vino girl

Vino Girl is moving!

2006-10-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Vino Girl and Winemonkey have joined forces in one big blog about wine! We have picked up and moved to -- Drink The Good Stuff!

The new web address is drinkthegoodstuff.blogspot.com

Visit our new home for wine news, wine recommendations, raves and rants as well as information about our upcoming website, The Bon Vivant Wine Guide. You will also find all of this site's content on the new site (with labels) so you don't have to go searching in two places.

Change those bookmarks and come on over and join the fun - Cheers!

Shaken, Not Stirred

2006-10-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I will warn you right now that this post has nothing to do with wine -- unless you count the fact that the whole experience made me long for a comforting glass (or bottle, or two...) of red wine on steady ground. If you have been following my blog at all you may recall that I was in Hawaii this past week for my brother's wedding, with a little R&R to follow. Yesterday was to be our last day on the Big Island of Hawaii and what a day it turned out to be! Apparently even Paradise doesn't come cheap these days.

It was just after 7am and I was awake (it's tough to sleep past 7am when your body knows it is 1pm at home) but struggling to get some more shut-eye. All of a sudden I heard a large boom and the building began to shake. Wake up call! Thinking that it must be an explosion, I lurched up in bed and peered out the sliding glass doors to see what I could see. Nothing. It was all very surreal. The next thing I (vaguely) remember is my husband screaming "it's an earthquake!” Should I crouch on the floor (I think I did) or is that for a hurricane, or a fire? All rational thought had left me.

"In the doorway", my husband yelled and grabbed hold of me. We made our way over to the bathroom doorway where it seemed we were both holding on to the door frame for dear life. The hotel was literally being shaken roughly -- back and forth, back and forth -- in a very jagged and violent motion. We were both breathing hard as if we had just sprinted in from the rain. It felt as if the rocking was going to go on forever. In reality, the quake lasted less than a minute. When the motion and the racket subsided, we looked around and saw that the television had catapulted out of the TV stand, the drawers were all flung open and our toiletries had been tossed off the bathroom countertop. Conspicuously, a large bowl that sat atop the TV stand had not moved an inch. Apparently we had just experienced a 6.7 magnitude earth quake.

It was difficult to know what to do once the quake had abated. We went outside as my parents were in the room next door. They were out there too, wondering what to do. Our plan was to get dressed quickly (in an act of absurdity we all put our bathing suits on) and head outside. No sooner had we made the decision than the building started to jerk back and forth once again. Now we were all grabbing our outer door frames. Not again! My mother screamed “I am getting out of here!” -- a call to action of sorts. When the aftershock (5.8 in magnitude) passed and we were all safely out on the lawn and on higher ground we all had a good laugh over the “every man for himself” nature of her proclamation.

The hotel, the Hapuna Prince, did a good job of getting guests out to a safe place on the property. Although there was not much communication about what was going on, they did provide plenty of water and, eventually, food, for everyone. Stories were shared and there was some camaraderie over the fact that we were right smack dab at the epicenter of the quake and no one was injured. There were a few more small aftershocks that we could feel and, although people were certainly rattled, the aftermath was relatively calm and panic free. Humor is always welcome in these situations and at one point an old man sauntered by and exclaimed, almost to himself, “I wouldn’t sit under any coconut trees, I'll tell you that.” Hmmm, good advice. Forget the wine, bring me a martini!

Jury Out on Rolland

2006-10-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

I was just reading the article that appeared in the NYTimes yesterday about Michel Rolland. I will assume if you are reading this blog that you have heard of him. You probably also know that he is the most famous wine consultant in the world with some 100 clients spread out around the globe. I did see 'Mondovino', the movie that portrayed him as a pompous blowhard who spends a total of 5 minutes with each of his winery clients, pronouncing "micro-oxygenation" as the answer to every problem. Knowing that cameras and editing can make anyone look obnoxious, however, I have tried to keep an open mind about Rolland.

In the Times article, written by Eric Asimov, Rolland espouses that a wine's character comes from the grapes, a statement that is difficult to disagree with. He denies that he, along with industry bigs such as Robert Parker and Wine Spectator, are homogenizing wine but will concede that he prefers (and if he does then everyone must) a bigger, riper, more "modern" style. Rolland is proud that he helps his clients make wines that can be drunk younger and crosses swords with Broadbent and other English critics in general by pointing out that they are used to drinking older wine like "old people always looking back to the old days."

As much as Mr. Rolland says he is not trying to make wines that taste the same, it can be difficult to believe. There is that sense that wine is being stripped of its terroir and individuality to please modern palates. Are we getting that sense from the wine we drink, from the media? It's hard to say. As much as part of me wants to see Rolland as ‘Satan versus Savior’, I look at a partial list of his clients and can't help but be impressed: Chateau Angelus, Ornellaia, Araujo, and the list goes on and on. Moreover, winemakers I have a lot of respect for, such as Andy Erickson, can't say enough nice things about Rolland and his work.

On the other hand, the wine monkey and I attended a tasting of Chateau Ausone recently and you could literally tell when Rolland's influence came to fruition in the wines. Notes on the Rolland vintages included more terms like "ripe fruit", "friendly", "rich" and so on. He changed the Ausone style, of that I am sure.

He also talks a lot about ratings and making no "loser" wines. He seems indirectly to be referring to Corison as one of the "loser wines" that do not do well in the marketplace. That I simply cannot agree with. Cathy Corison's wine are beautiful and balanced, if not terribly fruit-forward, with a consistency that you only find from the best winemakers. As far as Corison not being successful in the marketplace I haven't seen the numbers but I have seen the wines on plenty of well-heeled wine lists around town.

So, the jury is still out for me in regards to Mr. Rolland, making Asimov's question of "Satan or Savior" more of an ongoing query. I guess all we can do is monitor the wines over which he has an influence and see what becomes of it all down the road. All I can say is, he must be doing something right at the going rate of $30,000+ for about 4 visits a year. Sign me up!

Considering Your Audience

2006-10-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

My brother was married yesterday to a lovely woman at a beautiful resort in Honolulu. Everything about the day was just perfect, really. After the ceremony we had dinner at a restaurant called La Mer at the Halekulani hotel. The service and food at La Mer were exceptional. In case you are wondering what any of this has to do with wine, I am getting to that — I promise.

Wine was not pre-ordered with the dinner as it was not a foregone conclusion that the wedding guests (all 9 of us!) would actually want wine with dinner. My brother’s now-wife is Japanese and most of her family was in the United States for the first time for the wedding. Although there is big business for Bordeaux and other ultra premium wines in Japan, it is not an integral part of their culture at dinner time, even when compared to the U.S.

My brother seemed very surprised when he asked everyone at the table what they would like to drink and the choice was unanimous – red wine. I saw the sweat slowly creeping across his brow as he looked over the list and so I quietly asked him if he would like some help. The wine list came at me quicker that the waves on Waikiki beach and I knew the decision was now in my hands.

There are not many times when I am at a loss with a wine list but this was surely one of them. The list was pricey and full of big powerhouse reds from the Napa Valley, Bordeaux and Priorat. Thankfully for me, the extremely accommodating host at La Mer, himself Taiwanese, discreetly counseled me on the typical Japanese preference for lighter, fruiter reds (I would have asked my new extended family myself but my Japanese language skills are, well, nonexistent.) The maître d' explained to me that there are so many Japanese tourists in Honolulu that he by now knew which bottles generally were sent back and which bottles produced smiles around the table.

With his help I was able to pick a winner in a fruity, delicious Zinfandel that acted more like a Pinot Noir with a little muscle. Everyone seemed pleased and, at the very least, the wine accommodated our bowing and “Kampai!” and loosely translated toasts around the table.

In the end, I am once again reminded that it is best to carefully consider peoples tastes and not have a “my way or the highway” attitude when it comes to wine. And, besides, Fumiko and David were for certain the focus of the evening, the wine playing its small but vital part in the celebration. Omedetoh Fumiko & David DiDomizio!

Is Canada More Than Just Ice Wine?

2006-10-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

I was out to dinner fairly recently with a Brit friend who has been living in Canada and getting ready to move back to the U.S. As the conversation moved to wine he mentioned that he was very impressed with Canadian wine to which I replied, “ice wine, right, good stuff.” He rolled his eyes at me and explained that he meant dry wines — wines from British Columbia in fact. Then it was me who was rolling my eyes. Who had ever heard of a good dry wine from our neighbor up north?

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to find Canadian wines for sale here in the U.S. aside from the occasional ice wine. Having never tried a dry Canadian wine, I did some research and found that most of the dry wines are consumed by Canadians themselves. There has not been a big marketing push here, although there is a small U.S. market in the Border States. According to various reports, Canada’s wine industry is on the rise and a lot of experimentation is taking place to see what will grow best and which grapes will eventually dominate.

Perhaps the problem is one of perception versus reality. When most of us think of Canada we think of ice hockey, the Mackenzie brothers, frigid weather and long winters. Ice wine seems a natural fit but varietals that we know to grow in sunny locations such as Napa Valley seem far from realistic. In truth, both Ontario and British Columbia are protected by water masses that help to moderate the cold winters. The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia has a distinctly mild microclimate particularly well suited to growing grapes. Apparently Bordeaux varietals are thriving in Okanagan Valley, particularly the “right bank” varietals Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

I am in no way predicting that this is going to be the “next big thing” but my interest is peaked. This is exactly the reason I find wine so fascinating — there is always something new and exciting around the corner. So, do me a favor. If you see a dry Canadian wine on your retail shelf, pick it up and give it a try. I’ll do the same. Who knows, we might like it, aye?!

Aloha Means Hello

2006-10-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Vino Girl will be hula-ing over to Hawaii next week and, although I have nothing against a nice Mai Tai by the pool, I thought I would check in to the wine situation in the aloha state. I don't know about you, but I always like to know what I am up against wine-wise when I travel.

First I hit up Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards List (not that I buy into that whole thing 100% but that is for another post) to see if any Hawaiian restaurants even showed up. My quick check returned 36 'awards' restaurants in Hawaii versus 322 in New York and 486 in California. Okay, I can live with that. Since Oahu is my first stop I dug a little deeper there. Generally speaking, the wine lists in Oahu focus on California wine and run about 200 - 300 deep as far as individual selections. Bring me an umbrella for my Riedel people!

Many of the restaurants do not showcase their wine lists online so when I was able to find one that did, I took a closer look. Hiroshi, a "meat & seafood grilling" restaurant in Honolulu received the award of excellence and boasts over 200 selections. The first thing I spotted was a 1996 Dom Perignon which, while not a daring selection, is priced at right around the restaurant average. The white wine list features some notable names such as Araujo and Kistler and red highlights include DRC La Tache (which seems to be a ridiculous steal at $550), Arietta, Turley, Ramey, Diamond Creek, Dunn, Stag's Leap Cask 23, Harlan, Spottswoode and three of the five Bordeaux first growths. A quick visit to winesearcher.com verifies that they are not robbing you blind with the prices either.

I am relieved to say that I won't have to settle for pineapple wine, or "Maui blanc" as it is commonly called, while visiting the 50th state. And if you think I don't already have my table reserved at Hiroshi then, well, you don't know Vino Girl.

Restaurant recommendations welcome. Mahalo.

Taste & Take Away in NYC

2006-10-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you live in New York City you know that wine bars seem to be popping up faster than you can hail a cab these days. The concept of an authentic wine bar first entered my wine loving conscious in Italy. I can still remember sitting in an unassuming little wine bar just across the Arno in Florence called L'Volpe eL'Uva. It was perfect. Just a counter and some stools, a simple selection of bruschetta, cured meats and cheeses, and a great selection of wines, all of which were also for sale to take away. Besides the fact that the setting was ultra relaxed and the owners exceedingly friendly and helpful, the place was unique in that if you liked what you tasted, you could walk out the door with it (well, after you paid for it) and drink it with dinner. Perfetto!

While the ‘wine for sale off-premise’ concept is a bit more difficult to get around in NYC wine bars (damn blue laws) there are two new wine bars that have taken the notion and run with it.

VinoVino
This relatively new wine bar in Tribeca has two distinct entrances (the requirement for wine bars/retail stores in NY) but the place looks like one big space, a glass wall the only thing dividing the bar from the shop. VinoVino's decor is relaxed but fashionable with lots of dark wood and candles. The bar carries a decent selection of wines from various regions, mostly from lesser known producers. Choices include 10-15 selections each of dry whites and reds available by the glass or bottle, as well as a smattering of sparkling and dessert wines, sake and beer. The fact that the wines come from various regions and not just Italy is a plus to me mainly because most of the wine bars that get it right in NYC are Italian and, well, sometimes you just want some alternatives. The menu is simple -- cheeses, cured meats and pates -- and the simpler the better I say. All in all VinoVino is a great place to meet up with friends for a libation and a snack.

(Note: VinoVino also features jazz and tastings during the week but best to check out the calendar on their website and not subscribe to their e-mail newsletter until they tone it down and you can actually read beyond the design madness.)

CentoVini
CentoVini opened even more recently near the shopping madness that is Soho. The bar also has an annexed retail shop with a separate entrance. Although the wine is all Italian and the menu a little more involved, the wine selection is bigger and the food is genuinely Italian influenced. The décor is fashionably funky, as you might expect knowing that this is a joint venture between the owners of Moss design shop and I Trulli restaurant. A welcome addition to the neighborhood, Cento Vini is a comforting place to escape the insanity of Broadway during the day or to settle in after the tourists have left and enjoy a full bottle and a light dinner.

Make this the Fall & Winter of Content

2006-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have a predilection for expensive wine. There, I said it. Of course, as you all know by now, ‘expensive’ does not always lead to greatness so my statement is a bit flawed. Let’s not get caught up in semantics. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I have tasted enough wine to know that there are in fact some 1st growth Bordeaux’s, Montrachets, Napa cult wines and Barolos that really do justify their high prices. I also know that I cannot afford to drink these iconic wines on a daily basis (or weekly, or monthly...) nor would I allow myself to crack open a 1986 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Montrachet on your average Tuesday night.

Given this predicament, I, along with the wine monkey, have been on the lookout for some good, easy drinking “Tuesday night wines” to have around our humble homes. One of the great finds of late has been the Hill of Content Grenache/Shiraz from South Australia. The wine is part of the Australian Premium Wine Collection, a selection of wines compiled by Aussie wine lover John Larchet.

In addition to assembling a list of his favorite Australian wines, Larchet now produces wine under a few of his own labels, one of which is Hill of Content. I have tried a few of the wines under the Hill of Content label (he produces a Chardonnay, a Cab and a Pinot Noir among others) but the Grenache/Shiraz (75% / 25% give or take) is definitely the way to go. This unassuming little screw cap wine is a crowd pleaser to be sure -- and that includes anyone in the crowd with a fondness for the finer things in life.

For an under $15 wine the Hill of Content Grenache/Shiraz has a lot of red fruit and spice character as well as a silky consistency and nice balance. The fruit in the current release 2003 is sweet and clean and the milk chocolate and vanilla notes give it considerable depth. Although this is an easy drinker, it is not one of those wines that people just throw back without noticing. I will bet you a bottle of 1986 Domaine de la Romaine Conti Montrachet that people will ask you what it is and where you got it.

Okay, kidding, but you get my point.

Because it's so exciting

2006-10-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love New York. Cliché, I know, but where else can you find practically any wine in the World? I attended a South African wine dinner last night (in NYC, of course) hosted by Cape Classics and, while sitting down to a fabulous meal paired with great wines from Kanu and De Toren, we discussed the virtues of eating and drinking (mostly drinking) in New York. We New Yorkers may take it for granted but we have access to wines from virtually every country and region in the wine world. What other city can say that?

Admittedly, our friends from South Africa are offered almost exclusively South African wines in retail stores and restaurants in Stellenbosch, Johannesburg and Cape Town. They were wildly excited to be in a city that offers the best of South Africa and beyond — way beyond. Just try to dine out in France and order a nice bottle of California Cabernet. Not only is it highly unlikely that you will find one on the list but do you really want to ‘go there’ at the risk of tempting your waiter to spit in your steak frites? By the same token, traveling to Napa and craving a Red Burgundy is akin to yearning for a green salad in Ireland. It’s just not going to happen.

Sure, there are other states in the U.S, and I am sure other countries that offer diversity in their retails stores and wine lists but bottle for bottle, cork for cork, they just can’t go as deep as the big apple. In good ol’ NYC you can drink Italian with your pasta, Gewurztraminer with your Chinese takeout and Riesling with your Indian Tandoori. So, raise a glass of Aghiorgitiko with your Tsatziki and toast to the city that never sleeps — and never settles.

Salute!

Rethinking Moscato d'Asti...

2006-10-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

...Well, not really. I still love the stuff for what it is. I will just think twice before aiming the cork at anyone that I don't want to see end up with a shiner. Let me explain.

As mentioned in a previous post, I was planning on bringing a few bottles down to a "girl's weekend" in Maryland, thinking this the perfect elixir to kick off the festivities. The reunion was this past weekend and I packed the bottles in a wine bag and secured them in the recommended upright position for the drive down. As soon as we arrived, I vigilantly transferred them to the refrigerator in, yet again, the recommended upright position.

Not to bore you with the details but we decided to pop the bottles open for Friday cocktail hour. Now, I honestly don't know if this is a typical characteristic of Moscato d'Asti but the first bottle had a seriously angry cork that did not want to part ways with its bottle. I had a 3- 4 minute long wrestling match with it before it so much as budged. When it started to show some signs of surrender, I gave one last forceful tug. That is when all hell broke loose. The cork, and the corkscrew, came soaring out of the bottle towards my head. As my body convulsed and was thrown backwards, I saw that the bottle was basically levitating off the counter (for the record, other people saw this too and, no, we had not been drinking beforehand). It was mayhem. The girls were either screaming as if they saw a mouse or laughing uncontrollably, stopping every so often to make sure that I was still in one piece. I was a bit dazed and confused, but otherwise fine, the frothy lava of semi-sparkling wine slowly surrounding me and flowing throughout the kitchen. After we all calmed down and decided that the bottle was possessed, we soldiered on and opened the second one – out on the lawn and pointing away from human life.

The reason this is more than just a hilarious memory on the “Monday after” is that it got me thinking about the chemistry of it all. The wine is frizzante -- or semi-sparkling, which means there is much less pressure in the bottle than in Champagne or even Moscato's second-rate cousin Asti Spumante. Given that the bottle (supposedly) has less pressure, the wine is corked with a modified version of a regular still wine cork and not with a sparkling wine closure. All you need is a corkscrew to open it. Or so they say. I have opened bottles of Moscato d’Asti before and, although I do remember going a few rounds with the cork, it certainly was nothing like this. I suppose it was all just a fluke. Anyway, best to point it away.

The Virtues of Moscato d'Asti

2006-09-28T13:50:00.001-07:00

Autumn may not be the time to go on espousing the virtues of Moscato d’Asti but I am going to do it anyway (rebel!). Moscato d’Asti is that light, fizzy, peachy elixir that is the relative black sheep of the family of wines that come from Piedmont, Italy. It is not a wine to ponder but to sip (hey, you can guzzle it – it’s got about the same % alcohol as beer). It works nicely as a light aperitif or as a dessert wine for those people who are just not crazy about Port and want something refreshing and slightly sweet at the end of a meal.

Moscato d’Asti comes to mind for a few reasons. First, I just purchased a few bottles of Spinetta Moscato d'Asti from Taylor, who recently acquired a case of the good stuff. Second, my mother was just in town and, let me just tell you, moms love the stuff! Third, and most imminent, I am about to embark on my annual “Syracuse Girls Weekend” with 10 of my best friends from college. As you might imagine, vino girl is in charge of the wine for the weekend and I like to keep alcohol intake (we are not in college anymore folks!) as well as price, in mind. I used to fret over what wine to bring but have learned that as long as there is something to hold and sip in between the incessant chatter and gossip, everyone is more than happy. Enter Moscato d’Asti.

Although completely out of the scope of Bordeaux varietals, Spinetta is our Moscato d’Asti of choice at Bon Vivant. It is lip-smacking, thirst-quenching and easy drinking -- not overly sweet and cloying like some other Moscato d’Asti's can be. It may more readily conjure up images of lawn chairs and balmy weather versus cozy sweaters and Autumn leaves but at about $15 and 5.5% alcohol, your friends will thank you whatever the season.

Would You Like A Zin With That?

2006-09-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I actually enjoyed drinking Zinfandel. So, when I recently discovered three Zins that I found pleasurable to drink (with food in fact) I thought I should share.

In recent years I found most Zinfandels weighed down with alcohol and overripe fruit. Zin, to me, became the kind of wine that does not match well with food but with which food is absolutely necessary if you don’t want to fall on your face from drinking it. My opinion of Zinfandel has subsequently been swayed by three exceptionally balanced bottles with both alcohol and price in check.

The three Zinfandel producers recommended below may not be for the Turley crowd, but if you enjoy a lusciously jammy and spicy wine that pairs brilliantly with grilled meats, BBQ, and such appetizers as, say, figs wrapped in bacon you will not be disappointed. Keep in mind that 2003 and 2001 were the best recent vintages for Zinfandel but other current vintages were rated above average as well. I have not noted specific vintages below as I suggest you try what you can find out in the market today.

The Zins

Bald Mountain Zinfandel
California, Napa
The wine is full of soft, juicy berries and has an alluringly silky texture. Not to be taken too seriously, this is a fun bottle of wine with just the right amount of spice and vanilla to complement the jammy fruit. Great with food, especially the bacon wrapped figs mentioned earlier, the wine sells for approximately $27 retail.

Downing Family Fly by Night Zinfandel
California, Napa, Oakville
A Zin from Cab Country, the grapes are organically farmed from a single vineyard. Interestingly, Downing Family has bottled Fly by Night with both cork and Stelvin screw cap closures since the 2000 vintage. A beautiful wine with succulent acidity and ripe berry flavors along with chocolate and mineral notes. The wine has impressive intensity and balance and is a steal at about $20 retail.

The Terraces Zinfandel
California, Napa, Rutherford
This small production Zin has a marked spiciness which harmonizes nicely with the luscious berry fruit. As the wine opens up it shows vanilla and chocolate along with red berry jam. Nicely layered with great balance and a long finish, this is a great “go to” Zin at about $25 a bottle.

Blogs versus Magazines

2006-09-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Alder Yarrow's post about Wine Spectato r finally acknowledging the existence of wine blogs, apparently the first time a major wine magazine has done so. The post got me thinking about the relationship between blogs and major wine magazines as it concerns the wine loving population (this means you).

I personally believe that wine blogs are a complement to major magazine wine coverage and not, as one might think, the competition. Advertising departments at the major wine rags might disagree with me (just read the business section -- networks of blogs are bringing in some serious ad dollars these days) but editorially speaking they can’t compete.

Consider this; most wine bloggers (even good ol’ Spectator’s bloggers) discuss wines they have tried recently, wine regions they have visited of late or “controversial” topics such as screw caps and box wines. Although wine magazines certainly touch upon these same things, there is more of an obligation to the reader on their part to cover the entire world of wine (or the region or regions they focus on) versus just writing about the great wine they drank at home in their pajamas.

I disagree with Kramer from Spectator that most blogs deliberate about unapproachable wines with miniscule case productions (that is more a fault of those supercilious wine bulletin boards out there). A reader just might find interesting suggestions on what to purchase by hopping around from one wine blog to another on any given day.

The difference is that blogs are streams of consciousness whereas the major magazines are (for the most part) well thought out publications written by professionals that will ultimately do more to further a reader’s knowledge. The problem with most blogs lays in the fact that someone’s “best wine EVER” is the next person’s slog. I find it akin to using tripadvisor.com (user generated hotel reviews) to plan a vacation. Three separate tripadvisor members who stayed at the same hotel at the same time reviewed their stay in three completely different ways. Reviewer #1 says “this is a house befitting heaven”, while reviewer #2 was not as impressed stating “ok, but nothing special” and, finally, reviewer #3 rants that “this is a disappointing second rate rip-off”. The same principal applies to wine.

Chances are you will consider this entire post ridiculously self serving since (a) I obviously have a blog and (b) I plan on having an online wine magazine published in the not so distant future. Be that as it may, I would love to hear what you have to say. Consider this my disclaimer.

Fallen Star

2006-09-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Unlike my Bon Vivant partner, Taylor Senatore, I did not make the cut as a semi-finalist for the new PBS reality series "The Winemakers" scheduled to air next Fall. I suppose I should be upset at blowing my chance to be big star — well, as big a star as you can be on PBS anyway.

The reality of it (no pun intended) is that I never thought I would make the cut in the first place. I just wasn’t interesting enough at the casting call and now I don’t have to worry about whether America would have loved me or hated me.

Part of me looks back at the casting call and makes excuses for my weak performance. At the end of the day, however, I think I will be much happier watching Taylor strut his stuff from my couch — feet up, wine glass in hand.

I wish you luck from my fallen star, Taylor. Just remember, pocket squares may be unacceptable on the bottling line!

A Paramount Mess

2006-09-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Funny that I was blogging about Fall tasting season just yesterday when today I happened to attend the worst trade tasting of them all. One of the country’s largest wine & spirits wholesalers held their event today and I can safely say it has become the poster child for what is wrong with trade tastings. Everything about the event was a gigantic disaster.

For a more colorful account of the spectacle, please see Taylor Senatore’s piercingly accurate rant. I add my overall assessment below…

For starters, there was no rhyme or reason to how the tasting was set up making it virtually impossible to find any of the brands you might want to try. The floor was a maze of tables and the few signs were like cruel jokes pointing you in the wrong direction. On top of that, the room was entirely too small for the amount of people and brands that were crammed into it, causing pushing and shoving and general disorder.

There was at best one spit bucket for every two tables of wines/spirits, seemingly because two thirds of the attendees were more interested in getting liquored up than tasting the wines professionally. For many attendees, the wines seemed to take a back seat to the buffet, at which the notorious asparagus was omnipresent.

Attendees who were not loaded all seemed to have the same look of anguish across their faces and, among likeminded professionals, eye rolls and exasperated sighs were exchanged while weaving through the crowds. All in all it felt a little bit like a high school dance where all the kids were pushing and shoving to try and get to the one spiked bowl of punch.

To top it all off, we did not find one exceptional wine in the whole bunch. That is not necessarily to say that this particular wholesaler does not carry any outstanding wines, just that one might need the navigational skills of Magellan and the patience of a saint to find one.

Never again. Never ever again.

Trade Tastings - 'Tis The Season

2006-09-19T19:46:00.001-07:00

As anyone in the wine industry will tell you, we are in the midst of “Fall tasting season." This is when most of the big wine importers/distributors show off their portfolio of wines in an effort to get potential buyers to place an order. There is also a “Spring tasting season” which operates under the same premise that these exhibitions will increase orders or, or at the very least, boost interest in the wines.

Trade tastings range from relatively small displays in the distributor’s offices with some cheese and palate-cleansing crackers, to overblown events with rows and rows of wines and booze, big screen televisions pumping club music, “booth babes” in tight black dresses, and food spreads like you have only seen at your second cousin’s fourth wedding.

I am here to tell you that tasting season is anything but fun. I know what you are thinking. “Oh, cry me a river. You have to taste wine and eat food for free all day for a living. Rough life". Sure, on the surface you might think that attending a trade tasting is a dream day at work but I hereby challenge anyone to try it for a week and then dare to disagree with me.

I am not going to try and convince you that tasting season does not have its highlights and benefits such as discovering new wines, re-tasting old (and pricey!) favorites and, in some cases, having the opportunity to speak to winemakers in person about their brand or brands. In order to fully appreciate the highlights, however, you should first be aware of the lowlights.

The Purple Teeth Effect. Tasting hundreds of wines a day (and I am actually talking about tasting and spitting — not drinking) will inevitably give you purple teeth, a feeble buzz, a horrible taste in your mouth and a dull headache later in the day.

Liquid Lunch. Tastings generally begin around lunchtime and run through early evening. The food available at the tastings is generally not enough (the requisite cheese and crackers), too clumsy (picture a long line of tasters piling crab cakes, cheese tortellini and lamb chops on to one small plate) or completely inappropriate (it still blows my mind that so called wine experts will put asparagus, artichokes and vinaigrette dressing — the holy trinity of notorious wine killers — out on the buffet table).

Pourers Anonymous. Pourers can be annoying. Some pourers are jus plain oblivious (just let me pour my own wine then, please), overzealous (you will never get to the other 200 wines at the tasting if they keep babbling on incoherently about their wines) or just plain stupid (when someone suggests that a wine on the table is corked, they are most likely not doing it to piss off the pourer but to let them know that the wine is not showing well. Save the BS and open another bottle.).

Splash Buckets. Spitting wine isn’t pretty to begin with and the last thing you need to see is a dangerously full spit bucket. Spit buckets are an essential element of the serious trade tasting but they are all too often hiding behind wine bottles, being blocked by annoying “belly up to the bar” tasters, nonexistent when wineries think their product is just too good to spit, or painfully full.

Wine Overkill. Tastings can be overwhelming. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of wines on display will not help brands stand out but instead will tend to blur them together in one incoherent grapey mess. In our estimation, it is physically impossible to taste more than 60 or 70 wines in one day (and that is stretching it) and assess them accurately.

You may still think that attending a trade tasting sounds like a lot of fun but, hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Oh, and did I mention that when the day is through and you have brushed the purple stains off of your teeth and tongue that you have to think about waking up and doing it all over again? Sweet dreams and happy tastings!

March Madness

2006-08-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

My husband’s family was in town this weekend and that inevitably means that I am in charge of what the whole gang drinks with dinner. It took me years to earn the job but I suppose they couldn’t fight it anymore when I chose wine as not only my hobby but my career.

Although sometimes being in the wine business means that picking out wine for a varying degree of palates on your weekend can feel like work, I cheerfully accept the responsibility. After all, if you can have control over one thing when the in-laws are in town it might as well be alcoholic intake.

If you have ever been the “go-to person” when it comes to navigating a wine list for a crowd of people you are acutely aware of the many road blocks, from dinner orders and personal likes and dislikes to how much to order and exactly how much to spend per bottle. That is precisely why I make every effort to get the wine list in my hands well prior to dinner.

Generally speaking this is not a difficult feat. Many restaurants now post their wine lists online (although you should be wary of out of date lists) and others are more than happy to fax or e-mail the list to you. That is why I was shocked to find out that March, a highly regarded restaurant in Manhattan, refused to send me the list ahead of time because it is “too extensive” and it is their “policy”.

Policy shmolicy. What harm could possibly come from sending your wine list out to a discerning customer who is going to spend lots of money at your restaurant later that evening (I mentioned that I was dining there with a party of 11)? Does it come down to possessiveness or just plain laziness? I will only say that in this case the wine list was approximately 12 pages. Pretty extensive, huh?

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

2006-08-07T13:54:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

New York City is in the midst of a persistent heat wave with "real feel" temperatures reaching the mid to high 100s. Retailers around the city and its environs are relentlessly advertising specials on the perfect "heat wave wines" when even an avid wine lover such as myself knows it's friggin' beer weather! Better yet, water weather! Any cold beverage you have would serve you better simply poured over your sweating brow. But I digress.

Yesterday, on what I can safely say was the hottest day of the year, a bottle of wine was delivered to me from a local retailer. Yes, you read that right. Yesterday. The hottest day of the year. Wine delivered in an un-refrigerated truck. And to make matters worse the wine was a Chateau La Mission Haut Brion from 1976. A fragile wine. Even if it was a young 2003 Cabernet from California it would have been unacceptable but at least young kids can take the heat. Any retailer in their right mind would not have shipped any wine over the past few days.

I won't belabor the point. The wine went directly into the Eurocave as soon as it was rescued from the doorman. I can only hope that it will be the same charming wine I tasted two months ago at an auction pre-sale. The wine was not highly lauded by critics — quite the opposite in fact. But to me it had great intensity of flavor and is worthy of drinking again. The bottle will most certainly be uncorked soon. I hope to report that it survived the heat unscathed.

Stay tuned — and stay cool.

Customer Dis' Service

2006-08-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 31, 2006

I had an interesting discussion about wine stores with some friends the other night. It seems that the general consensus concerning wine stores in New York City is that customer service has gone out the window right along with dusty bottles of Blue Nun and Riunite. (Ok, ok, I am dating myself but just because I remember the so-called “wines of the ‘70s” doesn’t mean I was old enough to drink them — thank god!)

The conversation started with a simple enough question regarding favorite neighborhood wine stores. For starters, everyone, including myself, had a difficult time coming up with a definitive answer on the spot. What followed was not a cheery list of recommendations but a litany of complaints. Although there were a few stray “the store is unorganized” and “the prices are too high” the vast majority of grievances centered on the lack of customer service.

This is not to say that there are no good wines stores in this city because there certainly are. It is just a shame that more retailers don’t get it right when the key to success seems to be as simple as making their customers happy. It is easy to lose a customer for life if you leave them feeling helpless and ignored as soon as they amble through your door — particularly if they announce to you that they have money to spend, which was the case in more than a few tales of woe.

Our neighborhood wine stores may be catering to a sophisticated New York clientele but they shouldn’t waste their time touting their eclectic selections, namesake proprietors or sleek new locations if they are going to finish short.

Wine with a Gender?

2006-08-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 30, 2006

In case you haven't noticed, there has been a recent onslaught of wines marketed to consumers on the basis of gender. Grape lovers no longer have to settle for nonpartisan wines when the shelves are stocked with bottles of White Lie, The Mad Housewife and Ray’s Station “Hearty Red Wines for Men”.

Women seem to be at an advantage here as most marketers, it seems, are working under the assumption that wine in general appeals to men. Arguably the most intriguing of the wines marketed specifically to women is White Lie from Beringer Blass. The premise of this “early season Chardonnay” is almost as insulting as its marketing. The labels and corks for White Lie highlight “little white lies” such as “but it was on sale”, “my hair is naturally this color” and “I never eat dessert”. Nothing like playing on women’s neuroses to get us to plunk down $10 on what I can only imagine is a tasteless excuse for Chardonnay. White Lie even has less alcohol and fewer calories for those diet fanatics that simply can’t hold their alcohol. Brilliant!

On their website, Rainier Wine, producers of The Mad Housewife, lets women know that they “get it” by posting this thought provoking paragraph: “Rainier Wine recognizes that wine should never intimidate, make you think too hard, or create a new line item in your budget”. I would critique this sentiment but I wouldn’t even know where to start.

Before all you men out there start chuckling into your glass of 15% alcohol Zinfandel, realize that you are not safe. Some companies, such as Ravenswood, are simply marketing their wines with tag lines such as “No Wimpy Wines”. Other companies, such as Ray’s Station, were born out of the belief that “red wines are for men”. Ray spares no trick to get you boys to buy into his “bold Cabernet’ and “hearty Merlot”, from galloping stallions on the label to ad campaigns depicting men doing manly things like fishing and hunting.

What is the point of all this? Perhaps I am a little inebriated from the glass of full-alcohol Chateau Neutral Cabernet I just threw back, but I think we would all be happy with a well-made, great tasting wine to sit back and sip without having to worry whether it has too many calories or is macho enough.

Cheers!