Vine and Grape

2011-09-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, the wine was even more lovely than the bottle looks: 1992 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, enjoyed with Susan and three Master Sommelier friends, Wayne Belding (CO), Laura Williamson (AZ), and Scott Carney (NY), during Greenville's 2011 Euphoria Festival.

Thanks, too, to American Grocery's Sommlier, Darlene Clarke, for a wonderful wine list. We brought the Clos du Val from our cellar, and Laura brought a fabulous bottle of Ökonomierat Rebholz Grosses Gewachs Riesling: superb! But we also enjoyed J.L. Chave Saint-Joseph "Céleste" 2009, Guiseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella 1999, from AGR's thoughtfully chosen wine list.

Too Good to Miss!

2011-09-26T13:23:00.001-04:00

Hi friends! It has a while since I've been able to spend adequate time at Vine & Grape. But this video discussion of high-alcohol wines on YouTube, featuring Bartholomew Broadbent, is too good to miss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg01JIX2C8w&feature

Be sure you go on to Part 2 when the initial part ends abruptly. You can click next, or the link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=yEpoy1yypYU

In the interests of being in touch more often, I'm going to try to do more frequent short posts like this. Send me a quick note if they are helpful! Thanks.

Hot Wines

2011-07-09T12:05:00.003-04:00

No, "hot wines" doesn't refer to sales leaders. It refers to the continuing trend toward higher alcohol, which causes excessive warmth in your throat, particularly during the wine's finish.

Reuters published an interesting report here, based on an academic paper located here. In summary, the two make it clear that increasing alcohol is a deliberate decision in terms of wine style. It also appears some wineries are using the legal "fudge factor" to release wines higher in alcohol than the label states. If you are not familiar with the law, the percentage of alcohol stated on the label is permitted to be off by plus or minus 1% at or above 14.1% (plus or minus 1.5% for wines 14% and below).

The paper rightly notes that there is a small economic advantage to understating alcohol, because wines under 14% are taxed at a lower rate ($1.07 per gallon) than wines from 14-21% ($1.57 per gallon). However, given five 750ml bottles per gallon, the economic advantage for "fudging" is only a dime per bottle. The worst offenders—in terms of excessively high alcohol—are so far above 14%, their most egregious sin is not cheating on taxes, but rather, producing badly out of balance wines.

Thankfully, evidence is beginning to emerge that the market is rejecting so-called "phenolic ripeness" as an excuse for overly extracted, highly alcoholic table wines. See this article on Kistler, from the New York Times. "More structured, lively wines that go with food, that have power and finesse all at the same time," is what Mr. Kistler is reported as seeking.

Bravo! May we see more new world vintners following the long-time masters of balance like Clos du Val, Arcadian, and others. Hot wines? Maybe the term will once again, someday, only refer to top sellers. Until then, don't put too much trust in label percentages to guide you. Let your throat (and sadly perhaps, your head the next morning) be your guide.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do?

2011-05-16T17:01:00.002-04:00

Some of you know I lived between Philadelphia and New York, when I worked in the publishing business. Susan and I loved the area. Moreover, The Philadelphia Inquirer, was (and presumably remains) one of the finest newspapers in the U.S.

I wasn't surprised, then, to find Philly.com reporting on Robert Parker's visit to Bibou—the French-themed BYOB, cash only restaurant on South 8th (link). When we lived in Philadelphia, the Inquirer always seemed to know better than we did what was going on right in our own neighborhood. Philadelphia isn't quite Parker's backyard (Monkton, MD), but it's not far.

And Philly.com, the Inquirer's digital arm, has maintained the paper's reputation for great reporting. Witness, their quote from Parker's diatribe against anyone who challenges his big-fruit, big-alcohol ratings:

"I loved everything about this place. . . the quality of the food alone merits a must visit," he wrote. "Add the BYO and no corkage. . . and better yet . . . no precious sommelier trying to sell us some teeth enamel removing wine with acid levels close to toxic, made by some sheep farmer on the north side of his 4,000-foot foot elevation vineyard picked two months before ripeness, and made from a grape better fed to wild boar than the human species."

Wonder how he really feels? Complete article, including the wines Parker took to Bibou here (most not high-alcohol fruit bombs, aside from Beaux Freres in which Parker is a partner) . Hmm. "Drink what I say, not what I do"? But that would kill the ratings game, wouldn't it?

Thoughtful Beer & Wine List

2011-04-26T15:59:00.005-04:00

Requests come often to suggest this restaurant or that restaurant to Vine & Grape readers, or to The Greenville Wine Meetup's 800-plus members.

Those are fair requests. Running a restaurant is tough and competitive. All of us want to succeed.

A new restaurant is opening tonight, however, that has earned a mention—and they didn't even ask for it. First, I'm a seafood fan. Second (and most of all for Vine & Grape readers), we need to support restaurants that take the time to put real thought and care into their beer and wine selections. This venue scores on both counts.

So, if you are out-and-about in Greenville, SC, tonight, stop in at The Plaid Pelican on South Pleasantburg (in the same shopping center as Fresh Market). I was a fan of Chef Paul's fish dishes when his restaurant was located in an out-of-the-way spot on Stallings Road. I'm an even bigger fan now that I have seen the beer & wine list at the new location. Too seldom do we see interesting, thoughtfully-constructed lists, offering multiple opportunities to try something new; to learn and to grow.

2011-04-24T14:10:00.000-04:00

Ah, wine lovers! We think we have it tough when we are trying to decide among six gorgeous Sauvignon Blancs (more on that in a post yet to come, on the recent Greenville Wine Meetup "shoot out" spanning France, California, and New Zealand).

But life is tougher still, if you've laid claim to the term "Mommy" in your wine branding. Click here, to see the New York Times article.

One caution: the New York Times allows access to the online version if you are a print subscriber (Susan and I do subscribe). If you have problems with the link, above, perhaps that's the reason. But hope you'll have no problems!

We Don't Always Drink Wine!

2011-04-23T00:21:00.003-04:00

OK, friends! We don't always drink wine. While Susan, her sister, and I were in Sedona, AZ, last February, we encountered some of the nicest tequilas we've tasted. Beyond that, this firm's margarita mix is better than the made-from-scratch recipe Susan & I developed.

Tres Agaves is the brand (NOM 1109 for those who follow tequila), but sadly, it's not yet available in South Carolina. But if you are traveling to Virginia—or better still, out West—don't miss the chance to try their product. The line-up in the photo shows the silver, reposada, and añejo (right to left), followed by the margarita mix and a bottle of agave nectar, in the event you'd like to craft your own mix!

Awesome Aussie Foursome

2011-04-15T17:56:00.007-04:00

Susan & I have wonderful Australian friends, Bill & Wendy Scholtes.

Susan worked with Bill, before he and Wendy returned to Australia. The last visit they made to the U.S., Bill brought along some of his favorite wines for all of us to enjoy.

We so much enjoyed being together, I only made limited tasting notes. But these wines were so good, I had to post them.

An additional reason is because, for those who know me well, you know my palate generally favors Europe—with much (but not all) of California and Australia being too ripe and too alcoholic. So, either the friendship was so warm with Bill & Wendy (it was!) I didn't notice the alcohol, or these were good examples of the balance that can be achieved even at 14.5%.

Of particular note was the 2006 St. Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The texture was extraordinary and the fresh eucalyptus in the nose was the most distinct I've experienced. These wines reminded me of why I've loved my visits to Australia. Checking WineSearcher.com, it appears the St. Hugo and the Centenary Hill are available in the U.S. For the two others, you'll have to join us on Qantas soon!

Real Wine

2011-04-03T23:37:00.005-04:00

Readers of Vine & Grape and members of The Greenville Wine Meetup know how often we've talked about old world vs. new world; non-interventionist winegrowing vs. interventionist winemaking; balance & elegance vs. bold & alcoholic. Readers know I'm not without an opinion in this debate—as none of us should be.

So, it's a pleasure to present a bottle we can call "real wine." Yves Cuilleron consistent produces balanced, intelligent wines of intellectual depth and complexity.

I was seeking a bottle of his Bassenon recently. When I unable to find it, I tried the 2002 Terres Sombres ("dark grounds"). Fabulous! Dried cranberry, red currant, desiccated cherry, with wonderfully balanced fruit, acidity, alcohol (12.5%, thank you!), and gorgeously silky tannins. Long, multi-layered finish with rosemary and white pepper beginning at 15-20 seconds.

If you haven't read Questions of Taste: The Philosophy of Wine, buy it to help form wine opinions of your own. The goal is not for you agree with me. The objective is for all of us to know why we love the wines we love.

Congratulations!

2010-09-24T19:43:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Greenville Wine Meetup members Kathy Wilson, Julia Scholz (of Stella's Bistro in Simpsonville), and Jim Villanueva, all of whom passed their Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory examination after an intense but enjoyable two-day program and written examination!

Big congratulations, too, to Greenville Wine Meetup member, Jason McAtee (Grassroots Wine Wholesalers) who passed his three-part Certified Sommelier exam, during which you pass a written knowledge examination, a blind tasting exam, and a service demonstration, during which the Master examining candidates can ask virtually any question on wine, food pairings, beer, spirits, or cocktails—while expecting prompt, gracious attention to the service tasks (opening sparkling wine or decanting an old red wine).

Well done, all! Greenville is proud of you. And as organizer of The Greenville Wine Meetup and a friend of each one, I'm especially proud and happy for you. Cheers!

Just for Fun

2010-08-11T00:14:00.001-04:00

OK, just for fun—for Vine and Grape readers—I had to post the great T-shirt that Greenville Wine Meetup members Mike & Marci Greci gave me. Seemed like wearing it outside the White House (while in Washington for the Society of Wine Educators annual conference) was the best statement we could make!

Click on the photo, if you need to enlarge the text on the shirt. Most of all, whatever your politics, we can hope there are several good glasses of beer and some gorgeous wines in The White House. To our President and Congress, best wishes and cheers!

A Brief Break for Purple International Bistro

2010-08-08T14:22:00.003-04:00

OK, have to take a quick break from postings about the Society of Wine Educators national conference to tell you about Chef Jack's Purple International Bistro in Greenville, SC.

Stopped at Purple for lunch one day, when rushed to get back to work. Chef Jack was gracious, friendly, and quick. "Sushi A" (my very unimaginative choice) was super, along with a glass of J. Moreau & Fils Blanc, in lovely stemware that is the same shape as Riedel's $100-per-stem Burgundy Grand Cru glass.

Went back later in the week with a friend and a bit more time. Ordered "Chef's Choice." Incredible! Chef Jack did an absolutely lovely presentation (see photo at right). The assortment included hako (box) sushi, at top, as well as Chef's own housemade salmon caviar, nearest stem of wine glass. The assortment also included a wonderful marinated cherry-blossom leaf, which wrapped one of the sushi. Don't use excessive soy or wasabi, until you have tasted the subtleties of Chef's work.

Don't miss this experience!

SWE Evening #3: Terry Theise Riesling Tasting and More

2010-08-02T21:19:00.004-04:00

Writing this post from a BBQ restaurant in Virginia, while drinking a Sierra Nevada pale ale, is not at all fair to Terry Theise. On the other hand, I actually think Food & Wine's "Importer of the Year" (2005) might applaud the audacity of someone writing about his gorgeous Rieslings, while having a beer and dreading the drive home from Washington, DC. Buy Reading Between the Wines, and you get a taste of the man, who is as interesting and complex as the wines he offers. By the third night of the Society of Wine Educators Conference, I fell off the wagon in terms of posting a daily dispatch. I could blame that on two-ounce tastings of Terry's 20 gorgeous dry Rieslings, but that would be unfair. I just ran out of hours. Please don't miss Terry Theise's wines or his writing. A sample is here. There are so few people who are genuinely thoughtful about life and wine, we should cherish them when we find them, along with the wines they find significant.

2007 Goldloch "Grosses Gewächs," Schossgut Diel; Nahe, Germany. Gorgeous! Subtle woodiness. Refined texture and creaminess on the palate, without oily viscosity.
2007 Heiligenstein "Lyra," Bründlmayer; Kamptal, Austria. Great vineyard; complex soil, reflected in the wine. Incredible texture and luxurious mouthfeel. Terry's description: "exotic, sexy."
2009 Forster Freundstuck Spätlese, Eugen Müller; Pfalz, Germany. Minerality, with bracing acidity! Late harvest, yes (spät), but impression of total dryness. Lovely lavender overtones. In terms of price, this was the bargain of the day!
2008 "Tradition," Schoss Gobelsburg; Kamptal, Austria. Breathtaking! Gentle but complex; melting but solid. From an old monastic estate, this is the old Riesling; the real Riesling; the product of making wine intuitively.
2008 Heerkretz Grosses Gewächs," Wagner-Stempel; Rheinhessen, Germany. Mozart-like in vitality! While cool, the wine was almost neon in the mouth; hyper-vivid. Warmer, it became sensuous. Don't miss.
1999 "Steinriesler," Nikolaihof; Wachua, Austria. Fermented in wood and left in the cask until April 2010 (without sulphur). Extraordinary! On the gross lees all that time. Rich, textured, lightly honeyed; parchment-paper on the nose. Mature, balanced, incredible.

SWE Evening #2: Science, Wine, and More

2010-07-29T00:57:00.001-04:00

OK, for now, ignore the photo! I need some sympathy. I'm sitting here thinking how hard it is to taste wine all day. From Champagne at lunch, to Bordeaux mid-afternoon, I switched to beer with dinner. But no, I didn't max-out on wine. Susan and I wanted to try a Washington gastropub we had read about in Food Arts, and beer is definitely Birch & Barley's "thing."

But (sigh!), now that I'm finished complaining about the responsibilities associated with a Society of Wine Educators conference (tasting wine, wine, and more wine), then why have I included a photo of what looks like supplies for a chemistry lab? The photo is my tip-of-the-hat to a fabulous session today conducted by Harriet Lembeck, CWE, and Steve Dente, VP of Research & Development, Robertet (use Google's "translate this page" feature for the French Robertet site).

With an approach that was way too cool to describe here (we'll have to talk in Greenville, or do a Greenville Wine Meetup to discuss it), Harriet and Steve tackled the topic, "Science and the Nose." Why do we smell what we smell in wine? What's the chemistry behind it? What physiological and psychological factors come into play? What would a team of 32 perfumers (see the Parfumerie link on the Robertet site), backed by a staff of engineers, chemists, and technicians, say about our "wine words"? Terms like "velvety," "hearty," "crisp," "rich," "flinty," and more were evaluated by professionals at aromas and tastes, and their assessments were supported by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

None of this is intended to take anything away from the fabulous sessions on Champagne and Bordeaux wines I attended earlier in the day. But for flat-out, stunning originality, and "you never heard it taught this way before," "Science and the Nose" just blew all of us away, who had the privilege of attending. Kudos Harriet and Steve! Sincere thanks.

SWE Evening #1: Tasting at New Zealand Embassy

2010-07-27T23:29:00.000-04:00

As promised, I will post daily reports while Susan and I are in Washington, DC, for the Society of Wine Educators annual conference. Today was a short day, just to pick-up our registration packets and then attend a tasting at the New Zealand Embassy.

All 51 wines, as you might guess, were all from New Zealand! We found some lovely surprises, including a marvelously restrained, almost austere Sauvignon Blanc; a bright, refreshing Pinot Gris (PG makes up only 3% of the varietal plantings in New Zealand); a stunning Pinot Noir; and the best non-Pinot red wine I've ever had from New Zealand (a Bordeaux blend, showing good ripeness, but also intelligence, finesse, and complexity).

So, here are our personal picks of the day. Not all of these wines have widespread distribution in the U.S., but I'll be investigating SC availability while at the conference.

Palliser Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008. Forget everything you thought you knew about New Zealand Sauv Blancs (as lovely as they can be). This wine was restrained, almost austere, and absolutely wonderful. I may have found something I like as much as Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre! No distribution information yet, but I have to find this one.
Manu Marlborough Pinot Gris 2009. Bright, refreshing, and a total surprise. This wine was the "sleeper" of the night. I'm not a big fan of Oregon Pinot Gris, and only enjoy a limited number of Pinot Grigios from Italy. We know that this wine will have distribution in South Carolina through Grassroots, a firm which has always distinguished itself by offering truly worthwhile wines in SC.
Saint Claire Pioneer Block #14, Doctor's Creek, Pinot Noir 2007. As noted above, absolutely stunning. New Zealand Pinot Noir, going back 3-4 years, failed to excite. No more! This is a classic Pinot Noir that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best from Oregon or Burgundy. Wow! And Saint Claire's entry level Marlborough Pinot (2008) was quite nice, too. No distribution information yet.
Alpha Domus Hawkes Bay Navigator 2006. This was unquestionably the best non-Pinot red wine I've had from New Zealand. Until now, at least to my taste, Bordeaux varietals either were not planted in the right soils or couldn't achieve adequate ripeness. But this blend of Merlot, Cab, Malbec, and Cab Franc was a classic right-bank Bordeaux. Well done, Alpha Domus! And my understanding is that Grassroots will be bringing it to South Carolina.

SWE Conference 2010

2010-07-25T15:01:00.003-04:00

Hello Vine & Grape friends! Susan and I are off to the Society of Wine Educators annual conference in Washington, DC, tomorrow. We attended two years ago, when the conference was in New Orleans, LA, to show solidarity with that wonderful city after Hurricane Katrina. This year the conference is in SWE's "hometown." Updates to follow later this week. See you then!

It All Matters

2010-06-24T16:26:00.000-04:00

"OK," you might ask, "what does wine packaging have to do with topics normally discussed at Vine & Grape?"

Just this: when it comes to wine, everything matters. By analogy: go to an automobile dealership. If their demonstrator vehicles have ashtrays full of cigarette butts and smell like trash incinerators, what is that dealership's commitment to quality? Are they proud of the cars they sell? Will you get great post-purchase support? Get conscientious work from their service department?

Now go buy a case of wine. Carry it out of the retailer's store. The cardboard case flexes in your arms. You wonder if it will make it to the car. The bottles are clanking against each other because the separators between them are hardly the thickness of playing cards. The whole affair is held together with the cheapest, generic transparent tape. You begin to wonder in what other areas the winery cut corners: i.e., in grape growing? Vineyard management? Winemaking??

It all matters! I have friends who say my blood chemistry is impossible to distinguish from Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre, because I like the wine so much. Well, that's true enough. If any of us have a "go to" wine, i.e., a wine that just tastes right all the time, on almost all occasions, the Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre is mine. Lest I go overboard, here are only brief tasting impresssions: unity, complexity, and intensity, accompanied by stony minerality, lime leaf, and white grapefruit notes, with intelligent, even sensuous, undertones that reward repeated attention.

But I'm convinced my respect for this wonderful wine is a direct result of their commitment to quality at every single step of the process: grape-growing or sourcing, harvest timing and techniques, crush and fermentation, along with extraordinary care all the way through bottling and packaging. Look at the thickness of the cardboard case! Look at the thought that went into the bottle cradles, even including a thumb/finger hole to help remove them easily! It would be so easy for an accountant to say, "Oh, the packaging doesn't matter. If a few bottles break in transit, they are cheaper to replace than to buy good packaging. Besides, no one but the retailer or restaurant will see the packaging and they don't care. They just care about price."

Mais non! Au contraire. Where else did your accountant tell you to cut costs? Where else did the firm's leadership just not care? Just not think something was important?

So, let me sit in your demonstrator vehicles; you will tell you a lot about the pride you have in your automobile dealership. Take me to your restaurant's restrooms; I will know a lot more about the cleanliness of your kitchen.

Now. . . show me the quality of your wine's packaging; I will know almost all I need to know about the seriousness of your winemaking.

Thank You, Clos du Val!

2010-05-30T18:38:00.002-04:00

It was very gracious for Clos du Val Winery to mention Vine & Grape on their Facebook page, pointing out our tasting. Click here and scroll down a few posts until you see the headline about tasting in South Carolina.

Even kinder was a note from Clos du Val back to our hosts for the tasting, Mike & Marci Greci, who hosted the tasting:

"I sent your email to our Marketing team and to winemakers Bernard Portet and John Clews. It seems your group really captured the essence of what Clos Du Val wines are all about! We love hearing from our members and as Bernard so kindly wrote: 'It is really great to read the enthusiasm that people have when tasting our Clos Du Val wines.'"

The Magnificent Seven

2010-05-25T22:12:00.012-04:00

Ah, the Magnificent Seven!

No, this post is not about the 1960s film, which ended in a typically 1960s angst-filled way. Instead, the magnificent assemblage to which I refer here was a vertical tasting on May 22, 2010, of seven vintages from Clos du Val going back to 1975. Friends Mike & Marci Greci extended an invitation to nine friends to enjoy some "dusty bottles" from their cellar, and what a treat this evening was!

In fact, as good as the Heitz vertical was three years ago (click this link for Vine & Grape's tasting notes), I think "The Magnificent Seven" actually exceeded the pleasure and interest of the "Lucky Thirteen." So, without further ado, here are our tasting notes:

1975: Elegant, refined, gorgeous. Garnet color, medium concentration, with rim variation fading to burnt sienna. Nose still full of fruit: red currant, cherry, red plum, dried fennel, and dry peat, with a dusting of cocoa. Silky tannins. A lingering finish. 12.5% alcohol. All agreed that the overall description of this wine was a wine with "good breeding."
1994: This was the minimalist wine of the night. Medium-minus color concentration, with the rim fading to light amber, but with bright fruit, mostly red. Intense nose initially, falling-off somewhat in the glass as we compared other vintages. Higher acidity than the other vintages. This was the least congruent of the seven-wine series. 13% alcohol.
1996: "Big velvet," was the consensus description. Much life left in this wine. Demonstrated unity, complexity, and intensity. Great balance of fruit and earth. Cab-typical red and black fruits, but with much more happening: some tasters picked up traces of black pepper, along with leather and dark chocolate on the palate and in the finish. Incredible texture and mouthfeel was noticed by several tasters. One described it as "beyond velvet, but just short of highly-textured brocade." 13.5% alcohol.
1998: This wine was the sleeper of the night! From a vintage which suggested to several of us not to expect much, it emerged as the dark-horse favorite. The 1998 was the most nearly Old World vintage. The nose included mushroom, compost, barnyard, and even traces of clean, hot linen. "Elegant" and "earthy" were the most frequent descriptors. We later discovered that tasting this wine with a well made St. Nectaire cheese was a pairing epiphany! 13.5% alcohol, well integrated and balanced with the overall complexity of the wine.
2000: In contrast to the 1998, the 2000 vintage was clearly a New World wine: even now, ten years after release, a substantial amount of blue and black fruit predominated. The tasters were surprised (for a year that received abysmal ratings, generally) at what a solid wine this was! It demonstrated that a great winemaker can make good wine, even in a difficult year. 13.5% alcohol.
2002: The 2002 was mostly fruit and tannins (still immense tannins, though not unpleasant), with medium-plus to high concentration of color, while the earth/sense of place are, for the present, very much in the background. In addition to Cab-specific fruit, tasters noted marzipan, roasted nuts, and toasted cashews. Substantial backbone/structure. Significant intensity. This was a highly concentrated beauty. 13.5% alcohol.
2004: This vintage is still a "baby," waiting to show what it will become in adulthood. Concentrated; full of fruit. One of our hosts likened it to an Old Masters canvas, the beauty of which will emerge when the years peel away the current overpainting of fruit and tannins, and allow sight of the mature wine. If you own this vintage, hold it. There seems no point in opening it for another 8-10 years. Some tasters cited Lindt dark chocolate bars with 85% chocolate solids; depth and an almost bitterness. 13.5% alcohol.

And yes, if you are curious, our most generous friends who invited us to this tasting are holding all the "odd years," too. Oh, what a tasting that will be!

Overall, one reason this tasting was an immense pleasure is because the winemakers, Bernard Portet and John Clews, have not succumbed to the ultra-ripe, highly oaked, overly alcoholic style that has become too prevalent today. Despite numerous mentions of fruit, concentration, and even "New World," in the notes above, these wines all exhibited superb balance and breeding. This allowed the primary variables, terroir, age, and the distinct vintage itself, to clearly show.

A technical note, for anyone attempting to replicate our experience. All of the wines were decanted roughly two hours in advance. When I arrived, I was concerned for the 1975, having had Napa cabs as little as ten years old, which were mostly gone within a few minutes of opening the bottle. That was not the case here!

Random, hopefully enlightening comments from particpants:

"This was like meeting seven different good friends. They had enough enough similarities to be interesting and intriguing; to provide a common thread, but they were completely individual!" (Susan)
"Most post-1994 wines were like looking at a child 6-8 years old, or in some cases perhaps 12-14, who is going to grow up into an incredible adult." (Donna)
"Buy 2004 now, and hold it 10 years!" (Steve)
"Time, place, and us . . . what could be better?" (Scott)
"Wine is meant to be shared. This would not have been the same, drinking these by ourselves!" (Marci)

Vietnamese Wine Dinner at Stella's Southern Bistro

2010-05-23T21:13:00.002-04:00

Yep, you read that heading correctly! On May 13, the Greenville Wine Meetup held a wine dinner featuring Vietnamese cuisine, at a southern bistro, featuring wine pairings from classic French vinifera. Chefs Jason Scholz and Huy Tran exceeded all expectations. Comments were extraordinary on this event! Just a few include:

Some of the best food and wine pairings I have had at a wine dinner! We also had a lot of fun at our table
The word of the night was UNREPEATABLE. I am so glad I didn't miss this one. The quail, the soup, the pork...each was better than the last. I can't wait to go back to Stella's.
Excellent meal, well prepared, great presentation, the wine pairings complement the meal. I enjoyed having the Southern wine represesentative giving us the descriptions and insights of each wine we are having. Thank you Richard and Susan for having this meetup. It was a memorable night for me.

For those who weren't able to attend, here's the menu and pairings:

Reception South Carolina Quail Breast on Benne Seed “Puff,” Lemon Pepper Sauce
Carolina Cup ½ Shell Oyster, Scallion and Kim Chee Mignonette
Exotic Herb and Mushroom Summer Roll, Peach and Peanut Dipping Sauce
Pairing: 071 Prosecco Vino Frizzante NV (Veneto, Italy)
First Course Happy Cow Buttermilk, Cucumber and Lemongrass Soup
Avocado and Persimmon salad
Pairing: Pierre Sparr 2007 Gewurztraminer (Alsace, France)
Second Course Watermelon and Shrimp Salad
Lime leaf, mint, Thai basil, jalapenos & crispy cellophane noodles
Pairing: Sauvion Vouvray 2008 (Vouvray, Loire Valley, France)
Third Course Coconut Braised Local Pork Belly and Roasted BBQ Loin
Sweet potato puree, sorghum baked Sea Island red peas, curried pork jus
Pairing: Ridge 2008 Three Valleys Zinfandel (Sonoma County, CA)
Fourth Course Dessert Duel
Banana & Tapioca Pearl Stew, versus Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Ginger Caramel Syrup Pairing: Neige Cidre de Glace
Traditional Vietnamese Coffee Service

P. Simpson's Wine Dinner

2010-05-23T20:56:00.001-04:00

On April 22, we had an extraordinary wine dinner at P. Simpson's Hometown Grille in Simpsonville, SC. Just check-out the menu and pairings:

Amuse Bouche
Chef’s Creation
Pairing: Verve Cliquot Ponsardin, Brut
Course One
Foie Gras Torchon.
Cider Reduction, Pain Perdu, Apple-Opal Basil Salad
Pairing: Jordan Chardonnay, Russian River
Course Two
Duet of Game Birds
Duck Crepinette, Thai Gastrique, Peruvian Blue Rosti.
Hickory Smoked Quail Breast, Plum Recado.
Pairing: Erath Pinot Noir, Oregon
Course Three
San Danielle Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
Mole, Ratatouille Brunoise, Pomes Dauphine.
Pairing: Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma
Dessert
Chef’s Spring Salute
Pairing: Pacific Rim Framboise, Washington State

If there's any doubt we had fun, as well as our fill of great food and wine, just check out this video of the Greenville Wine Meetup 2nd Anniversary "Happy Dance"!

Our Cool "Wordle"

2010-03-31T17:32:00.014-04:00

If you haven't tried Wordle, visit the site yourself: http://www.wordle.net

April 30: The Reedy River Jazz & Wine Festival

2010-03-15T22:12:00.007-04:00

On April 30, Greenville will be hosting the first Reedy River Jazz & Wine Festival on April 30, 2010! Times for each artist's appearance are to be determined, so that's one reason to check back here for additional details.

All proceeds from the Reedy River Jazz and Wine Festival will go to support The Ronald McDonald House here in The Upstate. RMH provides a "home away from home" for the families of critically ill or severely injured children being treated at area hospitals. It's a place of hope and encouragement during an unpredictable time in their lives and the lives of their children. We're truly honored to support this worthy cause.

Several of the top wholesalers in the Greenville market are providing wines: Grapevine, Southern Wine & Spirits, Carolina Wine Source, and Grassroots. Although these names aren't household words for most wine enthusiasts in Greenville, I can tell you that they provide some of the most wonderful wines we enjoy in restaurants and retailers around the Upstate.

You can buy your tickets online, in advance, for $40 (click here for www.reedyriverjazzandwinefestival.org). Or tickets will be available at the gate for $50 per person.

Dreaming of Tuscany . . . and Virginia!

2010-03-13T10:21:00.014-05:00

Maybe that's why I woke up thinking about Prosecco Mimosas today (WOTD post below)! I was dreaming of Tuscany.

Shortly after my wife, Susan, and I moved to Greenville, we took off for Montalcino with friends from Oregon who purchased a week at this villa in a charity auction. We hope the charity benefitted richly from their generosity, because we know we sure did!

The photo overlooking the pool was at breakfast one morning: bread, cheese, grapes, OJ, Prosecco, and Prosecco Mimosas! And all of this was simply to prepare for a day in Tuscan Wine Country. The best was yet to come (although I have to admit this wasn't a bad beginning).

The Greenville Wine Meetup is planning wine tours to Virginia, California, France, and Italy. We began with "baby steps" . . . a chartered motor coach tour of Yadkin Valley and nearby wineries (Shelton, Round Peak, Raffaldini, and RayLen). Had a gorgeous catered lunch with wine, provided by Chef Paul Lange at the Harvest Grill. Click the Yadkin Valley link, then scroll down and check out the 100+ photos (or click here).

Now our Meetup is ready to spread our wings a little farther afield. Look for a Virginia Wine Country tour this summer—tentatively June 10-13. We'll find a B&B or a pleasant hotel near Charlottesville, and explore the dozens of wineries nearby, including Barboursville, Kluge, Veritas, Linden, Gabriele Rausse (see also this Vine and Grape blog post about Gabrielle), King Family Estate, and more. If everyone is up for it, we'll dine at Restaurant Pomme in Gordonsville.

If you are interested, click here and send me a note via Meetup.com? You'll see "Email Me" just below the words "Organizer: Richard" on the left side of the page. Or just click the comments link below this post, and leave me your name and email address. Thanks and cheers!

WOTD: Wines of the Day

2010-03-13T08:31:00.008-05:00

Years ago, when I was one of the administrators for a corporate UNIX machine, the computer's operating system had a feature called MOTD (message of the day). We used it communicate whatever might be important—or sometimes just fun—for users to know that day.

Well, you can think of this as your WOTD message. Woke up thinking about Prosecco Mimosas, Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre, and Brandborg "Bench Lands" Pinot Noir! Yep, I think those will be my WOTD. But first I have to walk the dog and make breakfast.

And as long as I was thinking of sparklers, I'm having fun with the web tool Amazon provides to grab book pictures and descriptions. Wish we had a similar tool for wines! Lacking that, Don and Petie Kladstrup's book on Champagne is one of the most readable wine books in my library (along with their Wine & War, about the Burgundy region). Richard Juhlin's 4000 Champagnes, on the other hand, is the most comprehensive possible coverage of the topic. Read and enjoy. Cheers!

Rangeland Wines

2010-03-12T19:09:00.000-05:00

Back in 2007, I posted about to Vine and Grape about a friend's vineyard (click here). I'm pleased to say his wines are now being released: Rangeland Wines, from Adelaida Springs Ranch's ASR Estate Vineyard.

Years ago—long before I moved east from California—he and I flew down in a small plane, landed on the ranch, and walked what would become the vineyard sites. Adelaida Springs Ranch isn't mine, but it's a great feeling of accomplishment to have been a small part of this effort from the beginning.

Congratulations, Laird, and best wishes for success.

Hey, Cookbooks Talk About Wine, Too!

2010-03-12T18:08:00.001-05:00

Well . . . at least some cookbooks talk about wine. See that great big glass of Australia Shiraz in the background?

And you can count on wine being included in Soby's New South Cuisine Cookbook. In fact, every recipe—from soups and salad, to main courses and desserts—includes a wine pairing suggestion. And usually the text not only suggests a wine (or occasionally, beer!), but explains why. It's almost like a quick class in food-and-wine pairing.

If you don't already have a copy, go to ShopTable301.com and get one now. OK, OK! I know maybe I'm being immodest, since I'm one of the co-authors. But the real heros of the book were Chefs Rodney Freidank and David Williams, along with Table 301 restaurateur Carl Sobocinski. They did the heavy lifting. I just helped stitch together all the great content they provided.

Bordeaux Blending Exercise Winners!

2010-03-12T17:31:00.005-05:00

On March 11, three teams from the Greenville Wine Meetup met in The Loft at Soby's to test their skills!

The winning team is pictured. From left, Marci Greci, Mike Greci, and Holly Deitz. With 36% Cabernet Franc, 36% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Merlot, their blend took top honors! OK, so neither the right- nor left-bank in Bordeaux use that much Malbec. You had to be there to understand, but this team made all the right choices!

The winning team named their blend "Ojo Rojo" (Red Eye), a blended red wine from the Mahomi Winery (two letters taken from each of their first names). Congratulations, Mahomi team. And don't miss checking out Holly's equally creative, limited edition jewelry designs here. Gorgeous items, Holly!

Kind Kudos

2010-03-12T17:15:00.002-05:00

G: The Magazine of Greenville did a very kind article about me recently, as a result of earning my Certified Wine Educator credential from The Society of Wine Educators. Click here for a great photo of Soby's wine cellar by Paul Mehaffey (look beyond the guy loafing around in the cellar and drinking wine), along with gracious commentary by Managing Editor, Heidi Coryell Williams. Thanks, Heidi and Paul!

Great Books!

2010-03-12T16:59:00.005-05:00

At several recent Greenville Wine Meetups, we've talked about some of the most interesting wine books we've read over the past few months. Here is a selection I can highly recommend. Click any image to go to a description of the book. And I'm happy to answer questions! Just email me.

A New Look

2010-03-12T16:08:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the new Vine and Grape!

The new look provides a bit more space to write about wine. I've also added Amazon Associate features that will enable me to link you directly to wine information resources come up in conversation here at Vine and Grape. More on that in another post, but for example, you'll see here I've inserted a direct link to one of the most informative (and funny!) wine films you'll find.

Father of Virginia Wine

2008-10-30T12:56:00.031-04:00

While in Virginia recently, I had the pleasure of tasting with Gabriele Rausse. Gabriele is widely regarded as the father of viticulture in Virginia (see here). More more than that, however, he is a genuinely charming man and almost unbelievably gracious in sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for wine.

My first experience with Gabriele's wines came more than two years ago, when when Kimberly Eakin of Wine Gourmet (Roanoke, VA) pointed out his wines to me. I tried one and immediately became a believer in Virginia's potential—but more specifically, in Gabriele Rausse's skills. His wines demonstrate European elegance, restraint, and balance, while remaining true to Virginia terroir and a clear testament to his own skills in the winery.

If Virginia is America's best kept secret in terms of quality wines, then Gabriele is Virginia's most extraordinary example of what is possible there.

Those of us who are wine enthusiasts, and live on the east coast, should make time at least once a year or more often, to spend a weekend in Virginia wine country. While a number winemakers there are doing an admirable job, Gabriele Rausse is in a class all by himself. Tastings are by appointment only (details here), but you can frequently find Gabriele showing his wines at local festivals and retail outlets. Don't miss his wines. And let me know if you enjoy them as much as I do.

If You're Driving Up I-81 . . .

2008-10-30T11:32:00.019-04:00

If you are in the area around Roanoke, VA, plan to stop at Tony Pope's Bistro & Wine Bar.

On a recent trip to Virginia wine country, I had what turned out to be the great good fortune of becoming tired and hungry a couple of hours before reaching Charlottesville.

Checking my GPS for eateries, I chose a promising-sounding name on Crystal Spring Avenue. Garmin guided me to the location. But to my great surprise, next door to the eatery my GPS had suggested was a gorgeous wine bar and bistro with indoor and outdoor seating!

The meal and service were incredible. Tony Pope's wine list is exactly what a bistro's should be: short but imaginative. A glass of Grüner Veltliner gave me time to review the menu. Having just driven 300 miles, I asked Heidi, my server, if Chef Tony would just make all the decisions for me and do a tasting menu. His selection of courses and matched wines (yes, I was very careful about how much wine I enjoyed) was superb: sea scallops with shitake mushrooms, braised butternut squash, and dark, flavorful chicken jus; quail with buffalo sausage and braised Swiss chard, over polenta; and finally, sirloin slices with cubed potatoes and mushrooms. When I asked about dessert, I was brought ice cream with delightfully warm cinnamon sugar sauce and a cup of dark coffee—just the ticket for remaining alert for the remainder of the drive.

Thank you, Chef Tony, for a great experience! Thank you, Heidi, for your wonderful service. Vine & Grape readers: if you are driving up I-81, don't miss Tony Pope's Bistro & Wine Bar.

Euphoria Wine Track Is a Hit!

2008-09-15T19:47:00.005-04:00

Wow! What can I say about the 2008 edition of Euphoria / Southern Exposure? "Fantastic," might be a good a start. Just three of dozens of seminar participants are pictured above.

Other publications and bloggers are reporting wonderfully on the food and music at Euphoria, so I'll focus on wine! This is Vine & Grape, after all! In addition to The Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon, which featured more than 200 wines, a full afternoon of wine seminars were presented by four Master Sommeliers: Wayne Belding, Laura Williamson, Ron Edwards, and Sara Floyd.

It's difficult to convey how special the designation "Master Sommelier" really is. Every Master's knowledge of wine is extraordinary; their tasting skills are exceptional; their service impeccable. Among the 300 million people in the United States, there are only 95 Master Sommeliers! Four of them were in Greenville, talking about wine with enthusiastic seminar attendees, ranging from novices to accomplished wine enthusiasts. What a treat!

Perhaps best of all, every Master subscribes to standards that include an emphasis integrity, hospitality, and humility. There is no group of professionals, anywhere, who are more warm or more gracious. If you missed Saturday's seminars, you missed a rare opportunity.

I'll post more soon. Meanwhile, Wayne, Laura, Ron, and Sara: Greenville sends her thanks!

New Orleans Hospitality . . . Red Fish Style!

2008-06-01T21:20:00.008-04:00

New Orleans is known for being gracious. However, one experience during my recent visit deserves special mention. If you don't have time to read this entire post, here's the bottom line: go eat at the Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street, just off Canal Street.

Red Fish Grill is one of New Orleans’ many fine restaurants. Red Fish, of course, is worth special note because it is one of Ralph Brennan's establishments—which also include Bacco. My wife, Susan, and I celebrated her birthday at Bacco, while in New Orleans last week. A good number of my colleagues at The Society of Wine Educators also dined at Bacco and Red Fish, during our conference in New Orleans.

But birthdays and Bacco aren't the point. The point is extraordinary guest service! Keep reading. This is one of those rare stories with a happy ending.

Background: A cranky guest (me), who was tired and frustrated for other reasons, arrived for lunch at Red Fish Grill. We were short on time and our meal didn't arrive as quickly as it had on the previous day. There was no chance of finishing our meal and getting to the next conference session for which I was registered. Short version: we complained to the lunchtime floor manager, gave him a business card, and left. Was the problem mine or Red Fish’s? In retrospect, it was at least half mine for being short of time and in a bad mood.

Here's the happy ending: Only an hour later, I received an email from the Red Fish Grill's Assistant General Manager, Leah Magouirk. Her note couldn't have been kinder, despite my crankiness with her staff. She invited us back, assuring us Red Fish would exceed our expectations, and even provided her cell phone number if we wanted to phone her in advance.

Susan and I took Leah up on her offer. Our dinner at Red Fish, the final night of the conference, couldn't have been nicer! Leah greeted us personally, as did Ariel O'Hern. Adam Rahn also stopped by to say hello (since Susan and I had retreated from the heat and humidity earlier in the week, to enjoy margaritas at the Red Fish bar, for which Adam is responsible). Greg and Carey cared for us during dinner, with grace—thank you, Greg—and enthusiasm. Don't miss this team; ask for their section. Carey is 110% energy, knowledge, and smiles. Ask why he salts your drink napkin! And watching Carey crumb a table is like watching an artist.

Congratulations, Red Fish! This kind of guest service is all too rare.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago on this blog (in a different context), there is a very important sense in which the customer is always right. Any of us who love good food and wine expect that to be the rule when eating out. But when things go wrong, that anxiety we feel in the pit of our stomachs always strikes. It is the anxiety that Harvard professor Shosanna Zuboff calls "the transaction crisis" . . . the fear that we will be snagged on the barbed-wire fence that surrounds too many commercial exchanges. The hotel lost your reservation; will they find you a room? The airline canceled your flight; will they rebook you quickly? Your meal at a restaurant wasn't up to expectations; does anyone care?

Red Fish Grill cares. Kudos to Ralph Brennan and his organization. And a big, big thanks to Leah Magouirk, who was the bright spot of our entire visit to New Orleans!

New Orleans Report #1

2008-06-01T17:18:00.007-04:00

Hello again! Sorry the blog has been quiet for a week or so. I’ve been in New Orleans for some serious wine-work.

“Tough job,” some say. Oh, really? Attend a Society of Wine Educators conference. Then tell me what you think.

Conferences are great, of course. They provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn from colleagues, and to taste wines you or I might otherwise never have a chance to try otherwise. But spend eight hours trying to identify the subtle nuances that separate the world’s best wines from the “merely” very good. It’s enough to make your head hurt!

By the way, the headache is not from over consumption. When tasting seriously, wine enthusiasts spit. Yes, that’s right. Wine goes into the mouth, and then right back out again. Seems a shame, doesn’t it? But there is no other way to taste 100 or more wines per day (and survive).

Over the next week or so, I’ll bring you up-to-date on some of the most interesting ideas—and interesting wines!—encountered at the conference. Meanwhile, thanks always for your interest in Vine & Grape.

Wine 411

2008-05-22T23:23:00.009-04:00

In our constantly connected world, there aren't very many new ideas—when we can already text each other instantly, Google almost anything we want on the Web, and phone friends overseas for pennies.

But the Spanish firm, Bodega Señorio de Barahonda, offers something that's just plain fun. On the back of the bottle of Nabuko shown at left, they include a phone number: 888 653-8466 (or, 888 OLE-VINO). Dial the toll free number, and then enter extension 131, the number for that particular wine. In return, you get a quick wine briefing on what's in the bottle!

Want to sound like an expert when you're serving wine to your guests? This is a great way to get a briefing.

By the way, Aldo Morales of Advintage Distributing, who showed us this OLE VINO service recently, will be speaking at The Greenville Wine Meetup on July 15th. Click the "July 15th" link, or scroll down and click on the Meetup logo in the right column to learn more.

Update on Upstate Foodie

2008-05-21T12:53:00.004-04:00

Last week, Vine & Grape reported on Upstate Foodie, an exciting new publication produced by Community Journals (publisher of The Greenville Journal). Upstate Foodie deserved kudos then. Their response to my original post deserves even higher praise.

In my first post, along with praise for their print publication, I quibbled about a couple of features of their web site. To Upstate Foodie's credit, their response was almost immediate. That response is praiseworthy because it shows that customers matter.

There is a very important sense in which the customer is always right. Any of us who love good food and wine expect that to be the rule when eating out. "Your steak is not properly cooked? Let me correct that, and while you wait, can I bring you a complimentary appetizer?" Or "The wine is not acceptable? No problem. Let's find something better suited to your taste."

Harvard professor, Shoshanna Zuboff, coined a term for that sinking feeling we get in situations like that. She calls it the transaction crisis, the fear that we will "be snagged on the barbed-wire fence that surrounds nearly every commercial exchange." The hotel lost your reservation; will they find you a room? The airline canceled your flight; will they rebook you quickly? The website didn't quite do what you expected; does anyone care?

Congrats, Upstate Foodie and Community Journals for cutting through the barbed wire! Love the publication and can't wait to see the ongoing improvements to your site.

Robert Mondavi Dies

2008-05-16T17:41:00.004-04:00

Today is a sad day for all of us who respect the pioneers of California's fine wine industry. Robert Mondavi, founder of the winery that bears his name, died at age 94.

All of us who appreciate America's transition from the jug wines of the 40s and 50s, to the world-renowned wines of California today, owe Bob Mondavi a debt of gratitude.

Robert Mondavi titled his autobiography Harvests of Joy. We can pray that he is reaping such a harvest today.

For more reading, see Harvests of Joy, by Robert Mondavi, with Paul Chutkow. Photo shown here is by photographer Jose Luis Villegas, of The Sacramento Bee, as it appeared in Mike Dunne's wonderfully readable blog, when Bob Mondavi was inducted into The Vintners Hall of Fame at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, CA.

Good Reading

2008-05-11T17:46:00.005-04:00

A member of The Greenville Wine Meetup sent me this New York Times link recently. I thought it was sufficiently interesting to point out to Vine and Grape readers. Wine critic Erik Asimov reviews two recent research studies that seek to answer the question, "Are wine consumers easily manipulated by price, pretense, and marketing hype?" Read the article and see what you think.

Only days before, Robin Garr's 30 Second Wine Advisor included this link to a fascinating report titled, "A Glimpse into the Wine World of 2058," prepared by London wine merchants, Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR). This report's conclusions are even more alarming than the studies Asimov summarizes. By the way, every wine enthusiast should subscribe to Garr's 30 Second Wine Advisor, if you don't already.

After reading BBR's predictions about volume wines, wine as big-brand booze, and world wine wars, I was so discouraged I needed a glass of, umm, wine! On the other hand, most of the negative scenarios suggested by Asimov and BBR can be forestalled by wine education. And wine education needn't be dry or difficult. Come join us at The Greenville Wine Meetup and find out how much fun learning about wine can be!

Upstate Foodie

2008-05-10T10:29:00.016-04:00

Community Journals, publisher of The Greenville Journal, released a wonderfully useful publication this weekend: Upstate Foodie.

Regular recipients of The Greenville Journal received this new publication tucked inside their weekly Journal. Presumably, additional copies of the guide are available at pick-up locations around town where The Greenville Journal is normally available.

The Foodie guide is nicely sized for its purpose (I'll keep one in my car's glove compartment). The "Soup to Nuts" charts at the back of the guide is a great quick reference. And because wine and food go together, the guide also includes two pages on tasting techniques—one by Northampton's Richard deBondt, and a second page taken from Wine.com.

The publication has a website: http://www.upstatefoodie.com/. The above photos by T.J. Getz are only two of dozens from the rich visual parade that marches past when you connect to the site. The site is searchable and offers the opportunity to rate/review restaurants.

A couple of user interface annoyances mar an otherwise fine start: the site doesn't resize to fit your browser's width. If you don't routinely work with your browser maximized (occupying all of your screen real estate), the search box may be hidden. Worse still, "Become a Foodie" and the login link at far right completely disappear. Thankfully, once you've reached a restaurant page, although the same problem exists onscreen, the content will print properly on 8.5" x 11" paper, portrait orientation.

The search feature is the other oddity. When you type a restaurant name and hit return, a dialog box appears—requiring you to choose from Restaurants, Cuisines, or Locations. For a cuisine search (e.g., Asian), which might return multiple restaurants, the dialog box makes sense. But when seeking details for a specific restaurant, this step is confusing the first time and an annoyance afterward. Finally, be aware the search feature is rigidly literal—no helpful fuzzy search like Google, to suggest options if you don't spell something perfectly. Misspell Soby's without the apostrophe and you'll get a message, "No results found." Misspell Azia as Asia, and you'll get a list of Asian restaurants, but not the restaurant you were looking for.

Drink Local

2008-01-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

Winter is a wonderful time to visit wineries. Tourist traffic is lighter. In the East, it's too cold to be in the vineyards. In the West, it's too rainy. The staff has more time to talk, so a lot can be learned while wandering around inside and tasting their wines!

You see a picture of fermentation tanks, at left. These tanks are at Shelton Winery, in Dobson, NC. Shelton is only a three-hour drive from Greenville. Shelton's tours make the visit well worth your time. Even closer to home is Victoria Valley Vineyards, near Table Rock, about forty-five minutes from Greenville. Ask for a tour of their barrel wine and "drink in" the wonderful aromas of wine aging in oak! Then go back on a warm Spring afternoon and sit on the terrace, drinking in the views. It's the next best thing to being in Tuscany.

In the 21st century, it's easy to buy wine from California, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. But for centuries, wine was made locally and consumed locally. The notion of a wine business was unimaginable. Wine was something your family, or your neighbor's family, made so that everyone could enjoy it with meals.

So, go visit these "neighbors" this winter. Wander around with a glass of wine in your hand. Ask lots of questions. Drink local . . . and enjoy!

Lucky Thirteen

2007-06-16T09:50:00.001-04:00

Most of us aren't superstitious about the number thirteen. But even if you are, chances are you'd have overcome any fears to join Danny Baker tasting thirteen years of Napa Valley history—history that was "read" through the lens of Heitz's Napa "Trailside Vineyard." And if you had reservations about thirteen wines on the table, you could simply add your welcome wine (the classically-styled Heitz Chardonnay) to thirteen Cabs and count the total as fourteen.

Danny opened the evening with a conference call with David Heitz, winemaker since 1974 and son of the famed founder Joe Heitz. Southern Wine & Spirits representative, Bill Berry, interviewed David about the thirteen vintages, learning that the 1989 and much of the 1990 fruit was from pre-phylloxera vines—before the vineyards were ripped out and replanted.

Then the real fun began: tasting! It's impossible to report on thirteen years of seriously made Cab in a post of any reasonable length, but here are highlights from the vintages about which the tasters were mostly in agreement:

1989: Starting to show maturity, but opened up remarkably in the glass over two hours, showing more structure and complexity after two hours than upon opening.
1990: Gorgeous fruit in the nose. Some rated this #1 of the tasting after the first pass through the flight; a few continued to feel it was best after two hours.
1991: Huge, upon opening. It fell behind other vintages after being in the glass for some time, but some tasters believed this will continue to improve with age.
1993: Remarkable elegance and balance. Some maturity showing, but even after two hours this wine was a standout in the glass.
1995: Best of the night! This wine was almost universally acclaimed as the star of the evening and Heitz's own tasting notes call it "one of the best to date from Trailside."
1996: Ready now. With lots of silky mouthfeel and lusicious fruit, this vintage appears to be at its optimum drinkability.
1997: A strong contender for best of the night. Many tasters simply sighed, "Gorgeous," and kept this glass aside to compare to all the rest.
1999: With the 1995 and 1997, all were stellar wines. Hold the 1999. The tannins, while not overwhelming, give this Cab at least a decade more to improve.
2001: The "sleeper" over the evening—and this vintage is still available! Some ranked the 2001 in their top three overall. Rich chocolate overtones distinguished it from other vintages. Don't hesitate to drink now, but patient cellaring should be rewarded.

Tasting Napa's History

2007-06-16T09:04:00.000-04:00

If you missed the Heitz Vertical Tasting on June 11, you missed the opportunity to taste an incredible slice of Napa history from 1989 to 2001. Vine & Grape knew this event would be a remarkable tasting. See this April 6, 2007, Vine & Grape post announcing the Heitz tasting.

Certified Sommelier Danny Baker opened The Loft at Soby's to ten very privileged guests—all of whom were immediately attracted to thirteen glasses at each place setting, along with a full-color package describing the Heitz family's 45 year history in Napa. Heitz lapel pins and corkscrews were among the additional gifts guests received.

As guests gathered, they chose from among Chef Rodney Friedank's carefully chosen starters (including three artisan cheeses perfectly matched to the crisp, very lightly-oaked Heitz Chardonnay). And most in attendance could hardly wait to try the venison tenderloin—the flavor and tenderness of which proved to be a showstopper.

But the main attraction at an event like this is inevitably the wine... and what wines these were: every vintage of Heitz "Trailside Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon from 1989-2001! See the post "Lucky Thirteen," if interested in tasting notes. And if you just can't bear to read about what you missed, see this post for upcoming events you won't want to miss!

Wine is Fun

2007-04-11T16:07:00.000-04:00

Who says touring the world and tasting wines can't be fun? If further proof is necessary, we offer this photo of Danny Baker, Soby's long-time sommelier, taking a break with a friendly kangaroo during a tasting trip to Australia.

This long-sought photo was recently forwarded by a friend (well, at least it has been long-sought by those of us who had heard they story of Danny relaxing with a kangaroo!). Couldn't resist sharing it with readers of Vine & Grape.

Paso Picks

2007-04-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

If you're a fan of Rhone blends, then Paso is your place. The absolute hit of the trip was SummerWood's GSM 2004 (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend). If you can find it, you won't be disappointed if you like rich, velvet-textured wines. Fabulous balance, despite deep extraction and 15%+ alcohol.

SummerWood's website isn't up-to-date, so the label you are seeing is not for the 2004 GSM. But here's a link so that you will have basic info on the winery.

I'm not generally a fan of the new overly ripe, high-alcohol wines. Attaining good balance is extraordinarily difficult. Manipulation is often necessary (e.g., acidification to get the wine back into balance). But the SummerWood 2004 GSM showed absolutely no flaws. Nothing stuck out; there was no alcohol on the nose, and nothing on the palate that would have indicated the wine was 15%+.

Other producers worth watching: Adelaida Cellars, Denner, Stolpman, and Saxum. And when in Paso, or at your favorite wine store, don't pass up the wines of Robert Haas and the Perrin Family (Chateau de Beaucastel). Their story is too long to tell here, but this link will take you to their site.

Paso Report

2007-04-05T12:57:00.001-04:00

The gorgeous photo is some of the newest vineyard land in the Paso Robles area, belonging to a friend of mine. This vineyard sits west of Highway 101 in the hills, as you can see. Look at the stony soil, visible particularly around the posts for the trellis system. These vines are just reaching early maturity and I'm looking forward to trying some of the Cab produced here.

You may have read recently that a group of vintners submitted a proposal to divide the Paso Robles AVA into eleven new American Viticultural Areas. That's a good thing for all of us who love the area. The current Paso AVA is so large as to be almost meaningless. The climate and topography is different east and west of Highway 101, but also from north to south. See the comments in this excellent article in WineBusiness.com, if interested. The Westside (where this photo was made) has terroir suited to produce outstanding wines. But don't make the mistake of automatically ruling out flatter Eastside properties, where a lot of serious winemakers are doing a good job with appropriate varietals and vinification.

Thank You, Greenville!

2006-09-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Greenville, for your wonderful support of the First Annual Southern Exposure!

Right now, as I write this on Sunday afternoon, the Jazz Brunch is about to close. We'll do a longer report later in the week, when more photos are available. But everyone who participated in Southern Exposure agrees this event offered three special days of food, wine, and music.

Since Vine and Grape focuses on the "wine" part of "food, wine, and music," we want to send a special thanks to our wine partners, Master Sommeliers Robert Bath and Laura Williamson, and most of all, to everyone who attended a seminar, a wine dinner, or Saturday's Grand Tasting.

More soon . . . but if you took part in any of the events this weekend, be proud of yourself—and pleased!—that you were part of the very first Southern Exposure. And thanks! We look forward to seeing you again next year for the South's premier food, wine, and music event.

Wine Lovers

2006-08-30T14:17:00.000-04:00

Wine lovers . . . you and I have a fantastic opportunity coming, so mark your calendars.

Monday September 25, and Tuesday September 26, Master Sommeliers (MS) Bob Bath and Laura Williamson will be in Greenville to teach the introductory level MS course. As mentioned in this post, this class has never been offered in Greenville and only occasionally is conducted in Charleston. You'd normally have to go to New York, Washington DC, or San Francisco, etc.

That's why I wanted to be sure to highlight this opportunity. If you have any serious interest in wine, you cannot afford to miss this seminar. No, you do not have to be part of the wine or hospitality industry (nor do you need to have plans to become a sommelier!).

But if you complete this two-day course, you'll find your confidence in tasting and discussing wine will reach an all-time high. And which of us hasn't wanted to be more comfortable discussing what we're tasting? Wanted the right vocabulary to describe the bouquet we're smelling? Wanted to be comfortable choosing wines we aren't entirely familiar with?

Click this email link and I'll gladly answer questions or provide more details. But mark your calendars now!

Where in the World is Danny Baker?

2006-08-25T18:18:00.000-04:00

Where is Danny Baker? Well, if he's not quite home yet, he's at least on the way home from almost three weeks in Australia!

Danny had the opportunity to tour Australian Wine Country, ranging from the historic Barossa Valley to the hottest new wine regions in Victoria and New South Wales.

So if you've missed Danny (and we all have!), just wait until he gets back with his great stories and fabulous wine ideas from Down Under.

Welcome home, Danny! And we can't wait to hear what wine ideas you've brought us.

Why Don't We Drink More Whites?

2006-08-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

The lovely white wine in this photo was sitting beside our pool in Tuscany, waiting for lunch to arrive (more on Italian whites in another post).

Ignore the Pinot/Burgundy bowls. We didn't purchase every glass shape for the villa where we stayed. But in the warm dry weather, we also quickly moved toward 8-ounce thrist quenching servings of our whites. That meant the 20-ounce Pinot bowls were just fine for spill-free swirling!

But that leads to today's question: why don't we drink more whites, especially during summer in the South? Low-alcohol Italian whites are an especially refreshing way to make any meal special.

Click the "comments" link below and voice your opinion on summer whites, and why we don't drink more of them? And see you again soon with some suggested Italian whites, for those eager to try!

Greenville's Southern Exposure

2006-08-18T17:33:00.000-04:00

A gorgeous park, a stunning footbridge across the Reedy River Falls, fabulous food, fantastic wines--and all in your hometown!

If you haven't already secured your tickets for Southern Exposure, click the underlined link and then head for the Peace Center ticket office.

And a special bonus for wine lovers (not on the Southern Exposure site) is that Bob Bath and Laura Williamson—both Master Sommeliers—will be offering the Introductory Level Master Sommelier class and exam on Monday, September 25, and Tuesday, September 26, at the Westin Poinsett Hotel. This class has never been offered in the Upstate and only occasionally in Charleston. You'd often have to go to New York, Washington, or San Francisco.

Email us for more information. We don't mean to sound like every "limited time offer." But none of us will have this opportunity again in the Upstate for a while. If you want to learn tasting and wine identification skills, the major wine regions of the world, and have a great time while doing so, register now.