My Voice of Dissent on Riedel in IntoWine.com and the Normal People's Guide to Glassware

I'm not a fan of confusion or complexity in wine...or glassware.

Please check out this IntoWine.com article where I discussed the issue with the lovely and talented Nancy Parode (I'm quoted on Page 2). Following in the footsteps of my dad, and oft quoted and controversial education specialist, I am, of course, the voice of dissent in this otherwise very positive view of Riedel stemware. Check it out...

INTOWINE.com ARTICLE:

"Riedel Wine Glasses: Stemware that is Changing the Way the World Tastes Wine"

In my world, I think you need 3 types of glasses (4 if you're really into wine):
1. A white glass that tapers at the top to concentrate aromas and deliver them better to your snout.





2. A red glass that has a big bowl and a wide rim so you can aerate that puppy and unlock the aromas in the glass with a good swirl.




3. A Champagne flute if you drink bubbles. The narrowness of the glass preserves the bubbles and concentrates the luscious scents.






The 4th optional choice -- if you are really into red wine, you could get a big ass Bordeaux glass to allow for in-glass decanting and full aeration, but it's not really necessary...the Burgundy glass will work fine as long as you swirl well.



It shouldn't be that complicated. I mean, who among us has more room than they know what to do with in his/her kitchen? Few, I think. We certainly don't need separate glasses for everything we drink, as some may tell you.

Purchase good quality glass and stick to 3 shapes.

Now you're good to go.
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Torii Mor 2009 Pinot Gris: Sadly, Just Ok

So last week I reviewed the Torii Mor Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, a wine that I love. Coupled with the fact that the wine is solid, the bottle has special significance because it was given to me by Margie Olson herself, the owner of Torii Mor and a very sweet and lovely woman. On this same occasion she gave me a bottle of the winery's Pinot Gris, which made me very excited because I adore Oregon Pinot Gris.

Unfortunately, this bottle fell short of expectation.

If you want to know more about Torii Mor and Oregon, please check out my post on their Pinot Noir, where I go into detail. Given that I've already been to that rodeo, I figured I'd talk about Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, as it's also known.


To start, a couple basics on the grape:
1. It's a clone of the ever mutating Pinot Noir (read=it too, is a pain in arse to grow)
2. Given #1, it makes sense that Pinot Grigio is actually not a green grape, but a grey-blue grape
3. Pinot = Pinecone in French. Wines derived from Pinot Noir are from clusters of grapes that look like pinecones.Simple, no?
4. Gris = French for grey (see point 2)
5. Grigio = Italian for grey (see point 2, again)
6. Pinot Gris morphed from Pinot Noir in its native home of Burgundy. It was first discussed in the Middle Ages. Given its temperamental nature, it was abandoned in Burgundy and in Champagne (where it was part of the blend for bubbly) for the heartier Chardonnay.

As a side note, I'm not sure why they decided that Pinot Gris/Grigio is made as a white wine. I mean, it's really hard to prevent the juice from touching the skins and picking up color. I guess winemakers want a challenge...

7. I know I already said this, but just to be sure...Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape -- you say potato...I say pohtahtoe (phonetic spelling, of course).

The grape is super-sensitive to where it grows, and depending on where it's made it tastes like a completely different wine. You may be sick of my bullets, but I'm in the mood to keep on with my lists, so here's a little guide:

Alsace, France: Full-bodied, rich, floral, spicy, honeyed, smoky, and oily-textured wine. It jumps out of the glass with its aroma, is unctuous but with decent acid and a beautiful match for food. There's lots of sun in Alsace, and the grapes get ripe and delicious. The most complex and showstopping Pinot Gris in the world, methinks.


Oregon: Kind of like Alsace light, it can be pinkish (per my point above, hard to keep the skin away from the juice) and taste less floral and more like apple and Asian pear. The wine is at least medium-bodied and fruity and full. I'd call it a pretty wine -- aromatic and flavorful but also with decent acid so it's not flabby.


Italy: Mostly from cooler, northern Italy, this wine is lean, to say the least. It's lemony, acidic, crisp, and so mineral-like it's like face-planting in a mountain stream. It can be really thin, sometimes watery, and usually lacks the lush flavors and aromas you're going to find in Alsace and Oregon Pinot Gris. I usually find it to be insipid, crap stuff -- even if it costs $24 like one major brand we may all know. California tries to mimic this style, given its popularity.


Although I love Ramona Singer from the Real Housewives of New York and her hilarious Pinot Grigio habit, I gotta say I'm not a fan of watery, acidic, lemon juice. I prefer Pinot Gris to Pinot Grigio.

So, I was pumped for the Torii Mor Pinot Gris, given how much I loved their Pinot Noir. How surprised was I when I discovered that this wine was made in the Pinot Grigio style? Very surprised, and less than happy. Here's the rundown:

The Wine: Torii Mor Pinot Gris
Where It's From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
The Grapes: 100% Pinot Gris
Vintage: 2009
Price: $16.00

Color: Brassy but nearly white and very reflective, the color gave me pause. Most Oregon Pinot Gris that I like is saturated in color -- like straw or brass. This was much lighter than normal and way too light to have the kind of flavor I was expecting. Uh-oh.

Smell: Similar to Italian Pinot Grigio, there wasn't much but a slight white flower and lemon-lime smell. There was none of the honeysuckle, apple, or pear that I'd want or expect from a Pinot Gris. More evidence leading to a not-so-great conclusion. Where's the beef?

Taste: More like a lower quality un-oaked Chardonnay than Pinot Gris, there was a brief sensation of acid, mineral and lemon-lime with a touch of green apple, but I'd say what was in this bottle was just white wine. Could have been a $7 white blend for its lack of distinction and character. I expect more from Oregon and certainly more from a producer of fine Pinot Noir.

Food: I guess if you like Pinot Grigio from Italy, you would just chill this sucker down and sip it before a meal or have it with a salad.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Meh. Not great, not horrible. For $16 you can do a lot better. Torii Mor should take a page from some other great Pinot Gris producers in the area. In it's quest to be differentiated, it's created a style that is definitely un-Oregonian, and, to my palate, boring and blah.
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Friday Limerick: Homage to Gamay From Reader Rob Van Leer!

I love the enthusiasm! My friend and loyal blog reader Rob Van Leer from Atlanta has put his rapier wit to the test and composed the lovely wine limerick below. Inspired by Carol's (his wonderful wife) enjoyment of a Beaujolais tasted Monday, Rob has provided us with this fun composition...

Friday for Gamay

An oft overlooked grape is Gamay.
Its greatest fame lies in Beaujolais.
The wine is not serious,
But the aroma leaves you delirious,
And chases your troubles away!

Couldn't have said it better myself! Please submit your limericks to me and I'll post them up on Friday for all to see!

The Wine Inspiration: Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages
Vintage: 2009
Where's it From: Beaujolais, Burgundy
The Grape: 100% Gamay
Price: $10.99

Readmore »»

My Wine and Cheese Pairing Featured in The Travel Connoisseurs

A quick post to let you know that I've been featured in a great article: "Top 10 Best Wine and Cheese Pairings" in The Travel Connoisseurs, an amazing site that features "cocktails, cuisines, accommodations, and travel tips."

Thanks to Lee for including me in this piece!

Click here to see the article!

PS -- Friends may recognize the lovely scene next to my suggestions from a certain Atlanta porch. MC Ice is a great amateur photographer! Readmore »»

Forstreiter DRY Riesling: Fabulous Wine From Austria Keeps On Coming

I love Riesling. Especially dry Riesling.

Not the crap in the blue bottle (one big brand for which I may or may not have been responsible when I worked for large hulking winery...), but the good stuff. It's the little brands that you may not know about but that are out there just waiting for you to discover.

I've got some news for ya...Riesling isn't all sweet wine. Some of it is aromatic and dry with searing acid that will have your eyes watering. When I find a Riesling like this-- not too sweet, great aroma, great acid -- I kind of get giddy (these usually hail from places like Australia, Alsace, France and Austria).

So it makes sense that after tasting their (mainly dry) wines at the Wine Enthusiast Event in Atlanta, I signed up for the blogger list for Destination Riesling, a marketing organization that's dedicated solely to Riesling and to letting us know how great the stuff can be when properly handled. They sent me some samples and included was Forstreiter Riesling from Austria. Although not always the case with samples sent to me, today, I am a lucky woman.

Before I talk about the Riesling, I want to pause for a minute and address Austria (which was home to about a quarter of my relatives before they headed to Ellis Island and took Brooklyn by storm).

First things first, just because you haven't really seen or heard of Austrian wines, doesn't make them new. This country has been making wine for 4000 years. There were actually grape seeds found in urns from like 700 BC (according to Wines From Austria), and like everywhere else in Europe, the Romans had a hand in viticulture here too, where they planted vineyards along the Danube River.

Between the Romans and the 19th century wine grew and grew in Austria. Like the rest of Europe, globalization took its toll in the 1800s and diseases brought across the Pond courtesy of the USA -- powdery mildew, downy mildew, and the toxic insect phylloxera-- decimated a lot of vineyards to the point of no return. This proved to be a blessing -- some vineyards were replanted with quality vines, mostly of Austria's native grape, a white wine with a kind of peppery flavor called Gruner Veltliner (not for everyone but damn good if you like a little bitter spice).

You may think I'm full of it, but after World War I, Austria was the world's third largest wine producer. Was it good wine? God, no. It was bulk wine, exported to Germany and other countries that can't grow big volumes of grapes because of sketchy weather conditions. Even though it sucked, this reign of crap winemaking lasted clear into the mid 1980s. And that's when things got REAL bad.

So here's a wine business pop quiz. What do you do when your niche is crap wine that, suddenly, no one wants because they have access to better wine at a similar price? Well, if you're a handful of bigger Austrian producers (no jokes from the German peanut gallery who already think their neighbors are blathering idiots) then of course, you add diethylene glycol to your wine to sweeten it and add body. If you're the smartest of that handful, apparently you claim the chemical on your tax return, the media finds out and, being particularly dumb about chemicals, they all say you used anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) in your wine. Poof, your wine industry is devastated and most of that nasty wine that no one wants goes to the toxic dump.

Sounds really bad, right? Actually not so much. Without this scandal Austria wouldn't have the fabulous wines it has today. Out of this indiscretion, vineyards were replanted, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board was established, and the winemakers became aligned with a single-minded purpose -- make quality wines and don't compromise (seems like Hollywood should take a page from this story of redemption...Lindsey Lohan, are you listening?).

Today Austria is 17th in world production and the country cranks out insanely good wine.... evidence Forstreiter Riesling.

The Wine: Forstreiter Riesling
Where It's From: Kremstal, Austria
The Grapes: 100% Riesling
Vintage: 2008
Price: $17.00

Color: An absolutely brilliant golden color like 14 karat gold. A beautiful wine with small bubbles at the bottom of the glass, probably from a touch of CO2 added to keep the wine fresh and bright. It was reflective and beautiful. The darker color made me a little worried though -- could this have sugar in it? That's not really typical of Austrian Riesling, so I hoped it was just ripe fruit and not sugar I was dealing with here.

Smell: Typical of Riesling, this wine is all about aroma. White jasmine flowers (like the tea), white peach, apricot, and honey, ahhhh! So good. It smelled tropical too -- like a pineapple lifesaver, and like this tree that grows on St. John (where I lived for a little while, but that's a story for another blog) called a Frangipani tree with a delicate, scented yellow flower. All this floral goodness and wet rock smell to boot. This was a characteristic Riesling smell and it was heady.

Taste: Wow! Honeysuckle, tangerine, and honey flavors. This wine is not bone dry, but it's got a very low level of sugar which is needed to balance the enamel eroding acidity. I felt the acid in my teeth, and I'm blessed with good teeth so that's saying something. Searing acidity is typical of Riesling, but it's often hidden in gobs of sugar. Here you could taste it and it was such a pure expression, it made me feel alive. All things considered, this was perfectly balanced. Yin and yang of acidity and fruit to make it so satisfying.

Food: Risotto with zucchini and English peas -- OMG. You need to try this pairing. The acid cuts the creaminess of the risotto, the floral aromatics complement the sweetness of the peas. I'm sure this could be a better pairing with something, but I'm at a loss to tell you what that is.

Drink or Down the Sink?: The Forstreiter Family has been making wine since 1868 in vineyards along the Danube River in some of the best areas for Riesling in Austria (Kremstal, which is adjacent to Wachau -- the best region). The climate is mild, at the intersection of cool humidity and dry air, and the soil is old granite and mica that provide the wine it's mineral spiciness. Riesling from this region is glorious, and the Forstreiter was absolutely delightful. If you haven't had a dry Riesling before, but enjoy the aromas of the wine -- try this wine. It is simply wonderful. I'm adding it to my stable of favorites! Readmore »»

Friday Limerick: Silver Birch, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

I said it last week and I'll say it again, I polled Facebook fans (please "like" my Wine For Normal People Page so you can get regular updates!) and it seemed to go over pretty well, so here's the newest idea. I'm adding a Friday wine limerick each week.

I'll get the ball rolling and then I would love for you to participate! Send me your entry, I'll review it (nothing dirty please) and if I love it, I'll post it on the blog with credit to you! Here's this week's:

Silver Birch New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, The Zip Is Gone

A New Zealand Sauv Blanc must have zip

Tastes of acid, grapefruit, cut grass; it's quite hip
But the box of Silver Birch
Kind of left me in the lurch
It was too watery, light, and lacked grip

The Wine: Silver Birch
Vintage: 2009
Where's it From: Marlborough, New Zealand (where all New Zealand Sauv Blanc hails from, for the most part)
The Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Price: $24 for the equivalent of 4 bottles ($6/bottle)

Quick notes: Although the best wine of the Octavin wine series by leaps and bounds, this is still a watered down version of New Zealand Sauv Blanc. Its convenience can't be beat and it's great for large parties (although MC Ice and I had a hard time getting the last morsels out of the bottom), but for $7.99 you can get Picton Bay from Trader Joe's and that's bursting with much fuller fruit flavor.

This wine is just ok, in my book...and I say that with the full disclosure that the box was sent to my by the winery (for which I am quite grateful, even though I don't love it).

Readmore »»

Torii Mor 2008 Pinot Noir: A Gem from the Willamette Valley of Oregon

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinot Noir. It's a damn complex grape -- in the growing, in the making, and in the drinking -- and so much can go wrong with it, it's a little alarming.

Sometimes I drink Pinot and all I taste is tart, sour cherry. No nuance, just bitterness. Other times, I notice that American producers have taken full advantage of the fact that in the US only 75% of the grape mentioned on the label has to be in the bottle. Hence my Pinot tastes a lot like Syrah or Merlot (which it often is given how cheap these grapes are). Another annoyance: the producers often leave the Pinot on the vine so long that it becomes jammy and full -- nothing like what I'd expect from this light-to-medium bodied Burgundy native, which should be replete with complex layers of earthy flavor. It's all a big turn-off for me and makes me want to drink something more reliable.

I've posted on Pinot before and have discussed the grape in detail, but as a quick refresher, Pinot Noir is a many-splendored grape that only the most dedicated (and crazy) of producers can handle. If ever there was a grape that I wish could have stayed lower down on the popularity list, it's Pinot. Why? Because this grape is incredibly picky, and production for the masses isn't this grape's core competence (look, I went to b-school so every now and then I've got to whip this stuff out).

Pinot mutates incessantly (and is responsible for Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier, to name a few) so if a winery isn't using a good clone, you can get bad wine that's akin to chewing on a plant stem. It's a weak vine, it's victim to pests, diseases, birds, and weather. Its quality depends on site selection and soil (limestone is best) -- you can really taste the flavor of the earth in this wine. You've got to get the right area for it, or fuggedaboutit. Oh, and did I mention that it only produces small crops? That means there is less raw material to work with in each vintage. Grow it in the wrong place -- you've invested lots of time and money and wound up with a small amount of bad to mediocre wine. Who wants to do that?

Well apparently many people. After Sideways came out, we all bought Pinot like dorks buying the iPhone 4 (even if they didn't see the movie. This is partly due to word of mouth, partly due to insane marketing from big wineries who pushed their crap Pinot to the mass consumer market, regardless of quality). Hundreds of versions came out. Newer producers under-cropped their vines to create big volumes of thin, flavorless wines. Many producers opted to make their Pinot in an overripe style -- jammy, and full-bodied -- to get Merlot and Cabernet lovers on board. Fewer and further between came the complex, earthy, exotic spiced Pinot Noir. You could get them but you were going to pay a big premium. It kind of sucked for pre-existing Pinot lovers.

Now Burgundy's gem, this rare and delicious wine, has suffered from over-exposure. You can never be too rich or too thin, but you can be too popular. For instance, California Pinot. Very popular wine and I can find very few that I still like these days. France has pumped out a bunch of crap Pinot (from and not from Burgundy) to fill demand and every country around the world is trying to get their piece of the action. I find few to be successful yet most sell. Since I can't afford fine red Burgundy (which is Pinot Noir, BTW), I now rely on two regions, from where I have yet to have a bad Pinot: New Zealand (love Picton Bay at Trader Joe's for $7.99, BTW) and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Today, I'll talk about the latter.

As my fellow blogger and friend the Surburban Wino points out, Willamette kind of sounds like "dammit" (he gives a great description of the Valley and wines here too so check it out after you finish with this post!). Will-AM-it Valley stretches from the Columbia River in the north, to south of Eugene, and from the western Oregon Coastal Range to the eastern Cascade Mountains. Most of the wineries in the state are here because, well, this is the best place for vineyards.

The climate of the Willamette Valley is great for Pinot. It's cool there -- temps don't really get above 90 degrees and don't get below zero. It's kind of mild year round, except for winter when it's cool, wet, and miserable. All in all, a climate not too far from Burgundy (or parts of New Zealand for that matter). It's no wonder that a few very prestigious producers from Burgundy have set up shop in the Willamette Valley (notably, Joseph Drouhin, one of the finest large winemakers/exporters in Burgundy).

So on to a wonderful wine that I was given by the winery owner, Margie Olson, while she was in Atlanta at the High Museum Wine Auction a few months back. My friend MH, who has one of the best palates I know and who is just all around fabulous told me told me to head over to the table. MH has 100% hit rate with me! I was so enamored of Torii Mor during the tasting that Margie offered a bottle for me to take home. This bottle is an '08 and just released so I held it to let it relax a bit (wines can get bottle shock, or temporary "stiffness" while getting used to being in the bottle. It can last a few months, so I just opened it last night). The results were great!

Before I move on to the wine, the name of the winery is a little different, so I thought I'd explain. To quote their Web site:

The name TORII MOR was chosen by Dr. Olson as he felt it conjured a feeling of unique elegance. Borrowing from the Japanese, the “Torii” refers to the ornate gates most often seen at the entrances to Japanese gardens. “Mor” is a word in ancient Scandinavian that means “earth”. By integrating these two distinct languages, the romantic image of a gate to an earth space, or passageway to beautiful things, is formed. We believe that Pinot noir, more than any other varietal, is that beautiful gateway to the earth.

So there you have it. With that out of the way, let's get to the stuff in the bottle. Sourced from the northern Willamette Valley, the 2008 Pinot Noir is similar to a Burgundy in style, in no small part due to the fact that Jacques Tardy, experienced winemaker and native of Nuits-St.Georges in Central Burgundy makes these wines. With a terroir (a French word that means the land, soil, climate, general environment of the vineyard) driven philosophy and a light hand in the winemaking process, this wine is a quality Pinot Noir. Jacques did a nice job of integrating New and Old World styles here, and the wine is a winner. Here's the rundown:

The Wine: Torii Mor Pinot Noir
Where It's From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
The Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Price: $22.00

Color: Ruby in the center with a nice light, rose-colored rim and a shiny, reflective gleam. The darker color in the center made me think this wine would have rich flavor, but the lighter rim told me it wouldn't be overbearing or jammy. Great for a Pinot Noir.

Smell: This was like smelling dew in the morning in a mountain cabin. How do I know? I went to one last week and it smelled like this. A mix of fertile soil and dark dried flowers hopped out of the glass right away. Dried strawberry, boysenberry, and cranberry overlaid a really interesting bacon-y smell. There was a sharp spice in there too -- like white pepper (stronger than black pepper) and then a nutmeg, maple aroma. The wine was like a collection of random things that somehow flowed together seamlessly. It was like a bottle of perfume. My mouth watered at the smell.

Taste: 2008 was a challenging vintage for Willamette, but we benefit from it -- a smaller yield of grapes meant survival of the fittest. Only the best grapes made it into the bottle, and you can taste it in this wine. It is certainly a French-style wine -- dirt first. The wine was so earthy -- like a mushroom that had been in rich, damp soil but it was balanced by flavors like dried strawberries, sour cherry, black raspberry, and tea leaves. The wine had a pepper character, with a little pleasant bite. It had good mouth-drying tannins and lively and bright acidity. It's medium-bodied and a rich texture. This is what I want in a Pinot Noir and I was happy this delivered.

Food: I'm not gonna lie to you -- we didn't eat with this, we just drank it before dinner. We did discuss food though (do I get points for that at least?). MC Ice thought it would be a great match with grilled pork loin, I thought it would be great with a grilled portobello mushroom and eggplant tower with mozzarella and basil. Let me know if you find something more suitable. This is theory. Sorry about that... we really are normal people so sometimes we just drink the bottle without food. Is that so wrong?

Drink or Down the Sink?: Most definitely drink. This is a great Pinot Noir. $22 is a fair price, and it's well worth a try. That said, I do think the wine could use a little time to evolve and become less tannic and acidic. I'd get this and hold it until this time next year. By then it will have evolved into something magical -- and that's well worth the wait!

As a bonus, I'll be doing a shorter review of Torii Mor's Pinot Gris next week! Look out for it!

Thanks for reading!
______________________________________________________________________
***If you love Pinot and are on Twitter, put July 15th on your calendar! It's the Pinot Noir Twitter Tasting, where you can drink your Pinot with other Tweeters around the country, learn about the varietal from online friends and experts, and share your own opinions. I'll warn you that I find that these "tweet offs" are often chaotic and there are not a lot of normal wine people on them (they are really rude because they are hiding behind their computers...urgh), I always learn something so I think it's well worth at least observing the conversation! Check out the event at http://pinotnoir.eventbrite.com/ Readmore »»

Check Out My Radio Interview on How to Enjoy Wine and Press Interview on New Trends in Wine!

I've had a little bit of press lately...and more is in the works. I recently did 2 interviews, with Atlanta-based reporter Susanne Katz (who is just terrific!):


I was on the Web Talk Radio's show "What Women Want Now" discussing how to evaluate wine and how to buy wine. I hate my own voice on radio (just like we all do), but please the interview was fun so give it a listen: http://webtalkradio.net/shows/what-women-want-now/


Also, I was interviewed on "New Trends in Wine" for the Atlanta Jewish News (please, you had to know I was a Jew -- my peeps are known for our humor, right? I'm no Seinfeld, but I try): http://www.atlantajewishnews.com/newsarticles/new-trends-wine

Enjoy! There's more coming!
Elizabeth Readmore »»

Friday Limerick: Chateau du Donjon Rose

Ok, so I polled my Facebook users (please join my Wine For Normal People Page so you can get regular updates!) and it seemed to go over pretty well, so here's the newest idea. I'll still do my weekly post on wine in-depth, but I'm going to add a Friday wine limerick or haiku.

I'll get the ball rolling and then I would love for you to participate! Send me your entry, I'll review it (nothing dirty please) and if I love it, I'll post it on the blog with credit to you! Here's my first one:

Ode to Chateau du Donjon Rosé

To refreshing Rosé we say "Ahhhhhh...."
Especially when from Minervois
Light red, tastes like staw- and raspberry
Crisp acid was fab, not contrary
Donjon we toast your terroir!

The Wine: Chateau du Donjon
Vintage: 2008 (it's a little old, don't buy Rosé that's more than a year old, I messed up)
Where's it From: Minervois (pronounced: min-hare-vwah), in Southern France
The Grapes: 40% Syrah, 40% Cinsault, 20% Grenache
Important note: * This wine is dry, not sweet! Readmore »»