And We All Think Potatoes

Posted on June 10, 2015 by thewineraconteur

June is Idaho Wine Month according to the Wine Lover’s Calendar and I am trying to keep ahead of the curve, if I can. Unfortunately, I have to admit a sum total knowledge of the wines of Idaho as zero. I do not even recall seeing a bottle of Idaho wine at any merchant I have been to, so I had to do some research, as I have never even been to the state as well.

IdahoMap

It is said that Idaho was the first area to be planted for wine grapes in the Pacific North-West in 1864 and I guess they had pretty good acclaim back in the day. Then the Volstead Act or Prohibition arrived and decimated that part of agriculture in Idaho. Vodka and Beer are the two leading alcoholic beverages produced in Idaho, but in the 1970’s replanting of grapes had begun. The climate in Idaho is considered a “Continental Climate” similar to what is found in France for the Languedoc-Rousillon and also the Provence district. The sandy soil and the weather fluctuations mean that the phylloxera louse that can cause such havoc to vineyards is not a concern in Idaho.

SnakeRiverValley

I have found that there are 299 vineyards listed for Idaho and that the leading wine grapes grown are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah and Gewürztraminer. There is also the Snake River Valley AVA and the potential for a couple of more AVA designations in the near future. I shall have to try to make a mental note to look for an Idaho wine, the next time I visit my children out in Las Vegas, as I might have better luck there.

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A Pleasant Evening on Memorial Day

Posted on June 8, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The Monday of the Memorial Day weekend has become a quiet day for me, for the last couple of years. I totally appreciate the solemnity of the day and can appreciate all the brave men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for my country. Though in the last several years, my Bride has always made a business trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit clients and her contacts. On a few of the trips, I have gone up there with her, but it is predicated on the schedule that she can make. If she can work from one location for a couple of days, it is fine, otherwise, I just end up sitting in a car all day, as she goes from one location to another. This past trip for her, I would have just been riding shot gun, the entire trip, while her company is wonderful, it is not a nice way to spend a week off.

Ca'Marcanda Promis Toscana Gaja 2000

On a social media site, I had posted that I truly hoped that she would have a safe and uneventful trip. Then I proceeded to start doing some projects around the house to keep myself occupied. Lo and behold, as they used to say, I received an invitation for dinner from a dear friend, who has become even dearer to both of us over the years. He as appeared on these pages with the nom de plume that he gave himself, when he penned an article for me, he is now known as The Wine Raconteur Jr. He and his family were having dinner at his house and he invited me over for dinner, to join his family, his parents and his one uncle and his wife; and since I knew everyone he felt that I would not be uncomfortable. I told him that since I was in the midst of a project that I would forgo dinner, but if I had a chance I would stop by.

Later in the early evening after I had a chance to clean up, I ventured into the cellar to get a wine carrier and a couple of bottles of wine to take over there. It would be in poor taste to go somewhere empty handed and since my Bride is known for her culinary talents and I am not, I figured the wine would be a better choice. When I arrived at his home, I knocked on the front door, and there was no response, and since I am from that old country and old world schooling, I just took it upon myself to enter into the house, figuring that they were all in the backyard and I was right. When I stepped out of the house into the yard the smile on The Wine Raconteur Jr. was one that could have lit up a starless evening. I went directly to my host and hugged him, and then onto his wife, then I made my hellos to his parents and to his uncle and his wife as well. As I was getting ready to sit down, his two children came over to greet me too. It was a warm and fuzzy “Kodak” moment as we used to say.

Company Fleret Svestka

I reached into my wine carrier and grabbed one bottle of wine to give to his Father, and he started to look at the label, and I told him that the label was meaningless, as it was a bottle of homemade “Dago Red” wine, the second set of homemade wines that I had received from the past Christmas season. This particular wine, I had found to be more atypical of the classic “Dago Red” wines that I had grown up with, as it was slightly frizzante and was very pleasant and not as heavy as the wines that I remembered as a kid. The other bottle that I pulled out of my carrier immediately got some notice, from the Uncle’s wife first as she saw the label immediately and saw the word Gaja. The word Gaja started a lively discussion of wines and restaurants and I related the story of how I had initially found this wine, as it the most affordable wine that I have ever seen from Gaja. We were all laughing about the story, as they had all been to the restaurant several times, the same as I have, and I have wrote about the evening already, so I will not repeat it. I asked jokingly if there was such a thing as a corkscrew in the house, and my dear friend went and produced his “Rabbit” and took it out of its gift box, to open the wine. The wine was a bottle of Gaja Ca’Marcanda Toscana IGT 2000, and since I still have some more of this wine in the cellar, I wanted to see how it had aged. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese and though it is from Tuscany, it carries an IGT designation. While Tuscany has DOCG and DOC designations, there is now an IGT designation as well, and it was an uphill battle originally for the winemakers that wanted to try something different. Originally in Italy they had the DOCG, DOC and the lowest designation was Vino di Tavola, or Table Wine. After the wine Sassicaia erupted on the Tuscan scene, there was a need for a different designation, and then for all the other “Super Tuscan” wines that began being made. In 1992 the IGT designation was formally announced, and this gave winemakers in historic areas the freedom to try making wines without the constraints that the original designations required. I might add that I had this wine when it was new, and now in 2015, the wine was not showing any age problems, it was showing its maturity as some of the original fruitiness had mellowed, but it was a very smooth drinking wine. I do not think anyone, and least I hope not, was disappointed with my selection. Later on that evening The Wine Raconteur Jr. produced a charming bottle of Company Fleret Svestka Plum Spirit from Czechoslovakia. There was even a prune sitting in the bottle of spirits, and while I expected something like “fire-water” along the lines of grappa, this was not the case. It was a very easy sipping drink and perfect for after dinner. This was a wonderful and totally unexpected way for me to spend that evening, and once again I must thank my charming hosts for the evening, and I had to laugh, because as I was leaving they had even prepared a large package of food for me to take home, because they were concerned that I might starve that week, and trust me, I have never looked like I was starving.

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The Night the Margaritas Were Better Than the Wine

Posted on June 6, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The other night my Bride and I were going out for dinner and since we had some gift cards from a restaurant that we had never been to, we decided to try a new venue. This was going to be our last night together for a while, as she had a business trip scheduled for visiting clients in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and she was leaving the next day. I did not envy her trip, because she would be driving almost eight hours the first day, but she is a trouper and that part of the state is beautiful, especially if you get there before or after the infamous “black-fly season.”

L A Cetto Chardonnay 2013

The restaurant that we went to was a Mexican (Tex-Mex) eatery called Rojo that was created by a local chain of Italian restaurants. I am not sure if they are still part of the chain or were spun off, but they were doing a great business the evening we were there. We must have gotten there at the perfect time, because after we were seated they were patrons milling all about waiting for a table or a booth to be vacated. Our dinner entrees were fine for what we were looking for, not stellar, but much better than some other venues that I have tried over the years. The Margaritas were excellent and they did have quite the selection of different Tequilas to try, I went with a classic interpretation and my Bride went with a fancy one, because she is fancy.

MI Rojo BC

What caught my eye on the menu was that they offered two different wines from Mexico, so I ordered a glass of wine to try with the main part of the meal. I have become quite a pain; I am sure, for some servers as I now request that they bring me a bottle of the wine, so that I can take a picture of the label, if we are not ordering a bottle of the wine. Modern technology has help immensely for writing about wines and it only adds a couple of dollars more for the tip. I had a glass of L.A. Cetto Valle de Guadalupe Chardonnay 2013. The Valle de Guadalupe of Guadalupe Valley is in the Baja California region of Mexico and this area produces about ninety percent of all the wines of Mexico. All of the varietals that are grown in this area are the classics, as the only indigenous grapes in Mexico are not grown for wines. I would venture to say that there are a lot of growers and workers that originally got there start working in California wineries and brought the expertise that they learned from their work experience to this relatively new wine area. I was not impressed with this wine, and my Bride who tried a glass smiled at me and remarked that what I do for an article, as she continued enjoying her Margarita, while I had my glass of Chardonnay.

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May is Oregon Wine Month

Posted on June 4, 2015 by thewineraconteur

This is the last of my articles for the month of May regarding wines, as I am trying to keep abreast (and very poorly I must say) of the events listed by the Wine Lover’s Calendar. One day I will actually be a real Wine Blogger and get this done in a timelier manner, but I digress, as I usually do. Oregon is a big wine producer on the West Coast and is located between the states of California and Washington.

Wallace Brook Cellars Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2011

Grapes were first recorded to be planted in 1847 when it was still the Oregon Territory of the United States, but it only really blossomed for wineries in the 1960’s. While there are several varietals that are being planted and grown with good success, the three major ones are: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris (Grigio) and Chardonnay. That very fussy and difficult grape Pinot Noir does very well there and it is one of my favorite varietals (for what that is worth). There are several notable AVA designations in Oregon. Perhaps the most known or at least the wine that is seen in the Detroit area is the Willamette Valley, which has six sub AVA districts of its own. The Southern Oregon AVA is a combination of the two AVA districts of Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley. Then a couple of other noted districts are Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley and Snake River Valley.

Roco Chardonnay 2012

I have only recently started enjoying some of the wines from Oregon, so I cannot even attempt to call myself an authority on their wines. As I look back on my notes, I have noticed that twice in my tastings of wines, I was with a fellow Wine Blogger Oliver of The Wine Getter, and actually so far, the only Wine Blogger that I have had the good fortune to meet in person. The time that Oliver and I met for lunch, we saw on the wine carte that there was a Pinot Noir from Oregon and Oliver remarked that he had never tried one, so we enjoyed a bottle of Wallace Brook Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011. Another time that we were together for dinner with our spouses we ended up having some Roco Chardonnay 2012 which is from Eola-Amity Hills AVA which is a sub-region of the Willamette Valley AVA. I am sure that there will be many more wines that I will enjoy from Oregon as the years progress, after all, I am still learning and tasting wines and trying to enjoy them all.

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May is the Month for Finger Lakes Wine

Posted on June 2, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The Finger Lakes wine region of New York State has been lauded for the last couple of decades for the fine work they have accomplished in wine making. Even the “Wine Spectator” magazine that I have subscribed to for years lists many of the different wineries and their output throughout the year, which is something that the State of Michigan has been ignored for, since I have been a subscriber.

Great Western Extra Dry NYS Champagne NV

One of the first books that I purchased for myself, when I began studying wines as a hobby was The World Atlas of Wines by Hugh Johnson and published in 1971. I may venture to say that many of the Wine Bloggers that I follow may not have been born, as Blogging seems to be a more youthful endeavor. This atlas is 370 pages of maps, information and wine labels; and I have found it to be very useful over the years. Of course the problem with any atlas or map is that it is old, by the time it is published, because things change, the world is dynamic and in constant flux, even for wine. To give you an idea, there are only two pages devoted to the Finger Lakes when this book was published. To put this in a more perspective view; the states Oregon, Washington, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and the province of Ontario share one paragraph on the two pages devoted to the Finger Lakes. While the information about the area for wine is positive, to the young naïve reader that I was back then, it kept me from searching for the wines, and to be honest, there is very little of New York wines to be found on the shelves or wine cartes here in Michigan.

NY Finger Lakes Map

The main thrust of my reading about the Finger Lakes besides the fine work of a few vintners was the varietals that were being used; Baco Noir, Catawba, Chelois, Concord, De Chaunac, Deleware, Duchess, Elvira, French American, Isabella, Moore’s Diamond, Niagara and Seyve- Villard. These varietals are what are grouped together as Cold Hardy Grapes, and it has only been recently that I have really tried some of these varietals myself, as they are also popular in Michigan and Ohio. As I was a “wine snob” in my youth, before I knew any better, is it any wonder that I did not go out of my way to try these wines. I only knew New York State for their sparkling wines, and then only for the biggest producing winery of the area Pleasant Valley Wine Company and their Great Western Extra Dry New York State Champagne NV. The more I learn about wine, the more I realize how much I do not know and hence the thirst for more education and more wine continue.

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National Wine Day

Posted on May 31, 2015 by thewineraconteur

For me and many of my friends, every day is National Wine Day, but according to the Wine Lover’s Calendar published by the American Wine Guide, May 25’th is the official National Wine Day, and yes I am still trying to catch up. Who knew that there would be so many events to write about in the month of May?

Try Wine with your dinner tonight

I would venture to say, that the concept of National Wine Day is to get new people to discover wine, because they would already be preaching to the chorus for all the current wine lovers out there. Restaurants, wineries, retailers and of course the wholesalers should be in love with this day, but I do not see it promoted as I feel that it should be. For me, wine is a natural item to enjoy with friends over dinner, as if you haven’t noticed. Most of my writing centers on the joys of wine in that setting, as I certainly am not a technical writer. It doesn’t even have to be a bottle that breaks the bank, just something that will enhance the moment; as I do write about wines in all price points, because I realize that people like to see wines that they may actually find. My belief is that the wine should be comparable to the dinner, if you are dining in a popular price venue, then the wine should be similar. I find it amusing sometimes when I am in an Italian restaurant with very good food and priced affordable; then I look at the wine carte and there were will be a few “name” wines, several mediocre wines and then a back page of a handful of premium wines that are not necessary, the restaurant would be better off, taking some of the money they invest at both extremes and invest in some unique interesting wines that would enhance their cuisine. I think a good wine selection and something for the help to discuss with the patrons makes for a much greater setting.

Wine adds to the pleasure of good food

I was looking for some visual aids to use for this article, and I went searching in one of my many other hobbies and found a couple of advertising poster seals, that were much more popular from the 1920’s to the 1940’s, and I would venture to say that the two items that I found were probably from the 1940’s. The two items were put out by the Wine Growers of California and they both show wine as an integral part of a dinner. I did a search of the Wine Growers of California and I could not find them, though I would not be surprised if they have changed the name of the association perhaps several times over, which is not uncommon for many organizations as the course of their focus may change. I heartily endorse their appeal back then, and I still approve of the concept of National Wine Day as well.

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The Judgment of Paris

Posted on May 29, 2015 by thewineraconteur

May 24, 1976 may go down in the annals of the American wine industry as one of the crowning moments; the day that California beat France in a blind tasting. I remember when it happened as it was during my last semester as I was earning my Bachelor’s Degree. It was the Bicentennial year for the United States and over all the country was giddy in celebrations. The country was in a transition state and I remember the year, as I was watching the changing of the guard.

Chateau Montelena Chardonnay Napa 2007

The story of the Judgment of Paris was made into a delightful “indie” film called “Bottle Shock” which I have mentioned in past articles. I really enjoy this film and have watched it many times since it was released in 2008 and my Bride and I saw it the first weekend that it was released. Even though the ending was known by most people that have watched the film, it is still fun and it like the “Rocky” film for wines. Of course, I am sure that the film did not do well in France, because that was the year that they had to cede to the world that they were not at the forefront of winemaking. “What were you expecting, Thunderbird?” to me is just a fantastic line in the script, because bulk wines were what America was thought of, at the time.

BottleShock

What I remember the most of that period was that I was learning more and more about wines, and the wines were from France, Italy and Germany and to a lesser extent here in America one could also enjoy some wines from Spain and Portugal. Wines were European and oh so Continental, they were exotic, as compared to having a glass of Scotch or Rye. After the Judgment of Paris, I think in my little world I was a snob, because all I had ever tried for the most part was European wines. After the event, I remember all of the fine wine shops started carrying California wines in earnest, and the prices that they were asking for these American wines, kept me buying European wines for quite a few years afterwards. Even with the wine shops and restaurants jumping on the bandwagon to carry California wines and at that time it meant Napa Valley wines, it was very difficult to take a chance paying sometimes even more for a bottle of wine that was domestic compared to an import. There was a period when a lot of people that I knew were staying parochial, only this time rather than local, it was foreign. After a couple of holidays in the wine country of California, I had become a convert as well. The most amusing thing to me is that it was only a few years ago that I finally had a bottle of Chateau Montelena, and it basically was for the reason that I just never encountered it on wine cartes. The most nostalgic thing about remembering the Judgment of Paris is perhaps the pricing of wines back then, if only one could still buy the wines at those prices.

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National Chardonnay Day

Posted on May 27, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Chardonnay is the wine that seems to be found everywhere and it may be just as popular as beer as a cold refreshing drink. One can find it in fine restaurants and it can be found in bowling alleys and anyplace in between. This varietal seems to be able to be grown almost every where in the world as well. The Old World, the New World and it is being grown in some of the newer areas as well, and it seems to have a substantial following, and it even has its detractors in the A.B.C crowd, which means “Anything But Chardonnay,” which I think is unfair. I also have to state that I am a little behind in my postings for May, because May 21 was designated as National Chardonnay Day.

Domaine Laroche Les Fourchaumes Chablis Premier Cru 1995

Chardonnay has its home in France, and has flourished in the entire length of the Burgundy region. At the North end of Burgundy is Chablis, which unfortunately has had an image problem for years, because of all of the cheap white wines that used to have the word Chablis on the label, that have nothing to do with Chablis. Chardonnay has done so well in Chablis that there are Grand Crus and Premier Crus, and in fact the production of Premier Cru Chablis is almost equivalent to the output of basic Chablis. Then as one goes further South in Burgundy, one encounters, perhaps the greatest of all Chardonnay wines, the Cote de Beaune. There may be no wine that is as luscious as a Grand Cru from any of the villages of the Cote de Beaune. Even if you go further South in the Maconnais one still finds some great wines and they are even affordable, which makes them even that much better.

Puligny-Montrachet clos du cailleret

When the Chardonnay varietal found its way across the water to the New World, it exploded with the unlimited possibilities and the different terrains that it is grown in. It may have hit its stride on the West Coast, but it has found its way all over the North America and in South America as well. It works as well in the Australian influenced areas of the Pacific and has even been done in South Africa. It is everywhere and it has created an argument among its fans; should it be buttery or crisp? Though it may sound like a “cop out” from me, but I enjoy a great Chardonnay if it is really buttery from the oak barrels or if it is crisp. There is a time and place for both styles in my world.

Rully Cuvee La Chaume 2008

As for my A.B.C. friends and crowd, I like to surprise them with a bottle of wine, say something from the South of Burgundy, like the Maconnais or the Chalonnais. Pour your friends that have given you the A.B.C. statement a glass of something like Rully and let them savor the freshness of the wine and its crispness. Let them tell you how much they enjoy it and then smile and tell them that they are enjoying a glass of Chardonnay and watch their reaction. It may be devious and slightly underhanded, but it will let them discover a wine that they like, even with them espousing that they do not like the varietal. I am that kind of guy.

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Granholm vs. Heald

Posted on May 25, 2015 by thewineraconteur

May 16 was the Tenth Anniversary of Granholm vs. Heald and it was a wonderful decision for all wine lovers in the states of Michigan and New York. The case was argued in the United States Supreme Court on December 7, 2004 and decided on May 16, 2005. Eleanor Heald and her husband were wine collectors and they also had a syndicated wine column that was carried in some of the local Michigan newspapers. Jennifer Granholm was at the time Governor of the State of Michigan and she was part of the political machine from Wayne County.

Third Party Shipper

What was going on in Michigan was that the wine distributing industry was curtailing the rights of individuals to secure wines for their personal consumption. If the distributors did not carry a wine brand, then the wine could not legally enter the state, and it is a very strong political lobby to this day. The state had granted allowances to Michigan wineries to be able to ship their product directly to consumers, because they were trying to build up the fledgling wine industry in the state, but they denied outside wineries from the same competition.

Michigan was regarded as a “Felony” state to wineries and they would not even attempt to ship wine to Michigan. I remember the old days, and how a winery owner explained to me, how to have wine shipped home. The winery could sell me wine, but they could not ship the wine. Once I had bought the wine, it was my own personal property and after it had left the grounds of the winery, the winery had no further interest in the product. I could then legally take the wine to third party independent shipper, one that handled and expedited wine shipments and I could have my property shipped back to myself after purchasing special shipping cartons for the conveyance of all the bottled liquids. I also took the further precaution of having them shipped to my place of business, had the packages marked as olive oil and then to ensure that an adult could sign for the shipment, if I was not there. Even then it felt only-quasi legal and that I was in effect skirting the law, which big political machines have been doing on the sly for years.

Direct Shipping

Since this case has been decided, I can now receive wine shipments at home, and basically all I really get is wine from my wine club, but I am glad that it is has become legal in Michigan. Some states are still considered “Felony” states because of the wording of the laws in those states. I still have to sign for a wine delivery, which is fine, one has to be an adult (Age of Majority) to buy wine, so having an adult sign for wine is understandable and totally acceptable. The good news is that the special wine crates are reusable and can be shipped empty ahead of time to where ever I plan on staying, to be filled up again, for another shipment home. The other good news is that just like this bad law is no longer in effect; neither is Jennifer Granholm the Governor of the State of Michigan.

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International Sauvignon Blanc Day

Posted on May 23, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Another wine day that I missed when I was writing my articles was International Sauvignon Blanc Day. This is a varietal that seems to be grown everywhere and has a different personality based on where it is grown. This green skinned varietal is just as famous as a dry or a sweet white wine.

Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 1970

To give any talk about Sauvignon Blanc one must begin in France and in the Bordeaux region. Sauvignon Blanc is the varietal that is used in the white wines of the Medoc and they are known for their charming dry white wines. Of course in the same region over in Sauternes the same varietal is used in part to make the great dessert wines, so it is a very versatile grape just in France alone. One of the finest chateaus in the Medoc has made a white wine for years that has a loyal following. Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux is a wonderful white wine made on the grounds of Chateau Margaux, but it carries an Appelation Bordeaux Controlee as only the red wines can carry the Margaux designation.

Orin Swift Veladora Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (A)

The grape has flourished beyond France and it has its ardent followers where ever it is planted. Down in Australia and New Zealand it is one of the mainstays of these islands and it has a unique crispness that is rightfully theirs. It is also grown in South America and has developed a taste that is also a bit different than either Australia or France. I would certainly be remiss not to mention how it flourishes as well in United States and has become a staple part of the wine industry. Whether it is called Fume Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc this varietal has been exploited from jug wines to great interpretations by crafted wine makers. Take for example the wonderful wine Orin Swift Cellars “Veladora” Sauvignon Blanc 2009.

Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc

One of my favorite stories about Sauvignon Blanc took place in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, where we have enjoyed several holidays over the years. Across the street from the hotel that we always stay at is the Court of Two Sisters and is one of the old fabled restaurants in an area that is famous for fabled restaurants. When I was looking at the wine list, I had to do a double-take, because one of the bottles of wine on the carte was listed at below retail pricing. When I asked our waiter if we could buy the wine unopened to take with us after dinner, he let us know that we were in New Orleans and most things are possible, so not only with dinner that evening, we also left with a six pack of Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 1998. I mean how can you beat a great dinner and a great price on wines?

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