January 17 2008
Sex in San Francisco
It’s not often that I’m in California and reminded of my Midwestern roots—particularly from a wine perspective, but sure enough, I was in San Francisco this week having a business lunch at le Petit Robert in Russian Hill when I see a Michigan sparkling wine. L. Mawby’s second label, M. Lawrence, is represented on the wine list, by the glass no less, with their sparking wine called “Sex.”
L. Mawby is also highlighted in the 2005 book, “The Great Wines of America” by Paul Lukacs—a bold choice in wineries for the author to include in the book given geography. Having tasted the “Sex” before, and been to the L. Mawby tasting room, I can vouch that their sparklers are excellent, but I did opt for a California butter-bomb chard at lunch thinking the sparkler might be a little dandy. Alas, I should have gone with my instinct as the California Chard was less than fantastic. My wife was not on this trip with me and I did not have the wine so I cannot say that I had “Sex” in San Francisco. Nevertheless, check out L. Mawby if you want to try something off the beaten track.
The Conundrum Killer in the Good Grape Wine Blogger Pack at Domaine547
I like Conundrum wine. There, I said it. Sure, there is some residual sugar, sure, it is an out and out quaffer, sure, it is somewhat expensive for what it is, but damned if it is not a tasty wine.
I have been on something of a personal mission to find a blended white that approximates that juicy goodness of Conundrum for a little less money. I am finding that the Conundrum blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli and small amounts of Sémillon and Viognier is not easily duplicated. The Hey Mambo Swanky White and the Menage a Trois white blend are each enjoyable for what they are, but they don’t come close to challenging the layers of hedonistic flavor you get with the Conundrum (NOTE: this will be the only time I parrot Parker and use the word hedonistic).
However, in terms of pure enjoyment, the Brooks Amycas, a white blend made up of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat, comes pretty close to the Conundrum on the pleasure meter. It is a different kind of wine, crisper and brisker, but the same liveliness and the tropical fruits with a very balanced undercurrent of acid are present in both. The Amycas is a winner.
The Brooks Amycas white is one of three whites wines featured in the Good Grape Wine Blogger Pack at Domaine547. If you’re interested in trying this gem of a wine along with two other notable and delicious Rieslings, you can buy it at the Domaine547 web site.
Re-visiting Mondovino
I re-watched Mondovino this past weekend. I was mostly interested to check this out AFTER having been blogging for two years to see how my perspective might have changed or been better informed than the first time I watched it after it came out on DVD in 2005.
Mostly, I think I viewed it a couple of years ago with less of a discerning filter and insight into the polarizing divisiveness that is New World vs. Old World, particularly around Rolland and definitely around some of the issues with Parker’s palate.
However, upon re-reviewing, frankly, I have to say the documentary is pretty innocent and subtle for what it is. I think it rankled many folks mostly by virtue of the filmmaker, Jonathan Nossiter, and his manifested ego in how he made the film. It is definitely not cinema verite, at least as far as documentary’s go.
Undoubtedly, the movie does demonstrate a certain affectation—a refined Michael Moore, if you will. There are the awkward moments that aren’t edited out—with virtually everybody— nobody comes out wearing the glossy veneer of a filmmaker putting somebody’s best foot forward. There is the out of touch Bon Vivant James Suckling, Parker talking about his farting dogs, Neal Rosenthal looking like W.C. Fields with gin blossoms on his nose, the laughing, dismissive Rolland, Michael Mondavi clearly talking on cue with the press attaché lurking nearby and his father straining to hear what he says, et al. Doubtless, none of these subjects thought that their candid moments were going to make up the bulk of the film. Then there is the jarring juxtaposition of the music, the panning of the camera to non-sequitar scenery shots, including the abundant dog shots ...
Overall, I would have to say that I watched this documentary scratching my head wondering what the big deal was about, why Parker and Nossiter still snipe at each other. I would urge you to re-watch it with the addition of a year or two more worth of context in wine experience and let me know what you think.
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December 21 2007
Some quick hits and random thoughts … I wonder if getting your Master of Wine is harder than passing the bar exam, or taking your CPA test? All three require an almost encyclopedic body of knowledge in a subject matter.
I think most people want to discount the Master of Wine because of the subject matter, but I would be surprised if actual sheer knowledge and forced recall wasn’t greater than (or at least equal to) a CPA or Law exam.
I’m not trying to fan flames here, but it would seem, without question, that the Master of Wine is tougher than the SAT, or, perhaps, even the GMAT—tests for which the questions come from a finite pool in a finite subject matter with an abundance of study aids available.
Just my opinion …
I won’t go into how I did against last years New Year’s resolutions, but I will say that I did do one thing that I was very proud of—increase the clarity of writing voice on this blog, making it much cleaner to read. And, I’ve basically taken my writing from being in the passive voice about 40% or greater to less than 10%. Frankly, I had to because my wife, the English Lit. major, was going to scratch my eyes out if I didn’t…
Ah, but this year as a New Year’s resolution is different: I think everybody should resolve to stop reading about the “green movement” on dead trees and start calling their recycling center to begin recycling. It’s hard for me to buy into this greening of America when individual recycling rates are under 5%.
One additional change that I am resolving to make is to drink more white wine. I drink 90% red and 10% white. I think I might change that up in 2008. Why? I’m tired of drinking red wine clunkers. White wine, predominantly, is easier to make technically correct and pleasing at lower price points. And, my palate is much more giving for whites. I don’t need to have my socks knocked off by every under $20 bottle of red that I drink, but I’m growing weary of being non-plussed. Drinking white solves that dilemma for me and will probably save me a good amount of money in the process.
Or, maybe not … perhaps I should stick with reds … according to a recent article in the New York Times (thanks to Wine Canine for the pointer) … a recent medical survey in The American Journal of Epidemiology showed that, “drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, was linked to as much as a 60 percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold. The scientists suspected this had something to do with the antioxidant properties of wine.” Sign me up for more reds and less colds, I guess!
Or, I could just drink 375 ml half bottles. Dr. Debs points out a site called Half-Wit Wines that features over 1000 ½ bottles, Half-Wit was recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article (with a reference to the New York Times already I’m searching for a USA Today reference just to make sure I have my national newspaper bases covered) that had columnists Dorothy Gaither and John Brecher calling half bottles, by the headline, the, “next big thing.”
I really like the idea of Half-Wit wines and in a moment of “open-palm-slapping-forehead ‘why didn’t I think of that’ ” it dawned on me what a great idea it is to have an online store featuring only 375 ml size bottles.
In fact, my wine of the year just happened to show up on my door step today in six little hand-dandy half bottles.
I had a bottle of the 2003 Arzuaga Crianza in a traditional size bottle and fell in love with its rich complexity and layer after layer of flavor. This wine is a stunner. Think of fresh black cherries at their peak of ripeness floating in a combination of Kirsch, Chambord and Kahlua, with balanced acidity and enough oak to make this go the distance and you come close to approximating this nectar of the Gods. When I went to replenish and get a couple more bottles of this to hold, I could only find the ’03 in 375’s. If you’re interested, Morrellwine.com has it in stock.
… Changing the subject, I’m always a sucker for a wine-related diversion. If you have five minutes to burn check out www.instructables.com and search for wine. You’ll find instructions for wine box projects, making bum wine and a bunch of other wine-related projects that sound good on paper. Or check YouTube, perhaps the greatest time waster yet invented. Somebody sent me a four minute clip of A Capella Christmas carols—that’s time I’ll never get back.
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October 3 2007
Sound the bell and set the Tivo. The “Top Chef” finale is on tonight (check your local listings). Without question one of my guilty pleasures, season 3 comes to a close with a new winner being named from a final three.
By far the most entertaining of the three seasons and refreshingly free of the sophomoric drama from season 2, I love Top Chef for the same reason I enjoy fine dining—it’s the restaurant/kitchen as theatre.
One of the shticks the show uses to wring some drama out of the start of every episode is an individual test called a “quick fire” challenge. In short, it’s essentially a timed, stress test cooking battle that is usually 20 minutes or less and requires some sort of extra creativity or handicap in execution.
An example of a “quick fire” is having to cook a trout dish for noted chef Eric Ripert in the outdoors with a hot plate perched precariously on a wooden stump. Or, create an amuse-bouche from a selection out of a vending machine—sometimes they are absurdist, but mostly they are pretty entertaining and one of my favorite parts of the show.
If you want to get a better idea of a quick fire, or make a nomination to turn these Bravo “quick fires” into a show of its own, I then respectfully submit to you Ben from Benito’s Wine Reviews.
Apparently on assignment for work for an extended period of time, he has done two absolutely brilliantly entertaining posts on hotel cookery—essentially a quickfire challenge whereby he creates a fabulous meal in the confines of his hotel room using a coffee pot and a microwave.
His first attempt he creates a very authentic nicoise salad and in his second attempt he put together a Mediterranean tasting plate with couscous, chorizo, dolmas and some tzatziki and warmed pitas.
This is good blogging fun over at Benito’s, complete with a wine pairing. Kudos to him on his hotel “quick fires.”
If you’re interested in reading up on Top Chef before the finale, check out any of the following links:
Bravo TV Blogs, including Anthony Bourdain
Television without Pity episode recaps
Elsewhere, the issue of immigration reform is something I’m not completely comfortable commenting on—mostly because it’s a multi-faceted issue, with no easy answers, and there is likely a significant amount of nuance that I’m not in tune with. It’s a lightening rod issue and I’m not going to go near it with an opinion, though I will note that I am generally right of bleeding heart and left of being a moderate. However, make no mistake, this affects the wine industry significantly.
Wine Spectator had a good article late in August that summarizes the issue and says in part:
The new immigration policy, announced by Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, involves a more vigilant watch of the Social Security numbers and other information provided by workers to their employers. Where there are discrepancies or invalid information, employers must fire the workers or face fines of as much as $10,000.
Due to the very nature of this issue, precise figures are unavailable, but no one disputes that illegal aliens make up a significant portion of the 50,000 employees required to produce California wine. “Because of where we are, [bordering Mexico], and the number of people we use in California, I’d say a figure of 70 percent [illegal workers] might be on target,” said Karen Ross, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, a Sacramento-based advocacy organization.
And it’s consumers who’ll likely be picking up the tab. “Over time, wine prices follow costs,” said Daniel Duckhorn, CEO and chairman of Napa-based Duckhorn Wine Co. Labor accounts for a major portion of the operating costs of wine production, he explained, adding, “It’s a given that if costs increase, wine prices will go up.”
Despite being namby pamby about having an opinion, what I will note is two things:
1) If recent reports on the industry are correct and imports are eating directly into California wine sales, and labor is becoming tighter potentially causing prices to go up, and California is currently only marginally competitive against imports from a QPR perspective, is there something pretty dramatic happening before our eyes? In five years will we be in full-on domestic wine crisis mode?
2) Announced on October 1st and effective October 1, 2008 a new U.S. citizenship test will be announced that moves away from a focus on facts like “How many stripes are on the American flag?” to more conceptual questions like, “Why does the flag have 13 stripes?” (From Newsweek)
The impetus for the change is a move away from a naturalization process by rote memorization of fact to more of a process that instills patriotism in American history. They call it “Americanization.”
I dunno, but this test sounds exclusionary to me—Mexicans come to America with no language skills or, at best, English as a second language, leave their families behind, work their tales off in the vineyards and elsewhere in a quasi-secret society, frequently doing jobs that nobody else wants in order to wire money home and now to become a legal citizen they’re going to have to go through testing that will make them learn concepts about US history that most Americans learned in 7th grade and promptly forgot in 8th grade.
That all said, I think the larger issue and one that will have to be addressed eventually is the fact that imports are going to eat the domestic markets lunch in wine sales over the near term. It’s a lot easier to head this off at the pass instead of addressing it after the fact when CA producers are lamenting high costs, lagging sales and a worldwide image problem for the US wine industry.
In our quest for effective “Americanization” we might actually be foreshadowing a cutting off at the knees of one of our best p.r. stories internationally—the wine industry.
To see sample questions from the current test, see this link
For more background on the new test, see this link
For a lengthy press release on the challenges in the California Wine Market, see this link
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September 2 2007
Now, make no mistake, this Web 2.0 stuff isn’t new to me, nor a revelation. I realize community exists all over the Internet. Occasionally, though, you still bump into things that are so novel and simple as to be really interesting.
No, I’m not talking about Facebook.com, though I did sign myself up, set-up a profile and join several groups this past week.
Instead, I’m talking about the vagabond traveling brother of Facebook--Couchsurfing.com.
Couchsurfing, essentially, is a community-oriented social network for accommodations with people around the globe. Think “hostel” except your spare bedroom acts as a complicit flophouse for a cadre of domestic and world travelers.
From their web site:
“CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding.”
As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn’t about the furniture- it’s not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it’s about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!
How is this related to wine? Well, some wineries are missing the boat in terms of creating a social networking sales opportunity with couchsurfing.com. Why? What’s the lingua franca of housewarming gifts the world over? Yes, wine. Who will seize the agenda to become the “Official” Wine of Couch Surfers everywhere?
Speaking of wine and the world, the good folks at Grapethinking are hosting the World Cup of Wine in September. Tying into the World Cup of Rugby, they’ll be pitting wine from various countries against each other analogous to the actual World Cup. Check out this link for all of the details.
In other news, Gary V. from Winelibrary TV released his long anticipated announcement on Thursday, August 30th. It turns out that it’s a partnership with Crushpad for a communal winemaking project in which the Vayniacs can participate and buy some wine on futures.
This will be a fun project to keep an eye on (I signed up for the Crushnet Group). I have a couple of wine-related fetishes and Winelibrary.tv, and Crushpad happen to be two individual fetishes coming together.
I’m also happy for Alan Baker, the Cellar Rat. The Vayniac group will be administered by Crushnet, his community project at Crushpad, and some tremendous momentum couldn’t happen to a more genuine, good guy. Plus, I’m a part of Alan’s Anderson Valley “Rat Pack” pinot noir project which is getting bottled this weekend, so I’m simultaneously sending good karma towards my case in the form of this brief mention in a blog post. The barrel samples I tasted were outstanding. This should be a dynamite Pinot.
I’ve been reading Dr. Vino’s pro-environmental stances and his personal ban on bottled water for 30 days (and likely ongoing where possible) with enthusiasm. Every time I approach a public trash can and see it filled to the brim with plastic bottles of all sorts my stomach turns a little bit.
If you want to see why this ethos against bottled water is a good thing and if you likewise want to see mass American consumption through the lense of startling art, check out www.chrisjordan.com. Wine bottles are a consideration, as well. They need to be recycled, too.
Finally, if you’re a wine investor, not the “buy the old bottle” kind of investor, but a stock-buying investor, then you already know your investment options are pretty slim.
Another one almost bit the dust when it was announced that 360 Wine Company has been having a hard time filing their financial result requirements and were on the verge of being delisted from the “Over the Counter” exchange. Over The Counter stocks are more frequently known by their jargon name—“penny stocks.” You’ve likely received SPAM email about penny stocks that were sure to soar making the investor a TON of money. Rare is that circumstance, but I do note that 360 must’ve appealed their delisting because they are still trading beyond the August 30th deadline.
You frequently read about Hedge Fund Managers buying up outstanding shares of an embattled company’s stock and then driving leverage through the form of presence on the Board of Directors, company sale, etc.
With 8.2M shares outstanding for 360 Wine Company this seems like a real opportunity for some social networking. Who wants to start an investment club and buy into a wine company? With shares trading for a buck, the ante in isn’t all that great.
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August 30 2007
Flemings Steakhouse, a chain, with locations in 26 states, whose marketing value proposition is an extensive wine by the glass program, recently announced their “Flemings 100” list—wines made available by the glass; 60 of which are chosen at a corporate level and the balance is buyer discretion on a regional level.
Now, Flemings makes a big deal out of this list and its annual maintenance with national advertising in the wine mags. and some consumer engagement in the selection process, etc. But, a glance at the actual list is enough to invite some questions. Presumably, they are going after the knowledgeable wine consumer with some little found gems that indicate “discovery.”
Not so much.
Their marketing copy says:
“A full half of the wines are from family-owned vineyards. Though harder to procure, these “boutique” wines are worth the effort because their exceptionally high quality.”
Consider when you open this link, that the very first page features Beringer White Zinfandel. The next 6 pages are, to their credit, lesser known imports (save for the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc), but then we get to page 18 and the Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve. We then meander our way through Cambria, Montevina, Dry Creek, Clos Du Bois and other nationally distributed brands. Perhaps some are family-owned, but “boutique” might be stretching it a bit.
I think I understand the difficulty in buying wine for a national program and a restaurant group that probably does a lot of volume—it is seemingly a difficult balance between quality, marketing and enough production, but to entice somebody that really knows a little something about wine, shouldn’t you veer deeper off the beaten path? And, does an $8 glass of K-J Chard, when you know you can buy the bottle at your grocery store for $13.99, really do that?
Bon Vivant PhD
It has dawned on me that, if independently wealthy, I would not choose to first travel the world (though I would do that, too), nor would I start my own business (though, that would be a priority, as well) instead I think I would work on a self-developed PhD in being a Bon Vivant. Living in a college town and going to school is pretty good fun in my book. After getting my Master of Wine, or a similar certification I might choose to Boston University Metropolitan College for a Masters in Gastronomy. From the course catalog:
The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) in Gastronomy encompasses the arts, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences. As the study of food, food science, and nutrition has grown, a consensus has developed that the study of food and wine, under the category of gastronomy, requires a multidisciplinary approach. Our understanding of the role of food in historical and contemporary societies and its impact on world civilization is a serious and important pursuit, especially when undertaken within specific, well-defined fields of study such as culinary history, anthropology, archaeology, economics, and nutrition.
If I didn’t choose this program, perhaps Le Cordon Bleu’s program would be more suitable:
The Le Cordon Bleu Master of Arts in Gastronomy is one of the few programs in the world leading to an advanced degree in gastronomic studies. The program is built on a series of articulated courses, and is designed in the early stages to provide a general appreciation of the history and culture of food and drink from ancient times, with a strong focus on contemporary themes. Students then go on to research their own area of interest in the field of Gastronomy. Students established in a gastronomy-related career, such as a restaurateur, wine importer, or a food or drink journalist, will find that the program in Gastronomy a pathway to professional advancement.
If you combine that with a Masters in Sustainable Management, you might have a very unique and desirable skill-set.
Likewise, if I was independently wealthy --neo-rich-- I’d probably have to find a more suitable place for a growing wine collection …
Does it get any more ostentatious then a walk-in wine vault? Suddenly, the $4000 Viking range seems so déclassé. So damned expensive you can’t find the price on the Internet, GE’s Monogram series has an all-in-one wine vault with inventory management system, attractive racking and cooling in a package that takes as little as a day to install.
Two sides of the viticultural Coin
For a really good, high-level article juxtaposing BioD and traditional grape-growing, check out this article from the Washington Post.
In my opinion, it’s not outside of the realm of possibility that growing organic and BioD might mentally get painted with “boutique” wines in the consumer’s minds-eye. It may be that a small producer almost has to change their growing practices or do marketing around it based on the explosion of organically grown grapes making their way into the fine wine market.
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