25
Nov
2011
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Wine rhymes

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So it was actually fairly early in our wine-soaked evening when my friend Joe committed, and repeated what I’ll dub a Bacchian slip. We were talking about the grape of of a certain southeast-France region when he started asking, “Gamay Beaujolais: Where else do they make good gamay Beaujolais?”

The answer, of course, is “nowhere,” since Joe was smooshing together a grape and a region. If we had wanted to be forgiving of his gaffe — not our usual M.O. — I might have said that Brick House in Oregon and Duxoup in Sonoma make delicious wines from the grape known on these shores as gamay noir.

But later the word geek in me started wondering if there are other instances in which a grape and a region or appellation whare it thrives make a nice little rhyme. And in fact, there are several:

• Merlot Bordeaux
• Nebbiolo Barolo
• Chardonnay Montrachet (my personal favorite)
• Shiraz Oz (if we’re allowed to use a country’s nickname, and since I’m making the rules, we of course are)
• Trebbiano Italiano (OK, the judges are not gonna accept that one)

And … well maybe that’s it, but I’m guessing that at some point Joe will provide an addition to this list.

21
Nov
2011
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Thankful for these pairings

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Writing about Thanksgiving pairings is something writers tend to either love or loathe. I fall in the former category: I had a ton of fun writing this and this for the Star Tribune in recent years.

Basically, at a table with that wide a range of dishes (in terms of texture, acidity, sweetness/saltiness, etc.), the best idea is to have several beverages on hand.

But the best piece I’ve seen this year on the topic came from my friend Jason Kallsen, whose email newsletter at Twin Cities Wine is an indispensable delight. (Full disclosure: I’m an [all too] infrequent contributor to the site.) Here’s Jason on what is, for many of us, they year’s best holiday:

“I try to dodge the specific suggestions and instead talk in generalities, for I don’t want you to be driving from store to store in a frenzy Wednesday at 9pm. (Note: if you really want to have fun and watch crazy people going berserk, that is the day and time to do it.) Here are my official picks for this Thursday:

#1: English Cider
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttt???????!!!!!” I can hear it now. Why is the wine guy suggesting cider??? Why not??? I’ve been on a roll lately with all sorts of yummy ciders, especially the gems from England. Apple and Pear Ciders abound, and I thank my buddy Nick at First Grand Avenue Liquors of Saint Paul for opening my eyes. I’ve consumed far more cider than wine in the last seven days, and the acid snap combined with lower alcohol will make for a great Thanksgiving pairing. Trust me … the cider world has exploded lately and ask your good merchant for some suggestions. There is incredible bang for the buck in this category.

#2 California Zinfandel
It’s an American holiday, and Zinfandel is an American grape! What grows together goes together!!! Most great Zinfandels will have a core of black raspberry and black cherry, highlighted by peppery spice. A perfect combo with a turkey coated in cajun spices or just lots of pepper.

#3 Viognier
I feel I’m starting to sound like a broken record when it comes of Viognier (or even worse that I’m getting kickbacks from the International Viognier Society, if there were such a thing), but really how much more perfect could a grape be? Peach and apricot every way you turn, bold in style but minimal in oak. Pure. Kicking. Lovely. And delicious!

#4 German Riesling — the old reliable
There is NOTHING that goes better with Thanksgiving dinner than a Kabinett from the Mosel Valley of Germany. The sweetness balanced by great acidity can’t help but put a hush on the table. It’s a holy moment, and one to savor every bit of.

#5 Domaine Romanee Conti Richebourg
Why not? You only live once. (Note: if you are popping this, no need to invite me. I’ll sniff the air, jump in my car, find you, jump through the window like a ninja, grab the bottle and make a dash for it before you can say ‘Yum.’ The sound of broken glass followed by the blur running though your house will be me.)”

20
Nov
2011
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Wines of the week: Nov. 14-20

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Everyday: For a meal that generally revolves around turkey, one of the best affordable pairing options is what my way better half calls “the chicken wine.” That’s because the ever-reliable La Vieille Ferme Côtes du Ventoux red ($10) has a label bearing a fine feathered fowl. Bright cherry flavors roll over the palate, with dusty undertones and a hint of the lavender that grows so prolifically in this wine’s homeland. Befitting a brand that translates as “old farm,” this bright red is a food lover, and the turkey, gravy, dressing and cranberry sauce will thank you for serving it.

Occasion: Probably the best option for Thanksgiving (or any other meal with a wide range of dishes) is bubbles. Rather than add a spendy Champagne to the already daunting shopping list, look for the Simonnet Febvre Crémant de Bourgogne ($20). There’s a boatload of Chablis-like minerality in this puppy, plus vivid and refreshing fruit (citrus and green apple) and a seriously clean finish. This beauty could easily pass for a grower Champagne, and works at the table from starters through dessert. Only one problem: It is almost too quaffable.

17
Nov
2011
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Not gonna work

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I really enjoyed reporting and writing my recent Strib piece on wine labels. It could actually have been a series delving into different facets of how wineries try to lure buyers and how consumers end up getting lured.

But with it running in a family newspaper, I was not able to use a great anecdote I got from a local retailer. He was on a buying tour in Italy and came across a wonderful wine that he wanted to bring to the Twin Cities market.

But he couldn’t do it, and reluctantly asked the proprietor if it could come to these shores with a different name. Apparently, in an area where wines called Bitch and Fat Bastard fly off the shelves, this is apparently a brand too far (even though it’s pronounced koon-toe):

13
Nov
2011
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Wines of the Week: Nov. 7-13

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Everyday: There’s no telling what one will get when sampling a chardonnay from Argentina. But with the Bodega Elena de Mendoza Chardonnay 2010 ($11), it’s freshness, on the nose, the palate and the finish. There’s some seriously tasty fruit of the citrus, apple and tropical ilks, but the surprise is how such an inexpensive chardonnay retains its vibrancy from beginning to end. This lively white can hold up to some bold dishes, including spicy shrimp, fish tacos and barbecued chicken. It’s pretty doggone swell on its own, too.

Occasion: I expected a lot from Greg La Follette’s new eponymous line of wines, and the 2009 La Follette Sonoma Mountain Van der Kamp and La Follette Sonoma Coast Sangiacomo Vineyard (both $40) more than delivered. Big and bold (but not too much of either), dark and deep, these are classic California pinots, with layers of flavor and texture. They’re every bit the equal of the wines Greg made at Flowers, Hartford Court and DeLoach, and paired beautifully the last two nights with parmesan-crusted chicken and beef vegetable soup.

11
Nov
2011
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Stellar wine from … Tennessee?

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On my second go-round in military school, I met Cadet Brooks, who was the first (and still only) person I encountered who went by the name of Kix. About a decade and a half later, we crossed paths again in Nashville, where he was a songwriter and good pal of one of my oldest friends.

Five years after that, Kix rocketed to fame and fortune after being paired with a dulcet-voiced dude named Ronnie Dunn. We stayed in touch sporadically, and I was always impressed that Kix had remained modest enough to marvel at the fact that women tossed their undergarments at him onstage.

Kix was always smart and focused, so it’s no surprise that when he decided to open a winery, he did it the right way. He and his spunky spouse Barbara (left) had enjoyed wine casually, then had their a-ha moment when a monthly wine club delivered a bottle of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. “Barbara was cooking something and I gave it to her and she poured a little in with the chicken. And then we drank it and went “˜wow, this is not what we’ve been drinking.’ “

They had a church friend who was growing grapes that “made some bad wine,” Kix said, so they asked around about who in Tennessee “knows what they’re doing.” One name kept popping up: Kip Summers, winemaker at Beachaven in Clarksville, Tenn. “We tried his wine and really liked it.”

The Brookses decided to partner with Summers (left) and other investors and start their own winery. “We didn’t want our farm in Leiper’s Fork turned into a commercial entity,” Kix said of the acreage where he and Barbara train cutting horses. “Six months later, one of the partners, John Russell, called and said “˜hey, come look at this.’ And we went and saw this hill and said hey, there’s nothing like this in middle Tennessee.”

They bought the land in Arrington, 30 miles southeast of Nashville, and started planting vines. But most of Summers’ efforts went into buying West Coast grapes and turning them into delicious wines. “Kip has great relationships with growers in Napa and Washington,” Kix said.

That’s reflected in Arrington’s wines, particularly a beautifully balanced riesling, a charismatic, berry-laden Red Fox Red blend and a heady, spicy syrah. Summers’ best effort, though, is the KB308, a cabernet sourced from California (I’m guessing Oakville) with great depth, grip and length, as good a $50 cab as I’ve had in many a moon.

But making good wine, as many folks in the business have learned during the economic downturn, is not enough. Creating experiences that lure people not only to come to Arrington, but to come back, is just as crucial a component. So there are a boatload of picnic tables on the slope below the winery, plus musical and other events (it was the weekly “cigar night” when I visited).

It’s all worked well, almost too well in fact. “The biggest surprise has been the growth,” Kix said. “We thought we’d do a couple of concerts and weddings and good Saturday business.” Instead, the demand for weddings has prompted Arrington to buy an adjacent 25 acres for a wedding center, and the demand for the wine has pushed production from 3,000 to 14,000 cases a year — most of it sold at the winery.

“I never, ever thought that just on its own, this would be so big a point of distribution,” said Brooks, who cited “good local music and plenty of bathrooms” as factors in the tasting facility’s success. Having an ever-gracious, ever-smiling country-music star around regularly probably hasn’t hurt.

6
Nov
2011
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Wines of the Week: Oct. 31-Nov. 6

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Everyday: As with all things in life, the more one delves into wine, the easier it is to get jaded about certain types. Blessedly, with chardonnay, there are a boatload of styles that showcase this popular grape in a wide range of ways. The LIOCO NoCo Chardonnay 2010 ($18) fits squarely in my wheelhouse, letting seriously tasty fruit shine with minimal intervention. Clean and pure, it offers up layers of fruit flavors that wash seamlessly over the palate and linger lushly at the end. The NoCo moniker stands for North Coast, but in this vintage the wine is all from the Valentine Vineyard in Mendocino. Lemony chicken or veal (grilled or piccata) or a roasted fall vegetables will cozy right up to this vibrant white.

Occasion: Tired of seeing merlot become such a pariah that people act like someone farted when the mere word is mentioned, I brought one to a recent gathering of fellow cork dorks. By the end of the evening’s festivities, amidst a whole lotta Paxes and Nicholas Jolys and Alions, many folks were proclaiming the Shafer Napa Merlot ($48) the wine of the night, and I was amongst ’em. A plummy perfume, lovely/hearty and perfectly ripe fruit, just-sturdy-enough tannins and a gorgeous finish make this a wine that can stand up to Napa’s better cabernets. Accordingly, try it with steak and lamb chops ““ or better yet, share it with people who have forgotten how good merlot can be.

2
Nov
2011
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Pinot Camp (sorta-kinda), Part II

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It would take a dozen posts to pass along everything interesting that was shared at a mini-, Minnesota version of Pinot Camp, but I’ve winnowed it down to two. (Part I is here.) A recap of the Oregon vintners who participated:

Mark Vlossak, founder and winemaker at St. Innocent.
Mimi Casteel, co-owner and viticulturist at Bethel Heights.
Andrew Davis, assistant winemaker at Argyle.
Jay Somers, co-owner and winemaker at J. Christopher.

Here they are on various topics:

WINEMAKING
Vlossak: “I always get miffed when a winemaker says “˜I try and stay out of the way.’ There are decisions and choices we all make: whole cluster, fermentation temperature, fermentation [vessel] size. We don’t do the same thing every year because the grapes don’t do the same thing every year. A winemaker isn’t just a victim of a cold year, picked late. What kind of wine we’re trying to make, we’re creating something that is our personality.”

Somers: “It’s like improvisational music, about notes you don’t play, space you don’t use. In 2010 our employees were astonished by the things we weren’t using. What about the yellow stuff, or that round thing? Staying out of the way is not a bad way of stating it. But every year a new paradigm emerges. “¦ There’s no gold standard with pinot. It can be light and subtle and elegant like Volnay or a monster like Nuits-St.-George. 

Casteel: “We are creating a sensorial record of this place. We’re trying to make precision wines. We want to make as precise a wine as possible without sacrificing any of the nuance. 

Davis: “We’re going for silky tannins in all our wines. 

Somers: “Texture is a moving target. 

Vlossak: “I really am looking for the middle mouth, a range of textures that really creates this sense of place. “¦ I don’t give a shit about color. I go after the middle of the mouth. To me that’s where the details are in the wine. 

Somers: “I took a Burgundy class in 1989 from Matt Kramer, and it was an epiphany. After that I noticed that with pinot noir you’re always aiming for structure, texture, aromatics. My wine will not taste like Burgundy because it’s not from Burgundy. “¦ If it smells funny, I might inoculate. After that it’s all about tasting. “¦ If everyone likes your wine, then there’s something wrong with it. And if some people say it’s stinky and I really like it, I’ve done my job. 

VINTAGES
Casteel: “There’s a vast difference between vintages, a lot of protracted seasons. We’re not producing Coca-Cola. “¦ The same fluctuations we see in temperature-day variations, we see in our crops. 

Vlossak: “These journalists and others who assign numbers to a vintage, that’s just bullshit. Some are good young, but others are great when you look back at an old vintage. The fancy-ass vintages almost never age well. Wine Spectator gave the 2007 vintage in Oregon a 78 [actually an 84] and the 2008 vintage a 100 [actually 97], but none of the individual wines got 100. So we had perfect conditions, but none of us know what we’re doing “¦ Vintage variation doesn’t mean suck-ass vintages and great ones. It’s about style. 

Somers: “The 2008 pinot noirs will last 10 to 20 years. Wines that are balanced early are the ones that are going to age better. 

MISC.
Heavy bottles: Somers: “Consumers always go for the heavy, thick bottle.  “¦ Casteel: “There’s total penis envy when people go into a wine shop. It’s the last giant elephant in the room. We talk green, but shipping those [heavy bottles] makes a huge difference. 

Closures: Somers: “You get freshness, brightness, expressiveness. But for pinot noir, we’ve had very poor results. And the amount of corked bottles we see is less and less and less.” “¦ Casteel: “There’s a middle ground. There’s enough variation, and not just from TCA. If you have a highly reductive winemaking style, you’re taking a big risk with screwcaps. 

Partnerships: Somers: “In 1996 I started with $3,000 and two tons of grapes. In 2009 I partnered with Dr. Ernst Loosen [far left, with Somers]. I don’t go as far as saying I’m Ernst’s bitch, but he’s allowing us to grow a lot more grapes. The great thing is that his goal was not to change what I do but to allow it to reach a broader audience.”

Sustainability: Somers: “I probably won’t certify, too many hoops, and I don’t play well with others.  “¦ Casteel: “Micro-nutrition for these vines is everything in how they develop. I’ve done organic, biodynamic, LIVE-certified. I’m also 100 percent committed to vermin culture; I love worms. 

Climate change: “Vlossak: “There is global warming, but more than that there is global weirdness. 

STATS
• Oregon makes about 1 percent of the amount of wine that California produces and about a third of Washington’s output.

• The Willamette Valley has 1 percent of the land in Oregon and 87 percent of the pinot noir vineyards.

• Riesling was 23 percent of the state’s plantings in the early 1980s; now it’s only 4 percent. But the total acreage is more than it ever has been, at 798 acres. Other state acreage totals: gewürztraminer 215, pinot blanc 207, viognier 175, sauvignon blanc 79.

• About 29 percent of vineyard acreage is certified LIVE, Organic, Biodynamic, or Salmon Safe.

• Being located on the 45th parallel (as is the Twin Cities) gives Willamette the longest summer days of any major pinot noir region.

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