November 5, 2008 – 8:40 pm
What do you look for in a glass of wine? Which matters the most when you are enjoying a glass of wine? Out of three of the primary tasting categories: aroma, taste and finish, is one more overriding than the others? If I limit myself to the three categories above, I most likely would say taste is most important. However to be honest if the aroma is not right, than the taste will likely be affected. If there is not much of a finish, will this be a memorable wine?
As I write this post, I thought back to wines I have enjoyed greatly. Each one of those times, there was more than just aroma, taste and finish. Each memorable wine was also associated with a memorable experience.
When we visited Italy in 2007, we experienced the taste of some delicious Sangiovese Chianti wines with dinners. The wines complemented the dinners and the experience of eating Italian meals in Italy led to the ultimate experience that included the wine.
In June, we met and had dinner with several wine enthusiasts in Colorado. Dinner was at Garlic Mike’s and each segment of the meal was paired with Cottonwood Cellars wines. The wines were delicious but it was the experience of meeting with other wine enthusiasts, wonderful gourmet food, and good wine that made the experience memorable.
A visit to Knapp Vineyards in New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes included lunch with friends and family. Sitting on a sun-drenched patio with large grape vines providing shade, we order sumptuous lunches and a sparkling wine. Lunch with friends, good food and wine led to another ultimate experience.
When drinking wine be sure to include the experience as part of the enjoyment of the wine.
November 4, 2008 – 1:52 pm
There is much concern about a substance that appears naturally in many foods we eat – sulfites. Sulfites are found in grape skins and are a product of fermentation. Winemakers frequently add sulfites as a preservative. Therefore, while most wines have sulfites, you may occasionally discover a winemaker who does not add sulfites to his wines.
We were pleasantly surprised to visit a winery at which the winemaker does not add sulfites to his wines. Balistreri Vineyards, in Colorado, is one of the few wineries that produces very approachable wine naturally. John Balistreri is passionate about winemaking. In addition to not adding sulfites to his wines, John also allows the grapes to ferment on their own yeast. The only sulfites in his wines are naturally occurring sulfites. He does not filter, rack or fine wines. The resulting wines may have a slight haze or slight sediment – but this in no way is detrimental to the wine. In fact, many wine drinkers may prefer wines that are not fined, filtered or racked. It is a more natural process.
Balistreri is located 10 minutes from Denver, Colorado and is definitely a winery you want to visit. Be sure to ask about the Annual Harvest Party in October and make plans to attend.
November 3, 2008 – 1:47 pm
Okay, I’ll admit it, I don’t frequently read the Washington Post, but fortunately, I accidentally discovered a great article discussing the pairing of wine with foods that have a lot of flavor. By a lot of flavor, the authors are talking about fresh and dried chili peppers, horseradish, hot mustard, wasabi, spicy foods, and food with high acidity.
The authors, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg of the article, “Big Flavors Need Big Wine,” say “There’s no faster way to obliterate the nuances of a wine than to serve it with a dish whose flavors will jump out and make those subtleties disappear.” In the article, the authors address spicy and savory food pairings by encouraging consumers to avoid wines “high in alcohol, oak and tannin.”
The authors suggest pairing a white wine like Sauvignon Blanc with fresh chili peppers. However if dried chili peppers are involved, consider a red wine. Will your dinner involve horseradish? Consider a sparkling wine or a high acid wine. What pairs with wasabi? For some this may be the ultimate of hot especially the first time you have had it, but consider pairing wasabi with sake or perhaps a rosé sparkling wine. For more specifics, check out the column in the October 29, 2008 Washington Post.
Page and Dornenburg provide an interesting understanding of wine pairings and combine that with an interesting writing style. According to a note at the end of the article, the Washington Post publishes the Pairings column on the last Wednesday of the month. I look forward to reading more of their columns.
October 30, 2008 – 1:48 pm
Recently published Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavor to Crave with Wines to Match by Cathy and Tony Mantuano offers readers and cooks a look into foods featured in large Mediterranean cities modern wine bars. Wine Bar Food may leave your mouth watering and the desire to create these foods in your own kitchen. Filled with large colorful photos of numerous recipes, the recipes are based on the types of Mediterranean foods found at non-traditional wine bars along the Mediterranean. The book also suggests affordable wine pairings.
Wine Bar Food is divided into chapters based on major European cities including Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Nice and Lisbon. Recipes include Marinated Olives, Prosciutto with Grana, Shaved Artichokes and Hearts of Palm, Onion Bread Soup, Rice Balls Stuffed with Lamb Spinach and Cheese, White Asparagus Salad and Catalonian Pizza. Many of the recipes use ingredients that are quite easy to find here in the United States although resources are listed for hard to find ingredients.
Wine Bar Food is delightful in its presentation of Mediterranean foods and wines. Many food and wine lovers would enjoy having this book in their collection.
The Mantuanos own the prestigious Chicago restaurant, Spiaggia. They are opening Enoteca Spiaggia in Miami in Fall 2008. They write in the Introduction: “Creating flavorful menus and pairing them with great wine is our work and our passion.” Wine Bar Food represents their passion.
October 29, 2008 – 3:47 pm
Recently, I have seen articles saying consumers who are concerned about the economy are beginning to use coupons more frequently. While we are all familiar with grocery store coupons, small businesses including some wineries offer coupons. Occasionally, these coupons are found online at the winery’s website. More frequently, wineries offer discounts depending upon the special of the month or the number of bottles being purchased. Some wineries will even offer a discount on mix and match bottles.
Here are some wineries that use coupons to promote consumers to visit. Chateau Chantal in Michigan offers a coupon for wine and a coupon for lodging. Barrel Oak Winery in Virginia offers a coupon for a complimentary tasting on the Wine Trail Traveler website. To find the coupon go to Barrel Oak Winery’s advertisement on Wine Trail Traveler. In California, Falkner Winery offers discount coupons.
Discounts by purchasing 6 bottles or a case are frequently offered by wineries. Grove Winery in North Carolina and Pickering Winery in Pennsylvania offer discounts on 6 bottles or a case. The Winery at La Grange and Pearmund Cellars in Virginia also offer these type of discounts.
Another special I came across is at Dove Valley in Maryland. “Buy One, Get One Half – Price.” Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint in Virginia will pay shipping charges for purchases of 6 bottles or more.
Individual winery websites frequently mention the specials available in the tasting room and some may have a special coupon. As every winery experience is different, coupons and special discounts vary. If you are interested in savings and special deals, visit winery websites to see what they offer.
As a consumer, would you prefer to visit a winery’s website to look for and print a coupon to use or would you prefer an automatic discount depending on the number of bottles you purchase?
October 28, 2008 – 2:33 pm
Recently we had dinner at Olé Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This boutique Mexican restaurant is a step above many other restaurants. The guacamole dip made at the tableside was an experience to watch and delightful to savor. Our server provided our table of four with two dishes of chips.
I had a salad for dinner. The ensalada de jicama was perfect for a light meal. It was crunchy with a combination of fresh oranges, grapefruit and pineapple with a decorative topping of pickled red onions. They served it tossed with orange-lime vinaigrette.
We chose a Spanish red wine to complement everyone’s dinner. Marqués de Caceres, Crianza 2004 Rioja had a 13.5 percent alcohol. The wine was a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano grapes. With an aroma of dark berries and a smooth velvety taste, this wine paired nicely with our diverse dinner selections. Priced on the menu at $24 it can be found in retail stores for less than ten. I would prefer to order a wine produced from 100 percent Garnacha grapes. You can find very good Garnachas from Spain for around ten dollars.
October 27, 2008 – 12:32 pm
I just came across an interesting webpage on Maryland Wine. Have you ever considered the advantages that producing a bottle of wine offer to the community? On Maryland’s wine site, a chart lists the “ingredients” involved in wine and follows with the “beneficiaries. Ingredients include the vineyard land, wine bottle labels, taxes, and quality of life. Beneficiaries include real estate brokers, lawyers, manufacturers, employees, state and local governments, and consumers.
Check out “What’s in a Bottle of Maryland Wine?” It provides much to think about in terms of how much the wine industry provides for the state. Considering that these beneficiaries include the state and county, I continue to be amazed at the lack of support the Maryland state legislature provides wineries and consumers. It is not permitted to ship wine in the state. For a liberal state, Maryland certainly holds tight to antiquated Prohibition laws.
October 24, 2008 – 1:33 pm
Why would anyone want to locate a winery in a business park? We discovered the answer in our first visit to a winery located in an industrial park. The location provides easy access for consumers. In addition with the price of land going out of sight, the concept of an urban winery allows winemakers to focus on winemaking by having the fruit transported to them from the growers. Although most winemakers understand the importance of growing good grapes in the vineyards, some of these same winemakers are more interested in the chemical and creative aspects of actually producing the wine from grapes and sometimes other fruits. For these winemakers using a business park location makes a lot of sense.
Chatham Hill Winery in Cary/Morrisville, North Carolina is located in a business park. They recently moved to this larger space that allows them to offer seating at tables and special events.
Bonacquisti Wine Company, in Denver, Colorado is also located in a complex of other small businesses. Paul Bonacquisti uses his building to produce fine wines and support local artists, wine and education.
Augustina’s Winery, in Boulder, Colorado is located in a small business area. While it is small, this is a one-woman winemaking facility and the winemaker does not want to grow larger.
When you visit urban wineries, whether in renovated buildings, business parks or occupying a downtown site, you will discover a uniqueness that makes them worth visiting for the wine and the experience. Enjoy discovering wineries anywhere!
What urban wineries have you visited?
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The Great Lakes and Grapes
It is amazing to see the effect the Great Lakes have on agriculture. Many grape growers in Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, North Western Pennsylvania and North Western New York benefit from close proximity to the Great Lakes. The lakes have a tendency of keeping the nearby land cooler in the spring. The cooler air delays bud break and perhaps cuts the losses due to late freezes during bud break. The growing season is extended in the fall. Wineries in Ohio near Lake Erie just recently had a frost, a few weeks later than other parts of the state.
There are similarities in land use between the south shores of Lake Ontario and south shores of Lake Erie. Both regions have high population regions around cities such as Hamilton in Ontario and Cleveland in Ohio. Spreading out from the cities there are residential areas and then agricultural areas. As one approaches Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario the number of vineyards noticeably increases almost to the point that every turn leads to another vineyard.
Our travels took us to several wineries along the south shores of Lake Ontario in Canada and Lake Erie. There are some differences in grapes grown in these regions. Along the south shores of Lake Erie there are more Native American grapes grown whereas most of these grapes were pulled out along the south shores of Lake Ontario in Canada. Many vineyard owners still sell Concord and Niagara grapes to Welch’s. Ohio vineyards also have plantings of Catawba, a Native American grape that made Ohio a leading producer of wine in the United States during the nineteenth century. We observed similar passion for wines made from Catawba grapes in Ohio as we did for wines made from Muscadine grapes in North Carolina. There is a range of vinifera plantings as well as hybrids. This gives local wine consumers a vast array of wines to purchase locally.