We're going to Sophia in Riverplace this week. Note the change from the previous announcement. Sorry about the SNAFU. Info corrected below. Also articles on Riesling and Merlto from the Post, NYTimes. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:16:45 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Vno Sans "C" at Sofitel, Corkage Greetings, Lori has made arrangements for us to go to Sophia this week. Bob's first thought was "French White Wine on the order of Entre Deux Mears and such." That bounced about and settled in on "Grapes that do not begin with C." So bring your favorite "White and Right" or Red and Ready" (tm) as long as it isn't a chard, a chenin blanc, a cab, a carginon, etc. Reservation is in Lori's name. Sophia Bistro 65 Southeast Main Street at Riverplace Minneapolis, MN 55414 612 379 1111 Info, menus, wine lists, etc. on line at http://www.sophiaattheriver.com/ Time is 6:30 on Thursday. Count is 10, can be adjusted as needed. Arrangement is "free corkage" BUT the house would like some of the 20 to 30% we leave for the server. There are places where we pay $5/person in lieu of corkage. Seems the bill always gets hosed up when we do that. Not sure how to best manage this situation. 1. Use the 1/3 rule, but round up and add a dollar (e.g. 40 + 14 + 1 = 55)?j 2. Go for 40% (bill plus half, minus 10%. e.g. 40 + 20 - 4 = 56)? Not sure how the house moves their cut into the register, but then we don't really want to know how sausage is made either. Lori Betsy Bob Bill (?) Ruth Russ-yes Sue-maybe (Pinot Champagne? Proseco?) Jim/Louise Nicolai Below is the artical from the SFGC on "corkage". Interesting stuff, but the issues are diffferent. SF is a bit higher ($ and Quality) on the food chain than MSP SF is wine country (Vintners working w/ restaurants). Per the article, one for one seems quite workable. That is, buy one off their list and bring one in w/o corkage. The straight $20 markup seems both fair and rare. 200% markup on wine and food would be reasonable if applied to the true cost. If we're buying it for 10, the restaurant is probably buying it for $8. Why is it on the list for $40 instead of $24? Cheers, Jim April 12, 2006 The Pour Rieslings From Germany Scale the Heights By ERIC ASIMOV THE sap rises. The swallows return. And without fail each year something in the spring air touches the nerve that causes me to crave riesling. Could it be the scent of the tulips along Park Avenue? The shedding of the winter woolens? The thwack of ball against bat? All right, all right, I'll lose the seasonal romance. It's the clogging of the sinuses, the car alarms now all too audible through open windows, the promise of sweaty days ahead, whatever. Either way, the first warm days of spring signal the official opening of riesling season. Many wines have their seasonal associations. I think of Sancerre and sauvignon blanc in the summer, Rhone wines in the fall, Amarone in the winter, and Burgundy and Champagne pretty much any time at all. Yet, just as riesling reigns among wines in conveying a sense of origin, it is also unsurpassed in connoting the sense of rebirth and renewal that we almost physically equate with spring. Among its less mystical attributes, riesling is also one of the most versatile wines to pair with food. You would think that with all of this going for it, riesling would be one of the most popular, revered wines in the world. Instead, it remains something of an insider's wine, enjoyed passionately by a relatively small number of consumers who seemingly can't decide whether to rejoice in the mainstream neglect, which keeps prices reasonable, or despair in having to forge their own path in an oaky, vanilla, fruit cocktail white wine kind of world. (Righteous indignation, you see, is an essential component of riesling love.) I can point to many occasions over the last 20 years when riesling-loving wine writers asserted that the tide had turned, that riesling was finally about to have its moment. We're still waiting for that wave to arrive. Hopeful signs abound, nonetheless. Maybe it's just spring talking, but in New York, at least, sommeliers like Paul Grieco at Hearth in the East Village and Rebecca Foster at Cookshop in Chelsea are big believers in riesling and effectively convey their enthusiasm through their wine lists. Retail shops are doing a much better job among themselves of featuring riesling. Best of all, more great riesling is being made today than ever before, and it is coming from more places. Alsace, of course, has a proud riesling heritage, and its wines can be among the most powerful and profound whites in the world. I've grown to love the dry, rich, minerally rieslings of Austria, while the surprisingly good rieslings of Australia may come to be recognized one day as the best Australian whites of all. California has a few riesling pockets, like Navarro in Mendocino County and Smith-Madrone in Napa Valley, though the best American rieslings may come from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. But for dedication to the riesling grape and for wines of a rare beauty, depth and clarity that can match fragility with intensity, no country can rival Germany. The drawbacks of German rieslings are all too well known. The labels are indecipherable, the nomenclature is confusing, and the language, for non-German speakers, is difficult to translate. All true, yet ultimately irrelevant. Burgundy is awfully confusing as well, yet because the wines are worth the effort, people eventually figure it out. Believe me, German rieslings are worth the effort, too. One more thing comes to many people's minds about these wines: they are sweet. Indeed, this is frequently the case, yet again, it often doesn't matter. Why is this? Consider for a moment that although many popular American wines claim to be dry, they are in fact slightly sweet. Believe it or not, these American wines often taste sweeter than many rieslings because the sugar in the German wines, unlike in the American ones, is balanced by high acidity. Paradoxically, these sweet German rieslings taste drier than the so-called dry New World cabernets and chardonnays. Here's a bottle that reflects all that Americans consider nightmarish about German rieslings: It's a 2004 R�desheimer Magdalenenkreuz sp�tlese from Josef Leitz, one of the excellent producers that are rejuvenating the reputation of the Rheingau, a small, historic area full of crumbling castles and vineyards that rise up from the Rhine on unbelievably steep slopes. Forget the mouthful of words. What's important to know is that this wine offers exactly the sort of tension between sweetness and acidity that gives German rieslings their taut precision and focus. It is light and graceful, full of lingering mineral and rich lemon flavors, and even though it has some residual sugar, the wine tastes almost dry because each element is in harmony. It's a difficult balancing act, made to look easy. Oh, and it's just 8 percent alcohol. While the Leitz tastes dry, some Rheingau wines are legitimately dry. Robert Weil, another Rheingau producer, makes a wonderful sp�tlese, but also makes a dry wine (with a label in English that simply reads, "Estate Riesling Dry"). Like most German rieslings, the predominant flavors are of minerals, but the Weil also has a floral component, and the 2004 has a slight fizziness that is characteristic of many young rieslings. Because in dry rieslings all the sugar has been fermented into alcohol, they tend to have a higher level of alcohol than wines in which the fermentation is halted, leaving residual sugar. The Weil is all of 11.5 percent, as against the 14-plus percent typical of most American wines. Along with the Rheingau, the most famous German wine region is the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. It is the home of many great producers, like J. J. Pr�m, Fritz Haag and Selbach-Oster. But producers in other regions are worth following, too. I've recently enjoyed superb wines from Hexamer, D�nnhoff and Sch�fer-Fr�hlich in the Nahe and M�ller-Catoir in the Pfalz. Most remarkable of all was a riesling from the lowly Mittelrhein, which mostly produces plonk from the M�ller-Thurgau grape. This bottle, a 2004 Bopparder Hamm Ohlenberg sp�tlese from Weingart, was another of those exquisitely balanced sweet wines that taste dry. But in addition to its lively floral and mineral qualities, this one had intense peach and apricot flavors, and delicacy, too. What more could you want? Oh, I don't know. Maybe saut�ed river trout or scallops? Or Dover sole, or white asparagus, or roasted squab? I'd even settle for another glass. WINE Misunderstood Merlot Deserves Another Chance Wednesday, April 12, 2006; F05 BEN GILIBERTI If you've recently made up your mind that merlot is not for you, I have two recommendations: taste more merlots and check out a new Web site called Merlot Fights Back ( http://www.merlotfightsback.com ). The site, which features detailed information on soil, climate and other factors that affect the quality of merlot, is the leading edge of an ambitious campaign undertaken by Napa Valley's Swanson Vineyards to bolster merlot's flagging popularity. In addition to the Web site, Swanson winemaker Chris Phelps has embarked on a nine-city tour touting what he refers to as merlot's "complex uniqueness." The tour features tastings of not only the merlots that Swanson produces from its 50 acres of vineyards in Napa's Oakville district, but also those of quality producers elsewhere in California and in Italy, France and South America. "What we're trying to show is that when merlot is planted in the right soils and climate, it's one of the world's great grape varieties," Phelps said. While conceding there are many insipid merlots, he blames not the grape but the red wine boom, which caused merlot to be planted in unsuitable places, sullying the reputation of all merlot. "I wonder if Miles [the merlot-phobic character in the 2004 movie "Sideways"] even realizes that the '61 Cheval Blanc he opened on his birthday was almost 50 percent merlot," Phelps said. The lovely Swanson 2002 Merlot ($30) is a prime example of merlot's quality potential. Phelps's training at Chateau Petrus in Pomerol comes through in the tight focus of the fruit and the weaving in of subtle cassis and mineral notes on the finish. Swanson stands in good company. The following merlots are highly recommended based on the combination of quality and value. Prices are approximate. Beringer 2003 Merlot "Napa Valley" ($19; California; distributed by Washington Wholesale): This sumptuous merlot is a knockout. Vigorously fruity, with warm, ripe tannins, it has the power and concentration to embarrass most cabernet sauvignons. Match with grilled steak. J. Lohr Estates 2002 Merlot "Los Osos" ($16; California; NDC): Deep purple in color, this merlot from the Paso Robles region of California serves up a powerful bouquet of toasty vanilla, cassis and blackberries, followed on the palate by ripe, fleshy fruit. This deserves prime lamb chops (limited supply). Chateau Lauriol 2003 Bordeaux ($12; France; Alain Blanchon Selections: The second wine of the respected Chateau Puygueraud in the Cote de Francs region of Bordeaux, this has an intriguing nose of spice and light cedar, followed on the palate by polished flavors of berry and cassis. Much class for the price. Domaine de Montpezat 2003 Merlot "Les Enclos" ($12; France; Kacher Selections): Offering a full quotient of rustic charm for which the wines of the southern French region of the Languedoc are justly famous, the generous red and black fruit flavors of this wine are tailor-made for grilled red meats. Kendall-Jackson 2003 Grand Reserve Merlot ($25; California; NDC): Grand Reserve Merlot comes primarily from Kendall-Jackson's premium hillside vineyards in Sonoma. The red berry fruit is lush and layered, with a finishing sheen of vanilla from aging in new oak barrels. Medium in body, it will match well with poultry and salmon but has sufficient structure to handle red meat. Tortoise Creek 2005 Merlot ($8 to $9; France; Henry Wine Group): Although this is from the small village of St.-Chinian in the Languedoc, it has the pure berrylike fruitiness and complexity of a young petite chateau from the St.-Emilion region of Bordeaux. Its bright fruitiness makes it a superb aperitif red. Exceptional value. Castillo de Monjard�n 2002 Merlot Deyo ($22; Navarre, Spain; Winebow): The French-influenced Navarre region enjoys a long history with merlot. This generously oaked wine offers layered fruit with a fresh bouquet of vanilla, bing cherries and cassis. Domaine de St. Antoine 2004 Merlot ($10; France; Robert Kacher Selections): This youthful wine from the Costieres de Nimes region of southern France offers exuberant fruit, moderate tannins and notes of Provencal herbs in a pleasing, drink-now style. American Winetasters Society 2003 Merlot "Stags Leap District" ($16; Napa; Wine Partners): This is blended from the overproduction of several respected wineries in the prestigious Stags Leap district of Napa, and displays a violet scented bouquet, followed by silky fruit on the palate. Light to medium-bodied, it matches best with veal, duck or roast chicken. Ben Giliberti, The Post's wine critic since 1987, can be reached atfood(a)washpost.com. � 2006 The Washington Post Company -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *