Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year

Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2001

Dark color with intense blackberry, chocolate and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied and ultravelvety, with caressing tannins. Vanilla, chocolate and berry. Goes on for minutes. Best after 2010. 4,830 cases made.

Bin 22, Beaujolais Nouveau, and Other Stuff

This week is the annual unveiling of Beaujolais Nouveau. Thursday night I'll be at Wine Lover's on 2284 John Rolfe Parkway to taste Chris' selection in the weekly tasting. Come up and join us starting at 530 til about 7! I'm looking for those who attended the BIN 22 Italian Wine Tasting to use the COMMENT area below to tell us about the dinner last night. Jom Opalka is one of my current favorite distributors, and I'd love to hear about the event. We at the Fleming's Wine Spectator 90+ dinner enjoyed those pairings. Five distinct wines with the always eclectic foods that Fleming's rolls out for these dinners. By the way, use this link to track the countdown to the Wine Spectator Top 10 of this years Top 100 this week!

Wine Chemistry 301

Ok, my estudiantes, this week let's get together and do a Chemistry experiment. We are going to freeze two opened bottles of wine and see if this is a "reasonable" way of saving wine over a long period of time, one which exceeds normal expectation. We know that oxygen is the enemy of opened wines, and that oxidation gives wine that vinegar taint over time. When we freeze wine, having first minimized the amount of air in the freezing vessel, we minimize the long term contact with oxygen in two ways: the vacuum itself minimizes some of it, and the solid nature of the ice keeps oxygen from permeating the wine. What we hope will happen is that the wine will, upon thawing, approximate a smaller diminution of flavor than if had been ruined by leaving in a liquid state. Join me in taking a partially consumed Red and White and let's freeze it for the next two weeks. Because of the properties of freezing, be sure to Vaccu Seal the bottle, or consider placing the wine in a plastic bag that has had most of the air removed. Leave some space for expansion though.
One thing we can expect is that in the process of freezing, the water in the wine will freeze prior to the alcohol. This, I'm told will allow some of the solids in the wine to "precipitate out", forming small crystal in the thawed wine. It is my understanding that these are tartaric acid crystals, and are tasteless. This will be the only flaw to the texture, but I'm told that the finished product can actually improve in taste because of the decrease in acidity! Well, we shall see! I take no responsibility for any broken bottles. Please Vaccu Seal the wine to preclude that!
When we are ready to thaw the wine...I'll have some techniques for that too, which even include the microwave! I think you will be amazed at the outcome.
The last thing that is important is to make notes about how the wine tastes before the freezing so we can compare. I have chosen a Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Bordeaux White, which is Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The latter is young and acidic, so we shall see if we lose too much character by losing the acid. The Cab is a typical South American with a light style and nice dark fruits. Very light tannins make this a candidate for storing in an unconventional way, because tannins would help to keep it from spoiling too quickly if left at room temperature.
See you in two weeks!

Hard At Work

Always working hard creating my lectures on food and wine pairing and balance. Thought you'd like to know that I am always thinking of you as I work! Now it's off to Fleming's to try out what I've been working on.

Food/Wine Synergy

Lately, we have been concentrating on food and wine pairings at many of my haunts around town. Most of you have, by now, been introduced to my pairing with White Zinfandel, and the surprising result that it brings. We examine the intricacies of acid and salt in foods and how they affect wine. Further, oak in red wines affects spicy foods in surprising ways. We know that in the “old world”, wine is generally made in a style which will compliment food, specifically the foods of the region from which they come. Rhones with the local peasant dishes, crisp whites from areas near great seafood, and hearty reds where lamb and beef is raised. Is there any doubt which wines pair best with classic Italian dishes? Keep these generalities in mind while you cook this week. In what region is your main dish most successfully grown or raised? Grab a “local” wine and see if it doesn’t make the whole meal balance.

Acacia Wine Dinner Nov. 1st

Acacia announces a three course mini wine dinner Wednesday November 1st! Dale has put together a wonderful fall menu to compliment these delicious california wines. Clement Brown from Virginia Distributing will be on hand to answer your questions about the wines. Reservations will be required and the event will cost $32per person. For attendees of the tasting only these wines will be available to order from River City Cellars at a special price. We look forward to seeing you.

Mini wine dinner November 1st:

salt roasted pears, belgian endive salad, creamy bacon dressing
Sauvignon Blanc, Sterling Vineyards, Napa Valley 2005

crepe stuffed with smoked salmon, cauliflower, basil sauce
Chardonnay, St. Clement, Napa Valley 2005

speckled trout, curry lentils, apples, raisins, eggplant chip
Pinot Noir, Solaris, Carneros 2005
or
boneless beef shortribs, braised cranberries, crispy potato gratin, swiss chard
Cabernet Sauvignon, Oberon, Napa Valley 2002
$32. Per person

and ALWAYS:TUESDAY nights HALF-PRICE wines by the bottle, when you order from our dinner menu or prix-fixe menu.
three-course PRIX-FIXE menu $21.95 MONDAY-THURSDAY 5:30-9pm and FRIDAY and SATURDAY 5:30-6:30
MINI WINE DINNER Wednesday November 29th. more info to follow Remember....We are available for parties of any occasion, in your home or at our restaurants.
Please call 354.6060.

Top Dog On The Value Wine List

Well you may have seen my hint a few weeks back, and the last few wines that came to my attention did not dissuade me from my Top Value Wine Pick from the list submitted by the faithful readers herein. Here are my comments about the winner of the flight:

Montecillo Crianza 2002 (Spanish Rioja)
An Official Top Dog of the tasting group. This Spanish Rioja from Kroger and Total Wine is silky, soft and structured, with great notes of medium red fruits and just enough tannin to make me swoon. Tempranillo very often taste cheap when in the Crianza style, meaning released in it’s third year, with at least one year in oak. The next step up would be Riserva, and not fall into our price category. This is an awesome find, and I’m buying by the case. By the way, the 2001 was the actual wine submitted. If it’s any better than this…Wow (95)

Thanks to Kristen Kelly and Barbara Garazo for submitting this wine. I have now tasted the 2001, and the 1998 Riserva, both of which are available at Total Wine. The Riserva prices a bit higher, about $18.

Fleming's Featured Customer

The Fleming's Quarterly Newsletter is out, and your Mayor is featured in a short Q and A. As you all know, my humble beginnings at Fleming's have grown to this auspicious honor of bringing you the latest Richmond Wine News and my take on general wine theory. Please stop by Fleming's and ask to see a copyof the Newsletter, and consider joining in for the fabulous Wine Spectator 90+ Wine Dinner in November. Awesome wines and an awesome menu.

Bonny Doon Is An Odd Place

In an effort to market to the "millenial" market, those turning 21 in the years from 2000 - 2010, Bonny Doon and other wineries get edgy with their Brand. Check out this example. The Millenials are the largest generational market since the baby boomers, numbering about some 20 million Americans. Wine is the drink of choice among this new set, and they are spending more to quench their thirst. Those aged 21 to 34 are 84% more likely to spend $20 or more for a bottle of wine than those 35 or older. Pizza Pairings and impish names are the latest marketing techniques to get wines noticed. Spaceships over Chateauneuf du Papes are just a beginning of the invasion. Buy a Millenial a glass next time you see one perusing the bar's wine list. Or better yet, ask to have a taste of what he's paying for. It's probably more expensive than yours!

A Hint About The Value List

Spain has always been one of my favorite wine producers. It suits my old world style, and there are cutting edge wine makers plying their trade with new exciting ideas. There are more acres of grapes in Spain than any other country, but their total wine production trails France and Italy.
The styles of Spain's wines are evolving. Once known for high alcohol reds and low acid whites, they now are working to entice the taste styles of the world wide market. Government regulations have created higher quality ratings, and the lesser appellations have been properly demoted. Once requisite long oak aging rules have been relaxed and now more fruit is accessible in these wines. While each controlled appellation (DO) has it’s own specific rules, generally they follow a common theme.
Crianza style wines are released in their third year typically, and have generally have about one year in oak. Crianza is the Spanish word for “breeding”, and wines that are released prior to two full years of aging carry the words “sin crianza” (without breeding) on their label. Riservas must be at least three years old and also require one year in oak. The Crianza style is generally more desirable in the American market, although Riservas are considered better wines. Try out a crianza rioja for an affordable interesting old world play.

The Wine Value List

In my weekly newsletter, I have asked my readers to send to me the value wines that they like, those under $12 that make them shout out. I've received some super replies, and I'm happy to be releasing their pleasures soon, probably next week. I'm tasting each and everyone one of the wines and rating them. To get the list, you must send me a wine. It's only fair! I'll list my comments and return the full list to anyone who sends in a wine. If you are not on the Newsletter list, pop me an email or reply to this message with your email addy. Now I'm off to Fleming's for a glass or two and a big ole piece o' cow.

Does Anybody Read This??

Leave it to China

Beijing - The French used grapes, Russians fermented potatoes, Koreans put ginseng in their drink and Mexicans distilled cactus plants to make fiery tequila.Now China is introducing fish wine.Sun Keman, an entrepreneur in the north-east port city of Dalian, has formed the Dalian Fisherman's Song Maritime Biological Brewery, with a plan to use his background in the fishing industry to make fish into wine."Different from China's thousands of years of brewing, the brewery will clean, boil, and ferment fish for making wine," the official Xinhua news agency reported.The company already had orders from Japan, Russia and other parts of China, it said.Tipplers might also take heart in knowing the brew is purported to be good for them."Experts said the wine is nutritious and contains low alcohol," Xinhua said.

So Many Tasting Venues!

There are LOTS of new and old Tasting Venues in Richmond these days Thought I'd update you on my list:

Bin 22 - Tuesday thru Saturday evenings, extensive by the glass list of eclectic offerings, including sparklers. Tuesday is $1 off all glasses. Wednesday is half price bottles. Auburn and Cary Sts, in Carytown. This is a Mayoral Favorite.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar - First Monday of each month free tasting from 530-700. Wines paired with excellent munchies. Third Wednesday of each month is the Charity Wine Night, with a Special List of Reserve Wines offered by the glass, with every nickle going to a local charity. Great opportunity to try Reserve Wines, without having to take out a mortgage. Stony Point Fashion Mall www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Cafe Gutenberg - WineDown Wednesdays, half price wine by the glass, 5-10pm. 17th and Main www.cafegutenberg.com

Can Can Brasserie - Monday 6-7 PM $1. Art Tuesdays with tasting 6-7, specific Tuesdays. Check Schedule. www.cancanbrasserie.com

Kroger Carytown - Friday 4-7 PM wines with cheeses. Join Terry Loveland in the newly refurbished store with temperature controlled Reserve Room.

Wine Lovers - Thursday 530-7 PM wine with discussion, local distributors and wine specials. John Rolfe Parkway

The Wine Cellar - Jeff Aumen hosts wine tastings on Fridays, 5 til 8. Midlothian near Sam's Club.

River City Cellars - Friday 5-7 pm www.rivercitycellars.com

The Night They Got It Wrong

I'm at The Homestead, a resort in the mountains of Virginia which competes with the likes of the Greenbriar and the Inn at Little Washington for it's clientele, and competes well. Like a 1930's style resort with charming art deco interiors and classic club style exteriors, they exude the style and grace one expects of genteel southern charm. Tonight's wine list lived up to the surroundings. BW and I dined in the 1766 Grille, their upscale, quiet dining room with tableside food prep and a Wine Spectator Wine List.
We have long ago decided that we differ on wine styles, so I ordered a Trefethen Cabernet for her, hoping to appeal to her love of chocolate oak notes from California. And in my old world style, I chose a Northern Rhone Hermitage by Guigal. Hermitage means 100% Syrah, with Hermitage being arguably the best of show from the region. 2001 was a stellar year in Northern Rhone, and most of the wines form the region are drinking solidly right now. Guigal is a large producer with a reputation of fine sturdy wines, and excellence, including a recent Wine of Year on Wine Spectator's Top 100 List.
The 2001 Guigal Hermitage is rated 90 by Parker and prices out at about $65 retail. It was $83 on the list, so for a resort, it was well priced. Unfortunately, my cocktail waiter either misheard my order or grabbed form the wrong bin a Gigondas by another maker. Not even close to what I ordered, this is a Southern Rhone made from grenache and syrah, and prices at about $25 retail. He left to find the right wine, with a glance at the menu for guidance and a bin number. Alas, his return was closer, but no more correct. Guigal's Crozes Hermitage from 2002 was presented, and he started slicing the capsule before I could quickly tell him that this also was not correct. While similar, and 100% syrah, this is one of the lesser appellations of the Northern Rhone, and an inconsistent year as well. Certainly not the gem that I ordered. We summoned a Sommelier to help us now, and he insisted that he did indeed have the wine I wanted, and he would bring it if I still wanted it. Perfect! Once again though, we got ever so close without success. He brought me the correct Hermitage, but also from 2002, our also-ran vintage. Now I understand vintages change, and these things happen. But it galls me when the quality of the year change is not reflected in the price. The 2002 Guigal Hermitage rates an 86 from Parker, and is available retail for about $50. Nice enough, but not the wine I ordered. Not until I pointed out the difference did our server discount the wine. He did offer us a complimentary split of a Guigal Condrieu white, for "all the confusion". This was a perfect gesture, and while we declined, the service excellence of the Homestead shown through for a glimmering moment. He opened and poured a small bit of my Hermitage for me to taste, and I was happy to find the wine without flaws. My Sommelier then smiled and placed the bottle on the table and exited the scene, neglecting to fill my now dry glass! BW was quick to notice the lapse and asked appropriately, "Did he just say F*** You, in winespeak?"
Perhaps he did. Perhaps he had the last laugh, and maybe he just forgot. Regardless, I tell the story, and will recall the time The Homestead got it wrong. I bet it's rare.

I drink to your charm,your beauty and your brains —Which gives you a rough idea of how hard up I am for a drink.

Groucho Marx

This Article From the Times Dispatch - Cordell's Wine Picks

Cordell Watkins, a bartender at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, suggests five wines with screwcaps. Fleming's operating partner John Van Peppen offers the food pairings. The wines can be found in some retail outlets in the area.
Yalumba 2005 unwooded Chardonnay (South Australia), $12.95: No oak, lots of green apple, some citrus-type notes. Would go well with crab cakes or Ahi tuna. Jumbo lump crab cakes with lime butter sauce pairs nicely with tropical flavors of the Chardonnay.
Conundrum 2004 white table wine (Caymus Vineyards, Rutherford, Calif.), $28.45: Blend of five varietals, puzzle as to percentages of the varietals; layered floral; tropical fruit; spicy; lush texture. Pairs with sweet chile calamari, which has a sweet chili sauce. Conundrum has enough residual sugar to balance quite nicely with that.
Kim Crawford 2005 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), $19.55: Big grapefruit with some underlying tropical-fruit notes; nose is so distinctive. Would go well with spicy food, such as Wicked Cajun Barbecue Shrimp, which has garlic and spice and a little heat. Sauvignon Blanc cuts through it nicely.
Zilliken 2005 Butterfly Riesling (Germany), $17.99: Medium dry. Not dry, not sweet, kind of in between; great floral aroma, apple, pear fruit, acidity. Pairs with seared scallops with a lobster cream sauce. The hint of residual sugar and floral nose on the Butterfly would enhance the scallops.
Longview Red Bucket 2005 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (Australia), $11.99: Full-bodied with lots of tropical notes, pineapple, guava, spicy, too. Food pairing recommendations include Breaded Brie, almond crusted. Also, a chilled seafood tower that includes lobster, shrimp, lump crab and fresh oysters. Nice fresh, cool summer wine like this would work well. Prices may vary.

J. Emerson Changes Hands

Jim Tastian-Brown has sold the venerable wine store on "The Avenues" and Libbie and Grove. In his last newsletter Jim thanked his many customers and introduced the new owner. Staff will remain the same, and there may be some upgrades to the "non-wine" areas to better serve the local market. Jim has been a wonderful mentor to me, and will apparently now dabble in wine wholesaling and import. Best wishes to a good friend

Cordell and Cork

Cordell with Nicole Riedel, formerly of Osaka


Hope you all saw the neat article in the Times Dispatch featuring our own Cordell Watkins from Fleming’s (Wednesday’s Flair Section). Cordell was explaining screw caps to the newspaper, dispelling the notion that the only good closure for wine is real cork. So many great products are on the market now to replace cork. As we begin to see cork prices increase, and collectors continue to be bedeviled by TCA or “cork taint”, screw caps and other cork replacements are becoming more popular and more effective at saving our treasures. Statistics vary, but as many as 5% of wines using real cork are found to have traces of TCA ( trichloroanisole), a compound which produces in wine a musty, wet basement aroma. The smell can also be described as wet newspaper or wet dog hair to some. Regardless, these “corked” wines are unsuitable for drinking, and can be very annoying to a collector who has put years of waiting into a rare vintage. When TCA creeps into a winery, the results can devastate an entire years production. While the original bacteria comes originally from cork, it can grow in the winery and become costly to get rid of. Sources estimate that the cost of cork taint to the wine industry reaches $100 million worldwide annually.

It's Not Always the Most Expensive Wines...

In Bentonville, Arkansas last night I perused the wine menu at The River Grille, a nice steak place with a Wine Spectator recognized list. The usual suspects were all there, Jordan, Silver Oak, Opus etc, but the Chilean part of the list caught my eye as a real price value. Concha y Toro makes what some might call "grocery store" wines. As a matter of fact, one of my favs when I first started drinking red wine was the 1.5 L version of their Cab/Merlot blend pricing out at about 9 bucks. My tastes these days enjoy the Marques de Casa Cabernet, one of their higher end wines. Higher end being relative, it priced out on this menu at $29. It's lush and gentle, a softer cab more in the old world style. I paired it with a nicely marbled Rib Eye and was happy to be on the value track for once. I don't usually review wines on here, but this is a wine you might want to hook into next time you see it. You don't have to fly to Bentonville to find it. I've seen it at Total and Kroger, and I'm betting your retailer can order it too.