An Interview With a Wine Snob: The Lasting Effects of Being Picked on at the Playground

Last week I was listening to NPR (I AM A HUGE NERD) and I caught an interview on this show called "The Splendid Table" with Lynne Rossetto Kasper. She was interviewing a famous wine writer, Matt Kramer, from the Wine Spectator (guide to all snootiness, self-congratulatory writing, and wine-snobbery...oops, did I say that?). I was about to run into the gym, but M.C. Ice and I had a driveway moment and stayed in my car for 6 minutes to listen to the interview.

I'm so glad I did. It's always nice to have some validation for my blog/business name...

Matt Kramer is a smart dude. He knows a butt-load about wine and he's got great ideas. But he MUST have been the kid that was picked on in the playground. I don't know how else you become such a pretentious, snobby, need-to-let-everyone-know-how-great-you-are guy. In this interview, Matt touched on a couple of things and, to my surprise, I agreed with everything he said. He's smart, he's an expert, I respect him for it. But the way he expressed his ideas just made my blood boil and my teeth gnash.

For example...

Matt talks about the polarization in the wine industry -- how it's divided into two camps these days. Of course, because everyone will understand these terms without explanation (NOT!), he calls these camps: "The Wines of Fear" and "The Wines of Conviction." I mean, that's great writing, no? You get it right away, right? Um, not so much. I feel like I'm listening to a political ad. He must of consulted with Obama's speech writer.

In plain English, the dude was saying
Wines of Fear = Big Corporate Wines that Try to Appeal to Lots of People to Move Wine/Make Cash and


Wines of Conviction = Little Producers that Love Making Wine and Hope Someone Buys It

I know we all like pithy catch-phrases, but c'mon. Isn't wine a vast, complex, and confusing enough topic? Must we layer on these meaningless, bullshit phrases rather than saying what we mean? In this instance, it's a simple enough concept. There are huge conglomerates that make kind of soul-less wine (but they also sometimes make great stuff too, BTW) and then there are little wineries that make kick-ass wine that we want to support when we can. Most of us do both, and we know the difference.

My problem is not with the idea -- it's patently true. I see it all the more clearly, especially because I worked for a monstrous winery and felt many of the wines were homogenized and tasted similar to each other because "the suits" were pandering to the common denominator in the market. My problem is the pretense and this need to label everything with 'winespeak' in over-annunciated diction that turns so many people OFF to wine. There is absolutely no normalcy in those labels or way of speaking. It's an exercise in superiority and condescension.

Further, this guy really has been living under a rock for a long time and living the good life. He chortles (yes, chortles) at the fact that he served an $8 Spanish Cava (sparking wine, awesome!) at his "not exactly low-rent" dinner party (he had to slip that in so we know he was hob-knobbing) and that his guests adored it. Don't the rest of us know that we can get great wines for $8? That's what this blog is mainly about! Why is he laughing that he "got-away" with serving an $8 bottle? He should probably be embarrassed that it was better than the $90 bottle he served later on!

I feel bad panning on the guy -- after all, he's someone's son, someone's friend, maybe someone's husband. So I'd like to say I'm using him as kind of a symbol. Like so many in the wine industry, he's really intelligent and makes great points, but my issue with him and people like him is that wine HAS democratized. It's not his and his "high-rent" buddies' game anymore, yet his affect, his manner, his condescension remind me of all the things that bug me about the wine industry. Everyone's a snot from time to time, but in the world of wine, there's no need to create this off-putting, snide, exclusionary way of speak and being -- Normal People don't need it and we shouldn't take it...not that I have an opinion on the matter.

Please listen to the interview and let me know what you think. Readmore »»

Two Awesome French Wines and a Knockout Kiwi For Your Weekend

I got to go to a trade show this week, courtesy of Empire Distributing here in Atlanta. I tried a few wines that kicked butt. So here I pass on some suggestions for weekend imbibing...

Wine 1: Peregrine Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand 2007

Where the hell is Central Otago? Located in the bottom/middle of the South Island of New Zealand, Central Otago (bottom of the map, right) is an unbelievable wine region. It's close to the end of the world and is near the outer limits of where grapes can grow, at 45 degrees latitude. It's New Zealand's hottest, coldest, driest, and most inland region and the grape harvest here takes place about 6 weeks after the wineries up north harvest grapes. With great soils, a continental climate (think Chicago but without humidity so grapes can grow sans mold), and awesome winemakers, Central Otago churns out amazing Pinot Noir. 70% of the land is planted to this grape and the product is usually breathtaking. It's a little harder to find Pinot from Central Otago (you'll find much more from Marlborough, which also makes great Pinot), but it's well worth the search.

Price: $31.99 (these days you have to pay to get good Pinot!)

Color: The wine was a richer maroon color than I'd expect from Pinot (which tends to be light in color). I was hoping for a punch of flavor too.

Smell: I loved this wine the minute I smelled it. It was a great balance of dark flowers (like violets), damp ground (dirt!), and raspberry notes. I just loved the earthy notes in it -- the wine had a great sense of place. It was unique. I felt like you could smell Central Otago right in the glass -- which to me is highly positive. I like dirt (isn't that a Chili Pepper song?).

Taste: GREAT wine. I highly recommend it. The forest floor, herbal and dark raspberry/black cherry notes combined so beautifully. The wine had depth. I can imagine drinking it on a cold night in front of a giant fireplace in an old, dark, wooden-paneled room in New Zealand or England. It had a hint of warmth and mystery to it that I liked a lot. Interesting, but still kind of creamy and satiny.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. Great wine. Worth the price, although you may want to try out a cheaper New Zealand Pinot from Marlborough to make sure you like what the country has to offer before you splurge. This ain't Cali Pinot (although there are some comparisons with Oregon...)


Wine 2: Perrin & Fils, Vinsobres Les Cornuds 2007

What is it? Vinsobres is an area of the Southern Rhône Valley. This is going to seem like a word problem from the SATs, but I think you can figure it out... by law the red has to be a minimum of 50% Grenache, a minimum of 20% of either Mourvedre or Syrah, and a maximum of 20% of other local grapes. Got it? All you need to know is that it's mainly Grenache with Syrah or Mourvedre playing supporting roles. This particular wine is 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.

Vinsobres is a pretty great little region and the Perrin family is the top producer in the Southern Rhône, so you can't go wrong with them. According to the Perrin & Fils blog Vinsobres:

"is the most northern Rhône style southern Rhône wine, and which is for us one of the very best places to grow Syrah in the southern Rhône valley, because the Syrah keeps there the finesse and elegance that it can lose in other places of the southern Rhône Valley (due to altitude and Vinsobres specific climate)."

Price: $17.99

Color: This was a gemstone wine -- it looked like a big, fat, polished ruby. It was intense with a bit of a watery rim. A dark, enticing color!

Smell: Holy aromatics! Licorice, black pepper, and black plums...and more licorice. It was like ripe fruit and sauteed herbs. Couldn't WAIT to taste this.

Taste: Um, can you say unbelievable? It's hard sometimes to get excited about a wine made from the Southern Rhône (apart from a few key places like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueryas, and Gigondas) but this was really striking. The wine had rich raspberry and dark cherry flavors with licorice and a bacon-like note on the finish. I loved it. It had such a powerful texture -- bold but also silky. I wish I could have had it with food, even though it was outstanding alone.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I love this wine. Watch for vintage though. I tried the 2007, which was one of the best vintages the Rhône has seen in modern history-- Mother Nature cooperated and the grapes turned out really well. I can't speak for the '08 vintage...which was a good vintage, but not '07. I'm sure it's great given that the Perrin family made it, but caveat emptor!


Wine 3: Louis Latour, Chassagne-Montrachet 2007
Chass-WHAT?: Since it's from Burgundy, Chassagne-Montrachet is name of the place the wine is from, not of the grape, which is Chardonnay. Chassagne-Montrachet (shah-SAHN-yuh mon-RAH-shay) is one of the best places for growing Chardonnay in the world. The King of all Chardonnays "La Montrachet" is partially located in this double named commune, along with some other wines that would transform the most vehement Chardonnay hater.

Price: $27.99

Color: This is a sexy blonde! A rich yellow color that was so reflective and brilliant. Foxy, to say the least.

Smell: For a baseline, intro white Burgundy, this wine is a knockout. There are three components that make this Chardonnay sing -- a strong mineral aroma (like chalk or rocks), green apple, pear-like fruit, and gentle and elegant vanilla and caramel from the oak (no chateau 2x4 here -- this wine does not smell like wood shavings).

Taste: The minerals and acid are so strong and lovely against the fruit and oak. The wine would be austere, but it's creamy from a secondary fermentation (malolactic fermentation) that just softens it up and allows it to be a study in contrast -- minerals first, then fruit, then oak, then soft texture = awesome wine. Like the Peregrine, I feel like I know where this wine came from. It tastes like that place even though I've never been there (...theoretical, I know, but I think you know what I'm talking about -- some things are just typical of the "where").

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I've had this wine before and it's not always this great. Get the 2007 vintage if you can. It will give you a hint as to what other, more expensive Burgundy can taste like. If you're trying to convert an ABC drinker (anything but Chardonnay) look no further!


That's the lineup. Write and let me know what you're having this weekend! Readmore »»

A Bad Bottle From a Great Winery and the Try Everything Twice Rule

Shockingly, I have an opinion on collecting wine (ok, if you've read the blog more than once or been to a tasting with me you know it's not shocking AT ALL). Although I love having 20 - 50 bottles in reserve that I can enjoy or share for special occasions, I am not a wine collector. It's not that I'm cheap or kinda poor (although winning the lottery would be great), I really like to use and enjoy what I have. I don't collect anything -- no coins, no stamps, no snow globes (although I used to collect and trade stickers in elementary school and my sister would always screw me royally on the trades, so maybe it's just left over bitterness! I still long for my puffy, googly-eyed, velvet, hologramed alien that she took for a few measly FLAT dog stickers).

Apart from the few bottles of wine that I hold to see how they will change and develop with time, the horizon for my wine collection is pretty short, with a regular replenishment cycle running at full efficiency. In this way, I can keep tabs on what I want to hold and when I'll want to bust it open.

One of the main issues that a lot of people with large cellars face is: "How the hell am I going to DRINK all that?" The answer is, they aren't. And if they don't manage their cellars properly they may miss the window when a wine is at its best.

I bring this up because on Saturday night I had a much anticipated bottle of wine that I have been holding for 5 years. It was the Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel, a breathtakingly lovely wine that I thoroughly enjoyed and greedily consumed last August. I remembered it as velvety and having a great balance of mineral and fruit. I had high expectations.

But my hopes of deliciousness were soon dashed. This bottle, although purchased at the same time as the other and stored in the exact same place, was tight, acidic, and lacked any fruitiness. It had harsh vinegar notes and was thoroughly unpleasant. The smell was bitter, the taste was jarring, and the wine was way past its prime. Damn! I should have had it last year with the other great bottle. But then I was tweeting with a fellow blogger, the Decatur Wine & Food Dude. He and I decided to open our 2003 bottles at the same time and compare notes...His was phenomenal. Here's a snippet of his experience:

"Initially, this 2003 revealed a rather brawny and tannic wine that needed some time to shed its youthful outer shell. This recent bottle was the most "ready" of any of the bottles opened. The tannins had mostly faded to a sweet backdrop and the darkish fruit was open, sweet, and lush. The wine will probably drink well for many more years, but there's really no reason to wait to open a bottle."

Please check out his review for more details (he talks a little more about Tablas Creek and his blog is great!)

So a few thoughts on my experience with the bum bottle.

1. First of all, much like a pair of jeans, there is variation from bottle to bottle in wine. Some wines come from different barrels or tanks and there is some variation in the blend -- we're talking about wine, not Velveeta, so there is going to be a little more wiggle room.
   
   
   
2. Second, you can't always judge a producer off one bottle of wine. I had a motto when I was younger -- you need to try everything TWICE (just to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke). I'm going to reinstate that with wine. Tablas Creek is FABULOUS and I love their wines. Yes, I had a really bad bottle, but I'm not going to write it off because I know they can do better. My advice -- keep an open mind...until you've had the producer 2 times and it sucks both times!
   
   
3. Third, I think I proved my rule with collecting. What if I had held that bottle for 10 years and it was that bad? How bummed out would I be? A lot of wines can be held for 10 to even 50 years, but they are probably at their prime on the earlier rather than later side. I just don't see the rationale in holding something to hold it. Enjoy life and drink the stuff, wine peeps! If you wait to long, the wine may be spoiled and no one wants that.

I know you have opinions on the topic. Please leave a comment so I can hear what you have to say! Readmore »»

OMG: This Riedel Decanter Can't Be Real

Just a very short commentary on the picture (left) of Riedel's latest decanter that I saw at a recent wine event I attended.

I've voiced my distaste for the fact that Riedel complicates the glassware market by excessive choice and upgrades, but I want to be very clear that this is a new level.

I'll let you interpret what this looks like. I have my ideas...

The question: Who thought this was a great idea and decided to manufacture it?

The answer may very well be Ron Jeremy...

Readmore »»

A Greco, A Super Tuscan, and A Zin: Take Your Pick for the Weekend

Here's a quickie post. I had three great wines this week that you may want to try as you're heading into the weekend...

Wine 1: Greco di Tufo 'Loggia della Serra', Terredora Dipaolo 2007

What is it? Italian for Greek, the Greco grape was transported by the Greeks to Rome in about 500 BC. Grown mostly in Southern Italy, it's at its best in Campania where it grows on volcanic soils with calcium rich rocks (Pompeii is around here, for you history buffs. As an FYI, I powered through that novel but MC Ice spent 3 years trying to read the same 15 pages. Thought you should know). It's a white wine and it's known for having strong mineral character (it reflects the soil in which it grows).

Price: $19.99 (that's about what you'll pay for Greco regardless of brand, FYI)

Color: It was super golden in color but didn't look that viscous. I expected ripe flavors.

Smell: The aroma was much bigger than I thought it was going to be. Peach and honey notes were really prominent and there was a wet rock thing coming out of the glass too. It wasn't a very complex nose, more straightforward -- nice clean aroma. This was going to be good, I expected.

Taste: Delicious on its own AND with food. This wine packed a punch for a white. It was peachy, honeyed, and lemony. It even had a little bit of pineapple flavor. There was acid, but it wasn't overpowering and the sensation of licking a rock came to mind on the finish (i.e., it was minerally).

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. Loved it. It was great with Halibut in a caper tomato sauce.


The following two bottles were sent to me by the Wineries (that's my disclosure, but I always give an honest review, much to the wineries' chagrin sometimes!)

Wine 2: Arceno PrimaVoce, Tuscany 2006
What is it? A "Super Tuscan" blend -- meaning it features Sangiovese as a component, but includes French varieties as well (Merlot, Cab, etc). This one is 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Sangioves, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah

Price: $21.99 (Super Tuscans are really expensive so this is a good price)

Color: A rich ruby color -- lots of pigment. It looked exuberant!

Smell: I was none-too-pleased with the aroma of this wine. It smelled like stale cherries and prunes. It had a nice minty, cedar smell underlying the old fruit and a kicked-up dust-on-a- country-road quality that I hoped would redeem the wine when I tasted it. I was worried.

Taste: Let me be very clear. This wine is actually two wines in one. For me, the one I sipped was sour, flat, and overly acidic and alcoholic (14.5% is high for Italy) with no fruit to balance. The one I had with my pizza however, was amazing. It was full of plush blackberry and black cherry, and it had lovely caramel and wet dirt characters that made the food taste even better (sounds gross, tastes good). With tomatoes, the fat of the mozzarella, basil, and especially the sun-dried tomatoes, this wine transformed.

Drink or Down the Sink? If you want to see how a wine does a 180 with food, this is your wine. I will definitely be buying it again -- but not just for sipping on the porch with friends.


Wine 3: Murphy-Goode "Liar's Dice" Zinfandel, 2007
Where it's from: Sonoma County

Price: $18.99

Color: Just what a Zin should be -- dark red with a lighter, watery rim.

Smell: This was a JAMMY wine. Not too complex -- ripe raspberry, blackberry, and a little overripe plum (not quite prune) were the main notes. There was a hint of black pepper, some lush vanilla extract-like notes, and a touch of cinnamon spice. Definitely an alcohol burn on the nose, but not harsh just kind of sexy!

Taste: I like this wine. It's straightforward, easy, and super jammy. I love Zin like this -- ripe, bursting with flavor, and still balanced enough with acid that it doesn't taste like brandy. It's almost 15% alcohol, which is really high, but it has so much fruit that you barely notice the esophagus burn. The nice spicy cinnamon flavors made it a good treat too!

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. This is a solid Zin -- and this IS one you can have with food from the grill or just hanging around with friends. Nice wine!


That's the lineup. Write and let me know what you're having this weekend! Readmore »»

The Best Grape Story of All Time: Carmenère

Part of the reason I love wine is that every grape has a story. Whether it be that the grape has been native to an area for centuries (like Sangiovese in Tuscany), or found to be the love child of some other popular grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon is the illegitimate kid of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc), every berry has a legacy. I don't like to play favorites in wine, but I do have a favorite grape story and that is the story of Carmenère.

Yeah, I know it's off the beaten track and you may never have heard of it or seen it, but if you start 'trolling the Chilean aisle you'll see a bunch of Carmenère on the shelves. It's become a signature of sorts for that country, so I've been sent a ton of it from the Wines of Chile (including the wines that I'll talk about later and for which I thank the organization for!).

How did this ancient grape, assumed to be the progenitor of Cabernet Franc and therefore Cabernet Sauvignon, that was used in Bordeaux as a blending grape for hundreds of years wind up in Chile? That's why I love the story. It's meandering and cool.

Wine dorks who study this stuff believe that Carmenère is originally from Spain, but was brought to Italy by the Romans (who were the disseminators of viticulture to all of Europe), where it was blended with Sangiovese in Tuscany. Through Roman transport, the grape made its way up to the Left Bank of Bordeaux, where it lived fitfully, temperamentally, and as a thorn in the side of growers until a one-two punch of the fungus oidium and the vine mass-murderer phylloxera hit the area in the mid-1800s and killed off most Carmenère vines.

After the disaster that was the phylloxera epidemic, growers had to pick up the pieces. They replanted their faves on pest resistant American rootstock, but Darwinism took its course. Vignerons (as they are called in France) only grafted the vines that were worth growing because they had the strength to survive - Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Carmenère really wasn't replanted. It was assumed extinct, and most growers were excited about that -- who needed the headache?

So WOULD have ended the story of Carmenère, but then something kind of weird happened. In the early 1990s, Chile -- whose French, Italian, and Spanish immigrants had been making wine derived from European vine cuttings for more than 150 years outside of the capital of Santiago -- realized that their Merlot tasted really "distinctive." I'm sure you can guess why. About 50% of the what was going into Merlot was not a Merlot clone, as winemakers believed, but Carmenère! In 1998, officials finally finished a DNA study and the Chilean government recognized this unique grape.

It's amazing that the Chileans didn't discover this sooner. Carmenère has a VERY distinctive flavor. Whereas Merlot is kind of low key and soft, Carmenère tastes like green pepper and has a sharp spiciness that is not really found in Merlot. The grape is named so for its crimson color -- it is really dark. It tends to be medium bodied with smoky, spicy, and earthy aromas. It's no shrinking violet. This wine is bold, best had young, and, frankly, can be a tough wine to drink if it's not made well.

Given all that, you've got to give Chile props for taking this unique grape that they saved from extinction and for making a go at creating a market for it. They've never had a problem growing the stuff -- isolated from the rest of South America by the Andes to the east and the Atacama Desert to the North, and with sandy soils and low rain -- Chile is an unwelcome place for pests and fungus. The delicate grape that was heartache in France is hearty trooper in Chile. And, frankly, in the right hands the wine can be nothing short of spectacular -- like Merlot on steroids -- but in the wrong hands -- blech.

That's been my problem with Carmenère. I've tasted many and I have found two profiles -- something approaching nirvana in a rich full wine, and then a mothball-like, sulfur, green pepper mess that reminds me of a fast-food joint's salad with under-ripe tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, and past-its-prime green pepper (and a healthy dose of chemical spray). I'm hoping that Chile will nail the former and eliminate the latter, but it remains to be seen.

Funny enough, the two wines I tasted from the same producer reflected the two styles above. I hate to say that price is an indicator of quality, but here there was dramatic difference between these wines and $10 separating their price points. Both of these wines come from Viñas Montes. Started in 1987, the company is a big player in Chilean wine, importing to 75 countries around the world.

Wine 1: Montes Alpha
Where It's From:Colchagua Valley, Chile
The Grapes: 90% Carmenère, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Price: $17.99

Color: This wine is crimson. It was nearly opaque and very inky, I expected lots of flavor and low acidity due to its more purple color.

Smell: This was exactly the style of Carmenère I don't like. It smelled like vodka and green peppers. Even after decanting and drinking the next night, which I find is great for smoothing the edges of Carmenère, a real vegetal note dominated, with some smoky and plum tones. I am really sensitive to the green pepper smell, and I just couldn't get past it here.

Taste: The taste was similar to the nose. Again -- the green pepper dominated the wine with a bit of plum and vanilla from the oak aging. The wine had pretty astringent tannins and a very hot quality -- the alcohol burned my esophagus going down. The plum/blueberry/cinnamon/vanilla bean finish redeemed the wine slightly, but the green pepper notes just killed it for me.

Drink or Down the Sink?: I'm voting down the sink on this. We didn't finish the bottle because it just wasn't that intriguing. For $15, you can get a great Malbec, Shiraz, or a decent Cabernet. Skip this one.

Wine 2: Purple Angel by Montes (before I review this -- we opened this one night and drank it the next -- it needed to mellow. I know it's a pain, but it's worth the effort)
Where It's From: Colchagua Valley, Chile
The Grapes: 92% Carmenère, 8% Petit Verdot
Vintage: 2006
Price: $54.99

Color: If Carmenère means crimson, then this wine lived up to the name. It's so purple it's almost black with a light, watery maroon rim. The wine stains the glass when you swirl it and the legs (the wine as it separates into water and alcohol -- the legs are the alcohol dripping down the side) were gloppy -- this wine has 14.5% alcohol and it showed.

Smell: I like this wine as much as I disliked the Montes Alpha! Rich plum pie (plums, cinnamon, and a TON of nutmeg) dominated the nose with a touch of black pepper. The wine's prodigious alcohol made my nose tingle -- I even sneezed once from it. There was a touch of green pepper on the nose, but nothing like the Montes Alpha or other Carmenères I've had.

Taste: The first impression was plum and dark raspberry with mint, oregano, and nutmeg. There was a chocolate covered cherry quality -- rich and soft and a little bitter, like dark chocolate. The wine had a wet earth flavor. It kind of smelled like a raspberry briar, if you've ever smelled that -- kind of wild and fruity. The mouth-drying tannin was prominent but totally balanced. It was similar to a high quality Zinfandel. The wine was aged for 18 months in French and American oak. Usually American oak is looked down on for it's very strong character, but I think in this case it may have helped temper the wine and added more chocolatey, minty flavors that are highly desirable. This wine is what I think all Carmenère should taste like.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. I guess in this line of wines price does count, although that is not always the case with Carmenère I have to admit that I was a bit put off by the huge, heavy bottle (sometimes wineries use heavy bottles for cheap stuff to make it seem better so I'm wary of the ploy) but the wine delivered on quality tenfold. I would drink this again and it confirms for me that Carmenère if from the right region and in the hands of the right winemaker has a very bright future and could be Chile's big differentiator moving forward.


How to Shop For a Wine Similar To The Purple Angel: I wish I could tell you a magic bullet for finding Carmenère that tastes like the Purple Angel and not like the Montes Alpha. A few months back I did a tasting with the Wines of Chile and tasted 8 Carmenères in a row all at different price points. The only common thread I found was that the wines I liked best were from the Colchagua Valley as opposed to other places. Further, I think the addition of American Oak to the French oak in aging helps mellow the wine. You can look for that on the back label or on the internet and hopefully that will help you find great wines too. That said, you may need to try a few different producers before you have the wine. Once you find a good one, take note -- it can be your touch point after you've tried a few of these and are ready to throw in the towel on the variety altogether!

I'd love to hear from you! Let me know your thoughts!
Readmore »»

Grouper Three Ways: 2 Pairings That Worked and One Huge Bomb

This past weekend I was hanging around Savannah, Georgia and coastal South Carolina on a mini vacation with M.C. Ice and our awesome puppy, Ellie. Vacation has many, many benefits but one of the best is that I get out of my food rut and get to play around with wine pairings when we go out to dinner each night. Like all the normal people I know, I cook some variation of the same meals every week (face it: we all do this). I make a ton of Mediterranean food and the very occasional Asian meal, so what we eat is generally a home run with wines of all kinds. I think of all food, Mediterranean/Italian-based cuisine is the most wine friendly. Argue if you like, but that's my take.

Wine pairing is an art and a science. Since I am a fish-a-tarian (don't get down on me, I'm allergic to red meat, so my doctors said when I stopped eating it at 2 and my parents were not vegetarian!), I rely on two things to make great pairings -- sauce/spice and M.C. Ice to approve. I rarely mess it up. Try it yourself -- for instance, understanding that big red wines and beef are exclusive lovers, you narrow the playing field of acceptable wines dramatically. To make a final determination, you can do your best pairing work if you focus NOT on the meat, but on the preparation. It makes a world of difference in getting it right. I pride myself on being fabulous at pairing food and wine because of this.

But guess what? Even though I'm a sommelier and am an expert of sorts in this game, sometimes I botch it royally and it's a great learning experience nonetheless.

At the coast, we ate fish every night. What was in season and common on every menu was fresh grouper, a light, flaky, white fish that is imparted with flavor based on the sauce that goes on top. I had it three nights in a row -- all with different prep -- and I had soaring success and colossal failure in pairing over the three nights. Although on balance it worked out, I realized just how much things can fall apart if one part of the dish is different as described or if you don't consider how it all goes together. Here was grouper three ways and the pairings that worked or didn't:

Evening 1: Belford's in Savannah
The Dish: Grouper with a balsamic glaze over creamy risotto

The Wine: Savannah is a real food town and usually the wine lists have some cool stuff, but sadly Belford's wine list was super boring -- they had a very scant international selection and the stuff they did have was kind of beat. But I appreciated this in the end. It made me push my pairing muscles. I ordered a bottle of the 2008 Frei Brother's Reserve Russian River Chardonnay -- something that on its own is an oaky, caramel, tart-apple, Chateau 2 x 4 Special (thanks to Eric for allowing me to borrow this phrase) and something I would never sip.

The Pairing: Totally surprising. MC Ice was completely skeptical after having a sip of the wine without the food. This isn't what we ever have at home, but I thought with the creaminess of the fish and the balsamic glaze we would have a winner. Once paired with the fish, there was no sign of caramel or wood anywhere in the wine -- just tart apple, good acidity, and a clean finish that allowed the fish to keep its delicacy, added nice fruit to the sweet balsamic glaze, and complemented the risotto by lightening up the creaminess and making it seem a bit thinner and more refined. Total home run and extra points because it was unexpected.

Just another tip -- the Frei is a standard Russian River Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California so any stand-in at around $12 - $18 should do.

Evening 2: Alligator Soul Restaurant in Savannah
We got married in Savannah and have been to lots of the great restaurants there, but this was our maiden voyage to this subterranean, very cool, upscale yet hidden place. I just loved the grotto-like feel to it and the menu featured all sorts of delicious fish options. The chef came out at the end of the evening to talk to us -- Chris DiNello was gracious, kind, and knowledgeable. I loved it. Another thing I loved: the stainless steel martini glass. So genius -- it keeps the drink ice cold and looks damn cool!

The Dish: It was a special, not on the regular menu -- seared grouper with artichokes, spinach, and red pepper sauce (see dark, crappy picture, left).

The Wine: Before I tell you what it was, I want to tell you that the wine was ordered to go with the light salad, the cheese course (2 gouda, 2 cheddar, 1 feta, apples, walnuts, and a piece of local honeycomb -- loved it!), and, most of all, the honey-glazed scallops (dreamy pairing with this wine -- creamy, made them more honeyed, acid cut the buttery deliciousness of the scallop). The grouper was a special so it was hard to remember all the components. I thought the 2007 Trimbach Riesling from Alsace, France, which is creamy, aromatic, fruity and almost oily, yet acidic, would be a safe bet with a light fish.

The Pairing: To counteract the perfection of the scallop/cheese pairings was the freaking DISASTER of a pairing with this grouper. Please don't make this mistake -- it made me think I should have ordered a bourbon instead. I went from acidic, peachy delight in the wine to harsh textures and clashing flavors that made me think of Iggy Pop rocking out with the New York Philharmonic. The artichoke was salty and green tasting, which contrasted so strongly with the aromatic, nectarine notes in the wine and made the acidic nature of the Riesling cut my tongue like a knife. This wine is usually so creamy, but when met with the red pepper sauce it became thin and bitter. As you can see from the pic, the plate is kind of loaded up with the artichokes and red pepper. I thought they would be small bits and not overwhelm the wine. Should have asked. Mea culpa.

What a complete pairing disaster. For my palate, this pairing is akin to streaking at a funeral -- so inappropriate and completely offensive. I love the Trimbach and drink it regularly, but not with these ingredients. Don't try this at home, kids. If you see red pepper and artichokes, step away from the Riesling. Ick.

Evening 3: Truffles, Bluffton, South Carolina
With that disaster under my belt, I was feeling off my game. Could I redeem myself? I mean the scallops and other stuff worked with the Riesling, but the grouper...oy, vey. It gave me the chills just thinking of it.
The Dish: Grouper with Mediterranean topping -- tomatoes, olives, and feta.

The Wine: I paired the Decoy Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley with it. Yes, red wine and fish. I went off the sauce rule (keeping in mind that the red had to stay on the light side so as not to ruin the fish).

The Pairing: After the nightmare of the night before, we went by the glass for each dish (a perfectly fine option if you are ordering different stuff from your companion). As a tangent, I almost ordered a beer with the spinach and artichoke dip given my artichoke disaster of the previous night but then got brave and went for Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand and it was a total hit! If you want to cut the creamy, thick and "green" nature of that dip, the Sauvignon Blanc lightens it all up and the green flavors in the wine complement the food to make it all smooth, with no sharp angles or salty, bitter badness -- which is always the fear when pairing with artichokes and spinach. Should have remembered this when I was pairing the grouper the night before!

But I digress. Let's address the briny, earthy flavors of the kalamata olives, which dominated the tomato and feta topping and seeped into the fish. The Anderson Valley Pinot Noir from a very cool area of Mendocino County, north of Napa and Sonoma (some of the best Pinot and sparkling in the US in my opinion), had complementary notes in it -- earthy, minerally, and just slight red berry flavor that went perfectly with the Mediterranean mix. The acidity of the tomato matched the acidity of the wine and it was just heaven. Thinking about the flavors as they were described -- the acid in the tomato, the earthiness of the olives, and the saltiness of the feta worked so well with the wine's minerality, fruit, and acidity! It worked out great!

So there is some pairing in practice that illustrates my earlier points. Same fish every night with different prep = a different wine every time. Hopefully this will help you when you're pairing. I'm glad I documented it here -- next time I'm at the coast, I'm going to pull up this post just to remember.

Happy Pairing and please share with me your successes and disasters!

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Vall Llach Embruix from Priorat: A Bewitching Wine from an Awesome Region

Spain is a remarkable country. I was lucky enough to get there a couple of times in my youth -- way before I got into wine and way before there was significant Spanish wine to get into. I found it to be a surreal and awe-inspiring place. I remember traveling on my Eurail pass on the AVE (the bullet train) and looking out the window at this barren, beige landscape with cute little old men and women in teeny towns watching as the train passed by. Most of Spain seemed rural to me and it wasn't much of a stretch to understand why authors and artists dreamed up such fantastic ideas while living here -- Picasso, Miró, Dalí, and Cervantes needed color and bright, quirky ideas to spruce up the dry, rocky land that pervades the Iberian Peninsula on which they lived.


In some respects, the modern wine industry has experienced that same freedom that these cultural icons probably felt. When faced with a barren landscape it's easy for imaginative people to dream up something amazing to fill it!

Spain is, without a doubt, a wine nation. There's evidence that wine has been made here since 4000 - 3000 BC, and that more sophisticated methods were brought to the country by the Phoenicians who hung out in Spain around 1100 BC. The country is home to over 600 native grape varieties (although 80% of the wine is made out of 20 grapes!), and monks, Romans, and even the Moors (yes, they were Muslims going rogue) produced and consumed Spanish wine. The wine was shipped to South and Latin America to satisfy the colonists. Rioja was designated as a quality region for wine in 1650 and the French sought disease free vineyards in north-central and northeastern Spain when fleeing grape plights at home (that spread mostly from the U.S. Don't WE feel guilty? Although I have to say, my family was still bumping around Russia, Germany, and Austria then, so I'm not taking blame for it!).

But even with that rich history, the last 75 years have been what wiped the slate clean for Spain's wine world and made it start from scratch more recently. Military coups that resulted in a Civil War, World Wars, and a 40 year oppressive dictatorship under Franco removed nearly all investment and innovation from Spain's wine world (Rioja and Jerez/Sherry were the only areas that were somewhat spared given their long-standing reputations). With no regard for wine quality or artistry, liquid plonk made from the worst quality grapes poured forth en masse and Spain gained an embarrassing reputation for easily browned, over-alcoholic wines...until it started getting some EU cash, that is.

In the last 15 years, Spain has learned that membership has its privileges. Once it joined the EU, money flowed in and winemakers -- old and new, foreign and domestic -- got capital to invest in the vineyards and the wineries (I think it's hilarious that most wineries who have Web sites mention how clean the facilities are. Don't we usually assume that's the case? But they feel they have to mention it given the legacy of crap wine, I guess.). With money and democracy, the barren landscape shaped by Franco started filling in and the results are impressive.

Now Spain's star has risen. Quality wines from native grapes grown in their native areas, and some French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, to name a few) that complement the indigenous ones have found great success. Spain now has a thriving industry with amazing wines from nearly every region and the ability to build and maintain wineries that make great wine -- they are clean, they are modern, and they've got ownership who know what they are doing. That's a good thing.

Let's face it, Americans benefit from the EU subsidies too. Spanish wine prices are way lower than what the wines are worth, and that makes them fabulous values. Mostly, you'll find great wines for under $15 but there are some regions in Spain where the wines command high prices, and there is a reason for it. Priorat is one of them.

Priorato or Priorat as it is called in the native language, Catalan, is a small, isolated region 100 miles west of Barcelona, in northeast Spain. It's steep, with horrible, rocky soils that cause the vines to struggle to produce few measly grapes. Funny enough -- this is THE recipe for great wine. Grapevines that produce fewer berries, that need to dig deep for nutrients, but that are grown at elevation and have a good amount of sun exposure and low rainfall produce the finest wines in the world. Priorat is a candidate for this title.

The area has a special soil called llicorella (I can say that in Spanish, but I don't know how it's said in Catalan, if you know, let me know please!), which is brown slate and mica. It reflects sunlight and conserves heat to really ripen the grapes, which grow on steep terraces at altitude. The topsoil is thick and heavy, so the vines have to dig deep down into the ground for water and nutrition. The temperature is extreme -- with long, freezing winters and very hot summers. There's nearly no rain here. Sounds kind of harsh, no? Well, it is but that's why the wine is so damn good!

The region follows the same pattern as the rest of Spain from an historical bent -- Carthusian monks came in and set up shop. The Prior had control (hence Priorat, the name of the region). About 2000 years later, in the 1830s, the state took over the land from the church. Unfortunately a few decade later the vineyards were destroyed by disease and replanted with almonds and olives. Wine wasn't put on the map again until the 1980s when René Barbier and Álvaro Palacios came from Rioja and started making kick-ass wine mostly of Garnacha (Grenache), Cariñena (a native grape called Carignan in France), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Robert Parker, the then Don of the wine critic world (you know, before Wine For Normal People came along, of course! I kid, I kid!), gave rave reviews. Prices shot up and this little region never looked back.

Priorat and Rioja are the only two regions that can claim to be regions of the highest quality or DOCa. Pretty big stuff and easy to understand once you've had one of the wines from either of these places, but especially Priorat. The Vall Llach Embriux (means bewitching, FYI) is the bottom of the line for Priorat and is still one of the most delicious wines I've had all year. The winery is the pride and joy of opera singer Lluis Llatch, who founded it in 1992.

I do warn you about this wine, if you like rich wines and try it, you are in trouble. This can only lead to more desire for more Priorat wines and complete annihilation of your wallet...but I gotta say, it may be worth it. It really IS kind of bewitching!

The Wine: Vall Llach Embriux
Where It's From: Priorat(o), Spain
The Grapes:38% Garnacha, 26% Cariñena, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 6% Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Price: $29.99

Color: Nearly opaque, this wine was crimson or blood red. It looked dark and rich, and was unique in color. Since this didn't show any purple tones (usually wines that are purple are less acidic) and was red as red can be, I was thinking that the wine would be on the acidic side, which I really love.

Smell: This was so perfumed and it had a dozen layers to it. First it was like dark violets and wet potting soil. Then it was blackberry, blueberry, and plum. The wine required a ton of decanting or swirling -- with that aromas just kept on coming, as more air broke up the chemical compounds in the wine and let it come out of its shell. Tobacco, cedar chips. and dark cinnamon/nutmeg smells popped out of the glass. It had high alcohol, so there was a bit of the cilia singe effect, but with all the other cascading aroma it just added to the mix of goodness. What a wine.

Taste: Stunning. The taste was like the smell and the texture just added to the experience. It was creamy and silky and soft but also had great acid and was dry. My mouth felt both massaged by the wine and cleaned out by it. It was a great sensation and one that you can only get when you start heading up the quality scale in wine. This fired on all cylinders.

Food: As I am wont to say -- this requires some sort of brown food/sauce. Mushrooms for the vegetarians (always a staple in Spanish tapas, FYI), tuna for the fish-etarians, and beef stew, roasted or stewed red meat are what this wine requires. Anything lighter in flavor and this wine will kill the dish. Powerful wine needs rich, powerful food.

Drink or Down the Sink?: This wine (or their higher tiers which I'm sure are otherworldly) or another equally delicious wine from one of the 85 producers in Priorat HAS to be on your list of reasonable splurge wines. As normal people, we're not drinking $30 bottles every night, but next time you're in the market for something a little nicer, do it. I swear you won't regret it if you like rich red wines. There are three places, in my opinion, where Garnacha/Grenache blends kick serious butt -- Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhöne, South Australia, and here, in Priorat. Drink it.

How to Shop For a Wine Similar To This One: Here's the deal: It's easy to find the Spanish reds section these days, but not as easy to find wines from Priorat. I find a lot of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, some Monastrell (great bargains and delicious, so grab that too! We had the brand Hecula and it was rad), and an occasional Garnacha but shops are a little light on the Priorat. I'd recommend seeking out a shop that has more than one wine from here and asking about the difference in profile. They should all be really high quality, but the person running the shop may be able to tell you the small differences between the brands (if not, hop online and look for tasting notes, or email me and I'll try help you!). Either that or just order the Embruix online -- you won't regret it!
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