[wine] Spanish at JP's Bistro

Greetings, The remodeled Auriga is a very cozy and inviting space. Warmer, softer, with a lower sound level. Check it out. Time for a bit of finger wagging..... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let someone know that you're planning on attending. Call Bob (612-672-0607), e-mail the list (wine(a)thebarn.com) or reply to me. As of Thursday Morning, Bob knew of 4 people planning to attend. (Bob, Betsy, Dave, me.) I knew of a few others (Louise, Bill, Russ and maybe Sue.) a total of 8 possible, but reservation for 8 so no problemo.... As you know, 11 people showed up. Definitely not the most endearing thing we can do to/for our hosts.... It would be best if we could be more accurate w/ our head counts A big thanks to those of us who made their intentions known. Thanks also to Fred, Annnette S, Warren/Ruth who let someone know that they were not going to be there. This week, we're doing Spanish wines at JP's Bistro on Thursday. The Vintage Chart at the Wine Enthusiast web site says that Spanish wines from 1997 and older are mostly at or near peak, are ready to drink. Of course lighter, smaller wines may well be ready sooner. As usual, I can only guess at who will be there. Betsy Bob Lori Russ Jim Nicolai Karen JP's American Bistro 2937 S. Lyndale 55408 (612) 824-9300 Cheers, Jim ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> ----- X-MessageWall-Score: 0 (smtp-relay.enet.umn.edu) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:22:15 -0500 (EST) To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu Subject: The 30 Second Wine Advisor - Wine pairing tip: Match likes with likes From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, Jan. 10, 2005 ________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSORS: * CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB New Central Coast Discovery! http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers * SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S WINE COUNTRY Temecula Valley Winter Barrel Tasting http://www.temeculawines.org IN THIS ISSUE * IN THIS WEEK'S PREMIUM EDITION But ... where's it from? * WINE PAIRING TIP: MATCH LIKES WITH LIKES An even more useful rule than "red wine with red meat." * PAZO BAION 2003 "LA FONTANA" RIAS BAIXAS ALBARINO ($24) An aromatic, lemony Spanish white of unusual grace and balance. * CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB New Central Coast Discovery! * SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S WINE COUNTRY Temecula Valley Winter Barrel Tasting * SOUTH COAST WINERY 2001 WILD HORSE PEAK MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS SANGIOVESE THUNDERBOLT BLOCK ($24) To whet your appetite for Temecula, a tart, food-friendly Italian-style red. * THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM BYOB and corkage "etiquette." * 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: BUT ... WHERE'S IT FROM? The wine is outstanding: Rated in the 90s by the points crowd, yet it sells toward the lower end of the pricey realm because it comes from a less sought-after region. Ripe and full and ready to enjoy today, yet capable of a decade's cellaring, this Merlot-based red is a winner. But ... taste it blind, and you'll have no idea whether it's from Italy, France, California or Australia. Is this a bad thing, when the wine is good? We'll take on this philosophical issue when I unveil this wine in tomorrow's Wine Advisor Premium Edition, our subscription-only E-letter that 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! Click here to subscribe today: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/premium.phtml Want to read a free sample first? Click here: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/premsample1.html ________________________________________________________________________ WINE PAIRING TIP: MATCH LIKES WITH LIKES The ancient wine wisdom, "Red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat" is often held up as bad advice because it has so many exceptions. Indeed, anyone who's enjoyed such rule-breaking gustatory glories as Pinot Noir with salmon or a fine old Bordeaux with roast chicken will understand this. Frankly, I still find the simple old rule useful. As long as you bear in mind that there's no penalty for breaking it, it's handy and easy to remember that beef and lamb go well with dry red wines, just as most fish, shellfish and poultry reward pairing with whites. But when you're ready to move on to the next level, I like a slightly more sophisticated rule that rarely if ever fails: "Match likes with likes." Simply restated, look for a wine whose flavors and aromas mirror the taste of your entree. Lobster is rich and slightly sweet; so is a big Chardonnay. The flavors of the wine and the shellfish simply fit, with extra credit if there's a whiff of butter in the wine. Red Rhone Syrahs often present distinct aromas of rare, grilled meat, making them a natural with a similar chunk of seared beef on your plate, and again, if there's a dash of black pepper in the wine, it will play nicely with the real thing on your steak. Tart with tart, sweet with sweet, herbal with herbal, sour with sour ... just about any flavor pairing that brings together similarities in food and wine will heighten your tasting experience. I ran into this phenomenon in a couple of striking examples recently. On New Year's Day, a Italian red that I've enjoyed in past vintages (Lungarotti 2000 Rubesco di Torgiano, a cousin to Chianti from neighboring Umbria), proved so rustic that it veered almost closer to "dirty" than "earthy" in its character, a funky old-wood flavor that made me wonder at first if the wine was cork-tainted. It made a poor match indeed with a light New Year's Day meal of Welsh rabbit made with Cheddar. But in a flash of inspiration, I sawed off a chunk of sopressata salame from Volpe in St. Louis. This is an excellent, Veneto- style dry sausage with a deliciously funky character that, sure enough, picked up and somehow ameliorated the earthiness of the wine, resulting in a match that saved the wine from an unceremonious journey down the drain. In another excellent pairing that took advantage of "likes with likes," I matched the roast garlic and lemon chicken featured in last week's Wine Advisor FoodLetter with a crisp Spanish white that I expected would show a distinct lemony character, the Pazo Baion 2003 "La Fontana" Rias Baixas Albarinofrom California Wine Club's International Selections. Sure enough, the lemony chicken and citric wine proved a match made in heaven, further evidence of the validity of the rule. ________________________________________________________________________ TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE If you would like to ask a question or comment on today's topic (or other wine-related issues), you'll find a round-table online discussion in our interactive Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, where you're always welcome to join in the conversations about wine. http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=57245&mi… 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. ________________________________________________________________________ PAZO BAION 2003 "LA FONTANA" RIAS BAIXAS ALBARINO ($24) Pale gold and transparently clear, this luscious Spanish white breathes fresh, heady peach aromas lent complexity with elusive hints of spice and a minty note. Crisp and bright in flavor, snappy lemon-citrus flavors and fresh-fruit acidity come together in a tart, palate- cleansing wine with appealing nuances that follow the nose. An exceptionally balanced and fine Albarino, it demonstrates why this once little-known Spanish variety is gainign popularity. U.S. importer: Victoire Imports Co., San Leandro, Calif.; California Wine Club International Selections. (Jan. 4, 2005) FOOD MATCH: The winery recommends it with fish, which is good advice, and I generally find Albarino a natural companion with shellfish. In this instance, though, I matched likes with likes and paired it to great effect with the roast garlic and lemon chicken featured in last week's Wine Advisor FoodLetter. VALUE: Available only through California Wine Club's International Selections, which offers two wines shipped per quarter in the U.S. where laws allow, with the ability to order additional bottles at favorable pricing. WHEN TO DRINK: I like Albarino best when it's young and fresh, and would drink it up in coming months, but its good fruit and balance support the winery's opinion that it will keep under good storage conditions for another two years. PRONUNCIATION: Albarino = "Ahl-ba-REEN-yo" Rias Baixas = "Ree-ahss By-hahss" FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: This wine is currently available only from California Wine Club's International Selections. For information call 1-800-777-4443 or click to http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers To check out a wide range of other Albarinos from Rias Baxas on Wine- Searcher.com, browse http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions/rmas+baixas?referring_site=WLP ________________________________________________________________________ THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB: NEW CENTRAL COAST DISCOVERY! On a recent tour through California's Central Coast, California Wine Club owners Bruce and Pam Boring met John and Kelley Clark from Brophy Clark Cellars. Although their winery is only eight years old, the Brophys have a combined 30 years of winemaking experience and awards worth bragging about! This month's Special Edition shipment from The California Wine Club includes Brophy Clark's 2000 "Santa Maria Valley" Pinot Noir and their 2001 "Edna Valley" Syrah. The Pinot Noir has received 1 Gold, 2 Silver medals and multiple 85+ ratings. The Syrah is a two-time Silver Medal winner exploding with plum, nutmeg and mint flavors. This special two-bottle shipment is just $32.95 plus shipping. To order this month's Special Edition call 1-800-777-4443 or email info(a)cawineclub.com. California Wine Club http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers ________________________________________________________________________ SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S WINE COUNTRY: TEMECULA VALLEY WINTER BARREL TASTING Southern California's most popular wine region opens its doors for a two-day food and wine pairing event showcasing wines still in the barrel. This event gives wine lovers a peek at future wines produced by our 20 member wineries. Just 4 short miles off of I-15, the beautiful Temecula Valley wine region is surrounded by gently rolling hills and dramatic mountain ranges. It has been a source of award-winning wines for over 30 years. The region produces a number of different wines from valley floor vineyards and hillside plantings. The two-day barrel tasting allows visitors and locals to leisurely visit all 20 wineries (one time each over the two-day period) that make this viticultural region so special. Join us for this once-a-year trip into the cellar to sample wines directly from the barrel. This is your opportunity to meet winemakers, purchase "futures" of limited release wines and sample foods perfectly matched to the wines being tasted. Barrel tasting with food pairing is featured at each one of the 20 wineries. You drive to the wineries you would like to visit, or arrange for alternative transportation. Click http://www.temeculawines.org/events.asp for registration and information about this and other events. For more about Temecula and its wines, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association invites you to think Temecula! http://www.temeculawines.org/ Now, to whet your appetite for Temecula, here's my report on a tart, food-friendly Italian-style red from one of the region's respected producers. Later this week we'll try more. ________________________________________________________________________ SOUTH COAST WINERY 2001 WILD HORSE PEAK MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS SANGIOVESE THUNDERBOLT BLOCK ($24) This is a clear, deep ruby-color wine, showing brilliant reddish-orange glints against the light. Ripe red-berry scents add appealing touches of warm brown spice lifted by high-toned aromatics. Ripe and fresh on the palate, snappy red fruit and spicy notes of cinnamon and cloves are laced up by mouth-watering acidity. I wouldn't call it a Chianti clone ... ripe fruit and spice speak more of California than Italy; but it matches its Tuscan cousin in food-friendliness. (Jan. 10, 2005) FOOD MATCH: Chosen to pair with a hearty Northern Italian-style beef- and-pork meatloaf from Marcella Hazan, "Polpettone di manzo e maile con i funghi." VALUE: Priced to match the higher end of Chianti Classico, it's buyer's choice. WHEN TO DRINK: Drinking well now, and probably not a long-term ager, but quality fruit and oak treatment should see it through several years of cellar time if you choose to age it under good storage conditions. PRONUNCIATION: Temecula = "Teh-MEK-you-lah" WEB LINK: The South Coast Winery web pages are included in the Website of its parent corporation, Temecula's South Coast Resort: http://www.wineresort.com/winery.htm FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: To order online directly from the winery, go to its "Our Wines" page, http://www.wineresort.com/wourwines.htm and click the Wild Horse Peak label to reach the E-commerce page. To browse through a variety of wines from Temecula on Wine-Searcher.com, see http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions/temecula?referring_site=WLP ________________________________________________________________________ THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM Here are links to some of our recently published articles that I think you'll enjoy: * WINE LOVERS' DISCUSSION GROUP: Corkage etiquette Last year Alberta, Canada, passed legislation allowing BYOB in the province's restaurants. New to the custom, a reader finds it a bit uncomfortable to walk in with a bottle while other diners gawk. Should he use a bag? Tip on "corkage"? Wine Lovers' Discussion Group participants offer their advice - along with some debate about the ins and outs of BYO and corkage. Read the posts, and feel free to join in: http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=57179&mi… ________________________________________________________________________ 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: * Outstanding red from Faugeres (Jan. 7, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050107.phtml * WT101: The South of France (Jan. 5, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050105.phtml * My top wine values of 2004 (Jan. 3, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050103.phtml * Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml * Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Roast garlic and lemon chicken (Jan. 6, 2004) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tsfl050106.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=7d1109b668af1f87d36… 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, January 10, 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 *