Brew Hops & Wine Stops

I am very pleased to announce the arrival at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits of a new wine from Provence, Chateau Montaud Côtes de Provences Rosé 2010.

Château Montaud is a family estate winery located in the heart of the Massive des Maures, the authentic and quiet back-country area away from the tourist crowds and source of some of the world's best rosé wines; Domaine de Paris is another favorite Provence rosé located only a few miles away.

 Our ABC Wine team visited Château Montaud for the first time in June 2011.

We were warmly greeted by the Ravel family; Fred Ravel, owner and winemaker, showed us around the vineyards and the winery. We were later joined by his parents, François and Beatrice, who sampled with us the current vintages of the estate’s wines.

 The 2010 Côtes de Provence Rosé was an immediate favorite; it was a very welcomed refreshment and thirst quencher after the run in the vineyards and later on it paired perfectly with the light, provençal style lunch.

 The wine exhibits a pale salmon pink color and aromas and flavors of fresh strawberries, raspberries, wild flowers and a long vibrant finish. Enjoy as aperitif, or pair with salads, roasted vegetables, black olive tapenade, goat cheese, sea-food dishes and grilled fish.

A real bargain offered at $ 10.99 a bottle.

Atanas Nechkov, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

2010 was the first year that ABC brought in a rare varietal wine from Burgundy, France, called Aligoté (or Bourgogne Aligoté). As we welcome our snowbird guests from the province of Quebec, one of the first questions I often get asked is "Where is your Aligote?" Many of our Canadian guests stay here in Florida from November until the frosts go away in Quebec after Easter. I thought it was a great idea when ABC brought in this wine as we all know what it's like to be away from home for a while and even the smallest reminder of home makes us feel comfortable. One of our best French wine importers who supplies us with fantastic Direct To You Wines from France is Jonathan Shiekman from Margate Wines and Spirits in Northfield, NJ. If Jonathan were going to offer ABC an Aligoté, as usual, it had to be of the highest quality like the rest of his portfolio. Paul Pillot, a fourth generation winery with 13 hectares of land and with vineyards in Chassagne Montrachet and Santenay, is the producer.  

 As I was putting my display together this year for the 2010 fresh vintage of Paul Pillot Bourgogne Aligoté, I bought a bottle and sampled it. Even better than the 2009, the 2010 smells like Chablis with that fresh day at the beach smell of salinity. On the palate it shows fresh apples, pears, and a fresh squeeze of citrus with a tingling sensation on your mid-palate that just makes your mouth water and lingers for five minutes or more and makes you want to dive in for another sip.

 This is quality wine that makes the perfect aperitif and the perfect wine for a plate of stone crabs with mustard sauce.

 Stop by your local ABC Fine Wine and Spirits and pick up a bottle or more (a very small supply is brought in each year) and I swear you will think you are drinking a $35 bottle of Chablis (made from Chardonnay like all white Burgundies, except for this) and not a $15.99 unique varietal wine such as this one.  Bienvenue, Aligoté est ici, and Paul Pillot's 2010 Bourgogne Aligoté is tres, tres, tres, tres bon! For my English speaking guests, this wine is really, really, really, good!

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

You can see more of his wine/food reviews at his personal website, www.larrythewineguy.net.

I have many fond memories of  growing up in Western Massachusetts. Even with the changing seasons and miserably long winters it seems like we were always outside. I remember playing for hours in my next door neighbor Dave's  backyard. Dave had a real handyman for a dad who built a wooden replica of a medieval castle in the yard. It became the favorite hangout for most of the kids in the neighborhood.

Last month while traveling through Italy I had a flashback to those fun times of my childhood. Europe is full of beautiful old castles but certainly one of the most impressive is the castle of Montalcino. Its construction began in 1361 and it is practically completely intact today.

When we arrived at the castle with our host, Alberto Passeri from the La Gerla wine estate, the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping quickly. Alberto wanted to show us the wine shop and tasting room which is now located on the ground floor of the castle. Perhaps we could taste a couple of Brunellos and then move on to dinner...but we had different ideas. Today it functions like a museum and for a couple of euros they allow you to explore the rest of the fortress.
With its dark spiral staircases, leading up to watchtowers with incredible views of the surrounding countryside, it felt like we had stepped back in time. One of those memorable moments that make you feel like a kid again.

Alberto Passeri [second from the left] and a bunch of kids from ABC in the Castle of Montalcino.

Paul Quaglini

Here's a beer that might restore your energy after a day of frantically searching for the perfect Christmas gift! Beer blogger Adam Shugan explores the world of chili bock:

Did you know almost 1000 years ago cocoa beans were used for money and chocolate was sugarless?  That is right, you Ghirardelli and Godiva lovers, the ancient Aztecs, apparently unaware of sugar, drank cold, thick libations consisting of cocoa beans, chilies, and cornmeal.  Today, brewers are recreating these funky beverages (sans the cornmeal) and bringing back the drink of the gods.  I am now going to sample Samuel Adams chocolate chili bock known as “The Vixen.”

Appearance: It is being served chilled in my Strong Bow tumbler.  The bottle art depicts a hand drawn, voluptuous brunette holding a rose between her full lips.  The ingredients include chilies from Mexico, Cocoa nibs from Ecuador and Cinnamon from Southeast Asia, a beer brought together from around the globe.  A hard pour generates a charcoal black color with a massive three finger that sits on top like pumice.   

Smell: It is roasty and smoky almost like a rauch beer.   There are hints of spicy chilies in the background and some hops to balance things out.  I do not detect the cinnamon.

Taste: The head continues to sit on top like oil on water so I have no choice but to sample that first.  It actually carries some of the heat from the chilies!  The beer itself is smooth and chocolaty.  There is a fine bittersweet chocolate presence with a solid hop backbone.  The cinnamon provides a little flavor but there is no chili heat! With each sip, I am not getting the Yin Yang of spicy-sweet I was hoping for.   They could have saved the money on the chilies and stuck with a flavorful bock but c’est la vie.

         The Vixen is a good chocolate bock but needs a little improvement in the cloying piquant flavor.   Look for the new 22oz bottle and if you are lucky, Dogfish Head’s “Theobroma” another chocolate chili beer brewed with Aztec chocolate nibs, honey, and ancho chilies at your local ABC.  In addition, on a non-beer related note, the gourmet chocolate company Visionary Cacao offers “Xocolatl Dark” (bitter water in Aztec) with a fantastic marriage of real cayenne pepper heat, agave nectar, coconut oil, and raw cacao for an exquisite dessert spread also found at select ABC’s. 

Beer blogger Adam Shugan is the manager at our NE Silver Springs Blvd store in Ocala.

Every year my grandmother takes me on vacation with her, just a few days in St. Augustine. This year, we did something different – we visited Tarpon Springs. Located just north of Tampa, near New Port Richey, on the west coast, it's an easy drive from just about anywhere. Being mainly a Greek community, it’s famous for its sponge docks (Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe did an episode on sponge diving there), fabulous Greek cuisine, chamois skins, and hand-made soap. Having not experienced much Greek food or wine, I was excited to try something new.

On our first night, I asked the hotel clerk for a recommendation for dinner, and he told us his favorite place was Hellas. So to Hellas we went. Located across from the docks, this restaurant has been in business since 1970 – and for good reason. The service is fast and friendly, the prices are reasonable, and the food is to-die-for! They have a great selection of Greek wines from which to choose, and I picked out a red wine blended from a few different Greek varietals. It was a nice, medium-bodied red, with bright fruit and a little spice on the finish. It went well with the pastitsio (beef, lamb, and macaroni casserole) and the dolemates (stuffed grape leaves).

The next morning we visited downtown, comprised primarily of antique shops, plus a winery. Unfortunately, we had walked the wrong way, so we'll have to catch it next time. We then headed back to the docks for lunch, and walked through the numerous shops. Every wine shop is willing to pour free samples. I tried the infamous white wine Retsina, and it was not as bad as I'd anticipated. The style is based on techniques that date back to classical times, when the stone jars known as amphorae were lined with pine resin in order to preserve their contents. Today, Retsina is a simple, dry white wine that has lumps of resin from the Aleppo Pine, infused in it during fermentation. It's best served ice-cold, in sherry-like quantities, maybe with a slice of spanokopita (spinach pie).

Being a lover of full-bodied red wine, it was hard for me to find a red I really liked. These wines are very old world, and are light- to medium-bodied, with not a lot of fruit. We went into a small wine shop in the shopping village, and I tried a wine called Metoxi Tsantali. This is a monastic wine from Mount Athos, made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Limnio. It was a 2003 vintage, and drinking quite well, with dark red cherry and plum notes, it had firm but approachable tannin on the finish. This was just what I was looking for!

If you haven't visited Tarpon Springs yet, put it on your to-do list. The people are friendly, the food is fantastic, and the wine is plentiful. Don't forget to try the saganaki (flaming cheese). Opa!

Guest blogger Heather Hitson is the wine consultant at our Lady Lake store

More from my quest to discover what makes boxed wines work for everyday table wines. To date, I've tasted several different labels/varietals--you can read my reviews under the 'boxed wines' category.

BLACK BOX CHARDONNAY 2009:

DAY 1: I was afraid of this one at first. I just don’t like Chardonnay that much, especially overdone ones, wood chips, you know the story….. this one is clean and fruity, but not much of that woodsy quality. Nice acidity, good flavor and balance. I like it today, but I fear it will lose its initial style and become flat and boring, which is what I dislike about so many Chards.

 DAY 3: Crisp and clean. Fresh aromas and refreshing, medium-bodied mouth with just the right amount of acidity to keep it from being boring.

Hopefully the acidity remains over the next week or so; it helps give the wine a clean, orchard fruit flavor.

 DAY 5: So far, so good!

 DAY 7: I think the freshness has slipped a bit: the wine sits in my mouth a little heavier than before. Not as bright, but to be honest, I have had many other Chardonnay for more money than this one, that faded in the bottle after a day or so, and were used in sauce rather than drank. Funny about Chardonnay…..I think I critique them differently (or more seriously) than any other white wine. I look closer for faults and for things that I don’t like rather than for enjoyment….. maybe because they are so popular. Even though many of my favorite whites are white Burgundies, I find these too sometimes fade very quickly once opened…..a reason to either share them or to not leave any wine left to the whimsies of time!

 DAY 9: Much like the Zin, I will consume this one faster if I buy it again. Nothing wrong with it even now, it made a good showing for itself, but it was such a pleasant surprise last week, I feel just a little like some of it was wasted. I think many people would still enjoy it without question (referring back to my possible bias against Chardonnay in general).

BLACK BOX CABERNET SAUVIGNON:

DAY 1: Just a decent example of Cabernet, not a good one. I was a little surprised that this one wasn’t better, and the Merlot wasn’t as nice.

Simple aromas and flavors, cassis and red/blackberries. The tannins here seem separated from the wine, like they don’t exist until the wine is gone, than you feel them, alone, without the helping hand of some length in the finish to complement them. Not bad, and for the price, once again, is this really any better or worse than many of the $5-$8 cabs on the market now? I don’t think so!

 DAY 3: No real changes. I tried this Cabernet today with a slight chill, and it benefitted the wine both aromatically and flavor-atically. Decent, typical Cabernet flavors, a subtle hint of bell pepper, and still tannins lingering there after the fruit is gone. Lost interest after this. Did you ever drink a wine, and part way through, you realize it could be any wine, not a bad wine, but interchangeable with anything else. I felt that way the first time (every time) I had tried the 2-buck Chuck wines…..they were just wine, sort of for wine's sake, nothing more. I understand the logic behind why the other varietals….Zinfandel, Malbec and the like seem to show better than the mainstream ones….the overall quality of fruit available varies by varietal. Everyone wants Cabernet, so the juice available is either expensive or just so-so.

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

When you think of Germany and the beverages they consume, beer generally comes to mind.  They are the third highest in consumption of beer in the world, but believe it or not, they're the highest (per capita) consumers of sparkling wine in the world!  The Germans serve it at every occasion and also commonly serve it as an aperitif.

Sekt (German word for sparkling) is most commonly made from the Riesling grape, but some vintners have been very successful with Chardonnay and Rose' style sparklers made from Pinot Noir. When Sekt is made the traditional way, (it goes thru a second fermentation in the bottle and hand riddler over an 18 to 24 month period), it's called Winzersekt.  The majority (95%) of Sekt is made the Charmat method, where the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then bottled under pressure.  Remember, it was discovered that certain varieties of grapes show more fresh fruit characteristics if made the Charmat method, Riesling being one of them.  If CO2 is injected to make the bubbles, it may not be called Sekt, but is called Schaumwein.

A little history:  Sekt was discovered by a monk at the Haut-Villers Abbey in 1700.  In 1856 Adam Henkell began making Sekt.  A clever mixing of wines from different years and locations resulted in a blend which has the same character every year.  After the Second World War, Sekt was an unaffordable luxury for many, so Otto Henkell junior put Henkell Trocken into quarter bottles called a piccolo which held two glasses; very popular in the 50's. 

Give yourself a pleasant treat and try a German Sekt for the holidays!

Marie Griffin, N/W Florida Wine Supervisor

As Thanksgiving approaches and we start to think about our wine selections, I am here to warn you from my years of sommelier experience at restaurants, retail and hotels, that making the wrong choice could be dangerous to your palate. Or, at least, that making the right choice can make the experience much more fun.

 I agree that turkey can be great with Pinot Noir, red Zinfandel, Gewürztraminer, or Beaujolais, but to us Americans, Thanksgiving is usually the day we put on our special "fat pants," four sizes bigger, and put together a plate of food that can feed starving nations: foods that don't necessarily mesh well together as a combo plate, and almost certainly not with the wines above.

 As well as the above-mentioned wines go well with a well-cooked, juicy turkey, when you drink them with tart, sugary cranberry sauce, candied yams or sweet potato casserole loaded with brown sugar and more sugar from marshmallow toppings, creamed corn, oyster stuffing , you create a taste that doesn’t work so well.  Certainly, once you get away from the simple "what do I have with turkey" question, it gets a little tricky.

With that said, what do we match up with the traditional overstuffed plate of Thanksgiving fare, without making our mouths resent us for it? It's simple! We need a sorbet or palate cleanser to wash away all that sugary, herbaceous food off of our taste buds. I love roses or sparkling roses (the bubbles help cleanse the palate). Most roses even go well with the pumpkin pie as a contrast to the 50 pounds of sugar we just ingested. At ABC for value, I love Moncigale Rose from the Cotes Du Provence (under $10.00) and 2010 Domaine du Fregate Bandol Rose ($16.99).

 For the perfect sparklers , Collalto Spumante Rose (strawberry, biscuit, fresh lime finish) is unique and perfect and a selection of Italian wine importer Nadia Galati (on sale this month $16.99 from $18.99). If you want to splurge, the Haton Brut Rose (on sale for $28.99 from $34.99…a steal) and the top of the line Grand Cru Rose from Charles Mignon ($46.99) beats most $200 bottles of Rose Champagne. All of the above are not just perfect pairings with turkey, but with the entire plate of food even down to dessert!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and I promise you if you give my tried and tested Thanksgiving food and wine pairing suggestions a try, this year when you go around the table to say what you are thankful for, the first thing out of your mouth will be "I am thankful for Larry ‘The Wine Guy’!”

.....Gobble, Gobble

Guest blogger Larry Baker is the wine consultant at our Pembroke Pines store. You can see more of his wine and food suggestions on his personal web site: www.larrythewineguy.net.

We all know that Laetitia Pinot Noir and Block 511 Chardonnay are great for Thanksgiving, but what about something for the beer lovers at your table? Fear not, we have you covered with a few beer suggestions for each course.

                While welcoming family and awaiting the impending feast a little aperitif is in order. One suggestion is Rodenbach Grand Cru. There is a unique complexity to a Flanders Red Ale where sweet and sour play off of each other with a delicate refreshing balance. The sweetness leads with hints of raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. The cherries lead into tartness similar to a balsamic vinegar, yet light with a sweet backbone. The finish is equally sweet and tart. This is the perfect beer to open your palate and get your brain and stomach into the mood for food.

                In the instance of Thanksgiving dinner a good beer will refresh the palate between side dishes while both adding flavors to the experience and not outshining any particular aspect of the meal. A few suggestions are Blue Point Toasted Lager, Cigar City Maduro Brown, and Fuller’s ESB. Each beer will add a slightly different aspect to the meal. If you are looking for something to not overpower any of the traditional side dishes I would go with the Toasted Lager. The toasty quality will augment the turkey nicely and the light crisp nature of the beer will provide refreshment between bites. Cigar City Maduro would be a good idea if you are in the mood for a beer to bring a little more to the party. The malt backbone of Maduro provides a nice full, rich tone to the meal. Hints of oatmeal, raisin, tobacco, and robust roasted malt will add to any thanksgiving spread. Fuller’s ESB (short for Extra Special Bitter) is your beer if you’re looking for balance. The beer itself is nicely balanced with well-rounded sweet bready qualities and a hint of floral and pine hop qualities. This would pair well with turkey and ham while not overpowering more delicate sides like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, or corn. This is what I’ll be drinking on turkey day and I may even add some to the dressing (or stuffing if you prefer).

                For dessert I would pair based on the choice of desserts. Unibroue Ephemere Cassis is a light, playfully sweet and lightly tart way to end the evening. This would pair well with sweeter fruit-forward desserts. Innis and Gunn Rum Cask Oak Aged Beer is a prime choice for more robust desserts like chocolate mousse as well as pumpkin or pecan pie. The sweetness of the rum and underlying malt complement each other nicely while the spice finish gives the beer its own character. If the beer itself is the dessert my personal choice would be St. Bernardus Abt 12. This beautifully balanced Belgian Quadrupel has notes of raisin, figs, sweet bread, and a touch of spice. This is a great way to end dinner and bond with the family.

Beer blogger Stephen Schmitt can be found pairing up beer and food at our Gandy Blvd, Tampa store.

At some point in any life that’s lived with enjoyment and curiosity most of us will consider dining on kangaroo. Apart from its sui generis appeal, kangaroo is one of the healthier meats to enjoy. It is low in fat (usually less than 2%) and high in protein and iron. Because it is so low in fat, however, kangaroo meat can easily dry out. The secret in cooking it lies in first soaking the meat in oil for fifteen minutes and then placing it in a very hot pan and turning it quickly to sear all sides, thus allowing it to retain its moisture. Still, it is usually best not to cook kangaroo beyond medium rare.

Here’s an interesting kangaroo recipe I came across recently –

Medallion of Kangaroo with Oyster Mushrooms and Juniper Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4x 120g Kangaroo Medallions (Loin Fillet)


• 160g Oyster Mushrooms


• 200 ml Red Wine


• 20g Chopped Onion


• 50ml + 20ml Gin


• 5 Juniper Berries


• 2 Bay Leaves


• 20g Crushed Garlic


• 200ml Brown Sauce Oil

Method:

Marinate kangaroo in red wine, 20ml gin, juniper berries and bay leaves – leave for 8-12 hours. Remove kangaroo from marinade – strain marinade.

Put marinade in a pot and reduce to a ¼. Add brown sauce and reduce by half.

Sauté mushrooms with chopped onion, gently remove from pan and keep warm.

Pan fry kangaroo medallions until medium-rare – 4 minutes each side, remove from pan and keep warm.

Deglaze pan with vodka and flame, add sauce and boil till required thickness.

Pour a little sauce on each plate, slice medallions into 4 strips. Arrange on sauce garnished with Oyster mushrooms.

*

The next question I’m sure you’re all asking yourselves is “What wine should I serve with kangaroo?” A good Australian Shiraz would work perfectly. If you’re planning a special evening and are willing to put out a few extra dollars, try Oliver Hill Jimmy’s Section Shiraz at about $30. The 2006 vintage rated an impressive 93 points from Wine Advocate. In the $12-$13 range you will certainly enjoy Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz or Nugan Shiraz and find in them both an excellent pairing with your kangaroo repast.

Many thanks to the website KIAA – Cooking With Kangaroo – for this and many other fine kangaroo recipes (or roo-cipes). You’ll find a lot of great information on this site.

Bill Stobbs, ABC Wine Supervisor

Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 is (almost) here! It will be available for purchase at your favorite ABC store  Thursday, November 17 (that's tomorrow).

Three different wines are available this year: Duboeuf, Bouchard and a new wine called Jean Saint Honoré from the producers at Cave de Bully. This wine, as well as the Beaujolais Villages under the same name, are the fruit of the combined effort of a handful of vignerons from the area who decided to associate in order to create higher than  average quality Beaujolais wines from selected parcels under their ownership. 

I had the opportunity to taste the Jean St. Honoré Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 and was very pleased with the wine’s elegant aromas and flavors of strawberries, blackberries and violet floral notes. This wine should be served slightly chilled as aperitif or to complement a variety of dishes like grilled meats, pastas and roasted pork and poultry. It is the perfect complement to the holiday turkey meal. Shop early, as of this Thursday, as quantities are limited. Do not miss on a great holiday wine!

Here is a traditional Burgundian recipe for cheese puffs, called gougères. They are usually served as an appetizer with Burgundy white wines or lighter style reds like Beaujolais.

  This recipe makes about two dozen  gougères

• 4 oz. butter


• ½ tsp. salt


• 4 oz. white flour


• 4 eggs


• 4 oz. Compté cheese or Gruyère cheese, grated

 Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Combine the butter, salt, and 8 fl oz. of water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously until smooth. Let the mixture cool down slightly before incorporating the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the grated cheese and mix well.

Place the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, on a well-greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400˚F, then lower the oven temperature to 350˚F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden. Let the gougères cool down before serving. They should be crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.

 Atanas Nechkov, Wine Supervisor Central Florida

  So, I had a birthday a month ago and since it did not end with a five or a zero, it was not a big deal. We had a few very good friends over for dinner,  had a couple of bottles of ten and twelve year old Brunello di Montalcinos, gifts, cake and ice cream…a very nice evening. A good friend, though, could not be there that night and he said that we would get together for dinner at a later date. Well, we checked our calendars a few weeks ago and found that last Thursday night was the later date. Dinner was at the Capital Grille, which meant much good food and, as always, terrific service, thank you, Meghan. My friend is very fond of good wine and, as usual, brought two wines that you don’t see every day. He always seems to find wines that are incredibly intriguing. Wines you may have read about somewhere and some you’ve ever heard of before.

 The first was a bottle of 2002 Fiddlehead Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Fiddlestix Lallapalooza. A full-bodied Pinot that was as big a mouthful as saying the name was. Now, most times this would have been the highlight wine of the night, but the other bottle he brought for dinner was a 2006 Saxum Bone Rock, James Berry Vineyard. I have read about these wines from Justin Smith, in the Wine Advocate, Spectator and others, but had not had the pleasure of actually trying them. So to go with my four double-cut, medium rare lamb chops was the most wonderful Central Coast, Paso Robles, wine that I had ever tasted. The blend is 76% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre and 6% Grenache, which by the way, went perfectly with the lamb. At a hefty 16% alcohol, which was not obvious at all, this giant wine has a beautifully floral, fruity nose. Big, round flavors of ripe blackberries, minerals, pencil lead and an enormously long finish. This wine was a really great, large scaled, fabulous wine that just kept on going.

 And as the title implies, this is one that I can scratch of my “wine bucket list." That just leaves me with one thousand, two hundred and thirty seven others on the list to try. So much wine and so…well, you know the rest.

Ken Amendola, North Florida Wine Supervisor

I am about to make a Larry "The Wine Guy" early prediction as to what category of wine and its origin will be selected as the #1 Wine Of The Year on Wine Spectator's Top 100 List, due out in December.

 Every wine producing region has "their” year—for example, 2000 and 2005 in Bordeaux, 2000 in Barolo, 1997 and 2007 in Napa Valley. 2008 is Oregon Pinot Noir's year. I must admit, I am an Oregon Pinotphile, but personal preference aside, I have already seen scores of close to near perfect from various producers. The conditions in 2008 were near perfect and the hang time on the vines ideal, so they produced textbook Oregon Pinots. ABC has a fine selection of Oregon Pinots, many of them "Direct to You" like Carlton Cellars, Boedecker Cellars, and Maysara.

 Moe and Flora Momtazi and their family purchased 532 acres in 1997 in the town of McMinnville, on a property that had volcanic soil and was free from any chemicals for 7 years. They are a certified Demeter biodynamic property. What does that mean in plain English? First of all, they are organic, no pesticides. Secondly they cannot adjust sugar levels and most importantly, they have to holistically feed the land with compost that they feel would nurture the vines. In their case, they do that with dandelion greens, Persian tea leaves, chamomile and green tea. If you are a lucky winemaker in Oregon, Moe and Flora might sell you some grapes, however Maysara (Persian word meaning “house of wine”) is their own estate bottled wine.

 Both the 2007 and the 2008 Maysara Jamsheed Pinot Noirs were rated 90 points by Wine Spectator and retail at the time of this writing for $24.99. According to ancient Persian legend, King Jamsheed was able to observe his entire realm by peering into his full wine goblet, hence the name of this bottling. I just sampled the 2008 vintage and now I see what all this hoopla is. Night and day in style from the 2007 offering. Zippy is a good word to use. Bright, cherry, black raspberry fruits attack my mid-palate with the acidity being so dead on that it creates a very persistent, lingering finish. I had delusions of some wild sautéed morels or chanterelles, or a perfectly cooked piece of grilled king salmon. I loved 2005 in Oregon (for you Burgundy fans), but if this 2008 Jamsheed is any indication of what 2008s will taste like from Boedecker (Athena and Stewart Pinots already rated 91 and 92 points by Spectator)or Carlton Cellars or any Oregon producer, then I know my prediction will be right. May I have the envelope please? The #1 Wine of the Year on Wine Spectator's Top 100 List for 2011 is the 2008 ________   ________ Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Oregon. After you taste some of these spectacular wines from that vintage I think you will be able to fill in the blanks!

Larry Baker is the wine consultant in our Pembroke Pines store. You can also see more of his wine writings at his personal website, www.larrythewineguy.net.

The American Black Ale is a more recherché beer style.  It is also referred to as a Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ale.Widmer Brothers takes a break from their flagship hefeweizen and introduces a rarer beer style: the Black Ale.  This one is named Pitch Black IPA.  It is one of the beers in a new series of atypical IPAs including Nelson’s Double IPA and Falconer’s IPA utilizing the exclusive strain Falconer’s Flight hop named after the late craft beer lover, Glen Falconer.   

Appearance: It pours a nice, tight two finger head with a root beer float quality.  The color is a turbid cocoa brown.  It is being served chilled in a standard pint glass.

Aroma: There is an essence of cocoa powder and oily hops.  Roasted malts flow in and out.  The fragrance is potent enough to emit whiffs even sitting away from the glass.

Taste: The first sip is smoky in the finish with a floral hop presence in the front.  It sticks to the glass nicely.  There are almost oak like notes, a woodiness.  The mouth feel is creamy.  It is not a super hoppy IPA but expresses good flavor.  The taste is more like a black lager.

Pitch Black is a decent black IPA.  The rich smokiness and hints of coffee are balanced well by the hops but the hops presence itself is very faint.  Look for this and Stone’s “Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale” at your local ABC.

Beer blogger Adam Shugan is store manager at our Ocala (Silver Springs Blvd) store.

One of the guilty pleasures of traveling throughout wine country is the opportunity to taste the local cuisine in the places we visit.  Each region has its version of comfort food, be it Cassoulet in Provence or Risotto in the Veneto or Asado in Argentina – you get the picture :)  In Spain, there are many local dishes that would qualify, but for me a Tortilla de Patata (a.k.a. Tortilla Espanola or Spanish Potato Omlette) is the perfect way to start any day off.  A warm slice of tortilla and a cup of café con leché and all is right with the world! 

Tortilla de Patata is also served in Spain as a tapa so you can pretty much have it any time of the day.  In this instance you can certainly pair it with wine.  I find a crisp white with just a little bit of roundness works nicely – a Godello or top-notch Albarino will do the trick.  Salud!

Here’s a recipe for authentic tortilla from the Spanish master himself, Jose Andres:

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup(s) spanish extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound(s) idaho potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced thinly into about 4 cups

Salt to taste

1 spanish onion, peeled and sliced into about 1 cup

6 large eggs

Directions:

1. Heat 2 cups of the olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium flame. You’ll know the oil is hot enough for frying by placing a chunk of potato in the oil – it should jump a little when it reaches the right temperature (around 200 to 250 degrees F). Once the oil is hot enough, add the potato slices and fry on all sides until lightly brown and the edges are slightly crispy. This should take between 8 and 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the potatoes from the oil. Season with a little salt and reserve both the potatoes and the oil.

2. In a separate pan, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over a low-to-medium flame. Add the onion slices and cook until slightly brown, being careful not to burn the onion, around 10 minutes. Strain the onions from the oil and reserve.

3. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them vigorously. The eggs should still keep much of their thick, gelatinous consistency. Add the potatoes and onions and whisk together once more.

4. Add 3 tablespoons of the strained potato-cooking oil to a small 6-inch sauté pan. Heat over a medium flame. When the oil begins to smoke slightly, add the egg mixture to the pan. As you pour in the eggs, shake the pan vigorously for 10 or 15 seconds, to make sure the eggs come together. Leave the pan to cook for 30 seconds. Lower the heat and continue to cook for a few minutes. You’ll know it’s time to flip the tortilla when you see that the edges are cooked, but the center is still wobbly.

5. Place a plate over the top of the pan and invert the pan so the tortilla winds up on the plate, raw side down. If the pan looks dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup of fresh oil. Return the tortilla to the pan, by sliding it back in raw side down. Continue cooking for another 60 seconds. Serve immediately.

From Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America ©2005 Crown Publishing Group

Mmmm……….Tortilla……….  :)

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

Look closely, and you will begin to see slight changes in the labeling of many of your favorite French wines! The French wine classification system has been 'under reconstruction' since 2006, and will shortly take effect. The major change is to the current VDQS level, which will be eliminated. Current VDQS wines will need to apply for AOP status and be accepted, or be declassified to IGP. Here are both the 'old' and 'new' levels:

OLD:

Vin de Table– Carries with it only the producer and the designation that it is from France.

Vin de Pays– Carries with it a specific region within France (for example Vin de Pays d'Oc from Languedoc-Roussillon)

Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) – Less strict than AOC, a "waiting room" for potential AOCs. This category will be eliminated by 2012.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) – Wine from a particular area with many other restrictions, including grape varieties and winemaking methods.

 NEW:

Vin de France, a table wine category basically replacing Vin de Table, but allowing grape variety and vintage to be indicated on the label.

Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), an intermediate category, basically replacing Vin de Pays.

Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP), the highest category, basically replacing AOC wines.

In essence, there will be three recognized quality levels rather than four, and each will have a new name. The changes will be insignificant, with no real changes to the labels and none to the wine itself or to the land.

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

November is the time to start thinking about holiday events/parties coming up.  I thought it might be helpful to give a brief over-view of the differences in Champagne and Sparkling wines.  First is the traditional method, in which the second fermentation occurs in the same bottle in which the wine is sold.  Yeast and sugar are added to the bottle, triggering thissecond fermentation.  The side effect is the releasing of CO2 which has no where to go, so it dissolves into fine bubbles.  This method is used in the French region of Champagne and also in Spain to make "Cava" and is referred to as methode champenoise. 

The second method is called Charmat , or tank method where the second fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks, being bulk filtered before bottling.  This is the method used to make Prosecco and 95% of all German Sekt.  The reason this method is used, is that it helps preserve more of the fresh fruit characateristics in the wine, making it ideal, especially, for certain grape types varieties.

Marie Griffin, North/West Wine Supervisor

Last month, several members of the ABC wine team went with importer Nadia Galati to Italy to visit several estates. Larry Baker, the wine consultant at our Pembroke Pines store, created this video.

Well, fall is here which means baseball is over, football is in full swing, hockey is back and there is no NBA this year.  Well I am not a NBA or MLB fan, but I love football and hockey. So as I sank into my sofa on Thursday night I knew I wanted something to drink while I watched my Florida Panthers battle the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL and my second favorite NCAA football team(Boston College) play FSU. BTW, my second favorite football team is anyone who is playing FSU, Tennessee, or Georgia. This is the first thing they teach you at freshman orientation at the University of Florida. Which is great because it allows the proud members of the Gator Nation to have 3 new favorite teams each week.

So I opened my fridge full of random beers and found a Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale by Lagunitas looking me in the face. While I have heard great things about Lagunitas, I have to admit this is the first beer I have ever had from them. I was quickly impressed.  The beer pours with a nice orange copper color with aromas of citrus.  It had a nice balance of hops, malt and citrus to make each sip a little more interesting than the last. I especially enjoyed how the beer evolved as it warmed up from the chill of the refrigerator to the temp of the room over the course of the hour it took me to finish it.  I love seeing how a beer changes as it warms up a bit.  I think most people tend to drink their beers way too cold and way too quickly.  The days of funneling a Coors Light are long behind me and I appreciate how a beer evolves in my glass.  This beer has enough going on that it should appeal to anyone who likes well made beers.  It would also be a good gateway beer for anyone is getting into the micro and craft beer world. It is a wheat beer with a nice balance of hops and citrus....think of it as great step up from Blue Moon or Shock Top  

Keep your glasses half full,

Evan 

Beer blogger Evan Kaye is store manager at our Northlake Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens store.

On a balcony in Italy, not my back patio

I was sitting on my back patio the other day, just relaxing and letting my thoughts drift. A glass of red wine rested on the table in front of me. My house and patio are raised somewhat so that when you look out at the woods behind the house you are looking into the tops of trees – a tangle of leaves and branches from which you could hear the birds singing and watch the skitter of squirrels at play. The breeze stirred the liriope and the yew trees nearby and, for the moment at least, everything seemed right with the world.

            I took my first sip of wine and immediately I sat up straight. My attention was aroused. The wine was Frank Family Napa Valley Zinfandel 2008. What surprised me was that I’d poured this bottle on Thursday evening at a tasting and unfortunately found, as did a number of my guests, that the wine seemed to be going through a mute stage. It just wasn’t very interesting at all. I brought the partial bottle home with me and forgot about it for a few days – didn’t take any special care, just left it on the kitchen counter with the cork in. Now it was Sunday afternoon. Not expecting much I’d poured myself a glass. To my surprise and delight the wine now tasted terrific – rich, jammy, well-rounded, and all those wonderful things a Zinfandel should be.

            The whole experience reminded me that all too often many of us are quick to judge a wine by the first sip or two when to truly evaluate a wine one should explore the bottle over time to get the full experience. Of course when your job is to taste twenty or thirty or more wines a day this isn’t practicable, and some wine you just know will never be any better. But still I began to wonder how many bottles I had given up on too soon.

            Wine is constantly evolving. There is a long story to be told from vine to bottle, from bottle to glass. Everyone should try this occasionally: Open a bottle of a decent quality wine, take a sip immediately, think about it, take another sip ten minutes later, then an hour later, then at regular intervals over the next three or four days. Of course you’d never actually drink a bottle of wine this way, but for the sake of experiment it can really help you begin to understand one of wine’s many mysteries.

            Another thought that struck me during this Sunday afternoon idyll was how place – by which I mean the setting in which you taste the wine -- can affect your opinion of it. First of all, some wines just don’t travel well. Bottle shock (or bottle sickness) can occur during transport resulting in wine that seems unbalanced or disjointed. With young wine this can last from a few days to a few weeks. Some older vintages may never recover. The best way to avoid these kinds of problems in any major way is to buy from a reputable retailer who uses reputable distributers.

            But even beyond bottle shock – the setting matters. How many times have I known this to happen – You’re on vacation in, say, Napa Valley or the Mediterranean coast of Italy or France. You’re enjoying the wine with a spectacular meal at a restaurant. You’re relaxed. Perhaps you’re out of doors enjoying the local scenery. You fall in love with the wine. You go home and buy a bottle of the same wine hoping to relive the experience. You open it when you get home from work after you turn on the TV news and while you’re preparing dinner. Your thoughts are still caught up in the events of the day while the television assails you with war, crime, worsening economy, and the latest milestones in the life of Kim Kardashian. Suddenly you become aware that the wine is not as good as you remember it. Well – of course it isn’t!

            Enjoying wine often goes beyond the wine itself. You have to create the setting. Even in the tiniest of apartments you can relax with the wine. Turn off the TV. Put on some music that you love. Have an appetizer with it. Use your finest stemware, even on the most ordinary of days. Take the wine outside. Share it with a friend.

            Because beyond the quality of the wine is what you do to make it an enjoyable experience.

Bill Stobbs, ABC Wine Supervisor

(Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills)

What is so special about Beaujolais Nouveau?

Couldn’t any wine be offered as vin de primeur? In fact, wasn’t that what the world had been consuming throughout most of history - prior to the glass bottle and cork?

Not according to the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), a branch of the French Ministry of Agriculture, created in 1935 to manage the viticulture in France. Every wine region of France bearing an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) status, which translates as "controlled designation of origin," is strictly regulated in its production including the release date of its wines.

In 1951, a minor (at first glance) change to the AOC regulations for Beaujolais permitted the distribution of Beaujolais wines as of November 15^th instead of the previous December 15th date. Georges Duboeuf, a talented Beaujolais producer and négociant, rushed the freshly fermented new Beaujolais to Paris where it was an immediate hit. Within a few years, the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau became a national event in France. “Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé” was, and still is the slogan. Europe and the rest of the world were conquered by the Beaujolais Nouveau infatuation shortly afterwards. The release date of the Beaujolais Nouveau as the third Thursday in November was established in 1985.

Other wine producing countries have started their own “new wine” campaigns with more or less success (mostly less). For example, Italy has "vino novello", Spain "vino nuevo", and the US has "nouveau wine," etc.

So, Beaujolais Nouveau has become a ritual. Every year I impatiently await the third Thursday of November to acquire half a dozen bottles of the new wine. For many reasons… because it's the first wine of the vintage and because of its fresh taste and the association of that particular taste with the winter season and the Thanksgiving table, and during and after the holidays, but prior to the spring season.

One additional thing, do not try to compare or over-analyze Beaujolais Nouveau; if you do so, you are missing the point. Enjoy it for just what it is and enjoy plenty of it!

Atanas Nechkov, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

The color of the leaves here in north Florida have really begun to explode into beautiful shades of crimson, gold, indigo and a hundred other hues. With that come the perfectly sunny days in the seventies and cool, crisp nights dipping into the low fifties. The holidays are right around the corner, but for now it is all about the football season: college, high school and pro. And with that comes one of my favorite rites of fall, tailgating at the Jaguar games. While grabbing some chicken wings or a handful of submarine sandwiches will work in a pinch, there is nothing like a full-blown tailgate spread. This past week our hometown Jaguars entertained the Baltimore Ravens on that most special of events, Monday Night Football. So our crew got all the essentials packed up: the grill, multiple ice chests, a football, our Jaguar cornhole game, tent, chairs, beer pong table, beer, wine, wine glasses and tablecloth…what? We’re football fans, not troglodytes. For food, to go with the bottle of 1999 Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino was a lovely, dry-aged two and a half pound, center cut piece of Angus beef tenderloin. Add to that a few baked potatoes, assorted veggies, mixed greens, bread, butter and voila!

 So after an hour or two of tossing around the football, a few friendly games of cornhole, and a sampling of craft beers at the beer pong table, it was time to get the dinner going. The potatoes were just about cooked, so it was time to prep the tender. A light sprinkling of spices and a rub of olive oil was all this gorgeous piece of beef needed and it was onto the hot grill. Now this isn’t our typical tailgate, but since it was a Monday night game we did it up a little. The wine was great with the meat and even better,  I have another bottle for some other good time down the road.

It was a very good night for all of us Jaguar fans, not only because we beat a team that we were not supposed to be able to beat. We had a terrific time before, during and after the game and look forward to the next Monday night game on December 5^th against the Chargers…Go Jags!

Ken Amendola, N. Florida Wine Supervisor