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by Jim L. Ellingson

Mostly an update: Thanks to all who replied. 12 people, 10 pours. PLEASE pour carefuly so that everyone gets a reasonably sized, reasonably clear/clean/sediment_free pour: Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 11:34:35 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Any Pinot from Any Where at 510 Greetings, Many thanks to Warren and Ruth. A most excellent time. This week, we're going to the 510 for Pinot. Any Pinot from anywhere. Pinot blanc/gris/grigio/noir/etc. From OR or CA or Burgundy... Should be fun. 510 Groveland Yes: Russ/Sue McCandles Betsy Lori Brgndy Dave Turan Jim/Louise Annette S. Bill S. Karin Nicolai Brgndy Bob Regrets: Warren/Ruth Fred/Kim The reservation is for 10 people (we're at 9, can/will update w/ the 510 on Thursday.) We can accomodate 10 pours in Pinot/Burgundy glasses (we're at 7 so far). I'm willing to act as "Steward du jour". Since Bob's out of town, please contact me, or someone els e who's active on the list, if you plan to join us on Thursday. My work phone is 763 494 1907. I've included Russ's notes from last December's Brgndy affair, as well as an article on the DNA mapping of cats. Cheers, Jim The 510 Restaurant 510 Groveland Ave MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403 Phone: 612-874-6440 February 16, 2005 WINES OF THE TIMES Poetry and Attitude, Pinot Noir's Paradox By ERIC ASIMOV NO other wine conjures up poetic descriptions like pinot noir; no other wine forges as direct a path to the soul. If a wine could make a person cry, it would have to be a pinot noir. A wine like this is bound to have a pretty big mystique, and pinot noir wears its like a rap star wears gold. It's a femme fatale. It's a temperamental artist. It's very sensitive. There are times when the Dining section's wine panel would like to say to pinot noir, "Snap out of it!" But then we catch ourselves; our task requires us to taste these unruly wines, not to discipline them. Sometimes the act of choosing wines to taste does not even require logic; we simply make arbitrary decisions. Such was the case when we decided recently to sample some pinot noirs from New Zealand in the company of pinot noirs from the central coast of California, a big stretch that reaches from San Francisco Bay south to Santa Barbara County. Why the central coast? Without being scientific about it, we simply wanted to compare the New Zealand pinots with a selection of American pinots. We could have chosen the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, or the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, but instead we decided on the central coast, for no better reason than that it had been a while since we had tasted a selection of these wines. Not that any specific conclusions would have been possible. The central coast is too big an area, with too many different sites - terroirs, if you don't mind - to draw any conclusions from the 12 California bottles we sampled. The same goes for New Zealand. Our 12 bottles perhaps did not adequately reckon with its selection of grape-growing sites. But the tasting was nonetheless illuminating because the general comparison, between New Zealand and California, was fascinating. Florence Fabricant and I were joined by two guests, William Sherer, sommelier at Atelier, and David Gordon, wine director at TriBeCa Grill, and we all went into the tasting believing that, for the most part, we would be able to tell the New Zealand pinots from the California pinots. In California, known for its sunny warmth, the challenge for pinot growers, assuming the soil and other variables are correct, has been to find sites that are cool enough to ripen the grapes evenly so that acidity will balance the sweetness. Too often California pinots cannot find this balance, and the result is a cloyingly sweet, syrupy wine or a hot, overly alcoholic wine. In New Zealand, generally speaking, growers face the opposite challenge, just as in Burgundy, the world's benchmark for pinot noir. Having rejected most of New Zealand's northern island as too hot, pinot noir planters have concentrated in the cooler southern island, where warm days balance cold nights. When the balance is right and the grapes ripen sufficiently, sweetness harmonizes with acidity. Unbalanced, the wines tend to be acerbic. I can hear the wines pouting again. As it turned out, our guesses in the blind tasting were pretty accurate. The too-sweet, too-big wines tended to be from California; the too-thin, too-tart wines tended to be from New Zealand. In the middle were the wines we liked best; again and again balance was the key. Foremost among them was our top wine, the 2001 Peregrine from the Central Otago region of New Zealand, which, at $24, was also our best value. The Peregrine was one of the few wines with some complexity, with aromas and flavors that shaded beyond the obvious, and it demonstrates that the New Zealand pinot noir growers are on the right track. While some decent pinot comes from Marlborough to the north, and from Martinborough on the southernmost part of the North Island, Central Otago, the most southerly wine region in the world, is where they have staked their claim for pinot noir. We tasted three pinots from Central Otago, and all made the list. An '02 Mount Difficulty was actually sweet enough that Mr. Gordon said it had achieved California-style ripeness, but its acidity was sufficient to make it harmonious. An '01 Mount Maude was unusually earthy - Mr. Sherer called it Burgundian - and though it seemed a bit disjointed, Mr. Gordon said it had a lot of potential. The California wines approached the balancing point from the opposite end. Too many were what Ms. Fabricant called "fruit baskets." To my mind they often lacked structure, that is, a spine of acidity or tannin that would give the wine a beginning, a middle and an end. The ones we liked, though, offered up a few angles on which to hang their lush fruit. The '02 Morgan, from Rosella's Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, had acidity worthy of the New Zealand wines, while the '02 Au Bon Climat from the Santa Maria Valley showed excellent balance and finesse, as did an '02 Tantara, from a neighboring winery to Au Bon Climat. One wine that completely divided the panel was the 2000 Calera, from the Jensen Vineyard on Mount Harlan in the Gabilan range east of Salinas. Caleras always need more time than most California pinots to develop, but I feel they have more character than most and are worth the wait. The two of us who liked it best would have placed it higher up the list. The other two would have dropped it completely. It was the sort of at-loggerheads situation that pinot noirs seem to delight in creating. But then, things are never easy when it comes to pinot noir. Tasting Report: New Zealand to California and Back Again BEST VALUE Peregrine Central Otago New Zealand 2001 $24 *** Complex and balanced, with layers of fruit, truffle and mint flavors; improved in the glass. (Empson U.S.A., Alexandria, Va.) Morgan Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard 2002 $38 *** Aromas of licorice, cherry and mint; sweetness balanced by good acidity. Au Bon Climat Santa Maria Valley La Bauge au-Dessus 2002 $33 *** Juicy fruit and lingering flavors; a wine with finesse and structure. Tantara Santa Maria Valley 2002 $32 ** 1/2 Lots of cherry and mint flavor yet well-etched and graceful. Koura Bay Marlborough New Zealand Blue Duck 2002 $30 ** 1/2 Earthy, light-bodied, balanced and elegant with lingering flavors and a touch of complexity. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, Pa.) Mt. Difficulty Central Otago 2002 $30 ** 1/2 Mistaken for a California wine; sweet fruit balanced by good acidity. (Grape Expectations Wine Imports, Raleigh, N.C.) Highfield Marlborough New Zealand 2000 $27 ** 1/2 Light-bodied and lightly tart, with sour cherry, menthol and mineral flavors. (Via Pacifica Imports, Sebastopol, Ca.) Belle Glos Santa Maria Valley Clark & Telephone Vineyard 2002 $39 ** 1/2 Thick California-style texture, but not too sweet; lingering dark fruit flavors. Mt. Maude Central Otago New Zealand 2001 $30 ** Earthy and a bit rustic, with persistent mineral flavors (American Estates, Philadelphia) Calera Mt. Harlan Jensen Vineyard 2000 $50 ** Angular and tannic, with complexity and structure; panel divided. ----- 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 *

20 years, 9 months

[wine] Any Pinot from Any Where at 510

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Many thanks to Warren and Ruth. A most excellent time. This week, we're going to the 510 for Pinot. Any Pinot from anywhere. Pinot blanc/gris/grigio/noir/etc. From OR or CA or Burgundy... Should be fun. 510 Groveland Yes: Russ/Sue McCandles Betsy Lori Dave Turan Jim/Louise Annette Bill S. The reservation is for 10 people (we're at 9, can/will update w/ the 510 on Thursday.) We can accomodate 10 pours in Pinot/Burgundy glasses (we're at 7 so far). I'm willing to act as "Steward du jour". Since Bob's out of town, please contact me, or someone els e who's active on the list, if you plan to join us on Thursday. My work phone is 763 494 1907. I've included Russ's notes from last December's Brgndy affair, as well as an article on the DNA mapping of cats. Cheers, Jim The 510 Restaurant 510 Groveland Ave MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403 Phone: 612-874-6440 W1: sharp/thin on nose, full and smoky midpalate, thins out on finish. Ballot-Millot, 2002 Bourgogne Chardonnay. W2: rich oaky chardonnay nose, midpalate lacks structure, pedigreed white Burgundy flavor, finish emphatically alcoholic, pretty good though. Verget, 2002 Saint-Veran "Vigne de St-Claude." W3: excellent smoky nose suggestive of Chablis, midpalate lacks structure, interesting and attractive tasting wine but lacks W2's flavor distinction, finishes with good length but only fair power. Mestre-Michelot, 1999 Bourgogne Chardonnay. W4: amylic licorice nose, OK midpalate, citric finish, lacks interest. Bouchard Pere & Fils, 2002 Puligny-Montrachet. (Highly disappointing, if this was a representative bottle.) W5: mute nose with SO2 showing, big sweet citric and characteristically chardonnay midpalate, touch unconcentrated but tasty, good length, nice wine. Joseph Drouhin, 2002 Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches. (Still needs some time.) 1.1: young looking; small but round and rather new world pinot nose, astringent and medicinal mouth entry, tannic, decent fruit and structure, some alcohol showing and short on fruit at the finish, good wine though. Antonin Rodet, 1998 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Vieilles Vignes. 1.2: lighter young color; pure but bashful nose; lacks concentration but OK fruit, some tannin; aromatic finish, more attractive tonight than 1.1 but generally a smaller wine. Louis Auguste, 2002 Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits. 1.3: color suggests more age; very reticent nose of spice, licorice, acid; full-smooth mouth entry, medicinal fruit; quite alcoholic on finish, shortish too. Pierre de Champvigne, 1996 Mercurey 1er Cru, Clos Voyen (Chevaliers de Tastevin bottling). (Some doubt expressed at table about whether this was a perfect bottle, although of course this is pretty old Mercurey.) 1.4: deep red, sizeable pure nose with the alcohol showing, big spicy alcoholic wine in the mouth, some tannin, lots of structure, big aromatic finish is the best feature, lacks length though. Mestre-Michelot, 2002 Santenay 1er Cru, Gravieres. 2.1: full purple; rich and meaty nose; full and smooth, lots of fruit without much sweetness, focused and true; finishes as it tastes, some alcohol but considerable finesse, excellent length, extremely good bottle. Vincent Girardin, 2001 Santenay 1er Cru, Gravieres. (This has put on weight since release and was showing very attractively tonight.) 2.2: medium to light red, nose medicinal but characterful, smooth mouthfeel but still tannic, midpalate lacks fruit, at an awkward age? The wine has presence all the way thru to the finish but seems to be sleeping? Jean-Jacques Girard, 2002 Savigny-les-Beaune. (Needs retasting. As a 2002, probably not "asleep" in the sense of what wines often do around their fourth year, but could be suffering from shipping shock or some such.) 2.3: medium red, color showing some age; very reticent nose; hard, medicinal, peppery, lacks fruit in this company, big wine though; in this company, no finish. Rene Engel, 1999 Vosne-Romanee. (This one, on the other hand, may well have been asleep. Good producer, fine vintage.) 2.4: dark red; sizeable cola nose, big astringent, medicinal unsweet fruit in the mouth, really good, moderately aromatic finish with more sweetness showing, decent length, could use time, this is very good. Maurice Ecard, 2001 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru, Narbantons. (This one has REALLY put on weight since release.) 3.1: light red, lovely if not large sweet nose, smells of pure young red berry fruit; smooth midpalate, lots of darker fruits, tannic at the back end, highly aromatic finish, lovely wine, extra long. Bouchard Pere & Fils, 2002 Beaune 1er Cru, "Beaune du Chateau." (Reportedly available at Surdyk's priced in mid-$20s; remarkable value at that sort of price.) 3.2: dark color showing some age, distinguished maturing nose, mineral and vegetal components in addition to the fruit; smooth, smoky midpalate with BIG fruit, vegetal tastes following thru from the nose, very well structured; big aromatic and alcoholically hot finish, still needs some time. Joseph Roty, 1995 Gevrey-Chambertin, Cuvee de Champs-Chenys. 3.3: quite dark; big tarry nose; some lack of concentration and fruit but the flavor is distinctive; some tannin left but seems mature, power and length not all one could wish for. Faiveley, 1990 Beaune 1er Cru, Champs-Pimont. 3.4: dark color, sizeable nose still mostly primary, midweight in the mouth, balanced, smooth and pure, very attractive, minerals and tar with the fruit, flavor almost suggests nebbiolo, dark red cherry, touch of alcohol showing; excitingly smooth transition to finish, sweet and aromatic, good length, this is excellent. Bertagna, 1995 Vougeot 1er Cru, Clos de la Perriere. (Reported to be currently available at Haskell's. Caveat emptor.) February 15, 2005 With Genetic Mapping, Cats' Mysteries Will Be Unraveled By NICHOLAS BAKALAR Genetically speaking, every dog has already had its day. In 2003, a standard poodle named Shadow became the first canine to have his genome mapped, and in 2004 a boxer, Tasha, became the second. Now scientists are turning their attention to the genome of the domestic cat, and it is Cinnamon's turn to donate a blood sample. Cinnamon is not just any cat. She comes from a carefully bred colony at the University of Missouri, and her lineage can be traced back for decades. Scientists therefore know exactly what they are getting when they look at her DNA. Researchers hope to have the cat genome mapped by the end of the year - perhaps as soon as this summer - and when the job is done, humans will be the ones to benefit. Americans own (or serve) more than 60 million cats, spend over $4 billion a year on cat food and are so dedicated to feline health care that their veterinarians have identified more than 250 genetic diseases and hundreds of infectious agents that afflict them. But the genome will usher in a world of knowledge with immediate practical application, not only for veterinarians and cat owners, but for geneticists, zoologists and conservationists as well. When the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, chose the cat as one of the select group of species to have their genomes mapped, it conferred no small honor. It will cost $5.5 million to do the job, said a spokesman for the health institutes, and though the project will produce a map that is far less detailed than that of the human genome, scientists firmly believe it is worth every penny. The sequencing is being carried out under contract with Agencourt Bioscience Corporation, a biotechnology firm in Beverly, Mass., which was started five years ago by scientists originally involved in the Human Genome Project. The cat genome is large, and even though automated equipment is used at every step, sequencing it is labor intensive; more than 100 people are involved in one way or another in the project. The raw material - Cinnamon's DNA - is delivered to Agencourt by the N.I.H. Then the work begins, essentially a process of chopping up the DNA into tiny usable pieces in a process called library construction, and then putting it all back together to create the map. Producing a usable first draft sequence takes about nine months. The Cat Genome Project was announced along with plans to sequence the genomes of eight other mammals: the elephant, the orangutan, the shrew, the hedgehog, the guinea pig, the tenrec, the armadillo and the rabbit. Each new genome map adds something to the understanding of the human genome, but the cat was chosen, among other reasons, for its importance as a medical model in studying human disease. "The genes on the cat chromosome and the human chromosome correspond to each other like two strings of beads made of different colors," said Dr. Stephen J. O'Brien, chief of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity of the National Cancer Institute, adding that cats have "the same genes, one after another, strung together across every chromosome." This resemblance means that many of the cat's genetic diseases are inherited exactly the same way as genetic illnesses in humans. Diabetes, hemophilia and lupus, for example, have precise genetic homologues in cats. Cat retroviruses, like those that cause feline leukemia and feline sarcoma, although slightly different in their gene structure from the human versions, produce lesions that look almost identical to human cancers. Perhaps even more significant, feline immunodeficiency virus, or F.I.V., resembles H.I.V. so closely that it follows the same progression that, untreated, leads to the wasting syndrome of AIDS in humans. It is the only known naturally occurring AIDS syndrome in any nonhuman species, and provides a perfect model for studying the progression of the disease. Cats also get feline versions of many other human infectious diseases, including rotavirus, poxvirus, herpes, Q-fever, chlamydiosis and dozens more. On top of that, they are resistant to anthrax infection, a fact of considerable interest to scientists. Once the genome is mapped, said Dr. O'Brien, "research on feline stem cells will blossom, along with gene therapy applications." Zoologists and wildlife managers are just as eager as medical researchers to start using the completed cat genome. The domestic cat is the only one of the 37 species in its family that is not either threatened or endangered. Yet despite their rapidly shrinking territory, and their limited genetic diversity within species, wild cats endure on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, at the top of the food chain wherever they live. "The free-ranging species are survivors," Dr. O'Brien said. "Cheetahs, for example, get infected with F.I.V., but they don't get sick," though no one knows why. On the other hand, wild cats can become infected for reasons that are just as mysterious. This happened in 1994 when the canine distemper virus, which normally infects only dogs, suddenly jumped to lions. Wildlife managers watched, appalled, as the virus swept through the population, killing one-third of the lions in the Serengeti ecosystem in only nine months. Zoologists want to know what explains these evolved genetic defenses and susceptibilities. The genomes of the domestic cat and its wild relatives are almost identical, and the genetic information developed for the domestic cat will apply widely to all the species in its genus. "The full genome," Dr. O'Brien said, "will empower people with tools to discover innate disease defenses, recognize pathogens and other threats and assess the present status and future of these species." Cats were probably first domesticated about 6,000 years ago, making them much newer guests in the human household than dogs or barnyard animals, which have lived with humans for almost twice as long. Yet they are the domestic animal closest to our hearts in more ways than one. "At least from a genomic perspective," Dr. O'Brien said, "cats share a striking ancient affinity with humankind." ----- 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 *

20 years, 9 months

[wine] TN Pot Roast Wines Chez Gregory 2-10-2005

by Russell McCandless

Pot Roast Wines Chez Gregory - 2/10/2005 Outstanding pot roast and trimmings, a perfect fruit tray in midwinter, fine cheeses, wonderful desserts, a lot of good wines, entertainment courtesy of Simone and Ozzie. Thanks to Warren and Ruth for their hospitality, and to all who contributed to the feast! W1 - bashful fresh fruit nose, more forthcoming as the wine warmed; floral midpalate, quite concentrated, good flavor, balanced structure, honeyed finish, tropical fruit undertones, viognier? This is tasty! Hawley, 2003 Viognier, Sonoma and Placer Counties. (Good example; nearly everything one likes about viognier while avoiding any tendency to get syrupy and/or too tropical.) W2 - deep gold, bashful nose, sweet and soft mouth entry, possibly Riesling or gewurz, some alcohol showing, floral finish with some sugar. Sweeter than what I would call "off dry," although perhaps not an out-and-out dessert wine. Barmes Buecher, 2001 Pinot d'Alsace (AOC Alsace). W3 - very light color; freshly acidic and floral nose with faint peach tones; chenin blanc sort of flavor, might be a Loire wine from one of the two recent hot vintages, plenty of fresh fruit, finishes as it tastes, uncomplicated but attractive, good length. Wine could be better than one's initial impressions, difficult to taste such a bracingly acidic white right behind the sweet Alsatian wine. Reynolds, 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, South Australia. (Quite a good fresh, dry sauvignon blanc, especially if one prefers fruit-driven SB's to the grassy-vegetal types.) 1.1 - medium purple; nose of sweet oak and dark fruits, touch of alcohol showing, could be cab but no special varietal distinction; round, sweet and moderately tannic midpalate, finishes smoothly if without real authority, tasty and attractive though. Pine Ridge, 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley. (A Bordeaux blend of roughly 80% cabernet sauvignon, plus several other grapes. This improved with air for about an hour, then went maply. There's no rush, but remaining bottles should probably be consumed in the reasonably near future.) 1.2 - purple, lighter than wine 1, nose of sour and earthy black fruits, syrah? Flavor much more in the red fruit spectrum than the nose, finish lacks force, sound but small, perhaps Cotes du Rhone? Pine Ridge, 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley. (Didn't even get the continent right. Utterly dissimilar to its big brother from the much better 1999 vintage. Again, a Bordeaux blend.) 1.3 - red, not 100% clear, spritz? Leather and meat nose, reduced red fruit taste, finishes as it tastes, lacks force. Villadoria, 1997 Bricco Magno. (Not sure what part of Italy this was from; label was inscrutable.) 2.1 - medium purple; smells of earth, oak, and cabernet fruit; mouth entry initially smooth, then astringent, red fruits, menthol tones, good aromatic finish, a decent, attractive Bordeaux type. 1996 Chateau Bernadotte, AOC Haut-Medoc. 2.2 - medium to dark purple; pretty, sweet shiraz type nose; smooth and sweet, well structured though, alcohol showing, finishes as it tastes, could wish for more length and power at the end. McDowell, 2002 Syrah, California. 2.3 - dark purple; quite an alcoholic nose, cabernet fruit, bell pepper and wood, smells like it's a big wine; smooth mouth entry, burnt wood, very ripe to overripe black fruits, finish is the best feature, tastes as though it still needs time. Truchard, 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Carneros. 3.1 - inky; big sweet meaty nose, considerable alcohol and oak, in the mouth a huge sweet ozzie shiraz, quite tannic, peppery, finish lacks the thundering power of the midpalate but quite long. This was excellent with the dessert, even the chocolate ice cream. Yangarra, 2002 Shiraz, McLaren Vale. 3.2 - dark purple; very large cabernet nose, blackcurrants and cedar; full and flavorful midpalate, an aristocratic Bordeaux flavor with considerable size, ultra smooth finish, lots of fruit, especially red currant, very long. Such a large wine that I expected it to finish with obvious alcohol or other rough edges, but it was like silk. Unusually fine. Merryvale, 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. 3.3 - dark-brilliant, faintly orange edge; aromatically floral nose, blackberry and asphalt, could this be nebbiolo?? Smooth mouth entry, then very structured, huge fruit as it smells, quite complex, lots of different flavors and aromas here, alcohol showing, tannic young-tasting wine, graceful for its size, finishes warmly aromatic and extremely long. 1993 Viader, Napa Valley (60% cabernet sauvignon, 40% cabernet franc).

20 years, 9 months

[wine] new email address for Janet Swenson @ Vinifera Minnesota

by Janet Swenson

Hello - my email address viniferamn(a)mindspring.com has been changed to mn(a)viniferadistributing.com Janet

20 years, 9 months

[wine] Pot Roast Reds, Sausy Whites at Chez Gregory

by Jim L. Ellingson

Mostly an update and a second review of the Freedom Food Book. Guest list is at 9, as far as I know. C, J ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 17:05:12 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: Pot Roast Reds, Sassy Whites at Chez Gregory User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Greetings, Thanks to Russ for posting his tasting notes. We have an invitation to Chez Gregory. Limit is 10 for this sit down dinner. Wine styles are Sassy Whites... (aka anything interesting.) and Big, Hearty Reds. I don't recall the full list, but am thinking it was along the lines of: Cab/Brdx Blends Spanish Shiraz/Syrah The "white" and "desert" options are always open. "Hearty Burgundy" didn't make the list, but you've only your reputation to lose.... ditto the Romanian Pinot. Warren, Ruth Gregory 651-698-5337 2139 Randolph wrcgregory(a)qwest.net Who/What Bob Cheeses Warren/Ruth hosts/Pot Roasts. Jim/Louise Breads/Salad Russ Betsy Desert?? Lori Desert ?? Annette Fruit That's 10 so anyone else is on the waiting list... February 9, 2005 Something to Chew On: Frenchwomen Eat Smart By ELAINE SCIOLINO Paris THE CROISSANT looked golden-brown and flaky, but one bite was enough. Mireille Guiliano declared it "disgusting." The waiter apologized. The regular croissant vendor wasn't baking. But Ms. Guiliano, the author of the best seller "French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005), was not about to waste all those calories on a second-rate bread product. "Life is too short to drink bad wine and to eat bad food," she said. "This is all about fooling yourself." Self-deception and sensuality are the secrets of how to eat well and stay slim, according to Ms. Guiliano's bonbon of a book. In her world, Frenchwomen instinctively understand the centrality of food as a tool of seduction. And seduction, she writes, "figures prominently in the Frenchwoman's sense of herself." To that end, Frenchwomen eat small portions. They eat whatever they want - even chocolate - but certainly not every day. They use ultrafresh ingredients and avoid processed foods. They drink a lot of water, but never take wine without food. Frenchwomen are never too busy to go food shopping several times a week or to make their own yogurt from scratch. They are never too cash-strapped to buy farm-fresh items from open-air markets. They never eat in front of the television or standing up. They eat slowly, savor every bite and make dining a ritual - using all five senses and enjoying multicourse meals on separate plates. "In the United States, everyone is always in a rush," she said. "People have to realize how great it is to be for hours around the table. Except for the bed in the bedroom, the table is the only place where you connect." Parenthood is no excuse for inaction. "People say they are busy with three young kids," said Ms. Guiliano, who does not have children. "Well, there are choices to be made. Maybe you can't watch your reality show for 20 minutes." And Frenchwomen never say diet. "I hate the word 'diet,' " she said. "It's all about deprivation. All the women I meet who are on a diet are unhappy and grumpy and boring." Ms. Guiliano, 58, uses her own happy history to prove her thesis. The 5-foot-3-inch, 112-pound Frenchwoman gorged on brownies and cookies as an exchange student in Massachusetts in the 1960's and gained 20 pounds. She gained 10 more upon her return to France, shedding them all after a doctor taught her about moderation. She created Clicquot Inc., the American subsidiary of Champagne Veuve Clicquot, and now serves as its chairwoman. She and her husband, Edward Guiliano, the president of the New York Institute of Technology, divide their time between New York and Paris. They can squeeze 150 guests into their duplex in the West Village for dinner. They grow blueberries, tomatoes and fresh herbs on the smaller of its two terraces. Their pied-�-terre in the chicest part of the Sixth Arrondissement of Paris is much more modest, accommodating only four comfortably for dinner. Their small family house in Dix Hills on Long Island is home to 4,000 bottles of their wine collection. The book is a confection that she whipped up (complete with favorite recipes) over summer and fall weekends. "It was very easy," she said. "There was no research." Indeed, Ms. Guiliano's message can be found in just about any women's magazine or nutritionist's booklet. And she acknowledges that it is by no means a comprehensive analysis of French eating and drinking habits. She does not address the role of genetics in a woman's weight or the fact that a large segment of Frenchwomen seem naturally smaller-boned, smaller-hipped and less cellulite-laden than many other Westerners. She does not deal with the fact that obesity is growing at an alarming rate throughout France, although it is still at much lower levels than in the United States. Or that takeout and fast-food restaurants have proliferated in France in the past 25 years. (McDonald's in France is more profitable than in any other country in Europe). When questioned, she confesses that Frenchwomen with bad eating habits and excess adipose do exist. "There are plenty of Frenchwomen who are fat," she acknowledges. "But all of my friends are like me." On one level, Ms. Guiliano exudes the je ne sais quoi of that certain type of Frenchwoman who seems effortlessly slim, elegant and serene. She wears her newly found fame as effortlessly as her Armani trousers, Ferragamo pumps, Revillon mink coat and Louis Vuitton handbag. She giggles as she lets it slip that she always wears sexy (but comfortable) lingerie that she would never entrust to a maid to launder. She boasts that some American men who have read her book have written to say, "You're my kind of woman." But there is a steely discipline behind her pleasure-loving approach. One of the main goals of staying slim is to remain appealing to men, and that is hard work. No matter that decades of feminism have taught women to think and act for themselves. "A Frenchman wants his wife to be very elegant, very thin," she said. "It's never said, except in the silence. There is pressure. A woman works on herself." An advance team from "Oprah" recently spent a day in Ms. Guiliano's Paris apartment watching her make homemade yogurt and prepare her now famous "Magical Leek Soup," which is eaten and drunk exclusively for an entire weekend to purge the body before the adventure with pleasure dining begins. "There have been predictions that there will be a leek shortage in America!" she exclaimed, adding, "People are telling me that I have changed their lives." She is also being celebrated in the French press. "If Americans refuse to take the advice of French in diplomatic matters, they seem clearly open to dietary advice," wrote the popular French daily Le Parisien about her book. Le Figaro calls her "the Pasionaria of eating well." Ms. Guiliano said that she has been showered with offers to be the host of a television cooking or lifestyle show and to write a sequel about other secret habits of Frenchwomen. American designers have suggested that she wear their dresses to the Oscars, and there is talk of a movie, she said. Champagne Veuve Clicquot is reveling in her success, and is promoting its Champagne at some of her public appearances. LVMH, its parent company, by contrast, has not even sent a congratulatory note, she said. Even though the book has been translated into 11 languages, no French publisher has signed it, but she said a number of them are negotiating. "The French are afraid to take risks," Ms. Guiliano said. "They philosophize all day long and at the end of the day, there are no decisions." So it is not surprising that her love of French food and respect for French eating habits does not extend to the French work ethic. "I could have never done all this in France," she said. "France is a class society. They kill you if you want to be an entrepreneur here. I would get an ulcer in three weeks." -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 10 months

[wine] French Fries and Freedom Food.

by Jim L. Ellingson

>From the times. Seems to me it applies equally to both genders. Do you want any Veuve Clicquot with that? Cheers, Jim February 6, 2005 'French Women Don't Get Fat': Like Champagne for Chocolate By JULIA REED FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT By Mireille Guiliano. 263 pp. Alfred A. Knopf. $22. When I was 15, I studied in France, at the University of Strasbourg, for six weeks. On weekdays, my fellow American students and I ate lunch in the school cafeteria and discovered the wonders of braised rabbit and coq au vin, followed always by an apricot tart or napoleon (my first ever!) at the nearby patisserie. On weekends we toured the country by train, fortified by bread and (real!) cheese, along with copious amounts of cheap red wine. Already weight-obsessed, I was sure I'd put on at least 10 pounds. But when I stepped off the plane, the jaws of my waiting parents and my best friend literally dropped. It turns out I'd lost 10 pounds -- I'm not sure I've looked as good since. Mireille Guiliano had quite a different teenage experience abroad. As an 18-year-old from a small town in eastern France, she spent a year as an exchange student in the well-to-do Boston suburb of Weston, Mass., where she discovered the distinctly American joys of bagels, brownies and chocolate chip cookies and gained 20 pounds. When her own parents met her ocean liner in Le Havre, they were as stunned as mine were, but for a different reason -- her father told her she looked like a sack of potatoes. ''I could not have imagined anything more hurtful,'' she writes. ''And to this day the sting has not been topped.'' Never fear -- Guiliano's story has a happy ending. After a few miserable months during which she gains more weight, cries herself to sleep and hurries past mirrors clothed in shapeless flannel shifts, her mother brings in the family doctor, a k a ''Dr. Miracle.'' He detoxes her with leek broth for a weekend, teaches her to become a master of both her ''willpower'' and her ''pleasures,'' and supplies her with recipes, including one for apple tart without the dough. She learns to love walking, finds her ''equilibrium'' and goes on to become C.E.O. of Clicquot Inc. and a director of Champagne Veuve Clicquot. Most remarkably, despite the fact that she dines out 300 times a year and enjoys two- and three-course meals for lunch and dinner every day -- always accompanied by a glass of Champagne -- she has remained thin. Guiliano recommends Dr. Miracle's plan as the French way, but it is not unlike the advice that American nutritionists on Web sites and at spas and clinics across the country dispense every day. It is exactly the advice I got last year at Dallas's Cooper Clinic during my annual physical: if you want a glass of wine with dinner, don't eat the bread or skip the baked potato. Do some aerobic exercise; if you're over 40, lift weights. Keep a food diary and cut out the processed junk. Slowly changing your eating habits is far more effective than any crash diet. You don't have to deprive yourself if you learn to make trade-offs. And on and on. Somehow, though, these sensible stratagems are more palatable coming from Guiliano, who was once fat herself, and who now happily lives in America, where she first fell victim to our bad habits. She knows we eat too fast in front of the TV or with newspaper in hand, while French women make a ritual out of every meal. She knows we eat portions that are too big and food that is too bland. French women, on the other hand, stress flavor and variety over quantity and, therefore, are more satisfied with less. (Bland food and too much of one kind, a big bowl of pasta for example, breeds boredom, which leads you to alleviate it by eating more.) She knows our tendency to gorge ourselves on Snickers bars rather than savoring a single piece of fine dark chocolate. French women eat slowly and ''with all five senses.'' Indeed, much is made of the superiority of French women in all things, from chewing to ''using the same scarf to create a different effect'' to ''preserving spark and mystery'' in long-term relationships. Apparently, they're even better at being happy -- ''the French woman understands intuitively that one does not laugh because one is happy; one is happy because one laughs.'' This gets a tad tiresome, but I forgive Guiliano her patriotic fervor and her endless aphorisms because she is on to something. After all, I lost 10 pounds by walking off my daily pastry and eating small portions of once exotic dishes (at the university cafeteria they never filled your plate). Also, who can blame her for branding? If a lot of what she dispenses is universally sound advice with a French label, she's smart to apply it. We may profess to despise her compatriots in all their arrogance, but secretly we still find Paris far sexier than South Beach. I think our problem with the French has always been jealousy. We have an inferiority complex, at least stylewise. French women can do more with a scarf. We wish we had their innate chic, their effortless discipline, their easy appreciation of all things sensual -- their impossible thinness. When I begged my parents to send me abroad, it was not to, say, Germany that I wished to go. Desperate to be sophisticated, it was French that I wanted to learn, France that I wanted to know. (Now of course, I wish I'd studied the far more useful Spanish.) Despite all our achievements in what used to be the exclusively French provinces of fashion, food and wine, the real milestones for many of us remain our first Chanel suit, our first sip of Petrus or Chateau d'Yquem, our first time at La Grenouille or La Tour d'Argent. And then there is the fact that while close to two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight, French women really don't get fat. The reason behind that most enviable difference, says Guiliano, is that ''French women take pleasure in staying thin by eating well, while American women see it as a conflict and obsess over it.'' Put another way, ''French women typically think about good things to eat. American women typically worry about bad things to eat.'' She says she is constantly appalled that American cocktail parties are filled with chatter about diets, a subject that shouldn't be deemed proper conversation. She says eating in America has become ''controversial behavior'' and that our obsession with weight is growing into nothing less than a ''psychosis'' that she believes adds stress ''to our already stressful way of life,'' which is ''fast erasing the simple values of pleasure.'' She urges us to relax. Walk to the market, breathe in the fresh herbs, cook a good dinner, have a glass of wine or champagne (preferably Veuve Clicquot). Just sip it slowly (she makes hers last through a meal). She rejects the ''American rule'' of ''no pain, no gain'' and describes exercise machines as a ''vestige of Puritanism: instruments of public self-flagellation to make up for private sins of couch riding and overeating.'' By all means go to the gym if you really love it, she says. Otherwise take the stairs and pick up some weights in the privacy of your own home. She finds walking an indulgence that allows time for ''freedom of thought,'' and says French women walk an average of three times as much as American women do. She proudly reports that during the 2003 blackout she easily made it past the younger people in her building who were huffing and puffing on the stairs. Sometimes these ''simple values'' seem perhaps too simple. Many of us need the discipline of the gym and don't have time to stroll to the open-air market (which probably doesn't exist where we live) or set a proper table twice a day. My own early lessons in the civilized life sadly didn't take. The summer I returned from France, a McDonald's opened in our town and a Big Mac suddenly seemed as exotic as a nicoise salad. I failed miserably at what Guiliano calls ''recasting,'' emphasizing quality over quantity in both meals and exercise. But, armed with her book, I am willing to try again. There is no scientific ''food plan,'' just suggestions and seemingly indulgent recipes, including one for fingerling potatoes and caviar. Guiliano reminds us that a half-dozen oysters contain only 60 or 70 calories, that soups fill you up and supply much-needed water to your body (''The theory goes that the French, who eat soup up to five times a week for dinner, eat better and less.'') Her mother's ''soupe aux l�gumes'' is worth the price of the book alone, but I am less sure about her own ''Chicken au Champagne,'' which requires you to pour a cup of champagne over some chicken breasts and then broil them. After tasting one, I can say with certainty that I'd rather have the Champagne in the glass and that I would definitely not serve the chicken to company along with, as she suggests, brown rice and mushrooms. I'm also not entirely sure about Dr. Miracle's apple ''tart'' with its cabbage leaf ''pastry'' (not for eating, necessarily, but ''for presentation''). Still, sans cabbage leaf, it's a good idea, and her snapper with almonds is good full stop, as is the delicious tagliatelle with lemon. Guiliano ends the book with a list of more observations about French women. They don't weigh themselves, they don't snack all the time, they eat more fruit but would never give up their bread or other carbs. They dress to take out the garbage, they understand the importance of a good haircut and expensive perfume, they know love is slimming. Part of me wanted to throw the book across the room, while the other part was memorizing the list. I actually found myself resolving to learn to eat with all five senses -- or at least to try to turn off ''All My Children'' during lunch breaks. I did not even throw up when I got to the line that encouraged me to savor ''all the little things that make each day a miracle,'' so that I may not need a shot of Scotch (French women don't drink hard liquor) or a quart of Haagen-Dazs to get me over the top. At the very least, we would all do ourselves a favor to make like Colette, for whom the table was ''a date with love and friendship '' instead of the root of all evil. Julia Reed is senior writer for Vogue and author of ''Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena.'' -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 10 months

[wine] Pot Roast Reds, Sassy Whites at Chez Gregory

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Thanks to Russ for posting his tasting notes. We have an invitation to Chez Gregory. Limit is 10 for this sit down dinner. Wine styles are Sassy Whites... (aka anything interesting.) and Big, Hearty Reds. I don't recall the full list, but am thinking it was along the lines of: Cab/Brdx Blends Spanish Shiraz/Syrah The "white" and "desert" options are always open. "Hearty Burgundy" didn't make the list, but you've only your reputation to lose.... ditto the Romanian Pinot. Warren, Ruth Gregory 651-698-5337 2139 Randolph wrcgregory(a)qwest.net Who/What Bob Cheeses Warren/Ruth hosts/Pot Roasts. Jim/Louise Breads/??? Russ/Sue Nicolai Betsy Lori That's 10 so anyone else is on the waiting list... ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> ----- THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005 ________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSOR: * CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Tuscan Sun Sweepstakes! http://www.cawineclub.com/store/special_promotions?Args= ________________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE * IN THIS WEEK'S PREMIUM EDITION The road less taken in Southern Italy. * WT101: RIOJA, PLUS Our wine-education forum goes to Spain this month, with an expert guest host. * FAUSTINO V 1998 RIOJA RESERVA ($16.99) Straightforward Rioja Reserva from a giant producer. * CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Tuscan Sun Sweepstakes: Win an $8,000 Tuscan Wine and Culinary Adventure! * THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM New material this week ranges from African-Americans in the wine world to new releases, bargain Riesling and magnetic gimmicks that claim to "age" wine. * LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX The Wine Advisor archives. * ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe. ________________________________________________________________________ IN THIS WEEK'S PREMIUM EDITION: THE ROAD LESS TAKEN IN SOUTHERN ITALY One well-known principle in the quest for wine value is to look at the top wines from less-familiar wine regions as a good way to beat the supply-and-demand equation. In this week's Wine Advisor Premium Edition we'll take a look at a hearty, highly regarded red wine from Southern Italy, where unfamiliarity holds even the best wines well under the lofty price peaks reached by their cousins from Piemonte and trendy Tuscany. The Premium Edition, our subscription-only E-letter, helps you shop with confidence when you're considering a more pricey bottle for a special occasion. The $24 subscription price - no more than you'd pay for a bottle of exceptionally fine wine - will bring you a full year of biweekly E-mail bulletins. Proceeds go to buy these special wines at retail, and help support WineLoversPage.com too! For a free sample of a previous edition, click here: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/premsample1.html Click here to subscribe today: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/premium.phtml ________________________________________________________________________ WT101: RIOJA, PLUS Ranked third in the world after Italy and France for the title of top wine producer and actually leading in vineyard acreage, Spain may also outpace the competition as the source of wine value. With the limited exception of a relative handful of pricey "cult" reds from Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat, Spain pours out a river of affordable, amiable red, white and pink wines that offer good drinkability and admirable value, remaining good bargains even in a weak-dollar era. For this month's topic in our Wine Tasting 101 Forum, let's explore two key Spanish wine regions. Rioja, the historic wine region in Northern Spain's Basque country, near the Pyrenees; and Castilla y Leon, a broad term for the wide upland plain that extends from Rioja south and west to the outskirts of Madrid and to Spain's border with Portugal, a geographical region that includes such wine-producing areas as Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro. Rioja, on the banks of the Ebro river, is subdivided into Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alaversa. A little white Rioja is made, but red is the dominant style and Tempranillo is the dominant grape. In recent times, like many other European wine regions, Rioja has seen a growing gap between "traditional" producers and "modernists" who experiment with innovative wine-making processes and blends. We'll hope to explore these differences in more detail during February. Tempranillo is primary, too, in Ribera del Duero, although - as befits the region's size - there's a diverse collection of grapes and wines throughout Castilla y Leon. It's my pleasure to introduce my friend Joe Perry, a Boston-based wine lover and Rioja enthusiast, as guest host of Wine Tasting 101 for the month. Joe will participate regularly in the forum, offering tasting notes and responding to questions and comments about these regions and their wines. He has already begun a couple of active topics, which you're welcome to read and join in: * Joe introduces himself and the topic in "February, Spanish Wine Month," http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=7&tid=58128&mid=497047 * He provides a good, concise overview of Rioja, including an extensive wine-shopping list, in "Rioja: Searching for the end of the rainbow," http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=7&tid=58169&mid=497495 As always, I've selected a couple of "benchmark" wines for the month, for those who wish to calibrate their palates, and compare tasting notes, with the same wines. * From Rioja, FAUSTINO V 1998 RIOJA RESERVA ($16.99) from Bodegas Faustino, a major producer that's said to be Spain's largest exporter of Rioja wines. * From Castilla y Leon, an excellent value, low-end wine that I featured in the June 30, 2004 Wine Advisor, OSBORNE 2001 "SOLAZ" VINO DE LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA ($7.69). My tasting note on the Faustino V is below. My report on the Osborne "Solaz" is online at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wines/tn.phtml?id=439 ________________________________________________________________________ TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE Remember, you're encouraged to participate actively in WT101, our free online wine-education program that's aimed at sharing information, and gaining experience reporting your wine-tasting experiences, in a friendly and supportive community of online peers. http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=7 If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit. ________________________________________________________________________ FAUSTINO V 1998 RIOJA RESERVA ($16.99) This is a clear, dark reddish-purple wine, blackish in the glass. Black- cherry and brown-spice aromas add a whiff of oaky vanillins; swirling the glass brings up perfumed notes and a heightened sense of alcohol. Flavors follow the nose, rather light-bodied and tart, but there's plenty of crisp, spicy black fruit. It's a straightforward Rioja, not overly complex, but I wouldn't bet against it evolving with cellar time. Crisp acidic snap makes it a good food wine. U.S. importer: Palm Bay Imports, Boca Raton, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2005) FOOD MATCH: It made a fine match with hearty buffalo-meat cheeseburgers lightly seasoned with Tex-Mex spices. VALUE: The mid-teens is an appropriate range for a mass-market Rioja reserva. More sought-after labels will go for substantially more. WHEN TO DRINK: Rioja reserva is built to last, and even this relatively simple rendition should last for years in a good cellar. It's ready to enjoy now, though, so there's no need to wait. PRONUNCIATION: Faustino = "Fow-STEE-noe" Rioja = "Ree-oh-hah" (A more precise rendition would be something like "Dee-oh-khah," but unless you're fluent, I recommend sticking with the Anglicized version.) WEB LINK: Bodegas Faustino's Website is available in Spanish and English: http://www.bodegasfaustino.es/ The U.S. importer's fact sheets about Faustino wines begin here: http://www.palmbayimports.com/xq/asp/VID.251/qx/brands.html FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Find vendors and compare prices for Faustino's wines on Wine- Searcher.com: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Faustino/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP ________________________________________________________________________ THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB: TUSCAN SUN SWEEPSTAKES Win an $8,000 Tuscan Wine and Culinary Adventure! To enter, visit The California Wine Club's website at www.cawineclub.com. In addition if you join The California Wine Club's International Selections, you'll be entered again. Plus, each time you send a gift of the International Selections you'll be entered again! For details on the "Tuscan Sun Sweepstakes" please visit http://www.cawineclub.com/store/special_promotions?Args= or call 1-800-777-4443. ________________________________________________________________________ THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM Here are links to some of our recently published articles that I think you'll enjoy: * WOOD ON WINE African-Americans and Wine African-Americans spend an estimated $300 billion on goods and services every year. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the market potential here, Columnist Linwood Slayton says, in the first of several columns that will look into African-Americans in the wine industry as vintners, consumers, enthusiasts and advocates. http://www.wineloverspage.com/wood/afram05.phtml * BUCKO'S WINE REPORTS Winter Releases As he looks forward to joining us on our wine tour of the Rhone in June, new releases columnist Randy "Bucko" Buckner ramps up his tastings of wines from the Southern Rhone, plus a number of value-priced Spanish wines to add a European accent to his monthly report. Here's his account of 100 recent wine releases from around the world ... bon appetit! http://www.wineloverspage.com/bucko/bucko0105.phtml * QPRWINES Where wine quality and price relate The latest edition of Neil Monnens' innovative E-mail wine-buying guide QPRwines is now available, featuring wine-value reports on 2002 and 2003 German Riesling. QPRwines groups wines by the major critics' average wine scores, then lists them by price and ranks them by value. http://www.wineloverspage.com/qpr/qprwines.phtml * Wine Lovers' Discussion Group: The magnet effect Several new wine accessories purport to "improve" immature wine by exposing the bottle to a magnetic field. Was Barnum right? Forum participants discuss this topic and propose a rigorous testing protocol. Read and join in the debate: http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=58109&mid=496881 ________________________________________________________________________ LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns: * Wine from ... India? (Feb. 4, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050204.phtml * Offbeat grapes and wines: Sagrantino (Feb. 2, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050202.phtml * What's up with French wine? (Jan. 31, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050131.phtml * Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml * Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Duck pasta (Feb. 3, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tsfl050203.phtml * Wine Advisor Foodletter archive: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/foodlist.phtml ________________________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: * WineLoversPage.com RSS Feed (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/rss/ * 30 Second Wine Advisor, daily or weekly (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/index.shtml * Wine Advisor FoodLetter, Thursdays (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodletter.shtml * Wine Advisor Premium Edition, alternate Tuesdays ($24/year) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/premium.phtml ARCHIVES: For all past editions: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml CONTACT US E-mail: wine(a)wineloverspage.com SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: For information, E-mail wine(a)wineloverspage.com ________________________________________________________________________ ADMINISTRIVIA To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other administrative matters, click to http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36d12e… We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone. All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry. Monday, February 7, 2005 Copyright 2005 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved. ----- 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 *

20 years, 10 months

[wine] TN Anything but Europe at Sapor 2-3-2005

by russellmccandless＠frontiernet.net

Anything but Europe at Sapor 2/3/2005 A small but select group gathered at Sapor for a free-form, "run what you brung" wine tasting. Those who weren't there missed some elderly NZ sauvignon blancs, and one of the best Washington state wines I've ever had. :) W1 fresh acid snap on nose, herbal flavor, high personality, uncomplicated but sweet, long and tasty. Two minutes later the fruit on the nose was disappearing and the wine was taking on a defrosting refrigerator aroma, apparently corked. Chance Creek, 2001 Sauvignon Blanc, Redwood Valley. W2 medium gold, attractively acidic nose suggests sauvignon blanc, round and medium bodied, sweet fruit adequately balanced by the acid but this isn't highly structured, smooth finish, good length. Kanu, 2003 Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch. W3 strong asparagus, bell pepper and other forms of plant life on nose, maybe VA as well, not tasted. Omaka Springs, 2000 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. W4 fairly rich gold color, oak and mango chardonnay nose, big wine, maturing chardonnay flavor, touch of an attractive dried fruit taste, quince? Smooth transition to finish, good length, faint blue cheese flavor on the finish, quite good. Robert Sinskey, 1999 Chardonnay, Three Amigos Vineyard, Carneros. W5 unattractively vegetal nose, not tasted. Goldwater, 2001 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. 2.1 dark color, funky dirty smell, not tasted. Alexis Bailly, 2003 Marechal Foch, Minnesota. 2.2 medium to light color, Beaujolais nose with some alcohol showing, this could be pinot noir, tastes like pinot too, sweet to the point of artificial, strawberry hard candy? Finishes smoothly, reasonable length, but lacks power. Chateau St. Jean, 2003 Pinot Noir, Sonoma. This wine was much better with 10- 20 minutes more air, the extreme sweetness coming into better balance with the wine's other components; I'd like to taste this in a pinot noir glass. 2.3 medium color, nose suggests cabernet, touch of alcohol, medium body, smoky oak, flavor lacks fruit, balance pretty good, hot finish lacks length. Stonestreet, 1995 Merlot, Alexander Valley. Probably a touch past its prime. 3.1 very dark, bashful dark fruit and bell pepper cabernet nose, big smooth wine, pronounced Rutherford dust flavor, pretty good fruit, herbs and chocolate, smooth finish as it tastes, alcohol showing on finish, neither length nor power is special, good wine though. Raymond, 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa. 3.2 medium dark, nose is alcoholic and vegetal, extremely bell peppery, VA? Flavor smooth, rich, and intrusively vegetal, black pepper on top of the green, finishes alcoholic, could this be going downhill? 2000 Escudo Rojo, Maipo. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc.) On the whole, the group liked this wine better than I did. 3.3 dark color, distinguished minty cabernet nose, sweet black currant and blackberry; smooth and full, BIG fruit, some alcohol and acid showing on midpalate, very very smooth transition to finish, exceptional length, medium power, considerable finesse, really good. Quilceda Creek, 2000 Red Wine, Columbia Valley. Note: research indicates this is about 90% cabernet sauvignon with small amounts of merlot and cabernet franc. 3.4 darkly brilliant color, chocolate mint coffee nose with exotic tones of dried tropical fruit, smooth and full bodied, big fruit on midpalate, ripe tannins, some acid still to integrate; transition to finish alcoholically hot, good length and power though, this needs time. Enzo Boglietti, 2001 Barbera. (I did not write down the specific appellation probably Barbera d'Alba, but I would appreciate confirmation or correction from someone else's notes.)

20 years, 10 months

[wine] New World at Sapor tonight

by Jim L. Ellingson

Mostly an update. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 11:35:45 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: New World at Sapor User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Greetings, Sapor, 6:30 p.m. $5 per person in lieu of corkage. Style du jour is New World. AKA Anywhere/Anything But Europe Recall that we got into some hot water when someone inadvertantly brought something that they claim was on their list. I belive it was a Zin from Seghesio and/or Ch. Souvreign.... Never mind that it was a different vintage and blah-blah-blah... Anyway, part of their wine list is on their web site. If you happen to bring something that's on the list (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: Warren/Ruth Betsy Bob Nicolai Jim Still gueses.... Lori Russ. Roger LeClair Annette S No's: Fred Bill S Karin Cheers, Jim Style matters, even inside the bottle From light and zesty to big and fruity, there's a variety from which to choose - Leslie Sbrocco, Special to The Chronicle Thursday, February 3, 2005 Click to View What does it mean to talk about a wine's style? There is no one answer. Style can refer to many things -- from the basic types of wine such as sweet, sparkling and fortified, to the overall style of a region. Oregon Pinot Noir can be described as "Burgundian" in style or Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington may be "Bordeaux-like." This refers to the notion that even though those wines aren't made in France's Burgundy or Bordeaux regions, they share the same style. Usually, individual producers also strive for a particular style for each varietal or wine type. One may craft a lighter, crisper style of Chardonnay while another makes its Chards in a fuller, oakier style. These descriptors are not necessarily related to quality, either. There are world-class wines produced in all styles, from complex yet delicate German Rieslings to huge, barrel-chested California Zinfandels. Identifying styles of wine you like helps save money and time in the store, and it's also helpful when uncorking a bottle at mealtime. Don't worry about the outdated guideline of matching red wine with meat and white with fish; instead, match lighter-styled wines with delicate dishes and powerhouse wines with heavier fare. This week's recommended whites and reds showcase a range of styles starting with lighter, brighter wines and progressing to fuller, richer ones. Kick off with the 2003 Bella Sera Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio ($7). This Italian staple is almost clear in color with zesty lemon/lime freshness. The 2003 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve California Sauvignon Blanc ($10) is juicy with loads of melon flavors and underlying citrus notes. It bridges the gap between a lean, grassy style of Sauvignon Blanc and an overly ripe, warm- weather Sauvignon. Either is ideal as a cocktail sipper or with broiled fish with a squeeze of lemon on top. For more fullness and sweetness, reach for the terrific 2003 Columbia Winery Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer ($9) from Washington state. Medium-dry with balanced acidity and explosive aromas of spice and peaches, it's a style that should be appreciated by even those who say they don't like sweeter wines. This Gewurztraminer's intense aromas make it a good candidate to try with pungent curry dishes. Chardonnay is a versatile grape that can be crafted in many styles, from Burgundy's mineral-laden, elegant wines to full-blown butter bombs. The 2003 Yalumba Wild Ferment Eden Valley Chardonnay from Australia ($10) sits square in the middle stylistically. Made in the cool Eden Valley area with wild yeasts that give the wine complexity, this lovely white maintains a fresh character that allows it to pair nicely with food, but also has a touch of smokiness from oak barrel fermentation. Finally, for a white wine with power, seek out aromatic Viognier. This unique grape variety shines brightest in France's Condrieu region, but lovely versions are popping up worldwide from Australia to South Africa. For an exotic wine adventure that's worth the extra dollar over our usual $10 limit, uncork the full-bodied 2003 Fairview South Africa Viognier ($11), which sports juicy peach aromas with honey and apricot flavors. When it comes to reds, start your style journey in Beaujolais. This French red made with Gamay grapes is more than nouveau. The 2003 Georges Duboeuf Julienas Beaujolais ($10) is considered a top growth, or cru, and its pedigree shows. Like a dancer, it combines intensity with being light on its feet. Moving to Spain, don't miss the 2002 Darien Rioja Tempranillo ($10) from a modern producer in the classic Rioja region. Licorice aromas and cherry flavors jump from the glass in this juicy, fresh red. Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape variety that produces top wines all over the world, and the 2001 Dallas Conte Rapel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) captures the smooth, medium-bodied, herbal character of many Chilean Cabs. Pour a glass to go alongside burgers or grilled Portobello mushroom sandwiches. Moving toward the blockbuster end of the style scale, Zinfandel ranks right up there. But with escalating prices, it's often hard to find a Zin worth sipping in the affordable category. Value-conscious Zin lovers should look for Primitivo from southern Italy's Puglia region, as Primitivo and Zinfandel are essentially the same grape variety. The 2002 A-Mano Puglia Primitivo ($10) is one of the best values on the market today. Made by Mark Shannon, an American winemaker who now lives in Italy, this earthy yet fruity red is an Old World wine made in a New World style. Buy it by the case. We end our style exploration with Petite Sirah, which is anything but petite - it's more like a 6-foot-8-inch, 300-pound linebacker nicknamed "Tiny. " The 2002 Bogle Vineyards Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($10) is like biting into freshly baked blackberry pie. Shopping list These are the best deals The Chronicle found for this week. WHITES 2003 Bella Sera Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio ($7) 2003 Columbia Winery Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer ($9) 2003 Fairview South Africa Viognier ($11) 2003 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve California Sauvignon Blanc ($10) 2003 Yalumba Wild Ferment Eden Valley Chardonnay ($10) REDS 2002 A-Mano Puglia Primitivo ($10) 2002 Bogle Vineyards Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($10) 2001 Dallas Conte Rapel Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) 2002 Darien Rioja Tempranillo ($10) 2003 Georges Duboeuf Julienas Beaujolais ($10) Leslie Sbrocco is author of "Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine" (William Morrow, 2003). E-mail her at wine(a)sfchronicle.com. Page F - 2 URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/03/WIG5IB437E1.DTL �2005 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 10 months

[wine] New World at Sapor

by Jim L. Ellingson

Greetings, Bob's made the reservation for 8 to 10 people at Sapor, 6:30 p.m. $5 per person in lieu of corkage. Style du jour is New World. AKA Anywhere/Anything But Europe Recall that we got into some hot water when someone inadvertantly brought something that they claim was on their list. I belive it was a Zin from Seghesio and/or Ch. Souvreign.... Never mind that it was a different vintage and blah-blah-blah... Anyway, part of their wine list is on their web site. If you happen to bring something that's on the list (easier that 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 All gueses.... Warren/Ruth Betsy Bob Lori Russ. Jim Roger LeClair Bill Sobolewski Annette S. Cheers, Jim The Waiter You Stiffed Has Not Forgotten By JULIA MOSKIN WHAT evil lurks in the hearts of waiters? Now you can find out. But can you stomach the results? An anonymous New York waiter wrote online recently: "In my fantasy, I become Darth Vader the next time a customer asks about the wines by the glass, then says, 'Merlot! Waiter, haven't you seen the movie "Sideways"?' Then I will slice off his head with my light saber." Grievances, including friction between kitchen and dining room staff, rapacious management and near-universal bitterness over tipping, are being revealed with gusto on the Internet by restaurant staff members. As a customer, to read Web sites like www.bitterwaitress.com, www.waiterrant.blogspot.com and www.webfoodpros.com is to wonder nervously, "Could they be talking about me?" Each month, www.stainedapron.com publishes a new extreme example of customer obnoxiousness. (One forum is titled "Keep Your Brats at Home!") On bitterwaitress.com, the most popular page is an annotated database of people who give bad tips (defined on the site as "any gratuity under 17 percent for service which one's peers would judge as adequate or better"). Anyone can add a name to the database, along with the location, restaurant, amount of the check, amount of the tip and any details, most of which cannot be printed in a family newspaper. (A disclaimer reads: "We are not responsible for submissions. Uh-uh, no way, not in the least.") There are almost 700 entries. "That stuff is childish," said Timothy Banning, a California chef who often posts to www.ontherail.com, a San Francisco-based site for chefs. "And it makes the industry look bad." But most servers say that letting off steam helps them do the job. "It's so important for us to have a place to vent," said Becky Donohue, who waits on tables at Mickey Mantle's in Midtown and writes occasional posts at www.girlcomic.net. "It's amazing that more waiters don't kill people," she said. Many in the industry protest that the rage-filled, often incoherent blogs and posts don't represent the feelings of most restaurant staff members, And so far only a small slice of the industry is active online. "Unlike a lot of people, chefs and waiters don't have computer access at work, or enough time to fool around on the Net," said Bryce Lindholm, a Seattle chef and manager who participates in a Yahoo discussion group for restaurant employees. But the result of these forums, say Mr. Banning, Mr. Lindholm and others, is that the symbolic wall between the kitchen and the dining room - the wall that prevents customers from knowing what is done and said by waiters and cooks - is coming down. And how do they loathe us, the customers? Now we can count the ways. "I don't think civilians really have any idea how the staff really feels: namely, that they just can't wait to turn the table, get their tip and see the back of you," Mr. Lindholm said. "Let's be honest." Referring to restaurant customers as civilians is common, and indicative of the siege mentality that longtime cooks and severs tend to adopt. "I'd say waiting tables is one of the most stressful jobs you can have, short of being a firefighter or an inner-city police officer," said Bruce Griffin Henderson, a singer-songwriter who did 10 years as a waiter in New York. "You have no control over anything, but you are responsible for everything. You are always being squeezed by three immutable forces: the customer, the kitchen and the management." But recent interviews revealed some fresh irritants for the more than eight million Americans who worked in restaurants in 2002 (the most recent year for which figures are available according to the United States Department of Labor). Waiters must now enforce bans on smoking, drinking by minors and cellphone use, and are enduring an influx of Euro-rich tourists who, restaurant staff members say, often pretend not to understand American tipping practices. Chefs say they are being driven mad by an ever-changing spectrum of diets, allergies and food issues. Gillian Clark, the chef at Colorado Kitchen in Washington, contributed thousands of words to a forum at www.washingtonpost.com on the subject of customers who demand changes to the menu. "I explain to them that they are in my restaurant," she wrote, "and they must have the flounder the way I make it." Ms. Clark is relatively tolerant of customers with genuine health problems, but many bloggers reserve their most towering rages for customers with real or imagined dietary restrictions. Last year a server at a Sizzler steakhouse in Norco, Calif., was arrested after a fight with Atkins-dieting customers over whether vegetables could be substituted for potatoes. Participants in online forums reacted with understanding, though the consensus was that Jonathan Voeltner, the server, had gone too far in following the customers and covering their house with maple syrup, flour and instant mashed potatoes. "Use the forum, dude!" one poster urged. "Blow off the steam here." According to www.waitersworld.com, one Washington restaurant customer recently insisted that the restaurant's $10 minimum should be waived for him, because gastric bypass surgery had rendered him unable to swallow more than a few mouthfuls at one sitting. "So why are you in a restaurant?" wrote one cook. "WHY WHY WHY?" These writers are immoderate in their rages, but they do not discriminate. They harbor contempt for tourists, New Yorkers, Southerners, Jews, Christians, women, men, blacks, whites, American Indians. Fat people. Thin people. "My greatest dream is to keep a party of doctors waiting for 45 minutes," Mr. Lindholm said. "They are arrogant as customers, and besides, they keep me waiting in their offices. Let them wait in my restaurant." Serious complaints about sexism, racism, drug use, hazing and management are common, but the servers' greatest source of rage is, of course, tipping. "It's the only job where your hourly wage is totally dependent on how random people feel about you," Ms. Donohue said. "How many times have you gotten bad service at Kinko's? Do you get to dock their pay?" The vengefulness of the posts, and the recurrence of anecdotes that involve adding foreign fluids to customers' food, from breast milk to laxatives, is enough to turn anyone who dares to enter a restaurant into a nervous, toadying wreck. Jesse Elizondo, a waiter who has worked in New York restaurants for 10 years, says that's because customers generally forget how vulnerable they are to the good will of servers. "I can never understand why anyone would be even the slightest bit rude to someone who is about to touch your food," he said. Mr. Elizondo said he discovered the forums after a bad night at work on Restaurant Row, when he went home and typed "waiter" and "revenge" into an Internet search engine. He is amazed by the challenges that customers bring into the dining room, he said, adding: "The cellphones are a big problem for us. And you wouldn't believe how many people think they can bring their own liquor, or keep their big plastic water bottle on the table. I try to assume that people just don't know any better, but sometimes it's impossible, especially with the Europeans who act so sophisticated when it's time to order the wine but so ignorant when it's time to tip the waiter." Online venting has become a vigorous art form for many servers, especially those who are waiting on tables to finance careers as writers or performers. "Where else can you observe human nature at its worst, night after night?" Ms. Donohue, a comedian, said. "The whole system seems to invite bad behavior." Rima Maamari worked her way through college at a Toronto steakhouse, and said that she never intended to write about waitressing when she joined a blogging circle for writers. But, she said, "everyone was so interested in reading about the stuff going on behind a waiter's poker face" that her reports from the front became her only subject. "People feel very strongly about this stuff, and not only waiters," she said. "I got a lot of bitter e-mails from people about how they shouldn't have to tip for bad service." One customer, an ex-waiter, wrote on www.bitterwaitress.com, "You people should QUIT WHINING or get another job." Aline Steiner, a customer who was working online at the East Village cafe Teany last week, said she had visited some of these sites, including www.shamelessrestaurants.com, a controversial New York-based site where employees post anonymously with complaints about their employers. -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *

20 years, 10 months

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