Mostly an update. Looks like 6 or 8 is very likely. Scott has agreed to wave the corkage ($10) provided we take good care of our server$ (like always) and we send samples back to the kitchen. Some thoughts on the Cab pricing as the strong 2001 vintage hits the shelf, and will be replaced by the more variable 02 and 03 vintages. Laube of the Speculator. The Liq. Depot sale starts today. Tasting tonight, and on Wednesday 8 Spetember. ----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 11:21:39 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Cc: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> Subject: Mediteranian at Corner Table User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Greetings, A Rebours was fantastic. Great food, very interesting and some truly great wines. Next week, let's take Scott/Jason up on their offer/suggestion. Vin du jour is "Mediteranian Wines" at Corner Table. As an added incentive for Jason, we're also including anything "Rhone." Put another way, adding Mediteranian to Rhone was a good way to make peace w/ certain Burgundy/Barollo types. Corner Table Scott Pampuch 4257 Nicollet Av S Minneapolis 612-823-0011 Yes: Lori Betsy Bob Nicolai Bill S Roger Jim/Louise maybe/late: nephews in town Maybe's Brian others No's. Ruth/Warren pairing deep fried twinkies with asti spumante at the Fair Annette pouring and rubbing elbows at the Country Club. Joe C Jason Whooping it up by the Bay Cheers, Jim Scott Pampuch is about 4 weeks away from re-opening the n.e. thyme caf? spot. He's running into kitchen code issues (with the new ownership not much got grandfathered in). It will be called Corner Table. I've talked to him about the Thursday group and he looks forward to cooking for you again. His sous chef is a guy named Keven Kalstren (I think that's the spelling) who trained in Bordeaux. Before ne thyme closed Annette Peters and I had possibly the best lobster based seafood bisque I've ever had, made by this guy. Annette immediately picked it out as French-trained. Wine Spectator Online http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Main/Feature_Basic_Template/0,1197,2272,0… Home > Price Check on Cabernet Price Check on Cabernet Posted: Thursday, August 26, 2004 By James Laube This could be a watershed year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. That might seem like an odd assessment coming, as it does, just as the fabulous 2001 vintage arrives in the market. But as grand as this new vintage is -- and it is a dandy, on par with past greats such as 1997 and 1996 -- many of the wines face obstacles, both immediate and long term. The main problem is that too many Cabernets are overpriced. Vintners are ignoring what the market wants: greater value. Even if the economy rebounds, as it occasionally shows signs of doing, there are still real fiscal uncertainties facing this country, and consumers are justifiably cautious about parting with their wine dollars. Producing high-priced wines has its risks. Steep prices escalate even further once wines reach restaurant lists. Restaurateurs (and top-end Cabernet producers I've talked to lately) say sales of high-end Cabernets remain slow. Some sommeliers are reshuffling their lists and focusing on different varietals, wines that they not only find more exciting but that they can offer at significantly lower prices. That's a double whammy for Cabernet producers. Napa vintners are quick to point out that their wines are less expensive than the elite first-growths from Bordeaux, which is true. But that's more a rationalization for their high prices than it is a persuasive argument consumers should buy into. After all, there are many fine Bordeaux at lower prices. Why are Cabernet prices so high? One reason is marketing. Many wineries seek to create an image of luxury and exclusivity. Their owners simply look at what the competition is charging, figure their own wines are as good, and price them accordingly. Another ploy is promoting single-vineyard wines of limited production as superior in quality. Sorry, but single-vineyard wines are not always better than wines that are blends of several sources. In one of my recent blind tastings, I preferred the less expensive Cabernets from three fine producers -- Flora Springs, Livingston Moffett and La Jota -- to their luxury, or single-vineyard, cuv�es, which go for two or three times the price. This left me questioning their marketing judgment with the higher priced wines. Another cause of elevated prices is that most new wineries have paid extremely high prices for vineyard property. The only way they can possibly hope to recoup their investment is to charge as much as they think the market will bear. Consumers shouldn't pay for wineries' real estate speculations. Also, many of these new vineyards are in remote mountain sites, which are notorious for yielding spartan crops and austere wines. It typically takes 10 to 15 years for most vintners to learn how to manage their vineyards and have a reasonable expectation as to how their wines will develop. Then there's this reality: Many Cabernets simply aren't that good, yet are priced as if they're can't-miss wines. A few weeks ago, I tasted dozens of barrel samples of 2003 Cabernets at the California Cabernet Society tasting in St. Helena. These are wines that are targeted to sell in the $40 to $175 per bottle range. Some were new names, using newly planted vineyards. I singled out a half-dozen wines I'd consider buying; the rest simply weren't terribly interesting. A few were even flawed, with high levels of volatile acidity and Brettanomyces, signs of inexperienced winemakers; they were poor choices to show as previews of what lies ahead. And even if Cabernet's high prices weren't at issue, vintners are facing serious competition from other varieties both within California and beyond, with many of the outsiders giving Napa's thoroughbred grape a serious run for its money. At Wine Spectator's Grand Tour in Los Angeles, the most exciting wine I tasted was Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2001 (95, $55), from Chile. Its 2000 was the No. 3 wine in our 2003 Top 100. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't buy 2001 Napa Cabernets. Just shop wisely and consider what you're buying. This is the best vintage among the current and near-future offerings. Both 2002 and 2003 are variable in quality; there will be some terrific wines, but quality in both years was uneven, especially in 2003. If you're spending more on wine than you'd like, or think is wise, you're probably chasing limited-production wines with lofty reputations. But it also means you're missing opportunities in a market where quality and value can work to your advantage. James Laube, Wine Spectator's Napa Valley-based senior editor, has been with the magazine since 1983. Back to top -- ------------------------------ * * 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 *