19
Feb
2012
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Wines of the Week: Feb. 13-19

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Everyday: You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of Italy’s wide range of white varietals than yours truly, but they also know how to make some dandy blends over there. The Banfi Toscano Centine ($12) has a huge, utterly enticing citrus/floral nose and fresh-tasting fruit with a swell jolt of acidity and refreshing finish. One slight problem: This mix of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot grigio is a bit too easy-drinking. Spring salads and veggies (even perenially pairing-challenged asparagus) and seafood or chicken with either zingy or creamy sauces will play well with this Tuscan white.

Occasion: There tends to be a lot of debate about signature European wines that are made in a “modern” style by some and a traditional style by others. I guess I’m “easy”: Well-made wine in any style works for me. I suppose the Vinedos de Paganos El Pundito Rioja ($58) falls in the contemporary category, but all I care about is its delicious amalgam of dark berries, earth and coffee, the firm focus from its minerally undercurrent and the heady mouthfeel and finish. It spends a long time in new French oak and still needs some aging; the ’04s and ’05 are right in the zone today. Bring out the grill, or the roasting pan, or the braising pot, for some beef or game dishes.

17
Feb
2012
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Muscat love

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I’ve been oft-amused recently by trade talk and media coverage around muscat/moscato. Especially the predictions that the surge in sales “” 73-percent growth in 2011 after 100-percent growth in 2010 “” has peaked.

We’ll see, obviously, but I’m not buying it. (Although I am occasionally buying moscato, especially this one and this one.) With one exception, all the merchants I talked to for a recent predictions column saw the craze continuing.

It’s also amusing to see the pooh-poohing of this varietal by many in the old guard. Steve Heimoff, one of the better wine writers around, blogged about missing the moscato craze because it is a “lower-shelf” wine favored by the “booboisie.” (True, perhaps, but a lot of moscato also is consumed by high-falutin’ types, and not just the rich rappers who have helped fuel its rise.)

Fact: The vast majority of wine sold in this country costs less than $10, where most moscato fits. Bigger fact: Most of the moscato out there just flat-out tastes good. Biggest fact: Moscato appeals mightily to the American sweet tooth. We talk dry and drink sweet, the saying goes. Tasting expert Tim Hanni had this to say about a study he conducted in California a few years back:

“To date, the industry message to consumers who prefer light, delicate and sweet wines is that they need to become more “˜educated’ and “˜move up’ to “˜higher quality wines’ such as dry wines. … The industry is guilty of alienating a large segment of consumers who frequently opt for other sweet beverages or even stop drinking wine altogether. 

That might explain why Gallo, which has been riding this wave with Barefoot, has introduced five other moscato brands over the last two years. And why California grape growers, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, continue to frantically plant moscato vineyards. They’ve been wrong before, but my sense is that this time they’ve nailed it.

Moscato just passed sauvignon blanc as America’s third-most-popular white wine “” behind chardonnay and pinot grigio “” yet some “experts” still are predicting that it will fade soon, as white zinfandel has and wine coolers did back in the day. I think they’re ignoring one huge factor: low alcohol. Most moscato checks in at under 9 percent, often in the 5-6 percent range that gives it roughly the same potency as most beer.

Recapping: Many Americans like to drink, and moscato allows them to drink more heavily without getting hammered. Many Americans have a sweet tooth, which moscato satisfies in a big way. So exactly why would such a beverage be on its way down, or out?

15
Feb
2012
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Turned sideways

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So everything was in place for a perfect Feb. 14 evening with my decidedly better half. Filets had been studded with a buttload of coarsely crushed peppercorns, awaiting their au poivre prep. Wine had been uncorked: 2002 cabernet sauvignon from A. Rafanelli, the first winery Sandy and I had visited together.

All that was missing was the proverbial romantic movie. We shuffled through some Italy-based options (“Summertime,” “Only You”), a couple of Woody Allen flicks (lamenting that we had not rented “Midnight in Paris”) and finally landed on “Sideways.” I hadn’t seen it in five years or so, and had it in my head that it was plenty idyllic enough for the occasion.

Uh, wrong.

Or so I thought a half-hour into our viewing. Sure, there were the transport-you-to-Wine-Country vistas, plus some nice lovey-dovey (or lusty-dusty) scenes. But Alexander Payne’s masterwork is mostly a character study, thoroughly infused with biting humor and bitter recriminations.

Yet amidst the dark turns and seriously flawed (male) characters, there’s some redemption, a few sweet turns “” especially Miles describing pinot noir/himself “” and of course Virginia Madsen’s character, the luminous, winsome Maya.

At a certain point, I realized why I had mentally slotted “Sideways” into the romantic category: It’s impossible to imagine not falling in love with Maya.

The rest of the performances are fabulous and nuanced, but Madsen’s is iconic. The movie prods our minds and souls, but Maya burrows her way into our hearts.

Blessedly, I had my own Maya sitting on the couch with me.

14
Feb
2012
0

The prices are semi-right

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Talk about mixed feelings.

I was not surprised at all to come across this story about a recent spike in California grape prices. That’s because during the last two weeks, I have broken bread with two vintners who brought up the topic.

First, Miro Tcholakov, winemaker at Trentadue and Miro vineyards and an avid follower of North Country growers, proclaimed that after several years of falling prices, some of them drastic, “the good deals from growers are going to be over.”

He added with a hearty laugh, “Too bad for Cameron Hughes [left].” (Hughes is a negotiant who has been spanning the globe to find bargain prices for good grapes and making smallish lots from them.)

Later, Peter Mondavi Jr. of Charles Krug told me, “This year as a grower you can name your price. As a negotiant, if you haven’t secured an agreement, you’re out of luck.” He mentioned a sign that had stood for weeks along Napa’s Hwy. 29 in 2009 reading “Cabernet grapes $2,000/ton” and said today’s spot market has prices in the $4,500-per-ton range for cab.

Part of this stems from the world’s oldest economic law. The supply of grapes from the 2010 and 2011 harvests has been down, often markedly, because of the weather. The upshot:

• For grape growers, most of whom are the quintessential small business that Americans like to root for, this is all good, even if they have fewer grapes to sell. They got hammered during the first few years of the recession.

• For consumers, it’s good and bad news. Cameron Hughes and many other negotiants made a lot of good wine and for the most part passed along the savings to consumers. When grape prices go up, what we pay does, too (general rule of thumb: take off two zeroes from the price per ton to get the bottle price, e.g. $4,500/ton grapes = $45/bottle wine).

• For those who went down the “Sideways” path, the news is good. Maybe. Pinot noir prices fell 12.7 percent to $1,265.90 a ton, so if producers don’t try to nail us by saying “we have to raise the price because of low yields,” it’s all good. Since in many cases pinot retail prices might have reached a saturation point, wineries might be loathe to trot out that canard. I think hope.

• For merlot lovers, it could go either way. Merlot prices rose 13 percent to $691.05 a ton, but Mondavi thinks the merlot market might see a ripple effect. “The rise in cabernet prices could push some consumers to merlot,” he said.

So I’m happy for the growers, especially the little guys, and pleased that unfairly maligned merlot (the good stuff, anyway) might continue its renaissance.The drop in pinot prices might be an indication that vintners realize, as with merlot a decade ago, there’s a lot of plonk out there.

And while it’s possible there will be some price hikes at the under-$25 levels where most of us shop, the reality is that these wineries have to compete with good, inexpensive stuff from all over the world; a decade or more ago, they would have been vying mostly with one another. Oh, and I’m guessing that Cameron Hughes will more than survive, continuing to release high-value wine from here, there and everywhere.

12
Feb
2012
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Mondavi Jr., crafting a renewed legacy

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History will get you only so far in the wine (or any other) business. Same with a famous name, which actually can work for or against you. In the end, what’s in the bottle matters more than all of that, especially if you want to get someone to buy a second bottle.

That might explain why Peter Mondavi Jr. has been spearheading so many changes at the venerable Charles Krug Winery.

In the mid-1990s, Krug produced 27 wines; now there are eight, half of them made with red Bordeaux grapes. Mondavi has moved the winery toward more new French oak barrels and estate grapes (about 90 percent); hired a stellar winemaker, Pine Ridge maestro Stacy Clark; gone with cold fermentation on the white wines, and spent $29 million, much of it on vineyard replanting and “refurbishing the historic part of our winery. 

The results are right where they belong, in a glass of the 2008 Napa Merlot ($24), a deep, dark, plummy, smoky delight, everything a great merlot should be. Or the 2010 St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc ($18), a vibrant grapefruit/tropical fruit amalgam that, as Mondavi puts it, “could be placed in a New Zealand lineup or a California lineup and only be a bit of an outlier in either. 

The most laser-like focus has been on the cabernet sauvignon-based Vintage Selection and Family Reserve Generations bottlings. These (and the Carneros Pinot Noir) age in all new French oak, but just as importantly get extra attention in the vineyard. “The Reserve and Vintners used to be just our best lots,” Mondavi said. “Now they are specific rows, smaller blocks. And we’re doing more aggressive thinning. 

His favorite part of the job? “The blending. Creating the final blend is a far from a scientific process,” he said with a chuckle. A close second: “the travel, presenting the wines to consumers, especially at dinners. 

And there, amidst talking about all the contemporary efforts, Mondavi can’t help but come back to the history of a winery his grandfather, Cesare Mondavi (left), purchased in 1943.

There’s a gleam in Peter’s eye when he talks about his grandparents’ Minnesota days, about the branch of the Mondavi clan that shunned the wine biz and opted for being bakers in Lodi, and about Krug being one of only three wineries in Napa (with Nichelini and Trinchero) “that date to the era just after Prohibition and have stayed in the same family. The Martinis have sold, BV, Beringer “¦”

Thus, a business plan that melds continuously improving the wines with touting tradition.

“The Millennial generation has very little knowledge of Charles Krug,” he said. “But we are [situated well for] people looking for authenticity, for legacy, for tradition-type stuff. People are coming back to that. 

That might get consumers to the first bottle. If the wines I tasted last week are any indication, they might well come back for a second.

11
Feb
2012
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Wines of the Week: Feb. 6-12

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Everyday: OK, so that blasted Hallmark holiday is fast approaching, you’re a little short on cash, and your gal/guy says Champagne always gives her/him a headache. Voila: The Poulet & Fils Clairette de Die Tradition NV to the rescue, and at a mere $15. It’s floral and soft, with a nice little sweet-vs.-briny skirmish going on amidst the bubbles. Plus it’s off-dry and creamy, making this a great accompaniment to Valentine sweets, but clean and vibrant enough to play well with saltier, more savory foods. It’s a nice introduction to not only a different take on muscat but to an underappreciated subregion of the Rhone Valley.

Occasion: Sticking with value wines suited for St. V’s Day, the Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2008 ($25) is a rich, hearty treat. I love the black pepper and black fruit, the smoke and firm tannins, and especially the substantial (but not too) mouthfeel and delicious finish. The fruit is both rustic and smooth, the tannins drying but integrated. This robust red’s roasted-meat elements make it a great match for you-know-what, or try it with one of my favorite romantic dishes, steak au poivre. Or, with the money you saved buying this wine, get some seriously good dark chocolate.

9
Feb
2012
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Not-so-peerless Parker prognostications

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I’m not much on making predictions “” it’s too easy to fall into the trap of creating more of a “wish list” “” but apparently a certain Mr. Parker is, or was, just fine with it.

In trying to declutter our TCA-scented basement, I came across a 2004 Food & Wine article in which Robert M. Parker Jr. goes out on a proverbial limb not once, not thrice, but a dozen times. His intro indicates that he is “confident that they will come true sooner rather than later.”

Well, it’s been eight years, so let’s see how he’s doing:

1 Distribution will be revolutionized: I predict the total collapse of the convoluted three-tiered system of wine distribution in the United States. NOT EVEN CLOSE

2 The wine Web will go mainstream: A much more democratic, open range of experts, consultants, specialists, advisors and chatty wine nerds will assume the role of today’s wine publications. NOT YET ANYWAY

3 World bidding wars will begin for top wines: Competition for the world’s greatest wines will increase exponentially: The most limited production wines will become even more expensive and more difficult to obtain. NAILED IT

4 France will feel a squeeze: The French caste system will become even more stratified … France’s obsession with tradition and maintaining the status quo will result in the bankruptcy and collapse of many producers who refuse to recognize the competitive nature of the global wine market. TO A DEGREE

5 Corks will come out: I believe wines bottled with corks will be in the minority by 2015. Stelvin, the screw cap of choice, will become the standard for the majority of the world’s wines. COULD STILL HAPPEN. OR NOT

6 Spain will be the star: Look for Spain to continue to soar. YES … By 2015, those areas that have traditionally produced Spain’s finest wines (Ribera del Duero and Rioja) will have assumed second place behind such up-and-coming regions as Toro, Jumilla and Priorat. POSSIBLE BUT NOT LIKELY

7 Malbec will make it big: By the year 2015, the greatness of Argentinean wines made from the Malbec grape will be understood as a given … and by 2015 this long-ignored grape’s place in the pantheon of noble wines will be guaranteed. QUANTITY OF SALES: SI; QUALITY: WE’LL SEE

8 California’s Central Coast will rule America: Look for wines from California’s Central Coast (an enormous region that runs from Contra Costa down to Santa Barbara) to take their place alongside the hallowed bottlings of Napa and Sonoma valleys. YES, FOR THE MOST PART

9 Southern Italy will ascend: While few consumers will be able to afford Piedmont’s profound Barolos and Barbarescos (subject to fanatical worldwide demand 10 times what we see today), once-backwater Italian viticultural areas such as Umbria, Campania, Basilicata and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia will become household names. NO AND NO

10 Unoaked wine will find a wider audience: Given the increasingly diverse style of foods we eat as well as the abundant array of tastes on our plates, there will be more and more wines that offer strikingly pure bouquets and flavors unmarked by wood aging. ABSO-TIVELY

11 Value will be valued: Despite my doom-and-gloom prediction about the prohibitive cost of the world’s greatest wines, there will be more high-quality, low-priced wines than ever before. This trend will be led primarily by European countries, although Australia will still play a huge role. Australia has perfected industrial farming: No other country appears capable of producing an $8 wine as well as it does. However, too many of those wines are simple, fruity and somewhat soulless. Australia will need to improve its game and create accessible wines with more character and interest to compete in the world market 10 years from now. YES, HELL NO AND YES

12 Diversity will be the word: By 2015 the world of wine will have grown even more diverse. We will see quality wines from unexpected places like Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Mexico, China, Japan, Lebanon, Turkey and perhaps even India. NOPE

8
Feb
2012
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Champagne wisdom, Part Deux

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It’s a great time to think about Champagne (which for me means any day that ends in “y”). I shared a few pearls last week on bubbles from northeastern France, and here are some more, from (mostly) lesser-known folks:

• “I drink Champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it “” unless I’m thirsty.” “” Madame Lilly Bollinger

• “Champagne, the great civilizer.” “” Talleyrand (left)

• “Champagne arouses the senses and produces a cheerfulness which flashes through the company like a spark of electricity.” “” Charles Baudelaire

• “Champagne is bottled sunlight.” “” Lord Thomson of Cardington

• “Gentlemen, in the little moment that remains between the crisis and the catastrophe, we may as well drink a glass of Champagne.” “” Paul Claudel

• “A good party is where you enjoy good people … and they taste even better with Champagne.” “” Wilson Mizner

1 … 85 86 87 88 89 … 106

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