New subject: [wine] Re: What to do this week? Auriga? Sapor?

15 May 2006

Greetings,
Any idea what we're doing this week?
There had been some talk of going to Sapor.
We also have a suggestion to do Spanish at Auriga.
Both/either work for me.
Can someone call Bob?  Not too early.  :)
Cheers,
Jim
----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor &lt;wine(a)wineloverspage.com&gt;
-----
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 16:30:53 -0400 (EDT)
To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu
Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: Uncorking New York
From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor &lt;wine(a)wineloverspage.com&gt;
THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Monday, May 15, 2006
________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S SPONSOR
* THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Introducing our By Reservation Only Program!
www.cawineclub.com/?Partner_ID=winelovers
________________________________________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
* UNCORKING NEW YORK Will changes in U.S. wine-shipping laws elevate New
York from niche market to greater stature as a significant wine
producer?
* DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK 2003 FINGER LAKES DRY RIESLING ($15.99) Rich but
bone-dry, this classic Riesling builds credibility for New York's Finger
Lakes.
* CORRECTION The winery price on Friday's Oregon Pinot Noir wasn't as
bad as I thought.
* THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Introducing our BY RESERVATION ONLY Program!
* THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM An extensive report on a tour of the
Port region, and forum discussions on comparing U.S. and New Zealand
Pinot Noir and selecting wines that newcomers will find easy to like.
* LAST WEEK'S WINE ADVISOR INDEX The Wine Advisor archives.
* ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe.
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UNCORKING NEW YORK
Think of wine in the United States, and chances are you'll immediately
visualize the West Coast: sunny California and perhaps the rainy but
mild Pacific Northwest. Wine-related thoughts about New York State are
not likely to pop into your head.
This might not be entirely fair, as New York, in spite of its failure to
register as more than a blip on most wine lovers' radar, is actually the
third-largest wine-producing state in the nation (after California and
Washington State), with sales approaching nearly a half-billion dollars
in 2004; and its commercial wine-making history goes back just about as
far as California's, dating to the middle of the 1800s.
Why is such a major wine producer so little-known? A combination of
factors have held back the Empire State on the national wine scene ...
but watch for this to start changing.
If the climate in California's wine regions is somewhat like that in
Mediterranean France, Spain and Italy, New York's is more like Germany;
indeed, New York's long, narrow and deep glacial-cut Finger Lakes even
look a bit like the Mosel or the Rhine.
Until recent decades, that continental-style climate, with its freezing
winters, has held back the development of Vitis vinifera vineyards, the
familiar wine grapes that dominate the fine-wine market. New York has
been better known for Vitis labrusca, strong flavored grapes normally
used to make sweet, syrupy wines that more closely resemble Welch's
grape jelly than Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel; even the more
ambitious wineries typically compromised on "French-hybrid" grape
varieties, designed to withstand fierce winters that can kill vinifera
but that only rarely yield world-class wines.
Eventually, though, a few pioneers, including Dr. Konstantin Frank and
Hermann J. Wiemer in the Finger Lakes, fought the odds to grow classic
European wine grapes and, particularly when they specialized in
varieties appropriate to colder climates, such as Riesling, Pinot Noir
and Chardonnay, they won competitions and earned a growing reputation.
But even as the wines got better, another problem stood in the way: In
contrast with California's liberal wine sales and shipping policies, New
York law forbade the state's wineries to ship wine out to consumers, as
it denied its own citizens the right to buy wine across state lines. As
a result, and in the absence of any real national demand to move New
York wines into traditional distribution channels, the state's wines
were (and largely remain) unknown in the rest of the world.
But last year's Supreme Court decision on wine shipping, which banned
disparate treatment of in-state and external wineries in interstate
commerce, may have opened the gates. Thanks to enabling legislation
passed over the wails of the distribution lobby, New York wineries are
now free to ship wine direct to consumers in other states where the law
allows; and to the extent that this change increases visibility and
demand for the wines, wider distribution is likely to follow.
________________________________________________________________________
NIAGARA WINE GATHERING:
I'll be exploring New York wines myself in June, as I attend the annual
"NiagaraCool" gathering of Eastern wine enthusiasts in Niagara Falls,
taste a lot of local wines and tour some wineries in the region.
The gathering, like the similar annual "MoCool" wine-lover gathering in
Michigan in August, is strictly social, non-profit and non-commercial,
with participants agreeing to share the actual costs of wine touring and
a Sunday wine-and-food picnic. If you live within reach of the Niagara
Falls and Buffalo area (on either side of the U.S./Canadian border) or
will be traveling in the region the weekend of June 10-11, you're
welcome to participate. Check out the details on our WineLovers
Discussion Group,
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=380
or, if you prefer, send me E-mail at wine(a)wineloverspage.com
________________________________________________________________________
DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK 2003 FINGER LAKES DRY RIESLING ($15.99)
This is a pale, transparently clear but distinctly golden wine. White
fruit and stoney slate aromas display the odd but pleasant minerally
scent that Riesling-lovers call "petrol." Its full, ripe flavor hits the
palate with a surprising burst of tangerine, shaped by firm, steely
acidity. Rich in texture but fully dry, its tangy citrus flavors linger
in a very long finish. Excellent Riesling; it would be intriguing to see
it served "blind" in a flight of Rieslings from Germany, Austria and
Alsace. (May 14, 2006)
FOOD MATCH: Almost too rich for more delicate seafood and fish, this one
seems made for veal and pork dishes. It went very well with simple veal
burgers made in the style of Italian polpette meatballs.
VALUE: With the exception of a few dessert wines and a handful of
sought-after producers, Riesling in general remains a good buy around
the world. No complaints about value at this mid-teens price.
WHEN TO DRINK: Riesling is one of the most long-lived of whites, and
this wine's good fruit and sturdy structure suggest it would fare well
in the cellar. It would certainly be safe to keep it five years or more
under good storage conditions.
WEB LINK:
The Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Cellars Website offers online sales
and a wine club (shipping limited to states where the law allows), plus
information about the winery and its wines.
http://www.drfrankwines.com/
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find prices and online vendors for Dr. Konstantin Frank wines on Wine-
Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Konstantin%2bFrank/-/-/USD/A?referring_si…
________________________________________________________________________
CORRECTION
In my "VALUE" comments on Friday's wine tasting report, Henry Estate
2003 "Umpqua Cuvee" Oregon Pinot Noir ($15), I questioned an apparent
$39 price for a wine that sells in wine shops for $10 to $15. As it
turns out, the $39 price (plus $9 shipping) is for three bottles, which
is not a bad deal if you can't find this good Pinot locally.
________________________________________________________________________
TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE:
I've posted today's column in our Netscape WineLovers Community, where
you're welcome to read the replies and add your own comments or
questions at this link:
http://community.netscape.com/winelovers?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=4403
For more advanced wine-enthusiast discussions on this or any wine-
related subject, you're welcome in our non-commercial WineLovers
Discussion Group, where today's article is featured at this link:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=1145
To contact me by E-mail, write wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond
personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
________________________________________________________________________
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be
printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or
other wireless device.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/print060515.html
________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCING THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB'S BY RESERVATION ONLY PROGRAM
Many of California's highest-rated and most coveted wines sell out
before most wine consumers ever have the chance to purchase even one
bottle.
Wines like these are even difficult for The California Wine Club to
find.  In fact, the club sometimes acquires so few cases of a special
wine that it's not possible to feature them as a regular selection or
post them on the website, so these special treasures are instead offered
to a select group of customers.
Now 30 Second Wine Advisor readers can join California Wine Club's BY
RESERVATION ONLY program, offering you selective access to these
rarities, only the wines you want, with no commitment and no obligation.
Here's how it works:
* When a very special or limited wine opportunity comes up, we will
automatically reserve a case for you.
* Once your case has been reserved, we will contact you.  At that time,
you can choose to accept or withdraw your reservation.
* Priority is given on a first-come, first-served basis.  The longer
you are on the list, the higher your priority level.
To add your name to The California Wine Club's BY RESERVATION ONLY
program please call 800-777-4443 or email info(a)cawineclub.com.
________________________________________________________________________
THIS WEEK ON WINELOVERSPAGE.COM
Some highlights of recent articles on WineLoversPage.com that I hope
you'll enjoy:
* FOR THE LOVE OF PORT: The Dynamic Douro
Port expert and columnist Roy Hersh and his associate Mario R. Ferreira
recently collaborated to host a group of wine enthusiasts on their first
visit to Portugal, an extensive visit to the Upper Douro, home of the
great Port region. In this report, Hersh details many of their winery
visits, with extensive tasting notes of Ports and Douro reds.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/port/tourofduty.phtml
* HOT TOPICS IN OUR WINELOVERS' COMMUNITY
Our WineLovers' Discussion Groups are the best places online to ask wine
questions and participate in the civil and intelligent discussion of
good things to eat and drink. In addition to our WineLovers Community on
the Netscape/CompuServe service, we've just revamped our "classic"
WineLovers Discussion Group (WLDG), the Internet's original wine forum,
a non-commercial venue intended for serious wine conversations that
range from apprentice-level to wine professionals. I hope you'll take
the time to visit both of our forums today!
U.S. VS. NEW ZEALAND PINOT NOIR
In this intriguing tasting report from the Philippines, a group of wine
enthusiasts in Manila samples Pinots from opposite sides of the Pacific
in a blind tasting, with some surprising results.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=1108
WINES FOR BEGINNERS
Members of our Netscape WineLovers Community suggest a few ideas for a
wine newcomer who's looking for selections that are easy to like.
http://community.netscape.com/winelovers?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=4391
________________________________________________________________________
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:
* Remember Sideways? (May 12, 2006)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa060505.phtml
* Affordable Spanish red (May 10, 2006)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa060510.phtml
* Is ritual necessary? (May 8, 2006)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa060508.phtml
* Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml
* Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Trompe la bouche (May 11, 2006)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tsfl060504.phtml
* Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/foodlist.phtml
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Monday, May 15, 2006
Copyright 2006 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
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[wine] What to do this week? Auriga? Sapor?