Archive for February 2011

Home Archive for February 2011

The sign read ‘Haere mai ki te whenua o Aotearoa’ which mercifully was translated below as ‘Welcome to New Zealand’.

It had been a long series of flights – Orlando to D.C., D.C. to San Francisco, San Fran to Auckland, NZ, Auckland on the North Island to Blenheim on the South Island – taking up over 30 hours of traveling time, and we were very happy to finally arrive on our first visit to New Zealand. There was Brad Lewis, Director of Wines for ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, Alex Poreda from Southern Wine and Spirits, Drew Farris from Coastal Wine and Spirits, and myself.

So what do you do after traveling 30 hours with little or no sleep, arriving on a Sunday morning at 10 a.m., and checking in at a hotel that understandably didn’t yet have any rooms ready? Being eminently sensible people we decided to leave our luggage, check out the town, and have a beer.

Blenheim is the major town – make that the only town of any size – in the Marlborough wine region. It is fairly small (population 30,200), laid back, and pleasant. Apart from a few restaurants and cafés there is little catering to the tourist trade as such. Marlborough itself – a large valley reminiscent in size and layout to Napa Valley laid on its side – only became a wine region thirty-five years ago. When Brancott (then known as Montana) Estates first planted grapes in Marlborough in 1976, people thought they were crazy. Now Marlborough as a region is the largest producer of wines in New Zealand. The prime mover, of course, is Sauvignon Blanc – pungent, vibrant, racy, and scintillating are the usual and apt descriptors. Sauvignon Blanc is what New Zealand’s fame as a wine producing country is based on. It has a delicious, upfront style that is unique, unlike anywhere else – British wine critic Oz Clarke has called it “arguably the best in the world” – and they make tons of it.

We were also well aware that Pinot Noir was an up-and-coming player in New Zealand. The cooler climate of Marlborough and of Central Otago – the southernmost wine region in the world – is perfect for this finicky cool-climate grape. We were less aware of the high quality of some of New Zealand’s other varietal wines. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We finished our Steinlager Pure’s – a delicious, clean, easy-drinking beer – and returned to our hotel where our rooms were waiting for us, and performed our very necessary ablutions. After thirty-something hours – well, you can imagine. We all decided that, as tired as we were, we’d get through the day without sleeping. That way we’d be on New Zealand time with little or no jet lag.

What better way to pass the time than to enjoy some delicious food, a little wine, and some pleasant conversation? Late in the afternoon we walked over to the Hotel D’Urville. We were told it had one of the best brasseries in Blenheim, but we decided to relax in the bar and order a few appetizers. I’ve mentioned in a previous blog my fondness for tapas – quality finger food – and this was the perfect choice for the first night. We ordered some mushrooms in Marlborough garlic with herbs, bruschetta with tomato jam and grilled feta and a Marlborough olive oil drizzle, venison carpaccio with roasted macadamia nuts and capers, and a cheeseboard. The food was excellent and we were suitable impressed with the local olive oil and garlic.

Many of the wines on the wine list were unfamiliar to us. Fortunately we all enjoy exploring new things, so we started with a Villa Maria Seddon Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Gris 2009. We were, of course, familiar with the Villa Maria Private Bin and Cellar Selection tiers, but this was from their higher Single Vineyard tier and it was quite impressive, with pleasant pear, quince, and cinnamon notes. Next we tried a Triplebank Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009 which was also excellent.

At this point we decided to walk back to out hotel – the Chateau Marlborough – to try a few appetizers at their restaurant. Here we had our first helping of what was to be a staple of our trip – delicious New Zealand green-lipped mussels, in this case served with prawns, tomato, saffron, baby spinach, and crusty bread. For wine we chose an Akarua Central Otago Pinot Noir Rose 2010. It was wonderful. Who says real men don’t drink dry rose? We do, emphatically.

By this time we had gone 48 hours without sleep and were feeling pretty groggy. It was time for a good night’s sleep, so we would be fully refreshed for our morning appointment at Cloudy Bay Vineyards.

(The story of our wine trip to New Zealand will be continued in my blogs next month where we will visit Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria, and much more.)

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor, West Florida

There are many misconceptions about Chardonnay. One is asking for a Chardonnay with lots of oak, when you are really looking for a buttery Chardonnay. The problem is that different types of oak barrels impart flavors to Chardonnay like caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, etc. Butter, however, is not one of them. That “buttery” quality comes from a process that all wines, especially Chardonnay, go through during fermentation called "malolactic conversion.” The malic acid (like the tart acid of a Granny Smith apple is converted into lactic acid, which gives you that buttery taste).

Julia Child used to say nutmeg is a great ingredient to use; however, if anyone ever says "I love the nutmeg in that recipe,” you have used too much nutmeg. That is the way I feel about oak in Chardonnay. If you taste a tree, you have used too much oak. Hopefully, this short explanation will help you decide what flavors you’re looking for, and a better idea of what to ask for.

The number one request I get from my guests who often buy those expensive California Chardonnays is they want me to select a California Chardonnay that is made in the "Burgundian" style (like in Burgundy, France). That request baffles me: because if they want a California Chardonnay made like a French Chardonnay, why not just buy the French one at a lower price? Well, one reason might be the challenge of reading French wine labels. For example, those of you who thought that Burgundy wine, red or white, was a type of wine only found in large bottles at a low price, I’ve got news: while it is a name applied to table wines of a certain style, more importantly, it’s also a region in France. There are many villages in Burgundy, including CHABLIS (a name that also appears on certain large bottles of wine that taste nothing like Chablis from France!), POUILLY FUISSE, MERSAULT, PULIGNY MONTRACHET, CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET.....all Chardonnay when the color of the wine is white. Red wines from Burgundy are 100% Pinot Noir, although again from different villages. When the wines come from all different vineyards in Burgundy, France it is just labeled Bourgogne (Burgundy) Chardonnay for white, Pinot Noir for red.

One of the rising stars of the Burgundy region is Rene Colin Lequin and his wines are sold exclusively at ABC Fine Wines and Spirits. For the budget-minded, his Bourgogne Chardonnay is delicious, not over oaked, and a pure expression of the grape. For those who buy high priced California Chards, I suggest the Rene Lequin Colin Chassagne Montrachet. It is creamy and the perfect balance of crisp, creamy fruit and minerals with moderate alcohol levels. It is delicious and more affordable than many California high end bottlings.

These and many other French Chardonnays are such great values, I wonder now if guests will start asking for French Chardonnays made in the California style?

Grape-fully yours,

Larry Baker - Certified Sommelier/Wine Consultant Pompano Beach Location

If you like, you can read more of Larry’s wine writings on his personal website, www.larrythewineguy.net.

Is it little wonder why I feel grape vines are unique, wondrous and sometimes, mysterious things? Yes, that’s my personal opinion. But I’m sure not alone in my assessment here. What I’m alluding to is that just when we think we’ve got this so-called “wine from grapes” equation thing figured out, Mother Nature takes us on a ride through the vinous equivalent of the Twilight Zone.

I’ve always been intrigued how the wine grape genus Vitis Vinifera can express its terroir in the finished wine. Plant an apple orchard near your plot of Chardonnay and don’t be surprised if you taste Red Delicious undertones in your glass. Ever get a whiff of black olive in your Cabernet Sauvignon? Well, if you have an olive grove nearby, a la B.R. Cohn, there’s no need to wonder why your wine has a twinge of olive essence.

Man has been tinkering with grape varieties for years in an effort to bend the will of a varietal to meet our perceived needs, often with mixed results. Cross-pollenate Cabernet Franc with Sauvignon Blanc and science produces Cabernet Sauvignon, which turned out to be a very good thing. However, just ask any French Rhone winemaker how another genetic cross between Syrah and Peloursin worked for them. Good luck finding a bottle of Durif anywhere in the Rhone Valley – there isn’t any. But take the same grape variety, rename it Petite Sirah, and plant it in the warmer climes of California and you end up with a satisfying glass of vino. Sometimes it’s all about location, location, location.

Most often it’s Mother Nature herself weighing in on how the grape variety cards are dealt. Leave a grape vine alone long enough and sooner or later it will morph into a different clone. Occasionally it will create a wholly new varietal or family of varietals. The classic case here is of course the original fine wine grape, Muscat, once enjoyed by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Over the millennia, it has mutated into a complete household of grape kinfolk including Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Ottonel, Black Muscat, Brown Muscat – well, you get the picture.

This leads back to how the red grape of Spain, Tempranillo, managed to produce its albino progeny. Back in 1988, a cluster of white grapes was discovered in Rioja with yellow-green skins instead of the typical indigo-blue. Testing determined that its DNA was truly Tempranillo. These new grapes were propagated and in 2000 the first acre was planted. The first varietal product was bottled in 2005 and now at least two wineries in the region are routinely producing the wine with more wineries showing an interest in doing the same. The future for this new grape sure looks bright.

And it’s us wine lovers who will continue reap the fruits of Mother Nature’s bounty. Cheers !

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

Adam Shugan is an associate at one of our Gainesville stores. Beer is his passion.

I have amassed a six-pack of winter seasonal beers offered by ABC. I am trying the first one of the bunch called Shipyard Brewing Company “Prelude Special Ale”. Prelude is actually a style known as a “winter warmer” which is a malt-heavy ale released during the winter season. Some have higher than average alcohol contents to give a feeling of warmth when imbibed. Many are spiced with different holiday-friendly spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. This blending of robust ales with a mix of spices is called a “wassail”.

The nose of Prelude is delightfully sweet with aromas of butterscotch and a hint of floral hops. The taste matches the sweet bouquet with some butterscotch, toastiness and creaminess. This is a wonderful brew to enjoy next to a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night. Look for others, including Samuel Smith’s “Winter Welcome Ale”, Harpoon’s “Winter Warmer”, and Full Sail’s “Wassail”.

The second beer in my winter-mix-six-pack is Sierra Nevada “Celebration Ale 2011,” an American IPA. Sierra Nevada is a great brewery from California with a full line of year-round and seasonal brews. Celebration is one of their highly anticipated ales because each year they tweak the recipe just a little bit. This year they added wet hops, which is the act of adding fresh hop to the finished brew before bottling to get the most of the oils and essence of the hops. I much prefer this taste in IPA’s because I like some good hop oil and resin on my tongue. I served this one chilled in a pint glass. It poured a nice amber color with a tall, soapy head. The smell was hop forward with some citrus, mint, and herbal notes. The taste was smooth as satin with a fine coating of wet hop resin and some lemon rind. The whole cone hops were not too bitter and a slight caramel maltiness poked its head through. What a great beer for the winter!

Cheers!

Adam Shugan, Gainesville

Okay, I’m writing this one because I’m sitting at my desk and I’m HUNGRY!

I’m goofy about tapas in much the same way that some of my friends tell me I’m goofy about sherry. Fortunately the two things belong together – like Rodgers and Hart, like Laurel and Hardy, like port and stilton, like Minneapolis and St. Paul, like Snookie and The Situation.

So what are tapas? Basically, they’re finger food or snacks, encompassing a wide variety of appetizers. They may be hot or cold. They may be as simple as olives, nuts, and cheeses, or may include shrimp, Iberian ham, chorizo, lobster claws, or pieces of steak. Last year a small group of us had the pleasure of visiting the old section of Logroño in Rioja, and were taken out for an evening of tapas. The fun part is that you wander in to a tapas bar, sample maybe one or two of their tapas with a copita of sherry or a glass of wine (or, if you like, a caña, or small beer), and then move on to the next, and the next, and the next and do the same. Many tapas bars serve only their own specialty. One we visited just served octopus (a favorite of mine). Another served sheep’s brains (worth a try).

What wine do you drink with tapas? In Andalusia in southern Spain it’s usually dry or medium-dry sherry. I know that sherry has never appealed to the general American palate, as it does in Andalusia or Great Britain, but trust me – sherry is one of the most under-appreciated (and least expensive) of all the great wines of the world. It pairs so well with so many foods, and once you acquire the taste for it, can become something of a mania. In other parts of Spain you would simply drink a decent local wine with your tapas. It doesn’t have to be expensive – the emphasis here is on relaxed and easy-going times with friends, in being a part of the crowd, and in watching the crowd walk by.

Right now I’m looking at a book that was given to me when I visited Tio Pepe in Jerez several years ago – 100 Tapas Recipes. I see recipes for kidneys in oloroso sherry; quail’s eggs with savory breadcrumbs; marinated trout on toast; dates stuffed with chicken and pepper pate with almonds; cod and aubergines (eggplant) on toast; snails in chili sauce; anchovies in tomato relish; wild mushrooms with Serrano ham; black sausage canapés; smoked salmon; sushi and sashimi; caviar and oysters.

Forget it. I’m going to lunch! Anybody have any fino sherry?

Bill Stobbs, ABC Wine Supervisor, Central West Coast

I guess it all started with a young wine-loving lawyer from Maryland, but the business of wine critiquing has grown into quite a big business…I’ve heard people are even using something called a blog to give opinions on wine…imagine! Now, don’t get me wrong: I have used wine reviews as much as any wine retailer—a review is a very powerful tool. Many wines are sold based solely on the number of points a particular wine critic might honor a given wine. And believe me, the people that produce the wines are fully aware that a 90 plus rating from someone like Robert Parker, the aforementioned former barrister from Maryland, can cause a wine to disappear instantly from the shelf. I’ve seen Mr. Parker create a buying frenzy with a 94 point rating on a $20.00 wine. It can be quite a scene watching people react to a big review from Parker or the Top 100 list from the popular Wine Spectator magazine.

Most all of the reviews are based on the 100 point system, which claims the higher the score, the better the wine. Now, understand that how and why you and I might like a wine is purely subjective to our unique palate. Each wine tastes a little different to every individual, which is one of the great qualities that wine possesses. So having one man or woman’s opinion designate the taste and character of a wine is, in my mind, purely one individual’s opinion, not the final word. A highly educated opinion, for the most part, but still just an opinion, and, as I said, tastes vary. I have seen the wine rated as high as 96 points from one critic to as low as 80 points from another. Now, a couple of points’ difference is one thing, but when you get into double-digit discrepancies there must be a problem somewhere. As Robert Parker recommends in each copy of his bi-monthly magazine, The Wine Advocate, it is much more useful to purchase a wine based on the written review, not just the score a wine is given. I completely agree with that statement; the flavor profile or characteristics that might get a wine a high score may not be what you like. As I tell guests of ours, you can’t taste a number or a price tag. I have bought wines based on big scores in the past and sometimes found that the wines were just not the style of wines that I enjoy. For example the so called “modern style” of highly extracted, big alcohol Australian Shiraz is not my cup of tea, so to speak. They are perfectly good wines that most people love, but I prefer the traditional, Northern Rhone style of Syrah. Same grape, but different animals to be sure. Isn’t wine great?

I do think the reviews can be helpful for most people, in that they do give you a starting point to help make a buying decision. Buying wine based only on the number a critic gives, and there are many people who do, is not really the intention of the reviewers. I know people who say that they only buy 90 point wines. They will bypass many 87, 88, and even 89 point wines that I know to be unique, delicious and incredibly well made. And try to get them to try a wine that hasn’t been reviewed, no way. There is nothing wrong with reading wine reviews, but I think talking to a wine consultant or attending wine tastings and trying different wines is a better way to make your choice. And don't limit yourself by relying only on the numbers. Let your palate be the critic; it’s the only one that really counts…

Ken Amendola, Wine Supervisor, North Florida

Guest blogger Daniel Eddy is the Wine Consultant at the Newberry Road ABC in Gainesville, Florida.

So it might seem contrary to the laws of seasonality to blog about a Pinot Grigio in the dead of winter while so much of the country is under layers of ice and snow, but we live in Florida. If I’m making a creamy fish dish, I’m going to pair it with a crisp and refreshing Italian Pinot Grigio, like the Angelo Bufani 2009 from the Veneto. This is a wine we featured at our weekly ABC wine sampling, and it garnered many accolades from our regular weekend customers, even though it is classically Italian with a good amount of food-friendly acidity. It wasn’t quite right for the Moscato d’Asti crowd, but that clean and tart fruitiness really gave it a broad appeal to most everyone else who sampled it.

On the first whiff I smelled crisp citrus, yet with hints of so much more. This is one of those white wines that I almost enjoy more on the nose than on the palate, since there was so much to smell, from fruit acid to mineral richness. As I tasted it, I went from general citrus flavors to a clear grapefruit character, with that customary tart pithiness, and then a real rocky mid-palate, with notes of wet stone and slate. The finish is a little light, but that is often the case with Pinot Grigio. What it didn’t have was that overripe character and strange sweetness that some reasonably priced Cali Pinot Grigios tend to have. Since I tend to drink with food, I want some real acidity. The 2009 vintage is perfect right now and will be my “go to” wine as we approach next summer, but if you happen to have some fresh fish, prepared either in a cream sauce, or just breaded with some Italian breadcrumbs and grated parmesan, this is a perfect wine to pair. At under $10 per bottle, it’s great for any budget.

I liked the wine enough to create a meal around it, purchasing some fresh tilapia and creating a simple cream sauce using low fat sour cream and a lot of fresh dill, to play off the mineral components of the wine. Dill is always great with fish, and it’s an herb that has its own mineral character to harmonize with the rocky elements inherent in wines from Northeastern Italy. Venice is famous for its fresh Adriatic seafood, so I’m using one of the simple and easy wine pairing rules: choose a menu similar to the region where the wine is sourced (always a good pairing axiom). I served the fish with some lime-buttered broccoli and an easy rice pilaf smattered with almonds, to round out the meal and pick up on the obvious citrus notes in the wine. Even with a cream sauce, this was a low calorie meal with loads of flavors and this crisp and refreshing wine was the perfect match.

Cheers!

Daniel Eddy, Wine Consultant, Gainesville, Florida

Dan also writes about wine for the Gainesville Examiner (online) -- you can read more of his wine pairing thoughts at http://www.examiner.com/wine-pairing-in-gainesville/daniel-eddy

So what adult beverage do Wine Supervisors drink when they’re not drink wine? Well, I can’t speak for my WS colleagues, but I’ve been known to enjoy a good Stout or Porter, now and then. And when it comes to a higher octane choice, i.e. distilled versus fermented, I’m very fond of Single Malt Scotch.

Which style of single malt, you might ask? Well, I kind of like them all. Just like wine, there can be distinct regional flavors between whiskies made in different parts of Scotland. On one hand, you have the lightly smoky, slightly fruity and honeyed versions from the Highlands for example. In comparison, there’s the pungent, iodine tinged, ultra smoky ones from the coastline near Islay. I fancy myself a bit of a Single Malt collector and have a little liquor cabinet that I keep my selections in (yes, it’s right next to my wine refrigerator).

Regardless of the regional style, there is an important common thread amongst most scotch whisky: the use of malted barley as the grain source (malted barley is barley that’s been allowed to germinate) and the drying of the grain using smoke generated by peat-fired kilns. It is this smoking practice that gives Scotch is unique flavor profile. It is also what distinguishes it from another famous barley-based distillate: Irish Whiskey. It is standard in Ireland to not use peat to dry their barley. Hot air is the most common practice. It is also common to use a combination of malted and un-malted barley.

I’ll admit that Irish Whiskey was a bit of a foreign subject to me. Sure, I’ve had the occasional shot in my coffee après ski to warm up after a cold morning on the slopes, but that’s about it. That was until I had the opportunity to sample the complete lineup of Jameson Irish Whiskies in Naples this past week at an educational event hosted by Jameson and Southern Wine and Spirits.

Those in attendance had a chance to taste 4 excellent bottlings: Jameson Irish Whiskey, Jameson 12 Years Old, Jameson Gold Reserve, and Jameson 18 Years Old. Each example was expressive in its own right with hints of wheat, nuts, wood, dried fruit, green herbs and white pepper spice and not a trace of smoke to be found. And as is often the case, the older the whiskey, the more complex and round they were on the palate. My personal favorite was the Jameson Gold Reserve, a 15 year old whiskey. Everyone else seemed to favor the 18 year old, which was also terrific.

Conclusions: Irish Whiskey is a dignified spirit that even a Scotch lover can come to enjoy (and it appears that there’ll soon be one added to my Scotch cabinet).

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

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Brew Hops & Wine Stops

Spring is sprung!

Cigar City ... beers? Oh, yes!

New Zealand Wines – More Than Just Sauvignon Blanc (Part 1)

Pouilly-Fuisse: 2009 Marechal review

The memory of wine

South Beach Wine and Food Festival 2011

Misconceptions about Chardonnay

Yes, Virginia, there is a White Tempranillo

Revisiting a classic

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT!

Winter beers, continued.

Winter beers

Anyone For Tapas?

Exploring wine country: Corton

In my opinion: wine reviews

The Italian Wine Masters

Tasting and Pairing Angelo Bufani 2009 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie

And now for something completely different

Oh, no! Nothing to drink!

What's a cremant?