Author Archives: Tracy

Women in Winemaking: Simi & Franciscan

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When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Not surprisingly, winemaker was probably not on your list. Similarly, while Janet Myers and Susan Lueker are now both successful Napa Valley winemakers, they each came to their craft by a circuitous route.

Janet grew up in Southern Illinois with a family fruit orchard and maternal grandparents from Italy, but her interest in grapes didn’t come until later. She studied biology in college and initially pursued anthropology. Janet eventually moved to London and, while waiting tables there, developed a love of wine. As her passion strengthened, she chose to study enology at UC Davis. 

Meanwhile, Susan studied chemistry when she first went away to school, but then changed her mind and majored in child development. After working with hospitalized children, which she found quite depressing, she decided to switch careers. Susan had always liked wine and her parents had met at UC Davis, so it seemed like a natural place to investigate. After a great meeting with one of Davis’ professors, Susan enrolled at the university. 

Arriving at the same decision around the same time, Susan and Janet found themselves as lab partners and became friends. Today, Janet is the head winemaker at Franciscan, a post she has held since 2005, while Susan is at Simi, where she has been for the past 10 years.

A recent “Women in Winemaking” dinner featured both winemakers and their wines at the Crosby Hotel in New York. During the reception, guests had the opportunity to taste Simi’s Sauvignon Blanc and Franciscan’s Napa Valley Chardonnay as well as two red wines. Moving to the dining room, additional wines were paired with dinner.

Simi Chardonnay 2007, Russian River Valley, CA
This wine was made from 20-year old vines planted by Zelma Long. It showed butter, apple and citrus aromas on the nose owing to partial malolactic fermentation and ageing in G. Ferrer barrels. Dry and full-bodied on the palate, its flavors included apple, oak, nuts and vanilla.

Franciscan Cuvée Sauvage Chardonnay 2007, Carneros, CA
Named for the use of ambient/wild yeast used, this wine takes twice as long to ferment and Franciscan was the first producer in Napa to bottle a wild ferment wine. This wine has aromas and flavors of oak, yeast and green apple and spice, which can be attributed to the wild yeast, barrel fermentation and lees stirring.

Simi Landslide Vineyard 2006, Alexander Valley, CA
The 290 acre (180 of which are planted) Landslide Vineyard was planted in the mid1980s by Zelma Long and has three different elevations, each of which delivers a unique quality to the grapes. The lowest elevation results in ripe character and softer tannins, while the highest provides vibrant, vivacious fruit. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, the remainder made up of the other four Bordeaux varieties, floral, blackberry smoke and cherry aromas greet the nose. A full-bodied palate shows notes of blackcherry, spice, vanilla, oak and smoke. 

Franciscan Magnificat Red Wine 2006, Napa Valley, CA
One of the first Meritage blends, Magnificat was named for Bach’s piece, which was written for five voices. Franciscan has been making this wine since 1984, varying the blend each vintage. Janet noted that, “By varying the blend, we can be more true to the personality of the blend.” The 2006 is produced from 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot, with meat, bacon, cherry and smoke aromas. Medium+ tannins, fruit, spice and vanilla linger in the long length.

What’s your Conundrum?

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I was asked to serve as the judge for a special event celebrating Caymus’ Conundrum, which was paired with a range of take-out cuisine in search of the best match. This wine is a “proprietarily secretive blend of California white grapes”, drawing from Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay and Viognier, and a combination of stainless steel and barrel fermentation that results in an unusual, but wonderful wine.

Pamela Wittman, owner of Millissime PR & Marketing Services, graciously opened up her home to a group of wine and food journalists, inviting them to each bring a dish of ethnic food, which they felt would pair well with the Conundrum wine. The stakes? A jeroboam of Conundrum.

Guests arrived, bearing their dishes, which Pamela and her team (Patricia, Erin and Matthew) plated, carefully protecting each person’s the identity until the big reveal later in the evening. After everyone had settled in, Pamela offered a brief welcome and explained the origin of the evening’s event. When she first tasted this wine, she felt strongly that it would pair well with a variety of foods and thus, she sought to confirm her suspicions that night. Guests were then invited to dig into the wonderful array of food.

Having been asked to serve as the arbiter for the evening, I took my job seriously and made sure to take a bite of each dish and taste it alongside the wine, keeping careful notes of my impressions. I tasted the food on its own and then took some wine into my mouth, while the food was still in it, to further probe the pairing. It was a fun, but challenging task, as I sought to rank my preferences from 1 (favorite pairing) to 11 (least favorite). Certainly, it was not a scientific experiment, but I did come to some conclusions and submitted my ranking to the Millissime team.

My first choice was a Chicken Tagine with Apricots, prepared by Jamal Rayyis (technically he cheated as it wasn’t take-out, but he did take it out of his kitchen and it was quite tasty, so there were no arguments). I found the dish to be full-flavored and well-spiced with its fruit flavors — fruity, but not sweet — matching nicely with the fruit in the wine. My second favorite selection was Chicken Tikka Masala, the flavors and creamy texture serving as a nice foil for the wine. Sweeter dishes such as General Tso’s Chicken were less preferred by me as their sweetness dimmed the fruit in the wine and made it appear overly dry. Dishes with excessive heat overpowered the wine and were similarly less successful. I also have to mention the Grand Marnier Shrimp, brought by my friend, Lisa Carley, which thankfully made it into my Top 5, otherwise she claimed that she would have had to stop speaking to me.

A popular vote was also taken, and, while there wasn’t perfect consensus, the #1 and #11 spots were the same — Jamal taking home the prize for the evening and my dear husband, Jared, falling short on both lists (and confirming my impartiality as judge). Actually, everyone really enjoyed the Thai pasta dish he had selected, but its heat (and mind you, he ordered it as medium, not hot) would be better suited to a beer or lassi.

So, that was our Conundrum for the evening, easily solved with great wine, great food and great company. What’s yours?

All images courtesy of Pamela Wittman.

Chablis 2008 shines at Drouhin’s Domaine de Vaudon

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Laurent Drouhin, of Maison Joseph Drouhin, wants consumers  to know a few things about Burgundy. The first is that they don’t make Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Rather, they make Chassagne-Montrachet, Chambolle-Musigny, Pommard, etc. In his view, the grapes, which are in fact Chardonnay for the whites and Pinot Noir for the reds, are merely a conduit through which the terroir can speak.

Another thing that Laurent would like folks to know is that Chablis, a very special terroir for white wines, is also in Burgundy.

And, finally, while he is proud of his family’s heritage as a negociant (a firm which purchases grapes from multiple growers to make wine), they are equally proud of their status as a land owner and producer, particularly in Chablis.

A recent tasting of the 2008 vintage from Drouhin’s Domaine de Vaudon proves that his pride is justly deserved.

The district level Chablis ($24.50) showed some complexity on the nose with  minerality and citrus fruit, both of which persisted on the palate along with the addition of green apple. The Reserve wine ($29.00), while similar in aromas and flavors, had a more pronounced nose and longer length on the palate.

Moving up in quality, the three Premier Cru wines (from grapes grown on highly rated vineyard land) all presented vibrant acidity, full body and citrus notes. The Premier Cru Montmains ($38.25) seemed to be the most complex of the three, with notes of apple, lime, earth and minerality.

However, it was the jump to the Grand Cru wines (those hailing from one of the seven best vineyards in Chablis) that really showed what world class Chablis is all about. The Grand Cru Bougros ($72.00) – incidently, Laurent pronounces the final “s” – had pronounced minerality, damp earth, bruised apple and a slight woody note on the nose, all of which re-appeared on the palate and remained throughout the exceedingly long finish. Slightly richer, with the perception of riper fruit on the nose and palate, the Grand Cru Vaudesir ($72.00) was slightly fuller and seemed to show a little more of the oak influence on the palate, although the use of oak was still restrained and elegant.

These latter wines were showing beautifully now, but indicated the ability to evolve and gain further complexity with age.

So, whether you drink them young or in time, enjoy these wines to the fullest. Just don’t call them Chardonnay.

Rom: A high point in the Golan Heights

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Courtesy Yarden Rom

A graduate of UC Davis, Victor Schoenfeld has been the winemaker for Golan Heights Winery in Israel since 1992. Zelma Long, who needs no introduction in certain circles, began her career at Robert Mondavi Winery and later moved to Simi Winery before pursuing her own interests. In 2002, the two well-regarded winemakers first came together with the goal of better understanding what limited and promoted quality among nine high quality blocks of vines at Golan Heights.

Describing the Golan Heights as a Mediterranean climate in an historical landscape, for Long, her visit “…felt like [she] was in this mythical land.” She saw its unique personality – wines that reflect the area with an extremely unusual diversity of climates within a small area (50 miles x 40 miles). Calling the wines fruit expressive with soft tannins, Zelma likens the wines to a cross between California fruitiness and Bordeaux restraint. She added that they are wines of complex character and concentration.

After working on the initial project together for several years, the two decided that a natural progression was to collaborate on the creation of a new wine. They recognized that blending wine was a very personal and intimate process, one that is not always easy to share with someone, but, their experience has been positive. Their vision for the wine, ROM, was power/intensity, which comes from the grapes and gives the wine potential for longevity; finesse/balance, which reflects winemaking and is also important for ageing; and flavor/complexity, which is enhanced in the winery through blending and ageing. Overall, they sought a wine of both access and ageing.

Ultimately, they sought out a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, with each variety bringing a distinctive set of aromas and flavor profiles to the final blend. The Cabernet Sauvignon from cooler vineyards brings black cherry and ripe plum, while grapes from the warmer vineyards result in olive and dried herb aromas. Together, these grapes provide solid, consistent foundation to the wine, which is enhanced by Syrah’s darker fruit, savory qualities and roundness, depth and richness. The Merlot adds fresher notes of raspberry, fresh herbs and orange zest and is responsible for lift and fleshing out the mid-palate. From the Hebrew word for a high place, the name Rom symbolizes Victor and Zelma’s pursuit in creating a wine of the highest quality.  [See the graphs below.]

Members of the press had the opportunity to taste through barrel samples of the component wines from the 2008 vintage: Merlot from Odem, Syrah from Tel Phares and Cabernet Sauvignon from El Rom. This exercise provided a glimpse of how the individual grapes came together to create a gestalt, especially when compared with the Rom 2008 barrel sample.

The first wine to be launched, the Yarden Rom 2006, showed beautifully with aromas of plum, blueberry and blackberry. The well-balanced palate offered very concentrated, rich fruit flavors with a hint of herbal notes and firm tannins. The 2007 had brighter red fruit on the nose and was a bit more structured, while the 2008 (barrel sample) was not as integrated, with the wood notes more obvious on the palate, indicating that this is a wine that will improve with time. A limited edition of 6,000 bottles was produced for the 2006 vintage, with an SRP of $160.00.

Courtesy - Yarden Rom

Courtesy - Yarden Rom

The future is now – Bordeaux 2009 white and rose

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The 2009 vintage in Bordeaux continues to receive rave reviews, but for now, the only red wines available for purchase are being sold as futures. Instead, consumers can look to Bordeaux’s whites and rosés – yes, you read that right, rosés – for a taste of this vaunted vintage.

Château Penin AOC Bordeaux Clairet 2009, Bordeaux, France
Located within the area of Entre-deux-Mers in the village of Génissac, Chateau Penin has been in the Carteyron family since 1854. Patrick Carteyron, a member of the fifth generation, has been the current owner as of 1982. The château’s white wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, along with Sauvignon Gris. The remaining range of wines is predominantly produced with Merlot, the most widely planted grape in the Bordeaux region. Two of those wines are rosés – an AOC Bordeaux Clairet and an AOC Bordeaux Rosé.

The Château Penin Bordeaux Clairet is 100% Merlot. This wine spends 24-60 hours of maceration on the skins, which accounts for its depth of color. In addition, approximately 25% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, rounding out the acidity on the palate, before spending four months ageing on the lees. With its deep rose color, you have to look twice to confirm that this is in fact a rose wine, but its cherry and strawberry aromas confirm its identity. With medium acidity, medium+ body, bright fruit and low tannins, this is a structured and dense wine that drinks more like a chilled red than a rose, but certainly hits the spot on a hot summer’s day.

Château Les Vergnes Bordeaux Blanc 2009, Bordeaux, France
Château Les Vergnes has been involved in viticulture from the very beginning with efforts to establish a national plan to combat phylloxera at the start of the 19th century and experiments with the first use of potassium thiocarbonate in 1879. Today, the château is committed to preserving the environment and qualified for the title, l’Agriculture Raisonnée in 2005 for its sustainable agriculture practices. 

Its Bordeaux Blanc wine is produced from a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Muscadelle and 10% Sémillon, with grapes sourced from throughout the Bordeaux region. The nose carries aromas of grapefruit, floral and a waxy/lanolin note (likely from the Sémillon). The dry palate boasts vibrant acidity with medium body and flavors of citrus, pith and a slight hint of lanolin, which persist throughout the medium+ length.

Grand Cru Grapevine: From Potatoes to Parker Points (July 2010)

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 We hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend and are having a great summer!

We continue to be busy, but have no complaints. In late June, Tracy participated in a video shoot for a segment of Wine Portfolio, an online television show that airs on CNBC. The segment focused on Wine Shopping in New York City, with stops at Sherry-Lehmann, Bottle Rocket and Chelsea Wine Vault. Host Jody Ness and the entire crew were a pleasure to work with. The episode won’t air for several months, but we’ll keep you posted when we have more details.

This month, Tracy was asked to serve as the judge for a special event celebrating Caymus’ Conundrum, which was paired with a range of take-out cuisine in search of the best match. This wine is a “proprietarily secretive blend of California white grapes”, drawing from Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay and Viognier, and a combination of stainless steel and barrel fermentation that results in an unusual, but wonderful wine. 

Later this month, Tracy will present “Born in the USA: American Sparklers” at the Society of Wine Educators’ annual conference in Washington, D.C.

And, back at home, we invite you to save the date for the first HARVEST Wine Auction & Celebration of Long Island’s East End, September 24-25, 2010. Grand Cru Classes will offer its “From Mystery to Mastery” class (Saturday, September 25, 11:00 AM -1:00 PM) through the event’s Wine Salon, as part of this two-day extravaganza, which culminates in a Grand Tasting and Gala Dinner at Wolffer Vineyards.

Many of our readers are familiar with the East End and understand what there is to celebrate, but for those that are less familiar, we share some of the history and current state of affairs of the East End with you this month.  Drink wisely and well,
Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer
       and
Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer  

 

  

From Potatoes to Parker Points
Agriculture has long been a feature of the North Fork, with the potato industry achieving prominence, along with cauliflower and other crops. But, times have changed. Today, the potato fields have given way to vineyards and vacationers. 

With the first vineyard planted in 1973 by a young, starry-eyed couple fresh out of Harvard, the first seeds (or rather vines) of the Long Island wine region were sown. That couple, Louisa and Alex Hargrave, were true pioneers, bringing vision and bravado to their newly purchased farm. Much like the early English settlers that preceded them, Alex and Louisa came to the task with limited knowledge, but unlimited passion and drive, pushing them to succeed where others were sure they would fail. Before long, they were joined in their efforts by other adventurous souls, all of whom were in love with wine. As time flew by, a fledgling wine region was born, eventually becoming an internationally recognized producer of quality wine.

The region now garners consistent coverage in the New York Times with Howard Goldberg’s bi-weekly column. Howard’s colleague, Eric Asimov, has lauded Long Island’s efforts in his own columns with increasing frequency, for both current and vintage wines. Additional publicity has been accomplished with big spreads in Wine Spectator and other glossy magazines, giving greater credibility to the region. Building on their accomplishments, the return visit of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, long considered to be among the most influential (albeit controversial) wine publications, proved to be a boon with all wines scoring a minimum of 84 and 23 wines earning scores of 90 or above (the highest score was 92). Across the pond, Decanter magazine has recognized the region with profiles of wineries and medals awarded to Long Island wines.Today, the Long Island wine region is home to 60 vineyards and 51 wine producers (35 of which are open to the public) and has garnered repeated praise in both consumer and trade publications. Moreover, the bucolic region has retained much of its rural charm, making it a true escape from the hustle and bustle of New York City, located only two hours away.

The wineries welcome visitors to their tasting rooms, each of which has its own special atmosphere. Guests can generally taste through a flight of wines for a small fee or can often choose to buy wine by the glass to enjoy in the wonderful surroundings. Of course, wine by the bottle and case is available for sale as well. Nearly year-round, but particularly during season (Memorial Day through Thanksgiving), the wineries play host to a wide variety of activities from jazz musicians and blue grass bands to dog shows, comedy festivals and other special events.

>Learn more about the region’s wineries through the Long Island Wine Council’s website.

Tasting Notes

Brooklyn Oenology Viognier 2007, North Fork of Long Island (NY), USA, $18.00
Owner and winemaker Allie Shaper is also the new face behind the wines at Comtesse Therese. Aromas of melon and spice give way to a dry palate with ripe tropical fruit and melon notes.

Shinn Estate, Estate Coalescence 2009, North Fork of Long Island (NY), USA, $14.00
Restaurateurs turned wine producers, David Page and Barbara Shinn produce elegant wines that are extremely food-friendly. A blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot Blanc and Riesling, this wine has a pronounced nose with a dry palate, showing grassy notes with citrus and a hint of floral and spice.

Corey Creek Vineyards Domaines CC Rosé 2007, North Fork of Long Island (NY), USA, $18.00
Corey Creek, a sister property to Bedell Cellars, has always been known for its rosé. Bright berry aromas greet the nose;in the mouth, it is dry with fruity, fresh berries that persist on the palate.

Jason’s Vineyard Merlot 2000, North Fork of Long Island (NY), USA, $14.95
A second generation winemaker on the North Fork, Jason is the son of Dr. Damianos, owner of Pindar and Duck Walk Vineyards. At 10 years old, this wine has an aged bouquet of dried fruit and flowers. It is dry, with medium+ acidity, dried berries and cherries, spice and oak. 

Castello di Borghese, Merlot 2005, North Fork of Long Island (NY), USA, $20.00
The original Hargrave vineyard and winery was sold to Prince Marco and Princess Ann Marie Borghese in 1999 where they continue the legacy started in 1973. This wine shows notes of meat and fruit on the nose with black cherry, plum, oak and meat flavors that linger throughout the long length.

Madeira: Perhaps a true desert island wine

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Courtesy Vinho Madeira - IVBAM

 

OK, yes, I wrote about desert island wines previously, but what if you were truly stranded on a desert island? You certainly wouldn’t have temperature-controlled wine storage available to you and eventually your wines would spoil in the heat. But what about a wine that was designed to withstand the heat and would even continue to improve on the voyage to said desert island? Madeira — a wine created to survive the long sea voyage from Europe to the New World– would be the perfect wine for such circumstances. 

Madeira is a volcanic island off the coast of Portugal and is the home of Madeira wine. Here, Tinta Negra Mole, Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey (aka Malvasia) are grown on the steep slopes of the island. All, but the Tinta Negra, are white grape varieties.  The wine itself owes its taste and character to its fortification (through the addition of a neutral grape-based spirit similar to Port or Sherry) and its prolonged exposure to the heat. The fortification interrupts the fermentation process and, depending upon when it occurs, generally prevents some of the sugar from being converted into alcohol, thereby creating a wine with some sweetness. 

Four styles of wine — dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet — are produced, corresponding to the grape variety used. Sercial is the driest style, followed by Verdelho and Bual, with Malmsey being the sweetest. However, despite being labeled as “sweet”, these wines are drier than you might think and can actually pair nicely with savory foods, such as cheeses, wild game and nuts, as well as, if not better than, desserts. 

After the fortification, the wine is subjected to high temperatures in either a heated, concrete vat (an estufa) for several months or through prolonged storage in oak casks in naturally warm rooms (canteiros) over several years, recreating the conditions found when the wine was shipped over lengthy distances. Given the slow and steady process, the Canteiro method is considered to be of higher quality and thus generally reserved for the Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey grapes, while Tinta Negra Mole are most often heated in Estufagem. A minimum of 85% of the grapes must be from the named grape variety if it is stated on the label. 

With its ability to withstand the heat, Madeira would do well in the sans-refrigerator environment of the desert island. For those of us on Manhattan island (hot right now, but fortunately, not under desert conditions) as well as elsewhere in the United States, Madeira is a perfect wine to enjoy now. And, as some of my colleague, Rebecca Chapa, has pointed out, it is timely too, as George Washington toasted the first Independence Day back in 1776 with a glass of Madeira. 

A June tasting, sponsored by the Madeira Wine, Embroidery and Handcraft Institute (IVBAM), showcased some of the top Madeira producers, including Blandy’s, Broadbent, Henriques & Henriques, Justino’s, Pereira d’Oliveira and Vinhos Barbeito. Here are a few tasting notes from that event: 

Henriques & Henriques 10 Years Old Verdelho, Portugal
Dating back to 1850, Henriques & Henriques is the largest independent producer and shipper of Madeira. Medium mahoghany in color with aromas of honey, burnt orange and oxidation, this wine is off-dry with rich flavors of orange peel, honey and raisin that linger in its long length.  

Vinhos Berbeito Historic Series Malmsey New York Special Reserve, Portugal
Established in 1946 by Mario Barbeito, this Madeira producer has a shorter history than many other firms, but has created an historic series based on the styles of wine preferred by various colonial cities. Colonial New Yorkers preferred a richer style of wine compared to their colleagues in Charleston and Savannah, with coffee, toffee and raisin notes on the nose and medium-sweet palate, culminating in long length. 

Broadbent Madeira Malmsey 10 Years Old, Portugal
Bartholemew Broadbent imports Madeira wines under his own label. This sweet wine has aromas of burnt sugar, oxidation and dried oranges, with flavors of spice, dried fruits and dried herbs on the palate. 

D’Oliveira Reserve Sercial 1969, Portugal
A small producer, Pereira d’Oliveira is known for its large stocks of old and rare wines. This older vintage is still showing some color with notes of burnt sugar and honey. It is dry with oxidized notes, honey and spice on the palate. 

Blandy’s Madeira Vintage Bual 1968, Portugal
Blandy’s was named for a soldier who landed on Madeira in 1808 and eventually settled on the island as a general trader in 1811.  This vintage wine is pale in color, but still shows hues of mahoghany. The nose is rich and deep with notes of caramel and burnt sugar. On the palate, it is medium-sweet, with a hint of oxidation, caramel, burnt orange and treacle flavors that persist.

Greek wines embraced by NYC and its wine stores

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It used to be that one had to venture to Queens’ Greek neighborhood to find a decent selection of wines from Greece and similar countries. These wines were sold almost expressly for ex-patriots who wanted a taste of wine from the old country in their new homeland. However, Greek wines have become more visible in the wine world, due to the increased focus on quality and influx of new, young winemakers.

In northern Greece, up and coming winemakers Evripidis Katsaros from Katsaros Estate; Thrassos Giantsidis from Estate Gerovassiliou; and Annegret Stamos from Biblia Chora are establishing high quality reputations both at home and broad. Their dry and windy area produces mostly whites, but, beautiful red wines are also being made.

With training in Bordeaux, Giantsidis has applied French winemaking techniques to indigenous grape varieties, while Katsaros has experience in Burgundy. Annegret is originally from Germany, bringing yet another unique perspective to the region. Wines produced in this region have good acidity, but less so than the same grape, such as Assyrtiko, grown in Santorini. While import markets clambor for Greek varieties, the local market wants the diversity of international varieties as well, which accounts for the use of both in these wines. The importer advised that these wines may be found at Acker Merrall & Condit, among other outlets in New York City. For more information on these wineries, visit Cava Spiliadis.

As further evidence of the increased interest in Greek wines, Chelsea Wine Vault has just announced the addition of a new Greek wine section. Their recent newsletter highlighted a number of wines including a nice range of affordable reds and whites. The store has not yet added “Greece” to its search by region function, but it is likely an oversight soon to be corrected. Chelsea Wine Vault will host a Greek wine class on July 13, 2010 from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at the store. Tickets are $45/ person and may be purchased online.
75 Ninth Avenue, at 16th Street, New York, NY

In addition, Picada y Vino  will offer a free tasting this weekend of a Greek wine and a Lebanese wine: Saturday, June 26, 2010 from 4:00 – 7:00PM. Wines include Greece’s Domaine Tselepos Mantinia Moschofilero 2008 (a white produced from 100% Moschofilero) and Lebanon’s Château Kefraya Les Bretèches (a red blend of Cinsault (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Syrah (5%), Grenache (5%), Tempranillo (5%), Carignan (3%) and Mourvèdre (2%). These two featured wines will be 10% off, all day. 327 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11215

A Truly Winederful Evening

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The Four Seasons was the scene for a beautiful event on June 7, 2010 — the Wine Media Guild’s annual Hall of Fame dinner. Members and their guests began the evening on the Grill Room’s balcony, with a festive sparkling wine reception after checking in with Ron Kapon to pick up their nametags made by yours truly.

A formal sitdown dinner followed the reception, held in the private room above the Pool Room with over 90 guests in attendance. As usual, attendees were invited to bring a bottle or two of wine from their cellar to share with their table. A wide range of wines were tasted throughout the evening from rare treasures and oddities to more common bottles, but all bringing immense drinking pleasure. We were especially pleased with our Marc Morey Chevalier-Montrachet 2000, which was showing beautifully. Unfortunately, our Bedell Cellars C-Block Merlot in magnum was a bit faded.

Just before dessert was served, the awards were presented to: Dan Berger, Michael Broadbent (accepted by his son, Bartholomew) and Karen MacNeil (accepted by John Gottfried),  inducting them into the Hall of Fame.  André Simon was inducted posthumously. In addition, scholarships were presented to three students at New York City College of Technology, as selected by the WMG Scholarship Committee. The students will be able to use their scholarships to further their knowledge with additional coursework in wine at school. 

The wine continued to flow as guests lingered with friends and had fun tasting leftovers on various tables. Kevin Zraly made a surprise appearance at the end of the evening, arriving just in time to taste a bit before we all headed home, eagerly anticipating next year’s dinner.

Grand Cru Grapevine: For the Cellar (June 2010)

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Season has arrived, keeping us busy with public classes, private group tastings and lots of fun wine events. Some recent highlights included a presentation on Long Island wines to wine club, It Was a Good Year, based in Poughkeepsie, NY; a presentation of our From Vine to Wine class held in conjunction with the Town of Riverhead’s Department of Recreation; and a jaunt “Around the Wine World in Six Glasses” for a bachelorette party in East Hampton. We return to the Hamptons for another bachelorette party this month. 

We also had the good fortune to visit to the Finger Lakes wine region in early May as part of Lenn Thompson’s TasteCamp East. This three-day extravaganza provided us with a fast and furious overview of this great wine region, which neither of us had truly visited despite Tracy having gone to Cornell University for school. If you get a chance to visit yourself, we highly recommend the trip. 

Of course, for most of you, a much shorter trip will bring you to the haven that is the East End of Long Island, which has ramped up for 2010 and welcomes your visit. If you do head out our way, be sure to stop by to visit our vineyard and take a wine class. We will also be delighted to show you our new solar array, which is our latest step in going off the grid and being green.

Coming with a group? We can customize a private class or event for you to enhance your visit to the region – choose from our regular wine tasting classes or add a cheese tasting component to broaden your knowledge even further. We await you… 

Drink wisely and well,
Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer
       and
Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer  

FOR THE CELLAR
While most wine is consumed within 48 hours of purchase, there are good reasons to cellar your wine. No, that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc likely won’t improve with age, but, many other wines will continue to develop in the bottle, revealing even more nuances and complexity upon opening. As they say, patience is a virtue, and truly, a well-aged wine can be a rewarding experience.  

Which wines will age?
First, know that a vintage date is not akin to a freshness date – buying wine is very different from buying milk. An older wine is not necessarily a bad thing and in fact can be even better for having aged. That being said, wines that are intended to be enjoyed for their crisp acidity and fresh fruit flavors are best enjoyed young and should not be aged. Accordingly, keep tabs on your fresh, aromatic whites, roses and fruity reds and plan to drink them within three years of release.

Similarly, most white wines are meant to be enjoyed in their youth. However, high quality Chardonnays, Rieslings, Semillons and Chenin Blancs can develop nutty, toasty, honey and other more developed aromas and flavors that come through after the fresh fruit has faded.  Red wines with good tannins are likely to be ageworthy due to their structure and, in fact, highly tannic wines generally require some ageing for the tannins to soften and become more enjoyable on the palate. As with their white counterparts, vibrant fruit will become more subdued as secondary and tertiary flavors come to the fore with dried fruits, earthy and herbal notes taking their place. In general, a wine with ageing potential will have enough fruit, acidity and structure. If these elements aren’t sufficiently present in the beginning, they will fade too quickly as the wine ages and the aged wine will be lacking on the palate. In addition, sugar and alcohol are great preservatives, so wines with high sugar contents and fortified wines can age beautifully such as Sauternes; Ports; and Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenberenauslese Rieslings. 

Proper storage conditions
If you are laying down your own wines, be sure to store them under proper cellar conditions. Wines should be stored in consistent temperature between 50oF-70oF with some humidity to keep the corks moist in an area that is free from vibration and not exposed to light. Bottles with corks should be laid horizontally, to further aid in keeping the corks moist. If buying older vintages at an auction or retail, it is important to consider the storage conditions under which the wine has been since its departure from the winery. Whether ageing them yourself or buying aged wines, well-stored wines, with good providence, are more likely to be sound, although even under the best circumstances, there are no guarantees. 

When to drink your aged wines
Deciding when to drink your aged wines is both an art and a science. Typically, if you have a case of a particular wine, you will likely drink a few bottles too soon and a few bottles too late and the remainder during the wine’s peak. It’s a  good idea to check out vintage charts to see when wine experts, who are often tasting wines throughout the ageing process, think they are ready to drink (or if they think they are too young or too mature).

Serving older wines 
Once you have selected to drink an older wine you should expect a few things such as sediment. The tannins and pigments will precipitate out of solution, falling to the bottom of the wine. Accordingly, older wines frequently need to be decanted. In addition, like leaving an apple slice on the counter, wines (especially white wines) will oxidize a bit with time and thus will change color. White wines will become darker, heading toward brown while red wines will lose color, shifting toward brick and orange tones. Finally, corks on older wines may be very fragile, thus, an Ah-So opener might be a better way to go than the usual cork screw. 

Whether you prefer the vibrancy of newly released wines or the complexity of aged wines, open a great bottle and enjoy! 

 Tasting Notes 

  To further illustrate the discussion above, this month’s tasting notes include several of the same wines from different vintages, highlighting the changes that come with age. 

Bott-Geyl, Pinot d’Alsace 2005, Alsace, France, $16.00
We featured this traditional blend of Pinot Auxerois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in our December 2008 newsletter. Now at five years old, it is showing some beautiful aged characteristics with the citrus and floral notes have given way to honey and toast. However, the wine’s richness and acidity are still very present.

Anthony Road Winery, Semi-Dry Riesling 2008, Finger Lakes (NY), USA, $15.00
This is their off-dry Riesling offering with approximately 21-25 g/l of residual sugar. Floral aromas dominate the nose while the off-dry palate provides vibrant acidity and peach/stone fruit flavors that linger throughout the wine’s long length.  

Anthony Road Winery, Semi-Dry Riesling 2001, Finger Lakes (NY), USA
The same wine as the Riesling 2008, but with seven years of bottle ageing, the wine shows developing aromas of petrol. The palate is now drier and the ripe fruit has faded into notes of honey, toast and lime. The long length persists. 

Beronia Gran Reserva 2001, Rioja, Spain, $22.00
Produced from 88% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano and 4% Mazuelo, the wine was aged for a minimum of 24-36 months in oak plus an additional 36 months in bottle to quality for the Gran Reserva label. Aromas of smoke, spice, herbal and bright berry greet the nose. The palate provides red fruit and leafy flavors and good, tannic structure.Nearly the same wine as the one above, this wine was produced from 100% Tempranillo. Its nose reveals dried fruits and herbal aromas, while the palate is dry with medium+ acidity. Flavors of herbs, red fruit and spice are beautifully developed.Another 100% Tempranillo wine, this is a good (or rather bad) example of what happens when you wait too long to drink your wines. Tasted right after the 1982 Gran Reserva, it was clear that this wine was past its prime with limited fruit and bitter notes on the palate. In contrast, the 1982 had a slightly oxidized nose, but still showed some flavors of bright fruit, dried herbs and dried flowers.

Beronia Gran Reserva 1994, Rioja, Spain, $53.00

Beronia Gran Reserva 1981, Rioja, Spain, $55.00