Brew Hops & Wine Stops

I would like to discuss a style of beer you do not hear about very often: Kölsch.  Kölsch is a beer from Cologne, Germany.  Similar to a Pilsner, it is light to medium bodied with light to medium hopping.  It is conditioned like a lager but top-fermented with yeast strains more suitable for ales.  This makes for a great brew on a hot day, which is why you see many breweries using it for their summertime offerings.    Some examples that you may see at ABC is Flying Dog Brewery's “Tire Bite Golden Ale”, Harpoon “Summer Beer”, and Gordon Biersch “Sommerbrau”.  You can also find it on tap under the name “Brewhouse Blonde” at BJ’s restaurant.  A great one from Germany is Reissdorf Kölsch with vinous hoppy notes and bready malts in the nose and a crisp, refreshing body with hints of minty hops and appley malts.  Since Kölsch is such a laid-back beer, you should pair it with simple foods that will not overpower its taste.  In fact, German food is great with it.  Here is a recipe for some beer bratwursts for five hungry people on a hot day.

• 1 pound of fresh bratwurst sausages


• 1 onion sliced thin


• 1 green pepper sliced thin


• 1 yellow pepper sliced thin


• 3 bottles of Kölsch


• ½ cup of butter


• ¾ teaspoon of fresh ground black peppercorns


• 5 soft hoagie rolls cut lengthwise

Put sausages, onion, pepper, beer, and butter in a stockpot over medium heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  While the ingredients are simmering, preheat your grill to medium-high heat.  Lightly oil the grate and cook the brats on the preheated grill for 10 to 15 minutes turning them occasionally to brown them evenly.   Sprinkle with the ground peppercorns and stuff each hoagie with the onions and peppers then add the bratwurst.  Serve with some deli style mustard if desired and have plenty of ice-cold Kölsch to drink with it!

Beer blogger Adam Shugan is assistant manager at our Archer Road store in Gainesville.

The old saying that “curiosity killed the cat” may be a cautionary tale for some, but when it comes to increasing my understanding of wine, it is certainly curiosity that is the driving force.  It is this desire that spurs me to taste new wines from obscure regions, often made from unheralded grape varietals and little-known wineries.  If all I tasted over and over was Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa or Shiraz from Barossa Valley or even my beloved Tempranillo from Rioja, I would simply be sailing through territory that my taste buds have already charted.  In the business, we call this exercise acquiring a “cellar palate."  This is akin to a winemaker tasting his own wine without trying those made by others.  After a while, your palate becomes stale and even worse, your view of what constitutes a well-made wine becomes myopic.

In Portugal, there is no shortage of indigenous grape varieties that the average wine drinker here in the US would be unacquainted with.  It is estimated that there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 different ones.  Can you just imagine the simultaneously intriguing yet daunting task of sampling them all?  Talk about attaining a brand new perspective on wine! Well, in reality, unless you work in the wine industry in Portugal, this kind of a wine tasting quest is virtually impossible.  Furthermore, even if you did, it would probably be impractical.

But my goal here is to challenge you to taste something outside of your comfort zone.  So what if instead of sampling 600 I invited you to just taste six?  Seems more reasonable, right?  Better yet, you can taste all of them in one bottle.  Next time you’re at your favorite ABCFWS store location, walk over to the “Fortified Wine” section and pick up a bottle of Graham’s Six Grape Porto (currently $21.49) and examine the back label.  Listed on the label will be Portugal’s most important red grape varieties:  Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela and Tinto Cao.

Touriga Nacional is the star of the list and undoubtedly Portugal’s finest and most significant red wine grape.  Its hallmarks are concentrated aromas and flavors reminiscent of black raspberries with aromatic and floral undertones.  Touriga Francesa is a cousin of Touriga Nacional and the most widely planted variety.  It features an intense grape flavor and floral perfume.  Tinta Roriz is better known under its Spanish pseudonym, Tempranillo, and contributes its signature Black Cherry essence and balanced complexity.  Tinta Barroca yields grapes with high natural sugars, while Tinta Amarela and Tinto Cao contribute deep color and bright acidity.

You can enjoy Porto with dark chocolate, walnuts or pecans, blue-veined cheeses or a nice cigar.  Yes, it is a touch on the sweet side, a result of fortifying the wine with brandy during fermentation.

Not quite ready for dessert but would like to taste these grape varieties in a full-bodied, dry version?  It just so happens that many of the best producers in Port country also make unfortified red wines that will pair nicely with grilled meats and vegetables (and blue-veined cheese too).  I highly recommend Quinta do Vallado Vinho Tinto (currently $17.99) as a great example of this style. 

The 2008 vintage has recently arrived in our stores and is an effective way to avoid the untimely onset of “cellar palate."

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

It's hard to generalize about 2010, since every vintage has its share of question marks…..cabernet vs. merlot ripeness, overachievers and those who didn’t produce to the overall quality of the vintage.

2010 is strong, with many wines rivaling those from the previous year, some not. It was an excellent Cabernet vintage, wines from the Medoc did very well, as did the right bank wines, especially those where Cabernet Franc plays an important role. Merlot came in with unusually high alcohol, so selection and blending will play an important role in Merlot dominated areas such as Pomerol.

 I mentioned the one big question regarding the vintage 2010 in my last post, pricing. Yields were down slightly in 2010 over 2009, around 10% less…. Add to this the influence of the Asian market, which has had an impact on our allocations…… so in instances where the wines excelled in 2010, one can expect prices to equal (and probably surpass) those of 2009. In any case, the top wines in 2010 are superb, destined for a long life, and as in 2009, regardless of price, won’t be around long enough for anyone interested to hesitate.

 I tasted only a small selection of the dry whites, but found most to be ripe and perfumed, and I am looking forward to having these wines on the shelves in a year or so. Brad and I did not make the Sauternes UGC tasting, so I can only comment on the few we tasted. This seems to be a solid vintage for the sweet whites. Ch. Guiraud offered power, plenty of botrytis and weight, with a honeyed texture and refreshing acidity. I scored it in 92-94.

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

We were recently talking about Florida wineries, and the question came up: why don’t more Florida wineries make “real” (i.e. California-style from familiar grapes) wine? Short answer: Florida’s great weather isn’t so great for growing (wine) grapes.

To understand how climate affects grapes, you first need to know there are three general groups of grapes.

American grapes (Vitis lambrusca), which are the most cold-hardy grapes, and which grow in the northeastern United States.  (Catawba, Delaware, Niagara)

European grapes (Vitis vinifera), which grow best in sunny climates with warm summers and mild winters, such as California.  They are cultivated on every continent on Earth except for Antarctica.  (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah etc.)

Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia), which are native vigorous vines that adapt well to heat and humidity.  (muscadines, scuppernong)

Knowing what species of grapes grow best in specific areas makes it possible to grow grapes almost anywhere, if not exactly what you want, exactly where you live.

Keeping this is mind, you’ll notice that vinifera grapevines prefer temperate climates with warm, dry summers and mild winters.  A winter of sustained cold kills grapevines. High humidity promotes vine disease. Tropical temperatures disrupt the normal vine cycle of winter dormancy. Without a period of dormancy, grapes tend to ripen unevenly from one bunch to another, and even within a bunch. (Pruning is done when the vines are in this dormant stage).

In Brazil, they deal with the lack of winter by pruning the vines and stripping off all the leaves once a year.  This simulates a dormant period and gets the fruit ripe at the same time.

 
Dormant grapes

The question arises as to whether you can grow grapes in subtropical climates. Specific varieties were developed to suit the Florida climate, such as Stover, Blanc Du Bois, Swanee and Miss Blanc. The muscadine grape from the Vitis rotundifolia  species is a Florida native and does well in the hot, humid climate, but the European varieties (Vitis vinifera), such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and numerous others, do not do well.  The tropical weather makes them susceptible to a wide range of diseases. 

To be continued....

Marie Griffin, West/Northwest Florida Wine Supervisor

There are so many products in our stores that I love to recommend to our guests with a high Q.P.R. (Quality to Price Ratio) -- all under $10.00 a bottle retail. For example, at a dinner party during the Thanksgiving holidays, some of my guests didn't enjoy the Rose I was offering (they only drink red wines). I fortunately have an ABC Fine Wines and Spirits located right across the street from my home. Knowing our wine selections, I ran straight to the Spanish wine section and grabbed two bottles of Gladius Tempranillo ($7.99 a bottle), one of the wines in Spanish wine importer Jorge Ordonez's portfolio. It is from the Provence of Cuenca in the La Mancha area of Spain. The wine will please both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot drinker as this 100% Tempranillo wine exhibits bright fruit with a medium body and a soft finish. My guests at my home responded with "Larry, you are such a snob and always bring expensive wines.”  I revealed the truth about the price and they went out the next day to one of our locations and picked up two cases for their home.

Next, I love this wine from Southern Italy in Manduria.  Gregory Perucci, from Academia de Racemi is one of my favorite winemakers and producers of Primitivo. His wines are selections of Nadia Galati and hopefully some of you got to meet him and taste his wines at our Italian Winemakers Tour at the beginning of March. The 2010 vintage of Racemi Portile Primitivo arrived from Italy a couple of months ago. The wine has always been $9.99 and a favorite of my guests since I have worked at ABC. The 2010 is my favorite vintage so far. The vines are more than 50 years old and the vineyard is located on sandy soils very close to the Ionian Sea. The wine is an explosion of black raspberry and blueberry fruit on the palate with a hint of black licorice and white pepper on the finish. It is a tremendous value at under $10.00 and you get to drink the first grape known to mankind (Primitivo = Primitive in English), one that is related to the Zinfandel grape here in the USA.

Next time you visit one of our ABC Fine Wines and Spirits locations, let the wine consultant know you want a wine that costs you under $10.00 but drinks like $20.00 and you will be amazed how many white and reds ABC offers that meet that criteria.

Guest blogger Larry Baker is the wine consultant at our Pembroke Pines store.

 You can read more of Larry’s wine reviews and suggestions on his website: www.larrythewineguy.net

I like popcorn.  No, I REALLY like popcorn.  Not that stuff you get at the grocery store that comes in little paper bags that you nuke in the microwave.  It smells so great, but the taste and texture always disappoint.  I’m talking about the kind of popcorn that Mom used to make on the stovetop, only better.  Here’s how I like it.  But first, a little background.

There are some folks in Indiana who really know popcorn.  They grow it, harvest it, package and sell it, just like many of ABC’s “Direct to You” wineries.  So you know you are getting the best value available. 

These folks have also come up with a popcorn popper that is ingenious.  Now I’m a tool guy, so when I saw the Whirley Pop advertisement, I had to have one.  It’s an aluminum pan with a lid that is split and hinged in the middle.  The lid has a handle with a crank that turns an agitator that keeps the popcorn moving while it heats and pops.  With the Whirley Pop, I make perfectly popped popcorn with no burning and almost no “clinkers”—those unpopped kernels that can crack a filling.

But wait—there’s more.  These folks in Indiana sell several varieties of gourmet popcorn, too.  My favorite is “Ladyfinger”.  These kernels are small and nearly hulless.  And the flavor is great!

So here is my recipe for Whirley Pop popcorn.  Add 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to the Whirley Pop and heat on high.  Add ½ cup of popcorn kernels and start turning the crank to coat the popcorn with oil.  Keep cranking as the popcorn heats, and when it starts to pop, reduce the heat to medium high.  Keep cranking until the popping is complete (this only takes a couple of minutes).  Then immediately remove the Whirley Pop from the burner and pour the popcorn into serving bowls, piping hot and smelling mouth-wateringly GREAT!

Then I like to spray a little extra virgin olive oil from a pump sprayer, and finish with freshly ground sea salt.  Sometimes, I sprinkle a little Butt Rub seasoning (“A little Butt Rub Makes everything better”) to add a little spicy heat to my snack.

After I pop the cork on one of ABC’s Direct to You sparkling wines like Chandelles Brut and pop a disc in the Blu-ray player, I’m ready to enjoy my gourmet popcorn and a great movie. And you thought popcorn wasn’t a wine food. (Sparkling wine really does go with everything.)

Sources:

Whirley Pop popcorn popper and gourmet popping corn—www.popcornpopper.com

Butt Rub seasoning—www.buttrub.com

Do you have a favorite “it goes with what?” suggestion? Let us know about it!

 Guest blogger Mike McMinn is the wine consultant in our Winter Haven store.

  (The view from The Vintner’s Retreat)

             Later the same afternoon, while taking an hour or so at the Vintner’s Retreat to do some laundry, we were met by the convivial figure of Tim Fogarty carrying a bottle of Nobilo Methode Traditionnelle 2005 Sparkling Wine, which is a mighty fine way of saying hello.

            Tim represents such wineries as Kim Crawford, Nobilo, Monkey Bay, and Selaks. He’s an amiable, laid back kind of guy who at the same time gets his point across with creativity and an easy-going but keen intelligence. Knowing that after a few days of heavy wine tasting a change is as good as a rest, he suggested we have dinner at a local pub in Blenheim and wash it down with a few local beers, which is just what we did. Brad and I did, however, manage to sample a glass of Johanneshof Gewurztraminer, which comes from a small family-run winery in the heart of the Richmond mountain range – the only winery, as far as I could tell, in the actual range. It was Alsatian in style, with great complexity and little residual sugar.

            The next morning Tim showed us around a few vineyards and then took us east to the coast. Looking out over Cloudy Bay – yes, it is a real place – Tim ushered us along a winding dirt and stone path which took us over and around a cliff and deposited us on Monkey Bay – also, yes, a real place. Brad, Alex and I took some time exploring, climbing on the rocks, collecting small shells, and throwing stones into the ocean, while Tim stayed behind. When we returned, Tim had set up his ‘power point presentation’ on the beach. Using driftwood, stones, sticks, whatever came to hand, he explained exactly how Marlborough worked as a wine region – the Richmond range here, the Wither Hills there, here the Wairau River Valley, there the Awatere Valley. He explained how the Wairau River Valley was higher in altitude to the west, and how the weather usually came in from the northwest. He explained the changes in soil composition throughout the region and he marked where the vineyards that he represented were located. All in all, it was perhaps the most enjoyable and informative ‘power point presentations’ I’d ever encountered.

               (Tim Fogarty, left, with Alex Poreda and Brad Lewis)

            Next came a tour of the Nobilo winery, and a tasting of four wines: Monkey Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (which is bottled in the U.S. to reduce the carbon footprint and because it’s more cost effective); Nobilo Regional Collection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (with its new tamper-proof screw cap); Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010; and Nobilo Icon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010. All were very tasty and excellent examples within their own price/quality ratios.

            After a lunch outside at the Wairau River Restaurant (and a bottle of Wairau River Pinot Noir 2009) we toured the Kim Crawford winery where we tasted the Kim Crawford Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009, plus a number of Pinot Noir barrel samples of the 2010 vintage from various vineyards.

            Then it was off to the local supermarket. Tim was planning to prepare a dinner for us at the Vintner’s Retreat where we all were staying and had to pick up provisions.

            And what a meal it was! Served outdoors and in a relaxed home atmosphere, we started with paté, sliced sausages, and a delicious crumbled cashew and chili spread with crusty bread. We tasted two New Zealand beers to start – Three Boys Golden and Moa – both hearty and delicious. Then came some wine – the new Kim Crawford Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, Selaks Sauvignon Blanc, Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Gris, Kim Crawford Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc, and Kim Crawford Riesling. Our main course consisted of lamb steaks, rack of lamb, and lamb sausages with fresh corn on the cob, new potatoes, and salad. The wines included Nobilo, Selaks, Nobilo Icon, and Kim Crawford Pinot Noirs, and they were a perfect match. For dessert we had a bowl of Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, which is New Zealand’s most popular ice cream flavor – vanilla with small lumps of cinder or sponge toffee. We finished with yet another delicious New Zealand dessert wine – Selaks Ice.

            To round the evening off we all sat down in front of the tv to watch the end of the rugby game. Rugby is like a religion to most Kiwis and, judging from the crowds and what we later saw in Wellington, it has its fair share of maniacs. The costumes most of them wore and their enthusiasm for the game were beyond description! After the rugby there was cricket and Tim did his best to explain the whys and wherefores of this interminable game to little avail although another glass of wine or two certainly helped. All in all it was a pleasurable end to an enjoyable and fascinating day with many a fine wine and I think in saying goodbye to Tim we all felt we were saying goodbye to a friend.

   (Bill, Alex, and Brad at Monkey Bay)

(Earlier parts of this blog were posted on February 24, March 10, March 24, and April 7.

This blog of our trip to New Zealand will continue in two weeks time with a trip to the North Island, and a visit to Vidal and Elephant Hill Wineries in Hawkes Bay among other things.)

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor, West Florida

The vineyards of the Northern Rhône Valley have been planted since Roman times and are still today the source of some of the world’s best wines. Most famous Appellations in the area are Hermitage, Condrieu, Cornas, Saint Joseph, and Crozes Hermitage. The predominant grapes are Syrah for the reds and Viognier and Marsanne for the whites.

Our ABC wine team has visited the area on numerous occasions in search of new and exciting wines; a most memorable experience was our visit with Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas.

Jean-Luc and his wife Anne are some of the most respected vintners in the Cornas Appellation and the area in general. They are the only husband and wife recipients of France’s highest distinction, “La Legion d’Honneur” for their achievements and contributions in agricultures.

Colombo’s Syrah vineyards are located on steep, rocky slopes; they are farmed organically; no irrigation is allowed by the Appellation.

Cornas is always 100% Syrah, the wines are full-bodied, with flavors of red and black fruit, crème de cassis and spicy, peppery notes, typical for the Syrah; they can benefit from at least 5-6 years of aging in the bottle.

At ABC Fine Wine and Spirits we currently have Jean-Luc’s 2007 Cornas Terres  Brûlées from 60 year-old vines; 2007 is considered one of the best vintages in the area for the past few decades. Also check out Colombo’s Côtes du Rhône red and white and his refreshing rosé from Cape Bleue above the bay of Marseilles.

Taste it and let us know how you like it!

Atanas Nechkov, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

Here are a few good wines I have had recently that I think are terrific wines to enjoy for the summer. Now, don’t get me wrong, you can drink these wines any time of the year, but when it gets warm (hot) some of our eating and drinking habits change a little. One style of wine that you’ll drink more often in the summer heat is a dry rose from southern France, Italy, Spain or some interesting wines from California, most notably the Pinot Noir Rose from Maysara.

   I think what influences the change in my wine drinking during the summer most is the different foods we all seem to cook more in the summer than the remainder of the year. I grill fish and seafood much more in the summer and with that, a dry rose from Cave de Rasteau or Ch. Roustan from the Costieres de Nimes are perfect, and at around $10.00 the price is right, especially since with a few friends around, one bottle just won’t do.

  A white wine that I just had over the weekend was a bottle of Graham Beck Chenin Blanc, from South Africa. This grape is more commonly known as Steen in South Africa, but regardless of what you call it, I definitely recommend you try a bottle. I had it with a beautiful piece of grilled Chilean Sea Bass. The Sea Bass was delicious and the wine with its great tropical fruit flavor and aromas, crisp acidity and long finish was a perfect complement.

   After the fish we grilled some thick loin-end Veal Chops and with those we drank a new wine from La Cappuccina, in Italy called Madego. It is a unique blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Wow, this is a wine you must go out of your way to try. The wine is from the Veneto region of Italy around the beautiful city of Verona and will be your favorite wine to drink with just about any meat you put on your grill this year. It has a very intense ruby red color, with a little oak and a hint of spice on the nose. The flavors of berries and ripe, red fruit added to a spicy, medium-bodied finish made this Italian red a huge hit with me and our friends. Even better, it is less than $15.00 a bottle.

 These were just a few that I had lately, if you have found some hidden gems, send them along, always looking for a new wine to try.

Ken Amendola

Wine Supervisor, North Florida

The tour of Italian winemakers in our stores last month was a hugh success. I think all who were able to attend [myself included] agree that there is nothing like actually speaking to the person who created the wine. You get a real sense of the pride and passion involved in their work.

One comment I heard from several guests was how surprised they were to find out the amount of  organic wine-making  that was taking place in Italy. Two of the wineries in attendance, Poggerino and La Cappuccina, are both dedicated to cultivating organic vineyards.

In preparing for my trip to Italy, Nadia Galati, the importer for Poggerino and La Cappuccina, asked me who or what I might want to see while in Italy. I expressed a desire to learn more about the emergence of Italian winemakers who are producing organic wines.

In no time Nadia was able to secure invitations to two different trade shows of organic wines. Summa II and Vini Veri are both taking place in northeast Italy during the time I will be there. Hopefully time will permit and I will report back on this exciting trend in Italian wine. Look for my report in an upcoming ABC Wine Journal, available in your local store.

Ciao for now,

Paul Quaglini

 (This is Adam. Look for him to answer all your craft beer questions in Gainesville. Or here--if you have a particular beer you're curious about, let us know in the comments)

The beer tasting turnout at the Gainesville store a couple of weeks ago was very nice.  We had Florida Beer Company featuring Key West Sunset Ale, Key West Pilsner Light, and Swamp Ape IPA.  Another table was going to feature Harpoon IPA and Harpoon U.F.O. (Unfiltered Offering) Hefeweizen, but the representative was a no-show.  Premier distributors featured Full Sail Pale Ale, Full Sail Session Black Lager (one of my favorites), Birra Moretti, and Birra Moretti La Rossa.  La Rossa is considered by some to be the best beer to pair with a fresh pizza. 

My table featured a plethora of "direct to you" beers (great values), mixed cocktails, and Castello Del Poggio Moscato d’ Asti.  The beers were Shipyard Prelude Special Ale, Shipyard Export Ale, Shipyard IPA, Hornsby’s Hard Apple Cider, Hansa, and Kalik.  Prelude was the hit of the night with its well-balanced caramel malts and gentle hop bitterness. The mixed cocktails were Senor Pedro’s ready to drink platinum margarita, Wiser Canadian whiskey and Coca Cola, and Northern Peak raspberry vodka and orange juice.  The margarita was too sweet for some but I suggested some fresh lime juice or triple sec to assuage the sugariness. The Northern Peak screwdriver was very good with the hint of raspberry.  The Wiser’s and Coke was a hit with a pleasant vanilla smoothness. I saw many familiar faces and new comers to the wine tasting scene.  There was lots of laughing, story sharing, and an all around jovial time.

Looking for something good to pair with this weekend's plans? Stop by!

Adam Shugan, assistant manager, Archer Road, Gainesville  

Here’s a little post on the classic condiment of Tarragona, traditionally used to accompany grilled meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables in Catalonian Spain.  Romesco is an emulsion of almonds or hazelnuts, olive oil, tomato, garlic, dried peppers and leftover bread.  I can best describe it as a tomato paste on steroids or maybe ketchup for gastronomes. 

My first Romesco experience was at a restaurant in Bilbao, served with a delicately poached white-fleshed Merluza fish.  It was love at first bite.  I’ve since had it served alongside char-grilled baby lamb chops at my favorite restaurant in Naples (Florida), IM Tapas.  Again, it was nothing short of foodie bliss.  It’s amazing to me how this simple sauce can transform a dish.

You can order Romesco online at gourmet sites like La Tienda.  Or you can make it fresh at home and pair it with everything from grilled shrimp or pan-seared scallops to roasted chicken or grilled vegetables.  Here’s an easy receipe for Romesco from www.allrecipes.com

Romesco Sauce

Ingredients:

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, halved

1 large red bell pepper, quartered

12 cloves garlic

2/3 cup olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

1 slice bread

1/2 cup toasted whole almonds

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic cloves onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the vegetables with some of the olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in the preheated oven until the garlic has turned golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. While the vegetables are cooling, bake the bread slice on one of the oven racks until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool. Scrape the vegetables and any juices from the pan into a food processor or blender. Break the bread into pieces, and add to the food processor along with the toasted almonds, vinegar, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Puree until finely ground, then drizzle in the remaining olive oil with the machine running. Season to taste with additional salt if necessary.

Enjoy your Romesco influenced cuisine with a flavorful glass of red or white Rioja.

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

Whew! What a week is has been!  Primeurs 2010 (the annual preview of the upcoming vintage) in Bordeaux is done! Tasting young red wines at this early state is rather difficult, but also quite enlightening. What better way to get a jump on the vintage, especially when the pre-vintage hype has already begun, than to immerse one’s self into it for a week of non-stop tastings, punctuated only by lunch, unavoidable dinners, and a bit of sleep now and again.

 2010 offered a bevy of wonderful wines, across all price ranges, although it has been one of the most difficult vintages to actually TASTE. The wines are tannic (as always) but had the added pleasure in 2010 of relatively high acidity, which gives the wines a wonderful freshness and adds to the overall balance and age-ability, but at the same time makes them savagely hard to taste, especially at this young stage.

 Certainly, quality is variable, as always, but the Classified Growths, both on the Medoc as well the the Right Bank, showed great class, assuring 2010 a place among top  vintages.

 Oh, yes….price? Let’s wait and see!!!!

More to follow...

Shayne Hebert, Wine Supervisor Central Florida

Most of the Mosel Valley in Germany is known for its blue slate found throughout Germany's Middle Mosel.  A less common slate is the iron-rich red slate found mostly in the villages of Erden and Urzig, in the Mosel.

 
There is something special about red slate that imparts a dense, muscular minerality to the wines. 

Ernest Loosen of the "Dr. Loosen Estate"  assumed ownership of the 200 year family owned business in 1988.  With 60 year old vines in some of Germany's best-rated vineyards, he had the materials to create intense, world-class wines. 

With warmer growing seasons, it is becoming possible to make balanced, full-bodied dry (trocken) Riesling in the Mosel Valley.  This was difficult in the past, when they had generally cooler conditions, lower average ripeness and huge acidity levels. 

To produce a harmoniously dry Riesling you must grow fruit that fully ripens (with no botrytis) due to long hang time, to allow the flavors to develop and the acidity to soften. All these conditions made this "First Vintage" possible.

 2009  DR. LOOSEN RIESLING DRY "RED SLATE"

This estate grown riesling gets its intense minerality from the steep red slate vineyards of Germany's Mosel Valley.  The wine is floral, spicy and harmonious with a full, expansive texture.  Very expressive!

Look for it soon in your near-by ABC store.

Marie, Wine Supervisor, West, North-West Coast

You’re grilling some steaks tonight and open a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner.  About halfway through you decide not to finish the bottle.  You could put the cork back in the bottle and hope it still tastes good in a couple of days when you want to finish it, but you never know if that will work.  To me, there’s nothing worse than the taste of wine that’s been opened too long, and tossing wine down the sink is like throwing money away.  So what’s a good way to store an open bottle of wine? 

For years, I’ve used the Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump and Stopper, a vacuum pump which extracts the air from the opened bottle with a reusable rubber stopper.  This slows down the oxidation process so you can enjoy your wine again later.  This is a great way to keep your wine tasting fresh, and it’s only about $10-12, two extra stoppers sell for $6.  You can find one at most ABC stores. 

Recently I was given a present, The Wine Vacuum Seal, about $35 from The Sharper Image, which automatically vacuums the air from your open bottle of wine.  The seal is rechecked every four hours and activates if needed.  It even has a thermometer and a day counter.  On the contrary, it is a little big and bulky when stored in the fridge and quickly goes through two AAA batteries in just a couple of uses.   However, the seal created is very tight and the wine stays extremely fresh tasting. 

How long your wine stays fresh somewhat depends on how full your bottle is, more in bottle holds a little better, but you can expect for it to taste fresh for up to a week with one of these tools.   I also like to keep the sealed bottle in my refrigerator, where the cold temperature slows down the oxidation process a little more.  So which is better, the automatic Wine Vacuum Seal, or the manual Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump?  I still love my good old Vacu Vin, mine is about 7 years old now.   Its affordable, easy to use, and a greener choice for saving wine.

Guest blogger Amy Zugras is a Certified Sommelier, and the Wine Consultant at our New Port Richey store.

Guest blogger James Beaver is an associate at our Ocoee store.

I was recently asked by a co-worker if I still get to try new beers since I go to so many Beerfests a year. The short answer is yes, there is at least one new beer I try at every Beerfest I go to (most of the ones I go to are by www.floridabeerfestivals.com). Craft beer production is exploding all over the USA and new breweries are showcasing their wares as well as established favorites coming out with new bottles to peddle. I thought it might be a good idea to begin to tell you about some of the new brews I have had the opportunity to sample at these various events and bars/restaurants/etc.

 The 1^st is Golden Monkey By Victory Brewing Company, a relatively little known brewery which is starting to get some traction. This beer is a Belgian golden ale made in the traditional European style with a whopping 9.5% alcohol by volume content (be forewarned, it’s got a kick). If you like beers such as Duval and Delirium Tremens you will enjoy this one; it’s got a good start with a fruity/herbal finish. However, if you are a fan of traditional Lagers and Pilsners, you probably not be a big fan of this; it’s got much more body than your traditional American favorites. If you want to try I suggest you go with this one 1^st before any other beers or the taste could be lost on you (and the alcohol content will put you down faster than your mom did when you stayed up past your bedtime).

The 2^nd brew I will bring to your attention is Starr Hill’s Hefewiezen (wheat) offering “The Love”. This is a really good, light/refreshing, hot weather beer (since here in sunny FLA, spring seems to have been skipped). It’s 4.6% ABV which is typical for a wheat beer. Starr Hill’s website says that Banana and Clove are detectable flavors in this beer, but I detected an almost raspberry sweetness at the very end (of course my taste buds may have been influenced by other offerings I had partaken of that day). Either way, if you enjoy Hefes like Blue Moon, Shocktop and Paulander you will enjoy this beer out of Charlottesville, VA.

The last one I will mention is the Blackwater Dry Porter by Orlando Brewing Company (www.orlandobrewing.com) located right here in Downtown Orlando off of Kaley Ave. It’s 5.43 ABV and it’s got the body of a Guinness with a very coffee finish. It’s one of the best porter’s I’ve ever had (next to Guinness of course) and it’s organic like all the different beers available at their brewery. If you are local I highly suggest you check them out at some point.

 (The earlier parts of this blog were posted on February 24, March 10, and March 24.)

             The next morning, after a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, white peach, tangerine, and bread and apricot jam with black coffee and o.j. which Alex prepared, the good folks at Villa Maria Estates took us on a tour of the southern part of the Marlborough wine region. Marlborough can be generally divided into two valleys – the Wairau Valley running west to east in the north, and the Awatere running west to east in the south, with the Wither Hills between. We visited three of the best vineyards in the Awatere Valley – Clifford Bay, Taylor’s Pass, and Seddon Vineyard – and sampled a bottle from each one, which was very instructive.

            After a light lunch al fresco with the whole team of folks from Villa Maria, we bid them a warm farewell, and moved on to the Vintner’s Retreat, where we’d be staying for the next three nights. For travelers far from home it was a welcome sight. Here was a house overlooking a vineyard to the rear, where we could make ourselves at home, do laundry, watch tv, and relax in. Mornings it was a pleasure to sit outside in just my old pair of jeans, drink black tea, read ancient Japanese waka, or make notes on our trip so far.

            In the late afternoon we were met by the tall suave figure of Jim Robertson – Australia and New Zealand’s Global Ambassador for Premium Wine Brands (Pernod Ricard). Jim had a bus waiting to take us on one of the more fascinating side trips of our visit. The bus took us on a thirty minute journey through the Richmond Mountain Range to the port town of Picton on the north coast of the South Island. From there we boarded a water taxi for a twenty minute journey across the sound to the Te Weka Restaurant at the Portage Resort Hotel. The views as we crossed the sound, as well as from the restaurant itself, were simply breathtaking.

            Standing outside overlooking the beach, we sipped a glass of Brancott Reserve Brut Cuvee, which was a perfect beginning to a memorable meal. Jim ordered four wines which, as it happened, paired beautifully with the food I had chosen from the menu.

     (The view from the Te Weka Restaurant.)

             I started with Ceviche with Cocoanut Milk, Peppers, and Tomato Jam and paired it with Couper’s Shed Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010. Hawkes Bay, on the North Island, is somewhat warmer than Marlborough and the Sauvy Blanc showed more tropical notes which worked well with the cocoanut milk. My main course was Pan-Seared Marlborough Salmon on a Ginger Salad with Lightly Battered Fresh Vegetables. I paired this first with the Brancott Living Land Chardonnay 2010, which was fine, but then I switched over to the Triplebank Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009. This was one of the wines we tried on our first night in New Zealand, and it still remained one of the best Pinot Noirs we’d come across so far. For dessert I ordered Chocolate Tart with Espresso Ice Cream and Sliced Strawberries, and with this I was able to try the Church Road Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, and followed it up with a short black coffee. Food, wine, and good fellowship – a memorable evening.

            Coming back across the sound in the darkness, we were again struck by the beauty of the stars above. The Japanese call the Milky Way “the River of Heaven” and looking up you could easily see that delicate river of starlight stretched across the night sky, and how it was mirrored in the dark waters of Marlborough Sound.

            The next morning Jim took us on a tour of the Brancott Estates vineyards. Jim was a fountain of knowledge and erudition. Mention just about any city in the world and Jim could tell you the best restaurants to visit, and a few choice stories about them too.

            Brancott Estates – which until 2010 was mostly known as Montana – is New Zealand’s largest wine producer, and was the first commercial company to plant vines in Marlborough. That was in 1973. At the time most people thought they were crazy. Today Marlborough produces more wine than any other region in New Zealand.

     (Jim Robertson at Brancott Estates)

             Kiwis are very environmentally aware. Recycling is a major concern in New Zealand. Jim told us that 93% of New Zealand’s wineries are sustainably farmed, and the plan is to be 100% sustainable within the next two years. Organics has to do with the vineyard, he told us, but sustainability has to do with everything.

            He took us to the Festival Block, where the first vine planting in Marlborough was done, and Brad, Alex, Drew, and I had our picture taken. Unusually, this block was planted east to west, whereas most vineyards in New Zealand are planted north to south.

            After lunch and a tour of the winery came the tasting. We tasted 27 wines including 4 barrel samplings from the various Brancott lines as well as wines from Stoneleigh, Triplebank, Church Road, and Couper’s Shed. I don’t have space to go into more detail here, but the wines were of good to excellent quality across the board. Stand-outs to me were the already mentioned Triplebank Awatere Pinot Noir 2009, the Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Pinot Noir 2009, Brancott Terraces Pinot Noir 2009, Church Road Reserve Syrah 2008, Church Road Reserve Merlot Cabernet 2008, and the new Brancott Reserve Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc.

(This blog of our trip to New Zealand will continue in two weeks with a visit to Kim Crawford, Nobilo, Monkey Bay and Selaks, a trip to the North Island, and much more.)

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor, ABC Fine Wine And Spirits

The Burgundy wine region in France is well known for producing the world’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; besides these two varieties and the Gamay in the Beaujolais region, there is another white grape original to the area, but rarely exported, called Aligoté. 

If you are in Burgundy and ask for a glass of white wine at the local bar, you are most likely to be served a glass of Aligoté. The wine is light, with good acidity, soft and fresh. Aligoté is not recommended for extended aging and is always consumed young; it is very often mixed with crème de cassis and served that way as aperitif under the name of “Kir”. The story goes that a former deputy-mayor of Dijon named Kir was the first one to enjoy this cocktail; the popular drink was later named after him. A variation of Kir is Kir Royal, when made with sparkling wine.

We currently carry one of the best examples of Aligoté in Burgundy from the Paul Pillot estate in the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. Don’t forget a bottle of Crème de cassis to go with it... Or try Aligoté with Crème de Framboise. We carry Jean Arthaud (100% natural fruit) Crème de Framboise and Crème de Cassis from Burgundy.  Happy aperitif!

--Atanas Nechkov, Wine Supervisor Central Florida

  One of the differences in how we treat wine from the way Europeans do, is that they drink wine as just a part of the meal. It is not considered anything more than the beverage to be served with lunch or dinner. I use this example when I teach wine classes, that at most America dinner tables the question “what do you want to drink” (meaning milk, iced tea, Coke or water) is something rarely heard at a dinner table from across the pond. Wine is just naturally a part of the meal, even for youngsters, though it is watered down quite a bit. Wine hasn’t reached that degree in the States, though it is much more prevalent now than it was even ten years ago. Will it ever get to the point of replacing iced tea or Diet Coke? Unlikely, but more and  more people that I speak to in the wine section tell me that they are looking for a good inexpensive red or white to drink with dinner each night.

  As we talk to people more often about pairing wine with food it seems to pique our wine guests' interests in trying wines that are new to them. People who don’t usually try wines from, say, Tuscany will be very surprised at how different a bottle of Chianti tastes when matched with a food from that part of Italy. Chianti may not be the best wine to drink on its own, but paired with pasta and a red sauce you taste the wine as it was intended to be. The rules of red with meat and white with fish or chicken do have some validity, but for the most part drink what you like, though if you're cooking blackened trout and chicken a red wine can work just fine. If you buy a wine from a particular region in Europe, whether it is from along the seashore or more toward the interior of the country you can usually tell what type of foods go best with that wine. A wine from the mouth of the Loire River such as Muscadet, is a perfect match with the subtle flavors of the sea, i.e. oysters or fish. Go to the Rhone Valley and these fuller-bodied red wines are made for hard cheeses, roasted game with wild mushrooms and anything else that has big, bold flavors.

  Drinking wine with your dinner doesn’t have to be an intimidating venture or happen only when you go to a restaurant. Ask your wine professional for their opinion, tell them what you like, what you are serving for dinner and they will be happy to pair a wine that brings out the flavors in both the food and the wine. Don’t be afraid to experiment on your own either. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that wine can just be the part of your meal that happens to be served out of a bottle.

 Ken Amendola

Wine Supervisor, North Florida

Working for ABC has given me the opportunity to visit many of the world's top wine regions. The trips, however, can be grueling. They often involve little sleep, tasting barrel samples from early morning until evening and enduring constant sales pitches. Despite these horrible working conditions [have I convinced anyone to feel sorry for me yet?] I always try to fit in a little sight seeing and absorb the local culture.

Tomorrow I'm off to one of my favorite European cities,Verona, Italy. Verona happens to be the site of one of the world's largest wine fairs every year, Vinitaly. It has been a few years since I've gone to Vinitaly, but with its tasting sessions, courses and seminars, this fair offers a unique occasion to deepen one's knowledge of wine.

OK, enough about work, back to Verona. Rome, Florence and Venice are the three cities most tourists seem to want to visit when traveling to Italy. I suggest you take a look at Verona.

Verona is much smaller and more quaint than its more famous siblings. It does have a wealth of Roman sites and medieval buildings and more in the way of sights than any other place in the Veneto except Venice. Unlike Venice, though, Verona is not overwhelmed with tourists. If you want to see Venice, I suggest you stay in Verona and then take a short train ride into Venice and then get out.

For those looking for romance, it's hard to imagine a more romantic city. It is Shakespeare, after all, who brings most people here. Verona is the setting for Romeo and Juliet and many tourists come to see the scene of the great, albeit fictional, romance.

Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake, is a short drive to the west. The ancient fortified town of Sirmione, located on the south end of the lake is a must see destination. It has numerous restaurants, bars, hotels, fashion stores and a market. Plan on spending a whole day.

I would love to write more but I promise to come back with a full report on Vinitaly in the coming weeks. Now I have to prepare to endure body scans and airline food...I'm guessing still no sympathy.

Ciao,

Paul Quaglini

Guest blogger Adam Shugan is an associate at our Archer Road store in Gainesville.

Have you ever tried to find another steam beer other than Anchor Brewing Company?  Well, search no further, because Anchor trademarked the term “steam beer”!  The San Francisco based brewery started this method in the 1800’s when owning a refrigerator was a luxury and not an appliance used by the common man.  The brewers came up with a special strain of lager yeast that could withstand and also ferment quicker in warmer temperatures.  This yielded a medium bodied, slightly malty brew that anybody can enjoy.  Any other brewery wishing to use this style must call it a “California Common.”  Anchor Steam Beer is a wonderful quaff with some citrus and piney hops in the nose and some caramel malts.  The taste gives way to soft citrus and pine hops with a hint of caramel and a biscuity malt quality.  A finely complex brew for the price.  Look out for Liberty Ale offered by Anchor as well.  There are other examples of the style, such as Steamworks Brewing Company’s “Steam Engine Lager,” Alpine Beer Company’s “California Uncommon,” and Russian River Brewing Company’s “Beer Esteam,” however at the moment, Anchor is the one holding down our shelves.

Adam Shugan, Gainesville