VINO-CLUES! 10/16/11: “Grapes, & Rice, & Apples, OH MY!”

We are proud to welcome back into our store the apple products of Eden Farms from Vermont! Leading off our big wine & spirits tasting event on Thursday 5/3 (FREE tasting festival of all "liquid products" from Vermont!) is the Eden Farms Apple Ice Wine, and "Orleans" Apple Vermouth!

Apples and other fruits and grains make sense for wine & spirits: after all, we make alcohol from fermenting sugar, and all of these raw ingredients have sugar! Apples in particular make incredibly dynamic beverages. Aside from a few draft ciders at the local pubs, the reality is that there is a whole apple world out there, with hundreds of farmers growing nuanced and complex varieties of apples as unique and charismatic as the hundreds of grapes we wine drinkers study all year (and by study, I mean drink.) It seems among the always fascinating & intimidating look at wine making and grape viticulture (and a somewhat sturdy and steady support for Sake rice wine,) apples have been left out in the cold. Literally!

Until now….over 80 stores and restaurants in NYC are featuring apple ciders/wines, and many venues are offering classes & events as well. And these are NOT the pub hard-ciders that are….ahem….made in mass quantities by the good ol' corporate entities such as Anheuser Busch or Coors (Woodchuck, Cider Jack, etc.) These are hand-crafted, hand-grown, hand-pruned, hand-made masterpieces. Farmers in overalls made them!

Apples make a-may-zing sparkling wines, dessert wines (it can take up to 50 frozen apples to squeeze out the exquisite juice for a small 375ml bottle of Apple Ice Wine), and aperitif apple Vermouths! Vino-Versity is proud to say that we are offering, among apple ice wine, Eden Farms "Orleans" apple vermouth. Imagine an apple ice wine with stunning sweet & tangy orchard fruit (but with the citrusey tanginess brought by Calville Blanc varietal apples), laced with Vermont field herbs (showing flavors such as anise, basil, thistle, meadow heather, mint, & tarragon!)

The result: an OMG experience!

At Vino-Versity on Thursday, we're featuring 10% off featured bottles of apple elixirs and other artisan spirits (such as Maple Rum, Honey Vodka, & Organic Rye Whiskey). At the very least, this is the time to try apple wine & liqueur if you never have!

Grapes, step aside for the day!

If you want more information about fermented and distilled Vermont beverages made from apples, honey, juniper, rye grass, and sugar cane, talk to the distillers themselves. They will all be here pouring at the "Vermont Festival"!

Let's bring the Green Mountains to The Concrete Jungle!

Think about it…local wine (i.e. from NY state) does not have to travel overseas or 3000 miles from California and waste & burn gallons of fuel. You would be supporting local workers too, and supporting the local economy.

Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic farming practices employ techniques that use natural plants, animals, & friendly insects to achieve what man-made artificial harmful toxic pesticides and herbicides do. Why not, in today's day & age, eliminate drinking things that are literally teeming with poisons??? With today's farming technology, why wouldn't you??

The wines???? Taste great! Taste the same! You probably wouldn't even know if the wine was GREEN in terms of flavor anomalies (or, lack of.)

Wanna taste 24 GREEN wines this Tuesday??? Sign up for our "Preppy Wine Event" at www.vino-versity.com (click on "social wine events" and then the reservation link for "Tuesdays") where for $16.50 (use coupon code "dest50") you can taste an array of reds, whites, and a whole bunch of dry pink rosés that are all GREEN!

Go "preppy" and wear a pink or green garment to the tasting and get

10% off ANY WINE PURCHASE after the tasting. This will save you some "green" too!

Check out the differences in GREEN farming techniques (some of this info comes right from Wikipedia):

Sustainable agriculture

is the practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities. Characteristics of this type of agriculture include:

             Conservation and preservation. What is taken out of the environment is put back in, so land and resources such as water, soil and air can be replenished and are available to future generations. The waste from sustainable farming stays within the farm’s ecosystem and cannot cause buildup or pollution. In addition, sustainable agriculture seeks to minimize transportation costs and fossil fuel use, and is as locally-based as possible.

             Biodiversity. Farms raise different types of plants and animals, which are rotated around the fields to enrich the soil and help prevent disease and pest outbreaks. Chemical pesticides are used minimally and only when necessary; many sustainable farms do not use any form of chemicals.

             Animal welfare. Animals are treated humanely and with respect, and are well cared for. They are permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, such as grazing, rooting or pecking, and are fed a natural diet appropriate for their species.

             Economically viable. Farmers are paid a fair wage and are not dependent on subsidies from the government. Sustainable farmers help strengthen rural communities.

             Socially just. Workers are treated fairly and paid competitive wages and benefits. They work in a safe environment and are offered proper living conditions and food.

                                                                      Other techniques  include:

1.                           1.    recycling crop waste and livestock ; Protecting soil from water runoff

2.                              2. growing legume crops & forages such as peanuts or alfalfa that form symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia

3.                          3.     industrial production of nitrogen

4.                              4. Incorporating organic matter back into fields

5.                              5. Stop using chemical fertilizers (which contain salt)

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm. Organic farming excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, and genetically modified organisms.

Organic agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many nations, based in large part on the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), an international umbrella organization for organic farming organizations established in 1972. Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:

·                     1. avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs not on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances(e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc.), genetically modified organisms, & irradiation.

2. use of farmland that has been free from prohibited synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);

·                     3. keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);

·                   4.  maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;

·                 5.     undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

·                     In some countries, certification is overseen by the government, and commercial use of the term organic is legally restricted.

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants and animals as a self-nourishing system without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of nutrients due to the export of food. As in other forms of organic agriculture, artificial fertilizers and toxic pesticides and herbicides are strictly avoided. There are independent certification agencies for biodynamic products, most of which are members of the international biodynamics standards group Demeter International.Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include the use of fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives and field sprays and the use of an astronomical sowing and planting calendar.

1. PLEASE do not drink White ("pink") Zinfandel!!! While some find this wickedly sweet rosé yummy, it is really the anti-christ to other rosés. It is most definitely the "fruit bomb" out of a world of brilliant pink wines that have merit and distinction!

2. Rosés are made by crushing red grapes (the pulp and juice inside is white, even inside a red grape) and then removing the skins only after a small amount of red ink has seeped into the juice. Therefore, you can make rosé from ANY red grape.

3. Do not let the color fool you! Even dark red rosé may be totally dry (i.e., not fruity.)

4. But, do not ignore the color! There is a correlation between flavor adjectives and the color: a light salmon pink usually will taste more of raspberry/strawberry/lavender wisps, while dark red rosés do tend to have flavor profiles of cherry/cranberry/lingonberry/mulberry splashes.

5. Some of the most famous rosés come from the south of France…but there are major differences:

            a. From Bandol: rosés are typically made from Mourvedre grape, and they typically have a pulpy, meaty, rich, creamy texture that is super-savory with equally strong flavors of  herbs, leaves, mulch, & tea along with the berry fruit.

            b. From Tavel: rosés are dark, and start off super fruity, with big flavors of cherry, watermelon, & maraschino, but then completely changes and finishes tart & dry

            c. From Provence: almost always light-pink salmon color, with a plummy, meaty, richer texture of nectar, and a classic raspberry & rose petal flavor  (mostly from the Grenache grape.)

6. Rosés are one of the most food friendly wines in the world; because they have the flavor of red wine, but the acid pucker & chilled temperature of whites, and lighter tannins (because removing the skins removes the ink and the tannins), they can be matched with everything from salads with vinaigrette, to BBQ, salami, sausages, and steak tartare!

7. If you're a guy, don't be afraid to order a rosé in a restaurant; it is essentially a red wine after all!

8. If you DO prefer a fruitier or sweeter rosé, check the alcohol content. If under 11%, it will probably be relatively fruity to sweet because the winemaker stopped fermentation, which would leave grape juice sugar behind (residual sugar) instead of continuing to convert it into alcohol via yeast during the fermentation process.

9. Read the back label! Often a winery will tell you if the wine is unfiltered or not; if unfiltered, that means they leave the yeast in the juice, which will give the wine a smell, flavor, and texture of bread dough or donuts/cookies/biscuits (among the fruit, flower, & herb flavors.) If you prefer this profile, buy this wine!

10. Rosés are meant to drink young; when they are released each Spring into the marketplace, drink 'em! Or, hold them for 6 to 12 months if you want to allow a bit of aging (basically let oxygen deteriorate and diminish some of the fruit sugar over time) and enjoy the rosé the next year. Best bet, drink roses that are no more than 3 years old…they can lose too much fruit to oxygen, and taste flabby or dull at some point after 3 years.

11. Don't miss pairing your rosés with any version of goat cheese, or cheeses that have fruit in them or mashed into the rind!

12. If you want to taste a huge array of rosés from all different countries and from all different grapes, come to Vino-Versity's "PREPPY WINE TASTING" on Tuesday April 24th (6:30-8:30pm). $33 lets you taste & explore a selection of PINK and GREEN wines ("Green" wines are reds, whites or rosés that have been farmed using sustainable or organic farming practices!)

All 24 wines at the tasting will be 10% off for purchase, and if you wear pink or green to the tasting event, you can have 10% off ANY wine purchase that night (over 425 wines to choose from!)

Click on "Social Wine Events" (then "Tuesdays") and reserve your spot now!

These two grapes are not well known by many, but boy are they freakin' awesome and important.

Carignan is a red grape thought to have originated in southern Spain, and was/is prominent in Algeria, Sardinia, and southern France. But, you will also find it as a main grape in northeastern Spain's ruddy & rugged Priorat region. It ripens slowly, so it thrives well in consistently warm regions with long growing seasons.

Carignan is well known for having dark, intense red ink, as well as uber-astringent tannins & acidity. Sounds yummy, right?? Errr….well…with those characteristics, it actually does makes an excellent blending grape; kind of like adding that dash of hot sauce to food, or Worchestershire sauce to a bloody mary! Extra kick! Extra muscle!

In most cases, while it is capable of incredible finesse and elegance, it starts off as a killer, savage, godzilla, intense, teeth-enamel-stripping wine that absolutely needs years in the bottle, and hours in a decanter to relax and show itself. But let me tell you…when you do taste one that has opened up or softened up, you are in for the BIG SHOW. The Super Bowl. The World Cup. The Kick-ass Glass!

In a blend with Syrah, Grenache, and/or Mourvedre, this grape is the "salt to the margarita", the "rock to your casbah" (or your "amadeus!") Sardinian Carignans are deep, rich, plush, & dark….like black velvet, blue suede shoes, and a burgundy velour tracksuit rolled into one outfit.

Cinsault ("san-SOH"), on the other hand, is an easy-squeezy grape that lends softness and bouquet to red blends. It is most commonly found in the south of France, but is also well known for its role in the Frankenstein hybrid grape of South Africa called "Pinotage", which is a genetic blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Because of its resistance to drought, it is also found in Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, and the difficult agricultural areas of Australia.

Cinsault is often used in a blend to soften Carignan!

Could these two be more opposite??? Yet, they both play a vital role in creating the perfect recipe in blends of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet, and other grapes, most notably in the Mediterranean world. If you're curious to try these grapes…especially from Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Morocco, Sardinia, and Spain…then you need to hop on a 14-day cruise, OR, simply come to "CLUB MED-iterranean" on February 28th, our version of traveling by featuring 24 wines (many with the C-grapes) from these regions. $33 to taste and take home educational wine literature. Click on http://www.vinoversity.com/social-tasting-events/tuesdays/

C you there!

But you would be mistaken.

This area of NY is an exceptional wine-making region. Cayuga and Seneca lakes, the longest “fingers”, are also two of America’s deepest lakes (carved out by Glaciers.) There are over 100 wineries around these lakes, making it NY State’s largest wine producing region.

Lakes and other bodies of water are critical and desirable for excellent grape growing. During the harsh winters, the waters retain summer heat longer than the air, preventing frost on the vines at budding time. In the Spring & Summer, the lakes retain their cold temperatures, cooling off the vineyards, thereby preventing sugar development that is too quick on the outside of the grapes before the insides and seeds have a chance to catch up.

Ultimately, some of the most prestigious wine in the world comes from super-cold regions (and believe me, upstate NY is like an arctic tundra wasteland in the winter!) because the cold night temperature causes (during photosynthesis) the development of super snappy & puckery acidity…in other words, a lip-licking, lip-smacking, snap-crackle-pop that excites the palate!

All in all, this region has everything that it takes to produce stellar wine…and it does. But keep in mind, as with any region of the world, that there is lots of wine produced meant for every-day local consumption, and the wines may be deliberately made in a fruity, or simpler style for this purpose. This can be even said when you travel, let’s say, to Italy, where you will have a carafe of a local wine literally made in someone’s backyard, and it is served with your pizza & pasta, tastes just fine and lovely, but is certainly not THE representative of a cellar-worthy, complex, high-price-tag Italian wine.

Many upstate producers are small farmers, and their wine is made to drink on a Saturday afternoon while enjoying the fresh lakeside air. But there are also plenty of producers making serious wine, such as Dr. Konstantin Frank, the “father of Vitus Labrusca” (i.e. American-grown grape species, vs. Vitus Vinifera, or European-grown grape species.) There are plenty of other excellent wineries, and at the end of the day, a great wine maker matching the correct grape variety to the proper agricultural conditions (the “terroir”) will make a great wine.

Probably the best grapes for and from this region are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris, and American grapes such as Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Catawba, and Vignoles.

Two really cool things about the American grapes: first, their aroma is often called “Foxy”; not because they smell like a Fox animal, but because they have a very aromatic, sweet, musky smell like Grape Jelly. Second, when these grapes ripen, their skins literally slip right off the pulp & stem, leaving a ball of grape pulp that can be crushed separately. This allows the wine makers to crush the skins and release the tight & grippy Tannins independently, and then work the tannins back into their wine-making recipe, if at all. With European grapes, skins and pulp are crushed together, and various machines & methods will determine the extraction of tannins in a very different manner.

Vitus Labrusca are found throughout northeastern Canada, through New York, and then all the way south through Georgia and even west of the Mississippi!

How cool is that?? With or without football, Upstate NY is a total winner!

Buffalo chicken wings, made with any recipe worth its salt, will be smothered in lots of hot sauce made from chili peppers. A main compound found in these peppers is Capsaicin, which causes a burning effect on sensitive areas of skin (such as your tongue, palate, and nose.)
 

Some people enjoy the pain! It is common for  many people to experience pleasurable and even euphoriant effects from eating or drinking capsaicin, and beverage companies are even marketing "Elixirs" with Capsaicin to promote an endorphin rush.

Actually, Capsaicin is also known for:

            1. an effective topical ointment to relieve pain from arthritis, sprains, and neuralgia.

            2. reducing itching and inflammation from psoriasis

            3. increasing body "heat" and the metabolic breakdown of carbohydrates

Yes, that's right, Capsaicin is being studied as a weight-loss tool!!
 

Now, as you eat your "healthy" wings, you should also sip on a beautiful wine wine has tannin, an acid that has been found in numerous studies to help reduce cholesterol, and overall is an anti-oxident, or anti-carcinogen!!
 

Really at this point, all that's left to know is "WHAT WINE WILL TASTE GREAT WITH MY BUFFALO WINGS???"
 

Here is the answer: to "stand up to" and not get overpowered by the hot sauce, you need to drink wines that either have a high fruit sugar content, a high phenol level (i.e. has a high level of perfumey & floral acids), or has a high level of carbonation (to cleanse the heat off the palate.)
 

Fruity & phenolic (floral) white wines:

 Torrontes, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Sweet Rieslings
 

Fruity & phenolic (floral) red wines:

Gamay grape from Beaujolais, Carmenere, Zinfandels
 

Fruity and/or effervescent wines:

Rosé Champagne or Sparkling wine, Sparkling Red Lambrusco, fruity Rosé's
 

Now that you're ready to eat & drink responsibly for Superbowl Sunday, it's time to locate these perfect wine partners. Call us at 212-860-6600 and reserve a spot for Tuesday's "Wines of South America" Tasting for HALF-PRICE ($16.50 instead of the regular $33.) Taste 24 wines from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay including some amazing selections of Torrontes, Viognier, and fruity Carmenere…the perfect wines for your wings!!!
 

Here's to your health!

Every mid-week this winter, enter Coupon Code "winter10" at checkout and you will receive 10% off your wines and/or liquors!

The coupon will be activated every Tuesday, and will expire every Wednesday at midnight.

THERE IS NO MINIMUM FOR DELIVERY! You can have even one bottle delivered to you!

However, if you order any 12 bottles (mix your wine brands, or mix liquor and wine together in one order) you get an additional 10% off automatically!!

TOTAL DISCOUNT: 20%!!!!

(See Terms & Conditions for delivery fees: "Local" Upper East Side Delivery: Free! / $6 throughout Manhattan / $15 for outer boroughs)

Here is a breakdown of major Greek grapes…and their pronunciations!!!!

WHITES:

            Roditis ("rho-DYE-tuss"): a grape that can have a playful contrast between it's zippy, snappy acidity and a softer fruitier grape that it is often blended with.

            Moscophilero("mo-sko-FEE-lehr-oh"): super perfumey, and somewhat "spiced" white grape that is ofyen compared to Muscat in its exotic fragrant profile. A perfect grape to blend with more non-descript juices in making awesome wine duos.

            Assyrtiko(ah-SEAR-tih-koh"): A top quality wine grape, its massive minerality and super snappy crisp acidity makes it a great blending partner for Malagousia, Savatiano, and international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

            Savatiano("suh-vat-tee-AH-no"): Greece’s most common white grape, and the most common ingredient in Retsina. On good sites, it produces well-balanced, full mouthfeel whites with a plush core of orchard fruits combined with the zest of Mediterranean citrus. Because it lacks a tight, perky acidity, it is often blended with Roditis, Moscophilero, or Assyrtiko!

            Muscat ("MUSS-kat"): Great concentration of "grapey" flavors hinting at orange-flowers and spice. Almost always used to make outstanding sweet (yet alcoholic) dessert wines, but drier, more food friendly versions are now made on Lemnos.
 

REDS:

          Xinomavro ("zee-no-MAH-vro"): Its name means “acid black”. The most planted red variety in Greece, it produces relatively fruity wines with a good acidic bite, hints of olive, sundried tomato, & herbs, and excellent tannic structure that ages well.

            Aghiorghitiko ("Ah-your-YITT-i-ko"): Also known as St. George, is the 2^nd most planted red variety, and produces easy, fruity, deep, aromatic wines that can sometimes reveal hints of coffee, cocoa, or molasses flavors intertwined with herbs, dark flowers, olive, & tobacco. In Metsovo, it’s blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to produce the popular table wine called Katoi

            Mavrodaphne ("MAH-vro-doff-nee"): The name means, “Black laurel”. It is an aromatic, powerful variety used to produce the port-like dessert wine Mavrodaphne of Patras.

            Mandelaria ("man-duh-LAHR-ee-ah"): Also known as Amorghiano on Rhodes, this is Greece’s 3^rd most planted red wine grape. It is a powerful specialty of various Greek islands producing deep colored tannic reds ranging from dry to sweet styles.
 

Ultimately, even if you can't remember this list, or you still have your doubts as to the approachability and drinkability of their wines, just remember that this country has the best "mixing pot" for making amazing, interesting, unique, and adventurous wines. There are over 300 ancient indigenous grape varieties. Wow! The whole country is mountainous, providing vineyard sites that are high elevation (which equals perky, vibrant acid development), and practically every vineyard is surrounded by or near water (maritime influences on softer sugar & acid development.) It's really hot, especially in the southern islands (sugar development is wicked crazy….dessert wines taste like liquid Baklava!), and often the grapes of centuries' old genetics blend especially well with newly imported and grown French grape varieties (such as Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.) Soils range from limestone, to volcanic ash, to sand, and the difficult fertility provides low yield, concentrated grapes.
 

Wines here ARE different…and that's a good thing. Some of them are produced on such a tiny level, and in such traditional manners (but thankfully with modern hygiene), that one could compare these little gems to the CUPCAKES of today's bakeries, where these individual cakes made in the most glorious flavor combinations are showing up at weddings, dinner tables, and coffee bars instead of huge 20" cakes. Greek wines are the Buttercup Bakery, Sweet Melissa, Magnolia, Crumbs, or Two Little Red Hens of the wine world! Little packages of distinct flavor!

Curious to try one now???? Well, come to Vino-Versity on Wednesday (any time from 12 noon to 8pm) for our $10 "Grape's Anatomy" tasting, where this week's theme is "Fragrant, Exotic Whites". We will be pouring, among others, a Greek blend of Roditis & Viognier. Reserve on this website ("social wine events") or just walk in and mosey on up to our tasting table. Only one more thing to say….OH-MY-GODS!

Next week, on Tuesday January 17th, we will have our first 2012 "Destination" wine tasting focusing on the south of France! You would think that since we are opening 26 different wines (for $33. Crikey! Reserve a spot on www.vino-versity.com), that it would be an easy feat to show tasters the array of grapes, flavors, and styles from this region. But it is so NOT! If you take a look at some of the premier sub-regions, you realize that, for example, an appellation that allows up to 13 different grapes in a blend, including both whites and reds, has a lot of dynamic diversity! And that's just ONE of the many! Here's a good breakdown of just some of this area's regions and specialties:

SOUTHEAST:

                        Provence: famous for pale rosé typically made from Grenache or Cinsault grapes. Super savory, herbal, and full bodied, they are perfect accompaniments to the region's famous garlic & herbed cuisine. Some dark, concentrated Carignan, Syrah, & Mourvedre reds are starting to gain notice.
 

                        Tavel: bone dry rosés that are super-high in fruit color and initial refreshing fruitiness
based on ripe Grenache & Cinsault grapes.
 

                        Bandol: the most serious sub-region of Provence, with both Rosés and reds featuring the black intense Mourvedre grape. Mediterranean ripening brings about great development of the fruit (and rosés are notably creamy and rich, but refreshing) but reds must have at least 18 months aging in oak, which can make them very tannic, long on the palate, and concentrated.
 

                        Chateuneuf du Pape: perhaps one of the most famous regions, named as "The Pope's New Castle" based on the re-location of the Papal court to Avignon in the 14th century , this region has very sophisticated (both in style and in price tag) reds that are, by permission, allowed to be made with up to 13 different grapes (Grenache being dominant.) Whites are lesser well known, but incredible, with blends based on the nutty & perfumey Roussanne grape.
 

                        Hermitage, St. Joseph, Cornas: The northern appellations, such as Cote Rotie, St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, and Hermitage, are known for Syrah dominant red blends, and for producing very powerful, robust, spicy, sundried, chocolately, oakey, savory, and bold wines. Cornas is a northern sub-region that makes its dense, fine, long-lived reds from 100% Syrah grape.
 

                        Cotes du Rhone, Gigondas, Vacqueyras: Generally, the best appellation for good values of "big blends", mostly made of the soft & velvety Grenache, and several other grapes. Great style of earth, savage berries, and every herb you can imagine. The indication of higher quality comes from the word "Villages" on the label, or the specific name of an actual village, such as Gigondas and Vacqueyras.                            

SOUTH CENTRAL:

                        Languedoc: Principally produces “peasant farmhouse” style table wines (labeled as Vin de Pay D’Oc), most notably reds made from blends of at least two grapes. The warm climate and mixed soil stones can produce fruity and yet very complex, earthy, super-minerally wines. Carignan may dominate among the other Rhone grapes, but you may also find amazing values in rustic, brambly, bistro style, easy-drinking Cabernets and Merlots too.
 

                        St. Chinian: Produces full, soft blended wines with an influence of clay & limestone
 

                        Minervois: Produces very supple, charismatic reds and nutty, exotic whites
 

                        Corbieres: Produces very dense, chewy, sturdy, plush, herbal reds (Carignan blends)

SOUTHWEST (SUDOUEST)

                        Madiran, Cahors, Gascony: produce very herbal, multi-flavored, inky, strong, gamey, robust rich wines….the kinds you would often associate or envision drinking with duck, foie gras, or venison. Grapes range from classic Bordeaux grapes like Merlot, Semillon, & Cabernet Franc, as well as the more robust & burly Tannat and Negrette grapes.           

NOTEWORTHY DESSERT WINE REGIONS:

Collioure: a seaside sub-region of Banyuls, it produces both dry and sweeter reds typically from Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre grapes.

Banyuls : a sub-region of Roussillon, specializing in Port-like wines made primarily from Grenache. The wines are made in the Vins Doux Naturels method, meaning neutral grape spirits are added to the wine which adds alcohol strength and kills the yeast, stopping fermentation and leaving higher sugar in the wine.  A RIMAGE style Banyuls is one that is most similar to a Ruby Port, which celebrates the red-fruited grape flavors of a great vintage, more-so than the oxidized, browned, “cooked” style of a Tawny Port.

Beames de Venise : famous for its sweet, pale, gold, delicate Vins Doux Naturels dessert wine made from the Muscat grape

Jurancon : famous region for both dry and sweet white wines ; the dry wines, primarily made with Gros Manseng grapes, can be exotic typically featuring flavors of pink grapefruit, passionfruit, and almonds. Sweet whites, made from Petit Manseng, also have a tropical profile.

With the new year, we start at the beginning! Let's look at the fundamental concept of food & wine pairing again (see "Vino-Clue from 10/31/11" for the full explanation!): always match your wine to the most dominant flavor of the dish. A simple example of this would be Cod covered in a tomato-caper ratatouille. You might fall into the old trap that "red wine does not go with fish" but a savvy person would realize that the ratatouille is going to dominate your palate much more than the mild white fish, and therefore, THAT is what we pair the wine with. Next, we look for a wine of equal strength with either SIMILAR (i.e. high acid, "tart" wine like Sangiovese or Cabernet Franc to match with the high acid of the tomatoes) or OPPOSITE (i.e. a sweeter wine like Spatlese Riesling or fruity red Zinfandel to compliment the salty briny capers) characteristics.

So when we look at Asian cuisines, we may be inclined to identify the following dominant flavors, depending on your dish:

• Chinese Cuisine/Dim Sum: soy sauce, salt, garlic, hot peppers, sweet fruit glaze, fish broth, mushroom, fried batter
• Sushi: salty seaweed, starchy rice, spicy wasabi, mild fish, avocado
• Stir-fry/Japanese: salt, sweet, fried batter (when Tempura)

And this would lead us right to some phenomenal wine choices…some following the SIMILAR, and some following the OPPOSITE pairing principles:

• Chinese Cuisine:
  • Sweet, dry, or off-dry Riesling: high acid & sometimes high sugar
  • Gewurztraminer: high sugar, acid, & "ginger-mango" spice
  • Chenin Blanc: puckery acid, great "green" kiwi-starfruit sugar
  • Gamay (i.e. from the Beaujolais region): super light tannins (avoid high-tannin reds with this cuisine!)
  • Pinot Noir: low tannins, can have nice ripe red fruits
  • Fruity Rosé
  • Brut Champagne or sparkling wine: great acid!
• Sushi:
  • Brut Champagne or sparkling wine: great acid!
  • Muscadet (i.e. Melon grape), Picpoul, Txakoli: all whites with salty sea-mist "salinity"
  • Torrontes, Viognier, or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: great tropical fruit quality and high aromatics, with excellent puckery acidity
  • Chenin Blanc: puckery acid, great "green" kiwi-starfruit sugar, and rich melon fruitiness especially when from the Vouvray region of France
• Stir-fry/Japanese:
  • Dry Riesling or very dry Sauvignon Blanc, such as from the Sancerre region of France: great acidity
  • Shiraz or California/Oregon Syrah and Zinfandel: high amount of fruit & spice
  • Brut Sparkling wine or Champagne: super puckery acidity
  • Stainless steel fermented Chardonnay, especially from the Chablis region of France: austere!
  • Pinot Noir: low tannins, can have nice ripe red fruits

And there you go….Happy New Year, Happy Chinese New Year, and Happy Eating & Drinking! Now…the question is, has anyone ever tried Blowfish, and if so, what wine goes with it???? Blow-jolais???