Greetings,
Mostly an update. I phoned in a reservation for six people
at 6:30 this evening. They don't open until 4:00, so there's a
chance they're booked up and we can't get into Oddfellows.
As a plan B, Let's pencil in Bobino as a fall back. It's only
a block from Oddfellows. If there's no room at Bobino, maybe
we should just head down by the river w/ our brown bagged bottles. <grin>
Info pasted below is from the 30 second wine advisor
GERMAN LABELS, CALIFORNIA BARBERA
Cheers,
Jim
Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 16:31:01 -0500
From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
To: wine(a)thebarn.com, "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu>
Subject: California at Oddfellows
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i
Greetings,
Heading to Oddfellows this week.
Russ's California Dream is for Non-Cabernet and Non-Napa
wines from California. Potential options include Syrah,
Cal Ital, Zins and all the whites. Should be lots of fun.
Oddfellows / Boom
612-378-3188
401 E Hennepin
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Who's coming out to play... Five For Fining
Russ
Lori
Nikolai
Jim
Louise
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
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Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 14:52:33 -0400 (EDT)
To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu
Subject: The 30 Second Wine Advisor - German labels, California Barbera
From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com>
THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Wednesday, May 19, 2004
___________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
* California Wine Club
Not all wine clubs are alike!
http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers
___________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
* GERMAN LABELS, CALIFORNIA BARBERA We catch up on odds and ends
* SEGHESIO 2001 SONOMA COUNTY BARBERA ($22.79) An old-country-style
Barbera from California.
* ADMIN NOTE We'll publish only on Monday next week as I travel in
France.
* ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or
unsubscribe.
___________________________________________________________________
GERMAN LABELS, CALIFORNIA BARBERA
While I'm dealing with last-minute pre-travel chores - including
packing - before taking off for Burgundy and Champagne this weekend
(more about how that will effect next week's publication schedule
below), let's devote today's space to a couple of quick follow-ups
on recent Wine Advisor articles.
Today's tasting report features a really exceptional California
Barbera, the Italian-born grape variety that's the subject of this
month's inquiry in our Wine Tasting 101 wine-education program.
Although it's not a budget wine by any stretch, if you like hearty,
rustic Old World reds, I think you'll find it $20 well-spent.
First, though, let's return briefly to Monday's discussion of
German wines in general and the delicious 2002 Mosel Riesling from
St. Urbans-Hof in particular. In speculating about why so many wine
lovers find German wine daunting, I mentioned polysyllabic words
and complicated wine labels as possible issues.
One good approach, as several of you pointed out in follow-up E-
mails, is to skim lightly over the arcane language of AP numbers
and Pradikats and Oechsle numbers and simply rely on the names of
specific producers who've built a track record of quality and
consistency over time. This is not bad advice, and of course many
of us do the same with trusted producers from every wine-producing
nation.
But how to choose a quality producer? One option for Germany is to
check the label for a tiny logo that features a stylized heraldic
eagle and grape bunch, the trademark of the Verband Deutscher
Pradikats-und Qualitatsweinguter, VDP for short, the Association of
German Pradikat Wine Estates. The logo is pictured in our
HTML/graphics edition. Text-only readers may view it at
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa040519.phtml
This trade organization - akin to the Gallo Nero ("Black Rooster")
producers in Chianti - traces its roots back to 1897, and now
comprises more than 200 of Germany's most respected wine producers.
Its process is conservative, and its rules are strict: "From vine
to wine, member estates are obligated to exceed the legal norms set
for all German wines."
As marketing concepts go, this one is exceptionally discreet. The
VDP logo on Monday's wine measures just 1/2-inch in height and is
placed at the side of the label, beneath the bottle size, alcoholic
content and that inscrutable AP number. But it's worth looking for
- even if you have to tote a magnifying glass to the wine shop - if
you're looking for producers who take their German wine seriously
indeed.
The VDP Association's Website,
http://www.vdp.de/
is available in German and English - click the button for your
choice of language, then click "Philosophy" followed by "The
Association" for a detailed description of the VDP organization and
how it works.
___________________________________________________________________
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE
To participate in Wine Tasting 101, our free wine-education program
in which wine lovers taste an assigned wine each month and discuss
it in a civil online environment, visit
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/wt101.phtml
You'll find a round-table online discussion on today's topic 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=51037&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.
___________________________________________________________________
SEGHESIO 2001 SONOMA COUNTY BARBERA ($22.79)
This is an inky, dark reddish-purple wine, with luscious, fruit-
forward aromas of deep, plummy fruit, a whiff of blueberries and a
dash of vanilla. Swirling in the glass brings up intriguing
elements of smoke, toast and even a hint of rare, red meat. Bold
aromas lead into full and ripe flavors, tart acidity framing warm
black fruit. A rustic Barbera in the Old Country style, it would
make an interesting "ringer" in a flight of Northwestern Italian
reds. (May 15, 2004)
FOOD MATCH: Rare beef is its natural companion, but it made a
surprisingly good partner with a hearty but meatless dish of
potatoes baked with Swiss Emmentaler cheese accented with fresh
dill and a shake of cayenne.
VALUE: Above everyday wine prices at $20-plus, but it's more than
an everyday wine. Fair value. (The "suggested retail" price on the
winery Website is $25.)
WHEN TO DRINK: Barbera isn't traditionally made for cellaring - in
its native Piemonte, it's for drinking up while the more pricey
Barolo and Barbaresco matures in the cellar. But this wine's power,
intensity and balance suggest that it won't suffer if you hold it
for a few years.
WEB LINK: You'll find a 2001 Barbera fact sheet on the winery
Website here:
http://www.seghesio.com/Barbera2001.html
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Compare prices and find sources for Seghesio
Barbera on
Wine-Searcher.com,
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Seghesio+Barbera/-/-/USD/A?referring_site…
___________________________________________________________________
ADMIN NOTE: NEXT WEEK'S PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
As I mentioned above, we'll be spending this weekend in Paris,
followed by a week touring Burgundy with a quick side trip to
Champagne. Because of this travel schedule, the Wednesday and
Friday editions will take a brief vacation next week, as will the
Thursday Wine Advisor FoodLetter.
Assuming that the demons of technology don't curse this plan,
however, I do intend to distribute the regular Monday editions on
May 24 and May 31, although they may appear in your mailbox a few
hours or even a day off schedule.
I'll also make every effort to post periodic trip reports, tasting
notes and photos on
WineLoversPage.com, and encourage you to check
our Front Page frequently if you would like to follow along. We'll
resume the regular publication schedule at the first of June.
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All the wine-tasting reports posted here are
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Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Copyright 2004 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
----- End forwarded message -----
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* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
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