Archive for the 'Food and Drink' Category

Wine Sales Continue Expanding!

January 25, 2010 filed in Current Affairs, Food and Drink and Wine.
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Whew!  Some good news arrived over the weekend, in the form of a report stating U.S. wine consumption eked out another increase again in 2009, continuing our hitting streak into its sixteenth straight year.  If my memory serves correctly, this is the first time such sustained growth has occurred in our 233 year history as a nation.  So why was last year so painful for so many of us in the wine industry?

So before we break out the party hats and pop corks on bottles of bubbly, let’s put these findings in perspective. Here are some highlights from this weekend’s report:

— 2009 marked the 16th straight year of growth in wine sales, up 0.6% over 2008.

— Wine sales have shifted from on-premise (restaurant) to retail stores (especially grocery stores) as consumers increasingly choose to dine in, but still want wine.

— Consumers are buying less expensive wine,  which will have a long-term effect on the market.  (emphasis is mine)

— Direct sales to consumers at tasting rooms, or through wine clubs and the Internet, are gaining in popularity.  (emphasis is mine)

First, let me calm the fears of anyone who might think America is becoming a nation of drunkards.  The average American adult consumes less than one case of wine every year – that’s less than a bottle of wine per month, for those who appreciate math subtitles.  That puts our population at #18 on the chart of per-capita wine consumption, in case you’re keeping track at home.

And while I’m pleased to hear  that wine drinkers are buying more from wine clubs (like mine!) and online stores (like mine!), my bet is that most wine club purchases are occurring directly from the winery, where club membership recruitment is far more effective than in most retail stores, despite the greater access to quality of the latter distribution channel.

In addition, the less expensive wines that enjoy an inordinate share of the consumption growth (1.1% for this sector vs. 0.6% overall) are the exclusive domain of large physical stores (Grocery, big box stores, discounters, etc.) , since shipping expenses run as much as the cost of the wine.  I believe this trend will develop in two ways.  First, one portion of those drinking less expensive wines will continue to do so for the rest of their drinking days.  But another, probably far smaller group, will find the aromas and flavors of inexpensive wines to be limited and predictable and far too similar.  This is the group that will grow into upscale wine drinkers in years to come.

Now, how do I get hold of those folks, begin a conversation, and stay in business until they see the light???  hmmmm.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
866-746-7293

Quote of the Day
“WINE, n. Fermented grape-juice.  Known to the Women’s Christian Union as “liquor,” sometimes as “rum.” Wine, madam, is God’s next best gift to man.”
~ Ambrose Bierce, American Wag, Writer, and Journalist (1842-1914)

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The Joys of Shipping Winter Wine

January 20, 2010 filed in Food and Drink and Wine.
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Selling and shipping wine online to interested parties around this great nation of ours is a fool’s quest.  Not only must the merchant navigate the rocky shoals of state regulations (akin to selling in 50 different countries when it comes to permits, age verification, quantity limits, and collection of sales taxes despite no physical presence in their state), but the weary merchant must also navigate the elements.

As I sit here in rain-soaked California, we fear the frequent mud slides and worry about erosion of our treasured top soil.  Well, that and the smell of wet wool in the work place.

But elsewhere, this week’s inclement weather has lead to extreme temperatures that can affect a bottle of wine.  If your wine spends too much time in an un-heated UPS truck or warehouse, it not only turns into a sort of adult slushy, it also forces the cork out of the bottle.

This may have been behind the photo at left, sent in by dear customer Kara.  It is rather curious as to how the cork on one bottle was pushed, while the cork on the other bottle shipped in the same box was not.  Any ideas on this?

I’m hypothesizing here, but the bottle that arrived in perfect condition was a Napa Cabernet, higher in alcohol by about 15% than the wine with the pushed cork.  Could it be that the additional alcohol acted as anti-freeze?

Some may say that the Napa Cab benefited from the use of a natural cork, while the Rhone blend used an artificial cork.  This may well be, but in my experience, the artificial corks are more difficult to separate from the bottle, not less.

What I Damn Well Plan To Do About This
Strong language for a simple pushed cork, perhaps.  Maybe I’m channeling the unpleasantness from this week’s special elections.  But I do want my customers to know that I take their wines seriously.  The upcoming club shipment will again offer the option of free storage at my California facility until the club member indicates temperatures are adequate to allow safe shipping.

Even then, shipping to locations outside California will occur only on Mondays, allowing sufficient time for a UPS truck to get wine to its intended destination, obtain an adult signature, and all the other regulatory mumbo-jumbo required for safe delivery of the fermented grape.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@DaveTheWineMerchant.com

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Corkage Fees Flee at S.F. Restaurants

January 4, 2010 filed in Current Affairs and Food and Drink.
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Today brings a bit of good news for San Francisco diners.  We’re gradually losing our reputation as a city of restaurants with excessive corkage fees.  Today’s article in the online version of the WSJ (Bay Area Edition) reports that more and more S.F. restaurants are waiving their corkage fees.

The reason is clear.  It’s the economy, stupid.  And as a wine merchant who might benefit from such a movement, you’d think this would be good news for me as it may be for you.

But will such waivers last beyond the current downturn?  Once we put this devastating period behind us and move on to economic recovery, will corkage fees remain waived?  I doubt it.  Here’s why…

Restaurants who have waived their corkage fee (usually $10 – $20) have done so in hope that more diners will choose them over they restaurant next door.  It’s a fish-eat-fish world out there in today’s competitive dining marketplace.

But here’s the challenge – a waived fee has to bring in ENOUGH additional customers to make economic sense.  First, there’s the basic loss in revenue – wines sold from the restaurant’s wine list provide a substantial margin – often about 300% of cost.  That’s higher than anything else on the menu except perhaps coffee or bottled water.

Then there’s the out-of-pocket costs.  Any increase in traffic will also have to offset broken glassware (assuming the patron doesn’t bring their own glassware is a pretty safe bet) which can cost a high-end restaurant $500 – $1000 per month.  That’s a lot of additional dinners!

It’s been a tough few years for many of us.  But I’m glad I’m not in the fine dining establishment.  Many of my favorites have gone under in recent months, and many more are hanging on by a hangnail.  I don’t begrudge them their corkage fee – it’s still a bargain relative to buying wine off the list!

So hey, it’s Monday night.  The first work night of the new year, for most of you.  Why not celebrate our hope for better things to come by enjoying a night out, complete with wine?

Cheers,
Dave the Wine Merchant
866-746-7293


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Chill it. Warm it. Chill it. Warm it… will it hurt your wine?

December 14, 2009 filed in Food and Drink and Wine.
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When I was working with enthusiastic newbies at my old wine bar, one of the persistent myths I’d have to dispel time and again went something like this:

If you buy a chilled wine, don’t let it come up to room temperature before you drink it!  That change of temperature ruins the wine!

This myth simply doesn’t make sense to me.  Of course, I can see why you wouldn’t want a wine to undergo rapid temperature change, but any well-made wine can withstand room temperatures after being chilled.  Even multiple times.  But I could find no documentation of this.  So I asked an old colleague of mine – the U.C. Davis-trained Winemaker Alison Crowe – who had this to say about that…

Alison in vineyard

Alison Crowe, Winemaker

Oi!  There is no real reason [a wine can't be chilled and then warmed] as long as the change is not dramatic (wide temp swing, think 45 F-110 F!) or sudden (in 30 minutes!) there is no real reason to call a bottle “defunct” if it’s been chilled to serving temp from room or cellar temp even a few times.

It’s all a continuum of time, temp and duration.  There’s no doubt that a bottle can be compromised w/ high temperatures – sitting around in the back of one’s trunk in the middle of summer.  Cold is less damaging.  But wide swings, and many of them over time, can wrench a wine’s chemistry back and forth continually….and that may be negative for some wines.  But twice!?  I wouldn’t hesitate.

frozen wine -

Over-Zealous Wine Coolers

Thanks Alison!  Please note, her advice does not apply to wines that have been over-stored in the freezer, an instant-gratification technique that can lead to ruinous  (and rather phallic) results (photo).

An average refrigerator maintains a temperature of about 42 degrees.  A bottle of room-temperature wine placed in such an environment will begin to chill at a rate of about one degree every ten minutes.  At that rate of change, a bottle taken from a 70 degree room and placed in the refrigerator won’t attain cellar temperature (let’s say, 55 degrees) for two hours and ten minutes – a rate of change far more gradual than the one Alison warns about.

So feel free to take that excess wine out of your refrigerator and store it in a more convenient place.  As long as your storage area is dark, free of vibration and not subject to drastic temperature swings – your wine will be fine!

Happy MerchantCheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
866-746-7293
www.SidewaysWineClub.com

Quote of the Day
“Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We’ll weather the weather, Whatever the whether, Whether we like it or not”  ~ Unknown

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Wine Scents – Tickling Your Memory

December 3, 2009 filed in Current Affairs, Food and Drink and Wine.
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pencilsAttend one of my wine classes and chances are you’ll spend the first half hour tuning up your senses.  The objective is to sharpen our perceptions, to better identify what we’re tasting and (more importantly) smelling.  And to develop scent memory.

So it was with great interest and little surprise that I read last week’s news about the impact that scent has on our memory.

A new study appearing in the Journal of Consumer Research determined that rather forgettable, generic  products such as thread, tires and pencils become more memorable IF THE PRODUCT WAS INFUSED WITH A SCENT.

In one such test, when subjects were shown a pencil and a list of ten selling features, they could remember less than one selling feature two weeks later.  But infuse that same pencil with the scent of pine, show the same list of ten features, and that average jumps almost 400% to 3.3 features remembered.

Of course, marketers are getting all giddy about the implications of how to sell you more scent-infused products.  But I’m wondering if they just might prove to be the most effective study aid in the world?  I mean, could I impart an aroma to every piece of anatomy and ace a Med School exam??   Or would the effect  be no more than marginal  if everything was infused with an artificial scent?  What about those who don’t care for artificial scents, who can’t walk past one of those horrid and intrusive  ”Lush” stores without sneezing and gagging?  But let me get down off my unscented soap box and back to wine…

What’s This Have To Do With Wine?

Lots, actually.  Ever taste a wine and think “I don’t get all those things in Dave’s tasting notes!  Pencil shavings?  Leather tobacco pouch?  Forest Floor?  All I smell are grapes!”

Well, one need only pay attention to their nose and palate while tasting their next hundred or so bottles of wine (not all at once) and a similar vocabulary would inevitably develop.  It’s all about honing the scent memory.  And no, simply opening and guzzling the wine won’t prove any more effective than mindlessly whacking 100 golf balls at the driving range.  You’ll just end up sore and crabby, with no improvement to your skills.

The key is to focus. Pay particular attention to what you’re smelling and tasting.  Take notes.  Compare them with the tasting notes of others tasting the same wine (but if they don’t agree with yours, neither ridicule their experience nor back down from your own).  In short, get a little scientific.

Oh, and one sure way to remember the scent of a specific wine?  Fall in love over it.  When you engage all the senses AND the emotions at the same time, your memory of the wine will prove remarkable.

DSCN0418Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
www.SidewaysWineClub.com
866-746-7293

Quote of the Day
“Observe, record, tabulate, communicate.  Use your five senses. . . . Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell, and know that by practice alone you can become expert.”

~ William Osler, Canadian Physician (1849-1919)

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Wines for Your Thanksgiving Feast

November 11, 2009 filed in Food and Drink and Wine.
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thanksgiving-turkeyWithout ever looking at a calendar I can tell when Thanksgiving is near.  This uncanny ability doesn’t come from some innate circadian rhythm.  It comes from phone calls that begin in early November.

The callers usually start with a bit of pleasant small talk, transition into their Thanksgiving menu and guest count, then end with a discreet question like “what wine would you select for a meal like that?”

The truth is, if you asked 100 well-trained wine merchants that question, you’d get almost as many answers.  I’ve learned that the best way to get rave reviews on your Thanksgiving wines is to open enough bottles to span the range of possible preferences.

Of course, there’s always the tongue-dead relative who only wants Jack Daniels (or White Zinfandel, or Dry Sack Sherry, or…Diet Coke) a situation I overcome by accepting their offer to bring something with “just bring whatever you’d enjoy drinking that day”

But for those with more finely tuned palates, I offer the following suggestions for wines that will compliment your holiday meal.

B_Rose2007Sparkling Wines

I hand a flute of sparkling wine to guests the moment they come in our door – can you think of a happier way to be greeted? But don’t stop there, keep a bottle on ice to enjoy throughout the meal, sparkling wines are under-rated dinner companions!

To help make sure you have a perfect pairing between your meal and your sparkling wine, consider using mushrooms and herbs to accent the flavors of your meal, particularly your gravy and stuffing (or dressing, if you cook it outside the bird).  And keep in mind you’ll want a Brut or Brut Rose with the main course, but something sweeter – say a Dry or Extra Dry – when it comes time for dessert.

Though Thanksgiving is a great time to pull out the expensive Champagne, unless you’re dining with guests who can appreciate the delightful nuance of Grande Marques, you may want to save the pricey bottles for more intimate occasions.  Here are some budget-friendly sparkling wines that deliver a lot of wine for the money!

Pinots from $18 - $50Pinot Noir

If there is to be any agreement among my hypothetical group of wine merchants, it would be that Pinot Noir is a delightful choice for the Thanksgiving table.  But this is a wine that can be inconsistent – you can pay a lot (as in, a LOT) of money and still get a disappointing wine.  So be sure to talk to a trusted merchant who can guide you to a good choice within your price range.  I’d welcome you to consider my hand-picked  selection of pinots, ranging in price from $18 to $65.

Suggested ingredients that make this wine sing include mushrooms and fresh herbs (sage and thyme are particular favorites of mine), and even the cranberry sauce is an equal match for this mouth-watering red wine.  But if you want to serve one wine at your meal, this is the one that most people will find a perfect pairing.

ChardonnayChardonnay

Though a heavily oaked Chardonnay will fight with food, one made with a deft touch of oak works quite well with this meal.  The problem with California Chardonnay is that many of them are formulaic and innocuous.  I suspect they’re  made by uninspired Winemakers responding to management’s demand for “a $19 Chardonnay“.

Nonetheless, it is our nation’s #1-selling wine, and a thirsty nation seems content with the inter-changeable nature of many Chardonnays.  But this noble grape – the soul of White Burgundies – has the ability to turn heads when grown in the right area and crafted by inspired hands.

To enjoy a Chardonnay that will be as memorable as your holiday meal, I recommend seeking the advice of a trusted merchant, one who will find a Chardonnay to make your guests sit up and take notice.  Finding a wine that compliments your specific holiday menu results in the food tasting better AND the wine tasting better.  It’s a synergy thing.  Click here to see our hand-picked Chardonnay’s at prices from $9 to $49.

Viognier_06Other White Wines for Turkey

The traditional holiday meal provides lovers of aromatic white wines the chance to evangelize their favorite grape to a receptive audience.   For those weary of the same-old wines, these delightful but obscure varietals are far from the well-worn Chardonnay path.

While I find many Sauvignon Blancs too herbaceous to pair well with the traditional Thanksgiving feast,  you’ll find joy in such varietals as Pinot Blanc, a dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer.  And the minerality in a Chenin Blanc from the Loire brings smiles all around.

But my favorite white wine with my holiday meal has a bit more mouthfeel to it – the white varietals from the Rhone Valley!  And of these four – Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc – my favorite is Viognier, with its flirtatious nose of spring blossoms and its white pepper spice and bitter finish keep the wine from being a simple, air-headed bimbo.  Fortunately, very good Viognier is available at a reasonable price, though the higher end can offer a truly transcendent experience.  I suggest these three with confidence (priced from $16 to $37).

Wines That Pair With PieNobility Web-Ready

For some odd reason I have yet to figure out, the sweet tooth that defines the American palate does not extend to dessert wines.  Which is fine by me, as every drop of these wines is more precious than hummingbird spit (yeah, I cleaned that up a bit).  And if they were popular, or even if they were to become a small fad, there wouldn’t be enough to go around.

If you were to look at a graph showing who drinks dessert wines, it would look like your classic “barbell curve”, with novices forming the first blip, the mass market forming a dip trough in the middle, and serious wine lovers forming another blip.  No matter, this way there’s more for me!

My favorite wines for the classic apple or pumpkin pies are the late harvest and botrytised wines from grapes such as Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, or a blend of Sauv Blanc/Semillon.  A small glass of these rich, honey-like wines is dessert in itself, with an intriguing floral-honey-apricot fragrance that makes it difficult for me to pull my nose out of the glass long enough to taste it!

For a wine to go with pecan pie,  much depends on any accompanying flavors.  My favorite recipe for pecan-chocolate pie with brandy requires something with a bit of oompgh, such as the Alcyone sweet Tannat from Vinedo de los Vientos in Uruguay ($31), which is among the best chocolate wines on the planet right now.  For a more traditional pecan pie, I’d opt for an LBV port or even a late harvest Zin or Syrah. Click here to see my hand-picked dessert wines for your holiday table ($15 – $75, mostly in small bottles)

Buy Online?  Or at Your Local Wine Shop?
Shopping for new wines online occurs in an information vacuum, which is why I invest so much time writing my notes for all the wines in my store.  But for the holiday season I’ve also added real-time chat sessions to provide buying assistance in real time.  Whenever I’m at my computer you can ask for my advice from right inside my shopping cart, and even when I’m away from my desk you can send an email.  Test it out – click here and once in my cart look for my smiling face in the left frame.  Then send me a note just to say Hi!

The First S - SeeCheers,
Dave the Wine Merchant

Quote of the Day
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy (American President, May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)

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News Flash – Tom Colicchio Sells His Soul

November 6, 2009 filed in Current Affairs and Food and Drink.
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tom_colicchioAn Open Letter to Tom Colicchio

Tom, while waiting for the water fountain at my gym this morning I had a moment to glance at the used magazines tossed into the reading rack.  The early-morning population at my gym leans in favor of the females, so many of the magazines are one’s I never see, given my retarded interest in pop culture, hollywood, and octo-mom.  But right there, in a full-page ad on the back of one such mag was you, Tom, sitting comfortably at a table with some nicely prepared food and a glass of… wait a minute… DIET COKE!  It was a COKE ad for Chrisake!  I felt queasy.

Tom, you co-founded Gramercy Tavern.  You’ve been in Zagat so many times we’ve lost count.  You’ve won James Beard awards, been on food TV and otherwise promoted good food to an interested nation.  And now you throw all that away to shill for drinking diet sugar water at our dinner tables?  Surely you don’t believe diet sugar water is the best accompaniment to your cooking, do you?  And wait, before you tell me there’s no sugar in the product, before you launch into a defense of the much-maligned Aspartame, please tell me why would you want to encourage people to bring such a cloyingly sweet beverage to the table with your food?

Then I read the text of the ad – “Diet Coke and award-winning chef Tom Colicchio have come together to prove that distinctive flavors and smart choices can commingle.”  and I grew really curious – did you know they would use your image next to text that called Diet Coke a “smart choice”?

Then today, as I write this, I learn you’ve been shilling for this product for the better part of a year now.  Here’s an ad from earlier this year:

Man, I AM behind in my pop culture.

But I’m also behind in understanding why you’d do it.  Coke and fine dining don’t mix and you know it.  And if you argue with me on this, you lose your credibility in the food world, and you know that too.

So tell me Tom… what is the cost of a soul these days?  What does one holding an esteemed position in the culinary world charge to sell out?  I’m just asking.

DTWM Video Still croppedA saddened…
Dave the Wine Merchant

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Pumping Iron – Why Fish & Red Wine don't mix.

October 24, 2009 filed in Current Affairs, Food and Drink and Wine.
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05-29 Mercado (20) In this week’s edition of the ScienceNow Daily News, (full story, here) it was reported that Japanese researchers have discovered why fish and red wine so often clash.  Turns out there are minute traces of iron in some red wines, particularly those grown in soils high in certain minerals, and that these trace elements can leave you with a very unpleasant “fishy” aftertaste.  And I don’t mean the clean fish smell of the ocean, but more like the day-after fish smell of the trash bin.

The research also seems to answer why some red wines can actually compliment seafood and fish, while others make you run for the motion sickness bag.  The researchers identified an “iron threshold” of 2 miligrams per liter.  Any red wine containing more than this amount spoils the seafood pairing.

Scallops, perhaps the most notorious offender when it comes to foul red wine pairings, were used to test this theory further.  When dried scallops were soaked in wine whose iron content was below the threshold smelled fine, but those soaked in wine with iron above the critical 2 mg/L, smelled horrible.  Note, I’ve observed the same phenomenon when fresh scallops are rinsed using iron-rich water.  Now I know why!

Red Wine With FishBut I agree with Gordon Burns, the enologist who argued that the more compelling reason to avoid red wine with fish is that most red wines are big-bodied wines that over-power the lighter, delicate flavors of most seafood.  And that violates one of my key guidelines for food and wine pairing:

  1. Match high acidity in the food with high-acid wines
  2. Match sweet foods with equal or higher sweetness in the wine
  3. Pair light dishes with lighter wines, heavier dishes with heavier wines
  4. If the wine is high in fruit and alcohol, leave it on the cocktail bar when you go to the dinner table!

Others, such as Tim Hanni, M.W., suggest that simply adding a pinch of salt and a squeeze of citrus to your fish dish will make it surprisingly compatible with your red wine.  And still others, such as David Rosengarten, in his famous book (right) simply focuses on finding lighter red wines that can compliment fish and seafood prepared with red wine-friendly recipes.  Of course, his book was written in 1989, when it was easier to FIND a lighter red wine, i.e., lower in alcohol (average then was just 12.5%) and body.

By contrast, today’s contemporary styles for wine often dictate alcohol levels in excess of 14.5% along with “gobs and gobs of ripe fruit”.  If red wine with fish is your culinary preference, I’d seek the lighter reds of Burgundy, Beaujolais, Northern Italy, the Loire and other cool-weather growing areas.

Seek out such wine, and I think you’ll be finding Nemo never tasted so good.

DSCN0419Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

Quote of the Day
“Fish, to taste good, fish must swim three times.  First in water, then in butter, and then in wine!”  ~Old Proverb

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Wine Book Review – In Search of Bacchus, George Taber

October 24, 2009 filed in Book Reviews, Food and Drink and Travel.
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In Search of Bacchus When Simon and Schuster’s publicist asked if I’d review George Taber’s latest book, I didn’t hesitate.   I’d enjoyed his previous books “To Cork or Not to Cork” and “The Judgment of Paris” and a new book from the retired journalist, wine collector and author was likely to provide hours of enjoyment.

But his new book arrived at a bad time.  I was in the middle of a wine club shipment and all my spare reading time was already divided between two biographies – one on Robert Parker and an out-of-print book on James Beard.  These were forced to the back of my night stand with only a minor amount of fisticuffs and complaints, the books embodying the self-promoting characteristics of their respective subjects.  And then I dove into “In Search of Bacchus“, and it was like taking a mental vacation to 12 of the best wine regions in the world.

Summary
This book is partly a travelogue written during his visits to a dozen of the world’s premium wine-growing regions.  The reader is introduced to each new region with a relatively brief (~25 pages) overview of regional winemaking history and the three or four wineries most critical to its current level of success. Each region could easily justify a book unto itself, perhaps even several several volumes, but “In Search of Bacchus” is a useful introduction to each growing region.  A temptation to travel.

These introductory sections are written in Taber’s identifiable style – high-toned, well-researched and erudite – reflecting his chops honed during his years as a journalist (and a well-schooled wine enthusiast).  I found each of these sections quite useful, packed with useful bits of insight and information.  As you complete each chapter, you’ll swear you’ve found the location for your next wine pilgrimage (honey we’ve got to go to this one, no wait, THIS one!  no, no…)

Following each detailed section is a brief story about Taber’s experience at one of the wineries mentioned.  While the entire book is written in the first person, this is where the reader feels as if he/she is actually looking over Taber’s shoulder.  It is less fact-driven, more intimate, and only slightly frustrating in that many of the experiences Taber relates are not available to the average wine tourist without his insider connections.

Picking Nits
I’m a fan of Taber’s work.  But I do find his style a bit dry.  Never does he squeal with delight, moan in the pain of a hangover, or admit to a lusty thought or other human foible.  With his apparent writing skills, I’m sure Taber could craft an ode to make a lover swoon.  But he doesn’t reveal that side of himself here, and while I appreciate his dispassionate professionalism, I’d also welcome a glimpse behind the Taber curtain from time to time.   Otherwise, he might as well be writing about economics instead of the greatest, most sensual beverage on earth.  I mean, the Romans also called Bacchus “The Liberator”, a God who could free one from one’s normal self through madness, ecstasy or wine!

In person, Taber strikes me as someone you’d enjoy sitting next to at a long dinner – interesting, unassuming, and friendly.  See for yourself:

Wine & Tourism – Finding the Right Balance
One of the issues surrounding wine tourism is the issue of access.  Taber doesn’t shy away from the fact that some wineries actively discourage tourists (well, mostly in Bordeaux, not surprisingly) while others put wine on the back burner with massive, tightly-packed tasting rooms, huge (and barely-trained) pouring staffs, and more souvenirs and paraphernalia than wine.   Such differences exist between individual wineries more than between wine regions, with both extremes even found in tourist-hungry Napa.  This book quietly raises the issue, and the wise wine pilgrim can then rely on the internet to develop an itinerary that suits their particular style.

Buying “In Search of Bacchus”
Despite these nits, with its release date so close to the holidays it seems obvious that “In Search of Bacchus” will be one of the biggest wine books of this holiday season, and I can’t think of another new wine book I’d rather read. Those interested in buying a copy for their favorite wine-lover can simply click here (also available as an eBook, though in Epub format only.  I make no commission on sales of this book).

And now that I’ve completed the book and am nearing completion of this review, my books on Parker and Beard are over on my nightstand, fighting to see which gets read tonight.  It appears to be a pretty good fight.

DSCN0416Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

2 Comments

Featured Wine – Andrew Murray 2006 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley

October 21, 2009 filed in Food and Drink.
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Originally $25, now just $20.75 (Save 17%!)

Click Here!


Viognier_06Whenever our menu calls for a rich, floral white wine, this is one we call up from the Bullpen.  It is a great all-year wine, but especially appropriate when seasonal dishes include roasted squash, roasted chicken, savory soups and the like.

Tasting Notes
A luscious floral nose of exotic fruit, sweet spice, flower blossoms and hints of grapefruit and apricots.  Such aromas often presage a sweet wine, but try a sip of this one and noooo…

…On the palate this wine leans towards the zaftig, a bosomy wine offering pleasures of the flesh (and yes, they’re real), but with a bright personality and braininess that keep you intellectually intrigued. It finishes with an almond-like bitterness (which also provides an obvious bridge ingredient when pairing with food) that plays counterpoint to its flowery nose.

Food Pairings

Viognier isolates some less adventuresome wine lovers because of this contrapuntal relationship between sweet and bitter.  But I dare any such doubter make their way through a bottle of this wine and tell me they haven’t jumped on the Viognier bandwagon with both feet.  Its pleasant, viscous mouthfeel makes it great on its own, but it’s also a fine table wine when paired with medium-bodied dishes.

One key to successful food and wine pairings is to match the weigh of your wine to the weight of your food ( where “light” = crisp and acidic foods with relatively simple flavors and “heavy” = fatty dishes or those with complex layers of flavor).  Another key to successful pairing is to focus on a flavor component that can act as a bridge between the food and wine.  To pair well with Viognier your dish might feature the flavors of  citrus, apricots or golden raisins  (in a stuffing or reduction sauce or as a compote) .   This wine also shines with roasted chicken (especially as a sandwich) or squash (perhaps par-boiled then roasted with lardons and a reduced balsamic-pomegranate sauce!) .  Any dish featuring the flavors of toasted almonds or other nuts tends to be friendly with Viognier as well.

For a most happy pairing, try this wine with my recipe for Macadamia-Encrusted Tilapia in Orange-Cream Sauce.

A Note About Screwcaps
“Guaranteed Taint Free!”

It’s hardly worth mentioning screwcaps anymore, as the American market comes to appreciate the wisdom of this once maligned closure. Many can still remember the days when premium white wines sometimes bore the scent of a tainted cork – easily detected by an identifiable stink in the wine, and a loss of its precious fruit aromas. And in the case of this wine, that would indeed be a shame. Hence, the screwcap/

Winemaking Notes

This wine was fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures – a technique used to preserve an aromatic wine’s more subtle and ephemeral aromas. It is very crisp and fresh and refreshing and if you don’t buy all of this wine I’m going to drink whatever is left myself.

Winemaker Notes

Almost 20 years ago, Andrew Murray burst onto the wine scene with his eponymous winery and a fistful of impressive scores from wine critics who believe in such things.  This time frame seems impossible when you meet the boyish guy whose face stubbornly refuses to age (though I bathe in a bit of schadenfreude over his receding hairline!).   He is actually in his 40’s – no longer a Wunderkind, now just a wonder (named “2004 Tastemaker of the Year” by Food and Wine Magazine) .  Andrew was first bitten by the wine bug during a tour of France in the 80’s and that eventually grew to an apprenticeship in Australia, a degree in wine making, and then the aforementioned burst onto center stage.

Stylistically, his wines tend to be big and rich.  After several vintages with excessive alcohol (particularly in his Syrah) his wines now seem to have matured one more generation, and show better balance and food compatibility – the good manners you want when bringing them to the table!

Andrew Murray, 2006 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley

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Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

Quote of the Day
“You seem very calm for a woman who’s getting married” I said, and she nodded. “It’s on my to-do list” she said, “so there’s no point in agonizing about it”
~ Story People (Selected in tribute to my newlywed friends, Steve and Penny)

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