Wineocracy

Should I take 1%, 2% or Half and Half with my Port?

2012-01-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

I can be a wine snob. O.k., I'm often a wine snob. But the best thing about this hobby is how surprising it can be.

Earlier tonight I attended a BYO wine dinner. There were 30 attendees and well over 30 bottles of wine. A few of the diners at my table brought two port wines that they'd made: a white apple port and a dark coffee port. I tend not to be receptive to home winemakers, but as many of you know, I love a good port so I was really curious. Skeptical, but curious.

My skepticism ebbed with each successive sip of the coffee port. The body was thick, but not syrupy and though the coffee flavor was a bit heavy, it didn't completely overpower the raisin and licorice notes of the port. Though I can't tell you where to buy this wine or what the price point can be, tonight's experience serves as a reminder of why it's always worth it to try a wine - even if it's a style, varietal or region you don't like or a source of which you're skeptical.

And I'm not just saying this -- next week the Essex County Wine Society is holding a tasting of South African wines. I have yet to find a South African wine that I really like. I've found some that are drinkable, but none I'd choose over other varietals or blends from other regions. Maybe I'll be surprised yet again next week? Whatever happens, I'll be sharing it here.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Priorat = Good (better than my original headline which included a play on the word priority)

2012-01-16T08:12:00.001-05:00

Last week The Essex County Wine Society hosted a tasting of wines from Priorat, a region in Northeastern Spain that is known for it's big, bold red wines. Wine from Priorat share a lot of characteristics with the Southern Rhone because most Priorats are blends consistng mostly of Syrah and/or Grenache (or as it's known in Spain, Garnacha). Merlot and Carignan (another grape commonly found in Rhone blends) are also often blended in Priorat.
As is typical of the Essex County Wine society tastings, we blind tasted 10 wines and rated them in three different groups. Yes, that is a lot of wine, but if you can contain yourself and stick to a few sips of each wine, you'll get through it fine. And if you can't, this is why you leave me to do the tasting and writing!

I hadn't had a lot of exposure to Priorat, but I enjoy Southern Rhone wines so I liked a lot of what I tasted. These are big, dry wines with a lot of alcohol (thanks to the Garnacha), so you don't want to serve these with appetizers or a light snack. Also, a lot of these wines had some interesting rubber and smoke scents on the nose. These often dissipated after a good 10 minutes, but I could asee how this might be off putting to some. That said, I think these are really interesting, complex and flavorful wines and worth the risk.

The three wines that were my favorite of the evening:
Ardiles Merum 2004: Bright berry on the nose and palate; Slight rubber smell on the nose that I didn't get on the palate; Subtle mineral and herbal notes; Nice tannic structure
Salanques 2006: Gamey nose with some cherry notes; Velevety mouth feel with bright berry flavor and savory notes
Vall Llach Idus 2006: Bright berry nose with leather and earth notes; Nice balance of fruit and minerality on the palate; Flavors stick around for awhile (a.k.a. medium to long finish); Favorite of the evening

South Africa is the next region that the Essex County Wine Society will be tasting. Admittedly, this is one of my least favorite regions, BUT, I will be at that tasting and I will give it my best. Yes, this is such a sacrifice!

Before then, I expect to have at least a few other wine encounters.

Until those next sniffs, sips or quaffs,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2012-01-09T19:21:00.000-05:00

When I think of athletes and wine, I either think of champagne in locker rooms or Greg Norman's eponymous label. Given their salaries and lifestyles, I assume that there are more than a few sports stars that are also oenophiles, but you tend not to hear about thise side of their personalities. I was pleasantly surprised to open this weekend's Wall Street Journal to find that Lettie Teague profiled one of my favorite retired baseball players, Mike Piazza, and his love of wine.

Despite my lifelong allegiance to the Philadelphia Phillies, I've always respected ex-Met Mike Piazza. He was an excellent ball player and he always seemed to be one of the "good guys." Plus, he had (has?) truly magnificent, uh, hindquarters. Truly a joy to watch in every way.

As it turns out, Mike Piazza's dad was a wine importer and he has been a lifelong student/fan of wine. Moreover, Piazza appreciates both red and white, which to me is the sign of a true wine lover.

For the full article, check out this link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203462304577138622912924912.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Later this week I'll be attending a tasting of Priorat, a Spanish varietal. I look forward to sharing all of my notes (or really the truncated version).

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2012-01-01T11:22:00.001-05:00

It's been a lovely 3 weeks of reds, late harvest whites and of course, plenty of sparklers. I have been remiss about posting about my latest wine adventures, so I'll just share a wrap up of my favorite Wines of 2011 Chrismukkahnewyears.

Marques de Rsical Rioja, 2002 and Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia, 2000 (I think): A few weeks ago I had a dinner club meeting that happened to be the night before my friend, Meg's birthday. Meg has been on an Iberian wine kick lately so I broke out these two Spanish wines. Both wines are made primarily frm the tempranillo grape and both were excellent, but they were very different which speaks to the importance of "terroir" or in non wine snob, the soil, climate and region in which the grapes are harvested. The Marques de Riscal was smooth with balanced notes of berry, smoke and leaher. The subtle way in which it presents its flavors is due to the time it was aged in oak barrels as well as the time I held onto it. The Lopez de Heredia was a lot bigger and more rustic, but with a lot of bright cherry notes. Lopez de Heredia is great at producing powerful wines that do not overpower most dishes.

Kistler Chardonnay: I didn't catch the year, but it doesn't really matter to me because I've always enjoyed Kistler's Chardonnay. One of the few buttery, oaky California chardonnays I like. They somehow seem to balance the fruit just right so it's right on the edge of being out of balance, but holds its ground. If you like minerally, acidic Chardonnays that show a lot of citrus or green apple, this one is not for you.

Marc Bredif Vin Moelleux Nectar 2000: I hesitate sharing this one because I bought it at the vineyard on my trip to The Loire and it's virtually impossible to find in this country. One of the best dessert wines I've had lately (and I drink a lot of good dessert wines). We drank this at the conclusion of Meg's pseudo-birthday dinner and it was the hit of the evening. As the name suggests, it tastes like fresh peach nectar without the thick pulp and tongue coating. If you get a chance to have a Bredif Nectar from any year, go for it.

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Brut Belles Annees, NV: One of my favorite sparkling wine and for $40, you cannot do better (for those who swea by Veuve, I promise this is better). Tight bubbles, but slightly less effervescent than most champagnes. Bright fruit and acid with a lot of minerality that somehow does not overwhelm. Almost too easy to gulp, which I learned while watching Justin Bieber perform "Let it Be" on the New Year's Eve special. And I almost killed the bottle while listening to Ce-lo Green murder "imagne.". What is it with less talented musicians wanting to "honor" The Beatles by destroying their music?!?
So now it's 2012 and one of my goals is to post more consistently in the future.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff, or random musing about wine or the state of the music industry,

Cheers and Happy New Year,

Alli M.

A New Favorite in Old England

2011-12-10T23:13:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, my friend, Meg, introduced me to a rioja she's been into lately - Vina Alberdi. It's hearty and somewhat smokey, but it's quite smooth with a lot of fruit and finesse. Really easy to drink by itself or enjoy with just about anything (I do not recommend taking a swig after having a Junior Mint).

Last night when I was picking out a bottle to enjoy while on my mini holiday in London, I was thrilled to find a bottle of Vina Alberdi at the Odd Bins wine store near my friends' flat. Total crowd pleaser. We drank with pizza last night and went back to pick u another bottle to have with dinner tonight. One of my friends picked up a bottle to keep at her place for a future occasion.

If you see this bottle, it's definitely worth the $20+ it will set you back.

Until, well, who am I kidding, I'm on vacation so I sniff, sip and quaff every day!

Cheers,
Alli M.

Mulling It Over

2011-12-09T19:04:00.003-05:00

Hello from the U.K! Why am I reporting frm a region that's not really known for wine? Well, the English are certainky known for their drinking. Plus, they tend to serve a lot of mulled wine during the holidays. And today I learned the difference between European mulled wine and the mulled wine they tend to serve in the U.S. - spirits. European mulled wine tends to be fortified with whiskey or bourbon or other spirits while U.S mulled wine tends to consist of just wine and spices. At least that seemed to be the case today. Or maybe it was just the jet lag...either way, it was an interesting difference to note.

Until the next sniff, sip, or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

P.S. I've since learned that spirits are usually just an option for mulled wine over here. Just haven't seen the whiskey or bourbon option in the states (or maybe I've been drinking the wrong mulled wine all these years)

When Free Isn't Worth It

2011-12-08T18:52:00.002-05:00

I'm one of those people who tends to have an easy time staying away from open bars. It's not that I have some insane amount of will power, it's just that I'm now at the point where I can't drink crappy wine and most wine served at open bars is pretty bad. The bar at the United Club in the Newark Airport is no exception. The Cabernet and Chardonnay they serve as part of their free wine service is among the worst I've had in a long time.

I think the name of the label is Copperhead, which sounds about right because it's about a few notches more pleasant than I imagine a poisonous snake bite would be.

No real lesson to share here other than buyer beware. Oh, and stay away from Copperhead - snake, wine brand or otherwise.
Just checked the name of the wine - it's actually Copper Ridge. Oh well. The snake comparisons don't work, but you should still steer clear of this swill.
Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or quick mouth rinse,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A Return Trip to Oregon - Kinda, Sorta

2011-12-04T22:05:00.006-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend an Oregon pinot noir tasting conducted by the Essex County Wine Society, a local club of fellow oenophiles.

Over the course of the evening we tasted 10 wines from some of the top wine makers in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The wines were all from the 2008 vintage, which is thought to be one of the best
Oregon has ever produced.

We tasted the wines blind so we didn't know who made them or how much they were before we tasted. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my palate mostly went the way I would have gone had I known the labels.
The line-up (my favorites are in purple):
Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve, Chehalem AVA - Sweet spice on both the nose and palate, not much of a finish, tight tannins, pleasant; $27

Ribbon Ridge Ridgecrest Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge AVA - Classic pinot noir notes of red raspberry and cola, Loved the nose, but it seemed to disappear on the palate; $63

Elk Cove , Yamhill Carlton AVA - Gamey, but also bright red berry notes, One of my favorites of the night; $28 - good buy

Ken Wright Abbott Claim Vineyard, Yamhill Carlton AVA - Licorice nose but with some interesting sweet notes - floral?, Nicely balanced; $52

Lemelson Thea's Selection, Yamhill Carlton AVA - Sweet nose with spice notes, Currant, earth, a little pepper on the palate, Another one of my favorites; $26 - also a good buy

Archery Summit Arcus, Dundee AVA - Petrol on the nose, Not a fan, Only a few people in the room liked this wine, but it got better throughout the evening - still my least favorite; $91

Domaine Serene Jerusalem Hill, Eola-Amity Hills AVA - Lovely nose of red berries with a hint of smoke, Absolutely loved this wine and it was a tough choice between this and the next wine for my favorite of the night, Glad to find out that Eola-Amity is still my favorite Willamette AVA - even in a blind tasting; $90
St. Innocent Freedom Hill, Eola-Amity Hills AVA - Funky nose with a lot of game and herbal notes; Cherry, spices, savory herbs on the palate - this is my type of wine and it was my favorite of the evening; $40 - in my opinion, agood deal for an Oregon wine with this much personality and complexity

Ken Wright Carter Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills AVA - Mint, eucalyptus, smelled almost like a mint tea, More fruit on the palate, but still a lot of mint which I couldn't get past, Lots of people loved this one but I didn't really like it, When I found out it was Ken Wright, I was not surprised because I tend not to love their stuff as much as everyone else - just makes me an outlier; $52

Ken Wright Canary Hill Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills AVA - Jammy nose, Cooked berries, Seemed toi disappear on the palate, but when I came back later in the evening, it had a much longer finish, Was the favorite for the majority of the attendees; $52

Ultimately, there was only one wine (Archery Summit) I wouldn't want to drink again. Yet even the Archery Summit had its fans. There were over 70 people at the tasting and each of the wines had at least a few fans so if you get the chance to try any of these, go for it.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Michael Graves, Wine and Lettie Teague

2011-11-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

I finally caught up with this weekend's WSJ article and it's the best I've read in years. Perhaps it has something to do with the subject - Michael Graves - of whom I am a fan. I should have known with his sense of both elegance and whimsy that he appreciates wine as well.
Definitely worth the 15 minutes it takes to read the article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204531404577052301371588404.html

And for the record, I generally prefer Lettie Teague's columns to Jay McInerney's. Teague puts the wine above her own wit and her background in both wine and writing put her head and shoulders above McInerney. Plus, she's so totally right about Pinotage.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or good wine article,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Chaine of Love

2011-11-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

Despite my blogosphere silence, the rumors of my teetoling are simply NOT TRUE. I have actually enjoyed many wonderful wine moments over the past few months (many involving my "souvenirs" from Oregon) and there is so much to share. Dinner clubs, Tastings and Thanksgiving, oh my....

A few weeks ago, I officially joined The Chaine des Rotisseurs, a centuries old food and wine club that began as a guild for French meat roasters. As you can imagine, the induction ceremony, which was also the 50th Golden Anniversary dinner of my local chapter, was a foodie and wine lover's paradise. Though the location was Jersey, the food, the wine and the presentation was all French --cand all amazing.

Over the course of the evening, we were served eight different wines. Though I tasted all eight, in the interest of keeping this a post and not a novel, I'll tell you about my two favorite wines of the night - a Sauternes, a varietal I love, but one which I do not drink often (enough) and a Burgundy Pinot Noir.

Our first course was a foie gras paired with Guiraud Sauternes 2005. Sauternes and foie gras is one of the most classic pairings and though I do not care for fatty goose liver, I do love sauternes. Sauternes are made from the Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes in Sauternais, a region in the Graves area of Bordeaux. The grapes used in Sauternes are generally infected with botrytis or "noble rot." This rot leaves behind a greater concentration of sugar and fruit acids which gives Sauternes their lovely sweet honeysuckle notes. The Guiraud was a golden hued sauternes with classic notes of honey and cream and a faint citrus note. The palate was lush, but not syrupy. It doesn't have the most wine-o-cratic price (aprox. $40 for a half bottle), but for an excellent six year old Sauternes, it's a good deal.

For our fourth course (out of seven!), we were served a Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin les Champs-Chenys 2004 from Burgundy. It shouldn't surprise any of you that this was my other favorite since Burgundy = Pinot Noir. Unlike the pinots I was drinking in Oregon, this one had a little more age and a lot more mushroom and game notes that are common in Bugundy pinot noirs. My favorite thing about pinot noir, though, is that if it's made well, which this one certainly is, no matter what other notes exist, you can always get bright fruit notes and this one delivered with a palate of cherry, plum and cola. It paired perfeclty with the duck breast as well as the beef (fifth course). I barely took a sip of another wine after this one. Like the Sauternes, this is pretty pricey, but in the context of its age and region, at $50, it's worth it.

As the holidays gear up and my participation in multiple dinner clubs increases, I expect to have a lot to write about going forward. I will do my best to make sure to keep you up to date on the latest trends and smart buys in the wine world.

The key is to keep the writing as high of a priority as the corking!

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

The Willamette Valley, Take 2, Day 2

2011-09-08T02:45:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about a fantastic pairing dinner I'd attended featuring Evening Land wines.This morning, we had the fortune of getting a private tour of their Seven Springs vineyard, where they grow all of their fruit, followed by a private tasting with the West Coast sales and marketing manager, Ken.

I'm tempted to give you the blow by blow account, but I don't want to make you jealous (or put you to sleep - as fascinating as I am, no one wants to read a novel when they visit a blog). In a nutshell, we spent 2 hours touring some of the most beautifully pruned vines I've ever seen and then 30 minutes tasting and discussing some of the best wines I've ever had. I'm not a paid spokesperson for Evening Land (though I'd gladly take that job) nor am I embellishing. This was simply the best vineyard tour I've been on. Moreover, Evening Land is one of the few vineyards where I genuinely loved every wine I tasted. I have my favorites (La Source Pinot Noir and Mad Hatter Chardonnay), but I have yet to dislike anything they make.

On Ken's advice, we spent the rest of the morning in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, the region Evening Land is in. In Ken's completely unbiased opinion, this is the best region in Oregon and he recommended we visit Cristom and Bethel Heights.

After our fantastic experience at Evening Land, I was actually worried that no matter how great the region, we wouldn't like an other place we visited because it couldn't live up to what we'd just had. I should have known better because Ken just flat out knows his stuff. He even made the perfect recommendation for lunch.

At Cristom we tried several Pinot Noirs, most named after female members of the family who makes the wine. Among Eileen (smokey, spicy, structure), Jessie (gamey, smooth with a savory beef note), and Marjorie (pepper, cherry, very smooth with some savory notes), Marjorie was my favorite though I would like to see what Jessie is like in a few years. All were really tasty and interesting in their own way so if you stumble across one, pick it up. It's on the expensive side, but I think well worth it. I've tasted several Pinot Noirs that were as expensive and more expensive with half the complexity. It was a great tasting room experience (thanks Gerry or Jerry) and I was glad we weren't let down after our fantastic morning.
We followed up Cristom with another great experience at Bethel Heights. I also have to give some credit to my friends, Laura and Josh, because even before Ken had recommended Bethel Heights, Laura had raved about it to me so it was already on my list of hopeful visits.

Bethel Heights had a really lovely Rose, but for me, the real treat was the Flat Block Pinot Noir. It has a lot of red berry fruit on the nose and palate with some nice acid structure, though a medium finish. I'm interested to see what happens with it over the next few years. If you find me in 2013, 2014, I may just share some with you when I open up a bottle.

Unfortunately, the rest of the vineyards we visited during the day were letdowns, except for a final last minute, on a whim trip to Winter's Hill when our GPS inexplicably turned us around while searching for a different vineyard. I found their Pinot Noirs to be a bit unbalanced and too alcohol-y, but they make a wonderful and very reasonable Rose for $15 per bottle. It's got the lovely light body and strawberry notes that you look for in a good, classic Rose. they also had a really lovely Muscat. It's a dessert wine so it's sweet, but not cloying. Plus, the nose smells like a garden bouquet and who can resist that?
As for the rest:

Bergstrom: Good $45 Pinot Noir. Too bad they sell it for $75 - $80.
Adelsheim: Nice, not great. Also, what happened to the wine pairing with chocolates?
DePonte: Sad to say that I think my palate has gotten too snobby for you. Plus, you should probably air condition your tasting room. It's not fun to taste in an 80 degree room.

Tomorrow we're going to hit a few more vineyards and then head out to the Coast. On Friday, thanks to the genius that is Wendy, we will be having dinner with Ben Thomas, the red winemaker from Montinore who was our tour guide yesterday. So even though we'll be out f wine country, stay tuned....
Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (a.k.a tomorrow),

Cheers,
Alli M.

The Willamette Valley - Take 2, Day 1

2011-09-07T01:39:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, I've been planning a return trip to The Willamette Valley in Oregon for several months and now here I am. My friends, Wendy, Mara, and I arrived late last night and due to our East Coast internal clocks were up at 5am raring to go. Well, maybe less "raring to go" and more in desperate need of coffee as we had to kill a few hours before making our way to our first vineyard of the day.

We finally headed out to Ponzi in Beaverton, about 25 minutes from Portland and we were still a good 20 minutes early. Luckily, they let us in anyway. If I had one word to describe Ponzi, it would be acid. This is not necessarily a bad thing because acid can be a very food friendly property of wine (just ask any Italian wine maker). Some of their whites were a bit too acidic for my taste, but they were still well balanced. My favorite Ponzi white was the 2010 Pinot Blanc which had a lot of acidity that was mitigated by a softer, somewhat rounded body because a portion of its blend had been fermented in oak. Among the reds, we all seemed to like the 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir with its smooth body, subtle tannins and spice and oak notes. The great thing about Ponzi is they make a lot of good, classic Oregon wines that are not too expensive and available in many places. It's hard to go wrong with them.

After Ponzi, we continued our journe down into the valley with a stop at Montinore, another label I've always thought of as a good buy because their red label Pinot Noir is very tasty, available in many places and usually availabe for around $20, if not a buck or two less. Today, though, we were going to get some VIP treatment thanks to a hook up through my friend, Chaz and his excellent wife, Robin. We not only had a tour with the red winemaker, Ben, but we also got to taste whatever we wanted which included some really special Pinot Noir along with an excellent ruby port, some dessert wine that tasted like pineapple juice and a non alcoholic vermis they sell to a local jam maker, among others. Suffice it to say, I picked up a few bottles of ruby port, a few bottles of their Graham's Block 7 Pinot Noir (smooth, lush bowl full of cherries, spice and oak) and a few bottles of their Parson's Pinot Noir (mushroomy and gamey with a hint of peat moss - reminded me of a nice Cote Rotie). These are both very small production Pinot Noirs, so if you find one, just pick it up.
From there we went to WillaKenzie, White Rose, Carlton Winemaker's Studio and Domaine Drouhin. I wish I had a glowing write up for each of them, but they didn't really stand out the way Ponzi and Montinore did.

WillaKenzie - Least enthusiastic wine room employee I've ever encountered. This woman put a damper in the entire tasting (well when she wasn't ignoring us as she surfed online). The wine wasn't great, but even if it was, I'm not sure she would have cared.

White Rose - Wines were o.k., but the best part of the tasting was the view from the winery.
Carlton Winemaker's Studio - I think we really would have liked this, but we visited right after lunch and we were full and tired and our palates were a bit tired. That said, they were pouring Retour Pinot Noir, which I've read a lot of rave reviews about. It lived up to the hype. Picked up a few bottles of the 2007. The 2008 was also really good, but completely different.

Domaine Drouhin - Coasting on their name. Totally skippable.

Our final visit of the day was to Erath, one of my favorites from my last visit. Dick Erath who founded the vineyard and still consults for them (he sold his namesake several years ago) is one of the original Oregon pioneers. They just started making a white Pinot noir which I really enjoyed. Many purists think that white pinot noir is a gimic, but the Italians have been making it for years and I find it very interesting (and not in a "it's weird, but I feel I should be polite way.") It drinks like a red - medium bodied, spicy, cherry - but with some more floral and nutty notes that are typically found in older whites. Really, really interesting in the best way possible. I love finding stuff like this in my travels.

Well, the lights are going down here a the Comfort Inn and Suites (we Wine-O-Crats would rather spend the $ on good wine).

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or tour (uh, tomorrow),

Cheers,

Alli M.

What pairs with a Hurricane (or really bad rain and a hyper 24 hour media?)

2011-08-28T08:41:00.001-04:00

Due to the impending Hurricane, I've been cooped up inside since 10am yesterday. After 3 loads of laundry, countless crappy movies (how and why did "Love Happens" ever get made?!?) and multiple updates of my Fantasy Football worksheet, I felt it was time to enjoy some wine. So what pairs with a Hurricane - or even a pesudo tropical storm that the news keeps trying to turn into something so much bigger?!?
With the intense humidity, I thought I should pick something that was crisp and cool, but with some body. Cut the humidity; stand up to the wind. I happened to have a good portion of a bottle of 2010 Cuma Torrontes left over from a sushi dinner that would be the perfect storm compliment.

As longtime readers know, Torrontes, is one of my absolute favorite white grapes. To me, it has the perfect balance of fruit, acid and body. A part of me wants the whole world to discover this
flavorful, food friendly wine and another much more selfish part wants it to stay a hidden gem in Argentina so that it doesn't get over planted and mass produced like so many Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Grigios.

I'd never had Cuma before, but an astute employee at Englewood Wine Merchants recommended it. What a good call! Cuma, from the Michel Torino estate, is one of my favorite new white wines. It has a beautiful nose with all sorts of floral notes. The most predominent seems to be rose. On the palate, you get a huge hit of acid that is mitigated by the floral notes as well as some peach notes that add some nice body.

It has a little too much acid for me to drink alone, but with some salad or sushi or most varieties of fish (even tuna fish salad), Cuma drinks beautifully.

I (almost) look forward to another day of bad weather and even worse movies so I can enjoy another glass or two of Cuma.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (6 days until I'm in Oregon),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Dinner with an Old Friend(s)

2011-08-07T20:50:00.002-04:00

This past weekend my good friend and Manhattanite, Wendy, made the big trek across the river to join my monthly dinner club get together. This month we chose Giotto because Jeff, one of the club members had never been, which the rest of us felt was just wrong for someone who has lived in Montclair for over a year.

Giotto, like most places we choose, is a BYO so Wendy and I took a quick tour of my wine refrigerator. As we were deciding which bottles of wine to bring to dinner, Wendy commented that she was a big fan of Merry Edwards pinot noir - one of the many things we agree upon. Merry Edwards is one of my absolute favorite pinot noir makers and you don't have to do much arm twisting to convince me to crack open a bottle of her wine. I grabbed a bottle of Merry Edwards 2006 Flax Vineyard pinot noir that I picked up on my last trip to Sonoma.

The wine was as good as I remembered. Medium bodied, but with rich, yet soft tannins and a lot of great cherry and blackberry fruit. It's a great wine for a variety of foods, which made it a natural choice for a restaurant where we'd be having everything from salads to scallops to rich meaty red sauces. Most importantly, it was a big hit and enjoyed by all (or so my friends told me). I sometimes wonder if they just tell me they like what I pick to prop up my wine-ego!

Regardless, it was a great dinner. AND, unlike previous experiences at Giotto, the service was as good as the wine. Maybe they finally recognized that at least a few of us are there somewhat regularly?!? Either way, it was great that the quality of the service finally matched the food.

And what's more - we actually agreed to venture out of Montclair for our next dinner club. With an upcoming trips to Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the Willamette Valley, I'll definitely be posting before then!

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff, or venture out of Montclair,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Alli M. Enjoyed a Little Lamb (yes, this is a newsworthy headline)

2011-07-31T21:53:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a wine pairing dinner featuring Mark Tarlov, the proprietor of Evening Land vineyards.

I've been looking forward to this dinner since Amanti Vino announced it in June. Evening Land is an Oregon vineyard that makes excellent chardonnays and pinot noirs.  Evening Land's wines have been celebrated since their first vintage four short years ago in 2007. And though I don't believe in relying on ratings alone (I'm looking at you Achaval Ferrer), I've tasted the 2008 Evening Land "La Source" pinot noir sevand I absolutely love it. I should have written it up, but I think that was one of the nights I was shirking my responsibility as your dedicated Wineocrat!

Over the course of the dinner, we enjoyed 7 different wines (5 of Evening Land's and two from Tarlov's other vineyards). Despite the added "competition," the 2009 "La Source" pinot noir was my favorite. It was complex, yet accessible with layers of  cherry, plum and a hint of violet (and II tend not to pick up the non fruit notes). Though "La Source" is not necessarily in the typical wineocrat price range (mid $50s - mid $60s), it is worth the splurge. Plus, it could have been worse, the "Summumm" might have been my favorite (approx. $120)!!! Then again, it was a very, very close second......

Enjoying a well made pinot noir is not surprising for me, so the biggest revelation of the evening was that, I FINALLY enjoyed a lamb dish. I have tried lamb in many ways over the years and I have never liked it. I've really wanted to like lamb because it pairs with so many different wines, but it has a gamey aftertaste to me.  However, I CulinAriane's lamb so very tasty. When I complimented Chef Ariane after the meal and told her I'd never liked lamb before, she responded that I liked this lamb because," it doesn't taste like lamb." She was absolutely correct! It turns out she had served us a very special type of lamb that is only available 3 months out of the year.  The lambs are from a farm called Lava Lake. They are 100% grass fed and raised on an organic diet with no antibiotics or added growth hormones. I look for these same attributes in the other meat and poultry I eat so I was happy to find that the only lamb I enjoy is raised in this way. It also helped that she braised the meat so perfectly and to me, a good braise is close to godliness.

As I (reluctantly) left the restaurant, I introduced myself to Mark Tarlov and told him I'd be visiting The Willamette and Evening Land in September. He enthusiastically gave me his card and told me to e-mail him. Hopefully I'll have a great write up from Evening Land in September.

Until the next sniff, sip, or quaff (which will be long before September),

Cheers,

Alli M.

2011-07-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday with several good friends at Otto, a very good family style Italian "pizzeria" with an even better wine list. It's actually one of Mario Batali's places and though I've been disappointed by many of the celebrity chefs' restaurants I've visited, Otto has yet to disappoint.

There were eight of us, but since it was a "school night," we only made it through 3 bottles of wine:

Almondo Arneis Vigne Sperse 2009: Arneis is a white wine that most people don't know anything about (but should). To me, it's the wine you introduce to your friends who always force you to order a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Almondo Arneis is fresh and crisp with a nose and palate full of citrus. Despite the lightness, it has some nice structure and slight body which allows it to hold up to lighter dishes like salads, vegetables and other light appetizers. Moreover, it's one of the least acidic Italian whites out there so it tends to be less "puckering" when drinking by itself (which it also does nicely). None of the white wine drinkers at the table had ever heard of Arneis and all were asking me about it over the course of the meal.

La Spinetta Barbera D'Asti Ca' di Pian 2007: To me, Barbera D'Asti is always a good bet because it can be light to medium bodied and it is very versatile. Unless you're going for a super light salad or appetizer or a super heavy pasta, beef or venison, Barbera will likely go well with your meal. The La Spinetta has lovely cherry and cassis notes. It went particularly well with the thin crust mushroom pizza we ordered and seemed to go down very easy around the entire table!

And the 3rd bottle - Moscato D'Asti of course! I didn't catch the label, but it was crisp, sweet, bubbly and just as enjoyable as I expected it to be. Plus, it went incredibly well with the "Black & White" (I don't even want to try to explain it - just look it up on Otto's web site and know that it was even better than described).

I really enjoyed the Arneis, the Barbera D'Asti and the Moscato D'Asti, but the best blend of the evening was the gathering of friends from various parts of Manhattan and New Jersey. Nothing complements wine better than good company (and it sure beats Lardo pizza - the one culinary misstep).

Until the next, sniff, sip and quaff (which I promise to write up before I turn.....well, let's just say I'm old enough to be characterized as "Old Vines" but much, much younger than the oldest vines in California),

Cheers,

Alli M.

6 Vineyards and a Bunch of Freaky Mannequins

2011-06-24T18:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a long day and since my mom is the only person who actually reads my blog, I'm going to keep it brief.
Domaine de la Poultiere (Vernou-Sur-Loire): I can't believe I'm wine tasting at 8:45am. Greeted by a sweet dog. Nice wines. Bought a lovely white for dinner.

Then I picked up my friends after having to do an entire lap around the town in a large rental station wagon (it was between that and a Smart Car and there are 3 of us).

Domaine des Geleries (Bourgueil): Remembered enough of my French 101 fruit vocabulary to discuss the wine with the winemaker. He was impressed enough to give us a barrel tasting. Success! Nice reds - preferred Bourgueil Cabernet Franc to Chinon Cabernet Franc. Mellower and richer.

Don't remember 3rd winery (Bourgueil): Was not great.

Domaine Du Cedre (Bourgueil): Yummy pink sparkler. No room in suitcase. Bummer.

Couly-Dutheil (Chinon): Typically over commercialized winery though the people there were really nice.

We then visited the Chateau in Usse which inspired the writer of "Sleeping Beauty." It is gorgeous from the outside, but it is decorated with a plethora of mannequins and wax figures illustrating French life as well as the story of Sleeping Beauty. AND, the mannequins are dressed in costumes reflective of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries with a little 1970s thrown in for good measure. Super freaky and totally confusing. The above picture is from the "Tasting in the Wine Caves." I decided to join the mannequins.

Chateau Gaudrelle (Rochecorbon): Great stuff. Nice white with a little oak on it. Lovely dessert wine. Alas, no room in the suitcase. Plus, the winemaker was shooting down everything I wanted to pair the wine with. I may have a lot to learn, but he didn't have to be so snotty. Oh well. There are other, nicer producers for me to buy from!

Then we went back to Amboise, found the only boulangerie in the region that is open past 5pm and had a feast of bread, cheese, macarons and salami for dinner. Still full.

Tomorrow I head to Paris where I may actually venture into wines that are not from The Loire.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff, cheese binge and/or mannequin tour,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Two Wineries, Two Chateaus and One Big Ass Wheat Field

2011-06-23T18:36:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately we only made it to two vineyards today as we took our time visiting Chateaus, eating long meals and leisurely driving around the Loire. Truth be told, we got a late start, got lost in a wheat field (despite having two GPS systems) and spent way too much time eating.

After visiting the lovely Chateau de Chenonceau where Laura and I decided it was much better to be the mistress than the Queen, we made our way to Caves Monmousseau in Montrichard. It was a little too commercial for my tastes, BUT, we tried a really interesting sparkler called "Spicy Bubbles." We thought it was going to have a spicy pepper taste, but what they meant by spicy, was spiced. It tasted like sparkling wine with a few teaspoons of cinnamon and nutmeg. It was better than I expected and tasted like something you'd have over the holidays which is why Jen bought a few bottles for her famous Christmas cookies and cocktails (and now "Spicy Bubbles") party. You're all invited!

The next winery was a lot more fun - Domaine Des Roy in Pontlevoy, the town next to Montrichard. We pulled up to a small house and walked in to find a sweet older man, a long table and a bunch of white and red wines. We tasted alongside a French couple who I believe made some jokes about young people and wine tasting. At least I think we laughed at the right moment.

At Domaine Des Roy, my favorite wines were the Cot (which is what they call Malbec in the Loire) and a wine they called Les Linottes which is almost 100% Gamay. Gamay is a red that grows really well in the Eastern part of the Loire (which is where we are) as well as in Burgundy. It's also one of my favorite summer reds because it tends to have a nose and palate full of berries and is lighter bodied (despite being a pretty dark ruby color). Domaine Des Roy's Les Linottes is a classic Gamay and at 6 Euros per bottle, I just had to pick one up. The Cot was also quite good, though different from Argentinian Malbec. The Cot had a lot more Cabernet-like notes of green pepper and earth - not surprising given that Cabernet Franc is the dominant red grape in these parts. I also picked up a bottle of the Cot.

For those keeping count, that puts me at 3 bottles which means I'll be buying a bag to carry my clothes on the plane with me.....

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff and wine shopping binge,

Cheers,

Alli M.

p.s. The above picture is what I look like while frolicking in wheat fields.

2011-06-22T19:14:00.000-04:00

After 5 days of beating up my liver in London and thus forgetting everything I'd want to share about the wines (and tequila and Pimm's and beers and ciders) I had, I have made my way to the Loire for a proper wine tour. My friends, Jen and Laura, have joined me despite acknowledging their hatred of French wine. In fact, I'm not sure why they decided to join me, but I'm happy they're here.

Today we made our way to three wineries - Domaine Huet, Les Caves de Loires and Maison Bredif. Huet was the vineyard I was most excited about and our first stop of the day. I've had their sparkling wine from their Clos Du Bourg vineyard and have really enjoyed it. Today we tried sparkling and still wines from their three vineyards - Clos Du Bourg, Le Haut-Lieu and Le Mont. Of the three, Le Haut-Lieu was my favorite. The wines under the Haut-Lieu labels tended to be a bit simpler but with a really smooth and velvety mouth feel. Really lovely. Then again, I always find it hard to like the most complex wines during straight tastings without any food. Ahh, the tough life of a self-professed wine snob.....

After Domaine Huet, we made our way to Les Caves de Loires, a collective of several vineyards in the area. 90% of their wine is sparkling and almost all of it is from the Chenin Blanc grape. And before I move on to share what I really thought, my friend, Laura, tells me that I must share the one factoid she remembers that there is a guy who works there who turns 42,000 bottles of champagne a day. Laura and Jen now believe this to be my career calling.

As for me, this was my least favorite visit of the day because they not only made us wait 40 minutes for the tour, but I also found the tasting to be mediocre and the guide to be, well, typically French in her approach towards non-French tourists. Plus, I didn't really like the tasting. They had a nice Late Harvest dessert wine, but otherwise, it didn't sooth the savage snob.

From there, we were going to take our exhausted selves back to the hotel, but we had one more taste in us and we ended up at Maison Bredif, which was excellent. They have vines outside of Vouvray so they do more than just Chenin Blanc. As much as I love Chenin, it's nic to try other things! Though my favorite of theirs was their 2009 Vouvray (we grabbed a bottle that we ended up kicking at dinner) and their Nectar (a late harvest Chenin - one of my favorite ways to enjoy Chenin). Moreover, the guy in the tasting room was knowledgable and helpful. Jen also found him attractive though Laura found his ongoing ass scratching to be a bit disturbing. All in all, though, it was a great way to rebound from Les Caves de Loire.

Earlier tonight we started planning for tomorrow's trips and we're thinking a Chateau, some tastings and ideally some walking....After tonight's dinner of bread, cheese, wine and salami (my favorite French dinner), we're going to need to find some activity that involves more than just minor bicep curls.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

If you have not yet tried Torrontes, you're missing out!

2011-06-04T14:15:00.000-04:00

Last night I went out to Sushi Lounge, a good, local place with my friend and fellow wine lover, Sharon. Sushi Lounge does not have a great wine list, but they have a few of the more interesting varietals such as Torrontes. Torrontes is a lovely, medium bodied, floral white that is grown in the North Argentina. Moreover, since it's a lot less expensive to make wine in Argentina and since the varietal is not well known (and thus not over planted - yet), it tends to be one of the bigger values on a wine menu.

Sushi Lounge carries Lo Tengo Torrontes out of Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina. It's slightly sweeter than many other Torrontes I've had, but delightful, and smooth with some nice honeysuckle and citrus notes. As expected, it pairs perfectly with sushi and is also easily enjoyed on its own. This is probably why Sharon and I went threw two bottles!!!

So the next time you're in the mood for a good, food friendly white, break away from your Savignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Riesling and give Torrontes a try. I'd be truly surprised if you were disappointed.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2011-05-14T08:24:00.000-04:00

Last night I went out for dinner in New York. The restaurant was o.k. and the wine list was pretty pitiful. Amongst the Yellow Tail and crappy pinot grigio, I saw they had a Cotes du Rhone rose. I hadn't heard of the label, but it's rare that I don't like a Cotes du Rhone rose.

The wine was nothing special, BUT, it was a good, simple rose filled with a nose and palate of strawberry. It was a perfect wine for a brisk, spring evening and a lovely way to end the week. Moreover, it was a nice reminder that a summer filled with Chenin and Rose and Torrontes (oh my!), is just around the corner.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A Tale of Two Brunellos

2011-05-08T10:01:00.000-04:00

Last night a few friends of mine and I went out to Salute, a new Italian restaurant in town known for its brick oven, great food, bad acoustics and uneven service. Like most restaurants in my town, Salute is a BYO.

Well made Italian food calls for some well made wine and I decided it was time to pull out some of the good, old stuff that has been sitting in the back of my wine fridge. I loaded up my wine carrier with four bottles - two 12 year old Brunello di Montalcino, one 11 year old Barolo and a much younger, but delightful Pinot Gris, for my friend who only drinks white.

This may seem excessive for a dinner with five people and two blocks into my walk to the restaurant, I would have agreed with you.  However, it's not a bad idea to bring an extra bottle or two to a BYO. I always do - especially when dealing with larger groups and older wine I've had for awhile. You never know if one of your bottles is bad and it's not like you can send it back and get it replaced!

Though I packed a mobile wine store (including a device that decants the wine as you pour), my focus was really on the Brunellos. With two Brunellos from the same year and different vineyards, I thought it'd be interesting to have a "taste off."

First up: Lambardi Brunello di Montalcino, 1999
This was a little lighter, more rustic and less refined than I expected, but it was smooth, full of fruit, dry but not overwhleming and just downright tasty.  Plus, it paired perfectly with our appetizers - bufala mozzarella and basil pizza and an egg crostini. According to the Lambardi description, this wine is supposed to have plum and cherry flavors, but Meg and Jeff, my fellow wine connoisseurs and I, got a lot more black fruit on the palate.  The dark fruit intensifed the tomato soaked crostini and the slightly sweet, flaky thin crust of the pizza. As expected from an older wine, it had a nice long, smooth finish.

Eager to get on to the next bottle, we did not linger over the Lambardi as we should and we moved on to....

Batting Second: Banfi Brunello di Montaliucono, 1999
This had more body, more oak and more tannins than the Lambardi so it worked out well that this was the #2 wine. Usually I'm not a big fan of tannin and oak, but on an older wine, these tend to be much less pronounced and add structure, balance and body to the wine rather than aggressive flavors. I loved everything about this wine. The rich, spicy, somewhat earthy, berry flavors that enticed my nose were even better on the palate.  And with a risotto that was half cheese, it was the best wine I've had in a long time. I was drinking the wine long after I was far too full to eat another forkfull of risotto or steal another perfect gnocchi from Meg's plate.

Suffice it to say, these wines aren't priced for the average "wineocrat." Even when young, Brunellos run well into the $40 and $50 range.  But this was a place I'd been looking forward to trying for a long time and I knew it was the perfect place to break out the wines I'd be longing taste.

How about we just pretend I was breaking them out in honor of mothers everywhere and as we all know, most mothers deserve a lot more than the niest bottle of wine you own! At least the mothers I know do (if this were a blog about my pre-teen, teenage and college years, you'd know why).

Cheers to an excellent dinner with terrific wine and even better company. And cheers to moms on this beautiful Mother's Day.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Scallops and Truffle Oil and Chenin, Oh My

2011-04-17T08:04:00.000-04:00

Mother Nature went back to her bi-polar ways this weekend - well, for those of us in the East. Despite the chilly temperatures and seemingly spiteful wind, I headed to CulinAriane, one of my favorite local restaurants, on Friday night. I already knew I was going to be getting the scallops with a fragrant, earthy, melt-in-your-mouth mushroom and truffle oil sauce.

Though the wind was calling for a rich and hearty red, my palate was screaming out for a dry white with some good acid. Time to break out the Chenin. Or more like Le Chenin, which is the bottle Will at Amanti Vino convinced me to try. Wine Advocate gives it a 90 and says something about musk, animal scents, white peach, chalkiness and lime. As mentioned in previous posts, my palate may be on the "short bus" because I got both a nose and a mouth full of citrus (guess that would be the lime). I did get the minerality and chalkiness, which I usually do not like, but in this Chenin it was smooth, not overly aggressive as I find in a lot of more minerally whites (many people love this quality - just a personal taste thing).

If you've been reading me religiously, as you should, it may seem like I like every wine I drink. The reason for this is that I eat out at a lot of BYOs which means the wine buying is at my discretion and I buy most of my wine from knowledgable people at very good stores. You do not need to be any sort of wine expert to drink good wine, you just need to find people who know what they're doing and can be the experts for you. So finda store nearby that can serve as your personal wine experts. And if you can't, e-mail me and I'll try to help you.

Before I sign off, please vote for my blog - often! http://www.localwineevents.com/resources/blogs/view/1328

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Forget Aurora, just go for Borealis

2011-04-10T18:29:00.000-04:00

For those of us in the Northeast, it feels as though spring is never going to uh, spring. For every 60 degree day, we seem to get a week's worth of Canadian "air masses."

So when a friend gave me a a bottle of Montinore Estate's 2010 Borealis, a crisp white blend of traditionally German grapes, I thought it would be months before I opened it. But this past Saturday it was sunny and warm and I had dinner plans at a restaurant known for it ceviche and the Borealis was calling me.

Truth be told, I'd been wanting to open the Borealis since the moment my friend put it in my hot little hands. I was intrigued that Montinore, a terrific winery out of Oregon, a region where Pinot Gris is the predominant white grape, made a German blend out of Muller-Thurgau, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. There is a good amount of Pinot Gris in there as well (15%), but it drinks like a good drier Riesling. It has an aromatic nose filled with melon, pear and a hint of apple and these are the notes you get on the palate. It has a slight sweetness to it, but not enough to characterize this wine as semi-dry. It has a nice amount of acid, but not an overwhelming amount, which is good because ceviche is basically seafood marinated in acid. The pairing worked out beautifully and this was the first time in a long time that I kicked a bottle of wine at dinner with just one other person (I'm a heavy wine taster and buyer, not a heavy drinker).

As I gear up for spring and summer, I checked out Borealis on http://www.wine-searcher.com/ to see if it's locally available and I found a few stores near me that carry it. I was also pleased to find that at $10 - $15, it could make a good everyday white. Moreover, with its medium body and good acidity, it's something that could pair with something a little heavier than seafood.

So look for the "Northern Whites" as Montinore calls them, at a wine store near you. At this time of the year, I'd much rather enjoy this Borealis than trek up north for Aurora. I've had just about enough of sky masses from Canada.

Until the next sniff, sip quaff or half bottle,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2011-03-28T21:27:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was my nephew's 2nd birthday and in my skewed wine view of the world, I decided that I should bring a sweet dessert wine to pair with the birthday cake.

A few weeks ago Wes at Amanti Vino convinced me to pick up a bottle of Echeverria Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 2007. He knows I love a good dessert wine and assured me this was worthwhile. Not only was the bottle sold in an elegant tube package, but at $19.99, what did I have to lose? And as I was walking out the door to the birthday party, I remembered the bottle and threw it in my cooler bag (along with my fruit salad and sparkling water - I'm not completely blinded by my wine-colored glasses).

Wes did not let me down. Though it's made from the usually citrus-y, sometimes flinty Sauvignon Blanc grape, this dessert wine is lush and sweet with notes of honeysuckle and apricot. It lingers on the palate for a nice long time and it goes down easy with both berries and traditional white birthday cake. I don't think a 2 year old has the palate to appreciate this wine, but the adults in the room sure did!

If you're looking for a good dessert wine or only drink really sweet wine, this is the bottle for you. Plus, a sauternes-style dessert wine for $20?!? You cannot find this good of a dessert wine at this price point from any vineyard in France, Italy, California or practically anywhere. This one is from Chile, a country that has a lot of great wine values to offer.

Even if you don't have a 2nd birthday partry to attend, I'm sure you can find some way to enjoy this wine.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or child's birthday party,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Who needs a world when you've got an ocracy?

2011-03-23T20:55:00.001-04:00

For the second time this week, I took my mother's advice and I read Eric Asimov's wine column in today's New York Times.  Asimov wrote about a a recent wine event in which a renowned wine maker, Adam Lee (Siduri Vineyards), switched labels at a wine tasting to dupe the tasters and prove his point that high alcohol content does not necessarily lead to an unbalanced wine. Asimov goes on to say that he did not feel that Lee's stunt proved much of anything.

To me, the most alarming part of the article is its beginning in which the switcheroo is described as having
"evoked both claims of vindication and cries of ourage throughout the wine-drinking world." Apparently I'm not part of the wine world as I knew nothing about this event. In fact, I didn't even known that a big wine pow-wow known as the "World of Pinot Noir" was going on in Pismo Beach. And I love Pinot Noir. The only thing I know about Pismo Beach is the reference Alicia Silverstone (though she will always be known to me as "Cher Horowitz") makes in the movie, "Clueless." Well, I guess I have a new goal rather than expanding my readership - officially become part of the wine world.  Then again, I already have my own Wineocracy, so who needs a world?!?

If you'd like to read the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/dining/23pour.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=pinot%20noir&st=cse

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or piece of motherly advice,

Cheers,

Alli M.

I can't think of a more clever title. Try Evodia.

2011-03-22T21:59:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I ran into a classmate from one of my wine classes. He works for a wine distributor and happened to be hosting a tasting at a local shop. Though I wasn't in the mood to drink, it doesn't take much to twist my arm and a garnacha (or as the French would say, "grenache") touted as balanced, full of fruit and a great value, well, I couldn't pour it fast enough!

Garnacha (Grenache) is a grape primarily found in the Southwest of France and in Spain. It grows well in hot climates, but because of this, it also means that it can easily become unbalanced and too high in alcohol content. This is why it is also often blended with Syrah. A 100% garnacha is not something you see often in the U.S., and a good one is even more rare - especially at $9.99. The Evodia Garnacha has a nose of strawberries with a hint of fragrant florals. On the palate it is medium bodied with a smooth finish that is hard to find at this price point. And it's incredibly versatile when it comes to food. If you find it, buy one for yourself, one for your favorite wine lover and one to bring to your next get together. You will not disappoint nor will you be disappointed.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or random wine tasting,

Cheers,

Alli M.

First Day of Spring?!? The Devil is Ice Skating and I Should Consider White Zinfandel a Wine

2011-03-21T08:39:00.002-04:00

If this is the first day of spring, then why am I tempted to crack open a port like wine and sip it by the fire? By the way, for Argentina wine fans and/or port style fans, you can only get this bottle at Achaval Ferrer in Argentina. I had the pleasure of tasting this when I was down there last year and it was lovely. SOOOO, if you should somehow come across it up here or find your way to Argentina, I highly recommend purchasing a bottle because it truly is special.

Back to the weird weather because it's truly ruining my wine schedule. I was looking forward to returning to my summer love - Chenin Blanc. Guess the groundhog might have been a bit off in his "short winter" prognostication. Thanks Puxsutawney Phil. I hope Bill Murray (or my friends, Sara and Steve) find you and exact NO MERCY. You're like the White Zin of garden pests.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or weather-related outburst,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Listen to your Mother!

2011-03-20T20:21:00.001-04:00

My mother wrote me about a wine she had with dinner tonight and it sounds like a good value. Since I'm

always on the lookout for a good value and I trust this particular palate, I thought I'd share.

Here's what my mom had to say:

"I had a wonderful glass of Spanish wine called Marques de Tomares. It was very full-bodied and went well with my roast beef."

When I heard the words "full bodied" and "Spanish" my immediate thought was tempranillo which meant that it was likely from Rioja or Ribera del Duero. My instincts were right because this wine is about 90% tempranillo and it turns out it's from Rioja. Most people think Rioja is a varietal and not a region, but if you like Riojas and/or Ribera del Duero (also a region in Spain that primarily uses tempranillo), it sounds like you will like this wine. Moreover, I looked it up on wine-searcher.com and in my neck of the woods, it retails for about $12 - $18 (a wide range, I know, but I'm in the NYC Metro area so this is typical). I'm guessing outside of New York you'll find it around $15, possibly a little less. Definitely something worth taking a chance on. I know I will when I see it in a store.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or mother's recommendation,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Christmas in February - kinda, sort, o.k., not at all

2011-03-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend a tasting of Italian wines at Eataly in Manhattan, NY (in case you were thinking Kansas). It was a last minute invite and as I'd already committed to hanging out with an adorable 23 month old vintage, I asked my classmate and friend from my WSET classes, Jen F., if she woould attend the tasting and be so kind as to write up her notes. Jen braved a sinus infection and New York City traffic (not to mention the foot traffic at Eataly) to deliver.

As it turned out, two out of the four wines she tasted were those that I was sent to taste over Christmas. When Jen told me, it made me that much more interested to see her write-up and compare it with my thoughts.

Here's what Jen had to say about the two wines I hadn't tried:

"Grecante Grechetto dei Colli Martani DOC I'm always interested in trying new white varietals from Italy and this Grecante did not disappoint. This wine is made from 100% Grechetto grapes. I thought it was delicious. The color in the glass was an intense straw yellow, which I learned is one of it's characteristics. It was soft and well balanced, very fruity with some floral notes. I really enjoyed this wine and would definitely drink it on its own, but it would also pair with seafood.

Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Year DOCG

This is their jubilee wine, that was produced for the first time in 1993 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the winery, but has kept the name ever since. Again it is made from 100% of the very best, carefully selected Sagrantino grapes. Very similar color, nose and taste as the Collepiano - but everything is just more intensified! Very good!!"

And the two wines that I'd already tasted:

"Montefalco Rosso DOC

This is one of the wines that I noticed on your blog that you were able to try as well. Beautiful rich ruby color with notes of ripe red fruit and a little vanilla from the oak. It's a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino (the grape that this winery is best know for) and 15% Merlot. I agree with you that it was slightly thin, fairly dry and a little acidic, but the red berry fruit really came through. This wine, as with all Italian wines, are best enjoyed with food. You were definitely right with your pairing of this wine with prosciutto and salami. That is actually the serving suggestion that the winery itself was recommending for their Montefalco Rosso.

Sagrantino di Montefalco Collepiano DOCGThis is the other wine that you tasted as well. It's made from 100% Sagrantino. According to their brochure, "Collipiano represents the "renaissance" of Montefalco as a wine region and the Sagrantino as a unique variety grown only in Montefalco." Very dark ruby, almost garnet color with notes of rich red fruit, as well as some spice and vanilla from the oak. The rich red fruit came through on the palate as well, it was very smooth with a slightly bitter aftertaste. I'm not a big fan of bitter things, but I could see how this wine would shine more with food, especially meat. Once again your pairing with the filet was right on!"

When I read Jen's write up I was thrilled to see that she got a lot of the same things out of the Montefalco Rosso and Sagrantino di Montefalco that I did. I promise we did not compare notes before she wrote up her thoughts.

So if you see either of these wines and you're having hearty meats, you've now heard from two of us that these are worthwhile to check out - especially the Montefalco Rosso which retails in the low $20 range.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Wendy N. from the cold countryside

2011-02-12T10:47:00.002-05:00

Although I still wish I'd found a way to stowaway in Wendy's luggage, one of her recent e-mails makes me feel (slightly) better:

"Before you get too jealous, I'm not having the best time here. Stuck in the country, where it's freezing and rather boring...Thang God for the wine. We paid big bucks for this bottle at a restaurant (20E - about $30) -- a very good, balanced Pinot Noir. It's probably more than I've paid for any wine on this entire trip. This must subsidize wine production in Europe! Can't believe I ever paid $10 for a glass of wine in NYC."

In my experience, $30 is a very good price for a balanced bottle of Pinot Noir -- especially from a restaurant. Moreover, I doubt a $30 bottle, which the restaurant probably paid about $10 for, is subsidizing a lot of wine production. However, I'm conditioned by the U.S. wine market and wine is one of the few things that we pay more for in the U.S. than in Europe. Of course when I looked this up on wine-searcher, I found that Domaine D'Antugnac Pinot Noir 2008 costs around $13 - $15 in some of my local stores. Of course a restaurant here would likely charge around $35 - $45 (as I've complained in previous posts, I've noticed that the mark-ups at restaurants have been creeping towards the 200% plus mark-up level).

I've been thinking about my own wine travels for awhile now and Wendy's e-mails helped encourage me to plan my big 2011 trip. In mid-June, I'll be heading to England for a few days (Taste of London, The Ascot, Wimbledon) and then I'll be going to Paris and The Loire valley. If anyone has any tips, thoughts or advice on touring wineries in The Loire valley, please post them up.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or Wendy e-mail,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Wendy N.'s Back (well actually she's been writing the whole time....)

2011-02-10T20:38:00.003-05:00

My friend and current foreign correspondent, Wendy N., has been reporting in from Europe. Unfortunately, I've been doing a bit of travel of my own (for work, so no big exciting wine stories) and have not had time to share her thoughts.

A few weeks ago, she wrote about the wine pictured above:

"This is a white from the vineyard here in town. It tastes like a Chardonnay, but not overly oaky or buttery. Very delicious, and only 7E (approximately $10). The other white that is famous in this region is the Blanquette de Limoux. It's rather sweet and I guess the region just got its AOC (official Appelation designation)."

As with the previous wine, I couldn't find this bottle on wine-searcher.com. That said, she probably was drinking a Chardonnay as that is a classic French white. Moreover, the French tend to like their Chardonnay with a lot less oak and butter notes than Americans.

If you're looking for good, acidic, grassy, dry Chardonnay, you should forego California and look to France. You may just find a lovely $15 new favorite.

Until (Wendy N.'s) next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Wendy N. reports in from France

2011-01-31T19:10:00.005-05:00

In my previous post, my friends and I were toasting my friend, Wendy N., who was on her way to a 6 month sabbatical in Europe. She recently sent some notes on her latest tastings, which is good because I seem to have forgotten how to write my own content.

Wendy and her husband, Gabe, are currently in the Aude/Languedoc-Roussillon region in France. The French have been making wine in this region for hundreds of years yet only recently has it emerged as a hot "new" wine region. But I think Wendy says it best:

"So we've been enjoying all the good, cheap wine in France. We're staying in Couiza in the Aude/Languedoc-Roussillon region. To the northeast of us a small region called Minervois, and they blend some good reds. We went to this fabulous one-star restaurant (1 Michelin star/20 Euro prix fixe) and they gave us a half bottle of a Minervois red (we didn't get the full winery name -- Jean something might be the guy who runs it) for all of 5 Euros ($7). So we bought the bottle in the pic at the local grocery store for under 3E, and it was pretty good table wine. It's a mix of grapes -- very mild. They have great descriptions on the back of bottles here (I'll take a pic next time)."

I looked up the wine on wine-searcher.com and unfortunately I could not find it anywhere in the U.S. based on the name I took off the label. In some ways, though, that's one of the beautiful things about enjoying wine in the country where it comes from. You're likely to come across something you can't get in your home country which makes the experience even more special.

Why didn't I try to pack myself in Wendy N.'s suitcase?!?

Before I sign off, please take a moment to vote for my blog at wine-searcher.com. I'd love to have it move up the list! And for my retired friends, you know you have the time to vote often - very often.

Until Wendy N.'s next sniff, sip or quaff (she's on sabbatical and I've been super busy at work so she'll definitely be sipping sooner than me!),

Cheers,

Alli M.

A (slightly overpriced) toast to a friend

2011-01-17T21:07:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I went out with a bunch of friends to Jane, a restaurant in New York City. The wine list was overpriced - bottles were generally 3x more than retail, which is, sadly, becoming more common.

Typically in this case I'd go for something in the mid to higher price ranges because the higher up the list you go, the lower the mark-up. However, even Jane's mid-priced wines weren't that amazing (A to Z pinot noir, a solid $20 bottle, for $64?!?). So I figured why not go lower down the list.

My friend, Rachel, had a half finished glass of Les Chamins de Bassac 2008, the least expensive Pinot Noir on the menu. She offered a taste. It was light bodied, yet juicy with some nice cherry notes. It was far from complex and didn't have a whole lot going on, but, it went down easy and I knew we would all enjoy it.

Ultimately, though, this was not a meal about wine (though we did go through 2 bottles), but a celebration of our friend, Wendy N. And it was nice to find that there are well crafted lists with a variety of price points (even if they were a bit overpriced). So maybe next time I encounter an inflated list, I'll look to the "value" end again.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Wall Street Journal write up on Amanti Vino

2011-01-13T10:27:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Amanti Vino, my local (Montclair, NJ) wine shop. In several past articles I've mentioned its proprietor, Sharon, and/or manager, Will. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote them up and I feel it's my civic duty to share. Plus, this article may give you a little insight into why I love them.

http://blogs.wsj.com/wine/2011/01/05/wine-retailer-wednesday-amanti-vino-montclair/

Oh, and for my friends who never seem to want to leave Manhattan, please note that Sharon may be opening a store on your little island in the coming year. Obviously there will be details to come.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or write up of another favorite wine store,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Go Oregon! Or Better Yet, Try Oregon (Wines).

2011-01-10T21:01:00.008-05:00

As an avid Pinot Noir fan, Oregon's Willamette Valley is one of my favorite places in the U.S. and as an avid football fan I find myself naturally rooting for Oregon in tonight's college football championship. I also find myself thinking about some of my favorite wines from Willamette.

If I were an actual graduate of Oregon and my team were in the championship, I might celebrate with Evening Land Seven Springs Pinot Noir or Beaux Freres The Vineyard Pinot Noir. They are classic examples of elegant, yet accessible Burgundian style pinot noirs - slight minerality, a little bit of earth and great black currant and berry notes.

However, my college team is currently without a coach and my pro team just got knocked out of the playoffs so I don't foresee uncorking a celebratory wine any time soon! To that end, I'd go for something in the "Value" range of $20 - $25: an A to Z Pinot Noir , a Four Graces Pinot Noir or a Lange Pinot Noir.

Whatever I choose to drink, I know I'll be able to find one of these at a local wine store because Oregon wines are readily available across the U.S. and usually at a variety of price points. So, if you haven't tried an Oregon Pinot, what are you waiting for? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Oh and if Oregon ends up as the champion and you'd like to toast them, check out an Argyle Brut.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or inspiring football game,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

2010-12-27T21:55:00.010-05:00

A few weeks ago, Colangelo and Partners PR, an agency that represents several Italian wineries, offered to send me a few bottles of "Umbrian wine, a Holiday alternative to Tuscan Sangiovese."

I received 2 bottles from the Arnaldo-Caprai winery a few days before Christmas so I decided to bring the bottles with me to Christmas Eve dinner at my friends' house.

We started the meal with a plate of cured meats - pepperoni, salami, prosciutto and coppa - providing the perfect opportunity to open the first bottle: Montefalco Rosso 2007 made primarily from Sangiovese with a bit of Merlot and Sagrantino (a grape found only in Umbria, as far as I know).

The Montefalco Rosso was a beautiful deep ruby color with a pleasing nose of red berries and a little earth. Before I dipped into the meats, I decided to try the wine on its own. It was slightly thin, farily dry and a little acidic, but the red berry fruit came through. The wine really began to shine once I indulged in some of the prosciutto and salami. The oil and fat from the meat cut through some of the acid showcasing the ripe fruit. This is exactly what this wine was made for and at $23 per bottle, I'd gladly bring this to a gathering or a dinner where I knew some hearty food would be served.

Before we finished the first bottle, I decided I needed to open the second bottle under the guise of wanting to taste it before my palate was shot. Truth be told, I was just curious and eager!

The second bottle was a Sagrantino di Montefalco Collepiano DOCG 2004 made from 100% Sagrantino. Other than the small amount of Sagrantino in the previous bottle, this was my first experience with the grape so I didn't quite know what to expect. I generally assume Italian wines will be slightly more acidic and earthy than other wines as they are made to be drunk with food. I also knew from the "DOCG" designation, that this wine had achieved certain standards in cultivation and processing in order to receive a top ranking from the powers that be within the Italian wine world. It didn't necessarily mean it would be better, but in general, wines with a DOC or DOCG designation have had to pass stricter regulations and have generally had a bit more care put into them. Simply put, I expected the wine to be good and I expected it to make the grilled filet mignon sing.

The Sagrantino was a deep ruby, almost purple color and had a beautiful nose of bright red fruit with a hint of oak. I also sense some gamey notes. This nose was right up my alley! As with the previous bottle, I decided to taste the wine by itself first. The Sagrantino held up a bit better on it's own. It had more balance than the Montefalco and the acid seemed to creep up slowly. Moreover, though it had 1% more alcohol than the Montefalco, it was well muted. Now you know why older wines and wines with DOC and DOCG designation cost more - generally they're better. And it only got better once I paired it with the filet. The red berry fruit absolutely shined and the spicey nutmeg notes just popped. Moreover, the gamey flavors that I detected on the nose came out on the finish and for those who've been following, you know I dig the game. Like the Montefalco, the body was a little thinner than I like, but all in all, this was a terrific wine. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd pay $60 for this, BUT if I had, I wouldn't have been disappointed.

Ultimately, I was impressed by Caprai's Umbrian wines and I was so glad I had the opportunity to taste them. I could see the Montefalco Rosso being a good "go to" wine for a party - especially if you need to drink a good amount to put up with with certain other partygoers (as i did on Christmas Eve). This is definitely a winery and a region I will look for in the future.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or the need to share my thoughts on Sparkling wines and Champagne,

Cheers,

Alli M.

To Each His Own (and if the each is me, we're talking lower acidity and alcohol)

2010-12-23T10:37:00.005-05:00

The other night I enjoyed a lovely dinner with a couple of my friends who I affectionately think of as the "Queens of the 'Boken." We went to one of our favorite Hoboken restaurants, Bin 14. I've written about dinners and wine flights there before. I really like the food, but I've found the wine list a bit hit and miss. Last night, it became clear to me why I don't love their wine list.

Over the course of dinner, we ordered two bottles of wine: Quinta Nova "Pomares" 2008, a Portuguese wine made from the Touriga Nacional grape, and Ala Nero 2009, an Italian wine made from Nero D'Avola. I've had both grape varietals before and I'm a particular fan of Touriga Nacional (which many feel is truly the national grape of Portugal), but this one had a "little too much heat on it," or as a non-wine snob would say, "I tasted way too much alcohol." In fact, that was the first sensation on my tongue. When I looked at the alcohol content, 13.5%, it was high, but typical for what you'd see from a hotter climate like Portugal. To me, it was "unbalanced," meaning that one of the key elements; in this case alcohol, over powered the acid, tannins and sugars of the wine. The Nero D'Avola was a little better balanced, but was a bit too acidic (Italian wines are supposed to be acidic, but it felt like my tongue was growing hair).

The sommelier and/or owner seems to have a penchant for wines that pack an alcoholoic and/or acidic bite to them. Though I joke about being a snob, I truly believe that "to each his own." If the sommelier likes these wines and as long as I'm aware, I can better navigate the wine list.

The point is that it's o.k. to disagree with someone else's palate. My friend, Tom, and I almost came to blows over a Sauvignon Blanc earlier tonight (o.k., more like a fake butter knife duel, but still, it got heated). That doesn't mean you or the other person is wrong or has a faulty palate. Wine is as subjective as most other foods. My palate seems to have a narrow point of view when it comes to alcohol and acid, but you may find you love them. This doesn't mean you should stop reading my blog, of course. It just means that you should avoid what love and drink what I don't.

On Christmas Eve I'm going to be trying some Italian wines with my friend, Anne, and her family. So until that sniff, sip and quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Domaine Nebout St. Pourcain Rouge Tradition 2008: Another GREAT Crowd Pleaser

2010-12-19T16:34:00.004-05:00

While shopping for a party the other day, my friend, Will, who is also the manager of Amanti Vino and my sometime wine instructor, recommended Domaine Nebout St. Pourcain Rouge Tradition 2008, a blend of (primarily) Gamay and Pinot Noir. He described it as bright and full of berry fruit - just the type of wine that's perfect for a party because it can go with many foods or be enjoyed by itself.

The wine was delicious and a big hit. At $14.99 a bottle, I found a new favorite "every day" red. True to Will's words, the wine was a tasty, bright red with lots of red berries on the nose and palate. That said, I wouldn't call this a fruity wine. It had just the right amount of restraint and enough acid to hold up to many types of foods.

If you're looking for something for an upcoming holiday party or to enjoy at home over the holidays, look no further than Domaine Nebout St. Pourcain Rouge Tradition 2008.

And if you're looking for a fun holiday activity, I have one suggestion: Accordian Sing-A-Long. Nick, Liz, Maria and Moray really know how to host a rockin' party.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or holiday get together,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2010-12-17T20:53:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I made my way to Bar Veloce, an Italian wine bar in Manhattan that I've wanted to try for some time. I'm happy to report it did not disappoint. As always, I tried a few different varietals but my absolute favorite of the evening was a Primitivo called Orion made by Li Veli.

Primitivo is an Italian grape that many believe to be a close relative of the Zinfandel grape. Primitivo can be juicy with notes of cherries and red berries. Li Veli's Orion was absolutely delightful. With the first sip I enjoyed a chewy mouthful of bright red cherry follwed by some subtle nutmeg notes. It was a joy to drink from the first sip to the last (and the first glass to the third!).

I've been thinking about it ever since so I recently looked it up on www.wine-searcher.com and found a store in Jersey City that carries it. Even better, it retails for $12.

For those of you looking for something a little different for an upcoming holiday party, Primitivo, and if you can find Li Veli, this particular wine, is for you. 'Tis the season to drink juicy red wines with berry and spice notes.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

-Alli M.

Get to Know Eric Orange, Founder of Local Wine Events.com

2010-12-12T19:58:00.007-05:00

Look to the right of this article. Hopefully, you noticed the list of my favorite wine websites. Among that list is Localwineevents.com, a site I've been telling friends about for years. It's a wonderful resource where you can find food and wine events as well as wine educators in your country, your state and your town. This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to speak with the founder of Local Wine Events, Eric Orange.

Eric grew up in Wichita, Kansas and after a stint in the Navy, he started working for a wine distributor in Colorado. That led to a position with WineShopper.com, a start-up that had $35 Million dollars in funding from Amazon.com, but "failed miserably" according to Eric. However, from that experience, Eric came up with the idea for Local Wine Events and on July 1, 2000, he launched the site. The restaurant industry drove its initial success, but it has gained a large following over the past 10 years and now boasts 130,000 subscribers and a widely read e-newsletter called "The Juice."

For those who have never used the site, it's a great tool for finding all sorts of food and beverage events in your town and neighboring towns. You'll see listings for wine dinners, beer making courses, chocolate tastings, cheese classes, coffee events and pretty much any type of food or gourmet gathering you can imagine.

As good as the site is now, Eric keeps working to improve it. He will be adding geo location software and utilizing newer display and pop-up technology. Additionally, he hopes to expand the listing of non-wine food and beverage events.

So if you're looking for a great wine resource or just something to do on a Tuesday night, check out Local Wine Events. And keep your eyes out for their ongoing improvements. Personally, I think the site is already excellent, but I appreciate Eric's passion for continuous improvement.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

And on the 4th night of Hannukah, I enjoyed a split at a bar

2010-12-06T10:31:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday I celebrated the 4th night of Hannukah at a good local bar, Egan & Sons which has good food, very good beer and a really good wine list for a pub. I hadn't been to Egan's in quite some time and I was excited to find that they'd added splits to their menu. A split is the fancy, wine snob way of saying half bottle.

Splits are great for many reasons:

-Splits are cheaper than buying by the glass. At a bar or restaurant, a split usually costs about 2x that of a glass of the same wine. You get about 2 1/2 glasses of wine in each split.

-Splits are fresher than ordering by the glass. When you order a split, a fresh new bottle is opened for you. This rarely happens when you're ordering by the glass.

-Splits allow for variety. If you can't decided between two wines or two varietals and the wine is offered in half bottles, order both and see which one you prfer.

-Splits save you from yourself. How many times have you been at restaurant and though you were full and finished drinking, you sucked down another 1/2 glass or glass of wine because you didn't want the rest of bottle to go to waste?

Of course some nights call for a full bottle (or three). Plus, some friends may look at you funny (as mine did this weekend) when you belly up to the bar with your own mini bottle and a fileld glass to boot. However, for all the reasons listed above, it's worth it to order a split now and again.

As for what split I ordered? King's Estate Pinot Noir. Medium bodied, fruite forward, easy drinking pinot noir. Always a good standby.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or split,

Cheers,

Alli M.

7 Eleven Sommelier

2010-11-24T10:29:00.005-05:00

I saw this in one of the many product newsletters I read:

"C-store giant 7-Eleven has announced that it is broadening its private brand wine selection, introducing a new label - Cherrywood Cellars - a mid-tier-priced wine ($7.99 - $8.99 per bottle) that is available in three varietals - chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Cherrywood Cellars, according to the company, is designed to appeal to millennials, and is positioned between its Yosemite Road label, priced at an entry-level $3.99 per bottle, and Sonoma Crest, a premium wine comparable to a $15 bottle, but value-priced at $9.99."

Until I try this, I can't make a judgement, but I am happy to pre-judge. This doesn't sound so appetizing to me. Then again, I guess if it hits the fan, I can always find work as a 7 Eleven sommelier!

And if you run out of wine on Thanksgiving day, 7 Eleven will likely be open. To that end, I guess it has a purpose.

I'm hoping that whatever you drink at Thanksgiving, it is enjoyable.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

CIA, Day 3 through 5

2010-11-19T19:55:00.014-05:00

The week flew by and though I didn't get to post each day, I'm hoping you got a sense of my week. I also thought that you might want to see some pictures of my classmates and some of the food we cooked this week.

To sum it up, I awoke each day at 5:30am to attend lectures on cooking methods and knife skills and to discuss why various techniques work or do not work. This was followed by several hours of slaving over cutting boards, stove tops and ovens while making several mistakes along the way. I loved almost every minute!

On Day 3 I was supposed to make ice cream, but the lecture ran long so I made the base (which was actually super easy) and then helped various teammates. Since we had the "night off" from an official dinner, a few of us went out to a restaurant in Rhinebeck that was widely recommended by various members of the school community. In one of the weirder restaurant moments I've ever had, a classmate found what we determined to be an animal tooth in her dish. Sadly, finding the tooth wasn't the worst experience at the restaurant. The staff's response to our "discovery" was non-chalant at best. Suffice it to say, if you find yourself in the Rhinebeck, NY area, stear clear of Gigi's.

The next day, I went into class looking forward to completing my ice cream and poaching a fish for the first time in my life. Lecture ran long again so I found myself running up an down between our kitchen and a kitchen in a different building that had an ice cream churn. Unfortunately all of the running around pushed me back a good hour. Despite the lack of cooking time, I still managed to slightly overpoach the fish! If it weren't for my teammates, Laura and John, I'm pretty sure I would have ended up with fish mush.

After the day's lunch, we each shared our thoughts on what we felt we did right and what we felt we did wrong. It was a great way to learn and share kitchen tips. We wrapped up with a lecture on plating technique and then it was off to our 3 minutes of free time before our final dinner at Escoffier, the French restaurant on CIA's campus. The food was terrific and the wines they chose for our dinner - a classic, dry, acidic and citrus-y Bordeaux white and a round, full bodied and balanced Cabernet driven red Bordeaux - were quite good. However, the real treat was the 30 year old white port I brought to dinner with me. I was introduced to the Casa de Santa Eufemia white port at an event I attended last year: http://wineocracy.blogspot.com/2009/11/tasteful-experience-indeed.html. Deep golden nutty, honey goodness with lovley oak notes to balance the sweetness. Almost everyone in the class enjoyed a little and it was a wonderful way to end our final dinner together.

Today we arrived for our final class consisting of "Culinary Jeopardy" and then our Team Market Basket Project. Earlier in the week each team was given a list of ingredients to put into a meal made up of an appetizer, a protein, a starch and a vegetable side. John, Laura, Wendy and I planned our menu earlier this week but unfortunately due to a family emergency John had to leave early. We should have scaled back our menu, but we were a little cocky after our "Culinary Jeopardy" win (thanks to knowledgable teammates with quick reflexes, I am now the proud owner of a set of beautiful measuring spoons). With some help from the culinary students sent in to aid us each day (long live Super James) and our chef instructor (we heart Chef Ski), we managed to produce: Prosciutto, Asparagus & Mozarella Roulades, Roasted Sirloin with a Red Wine Reduction, Roasted Potatoes and Leeks, Ravioli Stuffed with an Egg and topped with Pesto, Eggplant Gratin made with a scratch Marinara, Sauteed Cipollini Onions and Sauteed or Stewed Artichokes (all of a sudden Laura rolled them out - I have no idea when and how she made them). Some dishes were better than others and I was truly impressed with the dishes our other classmates turned out (I must get the recipe for the White bean hummus and the Waldorf wheatberry salad among other things).

After our final spread (to which I brought an incredible 9 year old Cote Rotie), we took some final pictures, we vowed not to eat any butter, bacon or heavy cream for the next several days and we said our goodbyes. I made one last trip to the book store and the local cafe and then hit the road with Wendy as well as our newfound local foodie friend, Rachel.

This was an incredible vacation. If you are interested in becoming a more confident home cook or just learning some new skills, I highly recommended a CIA Boot Camp. I also recommend you stay at a local hotel that has a workout facility. Though I did not even work off 1/8th of one daily meal, I worked out almost every day of boot camp which helped with some of the guilt!

Until after my food detox is done,

Cheers,

Alli M.

CIA, Day 2

2010-11-16T17:05:00.010-05:00

I just completed Day 3, but between classes, dinner and bedtime, I've barely had any free time. And the few stretches I've had have been spent paying back some of my butter consumption on the treadmill at the hotel. As I was joking when they took our class picture yesterday, they must take the picture earlier in the week so we can all fit in the same shot.

48 crazy hours ago (that would be Monday night), was our first dinner at one of the 3 CIA restaurants we'll be visiting this week - Caterina de'Medici. I originally wrote up a nice description of our entrance through the wines we drank, but with all I have to get through, I've decided to condense it:

Glass 1: Nebbiolo d'Alba "Sontuoso" Valdinera. It was a tasty, classic Nebbiolo - dry and structured, with a nice bit of black cherry and some earth.

From there, we moved on to the wines they had pre-selected for our dinner - Feudi di San Gregoria Falanghina from Campania and Tenuta le Querce Aglianico del Vulture "Il Viola" from Basilicata.

Glass 2: Falanghina is a lovely Italian white varietal that you see more and more in good Italian places. This Falanghina had notes of green apple and citrus and was enjoyed by all.

Glass 3: Aglianico - yum. Though it was more fruit forward than the Nebbiolo, it complemented it nicely as it had similar dark cherry notes. Paired very well with the mushroom sauce that seemed to be used in both the pasta dish our table shared and the trout dish I ordered. Odd they used the same sauce in two completely different dishes, but it worked. Shoulder shrug.

Glass 4: Moscato D'Asti - OF COURSE! At the end of the meal, I had to introduce our table to one of my personal favorites and a consistent crowd pleaser - Moscato D'Asti. By this time we'd began calling ourselves "Table Debacle" as we were the most raucous group amongst our classmates, as well as in the restaurant so everyone was up for something fizzy and tasty.

Suffice it to say I slept very well on Monday night.

Day 2: We split into the teams we'll be working with for the rest of the week. I'm on a team with my friend, Wendy, Laura K. (a.k.a. LK, Laura #1, LauRock, Lola, Lo) and John. The focus of day 2 was frying and sauteeing and after some time discussing the assigned menu, we went about preparing our various components. We also convinced the instructor to let us deep fry our main entree - fried chicken (as opposed to pan frying as the assignment called for).

I also worked on a bacon topped salad and learned an important lesson about cooking in a convection oven. The air moves fast and the suction is great and once the fat gets cooked down, bacon becomes really light and can easily get sucked up in the fan of a convection oven. Despite this very funny looking lesson, I salvaged the bacon which turned out to be perfectly crispy. Of course the dressing was way too liquid-y which brings me to another lesson of the day - when making a dressing that includes a solid, start with the solid (in this case mayonnaise) and THEN add the liquid (in this case buttermilk). It helps control for soupiness.

The real crowning achievement, though, was deep frying some chicken with my new foodie friend who also enjoys some sick kitchen humor, Laura K. Actually, it wasn't so much an achievement as a ton of fun. I gotta get me one of those! Of course even I'm dubious of arming myself with something that involves a few gallons of hot oil.

For those who know Wendy and are wondering, her mac and cheese with the bechamel was AWESOME. The instructor had all of these notes but it might have been helpful had he given us the tip about adding nutmeg to the bechamel BEFORE we cooked it. Oh well, now we know. Though we still don't know why Connecticut is the nutmeg state, but I digress.

After lunch we started planning today's menu. I ended up with ice cream. due to today's meandering lecture which took an extra 2 HOURS, I was not able to freeze the ice cream in time. So I ended up helping some other classmates out and making the whipped cream for the fruit crisp. The upside is that we already have tomorrow's dessery - vanilla bean ice cream with a hint of English lavendar. Boo yah. Hopefully I'll have time to spin out the ice cream while my fish poaches....we shall see.

Oh, and today was wine class. Was a good refresher, but nothing new. Then again, when the wine was delivered late and the instructor got behind opening the wine, I jumped up and started corking bottles with own wine key. It was a truly proud moment for me.

Until the next 5 minutes breather,

Cheers,

Alli M.

p.s. American Bounty was o.k., not great. Their wine list is shockingly bad - limited and completely overpriced. Our featured wines at last night's dinner - Columbia Crest Merlot, Bonterra Chardonnay. Seriously?!? We're talking $8 bottles you can find at any generic wine store across the country! And American Bounty charges $28 per bottle for them. For shame.

CIA, Day 1

2010-11-15T16:06:00.006-05:00

I have not "gone rogue." I'm currently in Hyde Park, NY for a weeklong boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America. Or for a foodie like me, Nirvana.

At 5 this morning, my friend and fellow foodie, Wendy, and I awoke to make our way to our 6am orientation and breakfast. Ouch. Unfortunately, the coffee in the dining hall is not as good as one would hope. That said, it was caffeinated and hot which worked for me!

Class began at 7am and we went right into stocks - white vs. brown and how to make one. We also covered temperatures at which meat should be prepared. Though this sounds boring to some, I was happily taking notes and looking forward to slipping into my chef's jacket, pants and toque (a.k.a. that tall, columnar hat you see in pretentious French restaurants and old movies).

After introducing ourselves and changing into our snazzy new duds, we made our way into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, the class switched between lessons on knife skills and us trying our knife skills on various vegetables, proteins and fruit. At this time I'd like to formally apologize to the lovely chicken I struggled with and the flounder I, uh, floundered. The upside is that the pieces were still usable. And delicious!

We just did the prep today, but our onions and garlic went into an incredible French onion soup and the flounder was sauteed and dressed with a Meuniere sauce (the movie "Julie & Julia" did not do it justice) and the chicken was dredged and baked. If only we had wine with lunch. Of course dinner is at Caterina de'Medici, the renowned Italian restaurant on campus and you know the wine will be flowing. Then again, we have another 5am wake up call tomorrow and we're working in teams tomorrow so we can't let our fellow foodie friends down....well, maybe we can sleep in until 5:15am.

Hopefully by then the smell of flounder will have warn off of our hands. If not, I may be writing about a full on citrus bath tomorrow.

Until tomorrow's class (in which I hope to recap the next sniff, sip AND quaff),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Too Much Cheese with my W(h)ine?!?

2010-11-09T08:24:00.002-05:00

As many people equate wine with cheese, I feel it makes sense for me to highlight a recent article about the cheese industry in the U.S. Plus, for those that know me best, politics, particularly as it relates to food, is another interest of mine (like the name of my blog didn't tip you off?). Consider this my public service announcement/heads up for this week.

There was an article in the New York Times this past weekend entitled "While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales" that absolutely infuriated me. It describes the actions of Dairy Management, a government funded dairy marketing agency with a $140 million annual budget. Though increased cheese consumption is thought to be one of the leading contributors to our obesity epidemic, the government continues to promote cheese.

When you have some time, check out the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/us/07fat.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&sq=dairy%20policy&st=cse&scp=1

It takes a good 15 minutes to read, but it is very interesting and helps explain why people are so confused about what constitutes good nutrition. It also makes me wonder why my tax dollars are subsidizing Dominos pizza. I find this company hateful enough, but do they really need the government's money when they can afford to advertise during every possible sporting event on t.v.?!? Moreover, did they really need a study showing that people would be happy with more cheese on their pizza?!?

Unfortunately, this is the way of things and I'm sure if we looked into every industry, we'd find similar types of wasteful expenditures. It's just maddening that we've gotten to a point where everyone is so busy pointing fingers and covering their asses that no one wants to take a look at this stuff and ask, "what the....?!?"

It's just infuriating so I thought I'd share (there are only so many voicemails once can leave for the offices of her Congressman and her Senators).

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or actual wine event,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Several States believe in a Wineocracy as well

2010-10-31T08:58:00.005-04:00

My friend and loyal reader, Shawna M., sent the following article to me:

"States Pour Government Money into Wine"

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2010/sb20101020_349721.htm

Interestingly Shawna and I tend to look at things from opposite ends of the political spectrum. When she sent me this article, she did not say whether she agreed or disagreed, but I wonder if we might actually agree on this one....I'll let her tell me in private.

As far as where I stand? I wholeheartedly agree. Many of you have often heard me complain about the taxes in my wonderful home state of New Jersey (I'm not being facetious - outside of the taxes and traffic, Jersey is a great place to live). However, I have to believe that the couple of thousands being allocated to winemakers amounts to a few pennies of my annual tax bill. Though the payout on the actual wine might take awhile, this is a relatively inexpensive investment for states. Plus, the return will be realized a lot sooner on local hotels, restaurants, and shops.

If you read to the end of the article, you'll also see that some farmers decide to grow grapes to bolster the farms financial stability so that they can continue to grow other crops. I also firmly believe in and when possible, support, local farms and if planting grape vines means more locally grown apples, I'm all for it. In my world, that is one of the ultimate "win-win" scenarios!

The article is relatively short and should take about 5-10 minutes to read. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

Unil the next sniff, sip, quaff or interesting article,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Mama Wine-O-Crat's trip to South Africa

2010-10-25T08:49:00.005-04:00

Though it feels like I've become a teetotaler, thanks to my mother's recent trip to South Africa, I still have content to share! Here's what Mama Wine-O-Crat had to say:

"When you travel to South Africa and you have a daughter who is an oenophile, you have to visit wine country. Which I did. I took a half-day's jaunt to Seidelberg Winery in Stellenbosch, outside of Cape Town. Of course, Alli would have visited a dozen wineries, not just one.

Seidelberg Winery was established in 1692 -- yes, that's a "16", not an inverted "19"! The wine industry in South Africa was begun by Dutch settlers in the 1680s, but when the Huguenots (originally from France) arrived in South Africa, they took over the fledgling wine industry, much to the relief of anyone who loves wine. Seidelberg was started by the French, so from its inception it was considered an important winery. Today it exports 80% of its wine and 100% of its estate wine. Charles Dickens and Thomas Jefferson (a true oenophile) were fans of South African wine.

Seidelberg has two labels: Seidelberg and DeLeuWenJagt, its premier wine. We only sampled the Seidelberg wine. Before we arrived at Seidelberg Winery, we were told to be sure to sample Pinotage, a South African red grape. We were told that we would either love or hate it. I hated it. We tasted a 2008 Pinotage, described to us as "coffee with subtle banana undertones backed with cherry and spice on the palate with smooth tannins and a long finish." To me it tasted thin and watery. I emailed "Oenophile Alli" that perhaps the wine had to be "laid down" for a spell, as it was too young. She advised me that most South African wine is likely not meant to be aged and that she too is no fan of Pinotage.

The other reds we tasted were "Un Deux Trois," which to me tasted bitter, and "Roland's Reserve Syrah," which I liked best of the reds. The whites we tasted were a Chardonnay, a Mouvedre Blanc de Noir and a Chenin Blanc, a varietal recommended on this blog a while back. The Chardonnay was too subtle for me. Of the whites, my favorite was the Chenin Blanc (guess it's genetic!)

At Seidelberg, the vines are allowed to produce wine for 25-30 years, then pulled up and replanted. We were told that 80% of Seidelberg's grapes are hand-picked, and 20% are picked by machine. We also learned that in red wine, the skin is left in the juice for one or two weeks after being picked. In white wine the skin is not left in the juice (Alli's note: This is generally the rule of thumb everywhere). In rose (which we never tasted) the skin in the combination of red and white grapes is left in the juice for 10-24 hours. Reserve wines are stored in oak barrels for 18-20 months. The lighter wines are kept in stainless steel tanks. Ironically, before I had visited Seidelberg Winery, I thought highly of South African wines. After my visit there, I found so many of the wines disappointing that my once favorable opinion of South African wine has diminished."

Alli M.'s thoughts: Remember when you were younger and said you would never be like your parents? Well, it turns out our palates have other ideas as my mom and I seem to have similar tastes (dislike Pinotage, like Chenin Blanc, generally dislike South African wines). I'm really glad my mom took the opportunity to visit a vineyard so that she could report back. Like my mom, my experience with South African wines has not been great. I do not foresee visiting their wine region in the near future so it's nice to have a proxy to my work for me! Plus, I love hearing about other regions and learning about a new winery.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (by me or a "contributing writer"),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Eataly, Take I: Maybe next time I'll actually be able to eat there

2010-10-18T21:37:00.004-04:00

Though this is the second column in a row that is not about wine, food and foodie type of things are very much related to my love of wine. To that end, I feel compelled to share my initial thoughts on Eataly, the 2 month old Italian market/eatery/wine store/gelateria/fish monger/butcher shop/chocolate counter/cafe and pizzeria in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. It was founded by "culinary bigwigs" Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich along with the founder of Eataly in Turin, Italy, Oscar Farinetti.

Yesterday my friend, Pam, and I stopped by hoping to get a light bite and perhaps a nice glass of wine. Due to New York law, the wine store is next to, but not inside the market. Since I can't walk past a wine store without going in, we decided to stop in the store first. It was a bit smaller than I expected, but it featured a wide variety of wines at a variety of good price points.

We then ventured inside and like most new "it" places in New york, it was an absolute zoo. It took us all of 2 minutes to realize we wouldn't be getting a snack at Eataly, but we still wanted to walk around and check it out. Braving the crowds and the maze-like configuration, we wandered around for about 20 minutes. At the coffee counter, I had to stop and grab an espresso because it not only smelled wonderful, but the espresso machine just looked cool. It was big, shiny and silver with a Willy Wonka-esque look and a few different spouts that doled out thick streams of rich, nutty, espresso. While I sipped my coffee, Pam turned to look at the chocolate counter where she was excited to find Venchi, a high end chocolate brand that is a favorite of hers.

After the brief coffee break, we continued our tour. I loved seeing all of the European treats and the beautiful packaging. Unfortunately it was just too packed so we found our way back to the front door and made our way out.

I sincerely hope to get back to enjoy a glass of wine and perhaps some salumi and/or cheese. Once I do, you know I'll be reporting on it in full.

Until then, or until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Tequilaocracy

2010-10-16T21:05:00.004-04:00

I need to come clean. I don't drink every day. In fact, I don't drink a lot of days and for the past three weeks I have barely had any wine. Moreover, the products that finally brought me back to the blog aren't even wines (o.k., one is made from grapes but is generally not considered a wine)

Yesterday I attended Expo East, a Natural and Organic products trade show. While walking the show floor, a few spirited gentlemen at an Organic Tequila booth encouraged me to try their product.

My response, "It's 10:30am."

Theirs, "C'mon. It's Organic and you're gonna love it."

Me again,"Uh. No I really shouldn't."

Theirs, "Just try it."

Me, "Sure. Why not."

Clearly I didn't learn my lesson from ABC's after-school specials. I'm glad I didn't because that was the smoothest, cleanest tequila I'd ever tried. Unfortunately I was focusing on Natural and Organics food trends so I didn't write down the name. I don't drink or seek out a lot of tequila but hopefully I'll get the chance to try this brand again. After that, I stuck to the gluten free products and coconut water that dominated the show. And yes, there are too many brands of coconut water.

So, it shouldn't surprise you that the first thing I did after getting home today was to stop by my local wine store, Amanti Vino, for their weekly tasting. I enjoyed the line-up, as I always do, but the highlight was when the proprietor, Sharon, took me aside to try some Pisco she'd recently picked up in Chile. Pisco, a brandy made from the muscat grape, is considered the national bdrink of both Chile and Peru. I'd heard of it, but I'd never tried it before. Mistral, the brand that Sharon shared with me, is not available locally, though Sharon is now working on bringing it into her store -- and with good reason. I tend not to like brandy, but this was absolutely lovely with a deep golden color and notes of apricot and peach. It just slid down the back of my throat.

Next Saturday I'll be attending an Oktoberfest celebration featuring some excellent German and Austrian wines and beers and I expect to have a lot to write. Perhaps I'll even have somethine else between now and then - even if it's a shot of organic tequila.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Martinelli Moves to New Jersey! O.k., not really, but for one night, I can pretend....

2010-09-26T16:54:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I attended a wine pairing dinner featuring wines from Martinelli, a boutique Sonoma winery. I had been looking forward to this dinner because it was to take place at CulinAriane, one of my favorite restaurants in town. As some of my foodie friends might know, the head chef and owner of CulinAriane, Ariane Duarte, was a contestant on Season 5 of Top Chef. I'm completely biased, but I still believe she should have won!

As always, her food did not disappoint, and neither did the wine. Without going through the wine line-up and menu because it will just make me sad that I can't eat like that every night (for both my wallet and wasitline), I'll highlight my favorite pairings.

The pairing that made the dinner for me was the 2008 Vellutini Ranch Zinfandel served with seared Australian venison in a savory cherry sauce. I do not eat venison often because it can be very gamey and though I like this note in wine, I don't like gamey tasting meat. However, this venison tasted like lean, succulent beef that was perfectly cooked and sauced. The notes in the cherry sauce worked perfectly with the blackberry notes and spice in the Zinfandel. The wine was silky and smooth and the full body of the wine was an excellent complement the heft of the meat.

I didn't think I could fit any more wine, let alone food, in my system, but I soldiered on. I recognize the sacrifice it takes to deliver a good entry to you! I paced myself through the cheese course (paired with a syrah) because two of my favorite things were on the menu for dessert.

Dessert consisted of the 2008 Jackass Hill Muscat Alexandria served with a nectarine tarte tatin. The tarte was excellent, but I could barely manage a few bites. The muscat, with its honeysuckle and fleshy stone fruit notes was the prefect complement to the dessert but it was also easy to sip on its own. After the dinner, I ordered a few bottles and I'm looking forward to sharing this muscat with friends.

This was the first pairing dinner Martinelli has done in the tri-state area. If you should get the opportunity to attend a Martinelli pairing dinner and/or see a bottle of theirs on the shelf, grab it. You will not be disappointed.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or tasting dinner,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A Snob No More (I'm Trying)

2010-09-19T21:12:00.006-04:00

Though I often call myself a wine snob, I've never actually considered myself a snob, but I was recently exposed. At a wine tasting a few weeks ago, I was picking on a popular brand of mass market wine (that may be named after a color and a part of an animal).

A few of my fellow tasters responded that I was looking at it all wrong. One explained that he used to feel the same way but that he now looks at mass market wines as "gateway wines." He believes that mass market wine drinkers will eventually start seeking out product with more complexity and refinement. While that remains to be seen, the other tasters were right to call me out.

This point was reinforced last night at Joanna's (of Joanna and Tim - the ultimate hosts). Our friend Rachel brought a red blend that she proudly described as a "fruit bomb." It was a little too much for me, especially after the dry, spicy Zinfandel I'd just had, BUT, it seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. Plus, it was a little better than most mass market blends I've had so maybe there is something to the "gateway wine" argument. Either way, it's a good reminder that when it comes to something as subjective as wine, "to each his own."

I'm hoping to introduce you to some new grapes and new wines, but when it comes to wine, there's only one rule - if it tastes good to you, drink it.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or discussion of my snobbiness,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Why settle for cheap beer at your tailgate?

2010-09-12T18:16:00.005-04:00

For those keeping track, yesterday I went to Gary's Wine and Marketplace in Wayne, NJ to try the just released Jets Uncorked, a Cabernet Sauvignon made specifically for the Jets organization.

The verdict: like the 2009 Jets themselves, it was surprisingly good (and for my J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets friends - this is no knock - I know that few of you expected to do as well as you did last year). The wine was made at Girard winery in Yountville, CA. Girard has a good reputation for making solid, mid range wines. I actually find Girard's Cabernet Sauvignon way too oaky for my taste, but the Jets Uncorked Cabernet Sauvignon had a lot less oak, allowing the currant and cherry notes to come out. It had a nice finish; a bit too spicy for my taste, otherwise pretty good. I could see enjoying this with a nice, juicy burger at a tailgate.

At $34.99, I think it's about $10-$15 more than you should spend for a comparable Cabernet. However, if you're a wine fan and a Jets fine, or even just a wine fan, it's not a bad choice. Actually, it's kind of like Mark Sanchez (the Jets quarterback) himself -- a little young, not a ton of complexity, perhaps a bit pricey, but enjoyable and good. Plus, right now it's on sale for $27.99.

Unfortunately I can't say the same about my beloved Eagles starting quarterback. I'm just hoping he can get past something resembling a $2 Buck Chuck White Zinfandel (yes, Charles Shaw makes a White Zinfandel).

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or need to crawl deep into a bottle to get past some serious emotional damage due to football,

Cheers,

Alli M.

L'Shana Tovah, Italian Style

2010-09-09T21:41:00.003-04:00

Earlier tonight, my friend, Wendy and I, celebrated the Jewish New Year at a new neighborhood favorite of hers: Accademia di Vino on Broadway on the Upper West Side.

Since it was a New Year's celebration, the occasion called for a bottle of wine. I considered ordering a Nebbiolo from the Langhe region, which is always a safe bet for me. However, they can be a bit big and since we were planning to start with salad and vegetables, I wanted something a little lighter.

Truth be told, Italian wine lists usually intimidate me. I've worked hard to get better educated about Italian wines over the past few years, but even then, there are just so many varietals and regions, good lists tend to be overwhelming. So I did what anyone should do in this situation -- I asked our waitress who seemed to be extremely well versed on the wine list. She recommended the 2006 Giacosa Fratelli Barbera D'Alba and it was a great suggestion. Like a solid Barbera D'Alba should be, this had a lot of berry notes on the nose and in the palate. It had some nice acid and a medium body and wasn't as dry or tannic as Italian wines can be. It went down nice and easy.

More importantly, I was really happy that my "wine pride" didn't get in the way of me asking for some advice. Ultimately, I was directed to a better bottle than I would have picked on my own. All in all, that's what it's all about. Whether you find a new favorite or someone finds it for you, the result is the same. So no matter how much your learn or know about wine, never be afraid to ask someone who might know more or have a better perspective.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Good wine. Great news. What a nice start to the school year.

2010-09-07T22:16:00.010-04:00

Good evening Wineocrats! We're already 7 days into September and this is my first post for the month. I could claim some sort of Labor Day Weekend break, but that doesn't excuse September 1st or 2nd. What a complacent wine snob I've been....

The good news is that I more than made up for it this evening and this past weekend. In fact, I have so much to share that I'm going to break up the past few days of tasting into two different posts.

Earlier tonight I attended a tasting of three of Marchesi de Frescobaldi's wines. We began with the 2005 Castel Giocondo Brunello de Montalcino. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I tend to think of Italian wines as having a dusty, earthy quality. This characterization is not always fair, but for some reason it's what first comes to mind when I think of Italian wines. Luckily, I'm often pleasantly surprised (and often very wrong). As soon as I sniffed the Castel Giocondo Brunello de Montalcino, I got a nice nose full of blackberries with some secondary herbal and slightly oak-y notes. One taster felt the wine was too oak-y, but I believe it was well balanced. On the palate, I tasted a good bit of the black fruit, some sweet spices and a little bit of the oak. The wine was very dry with a good deal of acid and tannins which indicates it could age nicely. Yet there was something missing. As I eyed the salumi plate, the immortal words of Jenna Maroney from the show 30 Rock kept running through my brain, "Me want food!"

However, I wanted to get a sense of the other two wines without food so I restrained myself from wrestling the meat and cheese plate and moved on to the 2007 Lucente and the 2007 Luce. These wines come from Marchesi de Frescobaldi's Luce vineyard, which initially started as a partnership with the Mondavi family in 1985. These wines seem to be made for a more American palate. The 2007 Lucente is a blend of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. I initially loved the nose. It seemed to have a nice blend of fruit, oak and a hint of the gamey quality I love. However, on subsequent sniffs, I couldn't get anything but oak. Once I took a sip, I found the wine to be nice enough, but nothing special. A bit jammy with too much oak. And as much as I like Cabernet Sauvignon, I felt it overpowered the rest of the blend.

I found the Luce, a Sangiovese and Merlot blend, a lot more enjoyable. The nose and palate were full of dried cherries with some herbs and some oak on the finish. This wine was a bit smoother than the previous one, though not as substantial or seemingly as complex as the initial wine we tried.

Plus, I was eager to get back to the Brunello while introducing myself to the various dry cured meats on the table. I tried a piece of prosciutto and it was good, but a little too delicate for the wine. I then went for a piece of Genoa. Bingo. The acid and fruit of the Brunello perfectly cut through the oily saltiness of the Genoa. After adding a few pieces of Paremsan to the mix, it was time for me to take one last sip, make my final comments and find my way to the elevator.

As good as the wine was, I think the best part was when someone from The Wine Spectator told me I seemed to know what I was talking about. Or maybe it was when I came out of the tasting to find an e-mail from my instructor, Will, telling me that I'd passed my Advanced Wine and Spirits Education Trust Exam - WITH MERIT!

I was tempted to run back up and grab the rest of the Brunello to celebrate. Instead I decided to come back hear to share the moment with you. Yes, I'm pretty sure I made a poor choice on this one.....

Well, until tomorrow when I continue my tales of sniffing, sipping and quaffing,

Cheers,

Alli M.

For some people, the perfect match is chocolate and peanut butter, for me it's wine and football

2010-08-31T21:56:00.005-04:00

As a wine lover who also happens to be a football fanatic, this happened to catch my eye:

"PRESENTING THE NEW YORK JETS RED WINE 'JETS UNCORKED CABERNET SAUVIGNON.' Stop in to any one of the three Gary's Wine & Marketplace locations between the hours of 1 and 5pm on Saturday, September 11th to taste this exciting new "fan favorite" wine, meet Jets Legends and Flight Crew, and have your CHANCE TO WIN premium tickets and Jets memorabilia."

For someone who is the commissioner of a Fantasy Football league, a member of a second Fantasy Football league and a certified wine snob, how can I resist? Do I expect the wine to be good? No. Am I even a Jets fan? No. But this sounds like a great time. Plus, any opportunity that allows me to drink wine and possibly win football tickets, I'm there!

So look around your respective towns. You may just find an event that mixes wine with another one of your passions.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or the release of McNabbernet Sauvignon,

Cheers,

Alli M.

As Summer Winds Down, One More White to Add to Your Repertoire

2010-08-30T21:54:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I celebrated my annual "Girl's Weekend" with several good friends. There's something about good friends and beautiful weather that can elevate any bottle of wine.

On Saturday night I picked up one of my favorite summer whites, Burgans Albarino, to share with my friends. Between the weather, the company and the fun that is a never ending game of Bananagams, the wine seemed to be even better than I remembered. Light gold with floral and citrus notes, Albarino has a good amount of acid and a medium, well rounded body that pairs perfectly with a summer night and almost any food you'd enjoy on a summer night (particularly seafood or salad). Burgans is a particular favorite of mine because it's a wine that has great distribution and is a great value for the quality of the wine. Moreover, it's a terrific alternative for your friends who are burnt out on Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and/or Pinot Grigio.

As summer starts to wind down and there are fewer nights to get in some good porch sitting, grab a bottle of Albarino and extend the good times for just a few more hours.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Until the next

Still not sold on store brand wine

2010-08-18T10:42:00.011-04:00

Earlier today I read an interesting article from The London Observer about Tesco's push into their own branded wines. As I understand it, this is a growing trend throughout the UK as both Sainsbury and Asda (owned by WalMart), two other regional chains, also have their own branded wine.

As a food marketer, I'm well versed in the battle of the store brand vs. the manufaturer's brand. Though I should be staunchly "pro-brand," I believe that for some products, the store brand is no different and in some cases, better. However, when it comes to wines, I firmly believe that the fewer layers there are between the winemaker and the consumer, the better. This trend makes me a little sad and I sincerely hope it does not "cross the pond."

I know I'm being a bit harsh. The Observer wine critic, David Williams, found some bright spots in his tasting. However, Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda are not winemakers themselves and when you have non-winemakers weighing in on the product because of cost or stocking needs, it will ultimately have an adverse effect on the wine. It's the same reason why we don't let our retail customers into our product development meetings in my line of business!

One day I sincerely hope to have a tasting note for you on a Tesco, Sainsbury and/or Asda wine (especially because this means I will be traveling) because I think it's only fair for me to give them a shot. But I'm skeptical.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff of non-store brand wine,

Cheers,

Alli M.

It's Even in the Treaty of Versailles

2010-08-11T09:23:00.005-04:00

In my ongoing mission to spread the good word that not all sparkling wine is Champagne, I found the following tidbit of information really interesting:

"Though people often refer to all sparkling wines as Champagne, only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France are the real deal. Indeed, in 1891, the Madrid Agreement, which dealt with the international registration of trademarks, declared that only wines originating from the Champagne region could use the name "Champagne" on their labels, and this was reiterated in the Versailles Treaty of 1919, after World War 1."

I had never heard this before though it figures that the French would work something like this into a major treaty. Though, the fact that they take their wine as seriously as they take their wars shouldn't really surprise any of us!

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or pop of the cork,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Excuses, excuses

2010-08-11T09:03:00.004-04:00

This summer is flying by and I apologize I haven't been as diligent as I should be given all the lovely, refreshing white wines I've been enjoying. My excuse is that it helps me get through the heat wave but to be honest, do you really need an excuse to drink great, white wine?

This past Sunday night I enjoyed a glass of crisp, Viognier with dinner. The Viognier grape originates from the Northern Rhone region, but it's currently being made in several different regions and the one I enjoyed on Sunday was a surprisingly dry, crisp and restrained one from Argentina. I say surprisingly because it was from the Mendoza region, which gets quite hot which can make it very difficult to make a dry, crisp white wine! In typical "summer weekend and thus brain dead" fashion, I didn't write down the info. That said, the wine was good, not great and the best thing about Sunday was the meal, not the wine.

My friend, Shawna, and I were braving the wilds of Baltimore to enjoy a few of my other loves - baseball and football. Yes, it seems like a major contrast, but it is possible to spout the stats of Joe Flacco while explaining what you would pair with a Stadium Dog (a red Zin, naturally). But a girl can't live on (crappy) stadium food alone and as a self-professed wine snob, I also love a good meal. We certainly enjoyed one Sunday night. Shawna and I visited Woodberry Kitchen, a farm to table restaurant in the Northern part of the city. Since this is not a food blog, I won't go into too much detail, but the corn soup was one of the best things I've ever eaten - savory and silky, yet light and refreshing. Moreover, I don't have much of a sweet tooth (except when it comes to Sauternes, Ports or Moscato D'Asti), but the peach pie with basil ice cream was incredible - the perfect mix of sweet, salty and creamy. If you live in the area or nearby and/or find yourself in Baltimore, you must "go to there" ("30 Rock" is yet another passion). http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or sports weekend,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A Flight that Requires no Security Check In

2010-08-01T20:14:00.013-04:00

This past Wednesday, my friend, Rachel, and I met up at Bin 14, an afore-mentioned favorite place in Hoboken, to indulge in Rachel's somewhat regular "Wine Wednesday" celebration.

One of the things I really like about Bin 14 is that they offer 3 "sizes" for each of their wines - a 2oz pour, a 6oz pour or a bottle. Rather than have a few 6oz glasses, I decided to create my own wine flight.

As it was a hot evening, it made sense to start with a light, crisp white.

1) For those who've been keeping track this summer, this meant I started with a Luc Choblet Muscadet from 2008. It was light in color and light in body with a nice crispness and some pineapple notes. Perfect thirst quencher to start off my evening!

2) From there I moved on to another of my "whites of the moment," Torrontes. I had a 2008 Laborum Torrontes and it contrasted quite nicely with the Muscadet. It was also very dry and crisp, but it had a little more body and it had a lovely nose with a ton of honeysuckle and some tropical notes. Went down a little too quick!

3) As my word of the summer has been Loire, I couldn't just leave it at Muscadet so my next wine was a Chenin Blanc: Domaine du Closel Savennieres from 2007. It was very dry with a lot of acid and though it is a very young wine, it had a lot of nutty notes mixed in with some pear. It also had some yeast notes and I have to believe it's spent some time fermenting "sur lees" or "on the yeast." Definitely a wine I plan to get back in the near future. Of the 3 whites, this was had the most depth and was easily my favorite.

As the night wore on and as our thin crust pizza came out, I decided to switch over to red and I wanted something that would hold up to the robust sauce and the fresh mozzarella.

4) Rather than go with an Italian red, though, I went with something from the Southern Rhone, a 2007 Chapoutier Belleruche. 2007 is supposed to be a blockbuster year for the Southern Rhone, but this wine was either a bit young still or the Grenache was overpowering the Syrah. The nose was beautiful - lots of spice, pepper and jammy currant on the nose - exactly what you'd expect from a young Southern Rhone. However, on the palate, the wine was out of balance and "throwing a lot of heat" as they say, which means you taste a lot of alcohol in the wine. Hopefully some age will help this wine come into balance. I probably could have let the glass breathe a little more as well, but with only 2oz, it's hard to be that patient!

5) I couldn't end my flight on that note so I decided to revisit an old friend: a 2008 Felino Malbec. For those that followed my blog during my trip to Argentina, you may recall my writing about Felino, one of the labels from Vina Cobos, a winery in the Mendoza region of Argentina that is a partnership between Paul Hobbs, one of my favorite California winemakers and a few Argentinian winemakers. For me, the Felino Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best Cabs available in the $20-$25 range and the Felino Malbec is also wonderful. It also has a lot of "heat," but it's in much better balance than the previous wine allowing the plum and berry notes to burst through. Juicy, but dry and structured - a classic example of what a good Malbec should be.

Although you may be thinking, "Wow, Alli, you really tied one on," keep in mind each pour was approximately 2oz. A wine flight - whether you DIY or rely on an already created one - is a great way to taste a lot of different wines without putting your liver or your ability to walk upright at risk. When you try one, I encourage you to seek out a flight that has a wine that you've never heard of or know little to nothing about because it's the easiest and one of the least expensive ways to discover a new favorite or find that you don't like a certain style and should steer clear. Or you could just keep reading my blog to find out about new varietals! Of course I recommend both.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or "Wine Wednesday" (or "Tasting Tuesday" or whenever),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Le Jolie Fleuri(e)

2010-07-24T15:48:00.005-04:00

Earlier today I stopped by my favorite wine store/classroom, Amanti Vino, for their weekly free tasting. I'm supposedly on a "wine buying break" due to overcrowding in my wine fridge, but after trying Wes' terrific lineup from this week, I couldn't help but leave the store with a few bottles. Guess I'll just have to try to drink something tonight or tomorrow to make space....

The tasting featured an excellent Rose (Mas Champart St Chinian 2009), a fruit forward and juicy red from Campania in Italy (Cantina del Taburno Torlicosco 2007), a classicly light and off-dry Gewurztraminer (unfortunately forgot to note the winery) and my favorite, a spicy, peppery, berry-filled Gamay from Beaujolais. Gamays from Beaujolais tend to be juicy and simple to me - perfectly nice to drink, but nothing to write about. But this Beaujolais was excellent. Lots of fruit, but with enough acid and tannins to be age-worthy. Moreover, it's a wine I'd actually enjoy during the summer because it's not heavy.

And then Wes went on to recommend the Haut Bourg Muscadet Cote de Grand Lieu from 2000. Though I didn't get the chance to try a fresh sample, I trust Wes' tastes and I love Muscadet so I also took home a bottle of this. I'm sure I'll post something on this in the not too distant future.

So, to all my local friends, let me know when you can get together for a meal at a local BYO because I have plenty of wine for us to try.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

p.s. Unlike overcrowding in the California jail system, the overcrowding in my wine fridge does not entail the most famous of my bottles an early release - even if the words "f*** you" were to magically appear in nail polish on the side of the bottle.

Les Pins, boss, Les Pins (if you pronounce it like you're French, you can kind of sound like Herve Villechaize)

2010-07-19T22:01:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about a wine called Les Pins that I had enjoyed at Tria in Philadelphia. It's a lovely white dessert wine with notes of honey and apricot made like a classic Sautneres from Bordeaux (to refresh, Sauternes is famous for having some of the best dessert wines in the world).

Shortly after writing my blog entry, I looked for Les Pins in New Jersey on http://www.wine-searcher.com/. I never found a store nearby that carried the wine and I forgot about it. Lo and behold, this past weekend while dragging my friend, Stacy, into various wine stores on the Upper West Side "just to see" what they carried, I was elated to find a bottle of Les Pins at the Whole Foods on Columbus at 97th. I immediately picked it up and while checking out, the cashier commented, "not enough people buy this wine." Nothing like being validated by, and then sharing a giddy moment with, the woman who works the register frequented by those who think they know a lot more about wine than they do! In all seriousness, it was fun to share the love for an overlooked dessert wine.

It makes sense that I found a bottle of Les Pins now since my past few entries have been about some of the more unique whites available. As always, I urge you to get outside your "I don't drink dessert wine" or "I don't like white wine" comfort zone and try something completely different every once in awhile. You'll either get to tell me, "I told you so," or you'll find something new that you like. Either way you win.

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or new discovery,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A white that is not Chenin Blanc!

2010-07-14T22:24:00.005-04:00

Earlier tonight my friend, Stacey, had me over for dinner. On the way over, I ran to a local wine store and decided to take a flyer on an Italian Falanghina (white varietal) that I'd never heard of.

My theory is that when it comes to varietals like Falanghina, they're not well known and thus not overplanted and overproduced. I believe there is a much better chance that a random Falanghina is going to have more character and taste better than many of the Chardonnays or Sauvignon Blancs that a typical wine store would have. Plus, the few times I had tried Falanghina, I'd really enjoyed it.

Falanghina is a dry, acidic, white Italian varietal that can be very aromatic with notes ranging from apple to citrus to pineapple. Usually I don't do well with acidic whites, but there's enough fruit in Falanghina that the acid is muted which is one of the reason I think it's such a great summer white!

The bottle I picked up was the Terredora Dipaolo 2009 Falaghina. It wasn't complex and it didn't have a lot going on, BUT for $14, I didn't expect it to. Plus, it was light and crisp with some lovely pear and pineapple notes. It paired almost perfectly with the hot, humid weather as well as Stacey's awesome homemade pesto sauce! It went down almost too easy. For $14, you'd be hard pressed to find a good Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc that delivered half as much.

As always, I urge you to look beyond the obvious because there's so many wonderful varietals to choose from and wine stores are taking a lot more chances now. Next time you're looking for a an alternative to the overdone "value" Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, look no further than Falanghina. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Another year, another 8 bottles

2010-07-11T10:59:00.007-04:00

Last night several of my friends and I went to dinner at SD26 in New York for my "official" birthday dinner. I had picked this place because it not only came highly recommended but because they also had a handheld wine list with supposedly almost 1,000 labels on it.

They definitely came through on the food and the service (the human service, that is - the air conditioning situation could have used a little help). However, I was disappointed by the wine list. For starters, I went through almost every varietal and I do not see how they could have close to 1,000 labels on the list. Secondly, their price points tended to the expensive and very expensive and they didn't offer enough in the value or mid price ranges. Moreover, for an Italian restaurant to only have one Prosecco option?!? Seriously. And though this is an Italian restaurant, they could have done a lot more with their French and American offerings - especially if they're offering 1,000 labels.

Despite the list letdown, I worked with the sommelier to put together a nice selection for the table and as far as I could tell, every wine delivered. Unfortunately, I didn't write down the names of the Prosecco, Rose, Primitivo or Moscato D'Asti. However, we had another red, Colle Picchioni, that I made note of because it is an Italian wine made in the Bordeaux style (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah). It had a nose and palate of earth and black fruit, but it had a light body and went down very easy at our 75+ degree table! Our bottle was a 2007, not the 2002 label pictured above, but if you can find any year of this, I recommend it.

After dinner, a few of us made our way to 11 Madison Park restaurant around the corner for one final bottle of wine. The moment I opened their wine list, a part of me wished I had chosen them for my birthday dinner. I'm pretty sure their sommelier was tapping into my subconscious when she designed the list. Moreover, when she came by to help me decide between two Chenin Blancs (my wine of the moment), she listened to me and then directed me to a great choice that wasn't on the list but was within my price range. That is the definition of a good sommelier. We had the Joguet Clos de la Plante 2007. It was excellent - light golden color with notes of honey and pear. For those who find whites too citrus-y or chalky or minerally, step away from the Sauvignon Blanc and step up to Chenin Blanc and Muscadet from the Eastern Region of the Loire.

Thanks to Wendy G., Kelly, Laura, Joshua, Liz, Nick and the Girls of the 'Boken, for coming out and celebrating with me. It was a memorable night - sweat and all.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Chiller, chiller, near the wall, whose the most age-worthy of them all?

2010-07-08T22:18:00.004-04:00

Another year older, another excuse to have multiple birthday meals and enjoy several bottles of wine over the next few weeks. Tannins aren't the only thing that makes ageing worthwhile!

Last night a few of my "oldest" friends and I went to DBGB for a good meal and of course a nice bottle of wine. With the 100 degree heat and dense humidity, it was clear that we would be going with a white wine. Lately I've been on a Chenin Blanc kick so I picked out a 2007 Chenin Blanc from Savennieres (a classic Loire region known for good, acidic, sometimes off dry Chenin Blancs, though the one I picked was dry). Unfortunately I did not write down the vineyard, which is unfortunate because it was a lovely wine. Crisp and dry with a nose and palate of citrus with notes of honey. It went down very easy and was very refreshing on such a ridiculously hot day.

As nice as the wine was, the company was even better. Thank you, Anne and Kelly for putting up with me for all of these years. And thank you, Pam, for sneakily picking up the wine.

The next dinner is this Saturday at SD26 where they have a handheld computerized wine list with almost 1,000 bottles in it. Check back on Sunday to see what we enjoyed.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

p.s. I can't write something about Chenin Blanc without sharing one of my favorite things about this grape. Within a bunch, the grapes can ripen at different times so you can have a bunch of grapes where some are practically shriveled and some are completely ripe and juicy. You can get a sense of this in the picture above.

Reemeraged Again

2010-07-01T06:00:00.003-04:00

One again I disappeared for a few weeks, but it was for a very good reason. I've been hitting the books -hard. Last night I took my exam for my Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. I'll find out in 6-8 weeks if I passed. I'm feeling good about it, but it may also just be the post-test relief!

If I do pass, I'm not sure it really qualifies me to be anything more than an even bigger wine snob. Though my new favorite hobby is messing with faux wine snobs when they start giving the wrong information because they don't know half as much as they think they know. Then again, I used to be one of them.

And as for any wine notes, well, we did have a blind tasting during the test. It was a Muscadet Sur Lie from the Loire region in France, but I guessed New Zealand Chardonnay. That's because there were no real discernible notes of yeast (which is what "lie" means) and it seemed to have some tropical notes along with citrus notes which is why I picked a warm weather Chardonnay. The worst part is that the picking of the wine was multiple choice. Guess I'm not that good of a wine snob after all!

Well, until the next snif, sip, or quaff when I think I'm drinking Pino Noir and it turns out to be a Nebbiolo,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2010-06-19T21:56:00.004-04:00

Earlier today I went to the Loire Valley in France. Not really, but that is how the e-mail inviting me to a class on the wines and cheeses of the Loire was posed. I was a bit bummed when I opened the e-mail to find that my wine heros, Sharon and Will, were NOT offering a field trip to the Loire.

However, with my Advanced WSET exam less than two weeks away, I figured a brush up class on the Loire couldn't help - especially since it's the (geographically) largest wine area in France spanning the Northwestern through the North Central parts of the country. Plus, when it comes to the cheeses, goat is it in The Loire. I always love a good goat - and not just because they look like a wise old Sensei or Shaolin master.

As for the wines, The Loire's most well known regions (from West to Central) are: Muscadet, Vouvray, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. These regions are all most known for their whites - Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, Chenin Blanc in Vouvray and Muscadet in well, Muscadet. In general, the closer to the Central region you get, the more minerality and crispness you get in the wines.

Though Sancerre and Pouilly Fume are among the classic wine regions and I can appreciate the Sauvignon Blanc from these regions, these tend to be a bit too acidic and citrus-y for my taste. But, if you like this style of wine, and many true wine experts do, you will love Claude Riffault "Les Boucards" Sancerre 2008.

On the other hand, Chenin Blanc is one of my favorite whites and we had a terrific one today! Domaine Huet "Clos du Bourg" 2008 had some nice body (though nothing like an oaked Chardonnay) and inviting notes of honeysuckle and melon. I will definitely be drinking more of this over the summer.

Gamay, Cabernet France and Pinot Noir are the main reds you'll find in The Loire and in this tasting we had both a Gamay and a Cabernet Franc. They were good, but truth be told, I think the very best wines The Loire has to offer are their whites and roses (and since they make up 50% and 30% of the sales in The Loire, I think many agree with me). Of the two, I'd recommend the Gamay, Domaine Sauvete "Les Gravouilles" 2008. It was nice - light and peppery with some sweet spice and raspberry. Would be good chilled at around 45 - 55 degrees.

If all goes well, one day I will get to The Loire and perhaps I'll be able to share some great wine tasting stories as well as some fun stories about finding, or not finding, my way around the French countryside. Maybe I'll find a red up there that I love. Until then, a classroom in Montclair, NJ will have to suffice.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (or I take my Advanced final),

Cheers,

Alli M.

She's Back....and Busier Than Ever

2010-06-18T20:04:00.012-04:00

Hello wineocratics! Seems that I've been under the impression that since Congress takes the summer off, so could Wineocracy. But a few of my friends and the infamous "EllieJ" kept asking me why I wasn't writing and I was spending too much time justifying why I didn't have any time!

I have some good reasons - New Job, Travel, and (supposedly) Studying for the Advanced Final for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust - but you don't want to hear about that. As you could have figured, a lot of wine drinking figured into my travel. In typical "I've been too busy to write" fashion, I'll give you the highlights:

Philadelphia: Took a quick trip a few weeks ago and I had to make a stop at Tria, a fantastic wine bar I wrote about last November. I remember enjoying the first glass of wine I had, but apparently it wasn't that good because I don't remember the name. On the other hand, the second glass, Chateau Tirecul la Graviere Monbazillac "Les Pins" 2003, was quite memorable. "Les Pins" is a lovely, golden Sauternes style dessert wine. Sauternes, which are made in the Graves section of Bordeaux, are are often thought of as the best dessert wines in the world. Made from the Semillon grape, they tend to be sweet and exhibit a variety of flavors - apricots, honey, peaches, and sometimes nuts. If "Les Pins" were an actual Sauternes, I likely wouldn't have sprung for a glass but for $9.50, "Les Pins" was a terrific "fauxternes." And that's a restaurant marked-up price! Unfortunately that was the highlight of the weekend as the Holiday Inn sent my overnight bag to Pittsburgh and my beloved Phillies began their slide. If it weren't for Laurie DP laughing at all of my jokes, indulging my wine snobbery and splitting Crab Fries with me at the ball game, I might have "Gone Jersey" on the bell hop at the hotel! It's a good thing there's this stress reliever called wine that is readily available.

Memorial Day Weekend: Opened up a bottle of Finca Decero Malbec. Just as yummy as remembered. Bright raspberry and spice but not overly fruity. So glad I bought a 1/2 case after returning from Argentina.

Connecticut: Made my annual trip to Abbot's Lobster in the rough with a Hendry Pinot Gris, a Hendry Rose (one of my FAVORITE Roses), a Hendry Zinfandel and my two friends, Pam and Laura in tow. Those five ingredients added up to one fantastic weekend. On our way back home, we stopped at a few wineries and the greatest shock was that I really liked some of the Connecticut wines! Who new they actually grew quality grapes in the nutmeg state?!? O.k., to be fair, some of the best wines we tried were made from California grapes. That said, a good winery is a good winery and we were particularly impressed with the Jonathan Edwards winery. My favorite white was the Connecticut Gewurztraminer (crisp and grapefruit-y; dry with a hint of sweetness) and my favorite red was the Napa Petite Sirah (game-y with some nice spice and black fruit and just a touch of smoke). I was also pleasantly surprised to find I preferred the Connecticut Chardonnay to the Napa Chardonnay. I found the Connecticut Chardonnay to be more similar to a classic French Chardonnay - citrus-y and acidic with just a hint of oak.

It's too bad we didn't enjoy any Sparkling wine together because 4 days after our Connecticut winery visits, my dear friend, Laura, got engaged. A big Wineocracy Cheers to Laura and her fiancee, Joshua.

Until the next (month of) sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

There's more to Italian Whites than Pinot Grigio

2010-05-11T20:52:00.004-04:00

Most people think of hearty, acidic reds or Pinot Grigio when they think of Italian wines. But with over 1,000 grape varietals, Italy has a much wider variety of wines to offer - especially in whites.

I've talked about Italian Soave before - a crisp, citrusy, dry white that goes well with just about anything you want to eat on a warm summer day (o.k., think picnic, not BBQ). You can generally find a good one in your local store for around $15 - $20. For those who live near a Moore Bros., look for Cantina del Castello.

Yet Soave is not the only Italian white alternative to Pinot Grigio. There are hundreds of varietals so it's no surprise to discover a completely new grape. Last summer I had the pleasure of trying an Italian Pinot Nero (white wine made from the Pinot Noir grape) and last week I was introduced to Taburno Serra Docile Coda Di Volpe. Coda Di Volpe is a white grape I'd never tried (and until recently, the wine instructor who introduced me had never heard of it either). What a revelation! Fruit forward, yet dry, acidic wine with tropical notes and a great body that lightly coats the tongue. This past weekend I brought a bottle to a gathering featuring Asian food and three of us easily kicked the bottle in about 30 minutes! I knew it was a hit when my friend, Laurie D., who has a discerning palate where whites are concerned, was asking me where I picked it up and how much it was (Amanti Vino, $24.99).

So get out there and discover a grape you haven't tried and please be sure to share your finding with the rest of us!

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2010-05-10T21:33:00.002-04:00

On Sunday my parents and I met for lunch at one of my mom's (and my) favorite restaurants in Southeastern PA (which also happens to be a BYO). As it was Mother's Day and as my mom is a huge fan of Pinot Noir, I thought it only fitting to bring a bottle of Merry Edwards Pinot Noir 2006 because the talented Ms. Edwards is a mother herself. Plus, she makes the best Pinot Noir out of Sonoma! Lots of bright dry cherry notes on the nose as well as the palate. And there's a nice hit of some oak on the finish.

If your mom loves good Pinot Noir, or just good wine, I'd recommend you bring her a bottle of Merry Edwards Pinot Noir next year. Then again, why wait another year? Merry Edwards Pinot Noir is not that easy to find and fairly expensive ($50 - $60 per bottle) but it's well worth it.

Although it's a date late, here's to my mom, your moms, Merry Edwards and all the other moms in the world! Now that's something to raise a glass to.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A Slacktastic Few Weeks

2010-05-04T20:40:00.007-04:00

As my loyal readers (all 5 of you) must have realized by now, I have been extremely busy. Of course this has not kept me from drinking wine, it's just kept me from writing about it. I have a lot of highlights so I'll try to be brief, but, oh, who am I kidding?!?

Last Wednesday was the WSET class on Germany, Austria and Hungary. Germany and Austria are known for their Riesling and, to a lesser degree, their Gewurztraminer. Many people think of Riesling as a sweet or "Off Dry" wine but most of the best Riesling is dry. Since dry Riesling has been the trend as of late a few German producers have started labeling their wine as "Dry Riesling." However, you don't need to see "Dry Riesling" on the label to find an elegant, dry Riesling. Just ask your trusted wine store for some guidance. I'd try to explain it here, but the German (and Austrian) labeling system is about as complex as a good Riesling and a lot less delightful! So the next time you're looking for a crisp, refreshing glass of white wine, skip over the Sauvignon Blanc and French Chardonnay and give a Dry Riesling a try.

And Hungary?!? Most people are surprised to hear that Hungary makes wine, but Hungary Tokaji (pronounced Toe-Ki) is considered to be one of the best dessert wines in the world. If you get the chance to taste it, give it a try - even if you don't favor sweet wines.

This week is Italy and though I'm a little worried about trying to get through all of Italian wine in a 2 hour class, I had a good primer this past weekend. My friends and I headed out to Otto, an upscale pizzeria in New York City. we were celebrating 3 back to back to back birthdays - Joanna (the hostess with the mostest with the serious cooking chops), Wendy N. (the professor extraordinare with the wonderful dry wit) and Laurie D. (the internet and tech guru with the sense to laugh at every joke I attempt).

Since we ordered a bunch of appetizers and entrees to share and we had 7 different palates, I picked two very different wines - Guttarolo Primitivo 2007, a fruit forward, medium bodied red with a lot of berry notes on the nose and the palate and a Pelissero Nebbiolo 2007, a drier red, but also full of red fruit, albeit a bit more restrained. Both were really enjoyable and very well made. We finished off the evening with a Moscato D'Asti, which we all know is one of my favorite treats, or as I call it "liquid candy."

If only memorizing the finer points of Italian viticulture, viniculture and wine labeling were as easy as drinking Italian wine!

Until the next sniff, sip, or quaff, or until I find a way to get less overwhlemed,

Cheers,

Alli M.

The Upside of Heartburn

2010-04-21T22:06:00.002-04:00

Last week I could not make it to class as I was out of town for a trade show (for Whole Foods - I probably should have written up my "tasting notes" from the show - highlights were visits to the Vita Coco, Cabot Cheese, Lake Champlain Chocolate, and Stonewall Kichen tables - yum).

Tonight we learned about the Loire, Rhone and Southern France regions. It was a great class and we tasted wonderful wines, but since my favorites were not so "wine-o-cratic" ($50+), I figured I'd skip the tasting notes. As you have probably figured from the title, I'd like to dedicate this column to the silver lining of my heartburn.

I've discovered, and a few fellow sufferers in my class have backed this up, that my heartburn helps me determine when there is a relatively high amount of alcohol in the wine we are tasting. If there's a high alcohol content, I immediately get a flare up in the back of my throat and in my chest. Annoying, yes, but hey, if it helps me be a better taster, then we all benefit!

Well, there's my PSA for today. Oh, and for the record, the Rhone region, specifically the Cote Rotie region in the North and Chateauneuf Du Pape in the South, is still one of my absolute favorites. Not so shockingly, these tend to produce the most expensive Rhone wines.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (which may not be for a little while since I'm doing a 5K this weekend),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Raise a glass to the 'burbs!

2010-04-12T23:01:00.007-04:00

This past weekend two of my favorite Manhattanites, Pam and Laura, sacrificed their Saturday to the suburbs. Hoping to impress, I shared the bounty of good food and wine that is "my" New Jersey. Naturally this meant brunch at Raymond's accompanied by a bottle of Pierre Gimmonet Champagne.

Following brunch, we stopped over at Amanti Vino for their weekly free tasting. Of the 4 wines we tasted, my favorite was the Cascina Ca'Rossa Nebbiolo 2007. Generally I find Italian wines a little too acidic, dry and "dusty" for my palette, but this one was delightful - light with bright notes of strawberry and hints of spice. I picked up a bottle for later (been meaning to go back to a great restaurant around the corner called Osterio Giotto).

We then went on to Stew Leonard's where we tasted a few more wines. The most surprising was a red from the Southern Rhone that was primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (very rare for the Southern Rhone where Syrah and Grenache are the main varietals). I wish I remembered the name or thought to write it down! We then made our way over to Shopper's Vineyard where we just missed the weekly tasting (as exhausted as we were, I don't think any of us were upset by this). We stopped by one more wine store (mostly to show off the beer section on behalf of Laura's brother - a foamophile - my newly coined phrase for been lovers!) and then made our way to the ginormous Whole Foods in West Orange to forage for our dinner ingredients.

We paired said ingredients (warm salad with baked beets, sauteed mushrooms and onions, roasted red pepper, pepitas, avocado and a touch of shaved goat cheese) and ended the day with one of my favorites - a wonderful bottle of 2006 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir from the Flax vineyard. I'm hoping that alone was worth the trip!

Here's to the 'burbs. Manhattan is not the only place serving up some terrific wine and food experiences. As my friends get sick of me saying, "Jersey effin' rocks."

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (in Jersey or beyond),

Cheers,

Alli M.

New World, Old World - Whatever the mood or the food

2010-04-09T21:04:00.004-04:00

We didn't have class this week so a couple of us met up to hold our own practice tasting. We tasted several different Pinot Noirs - 2 from Burgundy, 1 from Oregon, 1 from California and 2 from Australia (Central Otago).

The collective favorite seemed to be the Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir 2006 from Central Otago which one of my classmates picked up as an after thought because he liked the name!!! See, even we wine "experts" can be swayed by a good label or clever name. It had a lot of cherry fruit and a nice bit of funk and earth. It definitely was not what I expected from a wine from Australia. I'd expect a ton more fruit and less earth. Plus, for under $30, it was quite a find.

One other note - as I was tasting last night, I was reminded that I'm likely the only person in my class who likes the fruit forward "new world" style of the American, South American and Australian wines. I also love the funky, earthy "old world" style of the French and Italian wines. As I like to say, it's all about my mood and the food. Sometimes I want something restrained and austere, sometimes I want something big, fruity and simple. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback of my class is that the WSET has an old world bias as do many of the people in my class.

To that end, I sometimes find myself in the minority when tasting. I also feel that my class completely under represents wines from outside of France - and this is coming from a Francophile. My point is that I often hear friends or acquaintences say, "I don't know much about wines, but I know what I like." When all is said and done, this is the most important thing. If you like really oak-y Chardonnays or Merlot with large amounts of fruit, don't let the wine snobs like myself dissuade you. We're probably dealing with others who look down on our tastes.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Alsace, Burgundy and labeling, oh my!

2010-04-04T20:58:00.004-04:00

With the lovely weather we've been having, it's been hard to force myself to sit down and write about this past week's class. I hope my fellow Northeasterners understand!

This past week we covered Alsace, a great and often overlooked region and Burgundy, one of my favorite regions.

Alsatian wines are primarily made of Riesling or Gewurztraminer, though they tend to be very dry representations of these grapes. I love these Rieslings and Gewurztraminers. They are generally dry, elegant and so very food friendly. We tasted two great Alsatian wines: Marcel Deiss Riesling 2007 and Charles Schleret Gewurztraminer. As expected, the Riesling had a lot of honeysuckle notes while the Gewurztraminer had a classical Gewurz nose of rose water wth some lovely fruit and florals on the palette. Both had me craving Thai noodles.

As mentioned before, Burgundy reds are made primarily of Pinot Noir or Gamay and Burgundy whites are made primarily of Chardonnay or Aligote (much less common). The hardest thing to master about Burgundy wines is understanding the labeling and to be honest, I have a long, long way to go. If I even tried to lay it out here I'd end up confusing all of us. Perhaps one day I'll be able to explain it clearly. Until then, I'll just have to talk about the wine itself.

We tasted one white and three reds. I'd had the white at a tasting dinner a few months ago and though I tend not to love the very dry, mineral-ly whites from Burgundy, I really liked this particular one: Camile Giruod Beaune "Lulunne." Would have been even better if we'd had some scallops!

And of the reds, we had one Beaujolais, made from the Gamay grape, and two Pinot Noirs. The Beuajolais was a tasty, young wine with a mouth ful of strawberry and pepper. The first Pinot Noir was another wine I'd had before. It was the Domaine A. et P. De Villaines "Bourgogne Rouge" 2008 that I raved about after last Saturday's tasting. The final Pinot Noir (and final wine of the evening) was a Domaine Fourrier "Vielle Vignes" 2007. It was very tasty with a ton of strawberry fruit and a nice degree of tannin making it something I'd lay down for a few years (actually, if had the money I'd buy a few bottles and lay them down).

All in all I really liked the tastings though the class reminded me I have my work cut out for me. For the first time since grad. school I'll be making some flash cards.

This week we have no class, but who knows what I'll be corking this week.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Passover, Shmassover.....

2010-03-29T21:56:00.003-04:00

Eventhough Alfasi and Baron Herzog and several other producers have been making dry, suposedly good Kosher for Passover wines, I have yet to find one that I like as much as my "traife" wines. Earlier tonight I was over at a friends' for the Passover Seder and we had a lovely Italian table wine with dinner. The dry, acidic red went perfectly with the brisket, quinoa and eggplant (not a very traditional meal, but excellent). As far as I'm concerned, my biggest crime was not writing down the name or remembering anything about the bottle....Oh well. The good thing is there are alweays new wines to find - kosher or not!

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (of almost anything but Manishewitz),

Cheers and Zeisen Pesach!

Alli M.

2010-03-28T20:02:00.008-04:00

This past Saturday I went to a fundraiser for someone in the wine industry I recently met who will be running the Paris marathon in few weeks. Suffice it to say, we drank French wines. Since it was held at the shop I regularly visit, Amanti Vino, I was familiar with two of the wines but was introduced to two new loves.

Wine #1: Duc de Romet Brut Prestige Champagne NV: This is a Grower's champagne meaning that it was made by the person or group that grew the grapes (unlike most mass champagnes which buy their grapes). Grower champagnes tend to have a lot richer, more yeasty flavor with a little less sweetness. I've become an absolute fan of these champagnes because it's how champagne was meant to taste. Plus, it's often cheaper than the "major brands" who put more money into branding than wine making. And for $30, this is an excellent example of a good Grower champagne - tasy, yeasty with some citrus notes.

Wine #2: I forget the actual label. It was a Meursault which is a Chardonnay from the Burgundy region. I don't love really acidic white wines which is a defining characteristic of Burgundy Chardonnay. This was a clearly well made wine, but not something I love.

Wine #3: Domaine A et P de Villaine de Bourgogne Rouge 2008: Red wine from Burgundy means Pinot Noir and this is a classic young Burgundy Pinot Noir. It's medium bodied with notes of strawberry and cherry. It's was absolutely yummy and something I could drink with several different meals or on its own. If we weren't rushing off to dinner, I would have picked up a bottle or two.

Wine #4: Rene Rostaing Les Lezards Syrah 2006: I've raved about this wine before. It's a fantastic 100% Syrah grown just outside the Cote Rotie region. It's gamey earthiness gives way to blackberries and cassis. One of my absolute favorite wines. I usually have a bottle or two in my wine refrigerator at all times.

It was great to discover two more French wines I love (for my palette, not for my wallet). I can't wait to add a bottle or two of the Champagne and the Domaine A et P to my refrigerator.

Best of all, the price of the tasting went directly towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma society. Can you think of a better win/win - good wine for a good cause?

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

WSET Advanced Class 2

2010-03-25T20:56:00.002-04:00

I could give you the highlights of the class, but the content was so dry (all about the planting and winemaking process) that even bullet points might put you to sleep. So I'll just get to my favorite part - the tasting.

We started with 2 different representations of Chardonnay - a Chablis and a Meruseult. Both were of great quality, but I didn't enjoy them as much as I should because they were quite acidic and I've learned that I'm particularly sensitive to the acid in acidic whites. Unfortunately this is something I'll just have to work through to move forward in my wine education.

From there we tasted two different Oregon Pinot Noirs - one that was a younger, "value" wine and another that was also young, but a bit pricier and also a bit more complex. The second, more expensive wine was from Domaine Serene, but for $33 I consider their "Yamhill Cuvee" a good value. It has a lovely ruby appearance with a nose of raspberry, spice and oak. You get the same wonderful flavors on the palette.

After that we moved on to Syrahs. The first was a funky, gamey, peppery wine called "Ro Ree" by Domaine Cheze in the Rhone. Rhone reds are another of my favorite varietals and the ones with the gamey funkiness rank the highest with me. And for the sake of transparency, I'd also had and enjoyed this wine before! Our last wine of the evening was the Jaffurs Wine Cellars "Upslope" Syrah out of Santa Barbara, CA. I've enjoyed a lot of Syrahs from this region before (Bridlewood Reserve Syrah is one of my favorite under $30 bottles), but I did not love this wine. I liked it a lot, but for $75, I don't think it's worth it. then again, if I bought a bottle I'd probably lay it down for a few years and who knows how great it could be after that.

I'm on a brief wine break until Saturday night when I'm going to a French wine tasting fundraiser. Charity rocks.

Unil the next sip, sniff or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

WSET Advanced Course Here I Come!

2010-03-18T11:55:00.004-04:00

Last night I began the Advanced WSET Course and though our instructor reassured us that we will all be fine as long as we put in the time and study, I'm worried. I was sitting there thinking, what have I gotten myself into? Blind tastings, detailed readings on fermentation, harvesting and varietal characteristics - egads. Hopefully my memory is as good as I think....

That said, I'll be blogging about the class each week so you can always look forward to a Thursday morning column. This week we mostly reviewed where we were from our last class and went over the correct method for tasting. Next week is Winemaking. Maybe afterwards I'll just move to the Willamette Valley and start my own label!

Or maybe go old school and head out to Cote Roti which brings me to the wine I had Saturday night (you thought you were getting away wtihout a tasting note?!?). Despite 50 mile per hour winds and downed trees, my friend, Stacy, and I ventured out to Bar Boulud on Saturday night. Bar Boulud is known for its wine list, which has a heavy French influence. We ended up with a bottle of La Chevaliere from the Southern Rhone. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture and couldn't find one online, but it was quite tasty. Though it was from the South, it drank like a lighter version of a Cote Rotie (a region in the Northern Rhone) - quite dry with some musty and gamey notes. It had some nice black berry notes as well. Definitely something I'd drink again.

However, the real highlight of the evening was meeting the pastry chef from the restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in London, which is owned by the same group that owns Bar Boulud. The chef and his restaurant manager were sitting att he table next to us and getting the absolute VIP treatment which they happily shared with us. It was a blast and I'm now a Facebook friend for one of the top pastry chefs in London who vowed to hook me up with a VIP tour of the London foodie scene should I visit.....so I may have to put off that trip to Burgundy!

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2010-03-09T22:31:00.004-05:00

This Saturday I opened one of the bottles of 2007 Finca Decero Malbec I picked up after returning from Argentina. It was still just as good - drinks almost like a Cabernet Sauvignon with some notes of green pepper though I also get some bright cherry notes which are more typical of a Malbec. I can't wait to get to my other bottles!

Tonight I was at a group dinner and there were large bottles of Beringer Founder's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon on the table. I had a few sips and was longing for one of the bottles in my wine fridge.

Until I do get back to my wine fridge or until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Finally tasted Vina Cobos - yum

2010-03-04T22:38:00.005-05:00

Earlier tonight I went to an Argentinian wine tasting. We tasted 10 different wines blind. My favorites, in order were #10, #5 and #1. Wouldn't you know it that #10 was the 2004 Vino Cobos Malbec that I didn't try when I was in Mendoza a few weeks ago?!? Nice to know that eventhough I know I like wines made by Paul Hobbs that even in a blind tasting I pick out his wine as my favorite. Smooth, big fruit, a lot of alcohol, but nicely balanced. It's hard not to be influenced by an old standby or by wine ratings and it's reassuring to find that you like a wine you'd assume you would like in a blind taste testing.

The only problem is that the 2004 Vina Cobos Malbec is not only hard to find, but when you do find it, you'd likely pay upwards of $165 per bottle. My 2nd favorite wine, the #5, turned out to be Caro, a Cabernet Sauvignon (65%)/Malbec (35%) blend that is made by a partnership between Catena, a large Argentinian wine maker and Rothschild, the reknowned French wine maker. For $39.95 per bottle, it's a lot better deal than the Vino Cobos. It was dry, but juicy with notes of strawberry and cherry. Medium bodied with a medium finish. Delightful and very easy to drink.

The most surprising, however; was my 3rd favorite, #1, which turned out to be a 2006 Punto Final Malbec. It had a wonderful nose of spice and clove with some cherry notes. At first it didn't have much to it, but about 20 minutes later, it really opened up and was a bright, tasty wine that could hold up to a variety of foods or be served on its own with some light appetizers. And for $15 per bottle you can't go wrong.

Ultimately, I'll probably seek out the Punto Final because when all is said and done, for a really good bottle of wine, you can't beat $15. Though blind tasting is a good way to truly figure out your favorite wine, ultimately price has to be factored in because if you really like a $15 bottle and really like a $165 bottle, is it really worth another $150? As much as I like and respect Paul Hobbs, I cannot justify $165 when I know there's a $15 or even a $39.95 bottle out there that's pretty close.

This weekend is the Hoboken St. Patrick's Day Parade so it's going to be a heavy beer weekend.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (of wine),

Cheers,

Alli M.

NY Wine Expo - or more like a bigger tasting

2010-02-28T17:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I went to the NY Wine Expo at the Javits Center in Manhattan. For those unfamiliar with the Javits center, it's a popular site for trade shows as it spans a few city blocks. When I went to the Wine Expo a few years ago, the show took up the entire ground floor. This time it took up a 1/3rd of the place. I'm guessing that's due to the economy. Unfortunately, this meant that a lot of my favorite regions (namely Oregon) had limited to no presence. The upside is that the show was a lot more manageable this year. Well, mostly manageable - the guy working the Portguese Port table was particularly snobby. It's a good thing I already love Port, otherwise his attitude might have turned me off of trying it.

So who was there? Greek wine had a very large presence. Lately I've been reading a lot about how Greece is the next up and coming wine region and I was eager to taste Greek wine. For the most part it was disappointing, but one bright spot was Cambas Wines. I particularly enjoyed their Mantinia, a white that was light, well balanced and crisp and made me crave summer. I also liked their Nemea Reserve which was dry, with some good black fruit on the nose and palette, a slight hint of pepper and a lingering finish.

However, my favorites were (in no particular order):

-2007 Quinta Do Vallado Douro Red: Dry, elegant, plum and cherry; Would lay down for 2-3 years; Portugal

-2009 Dominio De Punctum Anada White: Slight oak, but not overdone, lovely and fragrant with apricot and honeysuckle notes; Spain

-2007 Bodega Monteviejo Petite Fleur Red: Balanced, black fruit, complex and smooth; Made me crave food; Argentina (but made by a winemaker out of Pomerol - not a shocker that I'd love this wine)

-2008 Conway Deep Sea Viognier White: Light, stone fruits and minerals; Would enjoy with lobster; Central Coast California

I was also pleasantly surprised by the white wines of Heron Hill out of the Finger Lakes Region in New York. One of these days I'm actually going to get up to the Finger Lakes!

All in all, it was a good show and though it was a lot smaller, I'm glad I went to see some of the newer vineyards and emerging regions I haven't had the chance to experience. Moreover, it was a great way to spend a cold afternoon - indoors sipping lots of wine.

On Thursday I'm heading to an Argentinian wine tasting. Are you shocked?!?

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (uh, Thursday night),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Final Argentina Post - only a week late

2010-02-26T21:28:00.003-05:00

I returned from Argentina last weekend, but I never discussed the final vineyard we visited and the one I'd been looking forward to all trip - Vina Cobos. Vina Cobos was created by a partnership amongst Paul Hobbs, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barrand. Paul Hobbs is one of my favorite producers out of Sonoma. He makes incredible Cabernet Sauvignon and every wine of his I've tried has an incredible nose.

The Vino Cobos tour was actually quite brief - not that we minded after 2 days of tours and differing explanations for the same fermentation process. We then got down to the fun part, the tasting. I was hoping to taste some of the high end Vina Cobos labels, but it was the last day of the tour and I was exhausted and light on cash so I wasn't up for the additional tastings. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I should have just sucked it up, but that's what too much cheese, too little sleep and warm weather when you're body is expecting cold will do to you!

However, what we did taste was terrific. Like many of the Mendoza vineyards we visited, Vina Cobos has different labels - Felino is their value line, Bramare is their mid-tier and Vina Cobos is their high end. We tasted the 2008 Felino Malbec, the 2008 Felino Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2006 Bramare Malbec. My favorite was the Cabernet Sauvignon. To me, it was as good as some of Hobbs' Sonoma Cabs, at 1/4 to 1/5th of the price! Wonderful nose and palette of cassis with a slight hint of smoke. I even got some minerality - almost like wet pavement, which was unexpected and yet so pleasant. Or maybe it was just a whiff from the outside because it rained a little that morning. Though I can get it here, I just had to pick up a bottle. I liked the Malbecs as well. The Felino Malbec was what I've now come to expect from a young Malbec - deep purple in color, a lot of plum and raspberry on the nose with some pepper and earth notes. Quite tasty. The Bramare Malbec had more of a cooked fruit/raisin nose though the palette was very smooth with some bright red berry notes.

I've noticed that most of the older Malbecs we tried (2006 and earlier) had that raisin/cooked nose. However, almost all of these "older" Malbecs also had a brighter, more fresh fruit palette, like the Bramare. Really interesting. I'm guessing it's a function of how hot it gets in Argentina.

And yet here I am back in the cold.....Though it was a long trip down (10+ hour flight), it was worth it. Now I just have to figure out which new world wine region I visit next....or maybe I go old world and check out the land of Riesling or Burgundy....

Well, until the next sniff, sip or quaff (which will be tomorrow's "Wine Expo" at the Javits Center in NYC),

Cheers,

Alli M.

Just keeps getting better....

2010-02-18T15:46:00.014-05:00

Another 8:45am pick-up for another day of tours and drinking. I was honestly a little concerned that I wouldn't make it, but I got my rally on and somehow saw my way through today's tastings. See how I suffer to deliver information and opinions to you?!?

Batter Up: Achaval Ferrer

Achaval Ferrer is a large Malbec producer, exporting several thousand cases of their Malbec Mendoza as well as a few thousand cases of their Quimera (Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc blend) each year. They also make small batches of single vineyard Malbecs - Finca Bella Vista (from Mendoza), Finca Mirador (from the East, which is a warmer climate) and Finca Altamira (from Yuca, which is a colder climate). I've had their Malbec Mendoza and hated it. For those of you who have actually been following this blog since last spring, you might recall I wrote about this Malbec this past July. Well, when in Mendoza.....you gotta give it another shot, right?!? Unfortunately they weren't pouring the Malbec, but we were able to taste a 2007 Quimera, Finca Mirador and a Dolce that they decided to make just for fun. The wines were much better than what we had this past summer and I'm hoping that we just happened upon a ruined bottle and didn't realize it. The Quimera was earthy, a bit too tannic for my taste and very dry. The Finca Mirador was beautiful - acidic with a strong nose and palette of green pepper. It also had some nice black pepper notes thanks to the year it spends aging in new oak. As much as I liked it, I couldn't justify spending $110 US for a bottle. It was very good, but not great. The Dolce was also quite good - sweet and jammy, but not syrupy. Since it was only available at the vineyard, I decided to pick up a bottle. Plus, it was a lot less than $110 US!!!

Bodega 2: Lagarde
Lagarde is the oldest vineyard that is still operating in Mendoza. They make several different varietals, including sparkling. For their high end sparkling, they use the traditional Champagne method. Learning about the "Methode Champenoise" and seeing the bottles they're currently fermenting was the highlight of the tour. It is painstaking process and it takes a long time which may explain why GOOD sparkling wine can be very expensive. Unfortunately, we did not get to taste any of Lagarde's high end anything, let alone their sparkling. It was actually a bit of a letdown, but somehow we found a way to get over it as we enjoyed their classically crisp and citrus-y Lagarde Sauvignon Blanc as well as their light, dry and refreshing Altas Cumbres Extra Brut. We then moved on to their Lagarde Malbec 2008, which was pretty good. Ruby colored, cherry on the nose with some smoke and oak notes. One thing I really liked about Lagarde is that with the wines we tasted they seemed to tailor their wines to the local climate. It gets very, very hot and dry here and as expected the Sauvignon Blanc and Extra Brut were refreshing, but even the red had a lighter touch and would be quenching on a hot day. It would be a red I'd give a friend who refuses to drink white, even when it's 95 degrees and they're eating salad.

Lunchtime: Ruca Malen

When we were planning this trip, our agency gave us a list of about 20 vineyards to pick from. We had to make sure that two of the vineyards offered lunch - one for Wednesday and one for Thursday. When I started researching where we should go, I read several favorable online reviews where people were raving about the wine pairing lunch at Ruca Malen so I made sure this was one of our choices. Little did we know that Lucas Bustos, the chef at Ruca Malen would also be the chef who cooked our lunch at Belasca de Baquedano (yesterday's incredible mid-day gastronomic experience). As you can imagine, we were even more excited heading into today's lunch. Once again, Lucas did not disappoint. From the pork empanas to the pumpkin terrine to the perfectly cooked filet, it all delicious and perfectly paired. We also had the pleasure of meeting Lucas and found out that he studied in Hyde Park, NY and apprenticed with Daniel Boulud at Boulud. The foodie gods have smiled upon us. And the wine? Well, it was good. Their high end label, Kinien, was particularly tasty and the 2007 Malbec with it's medium body and fresh plum and oak notes paired beautifully with the steak we had for lunch. It also had nice tannins and a medium to long finish. It's something I'd want to lay down and revisit in a few years.

The Finale (for today): Dolium

During lunch, our guide, Rolly, gave us the history behind Dolium. Dolium was started 10 years ago by an ex-engineer named Mario Giadorou. To save on cooling costs, he built the tank and barrel rooms several meters underground. Mario passed away a few years back, but his son, Ricardo, now runs the vineyard. Dolium is one of the bigger family owned vineyards in Mendoza. We were a little tired after lunch, but once Rolly gave us the back story, we were pretty excited to see the facility. The tank room looks like any other tank room, but it's definitely cool to look down over the tank room from the window in the ground level tasting room. However, the architecture was nowhere near the best part of the visit. In the tank room we had three tastings directly from the tank - a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (typically crisp, citrus-y, refreshing), a 2009 Chardonnay (pineapple, tropical, slight oak - not at all typical) and a 2009 Malbec (bright cherry fruit with some oak on the finish). Then, Ricardo joined us for another 4 wines in the tasting. We first tried the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from the bottle. It had the slight petrol nose that I often get from New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, but the body was light and not too acidic. Admittedly, Sauvignon Blanc is not one of my favorite varietals, but I can always appreciate a well made wine. From there, we moved on to the 2008 Classic Tempranillo. Several of the vineyards in Argentina seem to have Tempranillo - mostly for blending purposes. Tempranillo is another varietal that's not on my favorites list, but this was pretty good. It was light to medium bodied with a lot of red fruit and some pepper on the finish. It was also a bit astringent, which is my general feeling about Tempranillo. But the love was back with the 2007 Classic Malbec. It had the nose and palette that I love - gamey, earthy and a nice hit of red fruit - in this case raspberry. Medium to long finish. Unfortunately, the 2007 is no longer available so I picked up a bottle of the 2008. For $9 US, it was a no brainer. If I weren't so ridiculous about shoving everything into small suitcases, I'd have picked up two bottles. But it kept getting better.....Our final tasting was the 2004 Grand Riserva Malbec. It smelled like cooked plum and raisin and was very smooth with plum and oak on the palette. It also had good tannic structure and when speaking with Ricardo, he confirmed that this is something you could drink now or lay down for another 4-5 years. I had left my wallet with my credit cards back at the hotel and didn't have enough cash to buy a bottle, but I'm pretty sure I'll find one of their reserves in the U.S. Despite my klutzing out on one of the water canals in the tank room, this was my favorite visit of the day. Viva Dolium!

Tomorrow we have our final tasting at Vina Cobos. As some of you know, I love Paul Hobbs' wines (well, the few that I've tasted - many are well out of my price range). Vina Cobos is his vineyard in Mendoza and I've been looking forward to this visit ever since we booked this trip.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

3 Vineyards, No Sleep and One Nasty Stomach Ache

2010-02-17T21:21:00.012-05:00

By vacation standards, we had an early departure this morning - 8:45am. Considering Argentinians don't eat dinner until around 9 or 10pm and we've been sticking to that schedule, it was that much tougher to get up. Then again, knowing that you'll be tasting wine at 9:30am makes it all worthwhile.

Before I go on, I should share a little "intel" on wine tasting in Argentina. As you might expect, it's not like wine tasting in the U.S. You need to have a reservation to visit a vineyard and you need to make these reservations at least a few weeks in advance. In addition, you are not just visiting tasting rooms as you would in the U.S. You will go on a tour at every vineyard before you taste. The tours are only about 20-30 minutes, but they do get repetitive. Between these rules and lunchtime/siesta, you can only schedule 3-4 vineyards each day. Our guide "stretched" and scheduled us for 4 today and 4 tomorrow. As you may have noted by the title, despite our best efforts and those of our driver, Eduardo, we might have shown up an hour late for our last appointment and missed it. Oh well. As far as we're concerned, it was Luigi Bosca's loss!

So without further ado, let me discuss the wine we actually tasted and the tours we actually took.

For those who are geographically challenged (and I count myself in this group), Mendoza is in the shadow of the Andes mountains which makes it an ideal place for growing wine and a breathtaking one at that. I've attached a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

First stop: Dominio del Plata

Many of you may know of Dominio del Plata's Crios label, which is widely distributed in the U.S.

They make a very good Torrontes and though I'm not a fan of their Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon, many of my friends like their red varietals and for $12 - $15 per bottle, who am I to argue?!? Domino del Plata is also owned by Susanna Balbo, the first woman to get an enology degree in Argentina (according to the tour). I have an obvious bias towards wine chicks so I was pretty excited to hear this. I was also looking forward to trying some of the other labels they make. Unfortunately I was disappointed by Domino del Plata. The tour was quite good and Rudolpho was an excellent guide, but the tasting was lacking. We only tasted the Crios Torrontes, the Crios Malbec and the Crios Cabernet Sauvignon. The Torrontes was crisp and light with atropical nose and some tropical as well as citrus notes on the palette. The Malbec was a little too peppery for my taste while the Cabernet tasted a bit unbalanced (too much alcohol) to me. I was bummed I didn't get to try something I'd never tried from one of their other labels. If this were in a U.S. tasting room, I would have asked and/or offered to pay a supplemental fee, but this was the first time I've ever tasted in Argentina so I just went with it.

I was concerned that I would have a similar experience at the other vineyards, but this was not the case.

Round two: Finca Decero

I'd never heard of Finca Decero before we started planning this trip and when it came time to pick the vineyards we wanted to visit I chose it somewhat blindly based on some good online feedback. Thank you internet!!!! Rachel, Aimee and I all loved Finca Decero. Our guide, Anna, was only on her 5th day, but she was as charming and knowledgable as ever. The tour was standard, but it was very interesting to find out that they hand harvest their grapes twice - once out in the vineyards (like most Argentinian wine makers) and another time at the winery before the grapes are squeezed. But what really set Finca Decero apart was the product itself. They served us a Syrah, a Malbec and a 100% Petit Verdot (which is very rare since Petit Verdot is often used as a blending grape). All of the wines were wonderful. Initially the Syrah gave off a lot of alcohol on the nose, but after about 20 minutes, the fruit came through and I got a nice hit of some warm berries and spice. The Malbec had a surprisingly earthy, somewhat gamey nose with a hint of plum. It was well balanced, which I have had a hard time finding in Argentinian Malbecs (hot weather = higher alcohol and I'm particularly sensitive to alcohol notes). It was by far my favorite wine of the day and I thought the winemaker was really creative in his decisions - especially when it came to making a 100% Petit Verdot. Rachel and Aimee loved it. I really liked it as well with its dry, tannic jammy-ness (a good level of jam, not the jam of an overdone Pinot Noir). However, with the funky nose I have come to love, the Malbec legged it out for me.

Tres: Belasco de Baquedano

Again we started with a generic tour, but the one stand out was the Aroma Room. At the end of the tour, they let us into a room with over 50 stations, each giving off a different aroma when prompted. It was really fun to play and to figure out which notes I wanted to look for in wines. But as interesting as this was, the best part of Belasco de Baquedano was the lunch. As you read in my previous post, we've been a bit disappointed by the meals we've had here. That ended today when we had a phenomenal 4 course gourmet wine-paired lunch. We were very happy to dive into our well-seasoned, perfectly cooked, juicy and tender pieces of steak. There are not enough superlatives to describe the meal. I could not stop eating (hence the wicked stomach ache). AND, the steak was paired perfectly with Belasco de Baquedano's Swinto Malbec. It was a melt in your mouth pairing. Though we were very focused on the food, we did enjoy Belasco's Malbecs (it's the only grape they grow). Their Loan was a little too dry, alcohol-y and rustic for all of us, but their AR Guentota was smooth and spicey with some nice oak and their Rose was quite refreshing with a classic strawberry nose and palette.

Though we lingered over lunch and missed our last appointment, we were all a bit relieved as our stomachs needed a reprieve. However, we were able to rally and make it out for our customary 9:30pm dinner. This time, we finally hit it right with our restaurant choice and we all had fantastic meals - albeit alcohol free. Sometimes you just need a little Sprite to get you through the meal....

Tomorrow we're back on the van at 8:45am for our next round of tastings. Our lunch will be at a different vineyard, but we already know the chef of today's lunch will be cooking for us again. God (and Rolaids) help us.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

1st Beer of the Trip!

2010-02-16T20:56:00.004-05:00

Though it was our first night in Mendoza, we decided to veer from the obvious and we went to a local brew pub for dinner and beers. We didn't have Stella, but this was the only picture of beer I had from the trip. These big bottles or "double wides" as I call them are commonly served in restaurants in Argentina. At the brew pub, we all had the honey wheat beer which was quite good. Smooth, nutty with just a hint of sweetness. Nice cloudy honey color as well.

We paired our beers with pizza, which, was not so good. Unfortunately we've been a bit disappointed with the food. We expected to eat some of the best steak of our lives. What we've found is that they tend to under-season their steak (or maybe we over-season ours in the States!). Either way, we haven't been loving the steak.

Additionally, they seem to really love their cheese. The pizza we had tonight was basically bread with some oil and an over abundance of cheese. And yesterday, I ordered what I thought would be a tasty and light quinoa and pumpkin dish off of the "light choice menu" for lunch and it was basically melted cheese with some pumpkin and a few kernels of quinoa. Suffice it to say, I think I'll be holding off on cheese plates for a little while. I hope my fellow foodies and wine buddies back home understand.

One note - Aimee and Rachel have been raving about the helados (ice cream) as well as the sugar cones they come in. I've been trying to hold off as I'm usually too full after dinner, but I'm now thinking that I need to skip the meat, bacon and cheese dinners and go right to ice cream!

Until the next sniff, sip, quaff or ice cream,

Cheers and Ciao Ciao,

Alli M. (a.k.a. Farmacity and Disco Supermercado's biggest fan)

p.s. Tomorrow I will go back to talking about grape based beverages, I promise.

Last Tango in Buenos Aires

2010-02-16T18:39:00.006-05:00

For our final night in Buenos Aires, my friends and I attended a tango show. for those who know me, you know I don't love doing the obvious tourist things, but, when in Buenos Aires.....

The show opened with a seeming rip-off of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," but it got better from there! The dancers were truly talented and though the storyline was a bit melodramatic, we had a good time. Moreover, our show came with a complimentary lesson beforehand. I barely remember the steps at this point, but the instructor was quite good and very, very patient. I have some video of my friend, Aimee, dancing but she'd kill me if I posted it and I'd like to remain friends with her.

We also had dinner with our show. We didn't expect the food or the wine to be good and we weren't let down on this account! The red wine would have been better off being re-packaged as varnish or perhaps rubbing alcohol while the white wine had a terrible nose of dried out raisin (not something you'd expect or want from a Chardonnay). They could have turned it into sherry - then again, it still would have been an incredibly crappy sherry. Well, we didn't expect much so we just went with it and the upside is that we barely indulged which made it easier to pack last night.

This morning we headed out to Mendoza. We had a nice lunch and enjoyed a bottle of Trivento Dulce Natural Vino Blanco with our meal. I had originally ordered a Torrontes, but the waiter told us this was better and the same price. It was very sweet - think a semi-dry Riesling. Like Riesling, it had some lovely tropical notes along with a lush mouth feel. I'm guessing the waiter assumed that 3 women wanting a white wine would want something on the sweet side (an assumption I'm constantly battling), but as my friend, Aimee reminded me, we were in Mendoza enjoying a local wine with our lunch. Really, can anything be bad about that?

Tomorrow we head to four different vineyards as well as a private winemakers dinner so I should have some more things to say tomorrow!

Until Manana (or the next sniff, sip or quaff),

Cheers,

Alli M.

And a not so good Malbec

2010-02-15T15:43:00.003-05:00

Last night we headed out to a steak house that one of our drivers recommended. Note to self - when visiting a foreign country, you're likely better off taking restaurant and bar advice from people in your own age group, not a 60 year old driver! Then again, it really doesn't matter as long as there's a wine list, eh?

We decided to try something we hadn't seen in the states and we ended up having a bottle of Niente Malbec with dinner last night. NOT impressive. It was not balanced at all. The alcohol masked any sort of fruit. Unfortunately, I could not find an image to post on here. But with a bad wine, does it really matter?!? At the end of the evening, our server gave us a glass of Niente's Reserve. It was definitely better - much smoother - but the over-abundance of alcohol flavor was replaced with an over-abundance of oak flavor. Suffice it to say, I'm hoping we do not encounter this label in Mendoza!

Our server also gave us each a glass of complimentary sparkling wine. It was lovely. Semi-dry with a great citrus nose and mouth. I asked the server what it was and she explained it was a sparkler out of Mendoza called Charmont (or maybe Charmant). If I knew more than 10 words of Spanish, I would have asked to see the bottle, but unfortunately, that's all I have to go on. So now I'm on a mission to find some good sparklers in Mendoza - not a bad goal. Of course considering all the money I blew on leather goods today (I'm having a leather jacket being custom made for me as I type this), I might not be able to afford anymore wine!!

That said, until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Malbec, Malbec and more Malbec

2010-02-14T17:41:00.005-05:00

As my regular readers - all 5 of you - know, I'm in Argentina this week for vacation. On Tuesday my friends and I head to the promised land (Mendoza), but until then, we'll be drinking a boatload of wine and I hope to make enough time to talk about it.

First, let me start by saying that we've been buying said "boatload" of wine at the Disco. It's not that we've been purchasing our wine where Gloria Gaynor rules, Disco is the name of a local Super Mercado chain and it, along with Farmacity, has become one of my favorite stores EVER.

Disco also has phenomenal prices on wine (the expensive bottles are in the $12-$15 range). We've been buying in the mid-range ($5-$7) and getting great bottles. Last night we had Don Maza 2007 Malbec. I picked it specifically because I'd never seen it in the U.S. I found a picture of a it on Google images so maybe you can find it in a store near you but I'm guessing it will cost a lot more than the $6 we paid!!!! In any event, it was nice - spicy, dry, some nice bright fruit - just what you want in a good Malbec. It was a little lighter than expected, which worked really well since it was our pre-dinner bottle.

At dinner last night I had a glass of Alamos Malbec, which has always been reliably yummy. My friends opted for the double wide bottle of Stella Artois. The beauty part is that dinner and drinks came to about $22 each - and that's with tax and tip. Getting down here is expensive, but once you're down here it's so cheap.....I may never leave. Especially since tonight we picked up a $5 bottle of Malbec, Perdriel Terruno 2006, which we're currently enjoying. I'm not loving it as much as last night's wine - the alcohol masks the fruit a little too much. However, for $5, what do you have to lose?!?

Tonight we're off to a steak house and will likely enjoy even more wonderful Malbec (and Torrontes and Stella and who else knows - chances are we won't spend over $40 each).

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff (or steakhouse or pre-dinner bottle),

Cheers,

Alli M.

2010-02-06T14:59:00.008-05:00

Once again I've been a complete slacker and I have no reason to be. Last Sunday, I had a wonderful brunch with friends at one of my favorite local spots, Raymond's, featuring mimosas made with a wonderful dry, structured sparkling wine, Henry Varnay. To punctuate the wonderful meal, I ran into the proprietor of Amanti Vino, the local wine store where I take WSET classes. She's a wine hero of mine and it was fun to show off that I'd thought ahead and brought a bottle of sparkling wine (from her store no less) to the BYO restaurant!

And on Tuesday I followed this up with a pairing dinner at CulinAriane featuring the wines of Camille Giroud, a low yield high end producer out of Burgundy. For those fans of Bravo's "Top Chef," you might have heard of CulinAriane because it is the restaurant owned by Chef Ariane Duarte (Season 5) and her husband, Michael. It's one of my favorite places and I feel privileged to live a few miles away.

Upon arrival, we started with a glass of Parigot Rose. This is not one of Camille Giroud's wines, but it is a lovely rose and a great, crisp, yet berry filled sparkler, with which to kick off a meal. From there, we went on to the 2007 Beaune Blance "Lulunne" and then the 2007 Chassagne Montrachet "Vergers," both of which were served with a crispy scallop with a frisee salad in caper cream. The scallop was perfectly tender with just the right amount of crsipy coating. Both the wines were fantastic. The Lulunne was tight and acidic, with some sweet pear notes on the nose. It also imparted a lovely nutty flavor on the palette. The Vergers was a bit creamier and richer. I liked both of the wines a lot, but I preferred the Lulunne. I felt that with its acid it would be a bit more versatile when it came to food.

The next course was a seared rare salmon with saffron aioli. This was paired with the 2007 Marsannay Longeroiles. The salmon was terrific - perfectly seared - and the Marsannay was a really tasty, classic Burgundy with notes of dried cherries and red berries. I also got a nice hit of earth on the nose. However, I didn't think the wine paired with the salmon that well. It was like seeing two wonderful friends who are great couple material, but shouldn't be seeing one another. Sometimes things just don't mix.

But when it comes to pork and Burgundy reds, this is not the case. This is a match made in, well, France! Our next course was pork loin over a bed of cheddar cheese polenta and blackberry brandy sauce. It was perfectly tender and delicious, and yet, it wasn't even the best of Ariane's pork loin I've ever had! We were served the 2007 Pommard Epenots and the 2007 Latrcieres-Chambertin with the pork. The Pommard was savory and spicy with a hint of cashew (rarely do I get random notes like this, but there was definitely a nuttines to the nose). I loved it at first sip. and then I had the Latricieres-Cahmbertin which had a big, funky, gamey nose (just the way I like it) and a mouthful of bright, red fruit. I was tempted to jump up and start singing, "That's the way, uh huh, I like it, uh huh, uh huh," but decided to just wash down another forkful of pork loin with this delectable wine. So I'm now looking for a Sugar Daddy so that I can afford to drink a $165 bottle of wine on a regular occasion....yeah, didn't think so!

We ended the evening with my favorite dessert - an artisanal cheese plate (yes, this really is my favorite as desserts go) - paired with a 1976 Corton Bressandes which just coated the mouth and eased it's way down the throat. I savored my pour for as long as I could. Dark, earthy, but with fruit as understated and a mouthful as smooth as you'd expect a 34 year old wine to be. The wine is slightly younger than me yet so much more sophisticated!

As the evening wound down, I was already looking forward to my next wine pairing dinner - whenever that may be. I encourage all of you to seek out wine pairing dinners in your area because they are a great, and relatively inexpensive way, to learn about a lot of different wines in an evening.

Tonight some friends of mine and I are heading out to a new Italian bistro in town and I will hopefully post about it in the next day, rather than waiting another week and a half.

Until the next sniff, sip, or quaff (and sooner rather than later),

Cheers,

Alli M.

7 Women, Bin 14 - That's the kind of math I like

2010-01-24T00:31:00.007-05:00

For those who actually read me regularly, you might remember that Bin 14 is my favorite wine bar/bistro in Hoboken. My friends and I are particularly fond of this spot and have shared many fantastic, hilarious and loud moments there.

Since my friend, Jeanette, decided to stop by for a visit (from Australia, no less), a dinner at Bin 14 was necessary. I circled the wagons, gathered the troops and this past Friday night, 7 of us enjoyed the culinary stylings of the Bin 14 kitchen.

As always, it was an absolute treat. As always, I was handed the wine list by my friends with the directive to "pick something good." And as always, this scared the crap out of me. I'm o.k. if I pick a crap wine for me, but I hate the thought of ruining someone else's dinner. To that end, I was going to go with an old standby, Stickleback, which my friend and Bin 14 regular, Rachel, assured us was on the menu "as of two weeks ago." Unfortunately two week old information -- not so good. Bin 14 no longer had the Stickleback. After trying a few other options, I took a flyer on Cimicky Grenache/Syrah from the Barossa Valley in Australia. Grenache/Syrah is the traditional French Rhone blend, but a lot of winemakers in other wine regions have adopted this wonderful blend. Grenache and Syrah are like the peanut butter and jelly of wine (with less nutty and jammy notes).

The Cimicky went over really well. It was light, yet full of bright fruit. Though Grenache made up 2/3 of the blend, the spice and fruit of the Syrah came through. Moreover, it was not overly alcoholic tasting as high percentage Grenache wines can be. Altogether a lovely complement to the melange of pizzas, salads, steak, bruschetta and risotto balls we devoured. This is easily one of the better Australian value wines I've had (at retail this is around $15).

More importantly, we didn't talk about octogenarian sex this time, which was also a refreshing change of pace. We all enjoyed Wendy's stories about her rave days, Genna's 1960s throwback attitude, Joanna's discussion of her husband's tennis addiction and Laurie's infectious laughter (best audience EVER) as Rachel tried to hide her "admiration" for a certain bartender.

But wait, there's more! When you have a friend in town, you get to do all the toursity stuff you've never actually done but often make fun of people for. Earlier today, Jeanette and I met up with Laurie and Wendy for some Central Park ice skating. Actually, we found out with Laurie's "mad blade skills," that she has logged some serious hours at the ice rink at Central Park. In any event, after a hard 45 minutes of skating, Laurie and Wendy ran off to catch a movie while Jeanette and I decided that all of the energy we expended called for an afternoon cocktail. We made our way to the Stone Rose at the Time Warner Center. It's one of my favorite lounges. Sure it's over-priced, but it's nice and quiet and the views and the service are terrific. On the other hand, their wine list leaves much to be desired. Jeanette had a lovely Malbec. I forget who makes it. I had a MacMurray Pinot Noir. It was o.k. Fairly average. Gets the job done, but isn't the most interesting Pinot, let alone red wine, out there.

Unfortunately, we were a bit wined out by the time we made it to dinner so we skipped the grape juice. We stopped in at a hole in the wall bar afterwards and I'm happy to report that my view on the quality of wine at hole in the wall bars still stands. It sucks.

Well, until the next tourist moment or sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Tasting in the Capital

2010-01-20T22:14:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was in D.C. this weekend. I expected to have at least a few things to write, but I didn't take very good notes.

That said, here's the run down of the weekend:

Saturday:
-Arrived at the hotel to find that one of my brother's had left a bottle of wine for me at the front desk with a "Welcome to D.C." note. It was a bottle of 2001 Valhalla Cabernet/Shiraz from the great state of Virginia. I'd never had winefrom Virginia before so I was curious. It was o.k. Very dry with some nice fruit, but a bit over-oaked. I liked it, but I didn't love it. My friends really enjoyed it though.

-Headed out to Bistrot du Coin, one of my favorite places in D.C., to meet up with friends. Had some of the best mussels of my life (Mouless Bretonnes - steamed mussels with lobster bisque, lobster meat, shrimps, mushrooms, celery, diced tomatoes). Also enjoyed a bottle of 2001 Medoc. Unfortunately I do not remember the label. It was extremely dry and very tight, but it opened up throughout the course of the evening and we all really enjoyed it.

Sunday:

-Went to Cork wine bar, which I'd been looking forward to for quite some time. Underwhlemed by the Bordeaux flight, but loved the Domaine de Berane Cotes du Ventoux, "Les Blaques" 2006, a syrah/grenache blend from the Southern Rhone. It was quite good - peppery and spicy with some fragrant red fruit and a medium finish. We also had a cheese plate and the the Humboldt Fog soft cheese was one of the best cheeses I've ever had.

-Truth be told, I was a bit disappointed by Cork. They had a wonderful selection of French, Italian and some Spanish wines, but they didn't have any wines from South America, Portugal, the U.S., Australia or New Zealand. I can understand a limited wine list, but wine bars that limit themselves to that few countries just aren't as much fun!

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

4 Bottles and not a Sip

2010-01-20T21:09:00.006-05:00

Last night was my first book club of the New Year and as usual the food was great, the conversation was better and the wine was, well, to be honest, I barely had a sip! No, I did not resolve to drink less wine in the New Year. I had a very early morning planned so I wanted to practice restraint. Plus, I was too busy scaring my friend, Robin's, baby with my Sesame Street impersonations.

That said, the hostess with the mostest, Rachel, sent me the list of wines that we drank. Since I didn't try all of them and thus have no tasting notes, I thought it would be fun to include what I would have tried to pair these with based on what everyone brought:

Torlasco, Pinot Grigio 2007 (White) -- Chisa's tofu salad, Robin's green salad, Kathleen's pita and veggie dip, Wendy N.'s carrot cake cupcakes
Ardiche Louis Latour, Chardonnay 2006 (White) -- Joanna's asparagus, My fondue (in which I used this Chardonnay), the Taleggio from Katie's cheese plate

Clos du Mont Olivet, Font de Blanche 2007 (Red) -- Rachel's lasagne, Manchego and Cheddar from Katie's cheese plate

Marco Real, Tempranillo 2005 (Red) -- Rachel's lasagne, Laurie's brownies

As always, it was a terrific evening with a bunch of wonderful women and hilarious conversation (it's truly surprising how many of my friends know details about their grandparents' sex lives). In fact, several of the afore-mentioned women and I are heading to our favorite wine bar for dinner on Friday night so hopefully I'll have an actual tasting to write about this weekend.

Until the next sip, sniff, quaff or Cookie Monster imitation,

Cheers,

Alli M.

A New Year, a New Malbec.

2010-01-13T14:55:00.003-05:00

Several months ago The Wine Library featured 2005 Clos Des Andes, an Argentinian Malbec. As I was planning a trip to Argentina (look forward to daily blogging from 2/13 - 2/19), I figured I should pick it up. The other night I decided to open it to go along with my spaghetti dinner.

It was good, but not great. I would have liked to have tasted a little more fruit to go with the smoke and wood. To be fair, it was fairly tight and could have used a few more years and a good 20-30 mins. to open up. For $20, it wasn't a bad deal and I'd likely pick it up again. Maybe next time I'll actually hold off on opening it for a little while!

I'm heading down to DC this weekend with plans to go to one of my favorite French restaurants - http://www.bistrotducoin.com/. I'm also going to try to visit Cork, a D.C. wine bar that I have read about over the past few years but have never been able to visit.

Hopefully I'll have more good stuff to write.

Either way, until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Good wine can come from a strip mall winery. Seriously.

2010-01-07T16:11:00.005-05:00

Several years ago, I made my first trek out to the North Fork of Long Island. While on that trip I stumbled into the tasting room of Waters Crest which was located in a small strip mall off the main road. I was not only surprised at the quality of the wine, but I was also surprised, and delighted, by the 12 year old working the tasting room with her mother. This turned out to be the winemaker's daughter and I was envious that she knew so much about wine at her age (and quietly angry at my parents for never trying to start their own winery).

Four years later, I finally made my way back to the North Fork of Long Island and I stopped by Waters Crest again. Their whites and roses were as good as I remember, but they also had a red that I really liked. They called it Campania Rosso and it was a Bordeaux style blend (primarily Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a bit of Petite Verdot). This was the first time I liked a red from the U.S. that was not made in California, Oregon or Washington. I was so excited so I picked up a bottle for later.

A few nights ago I opened the bottle and it was the nice, dry, yet juicy red I remembered. It went down very smoothly with the Italian food I was having.

If you can find Waters Crest Campania Rosso in your neck of the woods, check it out. I think you'll be pleased. Plus, I'm all for anything that can encourage North Fork producers to strive to make good red wines.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Happy Cinqo de January-o!

2010-01-05T16:23:00.007-05:00

So I missed the boat on wishing everyone a Happy New Year and giving you the rundown on what my friends and I enjoyed at our New Year's Eve dinner. Suffice it to say, I do not recall many of the bottles we drank (and there were many). The hosts with the mostest, Tim and Joanna were gracious enough to cork a bottle of Opus One , which we all loved (who wouldn't enjoy one of the finer reds to come out of Napa?!?).

We also went through a few bottles of Rene Rostaing Les Lezardes that I discovered in my wine course. It didn't go over as well because after a hit of smooth, juicy Opus One, the funky, rustic notes of Les Lezardes are a bit tough for one's taste buds to handle. Luckily Gabe (of the Wendy and Gabe clan) and I were able to shift our palettes accordingly.

And after gawking and guffawing at J Lo's outfit, several of us toasted with Gatinois Brut Grand Cru (among other champagnes and sparklers). Gatinois is a new favorite of mine and those who know me won't be shocked to hear that it's made primarily from Pinot Noir. It's also a Grower's Champagne, which is a phrase you're likely to hear more frequently in the coming years. In fact, the Wall Street Journal wine columnists, John and Dottie, recently wrote an article about these champagnes. Gatinois is not mentioned in their article, but it's really nice. Good acid and structure with a creamy mouthful and tight bubbles.

As always, I had a lovely time. It was great to see the Hoboken girls - Rachel, Wendy (a.k.a Nielsen), Genna and Joanna - after such a long time. Moreover, as expected, Joanna, made a kickass dinner (traditional spinach salad, beef tenderloin, green beans, potatoes and chocolate fondue for dessert). The salad was so good that there was none left when I went to get seconds - since when is the salad the first thing to go?!?

The next morning I celebrated the first day of the New Year with a mimosa made with Mionetto Prosecco, one of the best value sparklers out there. Looks like it was the right choice because so far, so good (even if I am behind on my writing already).

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

Viva Italia

2009-12-28T08:40:00.003-05:00

Apparently this was the year for me to buck the trend of Asian food over the holidays as I found myself at another Italian restaurant on Saturday night. Clearly it's fated that I get to know and appreciate Italian wines a bit more.

Giotto's is a restaurant around the corner from me that I've been wanting to try for quite some time. It's always packed and as one might expect it's a BYO so obviously it's been calling to me! I've tried to go before but I haven't been able to get in (perhaps I should try making reservations rather just dropping by, eh?). Saturday night when we could actually get a table, we had to jump on it. Who cared if it was my second night of Italian in a row? It's the holidays - live a little!

Before heading to the restaurant, my friend and I stopped at a local wine store and after a brief "discussion" with a member of the staff about the placement of their Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, we ended up a bottle of Villa Antinori (brand, not a grape varietal) blend and a Vino Noble de Monetpulciano (grape varietal and as you might suspect, a very close relative to Montepulciano D'Abruzzo).

Villa Antinori has been an Italian label I've relied upon since my friend, Pam, introduced it to me several years ago. Their standard red table wine is a lovely, aromatic and hearty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese (the key grape in Chianti) and smaller quantities of a few other grapes. Bright fruit with a medium finish and slight tannins. It's a great wine to eat with a variety of foods. I enjoyed it with balsamic glazed scallops while my friend paired it with one of the largest Ribeyes I've ever seen.

We have yet to drink the Vino Noble, but as soon as we do, you'll be hearing all about it.

And for those wondering, Giotto's did not disappoint. For those in North Jersey, I recommend a visit.

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.

2009-12-26T11:53:00.004-05:00

Last night I ventured into New York City to meet a fellow member of the tribe for a not so Christmas dinner. Thanks to Open Table, I was able to determine which restaurants would be open. I was so proud of my methodology and I'm such a foodie geek that I actually created a spreadsheet of the various restaurant information. As ridiculous as this sounds, it actually came in handy because we knew exactly where we were going as we headed into the cold, windy night.

We ended up at Trattoria Dell'Arte, which I'd heard good things about, but had never visited. The place was packed, the service was very friendly and the food was quite good, though a bit pricey. They have an extensive list of wines by the bottle. Their lists of 1/2 bottles and wines by the glass are short, but they are good lists that cover a range of tastes.

Since I've been trying to learn more about Italian wines and find ones that are a little more accessible to my palette, I chose the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, an Italian varietal I've enjoyed before. Montepulciano D'Abruzzo is a wonderful vairetal for someone like me who has trouble with the more acidic,"dustier" and more structured Itlaian wines. I can appreciate these wines, but I have a hard time truly enjoying them. Montepulciano D'Abbruzzo, on the other hand, is just fun in a glass. Lower acidity, light tannins and a lot of bright, young fruit. The Dario D'Angelo Montepulciano D'Abruzzo did not disappoint. It went down very easy and I did not complain when the bartender refilled my glass (without my even ordering it).

If you're looking for a nice, easy Italian wine to drink with or without food, or you're like me and wine lists at Italian restaurants scare you, just look for Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. You won't be disappointed. Plus, it's usually one of the better values on the menu. Mangia!

Until the next sniff, sip or quaff,

Cheers,

Alli M.