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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Wine Auction Supports Freedom of (Wine) Choice

November 10, 2009 filed in Current Affairs and Wine.
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SWRAAs you know, if you’re a reader of this blog, it’s illegal for me to ship to wine lovers living in most states outside California.  Tom Wark and the folks at the Specialty Wine Retailer’s Association (“Wine Without Borders”) is working to remedy this, and we need your help.  Don’t worry, your “help” might result in a great wine deal for you!

By bidding on any of the great items in the online auction being organized by SWRA, your proceeds will help us educate policymakers in various states.  In doing so, we’ll take a small but important step towards offsetting the millions of dollars spent each year by the liquor distributor’s lobby – those who would lose protected sales (and pricing) were the market allowed to operate freely.  Please help by taking a look at the available wines available for bid (Click Here to view).  All bidding ends at 8:04 PM (Pacific Time) on November 19th.

Tips for Winning Online Auctions

  1. Review all the auction items and select your top 5 – 10 items
  2. Check the “Current” bid and eliminate any that exceed your price range.
  3. Click on the name of any remaining items and select “Watch Item” (sorry, but you’ll need to register with Wine Commune first, a worth competitor of mine!)  This will email you any time a new bid comes in on your watched item.
  4. On Thursday, 11/19 - Set a reminder to check back within 15 minutes of closing.  You may see your bid eclipsed in the final minutes, and you if you’re present you can then decide if you want to counter.

Note, this market is far less busy and efficient than one such as eBay, and you are more likely to see a winning bid that is far below market value!

The First S - SeeCheers, and good luck!
Dave the Wine Merchant

Quote of the Day

“I still feel pangs of remorse over an insidious habit I’ve had since I was a teenager. About three times a week, I attend estate auctions and make insulting, low-ball bids for prized heirlooms until I’m asked to leave.”

Dennis Miller, American Comedian and Conservative Political Commentator

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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

4 Comments

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

Subscriber Special – Originally $25, now $20.75 (Save 17%!)

Available Only when you Click Here!

(And while you’re there, say hello via my new live Chat capability!)

DSCN0419Cheers!
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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Mah Jong Wines – Sojourn Cellars, Molnar Family

October 2, 2009 filed in Wine.
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I received a great email from friend and customer Seth Pariser, this morning, and thought I’d share it with you.  Not only does he give reviews of two wines from  past club shipments, but also a most helpful tip on how to cheat at Mah Jong.  Thanks Seth!

Cheers, Dave

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hi Dave,

Last night my wife Dani had her Mah Jong group of ladies over and nearly opened my newly purchased 2006 Kosta Browne Gary’s Vineyard SLH Pinot for them. Thank god I got home when I did to stop her and to explain they were not KB worthy as lovely as they were. Instead though, I opened up two bottles: 2006 Molnar Family Poseidon’s Vineyard, Carneros and the 2007 Sojourn’s Sonoma Coast.

They may not have been Kosta Browne’s, but they were very intriguing wines all on their own worthy of enjoying.

Molnar Family Label I popped the Molnar and I got a little heat initially but crisp fruit quickly opened up on the mid palate and some nice spices on the back. I even detected a touch of some barnyard funk. This was a fusion of Burgundy meeting Northern California. A very good mah jong wine. Although I did not play, I was governing the wine pours to make sure our guests were enjoying themselves.

Sonoma Coast LabelThen came the Sojourn. That’s when the game turned in my wife’s favor. This one was like drinking silk velvet from Lyon, France. Pure smooth delivery. The nose gave a little forest floor but an opulent delivery of bright raspberries mixed with subtle acidity exploded in my mouth that sang in perfect tune and harmony together.

This was the one that took their minds off of their games (except for my wife who remained focused). This was a perfect hustling wine for home court advantage. We were a great team together.

Thanks again for the wonderful selection of choices.

Best,
Seth Pariser

————————————————————————————————————————————————
Note, I am not a fan of Kosta Browne – a pinot on steroids. Not all grape varietals were born to be body builders, though many enjoy that style. In fact, this week’s news indicates that MANY people disagree with my tasting notes on Kosta Browne – they just reported selling the winery to the Vincraft Group for $40 million.  That sales figure is many times the amount of successful, comparably sized wineries, so their wine style must appeal to a lot of people other than me.  But I say, try both styles and  Viva la difference!

DSCN0417Cheers,
Dave the Wine merchant

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Upside to the Downside – Wine Discounts!

September 24, 2009 filed in Wine.
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depression_charts1The stock market may be killing your 401-K, and you maybe you’ll be working five years longer than you ever thought.  But today’s dismal market has an upside – there are a LOT of good wine bargains to be had! Both online and land-based wine merchants are slashing prices on wines that aren’t moving – opting for cash flow over near-term profitability.

And what wines aren’t moving today?  The higher priced wines, for the most part!  Keep an eye out for wines from Bordeaux, second-tier California cult wines, and other wines slightly out of favor at the moment (domestic Syrah for example, which managed to go the way of Merlot in rather short order!)

My advice?  Seek value in the higher price range.  This is perhaps (and hopefully!) a once in a lifetime chance to gobble up some great Bordeaux and Burgundy and second tier California cult wines at prices I hope we’ll never see again (not that I’m opposed to low prices on great wine, just not fond of the economic conditions that create them).

As for sale wines priced below $20, my advice is the same as always – there is a lot of bad wine that has found its way into this price category!  But there is also some very good wine, wine you’d love to drink on a daily basis.  To sort these gems from the sludge, I recommend avoiding discounted wine unless its offered by a merchant whose palate you trust.

wine-sale My Online Specials: Save 10$ – 33%
My business is not immune from the foibles of supply and demand.  I have wines taking up valuable storage space, and I’m now offering them at tremendous discount.  See the Online Specials section of my store for today’s latest bargains, and save 10% – 33% on slow-moving wines.  Take a look at these examples:

You’ll find many more great wines at discounted prices at my clearance sale.

DSCN0419Enjoy!

Dave the Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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The Decant Descant – Why Decanting Aids Young Red Wines

September 14, 2009 filed in Wine.
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decanting young red winePeople often ask me about decanting wine.  They usually want pointers on how to conduct the intriguing ritual, but decanting is more than simply a stylish way to serve wine – it can actually make it taste better.

There are just three things to remember about decanting – first, decant a young red wine to soften its tannins; second, decant an old red wine to leave its natural sediment in the bottle; and third, it’s fun, easy to do and earns you instant wine geek points amongst your friends.

Decanting Young Red Wines
Decanting amplifies the subtle flavors that are over-powered by a young wine’s tannins.  Allow me to draw an analogy from the world of music, where a descant is “an ornamental melody or counterpoint sung or played above a theme.”  Descants are subtle and easily missed if the bass section is left to their own devises (with apologies to the great Chamet Moffett, bass players see every piece as a solo).

Well, drinking a young red wine is like an orchestra with over-enthusiastic bass players.  The wine’s dominant bass notes – its tannins – overshadow the wine’s finer points.  But pull up our soundboard, turn down the bass and amplify the treble a bit… “voila!” our music is balanced – and the descant is audible.  A decanter is like a soundboard for wine.

How Does Decanting Work?
Decanting begins a natural, aerobic chemical process – that is, it uses oxygen to change tannin molecules.  When a wine is left for years of quiet repose in a cellar (or closet, or under your bed, or wherever you store your wine), the same process occurs very slowly, using the trace amount of oxygen in the bottle.  Of course, bottle aging adds additional taste benefits that can’t be replicated simply by decanting.  But tannins can be softened in relatively short order, so if you lack storage space and a decade to wait, decant!

Why Don’t We Decant Young White Wines?
Some young white wines will benefit from decanting, but since the primary purpose is to soften tannins, and since tannins come from the grape’s skin, and since most white wines are separated from their skins before fermenting, well you see where I’m going with this…

How To Decant A Young Red Wine
It is not uncommon to see people decanting a young wine in the same way they would an old wine.  Buyt an old wine is decanted for a very different reasons – to separate it from the sediment which occurs naturally during the aging process.  This requires surgeon-like concentration, a steady hand, a very slow and gentle pour, and a light behind the bottle to reveal when the sediment begins to flow into the decanter.

Decanting a young wine is easy and joyous by comparison!  A young wine has little or no sediment, so the objective is to introduce oxygen to soften the tannins.  The wine is poured vigorously, even splashed a bit, into any glass container you have on hand – even a (very) clean vase will do.  The wine is then swirled to introduce more air, and perhaps left to sit for one to four hours before serving.

What If I Don’t Have Time To Decant?
OK, so the guests have arrived with a nice young red wine and there’s no time for it to sit in your decanter and breathe a bit.  No problem, there are a number of aeration devices on the market that use some variation of the Venturi effect to speed the “aging” of a young red wine.  Devices that accelerate oxidation like this have become one of the biggest trends in wine paraphernalia, and I’ll be reporting on their effectiveness in a later posting.

Whether you choose to decant or hie thyself to the wine shop for an aeration device, I encourage you to try the technique on your next bottle of young red wine.  Perhaps, one such as this:

Wine of the Week

2007 Tous Ensemble labelCopain, 2007 Pinot Noir “Tous Ensemble” Anderson Valley, was $36, now $33.40 (save 10%)
Bing cherries, layers of black tea, and sweet spices.  Tous Ensemble is a series of top-quality wines blended from some of the best pinot vineyards in the Anderson Valley appellation.  Wells Guthrie, Copain’s Owner/Winemaker, specializes in Anderson Valley pinots.  Requirements for his Tous Ensemble series include organically farmed grapes that are varietally correct, lower in alcohol, food friendly, and a tremendous value.  This wine comes from three Anderson Valley vineyards – Cerise , Monument Tree and Wentzel.  It highlights the purity of fruit, subtle earthiness and liveliness that typify Copain’s Anderson Valley wines.

Dave the Wine Merchant at TableCheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
866-746-7293

Quote of the Day
“God gave us the gift of grapes, to cheer both great and small; little fools will drink too much, and great fools not at all” ~ Unknown

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Michael Pollan vs. Julia Child

August 10, 2009 filed in Current Affairs, Film and Food and Drink.
Tags: , , , , , .

Julie_and_julia large posterOver the last decade, cooking shows have become the culinary equivalent of professional wrestling.  Once the Food Network discovered that America’s love affair with “Reality TV” extended into the kitchen, their mission changed from one of teaching to one of entertaining.  And sadly, their ratings have soared.  Now the Network’s transition is nearly complete, with Alton Brown being their sole prime-time show that actually teaches cooking skills.

NYT PollanBut the new hit movie “Julie and Julia” suggests that perhaps there is a counter-cultural movement afoot.  At least, that’s my hope, despite Michael Pollan’s cheerful (not) piece in Sunday’s (8/2/09) New York Times Magazine ”No One Cooks Here Anymore” (image, right).  Pollan’s typically well-researched article suggests  there’s at least a portion of our great nation who thinks of cooking as a spectator sport. Which means we think of cooking pretty much like we think of sports – something to be left to the professionals.

Julia oh Julia, Wherefore Art Thou Julia?
Pollan may have his finger on the pulse of America’s eating habits.  His thought-provoking article even references panel research from the NPD Group, a national survey company employed for decades by the nation’s largest food companies to monitor America’s food habits.

So perhaps I’m holding out naive hope that Pollan and the NPD study are missing a large portion of culinary America, the Culinaria I live in and hope that you do too.  The one portrayed in the new movie Julie & Julia, which I’m sure you’ve read so much about by now that I don’t need to add to the hubbub (except to say I can’t imagine a venue more perfect for Meryl Streep’s considerable talents – MAN, she must have had fun with that role!)  The movie is destined for cult status among foodies – it was #2 in box office receipts during its opening weekend, and I suspect its success will continue on DVD/Netflix, and in long-tail perpetuity on late night pay-per-view.  The movie is not really about food as much as it is about how great food, and the ability to prepare it, can transform a rudderless soul.

But I am more hopeful about America’s potential food habits than Pollan’s article says is justified.  At the same time we’ve seen distressing levels of food intake and fewer meals made from scratch, we’ve also seen steady increases for all of the following over the last FIFTEEN YEARS, a long-term trend that co-exists with Pollan’s and NPD’s frightening statistics about fewer in-home meals are being prepared during the same time period:

  • The “Organic” food category has been the fastest-growing category in most grocery stores (though the recession may have taken a toll on this, I believe it is short-lived)
  • Farmer’s Markets and Community Gardens are on the rise in all cities across America
  • Urban gardens, and
  • Urban chicken coops are likewise rising
  • A growth in sales at heirloom Seed companies, and
  • Premium Artisanal cheeses and breads, while not “home cooked”, have become staples at gourmet shops and grocery stores, and correlate with a rise in America’s food standards
  • U.S. premium wine sales have increased steadily for 15 years (for the first time since records have been kept) – a fact I believe correlates with a growth in meals prepared and eaten at home.

So I challenge all those reading this (and especially any of those who participate in the NPD panel!) to just make ONE more home-made meal each week.  Apply heat to raw ingredients.  Follow a recipe using fresh ingredients you’ve purchased yourself.  And pair your meal with a well-chosen bottle of wine.  Just once a week, that’s all I ask.  Your waistline will thank you for it.  And so will I.

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

Quote of the Day
“If you don’t want to use so much butter, you can always substitute fresh cream!”
~ Julia Child, August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004 (Happy Birthday, Julia!)

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