscans', wines made from the same grapes and the same vineyards as traditional Chianti, yet made in a way and using blends that 'flouted' regulations, and led them to be labelled as table-wines. This didn't bother the growers overmuch as these wines (then and now) command prices way beyond even the best Chianti Classico. Eventually, the regulations were altered to allow these wines back into the fold. Grape varieties that were outlawed are now permitted, and the requirement to effectively ruin a wine by forcing the inclusion of white grapes in the blend has lapsed.
There is a re-assessment of Chianti under way; ever higher standards coupled with some wonderful vintages are allowing the very best wines to walk tall, and many recent tastings have commented on the wonderful ageing potential of top Chianti. The prestige that that the 'Super-Tuscans' afforded the Sangiovese grape is now allowing the focus to return to the making of good Chianti.
A QUESTION OF STYLE
Between tradition and renewal, the challenge for Tuscan wines is to exploit the distinctive marks of the territory. To .dare. with less international wines but always with bigger personalities.
It is a difficult world, felicitous at times but with an uncertain future. Or so the lyrics of a song that was popular a few years ago would have it. The lyrics are even more appropriate today when applied to the situation of the Italian wine sector. I don.t wish to take this article as a pretext for wandering the byways of the current market and dispensing advice on marketing and prices. Not at this time when censors of bad habits are admonishing those who have erred and who threaten apocalyptic scenarios for the future of sales of Italian products.
It.s a shame that many of these admirable prophets were peddling entirely different theories until only a short time. Let.s say instead, and more honestly, that nearly all the leaders in the world wine sector galloped through the period of rampant euphoria of the last decade. In reality, however, there was no lack of factors that attenuated such attitudes. We went in the blink of an eye from the sour, immature, prickly, diluted and often defective wines of the past to products that are softer, rounder and fruitier. Perhaps a touch too marked by oak but even that, for heaven.s sake, is an indicator of renewal and modernity. It says .enough. with all those old, gross and stinking casks. And, then, why waste time with such irksome and capricious varieties like Sangiovese when we have at our disposal grapes of immediately efficacy like Cabernet and Merlot?
The response to that question was wines that automatically raised the level of consumer satisfaction and enthused even us critics. What a difference from the .antique. wines! What a pleasure! What concentration! This is the new Italian and Tuscan wine! This is the model to follow!
This type of recipe has worked without any setbacks until now but the first doubts are beginning to appear. The few bottles of some years ago are progressively becoming many, new vineyards are being planted and new estates are appearing, while others are giving themselves a makeover. Large numbers of wines have adopted the winning model or even expanding its intensity: super soft, super fruity, super concentrated and super bois�. In a few words, all are apparently more endowed but at the same time similar to one another. Have we, therefore, reached a notorious state of uniformity? Not yet, fortunately, but the risk is obvious and it is not easy to avoid it and to resist the pressures of the international market. The motive is clear. If I prepare wines with the flavor I have cited, which is accepted without complications by the majority of consumers and critics, the chances are good that I shall be able to sell it.
At first glance, nothing to object to but, if we look more closely we may come to other conclusions. In a world context consisting not of a million but a billion bottles, a territory like Chianti Classico, which appears so big to us, represents only a small speck, the so-called niche. And, in a niche, what sense is there in having the prospect of producing wines with an international flavor beaten in advance on the level of price? We must, therefore, make our wine distinctive. Premium wines must possess recognizable characters traceable to the zone of origin. That is what occurred at Bordeaux where, with a minimum of experience, the taster cannot mistake a Pauillac for a Margaux, and even more so in Burgundy where an abyss separates a Chambertin from a Volnay. And that.s not to mention the clear difference between a Barolo from Monforte or another from La Morra.
In Chianti Classico.but let.s expand the horizon to the whole of Tuscany.the imprint on a wine.s style of the enologist currently on duty is more frequently cited than the influence of the zone of origin. Please note, this is not an accusation directed at our technicians, who, like the referees in soccer, are among the best in the world. It is aimed instead at a diabolical system that demands determined results in time spans that, for viticulture are unnaturally short. The signs of the territory, on the other hand, emerge only with the value of the vineyard and will be much more incisive when the vines are older and more deeply rooted. Inevitably, more time is required along with a vision of greater depth and farsightedness in order to obtain results and a definite style.
In that sense, the privilege, although it is not exclusive, of native varieties that are more acclimatized to the territory is manifest. And then we can finally emerge from the opportunism and the provisional character of the gilded cage made with false gold. We can withdraw from the internationality trap and create wines with more authentic characters, wines that are sapid and mineral, with marked but still elegant contrasts. They are drinkable and never boring or predictable. There is the loss, perhaps, of a pinch of fruit and the softness may be too facile but they are wines in magical accord with our cooking and with flavors that are just as decisive and never cloying.
Ernesto Gentili
http://www.chianticlassico.com/english/magazine/200406/articolo0.asp
--
------------------------------ *
* 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 *
Greetings,
So far, we're not meeting on Thursday.
We are invited to Chez Gregory for the teacher's happy hour.
(They put the High in Higher Education). Any time after 4:00 on Friday.
Bring some wine/beverage and a snack/nosh.
Coordinate w/ Ruth.
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 13:23:56 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
We've been invited to Warren/Ruths for Happy Hour on Friday
at/any_time_after 4:00
>
> I-94 to Cretin-Vandalia. Go south to Randolph, East to 2139.
>
> Warren, Ruth Gregory 698-5337
> 2139 Randolph 55105
> wrcgregory(a)qwest.net
--
------------------------------ *
* 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 *
Greetings,
Petite Sirah/Syrah. JP's Bistro. 7:00
NOTE the TIME CHANGE>
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:31:50 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: [wine] Petite Syrah at JP's at 7:00
Greetings,
Please note the special time, this week only. 7 p.m.
Heading to JP's this week. Vin du juor is Petite Syrah
from anywhere. They have another group of 10 or so at 6:30,
and so requested that we delay our arrival.
Thursday Petite Syrah from anywhere at JP's 7:00
JP's American Bistro
JP Samuelson
2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300
No idea who's/how many are coming. Here are 8 likely suspects.
bob
bill
ruth
Russ
jim
nicolai
karin
Cheers,
Jim
The Dow Jones Inexpensive Merlot Index
In a tasting of 50 American merlots that cost less than $20, these were our favorites. These are generally better closer to cellar temperature -- 55 degrees -- than room temperature. Most of the merlots we tasted are ready to drink now, though some, such as the Coppola, will improve with a little age.
In a tasting of 50 American merlots that cost less than $20, these were our favorites. These are generally better closer to cellar temperature -- 55 degrees -- than room temperature. Most of the merlots we tasted are ready to drink now, though some, such as the Coppola, will improve with a little age.
VINEYARD/VINTAGE PRICE RATING COMMENTS
Francis Coppola "Diamond Collection" Blue Label (California) 2003 $13.99 Very Good/Delicious Best of tasting. Fine wine, rich and structured. Terrific fruit, with balanced tastes and some heft. Would go well with a good steak.
Hogue Cellars (Columbia Valley) 2003 $9.49 Good/
Very Good
Best value. Rich, earthy nose and a great, dark color. Slightly chewy -- not at all weak -- with real earth and even a hint of chocolate. Honest red wine.
Turning Leaf Vineyards Coastal Reserve 2002 (North Coast) $10.50 Very Good Truly earthy and utterly easy to drink, with soft, blackberry fruit. No structure, no edges, just lovely, drink-me fruit.
Cartlidge & Browne (California) 2003 $9.99 Good/
Very Good
Another winner from a reliable name. It smells like wine and tastes like wine -- and too many merlots don't. A happy wine you could almost gulp. Drink now.
Firestone Vineyard (Santa Ynez Valley) 2002 $14.99 Good/ Very Good Unusual and interesting, with a rock-hard, very dry center and the kind of tight fruit that would make it good with food such as meatloaf.
Frei Brothers Winery (Dry Creek Valley) 2003 $17.99 Good/ Very Good Dark, rich color and a nice, grapey nose. A core of black, grapey fruit, with some pepper, spice and herbs. Soft and pleasant, but with some stuff.
Martin Ray
Winery "Angeline" (Sonoma County) 2002
$10.99 Good/ Very Good Rounder and fuller than most, with an interesting, complex texture. Complete and integrated.
NOTE: Wines are rated on a scale that ranges: Yech, OK, Good, Very Good, Delicious, and Delicious! Prices vary widely.
�2006 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
--
------------------------------ *
* 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 *
Greetings,
Please note the special time, this week only. 7 p.m.
Heading to JP's this week. Vin du juor is Petite Syrah
from anywhere. They have another group of 10 or so at 6:30,
and so requested that we delay our arrival.
Thursday Petite Syrah from anywhere at JP's 7:00
JP's American Bistro
JP Samuelson
2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300
No idea who's/how many are coming. Here are 8 likely suspects.
bob
bill
lori
ruth
jim/louise
nicolai
karin
Cheers,
Jim
THE CHRONICLE WINE SELECTIONS
California Petite Sirah
- Linda Murphy
Thursday, January 12, 2006
There is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. This black grape, grown throughout the warmer regions of California, produces teeth-staining, brawny wines with dark berry and plum fruit, a grind of spice (usually black pepper) and sturdy tannins. Once considered a rustic wine, California Petite Sirah has become softer and more polished in recent years, as winemakers have learned to tame the tannins and astringency with various techniques in the vineyard and cellar.
Petite Sirah -- intentionally misspelled "Petite Syrah" by some producers -- is the same as Durif, a workhorse grape of southern France. Petite Sirah is also related to "regular" Syrah; Syrah is Petite's father, Peloursin the mother. Despite their common genes, Petite Sirah and Syrah are very different wines -- the "petite" son has more muscles and hair on his chest than Dad.
Here are our favorites from the 65 Petite Sirahs tasted for today:
TWO AND A HALF STARS
2003 Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux Napa Valley Petite Sirah ($50) Napa Valley chef and Food Network star Michael Chiarello produces this wine, which despite its somewhat high 15.2 percent alcohol, tastes balanced and bright with crisp acidity. Racy raspberry, blackberry and cassis flavors are enhanced by black peppercorn, black tea, mocha and toast notes. If Petite Sirah can be pretty, this is it.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
2003 Concannon Central Coast Limited Release Petite Sirah ($15) Sweet vanilla and black-fruit aromas lead to a ripe, blueberry- and black cherry-filled wine. It's spicy and toasty, yet refreshing thanks to brisk acidity.
TWO STARS
2003 Foppiano Vineyards Estate Russian River Valley Petite Sirah ($23) While toasty oak dominates the nose, the palate delivers rich, ripe wild blackberry and black plum flavors and an intense black-pepper spice. There is a slight mid-palate dryness, though a burst of juicy raspberry fruit and crisp acidity plumps up the finish.
THREE STARS
2004 Michael-David Earthquake Lodi Petite Sirah ($28) This is the big one, with massive, jammy fruit (blackberry, black cherry and pie cherry), powerful tannins and a Richter-scale 15.7 alcohol content. Rarely are wines of this size balanced, yet Earthquake maintains its equilibrium and offers fine complexity in its toast, smoked meat, cola, vanilla and white-pepper notes.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
2003 Mitchell Katz Ruby Hill Vineyard Livermore Valley Petite Sirah ($16) Yes, Virginia, the Livermore Valley can produce great wine, and here's proof. This wine is incredibly smooth and fine-textured -- full, rich and concentrated in its blackberry, blueberry and cassis flavors with vanilla and black pepper accents. It has great balance, firm acidity and a lingering finish that does not taste hot, as the labeled 15.4 percent alcohol might suggest it would. Great price, too.
THREE STARS
2002 Quixote Panza Stags' Leap Ranch Napa Valley Petite Syrah ($40) Carl Doumani, who made Petite Sirah fashionable in Napa Valley when he owned Stags' Leap Winery (he was also the first to purposely spell it "Syrah" on the label), now makes the varietal at his Quixote Winery nearby. His 2002 effort, sealed with a screw cap, is inky-purple in color, toasty in aroma and tastes intensely of black fruit. There are also hints of blueberry, spice, coffee and chocolate, wrapped in supple tannins.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
2003 Quivira Wine Creek Ranch Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah ($24) Black never goes out of style, as demonstrated by this blackberry/black plum/black licorice-loaded wine. While it's deep and dark, there's no brooding here, as the juicy fruit, peppery spice, gentle toastiness and moderate 14.2 percent alcohol content give the wine a sense of elegance not often found in Petite Sirah.
THREE STARS
2003 Rosenblum Pickett Road Napa Valley Petite Sirah ($28) Lush blackberry and blueberry fruit, black pepper and licorice notes, rustic earthiness and big, chewy tannins make this the powerhouse that Petite Sirah aficionados seek. Despite its size, the wine has wonderful balance and palate-cleansing acidity. The alcohol is a heady 15.6 percent, yet there isn't a lot of heat on the palate.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
2003 Rosenblum Rockpile Road Vineyard Rockpile Petite Sirah ($36) Deep purple and intensely fruity -- almost Port-like -- this wine pushes the envelope with its very jammy blackberry and black plum fruit, yet has enough acidity, peppery spice and worn-leather complexity for balance. At 15.4 percent alcohol, it packs a punch.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
2002 Vina Robles Jardine Vineyard Paso Robles Petite Sirah ($26) Stop reading if you don't like big, hedonistic wines, because this one is huge, loaded with wild, brambly blackberry fruit, black pepper, espresso, toast and vanilla flavors. The tannins are muscular and the palate is ripe, with a touch of residual sweetness.
TWO STARS 2004
Vinum Cellars Pets Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($14) "Pets" is what some producers call Petite Sirah, and this wine is as easygoing as the family golden retriever. It's packed with juicy blackberry and blueberry fruit and notes of spice, chocolate, saddle leather and vanilla, with medium tannins. A portion of the sales proceeds go to the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
________________________________________
Key:
FOUR STARS Extraordinary
THREE STARS Excellent
TWO STARS Good
Page F - 3
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/12/WIG74GL8G71.DTL
--
------------------------------ *
* 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 *
A deal for you if you are interested which is a $5 discount on this series.
You can receive it by signing up on the website and entering the word
"FUGAISE" in the coupon code.
Joyce
NEW!
Wine & Dine Chef Series
Surdyk’s is pleased to announce an extension of our wine education classes!
In an effort to further explore the intricacies of wine and cuisine
pairing, Surdyk’s is offering seminars featuring local chefs working along
side our wine consultants. We will discuss fine cuisine, professional
technique and the latest restaurant trends, as well as the art of pairing
the perfect bottle of wine with your meal. Enjoy the food created by these
award winning chefs as you watch! Seating is very limited, and no
additional sessions will be scheduled, so sign up early!
March 23, 2006
Don Saunders of Fugaise
$60
Come meet the dynamo Chef Don Saunders of Fugaise! After working under
Vincent Francoual (of Vincent – A Restaurant), and Jack Riebel (formerly of
La Belle Vie), Chef Saunders has opened his new restaurant Fugaise right in
our neighborhood, and we couldn’t be happier! Chef Saunders will guide you
through his preparation of a few of his favorite items, and discuss wine
pairings with each. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn Chef
Saunders’ wine preferences, kitchen tricks and techniques, and try some of
his critically acclaimed cuisine. Join us and gain insight on one of the
country’s youngest and brightest culinary stars.
Each in our Wine & Dine Chef Series will be held at Let’s Cook at 330 East
Hennepin Avenue, across the street from our Surdyk’s store. For
reservations, please call us at 612/379-3232 or go online to surdyks.com.
*Please see our policy on class enrollment on the class schedule page.
Call me with any questions – and thank you!
Tamara Schultz
Event Coordinator - Surdyk's Liquor & Bistro 2GO
Direct Line - 612/676-2287
www.surdyks.com
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An update.
BTW, the Liq. Depot closeout sale started yesterday, goes public tomorrow.
All wine 25% off.
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:43:32 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: [wine] Zins at Oddfellows
Greetings,
Zins at Oddfellows. Thursday. 6:30.
Oddfellows is one block east of Surdyks on Hennepin.
These are mostly guesses. Tables are small, so
make the reservation for two more than we expect?
Betsy
Bob
Annette S.
Lori
Christopher
Nicolai
Ruth
Jim
Cheers,
Jim
Chefs Wait for Rules on Sous Vide, as Experts Question Some Uses
By DANA BOWEN
NO one likes to cook with someone hovering over his shoulder. But that's how it is for many chefs in New York as the city health department draws up rules for restaurants that vacuum-seal food and cook it sous vide, a technique that traps flavor and moisture while it slowly cooks to remarkable tenderness.
Since the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene began ordering chefs to stop using the vacuum-seal equipment required for sous vide recently, some have said the crackdown unfairly forbid a technique that is widely and safely used in Europe, where it was invented.
Something officials say they are most concerned about, which some sous vide chefs in New York do, is the practice of vacuum-sealing raw food for storage. Experts who are helping the department draw up the rules say that is forbidden in restaurants in France because it increases the risk of botulism.
"There is some confusion out there among some people, that they think putting raw product under vacuum inhibits the growth of bacteria," said Stanislas Vilgrain, the chief executive of Cuisine Solutions of Alexandria, Va., which packages food sous vide and sells it to hotel chains, airlines and sports venues. "It does not."
Mr. Vilgrain flew into New York on Friday with Bruno Goussault, a sous vide expert who works for the company and has trained chefs like Jo�l Robuchon and Thomas Keller in the technique. The purpose of the trip was to give a crash course in sous vide to health department officials and advise them on how the European Union regulates sous vide in restaurants.
Mr. Goussault said that by law, chefs in France have to cook food immediately after it is vacuum wrapped, to an internal temperature of at least 132.8 degrees, a temperature at which the French authorities say most potentially harmful bacteria are killed.
Many chefs use the French guidelines. Others take tips from the sous vide bible, "Cocina al Vac�o," or "Sous Vide Cuisine" by a Catalan chef, Joan Roca, and Salvador Brugu�s, which has an English translation (Montagud, 2005) that has been a popular seller at Kitchen Arts and Letters in Manhattan.
Most chefs don't trumpet sous vide on their menus, fearful of the stigma food cooked in plastic might carry. But the results are so good, said one chef who is clandestinely using the method, that "every now and then someone would ask."
Perhaps another reason the technique has flourished under the radar, limited to simplified explanations outside the kitchen, is its sheer complexity. Practitioners of the technique have transformed parts of their kitchens into science labs with equipment bought either from commercial distributors or on eBay.
Some vacuum-seal ingredients, cook them, and hold them at a desired temperature. When an order comes in, they snip open the bag and finish the dish. Others vacuum-seal, cook the food to its desired temperature, and refrigerate it until they are ready to bring it back up to the correct temperature to serve.
That means that the lamb shank you order today may have been cooked three days ago, or longer. Chefs who do this say there is no compromise in quality.
Cuisine Solutions said it advised the health department that the life span for vacuum-sealed, cooked and chilled fish was about 7 days, and for similarly treated meat was 8 to 10 days, stored in the refrigerator.
It is not yet clear if any of this will be considered in the health department's new sous vide guidelines. Until the rules are released this summer, chefs who want to continue vacuum-sealing food have to submit a hazard analysis plan, created by a food scientist or technologist, for approval. The department says it will take one to two weeks for a plan to be approved. The new guidelines may include a boilerplate plan that chefs can adapt to their own kitchens.
In the meantime, officials are enforcing warnings issued at a handful of restaurants where equipment was sealed. These restaurants received an order, with a warning that using the equipment would be a misdemeanor subjecting offenders to possible imprisonment.
That's a lot to risk for fork-tender lamb shank.
----- 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 *
Greetings,
Zins at Oddfellows. Thursday. 6:30.
Oddfellows is one block east of Surdyks on Hennepin.
These are mostly guesses. Tables are small, so
make the reservation for two more than we expect?
Betsy
Bob
Annette
Nicolai
Ruth
Jim
Russ
Lori
Brdx tasting at the Big S tomorrow. Claustrophobes need
not apply. :)
Cheers,
Jim
A Wine With Iconoclastic Notes
Success of a Garage-Made Vintage Challenges Bordeaux's Traditions
By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, March 10, 2006; A12
SAINT-EMILION, France -- He was a logger, a lifeguard, a disc jockey and a banker. But Jean-Luc Thunevin didn't strike it big until he started making red wine in his garage. From there, the Algerian-born high school graduate began challenging upper-crust wine barons and their traditions, helping spur a revolt that experts argue will either revitalize the fabled Bordeaux region or drive it nearer to ruin.
In the beginning, Thunevin climbed into vats with his wife, Murielle, to slosh around in the grapes. He relied on friends to bend over tables in the driveway and pluck out leaves and stems in exchange for dinner.
But from that first vintage -- 1,291 bottles of 1991 Chateau Valandraud, which retailed for about $25 each -- evolved one of the most exclusive boutique wines in France, fetching as much as $500 a bottle. Today, Thunevin makes 11 different wines and sells about 1 million bottles a year in markets from Paris to Hong Kong, Moscow to New York.
To some wine lovers, Thunevin, 54, and other garagistes who use similar iconoclastic techniques represent the greatest threat facing Bordeaux and its reputation as the world's premier wine region.
But to others, stubborn defense of tradition in the face of tough overseas competition is a key reason for the decline of Bordeaux, which had a surplus of 200 million unsold bottles last year. They question whether the people who make Bordeaux wines have the gumption to change and compete. "We had success because we rediscovered some techniques that were used a long time ago that had been abandoned," Thunevin said. Among them: extensive pruning and thinning to concentrate grapes on the vine and handpicking only the ripest fruit.
"It did not go over well with the historic winegrowers in the region, especially when Valandraud started selling for more than the top traditional wines," he said with a smile, his lips stained purple from a recent tasting. "But it forced all the big chateaux to take a second look at what they were doing, and that was useful because it helped them prepare for the future, for the American and Australian competition."
"There was jealousy from the historic properties," said Michel Bettane, one of the most influential wine critics in France. But Thunevin and a small band of garage winemakers "had brilliant ideas about winemaking, and they were doing it better than anyone else, and now 80 percent of the best growers in Saint-Emilion are doing the same thing the garagistes did 10 or 12 years ago."
Many traditionalists remain unconvinced, accusing Thunevin and other modernists of embracing an international trend toward standardization in wines. They say that too many winemakers are ignoring the unique characteristics of their vines and land in favor of technical, by-the-numbers production that will make all wines taste the same.
"A wine should tell you the story of the place it came from," said Jean-Claude Berrouet, the top winemaker at 12 vineyards, including Chateau Petrus, the most famous wine in the neighboring Pomerol region, and Napa Valley's highbrow Dominus Estate. Innovation and change are important, Berrouet said, but there should be limits on techniques that a winemaker can use and still have a wine classified as a Bordeaux. "If I'm a conductor playing Mozart, can I add notes to it?" he asked. "Pretentious men do this."
"As long as I can make a living doing what I do, I will resist the move to a standard taste," Berrouet said. "But you need to be realistic, and the day you can't make a living, you have to change." Three decades ago, Bordeaux was one of the top fine wines all over the world. Then the world's taste buds started to change, and lighter, fruitier, less expensive wines from abroad -- particularly the United States, Australia and Chile -- won international acclaim.
Between 1999 and 2004, France's wine exports dropped 11 percent, while America's rose 49 percent, Chile's grew 96 percent, and Australia's exploded by 152 percent. France's share of world wine exports also dropped from 25 percent to 19 percent, while the combined share of the three other countries grew from 13.5 percent to 25 percent.
In international blind tastings, 80 percent of tasters prefer "sunnier, fruitier" wines from the overseas vineyards, "and if you try to force the consumer to accept the very old style of Bordeaux, it's a disaster," said Hubert de Bouard, president of the Saint-Emilion Winegrowers' Union. He represents the eighth generation of his family to head Chateau Angelus, a Premier Grand Cru Class� that is ranked among the highest-quality wines in France.
Members of the government's wine regulating agency, the Appellation d'Origine Contr�l�e, accuse Bouard of being "a revolutionary," he said. Among his demands they cite is that French winemakers relax their regulations, change their labeling, modernize their production techniques and adjust their products' styles and tastes -- even allowing oak chips to be used in aging barrels for flavoring -- to compete in global markets.
In his demand for innovation, the aristocratic Bouard, 48, is an unlikely ally of Thunevin. Bouard has purchased vineyards in Spain and South Africa, and his teenage son is apprenticing at a vineyard in Argentina to better understand the importance of globalization. His logic is simple, he said: "You want to work, or you want to die?"
"I don't want to kill my tradition and roots," he said, "but if you want to protect your traditions, you have to be strong enough to understand that the world changes."
But to Yves Delol, 66, whose family has owned the modest Chateau Gueyrosse vineyard since 1870, modernist techniques that use additives "are like doping in sports." Other vineyards "are free to do it, but they should be transparent and say on the label that oak chips were added, because it's not a natural process," he said, waving gnarly hands that look like the vines they tend.
"You don't want to sell your soul and lose your individuality," added his daughter, Samuelle, 37, next in line to run the vineyard.
While French wines are under commercial assault abroad, their problems are being compounded at home by a health movement that has resulted in national wine consumption being slashed in half, from an average 27 gallons per person a year in 1980 to 14 gallons in 2004. That has contributed to the unprecedented surplus in Bordeaux.
"We have to find a solution to simple problems -- there's too much wine, and too much of it is bad in quality," said Bettane, the wine critic.
Those are problems Thunevin says he doesn't face, citing his willingness to try new things -- such as his development of a kosher wine that American critic Robert Parker praised as "undeniably the finest red kosher wine in the world." It sells in the United States for more than $200 a bottle.
"It's not that if you weren't born wealthy in a chateau, you can't make good wine," Thunevin said. "It's a question of pushing your limits."
"At the beginning, he crossed the road looking both ways -- everybody was fighting the modernists," said Michel Rolland, a wine consultant who gives advice to about 100 French winemakers -- including Thunevin -- and another two dozen vineyards in 13 countries.
"Jean-Luc is permanently looking for something new to do. Every year he's asking how is it possible to move and change," Rolland said. "We need 200 Jean-Luc Thunevins in Bordeaux, but we have only one."
In fact, with his extraordinary success, Thunevin said, "my friends say, you're not so garage anymore. And I say it's a state of mind."
Special correspondent Marie Valla contributed to this report.
� 2006 The Washington Post Company
----- 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 *
Greetings,
Looking over the Wine Enthusiast Vintage Chart:
Aussie cabs are good to go if 2002 or older and can be quite age-worthy.
Chile, Argentina are also ready if 2002 or older, but are not so age worthy.
South Africa and New Zealand are ready if 2001 or older.
Your Mileage May Vary. :)
----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> -----
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 16:13:49 -0600
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Southern Cabs at Erte
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Greetings,
Had some very interesting and mostly good wines at Alma,
along with some fantastic food.
We're heading to Erte. Wine du jour is Cabernet from anywhere
in the southern hemisphere.
Whites, sparkling, stickies, ringers always welcome.
Erte Restaurant.
329 13 Ave NE, Mpls 55413
612-623-4211
6:30 on Thursday.
Six confirmed, 8 or 10 would be my guess.
Bob
Lori
Ruth
Janet
Nicolai
Jim
Russ?
Roger?
Bill?
your_name_here??
Cheers,
Jim
Found a website. They're building a rather detailed vintage chart for
Oz and New Zealand.
http://www.southernwinejournal.com/vintage/
and you can search the reviews by varietal
http://www.southernwinejournal.com/reviews/variety/cabernet_sauvignon/
other sources:
http://www.southworldwine.com/news.htmlhttp://www.winestate.com.au/magazine/review.asp?issueno=44&review=Cabernet+…
Other events.
Surdyk's sale is on-going.
Kacher wines from 5 until 8 p.m. at Sam's wine shop on Thursday.
--
------------------------------ *
* 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 *
Greetings,
Had some very interesting and mostly good wines at Alma,
along with some fantastic food.
We're heading to Erte. Wine du jour is Cabernet from anywhere
in the southern hemisphere.
Whites, sparkling, stickies, ringers always welcome.
Erte Restaurant.
329 13 Ave NE, Mpls 55413
612-623-4211
6:30 on Thursday.
8 people.
No idea who.
Bob
Betsy
Lori
Russ
Nicolai
Jim
Warren/Ruth?
Janet?
Roger?
Cheers,
Jim
Found a website. They're building a rather detailed vintage chart for
Oz and New Zealand.
http://www.southernwinejournal.com/vintage/
and you can search the reviews by varietal
http://www.southernwinejournal.com/reviews/variety/cabernet_sauvignon/
other sources:
http://www.southworldwine.com/news.htmlhttp://www.winestate.com.au/magazine/review.asp?issueno=44&review=Cabernet+…
Other events.
Surdyk's sale is on-going.
Kacher wines from 5 until 8 p.m. at Sam's wine shop.
--
------------------------------ *
* 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 *
