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Home > Blogs > Uncorked > Archives > 2006 > February
February 2006
Porn star earns rave reviews from Parker
No, I am not making this up, pinky swear.
Wine critic extraordinaire Robert Parker has rated the — um — maiden wine of aspiring winemaker and veteran porn-movie star Savanna Samson a 90 to 91, or, by Parker’s scale, outSTANDing, according to this New York Times story on the subject. Apparently, the gray lady of print journalism ain’t quite so gray anymore… (Free registration is required to view the full story on the NYT web site).
So, is the Times exaggerating Savanna’s porn-star status or any other part of this story? Apparently not. Here are her screen qualifications, according to the Times:
Savanna Samson is a porn celebrity. She is the star of 25 sexually explicit films, a two-time winner of the Adult Video News Award for best actress, and her work with Jenna Jameson in “The New Devil in Miss Jones,” a remake of a classic, won last year’s award for the best all-girl sex scene.
Okay, porn star, check.
Winemaker? Again, the Times: As much as she enjoyed making pornographic movies, Ms. Oliveros said there was something about them that left her unfulfilled. On a vacation in Tuscany last year, she said, she was struck by something akin to an existential crisis. “How can I leave a mark on this world?” she asked herself. “And I thought, ‘Wine.’ “
The paper notes that her first production, “a 2004 vintage of an Italian red wine that she calls Sogno Uno (Dream One), makes its debut this week at wine stores and restaurants in Manhattan.”
Winemaker, check.
And Parker?
After tasting a young bottle of Sogno Uno at a Paris bistro last fall, Mr. Parker gave Ms. Oliveros’s wine a rating of 90 to 91 or outstanding, a judgment that quickly became the talk of the wine world.
“It’s a very fine wine — awfully good,” Mr. Parker said by telephone. “It was really opulent and luscious and it had a personality.”
Sipping a glass of Sogno Uno last week at La Masseria, an Italian restaurant in Midtown, Ms. Oliveros (winemaker/porn star Samson’s real last name) said she put the same passion into her wine that she puts into her sex scenes, even as she expected the wine world to turn up its nose.
“People have to be laughing when they hear about it,” she said. “But I didn’t want it to be a joke.”
As for the Parker rating, Ms. Oliveros said, “He should’ve given it a 93.”
Make that porn star and very CONFIDENT winemaker!
I TOLD you I wasn’t making it up.
Bottoms up!
Mark Fisher
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Cincinnati Wine Festival, Fleurs de Fete find more space for crowds
The region’s most popular wine-and-food fundraising bashes are expanding to accommodate their success — and to make their patrons a bit more comfortable.
Now, wherever did they get the idea that we wine enthusiasts don’t just LOVE to be herded around like cattle … (click on “continue reading”)
… in tight little spaces?
Okay, so I exaggerate. Slightly.
Anyway, the 16th annual Cincinnati International Wine Festival, March 23-25, culminates in the grand tastings at Cinergy Center downtown. Organizers estimate that more than 6,000 wine enthusiasts will attend the winery dinners March 23 and the grand tastings that will feature more than 130 wineries March 24-25.
This year the grand tastings will move to a larger space at Cinergy Center in an attempt to handle the throngs of people who enjoy this event.
“Attendance at the festival has exploded, and we needed more space,� festival spokeswoman Melinda Kruyer said. “So we have moved to the larger Hall C on the first floor. Instead of having the tastings spill into the hall, it will all be in one grand space with 43,000 square feet.�
Attendees “will have the opportunity to mingle with famous winemakers, sample hundreds of award-winning wines, learn from leaders in the field and enjoy gourmet treats and live music,� the event’s promoters say.
The festival added a less-expensive, shorter Saturday afternoon grand tasting last year, and the idea went over well. So in addition to the 6:30 to 9 p.m. tastings on Friday and Saturday that cost $65, there will be a 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. tasting Saturday that will cost $50. The March 23 winery dinners range in price from $125 to $225 and will be hosted by several Cincinnati-area restaurants.
Tickets for all festival events can be purchased by going to the festival’s web site or by calling (513) 723-9463. The festival has generated more than $2 million for local charities that include Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Fund, FreeStore/FoodBank, Dress for Success, Boy Scouts of America, Ronald McDonald House, AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, Alzheimer’s Association, Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio, Hamilton County Special Olympics and others.
Meanwhile, the Dayton area’s fast-growing and successful wine-and-food charity fundraiser — darn right I’m referring to the Fleurs de Fete — will be held at 1 p.m. May 21 at Carillon Historical Park.
Organizers of the wine-and-food festival proclaim they are very sensitive to participants not being able to get to the wine and food, and they are mulling possible strategies that may include a third tent or other crowd-spreading measures.
Advance tickets will cost $50; for more information, call 223-4117, ext. 111 or send e-mail to jteaford@wellness-connection.org. The event benefits the Wellness Connection, formerly the Dayton Area Heart and Cancer Association.
And finally, the annual Wright State University Alumni Association’s wine-tasting event benefiting Dayton Ballet hasn’t outgrown its digs -— they haven’t booked the Nutter Center just yet —- but this year’s event at 7 p.m. March 11 in the Apollo Room of the WSU Student Union will feature more than 60 wines as well as hors d’oeuvres.
The event also features performances by Dayton Ballet, WSU cheerleaders and Emerald Jazz Dancers. The cost is $50 per person in advance and $55 at the door. For more information, or to register, go to the WSU web site set up for the winetasting event.
Thanks, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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If Hunter S. Thompson had written about wine
I have a fun little grab bag of tender morsels to spice up your weekend, if you’ll allow me.
— I know one drawback of the way this and other blogs are set up is that comments that come in on entries that are several days old often don’t get seen. This one from “DF” to the entry entitled Test your knowledge of Italian wine — if you dare, reminded me of what it would have been like if the late Hunter S. Thompson had written about wine. See if you agree.
Okay….so picture me, slightly jet-lagged from a flight from Buenos Aires (5-hour time difference between CA and Argentina) with a head cold picked up on an oversold, 14-hour plane flight filled mainly with people returning from a cruise ship, and I’m kind of bouncing around the room, semi-blitzed on a bunch of Sudafed Cold & Cough that I was allowed to purchase once the clerk verified that I didn’t intend to turn the ten crummy tablets into crystal meth or something. And then I notice your test on Italian wines. The pills are enabling me to see colors my eMad’s screen can’t even reproduce, and I have no inhibitions about anything, so why the heck shouldn’t I take a wine test? I score 9 of 10 on the first level. Feeling good about my depth of knowledge, I move on to level two, whereupon I score 9 out of 10 again! “Hoo-ha� I rejoice to myself, “maybe all those years of study toward the Master of Wine are finally paying off!!� Well, Sampson met Delilah, Napoleon ventured onto Waterloo, the Germans tried to invade Russia, and me, well I moved on to level 3 of the quiz. I should have quit while I was ahead. A lousy three out of ten correct. I probably could have done better if I’d just guessed the answers! If I ever return to Italy they’ll probably turn me around at the border and send me off to Corsica instead. Whatever….maybe I could blame the Sudafed?
— Organizers are planning to recreate the 1976 Paris tasting that turned the wine world on its head when a panel of French judges preferred California (gasp!) offerings over French wines. This has SO much potential for fun that I may just have to revisit this next week. Can you imagine what must be going through the judges’ minds — especially the one who participated in the 1976 event and is coming back three decades later to do it again? Pressure’s on, dude. Don’t screw it up THIS time. And how do you thinnk those 1973 California cabs and chards are going to taste?
— Florida wine enthusiasts are toasting the Sunshine state’s newly relaxed wine-shipping laws that allow Floridians to purchase wine directly from wineries in California and other states, according to this Orlando Sentinel story on the issue. Remember, Ohio’s regulators also have relaxed the Buckeye state’s wine-shipping rules in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the issue, although Ohio legislators have not yet codified the newly relaxed rules in specific legislation as some other states have. For a look at the political gyrations involving the wine shipping issue in Indiana, take a look at my fellow blogger Tom Wark at Fermentation’s analysis.
— Several great lines make a column by San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Linda Murphy entitled At last, there’s a wine made for men — and it’s not beer well worth your while. The whole wine-gender thing is a topic we’ve dipped our toe into a couple of times with Wine, Women and Niche Marketing Run Amok (suffice to say Ms. Murphy and I had a similar reaction to “White Lie,” a wine made for and marketed to women) and in Of Wine, Football and ‘66 First-Growth Bordeaux: Why I may learn to love the Cleveland Browns.
Finally, two pieces on Rioja/Tempranillo caught my eye, although free registration may be required to read them: Sacramento Bee column on Tempranillo and New York Times piece on Riojas.
Enjoy the weekend, thanks for reading “Uncorked,” and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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We are not worthy
What have we done to deserve the embarrassment of riches that will once again be placed before us this weekend?
Nothing, really. Chalk up our good fortune to good clean livin’.
This list of wine tastings and other wine-related events across the Miami Valley comes to us courtesy of a Dayton-area wine listserve, for which we are deeply, almost reverently, thankful. Click on “continue reading” to access the list. Cheers!
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, February 24, 2006 4-8 pm
2004 Weingut Robert Weil Dry Riesling, 2004 Colonial Estate Shiraz, Explorateur, 1999 Folie a Deux Fiddletown Zinfandel, 2002 Blason d’Issan, 2002 Smith Haut Lafitte.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 1-6 pm
2003 Steltzner Cabernet, 2003 Sabastiani Secolo, 2002 Hendry Primitivo.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 E. Guigal Dinner with Gonzague de Luze
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 Alexander Valley with Wetzel
Arrow Wine & Spirits -– Far Hills (Kettering)
Saturday, February 25, 2006 11-4 pm
2004 Santa Margherita Viognier, 2003 Louis Latour “Duet�, 2004 Gallo Sonoma Pinot Noir, 2003 David Bruce Pinot Noir, 2002 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, “Big Time Surprise� Wine
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd
Saturday, February 25, 2006 11am-5pm
2004 Milton Park Riesling, 2004 Gum Bear Unwooded Chardonnay, 2004 Kenwood Pinot Noir, 2004 Portico Del Castillo Monastrell, 2001 Jewel Old Vine Zinfandel, 2002 Coniglio Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood
Friday, February 24, 2006 5-8 pm
Lo Tengo Torrontes 2004, Lo Tengo Malbec 2003, Centamura Chianti 2003, Ilvio Grasso Nebbiola 2002, Edmunds St John Los Robles Viejos 2001, Hendry Block 24 Primitivo 2003, Brown Bag!
Saturday, February 25, 2006 1-6pm
Tenuta Le Cacinaie Vernaccia 2004, Vero Bourgogne Chardonnay 2002, Marcarini Barbera di Alba 2003, Parcel 41 Merlot 2003, Heuencia Remondo Rioja 2002, Haven’s Black and Blue Shiraz/Cabernet Blend 2002, Bonus Bottle!
Beers: St Peter’s Golden Ale, Rogue Chipotle Ale
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, February 23, 2006 5-8 pm
John Davis, Heidelberg‘s Fine Wines Importer will be introducing the Colonial Estate Wines from Austrailia, just recently released to the United States. 2005 Enchanteur Rose, 2004 Evangeliste Chardonnay, 2004 Envoy GSM, 2004 Etranger Cabernet, 2004 Explorateur Shiraz.
Saturday, February 25,2006 12-5pm
Duval Leroy Champagne, 2004 Black Jack Chardonnay, 2004 Wild Bunch (White Blend), 2003 Big Tatoo Red, 2003 Bone-Jolly Edmunds St John’s Gamay, 2003 Jester’s Cabernet, Mystery Wine!
Beers: Restoration Ale (Abita, Mardis Gras Bock (Abita), Turbo Dog (Abita), Bam Bierre Farmhouse Ale.
DLM Springboro
Friday, February 24, 2006 3-7pm.: Australian wines
Saturday, February 25, 2006 12-5pm: Italian wines
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm.
Wines beginning Friday, February 24, 2006: Paraiso 2004 Riesling, Norton 2004 Lo Tango Torrontes, Molliard 2004 Viognier, Argyle 2003/2004 Chardonnay, Anheuser 2004 Dornfelder und Spatburgunder, Sacha Lichine’s BIG RED 2003 Cotes du Rhone, Ricasoli 2002 Formulae, Venta Mazzaron 2003.
Beer: Piraat Belgian Ale
Saturday Food: Oyster Shooters, Muffaletta
Cuvee Upcoming Events:
South African Wine Dinner Monday, March 20
www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, March 1 , 2006 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays! Three shiraz wines from the Nine Stones winery from three different vineyards: Nine Stones Shiraz Barossa vineyard, Nine Stones Shiraz Hilltops vineyard, Nine Stones Shiraz McLaren vineyard.
Grapes of Ruth
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 6-8 PM
STEVE PALEY FROM DREYFUS ASHBY AND COMPANY WILL PRESENT WINES FROM BURGUNDY. BOTH RED AND WHITE BURGUNDIES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR TASTING
Market Wine Imports
2nd Street Public Market, Saturday 10-3 PM
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store
Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month tied in with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com
Friday, February 24: Modern Italian Wines, 6:30 pm
Lagaria Chardonnay, Filadonna Pinot Grigio, Lagaria Merlot, Amano Primitivo, Santa Anastacia Passomaggio.
Saturday, February 25: Que Syrah, Sirah, Comparing the Two Varietals, Syrah and Petite Sirah.
Trader Joe’s Kettering
Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8
Almond Creek (NV): California sparkling wine, Trellis Chardonnay 2002) Los Carneros (Sonoma), La Boca Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Mendoza (Argentina).
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A Dayton homecoming for a California winery owner
Upstate New York native Charles Coniglio came to Dayton to attend college because, well, he went to a Catholic high school, and if you went to a Catholic high school in the 1960s, you were just expected to go to a Catholic college. The University of Dayton, he says, was “just far enough away from home” to fit his criteria perfectly.
So to UD he came, rooming with Jim Place, the Chaminade-Julienne High School football coach and athletic director headed to Hamilton High School. Coniglio makes vague references to certain kinds of mischief and shenanigans during Place’s tenure as a doorman/ID checker at Timothy’s, the legendary UD bar. But … (click on “continue reading”)
…details were, shall we say, sketchy.
Coniglio emerged from UD with a business degree, spent time in the textile business and later moved to California, where eventually he was bitten by the wine bug (hey, it’s better than the bird flu, right?). And today, wouldn’t you know, he operates Coniglio Wines with his son Steven and winemaker Craig Becker. The St. Helena-based winery founded in 2001 seeks to produce single-vineyard cabernet sauvignons from each mountain district in Napa Valley. With a few other surprises along the way.
Coniglio swung through Dayton earlier this month on a combination marketing tour and homecoming. I piggybacked on a stop he made at Arrow Wine’s Far Hills store and tasted some of his wines.
The 2001 Coniglio Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($47) is sourced from a vineyard 1,200 feet above the valley floor on Spring Mountain. It’s rich and choclatey, with a solid core of fruit and great length. The Coniglio 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak ($47) is deeper and richer, with firmer acidity, tannins and a hint of oak. It’s built for aging. And it’s also scheduled to be tasted Saturday at Arrow’s Centerville store, by the way.
But the biggest surprise among the portfolio was the impressive 2002 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley ($37), from fruit that was originally envisioned for blending with the cabernet sauvignon. “Once we realized what we had, we decided to go ahead and bottle it” by itself, Charles Coniglio said. Good call. The wine boasts very ripe blueberry-tinged fruit, with none of the herbal notes that can creep into underripe cab franc. A lush wine with an incredibly long finish that invites the next sip.
Future releases will include a 2005 Sauvignon Blanc and an ‘03 cab franc.
Sure hope Charles remembers to send some back here to his old stompin’ grounds. Maybe Timothy’s could add it to their wine list …
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Bordeaux prices skyrocket as other winemakers are driven to suicide
If you are looking for the entry entitled Boycott Ignorance, Not French Wine, just click on the underlined words. Otherwise, wow, no two stories illustrate the growing gulf between the haves and the have-nots among French winemakers moreso than the following.
On one side, you have the prestige winemakers basking in the glow of a rumored-to-be-superb 2005 vintage preparing to hike their prices as much as 300 percent, according to this Decanter.com story entitled, “Bordeaux 2005 Likely to Zoom Up”. Three-hundred percent!
Now contrast that with the story in a British online publication entitled Forlorn French winemakers driven to the wall — and to suicide.
The story starts with this:
Eliette Montosson surveyed the rolling vineyard where her family has produced its Pays d’Oc wine for as far back as anyone can remember.
“It’s bad, very very bad. The situation is desperate,” said the silver-haired 68-year-old, who tends the rows of gnarled vines for 10 hours each day. “We’ve had some of these vines for 20 years but now they’ve got to go.”
As my wine-blogging colleague Tom Wark at Fermentation points out in an entry entitled “Memo to French Wine Industry: CHANGE!”, the protest tactics that some militant French winemakers are adopting seem fruitless. Here’s Wark’s take:
… The French should focus on trying to re-take market share back from the Australian, Chilean and other less expensive imports that have become more and more popular in France.
Of course, the other option is simply to rip up train tracks, attack telecommunication infrastructure and burn down cities.
For now, though, the old “rich-get-richer” adage just doesn’t do this situation justice. We’ll have to replace it with, “The rich get astonishingly, shamefully richer, the poor are driven to desperation and suicide.”
But as I pointed out in yesterday’s post, those who boycotted French wine for political reasons sure showed ‘em, didn’t they? Yeah, buddy. Taught ‘em a a lesson.
Mark Fisher
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Boycott ignorance, not French wine
So, you boycotted French wines after France refused to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Are you satisfied now?
This Decanter.com story entitled “Opposition to Iraq war cost French wine $112 million” ought to thrill you. Hah! We got ‘em! Maybe that will teach them a lesson!
Puh-leez.
The story details a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that at its peak, the boycott caused a 26 percent drop in the weekly sales of French wine in the U.S., and over the six months following the invasion, sales dropped 13 percent.
Now, before all you boycotters pop your Champagne — oops, I mean your sparkling wine — corks in celebration, let’s take a look at what you really accomplished. Perhaps you’re not familiar with the term “unintended consequences.” Let me explain it to you.
Here’s what I had to say about those consequences in a Dayton Daily News wine column in March of 2003, and the words are just as accurate today as they were three years ago:
The money you spend on a bottle of French wine doesn’t all end up in some French antiwar radical’s pocket. Au contraire.
A significant portion goes to the American retailer, the American wholesaler-distributor, and the American importer of that wine — or more accurately, to the American employees of those companies.
The pittance that does make it back to France might be going to a French vineyard owner who lost a father, an uncle, or a brother — or all three — in World War II, and who is extremely grateful for the role the Americans (and other countries) played in the liberation of his homeland. That French vineyard owner might disagree completely with his government’s stance.
THIS is who you want to punish?
Apparently, it was. And apparently, you did.
Way to go, dude. You’re a true-blue American. Rock on.
Mark Fisher
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Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon resonated with fine food, interesting wine and a dash of nostalgia. Thre was, quite simply, a positive vibe all around.
The afternoon started with Jay Haverstick reminiscing about his days at the Yankee Tavern when he first began scouting out the property he would turn into his namesake restaurant on the edge of downtown Dayton. At that time, the historical Oregon District was just beginning to blossom.
“I would come down here to walk around, and I saw a lot of very interesting people,” Haverstick said. “They didn’t dress like I did. They sure didn’t drink what I drank. Some of them didn’t have homes to go home to.”
His customers at the more suburban Yankee Trace “told me I was crazy” for relocating to the city’s core. And there were times that … (click on “continue reading”)
… he told himself, “They told me if you build it they will come, but there were a few days when I thought to myself, when the heck are they going to get here?”
Wine distributors who supplied the wines for the afternoon were asked to describe working with Jay. Todd Nikolai told of calling Haverstick at 7 p.m. on a Friday — the absolute worst time to contact a restaurateur — to ask him how to cook a certain type of fish at home. If there’s one topic Jay will drop everything to discuss no matter what time it is, it’s how to cook fish (well, that and wine. And photography. And maybe gardening. Okay, four topics.)
John Davis delivered a humorous rant on what it’s like to for a wine distributor to deal with restaurant owners who either know nothing or think they know it all — or both. Haverstick, thankfully, fell into neither category, Davis said.
Jay wisely interrupted long-time distributor Ardie Bonanno, who has been selling wine to Jay for the entire three decades of the restaurant’s existence, before Ardie could get going with any stories. Instead, Jay pointed to the three-foot-tall 27-liter bottle of 1999 Steltzner cabernet that Ardie brought and asked the vertically challenged wholesaler, “Do you think that for our 35th anniversary you’ll be able to find a bottle that’s taller than you?”
Jay’s daughter Amy, who works alongside him, served as emcee and helped put together a 20-minute video montage filled with family photos and pictures of the early days of the restaurant.
The five-course meal was excellent from start to finish, and the wines were eclectic, from a Spanish albarino to an Australian semillon to a French syrah.
In the end, though, this event was more about Jay than it was about the meal, and the 120-plus attendees recognized that, giving the venerable restaurateur a standing ovation.
If you attended — or even if you didn’t, and have a story about Jay or about the restaurant — by all means, click on “post a comment” and let us know! That’s what makes these “blogging” web sites interactive and fun.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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More on wine as an aphrodisiac — and more on wine
A melange of links and tidbits to help spice up your weekend, starting with a follow up to our posting earlier this week on Wine and Seduction. Seems there’s another site that explores wine’s powers to, um, stimulate the senses. Check out The Life of Reiley, a site hosted by Amy Reiley, a “leading aphrodisiac food authority.” Her newsletter purports to “unlock the secrets behind the world’s most captivating aphrodisiac foods and celebrate the sensuality of cuisine.” She has an entire section of the web site devoted to wine. And she is the author of a book entitled — I swear I’m not making this up — Fork Me, Spoon Me: The Sensual Cookbook.
Who knew?
(Ahem) Moving on, I recommend checking out Newsweek magazine’s story on Constellation Brands, the wine behemoth that bought out the Mondavi winery. (We touched on Constellation, described as the wine industry’s biggest conglomerate, last September in Wine Marketing Chutzpah Extraordinaire). The story gushes about the impact Constellation’s purchase has had on Mondavi. I suspect there may be some who would disagree.
More cheery news for those who run wine conglomerates (and maybe, just maybe, for us consumers too): California apparently produced an absolute bumper crop of wine in 2005, more than one-third more than the previous vintage. Grape-growers and winemakers are hailing both the quality AND the quantity of the vintage, but they’re also predicting prices will remain stable. Do you think we consumers will see any price reductions? Nah, me neither.
Speaking of California, should California declare zinfandel as the “official” state wine? That’s what one legislator is proposing. (I’m still trying to find out whether Ohio has an “official” wine varietal. Any suggestions?)
And finally, The Wine News has a great piece profiling former New York Times wine writer Frank Prial.
Enjoy, thanks for reading, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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This weekend’s wine tastings and more
The Jay’s Restaurant 30th Anniversary luncheon certainly headlines this weekend’s events. It may already be sold out. And I don’t ever recall seeing a 27-liter bottle of wine before. What is a bottle that large called? Methuselah? Zeus? One big-ass bottle of wine?
Note also that Napa winemaker Drew Neiman will be at Arrow’s Far Hills store Saturday.
As always, this events list comes to Uncorked courtesy of a local wine listserve, for which we are immensely thankful. (To view list, click on “continue reading”)
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, February 17, 2006 4-8 pm
2004 Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc, 2000 Villa Mt Eden Reserve Zinfandel, 2001 Seghesio La Villa Barolo, 2001 Pira Luigi Marenca Barolo, 1999 St Francis Nun’s Canyon Cabernet.
Saturday, February 18, 2006 1-6 pm
2004 Burgans Albarino, 2003 Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc, 2003 M.Chapoutier Petite Rouche Croze-Hermitage, 2003 Steltzner Cabernet.
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon!!! Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $75
The luncheon will include the above wines and a 27 liter 1999 Steltzner Cabernet. Those attending the luncheon will be asked to sign the bottle for Jay!
Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert.
Upcoming Jay’s events:
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 E. Guigal Dinner with Gonzague de Luze
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 Alexander Valley
Arrow Wine & Spirits
Far Hills store in Kettering
Saturday, February 18, 2006 11-4 pm Drew Neiman, Napa Winemaker will be a special guest.
NV Vin Fou Sparkling Rose (France), 2004 Peter Franus Sauvignon Blanc, 2004 Cordier “Macon� Blanc, 2004 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Vinum Petite Sirah “Pets�, 2002 Chase Zin.
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd
Saturday, February 18, 2006 11am-5pm
2003 Elana Walch Pinot Blanc, 2004 C. L. Sonoma Pinot Noir, 2000 Casarsa Merlot, 2004 Mitolo Jester Shiraz, 2004 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere, 2002 Les Fiefs De Lagrange St. Julien.
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood
Friday, February 17, 2006 5-8 pm
R Collection 2004 Chardonnay, Piegaia Chianti Classico 2003, Cole De Venti Dolcetto 2004, Zenner Nero d’Avala 2003, Tanbark Hill Cabernet 2002 (Philip Togni, winemaker), Brown Bag!
Saturday, February 18, 2006 1-6pm
Mashio Prosecco NV, Campetti Nebbiaie (white) 2004, Dei Rosso Montepulciano 2004, R Collection Cabernet 2003, Bishop’s Peak Cabernet 2002, Henschke Henry’s Seven Viognier/Shiraz 2003, Bonus Bottle!
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, February 16, 2006 5-8 pm
2003 Weingut Robert Weil Rheingau Riesling Spatlese, 2003 M.Chapoutier Belle Ruche Rouge, 2004 Gnarly Head Zinfandel, 2001 Coriole Mary Kathleen Cabernet Merlot, 2000 Marziano Abbona “Faset� Barbaresco, Mystery Wine!
Saturday, February 18,2006 12-5pm
2003 Sanadi Cala Silente, 2003 Chateau St. Michelle Ethos Chardonnay, 2004 R Collection Merlot, 2003 Henry’s Drive Shiraz, 2000 Marziano Abbona “Terlo Rivera� Barolo, Mystery Wine!
*Next Thursday, February 23, 2006 5-8 pm DLM Washington Square John Davis, Heidelberg‘s Fine Wines Importer will be introducing the Colonial Estate Wines from Austrailia, just recently released to the United States.
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, February 17, 2006 3-7pm.
R Collection Chardonnay, R Collection Merlot, R Collection Cabernet, Ravenswood Sonoma Zinfandel.
Saturday, February 18,2006 12-5pm
03 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay, 02 L’Aventure Syrah, 02 Twomey Merlot, 01 Ladera Cabernet.
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm.
Wines beginning Friday, February 17, 2006
Chappellet Dry Chenin, Domaine Cassagnoles Gascogne Blanc, Antinori Toscana Blanca, Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay, Paul Achs Gols Red, Calera Pinot Noir, Sagelands 4 Corners Merlot, Goundry Shiraz.
Saturday Food: Lobster spread and more.
Upcoming Events at Cuvee:
Paraiso Vineyards Winemaker Dinner Monday February 20: Chicken with sun dried tomato and artichoke cream tossed with trofie pasta and Pecorino Romano, Fresh Atlantic Salmon with smoked paprika and tellicherry peppercorn crust, roasted and served on fennel salad, Seasoned, grilled pork chop with smoky vanilla BBQ sauce on mashed turnips, D’Zert. Paraiso Vineyards Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. $65 per person.
South African Wine Dinner Monday, March 20.
www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, February 22 , 2006 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
Asara “Ivory” Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay, Vega Estaban Vivra Blanco, Asara “Ebony”, Stepping Stone Cabernet Franc, Saint Cosma 20003 Les Deux Albion Cotes du Rhone, Possum Walunga Shiraz.
Market Wine Imports, 2nd Street Public Market
Saturday 10-3 PM
2002 Nemes Kadarka, 2003 Debroi Harslevelu, 2003 Fabiano Valpolicella, 2004 Casa Julia Estate Sauvignon Blanc.
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month tied in with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com
Friday, February 17th: “The Lion’s Share of Wines” — Wine Tasting, 6:30 pm, $15 per person.
Silverado Sauvignon Blanc, Jewel Viognier, Guenoc Victorian Claret, Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel, Trevor Jones Jonesy Port.
Saturday, February 18th Casual Tasting, Secondary Labels of High End Producers, 4-7 pm Producers of high end wines often have “leftover juice�. What to do? Throw it in a bottle under another label!
Tuesday, February 21st Wine Class, Vine Vocabulary, 6:30-8 pm
Wednesday, February 22nd Bravo! Italiana Cucina Wine Dinner, 7-9 pm, Cost is $40 per person, Reservations required Call 513-759-9398
Appetizer: Crispy Shrimp with Charred Tomato Butter Sauce paired with Simi Sauvignon Blanc, Choice of the Mista Salad or a Bowl of Wedding soup paired with Benziger Chardonnay, Choose Grilled Chicken Marsala, Ravioli Al Forno, or Grilled Salmon Salad paired with Macmurray Pinot Noir, Dessert: Chocolate Tartuffo Cake paired with Taylor Fladgate LBV Port
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Drink wine, live longer
Well, if you’re a fish, anyway. And maybe — just maybe — if you’re a real, live, breathing human being.
That’s the conclusion of this WebMD story entitled “Red Wine Ingredient May Prolong Life and Fight Age-Related Diseases”.
The significance of this study is that it doesn’t appear in some wine-themed publication or web site, but in the Feb. 7 edition of the research journal Current Biology, and was reported by the respected WebMD medical web site. The WebMD.com story states that:
A glass of red wine may not only compliment your meal, it may also buy you some time to enjoy more out of life. A new study shows an ingredient found in red wine, which has previously shown to prolong the life of worms and fruit flies, may extend the lifespan of vertebrate animals like fish and possibly humans.
Now here’s what really frosted my Riedels about the study. The story proclaims that the findings suggest that the beneficial ingredient, resveratrol, “is the first compound to consistently prolong the life of several very different animal groups and could become the stepping stone for creating drugs to prevent age-related diseases in humans.”
But then, in the same breath, it also quotes researchers as saying, “large-scale, lifelong studies in more species with longer life spans, such as mice, are too expensive to conduct.”
TOO EXPENSIVE TO CONDUCT?!? A study of how this red-wine ingredient could affect the life spans of mice is too expensive to conduct?? With all the other cockamamie research out there that DOES get funded?
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Now, keep in mind, it might not be such a great idea to go out and launch your own medical study on this topic, using yourself as the guinea pig. And wine is certainly not one of those “medicines” where the more, the better. Besides, it may well be that humans can derive benefits of resveratrol from grape juice or some other substance other than red wine.
But for now, for me, personally, just l’il ole’ me — I’ll take my dose of resveratrol in a nice glass of syrah or nebbiolo or pinot or cabernet or merlot or malbec or gamay or zinfandel or … well, you get the idea.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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When it comes to cutting the cheese, beer trumps wine
As a follow-up to my posting last month entitled Hah! I KNEW the whole wine and cheese pairing was overrated, I offer for your consumption my beer-columnist colleague Jim Witmer’s story on matching beer and cheese, which ran in today’s (2-15-06) Dayton Daily News.
Witmer — who believes beer goes great with everything, including Pop-Tarts (okay, not really) — has done an outstanding job of researching and suggesting beer and cheese pairings. Lots of great information. Note especially the New York-based wine critic he quotes as saying, “Wine and cheese are a train wreck in the mouth.” Hmm .. perhaps just a tad overstated?
So, fellow wine enthusiasts, on this one narrow front of matching up with cheese, must we wine drinkers admit defeat and acknowledge that beer really is better?
Nah, not completely. I’ll never be persuaded that some classic combinations such as goat cheese with Sancerre, Roquefort with Sauternes and Stilton with Port are not matches made in heaven and far surpass any beer-cheese synergy. I know of no Belgian ale or imperial stout in the world that will convince me otherwise.
But I’m certainly willing to keep up the grueling research …
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Wine, sex, romance and seduction
Who among us can deny that wine can play a supporting role in romance, seduction, and yes, sex?
Not me. And apparently, not Wine Adventure Magazine. The publication has launched a a new column entitled “The Sensual Side,” which the editors describe thusly:
Wine as foreplay? Mais oui! This new column by Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave shows you how an elegant Champagne, sexy Sauternes or sumptuous Sangiovese can spark a session of amour.
A wine-and-sex column written by Baroness Sheri? Whoa, sign me up!
Wine Adventure magazine is supposed to be geared toward women, but I predict a sudden and significant gender shift in its subscription base.
Here’s a taste of what the new column will be all about … (click on “continue reading”)
according to the magazine’s press release about the new column:
There’s solid evidence that wine is good for your health, but here’s another benefit you may not have considered: it’s also good for your sex life … . “The Sensual Side” looks at an aspect of wine that hasn’t fully been explored: how a good bottle of bubbly or Bordeaux can heat things up in the bedroom. “People have been wooed by wine throughout history, but, until now, no one has focused on wine’s undeniable role in seduction,â€? says Editor-in-Chief Michele Ostrove. “No one knows this subject better than Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave, who’s going to share her own and others’ romantic adventures so that it may inspire our readers to explore wine’s erotic potential. As she will be pointing out, wine, in moderation, can reduce inhibitions and, literally and figuratively, add flavor to a relationship.â€?
Cautionary note from your friendly and helpful Uncorked author: The key words in that sentence are “in moderation.” In any event, we continue:
Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave is author of A Dangerous Liaison, which chronicles her brief but eventful marriage to a Belgian baron that sparked a lifelong passion for wine and a taste for la bon vie. She has since written a number of columns on wine and sex, including the “Bedroom Baroness� sex advice column for Cosmopolitan magazine. “Since being a freelancer is such a hard life, I decided to grant myself a pleasant beat and write only about life’s pleasures: food, wine, travel and sex,� says de Borchgrave. “I think they go together in any combination. What I want to do with this column is investigate wine-play as foreplay. It will be all about seduction with wine.�
Whew! I’d better stop here. I need a cold shower.
Recognizing that we don’t want Too Much Information, can any of you share a story of wine and romance? Did wine play a role in you and your honeybunny — um — getting together?
Happy Valentine’s Day, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Late-blooming Barolos strut their stuff
Enough, for a moment, of Torino (oh, are there Olympic Games going on? Michelle Kwan? Who’s that?). Let’s turn our attention to another neighborhood in the Piedmont region of Italy where the mighty wines of Barolo are produced.
Born of the nebbiolo grape and built to improve with many years of bottle age, Barolos at their best can positively mesmerize. The wines fool you with their light colors and delicate floral aromas, then hit your tongue with complex and powerful flavors, and sometimes fierce tannins — truly an iron fist in a velvet glove.
I recently attended a tasting of Barolos from the 1978 and 1982 vintages organized by a Dayton-area Barolo enthusiast who possesses far more patience and willpower than I could ever muster. After a quarter-century or evolution, the wines showed off their longevity, their elegance, their power and their beauty. On this occasion, patience in the cellar was handsomely rewarded.
Some tasting notes for the wines, which were poured in flights of two:
1982 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo: aromas of roses and violets with just a hint of dustiness. Sweet fruit gives way slowly to firm acidity and a lengthy, complex finish. Tannins have melted away, and this wine is likely hitting its peak.
1982 Marcarini Barolo Brunate: Darker in color than the Mascarello, and the nose is more muted, with hints of dark fruits and a toastiness. Firm, ripe, youthful. Dark fruits, followed by tannins and a bit of alcohol heat in the finish. This could easily pass as a much younger vintage, and it seems to have a promising future.
1982 Cordero di Montezemolo Monfaletto Barolo: The epitome of balance in a fully mature red wine. That textbook tar-and-roses nose is followed by toasty, ripe fruit, and fine length. Tannins fully resolved. No single component dominates, no rough edges — just elegance in a wine glass.
1982 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo “Enrico VI”: Similar characteristics to its sibling above, though a bit more open-knit and exuberant.
1978 M. Valentino Barolo Riserva: a bit of everything on the nose: earthy forest-floor aromas, toasty fruit and a bit of a tickle from alcohol. Intense, powerful and complex flavors wrapped around a solid core of red fruits and firm acidity. A long, satisfying finish. This wine could still improve with a few more years of bottle age.
1978 E. Pira e Figli Barolo Riserva: the front label proudly announces that the grapes for this wine were crushed by feet. A fascinating wine because of how it changed in the glass. At first, the nose seemed slightly oxidized, with earthy, mushroomy aromas. Mocha flavors intermingle with sweet fruit, finishing with fine acidity and a return of oxidized notes. But after 30 minutes, the aromas and flavors I identified as oxidation seemed to diminish, and the fruit peeked through even more, accompanied by the coffee-chocolate note. Each sip yielded something new, but the finish was always long and glorious.
These are wines that can soothe the soul. Maybe Ms. Kwan and Bode Miller can share a glass….
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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The world’s most expensive wine prompts a query …
The news report that an unnamed American collector just spent $90,000 for a bottle of 1797 Chateau d’Yquem, making the bottle the most expensive ever sold, prompts me to ask each and every one of you the following question:
Have you ever bought a wine with the full intention of re-selling it rather than drinking it?
If not, would you ever consider doing so?
And if you have, what was your experience? Was it lucrative? Fun? A disaster?
Just wondering …
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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A ‘Super’ Saturday, indeed!
Forget the Super Bowl. This is “Super Saturday” at both Arrow Wine stores, when four or five wine distributor representatives come in and offer samples of their finest, meaning there are at least 20 different wines available to taste. Arrow tells us there’s “no need to go anyplace else” Saturday, and they may be right, but those oyster shooters and garlic crab dip at Cuvee Wine Bar also sound rather tasty…and that pair of Italian reds from the 2000 vintage at Jay’s Kitchen Door tonight, as a warmup for Super Saturday… and more Italian wines at the DLMs and the upcoming Todd Nikolai-led Italian wine tasting at Grapes of Ruth … I’m tellin’ ya, it’s La Dolce Vita right here in humble little Dayton, Ohio!
Click on “Continue Reading” to view the events, which come to us courtesy of a local wine list serve. Cheers! Mark Fisher
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, February 10, 2006 4-8 pm
2004 Rosenblum Chateau de Paws Cote du Bone Blanc, 2004 Rosenblum Syrah, 2000 Accordini Amarone della Valpolicella, 2000 Chateau De Malleret Bordeaux, 2000 Cicci Piccolomini di Aragona Brunello.
Saturday, February 11, 2006 1-6 pm
2003 Droughin Puligny Montrachet, 2000 Clos Pui Arnaud Bordeaux, 2001 Chateau Le Forts de Latour (Latour’s 2nd label), 2002 Chateau Le Forts de Latour.
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon, Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $75
Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert.
Other Jay’s upcoming events: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 E. Guigal Dinner with Gonzague de Luze; Wednesday, March 22, 2006 Alexander Valley with Rob Wetzel.
Arrow Wine & Spirits, Far Hills/Kettering
Saturday, February 11, 2006 11-4 pm will be Super Saturday
2004 Rosenblum Chateau de Paws Cote du Bone Roan, 2004 Rosenblum Chateau de Paws Cote du Bone Blanc, 2004 Rosenblum Zinfandel Paso Robles, 2003 Chateau Loque Pic St Loup, 2001 Terre Valentine Napa Valley Cab, 2004 Robert Weil Reisling Estate Trocken, 2004 Pila Donna Pinot Grigio, 2003 Terra Rosa Malbec, 2003 Sequesio Zinfandel Cortina, 2002 Morgan Syrah, 1996 Kalin Semillion, 2003 Solena Cellars Pinot Noir Shea Vieyard, 2002 Carson Peak Cabernet, 2003 Finca Sandevol, NV Trentadue Chocolate Port, 2003 Aryle Chardonnay, NV Meditrina Red, 2001 Oberon Merlot, 2002 Nipozzano Chianti Classico Reserva, 2004 Houghton Cabernet Merlot Shiraz.
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd
Saturday, February 11, 2006 11am-5pm Super Saturday:
2003 Concannon Petite Sirah, 2004 David Bruce Central Coast Pinot Noir, 2002 Merryvale Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, 2003 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Il Couré Chardonnay, 2002 Il Couré Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Estancia Pinot Gris, 2001 Clos Du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon, And many more!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood
Friday, February 10, 2006 5-8 pm
Il Cuore 2004 Chardonnay, Il Cuore 2001 Rosso Classico, Magnet 2004 Pinot Noir, Yalumba “The Signature� 2001, Terra Valentine 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Brown Bag!
Saturday, February 11, 2006 1-6pm
Banfi 2004 Rosa Regale, Daydream 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Cavallotto 2002 Langhe Nebbiolo, Clerico “Visadi� 2004 Langhe Dolcetto, Blackjack Ranch 2002 “Alix de Vergy� Pinot Noir, Chateau La Grande Clotte 2003, Bonus Bottle!
Beers: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Pale Ale, Lindeman Kreik Lambic
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, February 9, 2006 5-8 pm
2004 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Rose, 2004 Pascal Cotat Le Monts Damnes Sancerre, 2004 Cimicky “Trumps� Shiraz, 2003 Finca Sophenia Malbec, 2002 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Reserva, Mystery Wine!
Saturday, February 11,2006 12-5pm
2004 Four Graces Pinot Gris, 2003 Menage a Trois White, 2001 Il Cuore Rosso, 2003 Menage a Trois Red, 2001 Hartwell Cabernet, 2002 Blason d’ Issan Margaux, Mystery Wine!
Beers: Bell’s Wheat Love Ale, Pete’s Wicked Ale, Hunka Hunka Burning River.
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, February 10, 2006 3-7pm.
Tenuta Le Calcinaie Vernaccia, La Casina Girasole, Mazzi Valpolicella, Clerico Dolcetto Visadi.
Saturday, February 11,2006 12-5pm
Penfolds Yattarna, Henschke Tilly’s Vineyard, D’Arenberg “The Dead Arm” Shiraz, Yalumba Octavius.
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH, Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm.
Wines beginning Friday, February 10, 2006
Dolce Stilnovo Rosso, Robert Weil Estate Riesling, San Silvestro 2004 Gavi di Gavi, A to Z Pinot Gris, ADA Navarra, Noah Los Chamizal 2002 Zinfandel, Noah Los Chamizal 2001 Cabernet, Veraison 2001 Merlot.
Saturday Food: Oyster Shooters, Garlic Crab Dip.
Upcoming Events at Cuvee: Paraiso Vineyards Winemaker Dinner Monday February 20; South African Wine Dinner Monday, March 20. For more information, go to www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese
Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, February 15, 2006 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
Grapes of Ruth
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 6-8PM
TODD NIKOLAI FROM VINTNER SELECT WILL PRESENT WINES FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF ITALY.
Market Wine Imports
2nd Street Public Market, Saturday 10-3 PM
Rosa d’ Rose Red Italian Sparkling Wine, Amore Magico Rosa Italian Sparkling Wine, Casa Julia Sauvignon Blanc, Chile, And a mystery wine from Germany.
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store
Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month tied in with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com
The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Trader Joe’s: Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069, 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads, www.LittleSonomaWines.com
Saturday, February 11th ~ Australian Casual Tasting, 4-7 pm
Friday, February 10th ~ The Best of Cutting Edge, 6:30 pm Cutting Edge Selections presents six of their best selling selections Perry Creek Winery Chardonnay, A to Z Pinot Gris, Vega Sindoa Cabernet Tempranillo, Penley Estate Condor Shiraz Cabernet, Finca Luzon Verde, Castle Rock Lodi Petite Sirah.
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Prestigious Loire producer embraces screwcaps for his long-lived wines
Two of my favorite topics — screwcaps and Loire whites — together in the same story? How can I resist? Take a look at this Decanter.com story on Loire producer Domaine des Baumard’s announcement to put its finest wines in Stelvin screwcaps.
The significance of this move is that Baumard’s flagship wines — Savennières and Quarts de Chaume — are built to improve with many years of bottle age, and are not for early consumption. These underappreciated chenin blanc-based wines don’t reach their peak for a decade or more, and they can last for 20 or 30 years or longer.
For Baumard to entrust wines of this caliber and ageability to screwcaps rather than corks speaks volumes about the enclosure trends sweeping the wine industry. Will the corkscrew someday become a museum relic?
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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The four short days my toes touched Tuscan soil
In keeping with the Winter Olympics course we charted earlier this week (and is it Turin or Torino? I thought Torino was a car)…
My only trip across the pond came in the summer of 2001, with my wife and our two sons, then 12 and 13. It was a trip of a lifetime — and I think I’m still paying installments on it: three weeks, starting and ending in Paris but also spending time in the Loire, the Rhone and other regions of France. (Yes, I might have mixed wine pleasure with the business of a family vacation.)
My wife and I decided that, what the heck, we’re in the neighborhood and all, we should take a little side trip to Italy. You know, just to say we’ve been there. We hopped a short flight over the border to Florence.
Those four days turned out to be the highlight of the trip. The Doumo. The statue of David. The statue of Bacchus (rather different physiques on those two dudes, wouldn’t you say?).
And the food. My Lord, the food. And the wines. My Lord, the wines.
The first night, we ate at a restaurant recommended by the hotel. I pored over the wine list, trying to find just the right bottle for the occasion. I found a wine that sounded good, for something like $20. When I tried to order it, the server waved me off: “You don’t want that. You want this.” He walked over to a windowsill, grabbed a bottle that appeared to be sitting there as a decoration, and opened it for us. It was $9 — less than half the price of the wine I had attempted to order. And it was wonderful.
Now THAT’s a server!
He proceeded to guide us through the menu, ensuring we did not order too many courses. The silken prosciutto draped over slices of perfectly ripe melon stopped my wife’s conversation in mid-sentence. The ravioli — lightly dressed with an intensely flavored, creamy tomato sauce — was quite simply the best pasta dish I’ve ever eaten. Steaks were grilled and presented with little adornment — and boasted amazingly rich and complex beef flavors.
Two nights later, we returned and repeated the experience.
Let’s just acknowledge it: when it comes to food and wine, Italians know how to live.
And in case we need further proof: later in the week, we’ll explore some well-aged Barolos I recently had a chance to taste.
It wasn’t quite the same as tasting wine in Italy. But it was the next best thing.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Fire and wine: Silver Oak pegs losses at $3 million in blaze that destroys historic winery
Man, what is it about premium California wines going up in smoke lately? First it was the big warehouse fire in Vallejo, which remains a mystery. Now it’s Silver Oak’s Oakville winery. This San Francisco Chronicle story details the blaze, and a Decanter.com story from today updates the news with an estimated loss of $3 million.
Ouch.
If you’ve got an orphan bottle of Silver Oak in your cellar, treat it gently this week. It has suffered the loss of many family members. Perhaps a corkscrew is the best therapy …
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Test your knowledge of Italian wine — if you dare
The Olympic hype has begun (as if you hadn’t noticed), and because this year’s Winter Olympics will be held in Turin, Italy, that means we’ll be getting “up close and personal” with all things Italian.
Including, of course, wine. No problem there, right?
So it’s time to test your knowledge (or in my case, my ignorance) of Italian wine by taking the Italian Trade Commission’s online wine quiz.
Wow, those Italian expect a LOT. The quiz comes in three difficulty levels — beginner, intermediate and advanced. Here is the first question on the beginner’s quiz, fercryin’outloud: (click on “continue reading”…)
Which of the following Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wines does not exist?
Capri DOC
Ischia DOC
Elba DOC
Sardegna Semidano DOC
Sicilia DOC
Ohhhhh-kay. Sure, I know THAT one. I learned my DOCs in grade school. Or was that my ABCs?
Plus, the quizmasters don’t just tell you the right answer when you get a question wrong. They make you read the pertinent sections of their web site until you find the right answer. Didn’t you just hate it when your teacher did the same thing?
For the record, I got 6 of 10 correct on the beginner’s quiz, thanks to some lucky guesses, but then fell to 4 of 10 correct on the intermediate quiz, and tanked completely on the advanced with a miserable 2 of 10 correct. I couldn’t even guess the true-false questions. Sheesh!
And not a single question about Chianti in a straw basket … (note to those reading “Uncorked” for the first time: That was a JOKE. A JOKE, I tell you!)
Remember this above all else when it comes to Italian wines: They are built for food. When tasted side-by-side with a California or Australian fruit-and-oak bomb, you’ll rarely if ever choose the Italian wine as your “favorite.” But sit down and try both of those wines with several courses of fine Italian cuisine, and the Italian wine will shine, and the non-Italians will turn clumsy and tiresome to drink.
So how did YOU do on the quiz? Did you kick my butt?
Cheers, and thanks to Vintner Select’s Todd Nikolai for turning me on to this little slice of humiliation!
Mark Fisher
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Not MY wine, Australian winemaker tells ‘Uncorked’ readers
You may recall the entry of two weeks ago entitled Clash of the $10.99 Aussies, one clear winner. Well, the husband-and-wife winemaking team that made many Marquis Philips wines noticed that entry as well, and would like to clear up any misconceptions that some of those who commented on the original post may have had. Here’s an email I received from Sparky Marquis (click on “continue reading”)
Dear Mark,
After your comparative tasting of the 2003 Marquis Philips Roogle Red, I was a little concerned to see that some of your readers have made an association between Sarah and myself on the one hand, and the Marquis Philips 2003 Roogle Red on the other.
Sarah and I were not the winemakers for this wine — which we understand was blended and bottled under the Marquis Philips label after we ceased our direct involvement in the company — and we had no knowledge of this wine until fairly recently.
We were, however, winemakers for the 2004 vintage Marquis Philips wines, and can vouch for their quality. There’s no reason for (Uncorked reader and commenter) Cathy to be concerned — we are sure her bottle of Sarah’s blend will live up to her expectations. Sarah and I would love to be sharing it with her.
The 2003 Roogle Red is not a “Sparky juice” as Mark D puts it, but for all those who have enjoyed the Marquis Philips wines we did make, then the imminent release of the new “Sarah and Sparky juice” under our own independent label should be cause for excitement! We’ll keep you posted…
Cheers,
Sparky and Sarah (sparky@grapesconsulting.com.au), Australia.
So there you have it. Thanks, Sparky, for the information, and cheers back!
Mark Fisher
Um which wine do you think I preferred?
Photo by Jim Witmer
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‘Dropping in’ on some California wineries — literally!
Google Maps and WineGeeks.com have teamed up to allow us cyber-surfers to have a little fun and learn a bit of geography while we’re at it. The web site allows us to pinpoint the location of California wineries and will show where it is in reference to other wineries in the same appellation.
Even better: Switch to the satellite view, and you can zoom in to catch a close-up view of the winery and vineyard, such as this example for Napa Valley wineries. Check out the nice pools at some of these places! So that’s where all our hard-earned money goes to …
My thanks for Sunny at Spagio Cellars in Grandview (Columbus) for tipping me off to this fine little diversion.
Thanks, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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An outsider’s view of the Dayton wine scene
Today I let my wine-blogging colleague in Cincinnati, Jens Rosenkrantz, seize the spotlight. I failed to complete my monthly assignment for “Wine Blog Wednesday,” which this month called for us to review a wine shop. Jens, who runs his own wine shop in Cincinnati, decided he’d go out of town to complete his assignment, and chose Dayton — after all, we ARE just a northern suburb of Cincy, right? — as his destination of choice. Read his Cincinnati Wine Warehouse entry entitled Road Trip entry about Arrow Wine’s Far Hills store and about an evening of fun that included stops at Jay’s Kitchen Door, Jay’s Restaurant and finally the Oregon Express. All in the name of research. Whew!
Catch the full roundup of Wine Blog Wednesday shortly at Dr. Vino’s Wine Blog. And remember that both of these sites are linked to from our “Other Wine Blogs” list you can always find down the right-hand side of the main page of “Uncorked.” Thank you Jens, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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A Super weekend of wine tastings
What better way to steel yourself for the Super Bowl than to taste for yourself beforehand? Let your taste buds guide your buying decisions … As always, the following list of wine tastings and other events comes courtesy of a local wine listserve, and thank you for that!
To view the tastings list, click on “continue reading,” and thanks!
Jay’s Kitchen Door
Friday, February 2, 2006 4-8 pm
Paterno Wines International wines will be tasted with guest, Ron Ellis … Ron is bringing a Gaja (Italian) and other special wines!
Saturday, February 3, 2006 1-6 pm
2002 Drouhin Chablis, 2001 Le Clefs Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2002 Raphet Morey St. Denis.
Jay’s 30th Anniversary Luncheon! Saturday, February 18 12:30 PM RSVP 222-2892 $75 Celebrating Jay’s thirty years of great seafood and wine will be five wine representatives with their own wines and stories to tell about working with Jay. Amuse Buche – Caviar-Smoked Salmon Flutes, Saffron-Buckwheat Crepe with a Ragout of Lobster and Chantrelle Mushrooms in a White Wine Cream Sauce, Three Crab Smoked Tomato Bisque with Basil Oil and Boursin Cheese Crouton, Phyllo Shredded Shrimp with Mixed Greens, Spiced Almonds and Fried Brie with a Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette, Duo or Seared Filet and Chilean Sea Bass in a Crawfish-Morel Mushroom Sauce with Truffle Oil, Anniversary Surprise Dessert
Jay’s is offering lunch 11:30 am – 2 pm every Friday in 2006.
Arrow Wine & Spirits -– Far Hills (Kettering)
Saturday, February 3, 2006 11-4 pm
2004 Pillar Box Red, 2003 Sabastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Camelot Pinot Noir, 2002 Willi Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, 2004 Robert Foley Napa Valley Charbono.
Arrow Wine 615 Lyons Road (Centerville)
Saturday, February 3, 2006 11am-5pm
Maui Blanc Pineapple Wine, 2004 Di Bruno Pinot Grigio, 2002 Rosso delle Cinciole Toscano Sangiovese, 2000 Terra Blanca Merlot, 2004 Three Rings Shiraz, 2002 Caldwell Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine.
Saturday, February 11 will be Super Saturday at both Arrow stores! A minimum of twenty wines, different wines at each store.
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood
Friday, February 2, 2006 5-8 pm
Marea Pinot Grigio 2004, E.D.Bocquenet Nuis St George 2003 Burgundy, Chateau La Paws Rosenblum Red Blend, Fire Block Grenache 2002, Spann Vineyards Sangiovese 2002, Brown Bag!
Saturday, February 3, 2006 1-6pm
Vinum White Elephant 2003, Hanzel Sonoma County Pinot 2000, Pillar Box Red 2004, L’Adventure 2002 Zinfandel, Mazzi Valpolicella 2003, Massovecchio Reserva Chianti 2001, Bonus Bottle!
Beers: Baltika #9 Lager, Lindeman Kriek Belgian
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, February 1, 2006 5-8 pm
A tour of Italy with Todd Nikolai as your guide. Todd will talk about each wine and will be available to answer your questions: 2004 Gini Soave Classico, 2004 Clerico Dolcetto, 2004 Moccagatta Dolcetto d’Alba, 2003 Mazzi Valpolicella, 2002 Cavallotto Nebbiolo, 2001 Seghesio Barolo, 2004 La Spientta Moscato d’Asti.
Saturday, February 3,2006 12-5pm
2004 Domaine de St-Antoine Rose, 2001 Merryvale Reserve Chardonnay, 2003 Lemas Domaine Claval Coteaux du Languedoc, 2004 Colli dei Venti Dolcetto d’Alba, 2003 Yalumba Bushvine Grenache, 2001 Yalumba “The Signature�, Mystery Wine!
Dorothy Lane Springboro
Friday, February 2, 2006 3-7pm.
Verget 04 Macon Villages, Chapoutier Belleruch Cotes-du-Rhone, Steltzer Pinotage, Franus Cabernet.
Saturday, February 3,2006 12-5pm
Verget 04 Puligny-Monrachet, Verget 04 Chablis, Potel Pommard 1st. Cru, Philip Togni Napa Cabernet.
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook, OH
Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm.
Wines beginning Friday, February 2, 2006
Blue Fish Riesling, Setzer Gruner Veltliner, Naia Verdejo, Pelee Island Unoaked Chardonnay, Dievole Pinnochio Nero D’Avola, Keltie Brook Merlot, Magnet Pinot Noir, Montes Cabernet/Carmenere.
Saturday Food: Green Chili on Flatbread, Italian Style Tripe Stew.
Upcoming Events at Cuvee: Noah Winery Winemaker Dinner Thursday, February 9, 7:00 PM, $65 per person: Braised Pork Belly from White Marble Farms served with Black Pepper Gastrique and a Gratin of Yam with Goat Cheese paired with Noah Duarte Zinfandel; Exotic Mushrooms in Ancho Cream over Creamy Polenta with Mascarpone topped with a mix of Grilled Portabellini, Avocado, Tomato, and Cotija Cheese paired with Noah Merlot; Wine-Braised Veal Shanks with Root Vegetables and Roasted Garlic.
Paraiso Vineyards Winemaker Dinner Monday February 20, South African Wine Dinner Monday, March 20, www.cuveewinebar.net
B. R. Scotese
Fairfield Wine tasters! Wednesday, February 8, 2006 4:30 pm will find many of the Fairfield Wine group at B. R. Scotese! The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
Avanti 2004 Pinot Grigio, Landmark Overlook 2004 Chardonnay, Wellington 2001 Zinfandel, Wellington 2001 Syrah, A to Z 2002 Claret, Hedges 2003 CMS.
Grapes of Ruth
Wines available for tasting starting Friday, February 3: Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay, Kit Fox Fume Blanc, Las Rocas Grenache, Coturri Pinot noir, Chateau Les Quatre Filles Cairanne, St Supery Cabernet Sauvignon, Buehler Zinfandel, Napa Nook.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2:00 PM, 2ND ANNUAL CHILI COOK-OFF; WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 6:OO-8:00 PM: WHITE WINE CLASS
Market Wine Imports
2nd Street Public Market, Saturday 10-3 PM.
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store
Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month tied in with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese.
Trader Joe’s: Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads. www.LittleSonomaWines.com
Friday, February 3rd — Top Five Traditional Italian Varietals, 6:30 pm; Reservations are recommended.
Saturday, February 4th — Casual Tasting, 4-7 pm, Four Italian wines.
Tuesday, February 7th — Wine Class, Hosting a Wine Tasting in Your Home, 6:30-8 pm
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Caymus ‘responds’ to complaint of corked bottle
UPDATE from Uncorked editor Mark Fisher: There has been an development to this saga — in late March, Caymus did indeed send a magnum of its Special Select to make things right for the owner of the corked ‘85 SS.
Today, let’s pretend.
Let’s pretend you’re the owners of the prestigious Caymus Vineyards in the Napa Valley.
You receive a complaint from a customer who placed his trust in your product — in this case, a three-liter bottle of 1985 Caymus Special Select Cabernet Sauvignon — to make his 20th wedding anniversary celebration with several friends a truly special occasion. But the wine turns out to be unquestionably, undeniably “corked” — tainted with the TCA contaminant that imparts a wet-cardboard, damp-basement smell to wines. (We recounted this experience of a friend of mine three weeks ago in our entry entitled Uncork THIS: Time to put a stop to corked wines.)
What do YOU do?
Well, here’s what Caymus did. The winery’s PR person sent the following email to the aggrieved party:
Thank you for calling to our attention, both in our retail shop and via our website, the article in the Dayton Daily News reporting on a corked 3-liter bottle of 1985 Caymus Special Selection. Since our founding in 1972, we have been concerned with the possibility of cork taint, and we have become even more attentive (as have most wineries and writers) in the 20 years since that wine was bottled. As a result, our cork selection has been extremely rigorous, and we believe we have an outstanding record on this issue.
It might interest you to know that we have converted our entire production of Conundrum, a white wine blend made by Caymus from 1989 through 2001, to a twist-top capsule. This closure ensures that this fresh, fruity wine carries absolutely no risk of cork taint. Conundrum is now an independent brand but is still owned by the Wagner family.
With best wishes,
Phyllis Turner Communications Director Caymus, Mer Soleil, Belle Glos, Conundrum
Now, I know full well that it’s unrealistic to expect the winery to replace the bottle in question. The Caymus SS is a highly sought-after, and limited-production, wine. Especially a vintage that is two decades old. Especially in a large-format bottle that holds the equivalent of four standard-sized bottles. And heck, the winery probably figured, how do we know the wine was really corked? If we are overly generous to this customer, and word gets out, we might be deluged with similar complaints — not all of them legitimate.
But to send this kind of an email that apparently seeks to assure my wine-tasting friend that he can buy as much Conundrum as he’d like and be TOTALLY sure that IT’S not corked — well, be still my heart! Oh, happy day!!
I’m thrilled that Caymus feels it has an “outstanding record on this issue.” And that Conundrum is screwcapped. Now, what does that have to do with the complaint, exactly?
Well, at least he did get her “Best wishes.”
You’re the owners of Caymus. What would YOU have done in this situation?
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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