“Jeremiah was a bull frog.Was a good friend of mine.Never understood a single word he said,but he always had some mighty fine wine.”
Joy to the World by Three Dog Night
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
When you think of having a glass of Sherry, you may have images of your grandparents sipping out of tiny little glasses late at night. I distinctly remember my grandmother having a glass of Sherry before bed for "medicinal" purposes. She claimed it cured her arthritis as well as giving her a good night's sleep. Sometimes she wouldn't finish her glass and I would breathe in the last drops of the nutty-smelling alcohol. It was a warm smell that I would later catch on my grandmothers breath as she kissed me goodnight. Sherry is a wonderful after dinner drink, or as my grandparents enjoyed it, a nice way to end a day before bed.
The two predominant types of Sherry are Fino (very dry with a lighter-body) and Oloroso (still dry, but much richer in both flavor and body). If the winemaker is going for Fino, alcohol is added (fortification) until it reaches just over 15%; however, if Oloroso is the goal then alcohol is added to reach an 18% alcohol content. Now the fun begins, while the wines remain in their casks they are permitted contact with air in the top portion of the cask. A layer of yeast, called "flor" forms a coating on the surface of the Sherry, keeping the wine from over oxidizing- these wines will become Finos as their lower alcohol content is what allows the yeast to grow in the first place. Olorosos on the other hand, do not support the growth of flor due to their higher alcohol content. Olorosos are permitted to oxidize intentionally, producing a darker, and richer wine, with more body than a Fino.
Sherry has a long history of serving the likes of Christopher Columbus to Shakespeare, and has recently been previewing new spotlights for its stellar value and food-friendly behavior in our modern world of wine.
"This is very old wine. I hope you will like it."
"This is very old wine. I hope you will like it."
Count Dracula in Dracula (1931)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Folie à Deux or Ménage à Trois
As wine should be a fun experience, a winemaker oftentimes will select a name that reflects his/her interests or just their whimsical side. Such is the case of the Napa Valley wines named Folie à Deux and Ménage à Trois.
Folie à Deux is from the French meaning "a madness shared by two". A paranoid or delusional belief transmitted from one person to another. The winemaker suggests that they "craft wines that will deliver a delightful shared experience". Clever and unique enough to make you try out their different varietals. Their prices are quite reasonable per bottle (around $22), so you are getting a quality domestic wine at an affordable price. The reds they offer include: a Cabernet that is rich with a dark berry taste, a Zinfandel that is more on the spicy side (as Zinfandels are) and a Merlot that is full bodied with earthy aromas and hints of both berries and spice.
Folie à Deux also offers white wines including a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay is creamy with a bit of pineapple to it. The Sauvignon Blanc, as most are, is full-bodied with a grassy nose. These two wines are really good choices as we move into warm weather as they are light and easy to drink either alone or paired with a good meal.
Ménage à Trois is produced by the Folie à Deux winery and is described as "...what happens when you put three attractive, single, young grapes together in one exquisite bottle". "Three saucy grapes make up the blend. Zinfandel adds a juicy character, Merlot mellows and Cabernet adds backbone. Forward, spicy and soft, this delicious dalliance makes the perfect trio", all this goodness for a reasonable $12 a bottle.
Ménage à Trois also has a Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Muscat grape combo that makes a fantastic white. Finally, they also offer a Rosé that is described as a "like a carnival in your mouth".
Try out one of the bottles of the Ménage à Trois or Folie à Deux with a friend, if for no other reason than the name is intriguing, and see if you can share the madness or feel the sauciness of the grapes. Cheers!
Folie à Deux is from the French meaning "a madness shared by two". A paranoid or delusional belief transmitted from one person to another. The winemaker suggests that they "craft wines that will deliver a delightful shared experience". Clever and unique enough to make you try out their different varietals. Their prices are quite reasonable per bottle (around $22), so you are getting a quality domestic wine at an affordable price. The reds they offer include: a Cabernet that is rich with a dark berry taste, a Zinfandel that is more on the spicy side (as Zinfandels are) and a Merlot that is full bodied with earthy aromas and hints of both berries and spice.
Folie à Deux also offers white wines including a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay is creamy with a bit of pineapple to it. The Sauvignon Blanc, as most are, is full-bodied with a grassy nose. These two wines are really good choices as we move into warm weather as they are light and easy to drink either alone or paired with a good meal.
Ménage à Trois is produced by the Folie à Deux winery and is described as "...what happens when you put three attractive, single, young grapes together in one exquisite bottle". "Three saucy grapes make up the blend. Zinfandel adds a juicy character, Merlot mellows and Cabernet adds backbone. Forward, spicy and soft, this delicious dalliance makes the perfect trio", all this goodness for a reasonable $12 a bottle.
Ménage à Trois also has a Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Muscat grape combo that makes a fantastic white. Finally, they also offer a Rosé that is described as a "like a carnival in your mouth".
Try out one of the bottles of the Ménage à Trois or Folie à Deux with a friend, if for no other reason than the name is intriguing, and see if you can share the madness or feel the sauciness of the grapes. Cheers!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Take a Wine Country Vacation
Instead of the big wine names of Napa Valley try this quaint Victorian town just north of Santa Barbara. Los Olivos, California is the area now famous as the setting of the movie Sideways. The region is stunningly beautiful and is one of the best Pinot Noir producing areas in the United States. The historic downtown is home to over a dozen wine tasting rooms in a small area.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wine's Grand Award
Restaurants who take pride in their wines often compete for awards that will expose their collection and therefore be more attractive to customers who enjoy nice wines with their meal. The most prestigious of awards is the Wine Spectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards. This is an award that goes out to restaurants whose wine lists include interesting selections and unusual varieties that differ from other restaurants.
There are three awards given yearly after undergoing strenuous judging. Not only are the lists judged by the bottle selection, but also a restaurant most present an impressive wines by the glass list. Vintages (the wines year) and appellations (the geographical area where the grapes for a wine were grown) must be included with the presentation of each taken into consideration. The first award is the Award of Excellence which only has 2,957 winner per year. This is the most basic of the three awards and while you must include quality producers, you need only about 100 selections on your list. The Best of Award of Excellence is the next level boasting only 816 winners worldwide. Taking the requirements up a notch, these restaurants are required to offer at least 400 or more selections with varying degrees of vintages and varietals. The most outstanding of the awards is the Grand Award. Simply stated as a grand award, but really this honor encompasses much more. A restaurant has to have a dedicated staff that focuses only on their wine list to keep up with the rigorous task of maintaining the level of excellence this award requires. Selections range over 1,500 bottles and the level of producers, the mature vintages all in coordination with the food offered are all taken into consideration. Just having the cellar stocked is not enough as the staff must be trained to handle the bottles table side with the upmost of knowledge.
The Angus Barn, where I am employed, takes a great amount of pride in the fact they have won the Grand Award every year since 1989. This is no small feat and the owner makes sure that we have monthly classes on wine knowledge to keep us up to date and informed. It is very impressive to wait on a table and learn they are from out of town and have chosen our restaurant because they appreciate the wine cellar we have and the awards we have won.
There are three awards given yearly after undergoing strenuous judging. Not only are the lists judged by the bottle selection, but also a restaurant most present an impressive wines by the glass list. Vintages (the wines year) and appellations (the geographical area where the grapes for a wine were grown) must be included with the presentation of each taken into consideration. The first award is the Award of Excellence which only has 2,957 winner per year. This is the most basic of the three awards and while you must include quality producers, you need only about 100 selections on your list. The Best of Award of Excellence is the next level boasting only 816 winners worldwide. Taking the requirements up a notch, these restaurants are required to offer at least 400 or more selections with varying degrees of vintages and varietals. The most outstanding of the awards is the Grand Award. Simply stated as a grand award, but really this honor encompasses much more. A restaurant has to have a dedicated staff that focuses only on their wine list to keep up with the rigorous task of maintaining the level of excellence this award requires. Selections range over 1,500 bottles and the level of producers, the mature vintages all in coordination with the food offered are all taken into consideration. Just having the cellar stocked is not enough as the staff must be trained to handle the bottles table side with the upmost of knowledge.
The Angus Barn, where I am employed, takes a great amount of pride in the fact they have won the Grand Award every year since 1989. This is no small feat and the owner makes sure that we have monthly classes on wine knowledge to keep us up to date and informed. It is very impressive to wait on a table and learn they are from out of town and have chosen our restaurant because they appreciate the wine cellar we have and the awards we have won.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Grape's A-Peel
What do tannins do for wine? Well, for starters they don't create the garnet color of red wines as some believe. The grape skins are responsible for the hue of red that each bottle contains. Tannins come from the skins, seeds and stems (if used) of the grape. They are also the result of the aging process from using oak barrels. Tannins give longevity to a wine and also contribute to its texture, body and length of finish.
Cabernet's are the most tannic of the wines while Chardonnay's and Sauvignon Blanc's are the least. Cabernet's fermentation time plus skin contact time and then a light press create the higher levels of concentration. Chardonnay grapes typically go directly to press when they arrive at a winery so the skins, pulp and seeds are usually not in contact with the juice for more than two hours. This results in a minimum amount of tannins extracted.
The wait staff at my restaurant just took a class on the process of bottling and the different types of aging and how it affects the amount of tannins in a bottle. Soon after that, I was lucky enough to overhear a man and woman arguing over what tannins were and they asked my opinion. When I heard their respective responses, I suggested they make a wager on who was right and the loser could buy dinner. Let's just say the woman who was drinking beer bought dinner. I did bring her several tastes of wines starting with a White Zinfandel to a Chardonnay to a Cabernet Sauvignon. That is a fabulous perk my restaurant offers, letting guests try different wines so they can figure out what they like. I told her a little about the aging process so that explaining what tannins were would make more sense. I think she appreciated the fact that I took so much time to give her a little information.
The reason some people don't like red wine is because of the tannins and that's fine. There is nothing wrong with ordering a lighter or sweeter style wine with dinner even if you are having steak. I try and reassure guests if they act embarrassed about what they are ordering as if they are making a mistake. Hey, to each his own!
Cabernet's are the most tannic of the wines while Chardonnay's and Sauvignon Blanc's are the least. Cabernet's fermentation time plus skin contact time and then a light press create the higher levels of concentration. Chardonnay grapes typically go directly to press when they arrive at a winery so the skins, pulp and seeds are usually not in contact with the juice for more than two hours. This results in a minimum amount of tannins extracted.
The wait staff at my restaurant just took a class on the process of bottling and the different types of aging and how it affects the amount of tannins in a bottle. Soon after that, I was lucky enough to overhear a man and woman arguing over what tannins were and they asked my opinion. When I heard their respective responses, I suggested they make a wager on who was right and the loser could buy dinner. Let's just say the woman who was drinking beer bought dinner. I did bring her several tastes of wines starting with a White Zinfandel to a Chardonnay to a Cabernet Sauvignon. That is a fabulous perk my restaurant offers, letting guests try different wines so they can figure out what they like. I told her a little about the aging process so that explaining what tannins were would make more sense. I think she appreciated the fact that I took so much time to give her a little information.
The reason some people don't like red wine is because of the tannins and that's fine. There is nothing wrong with ordering a lighter or sweeter style wine with dinner even if you are having steak. I try and reassure guests if they act embarrassed about what they are ordering as if they are making a mistake. Hey, to each his own!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
It's OK to blush...
So exactly what is a blush? A blush is simply White Zinfandel. Most people refer to this wine as blush because of its light, pinkish color. Also known as a Rose', it is a sweet and light wine that works well for anyone experimenting with their first glass or bottle.
Beringer White Zinfandel, from California, is a perfectly fine bottle to start with. Know going in however, that this is probably not a wine you want to have while enjoying a hearty steak or a bold pasta dish. To have as an aperitif (an alcoholic beverage to have before a meal) or to enjoy on a hot day would be perfect.
White Zinfandel is made from the red Zinfandel grape and finished with residual sugar which makes it a sweet, ready to drink wine. Sutter Home Winery is credited for discovering White Zinfandel in the 70's by accident. As they were making one of their premium red Zinfandels there was a fermentation problem. The "problem wine" was set aside and a few weeks later the winemaker tasted it and loved the sweet pink wine. White Zinfandel was born.
Beringer White Zinfandel, from California, is a perfectly fine bottle to start with. Know going in however, that this is probably not a wine you want to have while enjoying a hearty steak or a bold pasta dish. To have as an aperitif (an alcoholic beverage to have before a meal) or to enjoy on a hot day would be perfect.
White Zinfandel is made from the red Zinfandel grape and finished with residual sugar which makes it a sweet, ready to drink wine. Sutter Home Winery is credited for discovering White Zinfandel in the 70's by accident. As they were making one of their premium red Zinfandels there was a fermentation problem. The "problem wine" was set aside and a few weeks later the winemaker tasted it and loved the sweet pink wine. White Zinfandel was born.
Selecting a red....
Wine should never be intimidating and if you are ever unsure what to order with your meal, just ask. Trying different varietals is the best way for YOU to figure out what you like, there are no right or wrong selections.
That being said I was asked this week for help selecting a glass of red. That is a very broad question, kind of like just asking what kind of car should I buy. I try and start to narrow the selections by asking a few questions. "Do you like a dry wine? Medium-bodied or full? Fruity?" Also, it helps to know what the person is pairing the wine with. In this case it was prime rib. I narrowed down the selection process to a Pinot Noir as the guest wanted a lighter style red and not to heavy in tannins. I chose a glass of 2007 Acacia Vineyards from the Carneros wine region of Napa Valley in California. This wine has a touch of earthiness and spice while the nose has aromas of blackberry. A perfect selection for someone not to familiar with red wine as it doesn't overpower you as some Cabernet's or Bordeaux may.
That being said I was asked this week for help selecting a glass of red. That is a very broad question, kind of like just asking what kind of car should I buy. I try and start to narrow the selections by asking a few questions. "Do you like a dry wine? Medium-bodied or full? Fruity?" Also, it helps to know what the person is pairing the wine with. In this case it was prime rib. I narrowed down the selection process to a Pinot Noir as the guest wanted a lighter style red and not to heavy in tannins. I chose a glass of 2007 Acacia Vineyards from the Carneros wine region of Napa Valley in California. This wine has a touch of earthiness and spice while the nose has aromas of blackberry. A perfect selection for someone not to familiar with red wine as it doesn't overpower you as some Cabernet's or Bordeaux may.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wine Zine
Welcome to my Wine Zine. Hopefully you can visit and learn a little about the goodness of a simple grape. Wine is fun and should not be approached with trepidation because you are unsure of what you are getting into. Please make weekly visits as I will post questions and answers I have received that may perhaps clear up some misconceptions you may have. CHEERS!!
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