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Plus, Far Niente celebrates its 125th anniversary, South Africa loses a wine-industry giant and more

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor This month's New York Cork Club selections are Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer and Herman J. Wiemer 2008 Dry Riesling, who great summer sippers that will pair with the hot temperatures we've been "enjoying" of...

Gary Vaynerchuk continues his supermarket wine tasting with 3 Aussie reds, including one of the most infamous- Yellow Tail. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Wines tasted in this episode: Jacobs Creek MerlotAustralian Merlot Li

It’s been a couple weeks now since the second edition of our Wine Bloggers Tasting series, and as with the first session, I am so so tremendously happy at the quality, quantity, and content of responses from our guests to the tastings. I think it’s safe to say it was another successful endeavor, and that said, I [...]

Expansive rooftops seem like such a waste, soaking up untapped power which is available in some parts of this country almost year round.

2009 S.A. Prum Essence Riesling Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany – $15 Summertime = funtime and we fully support busting out a bottle or two for a late lunch on a gorgeous, lazy weekend afternoon. While the whole “liquid lunch” thing is totally awesome in theory, let’s face it: nothing good happens when you get schwasted by 3pm. Luckily, there’s [...]

This has been a wild and crazy spring and summer. After dodging frosts through May we've dealt with excessive heat, rain and dry spells. Every week has seen at least one or two "gully gushers" filling Canandaigua or Keuka lakes above normal levels. The vines are thriving nonetheless and it appears to be a moderate crop size with balanced leaf to fruit ratios and very good prospects for

““My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.””

- John Meynard Keynes

Have you noticed that Petite Sirah is a well-known grape but not a popular one?  I’ve never overheard anyone requesting a glass of Petite Sirah in a bar, and I rarely see it on a wine list.  But I have seen it in many blends.  In fact, Clark Smith, a leading authority on the enhancement [...]

Union Square Hospitality Group is set to open three new restaurants in Battery Park City next year.

The paiche fish will be on display at Lobster Place until 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Patrick Rue loves beer. Belgian beer, to be specific. He started brewing it while he was in law school as a diversion. And it worked. These days everything else is a diversion from beer at Rue’s two-year-old, rapidly-growing brewery in Orange County, California, punnily named The Bruery. Tucked into a non-descript industrial park right off the 57 freeway, the Bruery team works around the clock crafting some of the most innovative beers on the domestic market, Belgian-style or otherwise, in a deft waltz between three 15-barrel, one 30-barrel and three 45-barrel gleaming stainless steel fermenters.

"There's nothing bland about our beer," head brewer Tyler King told Steve Greer and me on a recent visit to the Bruery (see our interview with Tyler above), and that is for certain. Where most West Coast breweries seem content to one-up each other in the "my beer is hoppier than yours" game, the boys at the Bruery are yeast fanatics. They have their own proprietary Belgian yeast strain (the Filthy Blonde we tasted was a yeast propogation batch) and play around a lot with brettanomyces and lactobaccilus. And they infuse their beers with David Chang-like creativity. Right now they’re working on a 100% brettanomyces black Thai beer infused with galangal root and keffir lime that has the savoriness of Tom Ka and the richness of a stout, while never falling out of balance.

We currently have four Bruery beers in stock (and are working on getting the Hottenroth, which Tyler mentions in the video). The "Tradewinds Tripel" (750ml $9.99) is a Belgian-style Golden Ale with another Southeast Asian spin, this time adding Thai basil and rice to the mash. The rice subs for Candi sugar, increasing the beer’s alcohol without weighing it down. Light on the palate, with plenty of spice, this beer loves spicy foods, but is also at home with Sunday’s roast chicken and panzanella.

The "Saison de Lente" (750ml $9.99) is just what you want during the heat of summer. Lighter in alcohol than the Tradewinds, there’s a hint of bretty sourness to the beer that really makes this beer stand out from the average six-pack. While a seasonal beer that’s delicious fresh, King suggests holding on to a bottle or two for a year, when the citrus tones from the hops recede a little bit and the awesome bretty funk comes to the fore.

The "Orchard White" Belgian Witbier (750ml $7.99) is notable for its distinctive lavender-kissed twist. But before you think that this is all floral and girly, spicy coriander and bitter orange kicky in. Fruity and yeasty and wonderfully complex on the palate. This is one of my favorites with food.

Finally, we have the "Rugbrød" Rye Ale (750ml $9.99). Made with three different kinds of rye, this dense beer derives its name from the Danish word for rye bread. Dense and bready, with just the right amount of roasted malt character, you'll love this beer even if you can't pronounce it. And while it's something that immediately makes me think winter, it'll also warm you up on a cool summer night, which seem to be the norm as of late.

Leah Greenstein

Note: Beer cannot be shipped outside California.

If it grows together, it goes together.

Is there a better combination with French food than French wine? An American steak with a California Cabernet? This is the stuff dreams are made of!

Most of us also know pairing an Italian Chianti with a pizza is a classic combination as well. But when we crack open sparkling wine to pair with pizza, eyes seem to glaze over.

Never fear! White pizza to the rescue! Build your favorite pie, leave off the tomato sauce, & you can end up with a wonderful pairing with Italian sparkling wine. Here’s what I paired with my 2000 Altemasi Riserva Graal Brut:

I blended ricotta cheese, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, a small amount of good olive oil & my favorite Italian spices to taste. I squeezed in the juice of a fresh lemon & a few red pepper flakes & smeared all that over my Boboli crust for a thin base. I heaped on sliced mozzarella cheese & a few thin slices of salami & popped it in the oven.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 Magnificent Wine Company House Wine White from the Columbia Valley [...]

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Magnificent Wine Company House Wine White was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Vacation is over and the pursuit of being prepared for harvest has begun. At Rack and Riddle, sparkling grapes are anticipated to begin coming in the week of the 16th. BUT- it has been unusually cool, no-cold here. At present my weather station(Asti - Tres Palmeras Vineyard Weather) is showing 48F, yesterday it was 52F. The highs have been in the 60-70's, a few 80's- even Southern California is reporting lower than average and lots of coastal fog. So what does that mean? There are some vineyards in higher elevations or coastal that may not ripen this year. And in general most vineyards are going to be late to start along the coastal regions. The central valley areas and foothills are reporting being more on average as they have not had the fog influence- crazy year!

So prep for harvest has begun, cleaning crush equipment, grapes bins, making sure everything runs- it definitely gets my blood running with excitement - the beginning is drawing near......

Online retailer Naked Wines has been shortlisted for the Orange Innovation Award 2010, part of the National Business Awards.

California's renowned Bien Nacido Vineyards are releasing their first own label wines this autumn.

Our good friend Terry "Strappo" Hughes, co-owner of Italian importer Domenico Selections, returns to Northern Kentucky for an Italian wine assault (he is probably landing at CVG as we speak).  Terry will be dropping in on our Covington store for a tasting of his wines Friday from 4-8 pm and will be at our Fort Thomas [...]

My husband/partner Jose is constantly feeding me information. A constant source of inspiration, he sent this link to me: Take the 7 Link Challenge Today #7links from ProBlogger. At the time, I was deep in my Petite Sirah Symposium Land organizing, and shelved it for another day… Like today, when I could pay better attention. [...]

A man awaiting trial for blackmailing Domaine de la Roman��e-Conti by threatening to poison the estate's vines has been found dead in his prison cell.

In a NYT story entitled, “To Enhance Flavor, Just Add Water,” Harold McGee explains–perhaps counterintuitively–that adding water to (alcoholic) beverages amplifies their flavors and aromas. To the tape: How can water reduce one sensation and amplify another? Both alcohol and aroma molecules are volatile, meaning they evaporate from foods and drinks and are carried by [...]

Eventually I expect these devices to be free, or almost free. The gravy is in the digital books. Just like Apple wants you to consume content from iTunes.

First there were Beer Nuts. Now there is Nut Beer. Uber Goober is beer made with “roughly a handful of peanuts in every glass.” It is made by Short’s Brewing of Elk Rapids, Michigan. Related Posts: Zubrowka (1) Yerba Mate (2) Wine Without Sulfites (7)

Sometimes, I can be very ornery. When there's lots of hype, I think, "Nothing is THAT good." Memorable occasions when I've been proven wrong were Chariots of Fire (still one of the best movies ever made) and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (goes without saying).

There's a rosé that's been getting a fair bit of hype lately, and when I saw a bottle of the latest vintage on the shelf at my local grocery store, I had to give it a try.

I'm glad I did, because it turns out the hype was merited. The 2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Ode to Lulu Rosé is a lusty, zaftig rosé that may make you hum Ode to Joy. ($19.99 in my local independent grocery store; available elsewhere for $17-$22) As I sipped this, it seemed to me that the high points the previous vintage received from major wine magazines might actually be a bit stingy. There were very dry aromas: just a waft of strawberry wrapped around lime zest and chalk. I got no watermelon candy taste at all--something I taste in a lot of rosés these days. Instead, there was strawberry fruit, with a lovely stoniness that kept it focused. This wine left a beautifully rich taste in the mouth, a nice nod at the Mourvedre grapes that went into the bottle. Excellent QPR.

Given its rich, dry flavor profile the Bedrock Wine Co.'s Ode to Lulu can stand up to a wide variety of summery fare, from BBQ ribs to grilled tuna salade niçoise, and from hot dogs to peel-and-eat shrimp with zesty cocktail sauce.

The other night a few friends helped me to taste through a load of Santorini wines. I've discovered these wines only recently and am still just beginning to understand them. Here are the basics, as I understand them:

--Assyrtiko is the most important grape grown on Santorini. It is yellowish and fleshy, and it retains its vigorous acidity even when very ripe. The other grapes that commonly appear in Santorini wines are Aidani and Athiri.

--Santorini sees a lot of sun and a lot of heat. Vines are trained in coiled baskets in order to shield the grapes from the sun. Even still, alcohol levels tend to be high.

--Soils are primarily volcanic rock and pumice. The pictures I've seen make it seem as though there is little soil, as I understand soil to be, in the vineyards of Santorini.

--Vines are very old - supposedly the average age on the island is about 80 years old. And the vines are un-grafted, as Phylloxera seems not to have taken root, so to speak, on Santorini.

--The wines really do need a few years to settle, to show their graceful side, as they are intense and assertive early on.

I tasted some of these wines before and found them to be rather compelling. On this night I wanted to drink them with dinner. And that didn't happen. I had friends over, I made dinner and didn't get to focus as I would have liked. But there was wine left in all but two of the bottles and I sat down with them thoughtfully on day 3. I'll share some notes, but first a few thoughts.

There are some sulfur issues with these wines. It can be confusing - are those smokey volcanic rock aromas, or sulfur aromas? With some bottles it was clearly sulfur, with others I felt confused. Another thing - the alcohol can be a bit jerky, particularly with the barrel fermented wines. That said, the best wines show a truly unique character - there are elements of sea spray, legumes like lentils or peas, and the minerals really smell like pumice, like the rough stone your mom might have had in the shower. Lastly, the 2007 vintage seems to be my favorite, although it is not one that the wine makers said was particularly good. Here's what we drank, in order of drinking (all notes are based on day 3 drinking):

2009 Sigalas Santorini, $20, Diamond Importers. I've had this wine several times now (most recently with lunch on the day before this dinner) and it shows a little differently each time. This one was smokey and savory with vibrant citrus fruit. The acidity is strong and the wine feels energetic. The bottle we had on the previous day with lunch showed more fruit, this one was more savory. In the end, I think this will do well with a few years in bottle.

2009 Gaia Santorini Assyrtiko Wild Ferment, $24, Athenee Imports (This wine was received as a sample). As the name implies, this is fermented with naturally occurring yeasts. There is a strong floral element to the nose that I like. This is a powerful wine, very rich and heavy, intense on the finish. Although I recognize that there is quality here, it's just too weighty for me in the end.

2008 Gaia Thalassitis, $22, Athenee Imports. Even on day 3, the sulfur just obscures the wine for me. Actually, I thought it more difficult on day 3 than when we had it with dinner. I hear that this needs time in the bottle, but I'm just not convinced about this wine.

2007 Sigalas Santorini, price unknown, Diamond Importers (This wine was received as a sample). On day 3 this is without any question the best of all of the wines. It is perfectly integrated, graceful in its assertive power, pure, and clean. There is a top layer to the nose of white fruit, if that makes any sense. Under that there are stones, creamy lees, and sea spray. This is just a lovely wine, and if the 2009 is going to turn into this, then I'm in.

2007 Estate Argyros Santorini, $21, Athenee Imports. The nose was either very smokey or full of sulfur, and there was discussion about which was which at dinner. On day 3 there was no sulfur that I could detect. The nose was quite lovely with green peas or some sort of raw legume, and that smokey pumice sea spray thing that I get at the end of many of these wines. The palate, however, was not easy. The acids are so bright that it is literally like inhaling the spritz of a lemon, and it didn't feel balanced to me. Food helped, but not enough to make me go buy this again.

2007 Hatzidakis Santorini, $20, No import label (used to be Trireme Imports). This wine is 90% Assyrtiko, and then 5% Aidani and Athiri. I've had this wine several times now with different results each time. This bottle, sadly, was not the best one. There might be some botrytis, there is a lot of honey, some alcohol juts out. It shows on the palate too, the alcohol warmth, but it is basically a balanced wine. Other bottles have shown more of the sea foam and lentil thing that I find compelling.

2008 Sigalas Santorini Barrel Ferment, price unknown, Diamond Importers (This wine was received as a sample). At the big Santorini tasting in May I was bowled over by the barrel fermented wines. This time, I think I preferred the stainless wines. The alcohol here is 14% and the oak is still dominant. There is a kernel of something floral, but it's all about the oak right now. The palate shows intensity and something salty, but as much as I might like to, I just don't have the experience seeing these wines age and I can't tell you what's going on here.

2007 Sigalas Santorini Barrel Ferment, $33, Diamond Importers. Is it the vintage? The extra year of aging? Who knows, but on day 3 this shows much better than the 2008. There is oak still, but also smokey pumice and preserved lemon on the nose. It is balanced and energetic on the palate with a gentle touch of sea spray on the finish. The oak flirts in and out though. Will the oak integrate over time, allowing the other components to show themselves? If so, this could be really good wine.

2008 Hatzidakis Nykteri, price unknown, Trireme Imports (This wine was received as a sample). The back label says that this wine is made from grapes of perfect ripeness harvested at night. I like Hatzidakis, but none of the wines showed particularly well on day 3, and this one was the most difficult. The alcohol is 15% according to the label and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it were higher. The aromas are floral and very heady, but also hot, and there is something soapy in there. The palate is ripe and rich and to my taste, a bit overdone.

2004 Hatzidakis Nykteri, price unknown, Trireme Imports (This wine was received as a sample). Also 15% on the label, and still a huge wine, although a bit easier than the 2004. Based on the way these Nykteri wines showed, I'm more interested in the stainless wines from Hatzidakis.

Washington Hills Merlot 2008, Columbia Valley (£6.49 The Co-op) Overripe with rather hard baked blackberry character, concentrated but overdone, should have been picked earlier and made with less force. C(-) Powers Merlot 2006, Columbia Valley (£10.99 – £11.49 Handford Wines, Wines of the World, Bottle Apostle, Hennings Wines, Rodney Densem, Michael Jobling, Wildflower Wines) Still [...]

Forgive me if I don't credit a specific episode of Wine Library TV but I remember hearing way back from @garyvee about how people tend to latch on to a specific wine they've enjoyed and want to drink it forever as if it contains the cure.

I remember hearing that and thinking "That's not me!  I rarely want to buy more than 2 bottles of a single wine and it annoys me when I can only get good pricing on a wine when I buy 12 bottles.".

But if I extend the statement a little further and try to think of the last wine I wish I would have bought more of in the last few years the first that comes to mind is the 2007 Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel.  Good luck trying to find this wine around favorably priced- the 2008 vintage is more expensive and just doesn't offer the same level of excitement somehow.

What was it about this wine that made it disappear so quickly from my stash?  I think it's a few things coming together:  Price point around $20.  Delicious flavor profile.  Fruit-forward yet offers layers of complexity.  Luscious.  Consistently popular with guest. That about sums it up.

Why was I thinking about this?  Because I think I've found the first wine since 2008 that's got me thinking about backing up the truck.  I've been talking about it on Twitter (@RobertDwyer) but I'll be writing it up here in the coming days.  I'm looking forward to talking more about this wine because I feel like it will serve as a good litmus test of whether you should listen to my wine recommendations.  Check back soon or subscribe so we can continue the conversation.

Question of the Day: What's a wine you've bought in the last few years that you wish you would've bought more of?  And/or what's a wine that's still available in the market now that you'd recommend others stock up on and why?

Giordano Lombardo Azienda agricola Biodinamica, Gavi, Italia

 

How to choose a wine to match your food is an never ending discussion as we continue to search for the best strategy to deal with our ever increasing options. I was recently reading Olly Smith's The Complete Summer Wine Guide, and while I found it entertaining to read and very helpful in its specificity, after reading the question still lingered- if you're having fish with a citrus, for example, how do you choose between New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, and Riesling?  In the US and UK we have nowsuch a plethora of grapes, regions, and styles it can be paralyzing, even with expert advice.

 

In this sense living in Spain is a blessing, for although I can seek out imports, the wines usually sitting on my grocery or local wine shop's shelves are generally Spanish. With 77 Quality Wine regions, there are still a lot of options and a lot to explore, but choosing wine one country at a time has certain advantages. Most of the food I am eating is Spanish or at least Spanish influenced, not just in restaurants, but also at home as my local shops tend to dictate in large part what I eat by what's available. And my Spanish dinner usually goes pretty well with the Spanish wine I buy. 

Back in the States though, if I was stuck between options I still tended to pair with a similar mindset, picking a wine that reflects the origin of the food whenever possible. Even if the dish isn't strictly from one place or another, the orientation of the ingredients is a great guide. When this system fails, for example, with sushi or ceviche, I turn to the type of place; since these foods are from the sea, I look for whites from regions by the ocean- something like a Albariño from Rias Biaxas or Vinho Verde. Beef, on the other hand, would call to mind regions that are famous for their cattle as well as wine, such as Argentine Malbec or a Brunello  (from Tuscany, home of the Chianina, the beef used in bistecca alla fiorentina). 

There's no perfect answer, but it helps to have a place to start. How do you pick your wine for dinner? 

 

Leer Thoughts on food and wine pairing en Uvinum's blog

Bart Araujo is an intense man. It’s obvious when you meet him, if you’re paying enough attention.  And you’d have plenty of opportunity to pay attention during a visit to his Araujo estate, which for me began not in the vineyard, but in the winery’s offices.  We were standing in front of empty bottles of [...]

My favorite Jerusalem wine event is here! Jerusalem Wine Festival. At the just reopened Israel Museum, this year’s Jerusalem Wine Festival is bound to be a success. Here are the details: Tuesday through Thursday, 3-5 August at the Israel Museum Admission is 60NIS and includes a free tasting glass and unlimited tastings. Check out my [...]

IPC Media �� Decanter's parent company �� is supporting Race Online 2012, a government initiative to encourage and support as many people as possible to get online by the end of the Olympic year.

To judge from the number of views (nearly 18,000) and the number of posts (more than 200) on our Are you buying 209(sic) bordeaux? thread in Members' forum, many of you are pretty interested in bordeaux. The quality and quantity of the 2010 vintage in Bordeaux is likely to have an effect on demand.

Our Italian specialist Walter Speller drew my attention to this report  of a recent video interview with Ezio Rivella of Banfi, new president of the Brunello Consorzio, in which he admitted that 80% of all Brunello made before the ‘ Brunellogate scandal’ of 2008 contained grapes other.

Helen Turley first discovered the Upper Barn block (an old-clone chardonnay plot) on the Alexander Mountain Estate over a decade ago. Today, this location has been the source for some of California’s best Chardonnays. Perched at at elevation of 1,800 feet, the Stonestreet Chardonnay is a shining example of the fruit harvested from this plot. [...]

Every new Internet development comes with a hyperventilating promise to change the way a winery does business by revolutionizing how it interfaces with its customers by creating a new type of community around the brand. Yet, these innovations rarely become the ubiquitous life changers they are touted to be.

Ryan O’Connell is a dude who drank so much wine that he decided to make his own at O’Vineyards in the south of France. Ryan’s critically acclaimed work in the Languedoc-Roussillon has allowed him to become an ambassador for this beautiful region that he now calls home.  Follow his wine adventures at Love That Languedoc, or on [...]

Find prices and availability for Sherwood Pinot Noir.

Original Tasting and Review:

By way of background: This is Sherwood Estate Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand. The 2008 vintage is finished at a mere 12.5% alcohol.

In the glass: Deeply hued ruby red.

On the nose: Poured cool with a brief decant and swirled vigorously, this New Zealand pinot noir shows a deep, dry, slightly earthy and leafy nose. 

On the palate: The primary elements on the palate are sweet, rich, red cherry and red currant, moving on a solid acid and mineral core.  Hint of raw tobacco emerges too.  The clean, sweet fruit moves up gracefully into your cheeks, where it lodges playfully til the next sip.

In summary: Overall, a sweet, classic mid-weight experience. Rates three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale, with a plus for its underlying power.

Find prices and availability for Sherwood Pinot Noir.

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I’ve never seen The Beatles drink Champagne before. Have you?

Intersection for the Arts in San Francisco has announced they will be holding a tour of ...

Designed by Peter Gregson Studio for Quet Wine from winery Fruskogorski vinogradi. Source :: Packaging of the World. Share This

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes and Managing Editor Photo: Owner Amy Hoffman, left, works the tasting room on a busy summer day There are not many 90-point gewurztraminers that have come out of the Finger Lakes, and there has never...

I used to work for a French CEO. It was tough taking those business trips to Paris. Mon dieux.

This blog began as a place to share my interest in wine, food, & gracious living with friend, colleagues and fans.  All of the posts in this section are from February 2007 to July 28, 2010. Life is like a book, we enjoy one chapter and then we move on.  You’ll enjoy [...]

Anna Karenina--beautiful, wealthy, aristocratic—is nonetheless vulnerable, unhappy, and caught in a rigid society that crushes anyone who does not follow the rules of the game.

It saddens me to announce South African wine producer Graham Beck died July 27 at age 80.

According to Mail & Guardian Online:

“Beck’s involvement with South African wine began with his purchase of the Madeba farm in Robertson, a property he developed into a world-class producer of méthode cap classique.”

The winery wil continue to operate, as per Beck’s wishes. “It’s business as usual, that was his wish,” said Etienne Heyns, marketing manager of Graham Beck Wines.

This past Saturday I enjoyed every last drop of Beck’s brut rosé - never once thinking I would never have the chance to share a glass of it with him.

If I had grown a micron for every penis extension product I have been offered by email in the last 12 months, I would now have King Dong trembling in flaccid anxiety. Equally, offers for Viagra, “Rolex” watches, non-study MBAs and Nigerian dollar inheritances are starting to wear a bit thin. Domæne Gobelsburg, 2008 is made from [...]