[wine] Wines and spice at Sapor

Greetings, Lots of good discussion and fresh steak at Erte. Group had a lot to catch up on, plus 12 interesting cabs. This week, it's Sapor and wines you think will pair with the menu (some spice). White, red, sparkling and even rose'. Not sure who's coming. I'll start the list with some guesses. Bob Betsy Russ Jim Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:11:12 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Rose' at Sapor Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:57:43 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:45:04 -0600 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Been a while since we've been to Sapor..... Stay Cool. Cheers, Jim We're going to Sapor at 6:30 on Thursday. Style du jour is Rose' We pay $5 per person in leu of corkage. Please include this amount (pre-tax and pre-tip) when computing the amount you owe. The 1/3 rule still works. e.g. I have an app or a salad($8) and an entree($17). SO, $8 plus $17 plus $5 for a "pre total" of 30. 1/3 is 10 for tax and tip so I pay $40. Part of their wine list is on their web site. If you happen to bring something that's on the list or the shelf (easier than you might think. Ask Russ about a split of something obscure he'd bought at a winery that was on their shelf as well.... ) we'll just save it for another week. We're never short of wine. http://www.saporcafe.com/ 428 N. Washington, Mpls 612 375 1971 Yes Bob Lori Betsy Sapor is very close to Sam's Wine Shop (closes at 8:00 M-Th). Riesling's next wave Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, January 9, 2009 Great Southern: Riesling is produced in Great Southern, o... Marlborough: The original hotbed of Sauvignon Blanc produ... Two New Zealand Rieslings we recommend: Mud House, Spy Va... One of my biggest pleasures is enjoying a great food and wine pairing. And the go-to white wine I often reach for is Riesling, because it is extremely food-friendly. Perhaps the best known is German Riesling, but it is not the only kid on the block. Australia and New Zealand - which have had Riesling plantings since the late 1700s and early 1800s, respectively - have found a unique niche and style, different from that of Germany. Beginning with World War I, early Australian Riesling was sweet, jug-type wine produced from high-yielding vineyards, some of which was not even true Riesling, according to Ken Helm, owner-winemaker of Helm Wines, in New South Wales, and chairman of an international Riesling competition in Australia. The 1950s saw a move to more serious Riesling, and until the mid-'80s, Riesling was Australia's most-planted grape variety. Today, Australian Riesling is usually very dry, with mineral and citrus focus, fleshier than its austere Austrian counterpart. Compared to the Aussie versions, more weight and a fruity sweetness can generally be found in Rieslings from New Zealand, where wineries more often produce a sweet late-harvest bottling. Though New Zealand is better known for its fruity style and more prevalent residual sugar, the wine is balanced by crisp acidity, and thus may not seem sweet. Kiwiland's diverse styles include drier versions, including those specifically labeled as such, but few will be austere and bone-dry. Our tasting of 75 Rieslings - 46 from Australia and 29 from New Zealand - included bone-dry to off-dry styles. We saved the few late-harvest and "iced" bottlings for another time. Riesling's fruity character makes it perfect for seafood and most Asian cuisines, one thing that fueled Australia's Riesling renaissance in the 1980s, so it is a surprise Down Under bottlings are not better known. New Zealand's style results from its climate: a long, warm, but not-too-hot growing season countered with chilly nights. This results in ripe fruit and some residual sugar with bright acidity preserved by the cold. Chuck Hayward, wine buyer for the Jug Shop in San Francisco, likens its character - a bit riper, weightier and with more stone fruit but zippy acidity - to that of Riesling from Germany's Mosel Valley. While New Zealand may have the ripe fruit and slight sweetness people might expect from Riesling, it is Australia that appears more frequently on restaurant wine lists and store shelves. New Zealand's 2,250 acres planted to Riesling was far less than Australia's, which is second only to that of Germany. New Zealand exported 110,000 cases of Riesling in 2008; about 20,000 cases came into the United States, according to David Strada, U.S. marketing manager for the New Zealand Winegrowers Association. Australia sent the United States even more. Yet it's still relatively difficult to find Riesling bottlings from Down Under, based on an informal survey of targeted Bay Area restaurant wine lists, though they are a little easier to find in stores nowadays. Bacchus Management Group wine and spirits director-partner Andrew Green first put six to eight Australian Rieslings on the list at the then-new Village Pub in Woodside about eight years ago. He holds Masa's wine director and master sommelier Alan Murray, an Australian native, responsible. Green says Murray pulled several 10- to 12-year-old bottlings from his personal collection and the two tasted them together. Green is now a huge fan, as are many of his customers. "Australian Riesling is a nice value with a high quality-to-dollar ratio, and there are more to choose from now. People do know them and order them but they don't fly out the door," Green says. That isn't a problem, he quickly acknowledged: "The Aussies hold up well. I bought some for Village Pub about four years ago and am not worried about their integrity." Jim Chanteloup, K&L Wine Merchants' buyer for that part of the world says he has carried Australian Riesling for the past five to seven years, but has seen most of the growth in the past three. Two of the six Chanteloup currently carries are from New Zealand. K&L stores sold five cases of one Australian Riesling during the holidays. "There are new wine drinkers of the 20-30 generation who are more into wine and food, have traveled more and are willing to try different wines," Chanteloup explains. South Food & Wine Bar exclusively carries Australian and New Zealand wines. South wine buyer Gerard O'Bryan also offers six Rieslings - including one from New Zealand - on the wine list. Most of the SoMa wine bar's Riesling sales are by the glass. "People know the grape, but it's not a top seller. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Australian Chardonnay outsell Riesling by a mile," O'Bryan says. "Fruity New Zealand Riesling provides a bridge to customer understanding of what these wines are about. The off-dry style is more what people might expect." Sales are better on South's retail Web site. O'Bryan says purchases are mostly from expatriates and travelers who have tried the wine on its home turf. Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand's signature white grape - is not a far step away from the drier Australian style, which can ease a Sauvignon Blanc lover's transition to Riesling. Dr. John Forrest, owner-winemaker of New Zealand's Forrest Estate Winery, says Sauvignon Blanc is more profitable because it is easier to grow and produce than Riesling. According to Forrest, there has been continual talk about Riesling the past 10 years; just recently has there been any action in sales. "The past 12 to 24 months have seen a big spike in New Zealand's Riesling sales with concurrent price increases. In the past, poor sales caused price cuts below where they normally should be, so they are now coming up to what people should be paying," Forrest says. He adds: "There used to be a lot of Bag-in-Box that sold for less than $12 that is fading away. Riesling is now more of a premium varietal." Still, there are affordable Kiwi Rieslings to be found, including several $12 and less, which puts them in The Chronicle's bargain wine range. Hayward has always carried Down Under Riesling and says he doesn't have difficulty selling it. "Though many sommeliers have lists with multiple Gruner Veltliner bottlings and offer them by the glass, I'm still selling three to four times as much Riesling," he says. A large selection of solid wines costing even less than $10, especially those from Australia, makes his point. Vintage is not as much of a concern to Hayward, who has found the wines to be pretty consistent from year to year. Hayward has been told by pleasantly surprised people who have tasted older vintages: "I didn't know Australia made wine like that." A recent trend has emerged from the Riesling resurgence in both countries: According to Hayward, more producers are making limited and age-worthy single vineyard and subregional wines, which brings out specific characteristics of the grape. Other white wines like Chardonnay are more malleable to a winemaker's crafting, but Riesling is perhaps the grape that most expresses its terroir, often referred to as transparency. This beloved variety makes wine that is unique and special to the place it is grown, providing challenge and excitement to winemakers passionate and excited about this noble grape. As Hayward observes, "You don't start with Riesling. You end up there." More 22 recommended Australian and New Zealand Rieslings and 4 recipes to pair them with 1. Great Southern Riesling is produced in Great Southern, one of several regions in Western Australia, which has a variety of climates and contains about 7 percent of Australia's total vineyard acreage. 2. Clare Valley Has a hot, dry climate; Riesling has been the most important grape variety since 2005. The most northerly wine region of South Australia. 3. Eden Valley Has a cooler, wetter climate with vineyards planted at higher elevations. Well known for its Shiraz, it is second only to Clare Valley for Riesling. 4. Marlborough The original hotbed of Sauvignon Blanc production that still overshadows Riesling production. Has South Island's warmest temperatures and plenty of sunshine. 5. Waipara Also on South Island and occasionally confused with North Island's Wairarapa region. A relatively recent but important addition to New Zealand's Riesling scene. 6. Central Otago Has New Zealand's highest elevation plantings and is the world's most southerly wine producing region. Pinot Noir is the important grape but some producers are making Rieslings. Tasmania Even further south is the island of Tasmania (not on the map) - Riesling's new kid on the block has several microclimates. E-mail Lynne Char Bennett at lbennett(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/09/WIU8154RL3.DTL This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle Australia and New Zealand Riesling Friday, January 9, 2009 Australia Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Annie's Lane Clare Valley Riesling ($14) A portion of fruit from vines more than 70 years old is included in this bottling by winemaker Mark Robertson. Floral, shy stone fruit, and delicate Meyer lemon aromas with zippy acidity, gray mineral and a forceful finish. (Importer: FWE Imports) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 D'Arenberg The Dry Dam McLaren Vale Riesling ($16) This wine's name comes from a neighboring dam, which was dry the first year it was built then failed to hold water the next year. Stony white mineral, juicy tree fruit and tart lime are fresh and vibrant with mouthwatering acidity balancing its ripe fruit. (Importer: Old Bridge Cellars) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Frogmore Creek FGR Tasmania Riesling ($23) "FGR" stands for 40 grams residual, which translates to 4 percent residual sugar by volume. This off-dry style has fresh lemon curd, apricot and pear layered with mineral and stone notes; lingering sweetness on the finish. (Importer: Hathaway Trading Co.) Rating: THREE STARS 2008 Grosset Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling ($44) Jeffrey Grosset is one of the notable producers in Clare Valley. Fruit for this bottling is grown in quartz and slate soil. Floral, mineral, talc and a hint of smoke blossom into an opulently ripe palate of mango, lime water, pomelo zest and a subtle mineral edge. Balanced, masterful and intense without being over the top. (Importer: USA Wine West) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2008 Grosset Springvale Watervale Clare Valley Riesling ($31) Warm, toasty and savory nose that shows a touch of mint and not-quite-ripe pineapple. Lively pear and tree fruit on the long finish. Very good texture though a bit hard-edged on the finish. (Importer: USA Wine West) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Hardys Stamp South Eastern Australia Riesling ($7) A bit of mineral and petrol backing the ripe peach fruit that is fruity-sweet but somewhat sugary on the palate. Well made for the price. (Importer: International Cellars) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2008 Kilikanoon Mort's Block Watervale Clare Valley Riesling ($20) The Watervale region of Clare Valley is where proprietor-winemaker Kevin Mitchell sourced this fruit from 40-year-old vines. This dry wine has sweet floral, herb, green apple and citrus aromas, with a palate of firm mineral, guava, pineapple and citrus pith. Clean and layered with a persistent finish. (Importer: Old Bridge Cellars) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Kilikanoon Mort's Reserve Watervale Clare Valley Riesling ($32) This is the winery's flagship bottling, sourced equally from Mort's Block and Khileyre Vineyard, which were planted in the 1960s by Mort, father of winemaker Kevin Mitchell. Lemon aromas edged with peppery greens and flint segue to a light-bodied but assertive palate that has mineral and tart citrus on the lingering finish. (Importer: Old Bridge Cellars) Rating: TWO STARS 2008 Koonowla Clare Valley Riesling ($19) Ripe pear, lime zest and juicy, sweet fruit aromas; nice entry on the lifted palate of slate, smoky mineral and lemon zest. (Importer: Southern Starz) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2008 Leasingham Magnus Clare Valley Riesling ($15) Lifted aromas of sweet pear, peach and clean spearmint plus a touch of stoniness. The slight residual sugar is tempered by lively acidity, with mandarin and tropical fruit on the finish. A somewhat delicate style that is easy to enjoy. (Importer: International Cellars) Rating: TWO STARS 2006 McWilliam's Hanwood Estate South Eastern Australia Riesling ($12) Pleasant but not profound, this wine shows lemon with savory and slight petrol notes. Even more lemon and lemon peel on the palate plus some green apple. A zippy wine with plenty of acidity for the dinner table. (Importer: McWilliam's Hanwood Estate) Rating: TWO STARS 2008 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling ($16) Well known for Barossa Valley Shiraz, respected winemaker Peter Lehmann and chief winemaker Andrew Wigan make a number of other wines including Riesling from Eden Valley, which was first planted in the early 1850s. Floral, Asian pear and lime zest on nose and palate. A lighter-weight, more QbA-like style. (Importer: Hess Collection New World Wines) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Reilly's Watervale Riesling Clare Valley Riesling ($17) Anjou pear, ripe pineapple, evergreen and precise stony character on the nose. Focused, mineral-driven palate with citrus rind on the dry finish that is almost austere. Limited availability. (Importer: Southern Starz) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Rocky Gully Frankland River Dry Riesling ($17) An exotic style that shows soft guava, papaya seed and tangelo. Light-bodied but ripe and round, with herb and mineral notes that provide interest and lift. (Importer: USA Wine West) New Zealand Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Daniel Schuster Waipara Riesling ($22) Floral and spice aromas reminiscent of Gewurztraminer, plus melon, green apple and hint of mineral. Similar flavors on the off-dry palate, which has enough weight to linger; citrus rind on the finish. (Importer: American Estates Wines) Rating: TWO STARS 2008 The Doctors' Marlborough Riesling ($16) From Forrest Estate Winery, the doctor for which this wine is named is owner-winemaker Dr. John Forrest. Off-dry with ripe stone fruit, honeysuckle and orange blossom on the nose, this precise wine's tropical fruit and sweet peach flavors will complement slightly spicy foods. (Importer: The Australian Wine Connection) Rating: TWO STARS 2008 Felton Road Central Otago Riesling ($33) The organic and biodynamic Elms Vineyard - which winemaker Blair Walter used for this bottling - is more than 15 years old and located in one of the warmer Central Otago sites. Clean citrus, pear and nectarine aromas with palate of rambutan, guava and tangerine. A juicy, straightforward crowd-pleaser. (Importer: Wilson Daniels) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2004 Forrest Estate Marlborough Dry Riesling ($19) Another Dr. John Forrest bottling that uses fruit from estate vines grown in stony riverbed gravel. More mineral-driven from nose to palate, this leaner-style wine also offers fresh lime, guava and some tree fruit. (Importer: The Australian Wine Connection) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2008 Mud House Waipara Riesling ($15) A slightly oily nose with sweet lemon, mandarin orange and pink grapefruit plus hints of stone fruit beneath. Similar flavors plus green apple-like, mouthwatering acidity and bit of pith on the finish. One panelist thought it a bit peppery. Lots of character for a reasonable price. (Importer: The Wine Company) Rating: TWO STARS 2007 Seifried Nelson Riesling ($16) Forward mineral, floral, apple blossom and honeyed aromas with flavors of succulent apple and apricot. Less acidity and a rounder mouthfeel on the somewhat fleshy palate. (Importer: Robert Whale Selections) Rating: THREE STARS 2008 Spy Valley Marlborough Riesling ($21) Spy Valley is the nickname for Marlborough's Waihopai Valley, where the United States maintains a base for satellite communications. This winery produces five white varietals and a Pinot Noir. Lemon zest and mineral emerge on the subdued nose. The palate is more assertive, showing sweet pink grapefruit, pomelo and a back note of tropical fruit. Clean, persistent and polished finish; great balance. (Importer: Bibendum Wine) Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2007 Waipara Springs Premo Waipara Dry Riesling ($22) This is the winery's reserve bottling, which is created in a sweet style and contains a little botrytis. Give this bottle some air to blow off the bit of initial sulfur dioxide. Floral, dried apricot, citrus and vanilla emerge, supported with a touch of spice. Lengthy finish. (Importer: 28 Below Wine Imports) Panelists: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer/wine coordinator; Jon BonnéChronicle wine editor; Joanna Breslin, wine consultant; Chris Tavelli, owner, Yield Wine Bar. For more recommended wines, go to sfgate.com/wine. Key: Rating: FOUR STARSExtraordinary Rating: THREE STARS Excellent Rating: TWO STARS Good http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/09/WIIB151HD9.DTL This article appeared on page F - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *