[wine] Changing Colors - not so fast.

October 18, 2012 Leaves Go Red, but You Needn.t By ERIC ASIMOV DRINK seasonally. It.s a fundamental precept, and it makes as much sense intuitively as dressing seasonally or carrying an umbrella on a cloudy day. I believe in it. Yet too often, it.s a command uttered without thinking, and so it lands without meaning. The overly simple translation of .drink seasonally. generally focuses on color. With the warmer weather of spring, out come the whites. Summer is ros� season; you can.t miss the retail displays. When the leaves begin to turn and the temperature calls for long sleeves, we stow the whites and ros�s in favor of reds. It.s easy but vacuous logic. Color is not the most significant factor in drinking seasonally. It.s texture and weight. Just as you choose lighter clothing in hot weather and heavier layers in the cold, so, too, do we gravitate toward more delicate wines in summer and sturdier bottles in winter. Yet even this way of thinking is too simplistic. Our hot-weather selves still crave a thick grilled steak as much as a seafood salad on the deck. And no matter how bundled up we are in winter, we still enjoy raw oysters as much as hearty stews. Mood and company also dictate what we eat and drink, so while seasonality certainly influences thinking, it.s only one of many factors in choosing a wine. Sure, more reds will find their way onto my table in the fall, not because they are red but because they tend as a group to be more stout than whites. Still, I save a significant place for more-robust whites; a full-bodied Vouvray, say, rather than an ethereal Mosel kabinett. Note that this is not a seasonal paradigm shift, rather a pivot in orientation. Nights grow longer and days shorter, but like reds and whites, we still have both. Which leads me to my bully pulpit for ros�. No wine is more a victim of seasonal affective drinking disorder than ros�. We embrace it in summer and otherwise ignore it. Yet certain ros�s (ambitious, weightier, more voluminous examples like those of Iroul�guy, made of sturdy grapes like tannat and cabernet franc) can hold their own year-round. I.m not saying ros�s should be frequent companions in the cold months, but they should not be dismissed. Thinking seasonally, I.ve picked 20 great fall wines (listed in no particular order), all at that magical price of $20, where the greatest values reside. I.m not saying a $20 wine is always a better value than a $17 bottle. The best quality-to-price ratio is found in the range of $15 to $25. But so many wines fall into that category that I arbitrarily picked the $20 midpoint. Plus, 20 for $20 is a nifty shorthand, no? By the way, I recognize that $20 is not cheap. Many people find it exorbitant, particularly if, like me, you enjoy wine practically every night with your meal. Who wouldn.t prefer spending only $10? Nonetheless, the general difference in quality and expression between what you can find in $10 and $20 wines is considerable, if not exponential. Is it worth the extra cost? I wouldn.t presume to dictate anybody.s spending priorities. I will say only that if your budget generally allows only $10 a bottle, treat yourself once in a while to a $20 wine like those on this list and see if you can.t tell the difference. Wines to Get You Through Fall With Money Left for Holiday Shopping 1. Ravent�s I Blanc Cava de Nit Catalonia 2009 Spain produces an ocean of cheap cava, the sparkling wine guzzled throughout the country. Much of it is forgettable, but this pale ros� (make that rosato) is elegant, nuanced and fresh, with balanced, persistent flavors. (Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.) 2. Andr� et Mireille Tissot Cr�mant du Jura Extra Brut NV Stephane Tissot, who makes the wines that bear his parents. names, is one of the most interesting and experimental producers in the Jura. But this is no oddball or fringe sparkler; it.s simply delicious and a great deal. It.s made largely of chardonnay and pinot noir, like a Champagne, with some trousseau and poulsard thrown in to provide a bit of Jura identity. With flavors of nuts, minerals and flowers, it.s dry, refined and lip-smacking. (A Camille Riviere Selection/Fruit of the Vines, New York) 3. Christ Wiener Gemischter Satz 2011 Vienna is the only great metropolis with commercial vineyards within its city limits. Gemischter satz wines are historically blends of grapes that are grown and fermented together and served in heurigen, informal little bars where wine estates served their own produce. The gemischter satz tradition was dying until a few committed producers revived it in the last decade and began to sell the wines commercially. This beautiful wine is on the delicate side, just right for smoked fish or other light seafood dishes, yet it feels rich and round on the palate. (Carlo Huber Selections, Salisbury, Conn.) 4. Jean Ginglinger Alsace Riesling Cuv�e Bihl 2009 The body craves riesling year-round, and if a delicate Mosel kabinett is the perfect spring wine, richer rieslings from Alsace can.t be beat in the fall. Even in a ripe vintage like 2009, this peachy, rich riesling is nonetheless earthy and dry with tantalizing mineral flavors. Choucroute garni, please. (Wineberry America, New York) 5. Champalou Vouvray 2010 I love Vouvray, Savenni�res and all the chenin blanc wines of the Loire Valley. Is there any grape with a texture as mesmerizing and seductive as chenin blanc? The best wines of Vouvray tease as they coat and envelop the tongue, almost thick yet lively and tense as well. This is dry and rounded, but delicate, too . the neat trick of chenin blanc . with honeysuckle, citrus and mineral flavors. Delicious. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.) 6. Domaine de Montbourgeau L.�toile 2008 Another great deal from the Jura, this is largely chardonnay with perhaps a little savagnin thrown in. Nicole D�riaux of Montbourgeau, from the L.�toile appellation, is one of my favorite Jura producers. Usually I choose her savagnin, made in the sous-voile style, under the veil of a sherry-style yeast, which gives the wines nutty, fino-like flavors. The chardonnay is tangy, dry and persistent. It has the twang of sous-voile, and though less severe than the savagnin, it still suggests the mystery and depth of the best Jura cuv�es. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York) 7. Qup� Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay Bien Nacido .Y. Block 2010 Bob Lindquist.s real passion is Rh�ne grapes; he makes chardonnay to pay the bills, but he does a superb job. This is exemplary California chardonnay, with a detectable sheen of new oak, but the wine under the oak is packed with mineral goodness, which makes it highly enjoyable. 8. Abbazia di Novacella Alto Adige Valle Isarco Kerner 2011 According to .Wine Grapes,. an extraordinary new book from Jancis Robinson et al, the kerner grape, a cross between riesling and schiava grossa, was named after a 19th century doctor who wrote drinking songs. If that.s not enough to recommend it, this rich, ripe, persistently herbal and refreshing wine will do the rest. From a winery housed in an ancient monastery in Alto Adige, and just one of many treasures from the mountain vineyards of northern Italy. (Abbazia di Novacella U.S.A., Sausalito, Calif.) 9. Bebame El Dorado County Red 2011 A wonderfully fresh, deliciously gulpable wine from Eldorado County in the Sierra Foothills. It.s made mostly of cabernet franc, with a little gamay noir, and is lively and bright, with an herbal streak woven into the red fruit flavors. It.s low in alcohol, an almost unheard-of 12 percent for California, yet does not sacrifice structure. 10. Benanti Etna Rosso di Verzella 2009 I.m fascinated with the wines of Mount Etna, grown in the foothills of a highly active volcano, where belching steam and flowing lava are regular features. Nerello mascalese, the main red grape of Etna, seems to harness that energy, brimming with flavors of bitter cherries and stony earth. This is fresh and lightly textured yet rich and persistent, rough and rustic yet charming and expressive. (Tradizione Imports, New York) 11. Front�n de Oro Gran Canaria Tinto 2010 As exotic as Mount Etna may be for growing grapes, the Canary Islands are even more so. This archipelago is a region of Spain, but geologically and geographically it is part of Africa, just 60 miles off the southwest coast of Morocco. Gran Canaria is at the heart of the chain, warm but mountainous. This lovely, fresh red is made largely from the list�n negro grape, and is both lively enough to gulp down and complex enough to ponder. (A Jos� Pastor Selection/Vinos & Gourmet, Richmond, Calif.) 12. Paumanok North Fork of Long Island Festival Red 2010 This is one brash Bordeaux blend from a very good Long Island producer. Eighty-four percent of the blend is split evenly between cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with 12 percent cabernet franc and 4 percent petit verdot, yet it.s the cabernet franc that grabs the attention with a strong herbal vein. Juicy and joyous, and topped with a screw cap. 13. Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Sassella 2008 I.ve always liked the wines of Valtellina, but nowadays many producers seem to be really hitting their stride. This mountainous region in northern Lombardy is an excellent nebbiolo alternative to Barolo and Barbaresco, generally for a lot less money. Rainoldi makes gorgeous wines like this one from the Sassella zone, fine, balanced and beautifully aromatic. (Michael Skurnik Wines) 14. Se�or�o de P. Peci�a Rioja Crianza 2005 Such a pleasure when the producer ages the wine for you! This crianza is already seven years old and just right for drinking. In the old Rioja tradition, it tells the story of red raspberry fruit merging blissfully with the vanilla flavors of American oak. Aromas explode from the glass, yet the wine is mellow and fine. (A Jos� Pastor Selection/Vinos & Gourmet) 15. Clos de la Roilette Fleurie 2011 The wines of Fleurie, one of the 10 leading crus of Beaujolais, are habitually described as light, pretty, feminine and flowery. Perhaps, but in my experience the best Fleuries, like Alain Coudert.s Clos de la Roillette, are better described as structured and mineral. Nothing dainty about the 2011. It.s dense and a little tannic, smoky and spicy with aromas of licorice and granite. Superb, but consider decanting when young. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York) 16. Domaine Ilarria Iroul�guy 2009 I.m crazy about the wines of Domaine Ilarria from Iroul�guy, in the Basque Pyrenees as far southwest in France as you can go. It.s ros� is great, and this red, made of tannat, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, is superb. It.s tannic with deep red fruit, spice and iron flavors. Drink now or age, but it.s hard to find, so grab any and all. (A Thomas Calder Selection/Moonlight Wine, New York) 17. Domaine de Terrebrune Vin de Pays du Mont Caume Terre d.Ombre 2009 This very good Bandol producer also makes a cuv�e from vines of mourv�dre, grenache and cinsault that it considers too young for the Bandol. It.s called Terre d.Ombre, and it has an herbal, savage quality that belies the image of sunny Provence. A hearty wine for hearty stews. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant) 18. Domaine de Ferrand C�tes du Rh�ne La Ferrande 2010 An anomaly: a C�tes du Rh�ne from the southern part of the Rh�ne Valley yet 100 percent syrah, as if from the northern Rh�ne. It.s rich yet focused and fresh . typical for the 2010 vintage, with black olive flavors yet fruitier than a northern Rh�ne wine. Imported in small quantities. (Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, Pa.) 19. Di Filippo Montefalco Rosso 2009 Big and tannic, rich and robust, fruity yet well structured with a pleasant musk. If this Umbrian rosso doesn.t achieve quite the power of a sagrantino di Montefalco, its big brother, it.s still plenty sizable for stews and roasts. (A.I. Selections, New York) 20. Mastrojanni Rosso di Montalcino 2010 Sangiovese is a grape that touches me deep inside. Good Sangiovese wines, particularly from the Chianti or Montalcino regions, offer the sort of purity, honesty and authenticity that I find moving compared to the tricked-up confections that some producers seem to favor. This Rosso di Montalcino from Mastrojanni is indeed pure and honest, tannic yet approachable with bright cherry flavors that really could come from nowhere but the heart of Tuscany. (Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, N.Y.) This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: October 19, 2012 An earlier version of this article contained a photograph displaying an incorrect vintage of wine. The correct vintage is Domaine Ilarria Iroul�guy 2009, not Domaine Ilarria Iroul�guy Cuv�e Bixintxo 2009. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 * * james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *