My Picks - Vintages Release: April 16 2011

I didn’t find the selection of theme wines (from New Zealand) that compelling and none of them made it onto My Picks.

But 3 organic wines did make it, after an absence for 2 months of pick-worthy organic wines.

Organic & Biodynamic

GRGICH HILLS FUMÉ BLANC 2009; Napa Valley (California); #346296; Price: $29.95; 13.0% ABV
100% Biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc. What turns Sauvignon Blanc into Fumé Blanc? Oak! Fermented in 900-US-gallon oak casks (80%) and neutral (used 3+ times) French Oak barrels (20%). Aged for 6 months on its lees in neutral barrels. Try it with a light, white fish or roast pork tenderloin.

FATTORIA LA RIPA 2008, DOCG Chianti Classico (Tuscany); #651596; Price: $18.95; 13.0% ABV
A blend of Sangiovese (90%) and Canaiolo (10%). Aging in oak casks, then in the bottle before release. Made from organic grapes. Try something “Classico” like pasta in tomato sauce.

FATTORIA LA RIPA 2006, DOCG Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany); #984401; Price: $26.95; 13.5% ABV
This Riserva is from the same producer as the “regular” Chianti Classico listed above. Also a blend of Sangiovese (90%) and Canaiolo (10%). Traditional fermentation and aging in oak casks for 2 years, then in the bottle for 6 months. Made from organic grapes. This wine deserves something more substantial, like steak Florentine.

Off the Beaten Track

Whites

DORNIER DONATUS WHITE 2009, WO Western Cape (South Africa); #597278; Price: $18.95; 13.5% ABV
An interesting blend of Chenin Blanc (77%) and Semillon (23%). Separately fermented in new and second-use French oak. Aged 8 months on their lees in the barrel. Match to a heavier fish, like swordfish…only sustainable.

LES PILIERS VIOGNIER 2009, (Languedoc); #669531; Price: $15.95; 13.0% ABV
100% Viognier. Hand harvested. Skin contact for 12 hours. Fermented in stainless steel, then aged on its lees. No oak. Fined and filtered. Drink now with seafood in a cream sauce.

MICHELE CHIARLO LE MARNE GAVI 2009, DOCG Gavi (Piedmont); #228528; Price: $14.95; 12.5% ABV
100% Cortese grown in a maritime climate. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, with part cold maceration. No oak. Light, fresh. Is summer here yet?

Reds

MAS DES DAMES LA DAME 2008, AC Coteaux du Languedoc (France); #223214; Price: $15.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of Grenache (50%), Syrah (30%), and Carignan (20%). Hand harvested. Fermented in cement tanks, then left on its skins for 5 weeks. Aged in cement tanks. No oak.  Try it with lamb chops.

CARPINETO 2004, DOCG Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Riserva (Tuscany); #368910; Price: $28.95; 13.0% ABV
A blend of Prugnolo Gentile, aka Sangiovese, (70%) and 30% Canaiolo (although they are allowed to throw a few other varietals into the blend).  Maceration on the grape skins for 10 days. Aged 2 years in 5,500 litre Slovenian oak barrels, with a small quantity aged in French oak barrels. Aged for 12+ months in bottle before release.

ENCOSTAS DE ESTREMOZ QUINTA DA ESPERANÇA 2005, Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal); #160465; Price: $13.95; 14.0% ABV
A blend of Touriga Nacional (70%), Trincadeira (20%) and Aragónes (10%), all indigenous Portuguese grapes. Fermented for 8 days, followed by 12 days of maceration. Aged for 7 months in new American and French barrels.

ONTAÑÓN RESERVA 2004, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #725895; Price: $24.95; 12.4% ABV
A blend of Tempranillo (95%) and Graciano (5%). Aged 24 months in French and American oak.

VIÑAS ELIAS MORA 2008, DO Toro (Spain); #209650; Price: $18.95; 14.5% ABV
100% Tinta de Toro (aka Tempranillo). Aged just 6 months in American oak. Drink it ASAP.

Sparkling

RAVENTÓS I BLANC L'HEREU RESERVA BRUT CAVA 2007, Spain; #221796; Price: $19.95; 12.2% ABV
A blend of Macabeo (60%), Xarel-lo (20%), and Parellada (20%). Hand harvested and fermented using the traditional method with 15 months of bottle aging. Great value.

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What's Wrong with Tasting Notes - Part 3

I've ranted here and here about wine tasting notes.

OK, then, what should be in a tasting note?

Let’s start by getting rid of the pretence of objectivity in wine tasting. Too much of wine tasting, and the descriptions that flow from it, attempts to portray the subjective experience (or intensely private sensation) as an objective analysis. Wine tasting is mostly subjective; it varies not only from one person to the next, but varies from bottle to bottle, glass to glass, sip to sip. (Mind you, I had more than one Prof who insisted that there was only one right answer to “what do you taste in this wine?” Of course, that one right answer was the Prof’s answer.)

Are there objective aspects that we can bring to the description of a wine? I think there are. Describing terroir is objective. Describing climate is objective. Describing vinification is objective. These are factors that can explain why a wine tastes the way it does.

Tasting notes need a balance of the subjective and the objective. Terroir…climate…vinification. That’s objective. But yes, explain how a wines tastes. That’s subjective. Don’t over-specify. Don’t impress us with your tasting vocabulary. Perhaps it reminds you of an experience. (I’ve written before about how often tasters will refer back to aromas and tastes from childhood.) But explain why it tastes that way. Use the objective factors to help explain the subjective experience.

Be mercifully brief. Not as brief as Eric Asimov’s deliberately provocative suggestion of “sweet or savoury”.

Be uncomplicated.

I come back to what wine drinkers want to know: Will I enjoy the wine? Is it worth the price? What food, if any, would go well with it?

Will I enjoy the wine?
A wine drinker should be able to get a good sense of how the wine tasted. Condense the wine tasting analysis down to the essence.

• Describe the dominant aromas and flavours. Remember, it’s not a shopping list. Don’t get me wrong; unlike a well-known wine reviewer here in Ottawa, I still want aromas and flavours in the description. Use evocative but familiar references. The more specific a descriptor is, the more useless it becomes. For example, “floral” is good; “rose” should be OK; “Wild Rose of Alberta” is too obscure … unless your audience grew up on the Canadian Prairies. (Coco Krumme at slate.com has a great example from Parker’s latest edition, which describes a Bordeaux wine as having “notes of graphite, black currant liqueur, incense, and camphor”. Evocative? Yes. Familiar? Not to me! Parker not only pioneered the 100-point system; he also pioneered over-the-top wine descriptions.)
• Tell us about structure and texture, but only the foremost features.
• Above all, please, please, please, we need to know about complexity and balance.

Is it worth the price?
I’m not a fan of numerical scoring; it’s subjective, inconsistent, and are we really supposed to believe that there’s a discernible difference between 89 and 90? But wine drinkers want an assessment of “value for money”. (“Why should I pay $60 for a 90-point wine if I can buy one for $20?”) But if value for money is subjective, then what’s wrong with a simple “Yes, worth the money” or “No, pass it by” as part of the conclusion?

What food, if any, would go well with it?
Tricky, this is. Creating great food and wine pairings requires imagination, experience, and knowledge of cuisine. It’s one reason that many sommeliers spend time in the kitchen. It’s a great way – maybe the only way – to learn. And yes, very subjective. But although great matches may be elusive, good matches are not.  The key in a tasting note is simplicity and familiarity.  If we don’t want you to impress us with your tasting vocabulary, we don’t want you to impress us with your culinary knowledge either.
Is this a “food wine” or not? Many wines from the New World show better without food. Other wines, mostly from the Old World, are better with food, particularly food from the same region. It’s no accident; regional cuisines and regional wines developed in tandem; they make their wines to go with their regional food.

Brevity, simplicity, familiarity, relevance…that’s what we need in tasting notes.

For more on what's wrong with tasting notes, check out one of my favourites bloggers...Alder Yarrow...who has 2 recent related posts, one on tasting notes and the other about Gerald Asher on Wine Writing.

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What's Wrong with Tasting Notes - Part 2

In my previous post, I started my rant about wine tasting notes.

I’ve been mulling over this for a while now, and mulling inevitably leads to Googling, which brought me to a wonderful article in the Journal of Wine Economics from 2007, On Wine Bullshit: Some New Software?, written by Richard E. Quandt of Princeton University.

Professor Quandt argues that there are some topics that tend to induce bullshit and that there are some people who have a special propensity to bullshit.

In some instances, there is an unhappy marriage between a subject that especially lends itself to bullshit and bullshit artists who are impelled to comment on it. I fear that wine is one of those instances…

Oh dear…busted.

Wine tasters come in for particular attention from Professor Quandt, who assembled a list of wine descriptors that he culled from published wine tasting notes. His particular favourites are “bass” (the fish? the ale? the instrument?), olive-tinged black currant, scorched earth and spicy earth, liquorice (both root and melted), zesty mineral, velvet v. silky tannins, and the list goes on.

Like Professor Quandt, I think I know what a taster may have been trying to convey with each of those terms (OK, “bass” has me perplexed). But perhaps my perception is different from Professor Quandt’s, and different again from that of the author. Some tasting notes he found had 20 descriptors, including this one: “meaty, sweaty, and sweet Pinot fruit”! (To the credit of my sommelier Profs, I think that one would have received a failing grade.)

That’s what’s wrong with tasting notes: Too much deconstruction without reconstruction. Too much emphasis on the parts; not enough emphasis on the whole.

Now, I don’t underestimate the difficulty of trying to capture the whole experience of a wine. The Globe and Mail recently published a feature by Ian Brown, entitled, Foodies: Are food crazies getting their just desserts? Here’s an excerpt, but where the word “food” appears, I’ve substituted the word “wine”. It sums up the challenge.

The great [wine] writers have always known that writing or talking about [wine] per se, about the actual taste of something, is like writing about the sex act: it’s an intensely private sensation that doesn’t last long, and so should be attempted rarely, if at all.

Ah, but we have to try.

Next up...what should be in a wine tasting note.

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What's Wrong with Tasting Notes - Part 1

What do wine drinkers want to know about a wine? What’s important in a tasting note? What’s crap? And why is there so much crap in so many tasting notes today?

First, wine drinkers don’t want to know how a wine tastes. They want to know how a wine drinks. What’s the difference?

Wine drinking is the “simple” enjoyment of a wine, either alone or with food. A wine drinker wants to know, will I enjoy the wine? Is it my kind of wine? Is it worth the price? What food, if any, would go well with it?

Wine tasting, on the other hand, is an (overly?) analytical process that deconstructs a wine into 5 elements:

1. appearance (colour hue & depth, clarity)
2. aroma (individual aromas, intensity, signs of age)
3. taste & structure (individual flavours, intensity, dryness or sweetness, acidity, tannins)
4. texture (body, mouthfeel)
5. finish (length, consistency, complexity, balance)

(Some experts distribute the individual steps into different categories, but all of the components are the same.)

Wine tasting is the basis for tasting notes, those blurbs that wine writers and critics compose about a particular wine. Tasting notes incorporate the taster's experience along those five elements.

But the language used can be quite esoteric, over the top in complexity and obscurity. Sommelier programs (like the one from which I graduated) spend LOTS of time teaching wine tasting as the deconstruction of a wine, but not enough time in teaching students how to put the parts back together in a way that wine drinkers will find useful.

For example, only if we’re lucky, at the end of a tasting note, will these tasters tack on an overall conclusion and perhaps suggest a food pairing. Ah, but that last little bit is the most important, the stuff that most wine drinkers want to know.

What do we get instead? Too often it’s rambling notes that try to impress us (but only frustrate us) with listings of obscure fruits, flowers, vegetables, herbs, spices, and other elements. These notes reduce a wine to its parts, when we want to know is what the wine adds up to.

(By the way, I include myself among wine tasters who are guilty of writing overly complex tasting notes. Mea culpa.)

Like so many specialties, we wine tasters have developed a special language that those of us on the inside can understand. But that same language and analytical process can get in the way of explaining to wine drinkers why they might enjoy a wine.

It’s a bit like asking someone what it’s like to drive a Ferrari, and receiving a description of the car’s components. Yes, that can be interesting to the gearhead, but what does it FEEL like to the driver?

Next post:  More on what's wrong with tasting notes...

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You Can't Judge a Wine by Its Label...

...but it can be fun!

My friend, and fellow sommelier, Mitch sent me this link about cool wine labels.  Makes him a cool guy.

The Boarding Pass Shiraz might be my favourite. And a sparkling made from birch sap! Worth a trip to Sweden.

No foolin'

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My Picks: Vintages Release - April 2 2011

The theme of this week’s release is Burgundy, with South Africa as a supporting player.

For this blog, the problem with Burgundy is threefold. First, Burgundy is not exactly “off the beaten track”, although there are parts of Burgundy that are: Côte Chalonnaise, Le Mâconnais, and the Haut-Côtes, some of which are in this release. Second, the price of many Burgundy wines lands north of $30, which I generally use as the cut-off for My Picks. And third, many producers this week are small and don’t devote any effort to a web presence. I like to learn a little something about the Terroir, the climate, and the vinification techniques of a wine before I recommend that you try it. With rare exceptions, no disclosure means no recommendation. Sometimes, if I can find the email address of the winery or importer, I’ll write to them. But this week, even those are impossible to find.

The result? Only one Burgundy wine, a white from Le Mâconnais, makes the list. And there are only 10 Picks in total, of which 3 are Italian. (Ah, Italy, you always come through.)  And a Sparkling Shiraz and some Sherry.

And, once again this week, no organic wines!

Off the Beaten Track

White

CHÂTEAU-FUISSÉ TÊTE DE CRU 2008, AC Pouilly-Fuissé (France); #208546; Price: $29.95; 13.5% ABV
100% Chardonnay (of course), blended from grapes grown in 20+ vineyards, vinified separately, then blended. Aged 70% in oak barrels (25% new) and 30% in stainless steel. I’m thinking grilled scallops.


Reds

HENRY OF PELHAM GAMAY 2009, VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula; #291112; Price: $14.95; 12.7% ABV
100% Gamay, a Varietal that Niagara can do quite well. Conventional fermentation with the addition of 20% whole grape clusters added for a touch of carbonic maceration. Aged in stainless steel. Drink this year with roast chicken.

PIRRAMIMMA PETIT VERDOT 2006, McLaren Vale (Australia); #986752; Price: $24.95; 14.5% ABV
100% Petit Verdot, most known as a blending grape in Bordeaux, offering deep colour, tannins, and spicy flavours. We don't often see Petit Verdot as a single Varietal, although I do remember drinking a delicious Ontario PV a couple of years back. They fermented this one in concrete vats and then finished in French and American oak. Aged in oak (30% new, 70% older) for 24 months.

BELLINGHAM DRAGON'S LAIR 2006, WO Coastal Region (South Africa); #68692; Price: $19.95; 14.5% ABV
A Northern Rhone blend of Shiraz (84%) and Viognier (5%) with a Southern Rhone variety, Mourvèdre (11%), thrown in. Hand harvested. Co-fermented in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation in oak (50% first use, 50% second use), followed by 18 months aging in the oak barrels. A first BBQ wine of the season.

ORTAS TRADITION RASTEAU 2009; AC Côtes Du Rhône-Villages (France); #998716; Price: $15.00; 14.0% ABV
A typical Southern Rhone blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (20%), and Mourvèdre (10%). 90% handpicked (90%?! Why not 100%?) Long maceration, aged in concrete vats. No oak. Great year, keep your eye out for more 2009s from the Rhone over the next year or two.

IPPOLITO 1845 LIBER PATER 2008, DOC Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore (Calabria, Italy); #121061; Price: $13.95; 13.5% ABV
100% Gaglioppo, the indigenous grape variety of Cirò (and Calabria at large), known for its tannins. Long maceration on the skins, then aged in French oak barrels for 6 months.

UMANI RONCHI SAN LORENZO 2007, DOC Rosso Conero (Marche, Italy); #981191; Price: $15.95; 13.2% ABV
100% Montepulciano, the workhorse grape of the Adriatic coast. Hand harvested. Maceration for 10 days in steel vats, followed by Malolactic fermentation. Half aged in 5000 litre oak casks, half in oak barrels (third and fourth use) for 12 months, followed by bottle aging for 6 months before release. It’s a classic wine for pizza or pasta with tomato sauce.

RIVERA CAPPELLACCIO RISERVA AGLIANICO 2005, DOC Castel del Monte (Puglia, Italy); #984120; Price: $18.95; 12.0% ABV
100% Aglianico. Maceration for 12 days in stainless steel. Aging for 12 months in French oak barrels of varying ages, then another year in the bottle before release. Do the math, a 2005, where’s it been? But for the price, it’s a good value. I’d try it with lamb, either a hearty ragout or, if spring ever comes, grilled chops.


Sparkling

HARDYS OOMOO SPARKLING SHIRAZ 2004, Clare Valley (Australia); #221853; Price: $19.95; 14.0% ABV
Well now, this is interesting, an Oz sparkling made of 100% Shiraz. Primary fermentation in stainless steel and oak, followed by Malolactic fermentation. Aged for a year in oak. Secondary fermentation in bottle, kept on its lees for 4 years.


Fortified

WILLIAMS & HUMBERT WALNUT BROWN RARE OLD BROWN OLOROSO, DO Jerez (Spain); #437467; Price: $11.95; 17.5% ABV
OK, get over the fact that your grandmother – and Fraser Crane – drank sherry. A blend of Palomino, Pedro Ximénez and Muscatel grapes.  The wine itself is a blend of Oloroso (a dry fortified sherry that has more exposure to air while aging in the cask for 4 years, making it darker and concentrated) and Cream (a sweet dark sherry).  Look for the classic flavours of nuts and dried raisins.  Made for the UK market.  Quite sweet; serve very cold, it’s dessert in a glass.

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My Picks: Vintages Release -- March 19 2011

Regular readers know that I’m a HUGE fan of Spanish and Portuguese wines. Why?  I love unusual, indigenous Varietals and blends.  The Iberian Peninsula is chock full of them:  Tempranillo (with its many aliases), Alvarinho & Albarino, Viura, Verdejo, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca...all are in the mix this week.  It’s a dream come true!

This week also offers “California Superstars”, a group of 8 wines that, for the most part, are overpriced for what they offer. But if you’re in a mood to splurge, then go for Dominus or Pahlmeyer.

Again this week, nothing organic. Maybe they’re saving up for a theme release?

On the Iberian Trail

Whites

1 from Portugal, 3 from Spain...all featuring indigenous grape varieties...

VARANDA DO CONDE ALVARINHO/TRAJADURA 2009, DOC Vinho Verde (Portugal); #966663; Price: $13.95; 12.0% ABV
A blend of Alvarinho (70%) and Trajadura (30%). Alvarinho is the Portuguese name for what the Spanish call Albarino. Trajadura is also an indigenous grape that's used to add weight. Fermented for 10 days. Drink now with some molluscs!

AGRICOLA CASTELLANA CUATRO RAYAS VERDEJO 2009, DO Rueda (Spain); #194787; Price: $14.95; 12.1% ABV
100% Verdejo, the signature grape of Rueda in northern Spain, along the Duero River. Fermented for 21 days in stainless steel vats using native yeasts. Left on its lees for 3 months. No oak. Verdejo is typically herbaceous with minerality, nuttiness (are you out there, Kyle?) and bitterness on the finish. In short, a fabulous wine with seafood.

BERONIA VIURA 2009, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #190801, Price: $13.95; 12.5% ABV
100% Viura, what Riojans call Macabeo, the most common white grape variety in northern Spain. Barrel fermented in French oak, then left on its lees for 5 months. Drink ASAP.

LEIRA ALBARIÑO 2009, DO Rias Baixas (Spain); #115816; Price: $16.95; 12.1% ABV
100% Albariño, the wonderful Varietal from Galicia in northwest Spain, directly north of Portugal. A great spring/summer aperitif.

Reds

More indigenous grape varieties...3 from Portugal, 3 from Spain...

CISTUS RESERVA 2007, DOC Douro (Portugal); #145052; Price: $18.95; 14.0% ABV
A blend of Tinta Roriz - aka Tempranillo - (40%), Touriga Franca (40%), and Touriga Nacional (20%), the same grapes used to make Port. Fermented in stainless steel vats. Aged for 15 months in French, American and Hungarian oak barrels. Ideal with braised meats or blue cheese.

QUINTA NOVA POMARES 2008, DOC Douro (Portugal); #214007; Price: $16.95; 13.5% ABV
A blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 8 days. Partly aged French and American oak for 4 months. Unfiltered.  Same grapes as the wine listed above, but much less time in oak.  Should make for an interesting contrast.

ENCOSTAS DE ESTREMOZ TOURIGA FRANCA 2004, Vinho Regional Alentejano (Portugal); #190561; Price: $17.95; 14.5% ABV
100% Touriga Franca from Alentejo in southern Portugal. Fermented over 8 days, followed by maceration for 25 days. Aged in new American and French oak barrels for 7 months. Alentejo is a newer wine-producing region in Portugal, still finding its way. In this wine, the producer (SA da Lagarteira) is trying Touriga Franca, which is indigenous to northern Portugal. Worth a try!

EL COTO CRIANZA 2006, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #190504; Price: $14.95; 13.0% ABV
100% Tempranillo from vineyards across Rioja: Baja, Alta, Alavesa. Fermented in stainless steel vats. Aged 12 months in American oak barrels, then 6 months in the bottle before release. Try it with roast chicken.

LEALTANZA RESERVA SELECCIÓN 2004, DOCa Rioja (Spain); #208223; Price: $17.95; 13.5% ABV
100% Tempranillo. Fermented in stainless steel tanks for 15 days, with 20 additional days of maceration. Malolactic fermentation in French oak. Aged for 24 months in second-use French oak, then 6 months in Allier French oak vats, then 12 months in bottle.  Think steak.

VIÑA MAYOR RESERVA 2004, DO Ribera del Duero (Spain); #209155; Price: $25.95; 14.0% ABV
100% Tempranillo. Fermentation on the grape skins; maceration for 21 days. Malolactic fermentation in barrel, then fined. Aged 18 months in French and American oak barrels, then 18 months in bottle.  Lamb chops, anyone?

Off the Beaten Track

A bottle of red, a bottle of white...

BOLLINI PINOT GRIGIO 2009, DOC Trentino (Italy); #951319; Price: $16.95; 13.0% ABV
100% Pinot Grigio from Trentino in northeast Italy, where Pinot Grigio has a chance to shine. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, left on its lees and skins for 4 months.

HENRY OF PELHAM RESERVE BACO NOIR 2008, VQA Niagara Peninsula; #461699; Price: $24.95; 13.5% ABV
100% Baco Noir, a hybrid grape variety (crossing a Vitis Vinifera with a Vitis Riparia). Baco Noir is generally not highly regarded except for the efforts of one producer: Henry of Pelham, whose efforts are very impressive. Aged in new, one-, and two-year-old American oak for 15 months. Definitely a winter wine but no rush, it can age a few more years.

Bonus Pick!

PISCO SOLDEICA, DO Ica (Peru); #214106; Price: $29.95; 40.6% ABV
Pisco Puro, the famous brandy from Peru! Made from 100% Quebranta grape variety. Fermented, then immediately distilled. Aged for 3 years in stainless steel before bottling. Consume it neat (as any other brandy) or in a Pisco Sour. Careful…it packs a wallop!  Trust me.  Click here for my tour of a Peruvian Pisco plant.

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Recently Tasted: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

As a Christmas gift, I received a bottle of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Mendocino County (California), 13.5% ABV. It’s a novelty item, I suppose, a bit like other celebrity wines, although this celebrity is a thing.

Are these things worth it? Well, if you’re a fan of the celebrity, then you won’t mind paying a premium for the bottle. The winemaker makes a bit more money, the celebrity gets a cut, and we, the consumer, get a souvenir, so it’s a good deal for us and them.

The wine is the product of Wines That Rock – aka Mendocino Wine Co. – which also boasts of sustainable farming, 100% green power (solar & wind), eco-friendly packaging, and carbon neutrality.

Released in 1973, Dark Side of the Moon vies with The Wall as the best effort by Pink Floyd – David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright, all of whom are still with us except for Richard Wright, who has gone to the great gig in the sky.

We tried this wine with dinner the other night. I had been on the run all day, so I didn’t have time to let it breathe before dinner. It does speak to me of a typical California Cab. Deep garnet, which is not just any colour. You like aromas of cassis and black cherry with flavours of cassis, vanilla, and a bit of chocolate? Then you’ll like this. It’s medium-bodied, smooth, and, at 13.5%, you don’t have to worry about any brain damage.

Of course, we had to listen to the album while drinking this wine. It’s been quite a while since I’ve listened to it. (It’s not our typical dinnertime music.) I’d forgotten how bloody brilliant it is. Maybe even better during a lunar eclipse?

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What Makes a Fine Wine?

Insightful column from Andrew Jeffords this week at Decanter.

Ever wondered what the distinction is between a fine wine and a…well...not-so-fine wine? It's more than just the price. 

Let’s hear from Mr Jeffords:

Fine wines attempt to make the best wine possible, but resist the temptation to hide nature’s imperfections. Letting all those variables come through is what makes a vintage interesting and intriguing.

The attraction of not-so-fine wines is their consistency. The same thing attracts people to McDonalds. No surprises.

Some drinkers, indeed, seek out ‘lesser years’ as a refuge from modish ripeness. The underlying assumption, though, must be that the wine will be a truthful account of the vintage.

Don’t strive to correct nature; select from it instead, so as to deliver the most limpid and resonant account of the year that you can. Otherwise … what’s the point?

Fine wines are usually a snapshot of place, too, as well as being an interpretation of a Varietal (or blended) ideal. They’re also a drinkable weather report: the summary of a season. But to what extent?

In great vintages, of course, you take what nature has given you, and say a private word of thanks when no one’s looking. What, though, do you do when nature has teased and tortured you? Do you allow the excesses and deficiencies of a season to be apparent in the wine, or do you attempt to remedy nature in some way?

Bravo! I couldn’t agree more.

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The Times They Are A-Changin’

Last year, in my review of Au Revoir to All That, I wrote about how cuisine in France has been changing and the reasons why. Chief among those reasons is the economic malaise that has afflicted France since the 1980s, where the spending power of diners has been relentlessly impaired over almost 30 years. The result? Pressure on chefs to cut costs, to stick to the tried and true, to be risk-averse.

This year’s just released Michelin Red Guide for France, which lists their recommended restaurants and hotels, is yet another harbinger of the changing face of French cuisine. For the first time, the number of “Bib Gourmand” restaurants – offering good value for money for a three-course meal – exceeds the number of “starred” restaurants, 601 to 571 (470 one star, 76 two stars, and 25 three stars).

To qualify, a restaurant must offer three-course meals for less than €35 (CAD 48) in Paris and €29 (CAD 40) outside Paris. Of course, the food must meet Michelin’s exacting standards, which Michelin keeps to itself.

Michelin notes that this is “a sign of the times and an indicator of new culinary trends”, which is a bit of an understatement. But the increased focus on value is good news for les français et les françaises, and tourists as well.

And what does “Bib” in "Bib Gourmand" mean? Bib is short for Bibendum, the name of the Michelin Man.

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