27
Nov
2015
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Balanced, tasty and deep: Great vinous movie lines

Some of the best takes of wines come from the movies. A few of my favorites, in chronological order:

Rains“The grape is the only fruit that God gave the sense to know what it was made for.” —  Philippe Rambeau (Claude Rains), “This Earth is Mine” (on the right)

“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” – Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), “The Silence of the Lambs”

French Kiss“Wine is like people. The wine takes all the influences in life all around it, it absorbs them, and it gets its personality.”  — Luc (Kevin Kline), “French Kiss”

“It’s a bold wine with a hint of sophistication and lacking in pretension.  Actually, I was just talking about myself.” — Kate (Meg Ryan), “French Kiss”

“I myself subscribe more to the European philosophy of life, my priorities leaning towards wine, women and, well that’s about it.” — Alfie (Jude Law) in “Alfie” (2004 version)

Madsen“I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your ’61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.” — Maya (Virginia Madsen), “Sideways”

27
Nov
2015
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“Somm” can be tough to swallow, but smoothes out a bit

With so much great viewing available these days, and so little time. I’ve created some rules for getting into a movie or TV show. No. 1: If I don’t care for any of the characters, I’m out.

SommThat provided a challenge with “Somm,” because 15 minutes in I was hard-pressed to press on, with little to glom onto in terms of caring what happened to any of these annoying people. But I soldiered on and was rewarded.

This documentary is a true Sausage Fest, and probably holds little interest for anyone who doesn’t care about wine, but for us cork dorks it’s a rewarding look at the trials and travails of the somm-wannabe world. Once I warmed — well, “lukewarmed” — to the characters, it was fascinating to learn the depth with which they would strive for certification.

Poring through their beloved index cards while on a treadmill prepping for the prestigious Master Sommelier exam. Somm guyComparing riesling to a just-opened can of tennis balls (got that) and a new rubber hose (uh …), and a red wine to “lathered ponies.” And showing some self-awareness, especially when one of them characterizes the whole lot as “in some ways like guys in a locker room, with wine bottles.”

It’s particularly interesting that for all their studying and tasting, these guys often miss badly on what varietal they’re sampling blind. This humanizes them a bit, as do scenes with lady friends they have managed to garner.

Amidst the cramming, there are beautiful vineyard shots and some semi-cheesy light-jazz music, but this movie is all about the boys and their bottles. For better and worse.

A sequel from the same director (Jason Wise), “Somm: Inside the Bottle,” has just opened in limited release. I look forward to seeing it, but more because of my interest in the topic than the quality of its predecessor.

25
Nov
2015
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Wines of the Week: Nov. 23-29

Everyday: At a Vietnamese restaurant recently, my friend Jason recommend a wine I never would have ordered: a Elsa Bianchichardonnay from Argentina. Shows what I know. The 2014 Casa Bianchi Elsa Bianchi San Rafael Chardonnay was friendly, expressive and downright delicious, a major league quaffer/crowd-pleaser. The juicy fruit and hint of spice danced splendidly with my egg rolls and five-spice chicken, and I suspect any fish or fowl would pair splendidly with it. But this is also an ideal aperitif wine, and perfect for party planners, since it’s light enough for the non-chard crowd and chard-y enough for the devotees. The easy, breezy, hook-errific music of Squeeze makes for swell accompaniment.

Occasion: Petite sirahs are almost always sturdy, but I can’t remember encountering one as smooth as Field Stonethe Field Stone Staten Family Reserve Petite Sirah ($39). With fruit picked at perfect ripeness, this inky gem glides firmly across the palate, its spot-on tannins making their presence known through the long, hearty finish. Surprisingly, the 2010 was not too young, but a little cellar time wouldn’t hurt with more recent vintages. Whenever the cork is popped, consider braised or roasted meats or root vegetables, or pair it with hard cheeses before or after the main course. The rugged but polished works of Merle Haggard are just the ticket for this rough-and-ready red.

23
Nov
2015
0

Linkin’ logs: 11-23-15

Whew. Catching my breath, as usual, after an insane stretch. And catching up with the World Wine Web;

Schumer• I (heart) Amy Schumer, and GiFs like this are a big reason why.

• This is one of the better takes I’ve seen on how climate change might affect grape-growing. Key phrase: “rapid evolution.” For the near future, the models show El Niño drenching some areas that need it.

• Inspired idea of the week: How 10 artists would plate Thanksgiving dinner. And here’s some Turkey day pairing wisdom from a wiseacre.

Rickman• The folks who are about to shoot a movie on the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” are definitely not fans of a previous movie centering around that event, “Bottle Shock” (left).

• The times, and the wines, they are a-changin’ in some of the world’s epicenters of sweet wine.

• The ever-clever folks at VinePair pretty much nail what coffee, wine and weed do to us.

• Finally, not one, but two clever ‘toons:

Wine Allergies

 

Juice Cleanse

 

 

 

 

 

20
Nov
2015
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Meet your makers. And your experts.

There’s reason they’re called “experts.” Who better to tell us about a topic, in this case fermented grape juice, than the people who have burrowed deeply into it? Among these authorities are some winemakers:

Haut-Rhin is like a pretty girl with makeup; Bas-Rhin is the pretty girl who doesn’t need the makeup.” — Albert Seltz on the wines of his home region

BrezzaFor me the last glass should always be the best, not the first.  Otherwise for those who try to impress with a ‘bomba,’ each successive glass gets heavier and heavier.” — Enzo Brezza (left)

There is more history than geography in a bottle of wine.” — Jean Kressmann

Quality in wines is much easier to recognize than it is to define.” — Maynard Amerine

There is truth in wine, but you never see it listed in the ingredients on the label.” — Josh Stern

10
Nov
2015
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Great thinkers often were great drinkers, too

Many of our foremost minds, it turns out, have been stellar at writing about wine. Some of their contributions:

• “ ‘Twas Noah who first planted the vine … and mended his morals by drinking its wine.” — Benjamin Franklin

Galileo• “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” — Galileo (left)

• “I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens.” — Thomas Jefferson

• “I find friendship to be like wine, raw when new, ripened with age, the true old man’s milk and restorative cordial.” —Jefferson

• “Wine is like the incarnation — it is both divine and human.” — Paul Tillich, philosopher

• “Compromises are for relationships, not wine.” — Sir Robert Scott Caywood

 

9
Nov
2015
0

Linkin’ logs: 11-9-15

A friend of mine is selling her seriously cool T-Bird, but I’m having fun fun fun in the meantime scrolling for vinous wisdom:

Bubbles• More potentially good healthiness for us: Bubbles help the brain.

• My friend Lisa Mattson does the coolest videos in the wine biz. Here’s Exhibit 243, using a summer hit for autumnal chores.

• Think you’d like to be a “super taster”? Not me. Grape Collective looks at the assets and pitfalls of having a “super” palate, with a cool test to figure out if you have one.

Oxford• Drawing from Jancis Robinson’s stellar updating of “The Oxford Companion to Wine,” the estimable Elin McCoy provides a look at “What Every Wine Geek Needs to Know, Right Now.”

• This is delightful: A sommelier draws (literally) from the wine-speak so often used by wine critics and fellow somms. She works under the Fresh Cut Garden Hose rubric, inspired by the use of that preposterous descriptor in the movie “Somm.”

• Finally, what has to be the coolest envelope ever:

A Votre Sante

8
Nov
2015
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Wines of the Week: Nov. 2-8

Everyday: Iberian whites, at least the ones that reach Tundraland, tend to be a delicious lot. Certainly the 2014 Nortico NorticoMinho Alvarhino ($14) fills that bill, with refreshing, bold flavors of citrus, stone fruit and tropical fruit (kiwi!). It’s from northern Portugal, near Riax Baixas, the Spanish region that produces so many gems from the same grape, called albarino there. This taste like the grapes were grown close to the ocean, and fittingly is an excellent match for almost any seafood as well as medium-spiced Asian dishes and lighter cheeses. Bonus points for being 11-percent alcohol. I loved listening to the twangy but bright Americana warbling of Kasey Chambers while sipping this beauty (and laboring mightily not to guzzle it).

Occasion: I’ve enjoyed wines from the Hirsch Vineyard for a good while now, and I’m even more grateful that the family is Hirschnow bottling its own brand. The 2011 Hirsch San Andreas Fault Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($65) is nigh onto flawless, an ethereal wonder that provokes more questions than it provides answers. The combination of a cool vintage and a coastal vineyard provided indelibly complex wine, with cherry and earthy woodland flavors dancing deftly, a truly silky texture and intense, super-sensuous finish. Double yum. Chicken or pork with lighter, herbier embellishments should play beautifully with this picture of grace. With its alluring nose and flavors, this calls for the gorgeous, stirring music of one of California’s lesser-known treasures, It’s a Beautiful Day.

 

6
Nov
2015
0

Role playing: Proper wines for each James Bond actor

I had a great good time compiling wine recommendations for all 24 “authorized” James Bond movies, past and present. But being almost as big an 007 fan as a wine lover, I can now say “but wait, there’s more …”

As “Spectre” opens today, here are some appropriate wines for the thespians who have portrayed 007 on the big screen, in chronological order:

Sean Connery: Not only did this bastion of masculinity nail the role from the get-go, he aged well in it. Makes sense, then to go with a hearty, hefty, age-worthy Bordeaux (which Connery used to “out” bad guys in “Diamonds Are Forever”). To avoid spending the next several paychecks, let’s go with the graceful but masculine Chateau La Croix St. Georges Pomerol.

Lazenby 2George Lazenby: I don’t envy anyone trying to succeed the pitch-perfect Connery, but this now-obscure Aussie was not remotely up the task. He would have been a one-hot wonder whenever he might have stepped into the role, not least because he came across as rather, well, feminine (c’mon, admit it: Hillary Clinton would be the right person to wear the outfit at left). So we’ll opt for a super-feminine wine: the crisp and delicious Botani Muscatel Seco from Spain’s Costa del Sol.

Roger Moore: For this 007 fanatic, Moore never really worked, and he got worse and worse during his way-too-many years in the role. He could throw out quips but lacked the gravitas that the character requires. Which calls for something light on its feet, perhaps the spicy, spritely Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé.

Timothy Dalton: I find it interesting that Dalton seems to have played mostly dastardly dudes since leaving this franchise Albeafter one nice effort (“The Living Daylights”) and one messy one (“Licence to Kill”). I had no problems with his work here, which finally harkened back a bit to Connery and Bond’s darker side. So an intense but not too heavy wine is in order, something like the vibrant but brooding G.D. Vajra “Albe” Barolo.

Pierce Brosnan: The Brit had a nice run as 007, even if it ended ignominiously (with the ludicrous “Die Another Day”). He was just physical enough and certainly as suave and smooth as one could want. So a polished wine with some energy would seem to be in order: the sleek but sturdy Wimmer-Czerny Roter Veltliner.

Daniel Craig: Now we’re talking. Literally, since my way better half often discuss whether Craig has surpassed Connery as the ultimate James Bond. (After much waffling, we’ve given up; love ’em both.) Given his rugged, just-enough-heft looks and piercing mien, let’s go with a rustic syrah from the Northern Rhone: Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph, which dances deftly between robust and elegant.