My Half Full Glass - May 2nd, 2013

Finger Lakes Reds with Grilled Steak Tips

The producers of the Finger Lakes are sharing their wines through a series of virtual tastings again this year including several in the month of May which is Finger Lakes Wine Month. If you are curious about the wines from the region these tastings go a long way to help you understand what is possible.

In the past I have participated in the Riesling and White Wine tastings so for this most recent series I selected reds. The sample kit included the following wines:

• Fox RunVineyards 2010 Lemberger
• Goose Watch Winery 2011 Lemberger
• Rooster Hill Vineyards Cab Franc/Lemberger blend
• Wagner Vineyards 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir
• Heron Hill Winery Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
• McGregor Vineyard 2008 Black Russian Red

Prior to the 8PM virtual tasting I opened each of the bottles and gave them a taste. As I considered the sensory feedback I fired up the grill and got the steak tips going. A summary of our initial impressions goes a little something like this:

• The first taste of the Fox Run 2010 Lemberger set high expectations for the flight. Earthy & spicy in the nose with tart currants, dark berries and a healthy dose of black pepper.  Upon returning to this wine for a second taste both my wife and I found the nose to be a bit funky and there was also a prickle on the tongue that was not there previously. Neither was profound enough for us to think the wine was flawed, just noticeable different between tastes. I came back to this wine today and the nose was the same but the prickle on the tongue was gone. I'm not going to knock this wine for a subtle funkiness that doesn't detract from the rest of its attributes.
• The Goose Watch 2010 Lemberger is a different style from the Fox Run, softer and more fruit forward. It is medium to full in body and smells like a dark berry jam with a restrained spicy component. Very quaffable.
• The Rooster Hill Cab 2011 Franc/Lemberger blend is a bit floral in the nose with a healthy dose spiciness. In the mouth it is very peppery and the combination of spice, acidity and presence of fine tannins creates quite an experience.  On its own this wine was my favorite of the six.
• The Wagner 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir leads off with crushed red fruits both in the nose and mouth. It has enough tartness to keep everything lively and has a subtle tannic profile. This is a very straightforward, smooth and eminently drinkable Pinot.
• The Heron Hill Ingle Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir was off to us. Some volatile elements in the nose came off as a chemical in nature. The flavors were unblemished and the balance of acidity/tannins was good.  I also returned to this wine today and found the odd elements in the nose to be subdued, but the wine was very acidic and tart compared to the tasting the night before.
• The McGregor 2008 Black Russian Red was a new-to-us wine and producer from the region. The grapes are also nearly new to us as well. It pours very purple and has a nose that blends dark fruits, dried flowers (even sweet tobacco), spices and wet earth.  The wine is tart and dry with dark berry flavors, balanced acidity and fine tannins. I look forward to finishing this bottle!

Once dinner was ready we got down to round two. In addition to grilled steak tips we also had a pine nut couscous and Brussels sprouts on our plates.

We brought wines in to try two at a time. The two that paired best were the Rooster Hill and McGregor Vineyard wines.  The Fox Run Lemberger paired nicely as well, but we were giving it some air (see the notes above) and thought it might do even better overall on day two. The Goose Watch wine was too fruity for the pairing. Yes, the Pinots were overrun by the beef and marinade, but I didn't have any salmon on hand! The spice notes and acidity of both of these wines were the assets that made them work with the steak. The marinade on the steak was both sweet and spicy so a wine with some body and spice character of its own would be destined to work best.

After dinner I headed to the computer to watch the live stream from the tasting event, listen to Q&A from participants and interact with folks in Twitter who were tasting and sharing notes on the same wines. The most important message I heard producers relating to those participating is that their region is distinct from others and they need to continue to work to figure out which grapes work best and on which sites in order to continue to improve the wines. The specific questions about how Lemberger does in the region affirm this notion. Peter Bell from Fox Run indicated that while Pinot Noir is hard to grow anywhere in the world, including the Finger Lakes, Lemberger is proving to less fussy and produces quality wines when sited in a number of places around the region. Eschewing comparisons to other wine-making regions all of the winemakers assembled kept the focus on what their regional experiences are telling them and what work they are doing to continue to grow given the conditions they find in their vineyards.

This event was, as they always has been, a great way to learn more about what the producers are doing in the Finger Lakes region. Thank you to all the producers who participated and the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance for organizing the tasting series again in 2013. Being able to celebrate Spring and Finger Lakes Wine Month with delicious wines and seasonal grilling definitely made me smile!

Cheers!

Jason

My Half Full Glass – December 6th, 2012

NASCAR Jokes and Wine

A few weeks ago I was invited to a Twitter chat with NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and the team from Jeff Gordon Cellars to sample their newest (2008) Joie de Vivre red blend.  Straight off, this wine is delicious. It is big and full with a pleasing sweetness that was more pronounced in my experience for a dry, red, blend; but it works incredibly well. The breadth of dark, juicy fruits really shines in this wine. To me this is very much a drinking wine more so than a food pairing wine, but that is really just a statement on how well it drank on its own. The finish is gently sweet and the tannins are soft, chewy and well integrated.

Leading up to the tasting a number of us on Twitter were cracking NASCAR and car racing jokes to get everyone laughing. When Jeff Gordon arrived on the Twitter chat he was cracking some of his own, including a few about being a dad and having to steal away to chat about wine. That's real life!

The fruit for the wine is sourced from 3-5 different vineyards and the 2008 blend is made from Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah and aged in barrels (mostly 2-3 yr used) for 20 months. The online price for this wine directly from Jeff Gordon Cellars is $61, but you can get it for $55 if you order a case. Send me the other 11 bottles if you don't have room! Jeff Gordon Cellars also produce varietal Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonny, a Rosé of Syrah and the Joie de Vivre blend.

(The painted black bottle didn't have enough contrast with the gold lettering for me to get a good camera shot. )

Glimpses of Alsace

I’ve never been to the Alsace region of France, but I do hope to get there someday. As a Riesling fan I have tried a few of the most well-known Alsatian producers' Rieslings with across the boards enjoyment. I've also found the Alsatian Gewurztraminers to be notable and that the Pinot Blanc made in the region is a great cocktail wine or an entre to a meal of wine pairings. So when I was invited to a Wines of Alsace dinner I immediately checked my calendar and was quite happy to find I was free.

( The magnum of "Cuvee Frederich Emile" Trimbach 2006 Riesling. )

The dinner was held at Cragie on Main, a well known and highly regarded restaurant located in Central Square in Cambridge, MA. Not having been there before I had no context for the food. Ultimately the menu prepared for the dinner was a made-for-us edition of their rotating sampler menu, so my ignorance did me no harm or good on this night. After realizing there were eight courses and ten wines however, I fully expected something exciting was afoot!

Dinner lasted over three hours and had several highlights making both a follow-up visit to Cragie on Main and an Alsatian wine acquisition sure things for me.

A Crémant, the Schoenhetiz Brut NV, was served with the first two amuse courses and after a few sips several of us also noticed the price, $14. This wine is a huge value at only $14!!! This is a beautiful bubbly made from a blend of Pinot Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc that comes off crisp, minerally with hints of sweet, baked breads and treats. Serve this wine as you would any Champagne or Sparkling Wine.

( A celery/apple sorbet with a fresh pulled, local cheese. I would have

enjoyed this with the Crémant as well!)

I may have only had Alsatian Pinot Gris once or twice before and after thinking about when and where I didn't recall any lingering conclusions or wines of note. Not after this tasting! We were only served two Pinot Gris, but they both made an impact. First up was the Rolly Gassman 2004 Pinot Gris. The nose is overflowing with fruit, flowers, spices and a fullness to make it all sing. The wine is slightly sweet and made a fitting appearance with the pasta course that had a rich creamy sauce.

( The pasta is a fantastic meal all on its own! )

The second Pinot Gris was the Charles Koehly 2001 'Altenberg Grand Cru' Vendages Tardives. This wine was served with a dessert of Whole Wheat Crepes, apples and a butternut ice cream. Slam dunk. Sadly we were told the story that the winemaker who was the sole heir to his family business had died two years prior to this wine's vintage. Very sad for the family and most certainly a loss for the wine world. This wine is concentrated and bit reductive, drinking like a Madeira for me, making for a great match with the dessert. The butternut ice cream has been put on a short list for a home project!

( This dessert was really fantastic, and would be just so without wine. But why? )

The "Hengst Grand Cru" Zind-Humbrecht 2010 Gewurztraminer was outstanding for me because of the nose. The perfumed aromas of Muscat came to mind, but there was something a bit less wild connecting the fruit & flowers in the nose of this wine. Served with slow-roasted pheasant,the sweetness of this wine was well matched with the concentrated flavors of the confit on the pheasant.

( Pheasant. A terrible picture, I know. )

And of course we enjoyed several Rieslings, including one served from a magnum, which ended up being my favorite of three we tasted. The 2006 Trimbach "Cuvee Frederich Emile" from a magnum is drinking beautifully right now. This  medium-bodied Riesling is a bit creamy with lots of orange and citrus fruits in both the nose and mouth. The nose also has a spectrum of minerally and petrol aromas that are not so over the top to not feel at home at the beginning AND end of each sip. 

The wine isn't sweet, but is also not dry enough to take away the sweetening effect when paired with something spicy, like Kampachi sashimi & pears with a miso dressing and pickled mustard seeds.

( A Mi-Cuit Sea Trout which was paired with two Rieslings. )

One other notable wine was the Engelgarten Marcel Deiss 2007 white blend. A field blend of five grapes (Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc) the wine has a beautiful orange laced nose with moderate sweetness through the whole taste. There is an exotic quality to the flavors in this wine, something magical which I believe is a perk of both the grapes used AND field blending, making this wine easily notable amongst peers made from single varieties.

( Quite a lineup! )

The whole dinner was a nicely woven mix of aromas, flavors and textures. Adding the conversation which ranged from Asian gangs and demons to the wines themselves, there were plenty of good times and smiles had by everyone who attended. Thank you's go out to Stephanie Teuwen and Louise Jordan with Wines of Alsace for hosting, Chris Lyons for inviting me to dinner and the staff at Cragie on Main for taking such good care of us. Tips of the hat go also go out to Richard Auffrey and Jacqueline Church for the great conversation and laughs!

With the exception of the Crémant the average suggested price on these wines is around $50. I believe the Frederich Emile Riesling and the Rolly Gassman Pinot Gris are both very much worthy of prices in this range. And don't forget the Schoenhetiz Brut NV Crémant for around $14 a bottle!

Cheers!

Jason



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sparkling Anniversary

In two previous posts, "Getting to Know Sparkling Wine" and "Leftover Sparkling Wine", about sparkling wine I shared what I have learned this year from a closer inspection of sparkling wine. In the first post, for the WineMaker Magazine blog actually, I teased readers with a list of bottles my wife and I had enjoyed around our wedding anniversary this year. All of those bottles are reasonably accessible to people who live near us and make use of the NH state system, and/or can direct ship to home. None of the wine are really bank breaking purchases for those who want to try them. It's not a snobby or specialty list, and I'm not advertising it as such. It covers a range of styles from both well known to smaller regional producers and gave me a lot of new information to consider about sparkling wine.

With "Getting to Know Sparkling Wine" I also shared my concerns that in my experience sparkling wine enjoyment was too often relegated to special occasions and not everyday drinking. There is no reason for this these days, sparkling wine pairs well with so many foods and there are values out there to suit all budgets. Steve Heimoff touched on this same thought last week in "Sparkling wines for the holidays: why not all year long?" After such a profession some of you might be thinking that ending that very article with my own plan to consume a variety of sparkling wines around my wedding anniversary was a conceit to my assertions. Maybe, and I can only say that we enjoyed these wines during what we called our "Sparkling Anniversary", where most were enjoyed with everyday dinners, or snacks; and even popcorn whilst watching TV. No special occasions there! We did indeed take some bubbly in the limo as we rode to our actual anniversary dinner, and I'll explain the significance and sentiment of those bottles a little bit later.

In "Leftover Sparkling Wine" I share my experiences with a grower Champagne tasting which constituted my first formal experience with Champagnes made by the grape grower. My thoughts and those of the host, Adam Japko of the WineZag, are interesting reading for anyone not familiar with the category.

As I alluded to above we didn't really do anything special with the wines for our Sparkling Anniversary and by the time we were through the best pairings we had experienced were with either buttered popcorn or French Fries. We also made cocktails with several of the bottles, both to experiment with different flavors and textures and put wines that didn't pop for us to good use.

Here's that Sparkling Anniversary list again (and in no particular order):

• Chateau Frank Célèbre Rose
• Chandon Blanc de Noirs
• Cuvée Aurora Rosé Alta Langa
• Mumm Napa Brut Prestige
• Gruet Blanc de Noirs
• Fox Run Blanc de Blancs
• Lafitte Brut
• Banfi Rosa Regale
• Raventós i Blanc Reserve Brut
• Mionetto Moscato Dolce
• Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut
• Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad
• Cuvée y Camps Brut Nature
• Montsarra Cava

Best of the Best

It would be hard not to share which of these wines we liked best and why, but since tastes vary and I don't rate wines, take it for what it's worth.

Cuvée y Camps Brut Nature - For both Margot and I this was the most refined of all the sparklers we tried. The nose is tropical with tart citrus in the mouth and through the finish. This is one of the best dinner party or entertaining-worthy sparkling wines I have ever had.

Chateau Frank Célèbre Rose - This is a medium-dry rose colored sparkler that is just simply easy to drink. It is well balanced, delicious and should appeal to both dry and sweet sparkling wine drinkers. It was summer when we drank these wines and this one really pulled off the role of refreshment.

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige - I really liked the balance of fruity and tart character in this wine. The slight creamy texture brought the whole package together. This is another fantastic wine to use for entertaining and a slam dunk with appetizers, including fried ones!

Honorable Mentions

Gruet Blanc de Noirs - This wine was notable for me because of the pronounced strawberry and citrus that actually came off like berry lemonade. This is a fairly full bodied sparkling wine and was a departure from some of the others in the lineup.

Montsarra Cava - Cava performed well in the tastings, but wasn't entirely new to us as a style, and this wine was the first one we tried. Fruity with hints of almonds a slight creaminess, this wine piqued our interests for more.

Cocktail Experiments

Passion Fruit Cocktail - we used the Fox Run Blanc de Blancs for this drink, combining it with passion fruit puree, Cointreau and bitters. The dry sparkling wine lightens up the puree nicely and the blend of fruits in the puree and wine showed nicely in the nose. It's a sweet cocktail, but if that is your thing this one might give you a smile!

French 75 - I fall on the Cognac side of the French 75 debate and thus I make mine with it. These are a potent cocktail with a nice balance of tart and sweet. The texture is best with a good sparkling wine with lots of small bubbles.

Champagne Cocktail - This simple concoction using a bitters infused sugar cube and sparkling wine is both tasty and fun to drink. Watching the bubbles ribbon off the sugar cube and head to the top of the glass provides the entertainment. We tried these with both domestic sparkling wine and Cava.

Sentimental Bottles

I'll finish with a few of the bottles that have special meaning for us. Two of them are part of our "wine personality" and elicit great memories any time we drink them.

( We dined at Top of the Hub in Boston for our anniversary dinner. The subset was beautiful! )

First, and maybe the most comical to wine aficionados, is Banfi Rosa Regale. We just like this wine. It's sweet, sparkling and super fruity. I bought it for Margot as a gift a few years ago and she absolutely loved it. Margot calls it a panty remover, which from experience isn't a bad way to describe its merits beyond a beverage. We buy a few bottles of this several times a year. When paired with dark chocolate this wine makes an excellent dessert.

Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut - we received this wine as a gift from friends and chose to enjoy it on the night of our anniversary dinner to honor the joy we take in having such great friends. The wine is also very good.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad - This is our anniversary wine. I was looking for a delicious bottle of bubbly to celebrate our tenth anniversary in 2007 and came across this one. The bottle is actually a collectible, hand blown and emblazoned with a pewter crest and base. I snapped one up and we enjoyed it the weekend of our anniversary party that year. This is a complex sparkling wine, projecting citrus, peaches, minerality and a touch of graphite or smoke. It has a full bodied feel, but is rather a light, refreshing wine. We opened this bottle in the limo on the way to Boston for dinner this year, and it didn't disappoint once again. I purchased several bottles this time and can't wait to try one with a bit of age at our next milestone anniversary!

Drink More Sparkling Wine!

I hope these three articles on sparkling wine have inspired somebody to crack open a bottle of bubbly and enjoy it with friends (or family or a significant other, all of which are friends to me) just because you can. The diversity in styles, textures and flavors offers a world of possibilities for us to explore.

Cheers!

Jason

Why Sake?

There are several reasons to drink Sake, but I don't know too many people who have been motivated by even one of them to try it.

For folks that don't know anything about Sake here is some motivation:

It's new to you. And with so many styles the newness lasts at least a little while. Richard Auffrey, a local food/beverage writer and Certified Sake Professional, has compiled a list of the different styles in an article entitled Types of Sake. I personally like the Nigori style where some of the lees are left in the finished product creating a creamy texture and leaving lots more to ponder in the glass. You might like a sparkling Sake or any number of the other styles served Nama style, e.g. on draft. Sake infused with fruit flavors might do it for you or you might be interested in how organic sake is different from other types. Junmai and Ginjo are the two styles I have most often enjoyed. The progression in quality between the two  is a great segway to the next point.

( A mural on the outside of the SakeOne kura in Forest Grove, Oregon. Look how happy they appear! )

Sake is a fermented beverage with a special process (they use a mold to convert rice starch to sugar!) and a long history. Some of the process, see Sake Brewing, is reminiscent of beer brewing (heating the rice) while other aspects are like wine, clearing and aging for example. Quality in Sake is governed by a number of factors with the primary one being how much of the rough, outer portion of the rice is polished away before it is used to make Sake. Learning how it is made and some of the traditions of its long history is akin to studying terroir, place names and famous wine-making families.  There is ALWAYS more to learn!

( The apparatus used to mill the Sake rice at SakeOne in Oregon. )

( The koji grow room at SakeOne in Oregon. )

I believe I had my first taste of Sake about 20 years ago. I was out with friends at an Asian restaurant and somebody asked if I had ever had it and then suggested we try it when I and others said we hadn't. I don't remember the experience in any detail, but I do recall thinking it was similar to white wine, Riesling in fact, and that it was a good match with the food.

Once you get a taste of Sake there is wide world of possibilities, and so many more reasons to drink it, and not just from the different styles. I am learning firsthand that Sake is a phenomenal agent in food pairing, and not just with Asian cuisine as you might initially think. I've not ventured far off the Asian cuisine/Sake pairing playbook quite yet, but as I gain more exposure to the different styles I am feeling more confident to try new pairings. My guide is again Richard Auffrey who has written many posts on Sake and two in particular on food pairing that really lay out the potential here. For Sake food pairing basics check out Sake & Food. Reading the more in depth article, The Science of Sake & Food Pairings, you will find notes on the chemical compounds in Sake and food that are working together to create delicious pairings, as well tips on how the different styles can be generalized in their food pairing roles.

I've explored some of that world of possibilities in 2012 and my new Sake experiences are steadily filling in my knowledge of the styles and have provided me with opportunities to try Sake in different settings.

In April when Margot and I headed to Miami before shipping out on the Kid Rock Cruise we dined at Tony Chan's Water Club, a well known Chinese restaurant in town. I was very excited because I was taking my wife out for her first sushi experience, something I had only started to enjoy in the previous year. Having done my research I knew the Water Club had Sake on the list, and when I got to ordering I selected the Kuromatsu-Hakushika Junmai Daiginjo (in the photo on the right) which I knew to be of the highest grade (thanks Richard!) and a style I had yet to try. The pairing of the Sake with the different sushi bites served to both enhance the fish and to cleanse the palate for an optimal transition between each piece. Much richer than the sushi, the Three Cup Chicken gave me the opportunity to see how Sake would pair with an entree. It did well, but the richness of the sauce overpowered it a bit. Margot loved the sushi (so did I!) and I happily finished my Sake before taking a stroll along the marina at sunset.

My second sake experience this year was a visit to SakeOne in Forest Grove, Oregon during my trip for the Wine Bloggers Conference (#WBC12). I didn't come in early enough to take the pre-conference excursion to SakeOne, rather I planned trip for Margot and I on the first of our three post-conference vacation days. The tour of the kura (Sake brewery) was very similar to the many winery and brewery tours we've taken before and while my one attempt at brewing Sake was not successful, I was familiar with the process enough for there not be any surprises during the tour. I did catch a video of a the top of a batch fermenting. If you look real close you can see some gentle bubbling.

The highlight of the visit was the post-tour tasting. The selections at the tasting bar included the full product line from SakeOne and a number of imported products, including some highly sought after Sakes. Sidenote: SakeOne was created by a company originally launched in 1992 as an importer partnership with the Murai Family and the Momokawa Brewing Company of Japan. Within 10 years a new kura had been built and the company renamed itself SakeOne and began producing Sake from Californian rice and local water. For a more in depth review of the company,  history and products check out SakeOne - Craft Sake In Oregon. The products available for tasting reflect this history and the ongoing partnership with the Murai Family whose products are among the retail and tasting room offerings.

( A wall of Sake at SakeOne! )

SakeOne uses the Momokawa name for their line of traditional Sakes. We tasted the Silver, Organic Junmai Ginjo, Ruby and the Ruby Nama style for our opening flight. The most notable aspect of the flight was how the Ruby served from the bottle differed from the Nama version. The Nama style was much bigger and bolder with more acidity and fruit all around. The lack of pasteurization really does give you some idea of what is sacrificed in pasteurization to be able to stabilize the product for transport and longer shelf life.

The next Sake was the G Joy Ginjo Genshu, a more robust  and spicier style made specifically to appeal to the American palate. I really like this Sake, but that is not to say that I prefer it to the other styles I tasted, I just think the purposeful crafting of this style resonates with me. I could see this as my house Sake to have on hand for casual sipping and cocktails, and in fact I do have a bottle open right now for just those purposes!

( My "house" sake! )

We then transitioned to the Nigori style, coarsely filtered and often milky colored and thicker, sampling both the Momokawa Organic Nigori and the Murai Family Nigori Genshu. The texture and viscosity of Nigori Sake will differ from producer to producer and the Murai Nigori Genshu was considerably thicker than the Momokawa. Both were very smooth, sweet, a little starchy and offered a lot more fruit (tropical fruits were predominant) to the palate. The combination of the texture, sweetness and additional fruit made me swoon.

( The bottle is full, the unfiltered rice has settled. )

Our final flight was from the Moonstone product line, Sakes infused with fruit extracts. The Moonstone Sakes are a blend of the house brewed Junami Ginjo style sake, except the coconut lemongrass which is a Nigori, and all-natural fruit extracts with flavors of plum, raspberry, coconut/lemongrass and pear. Margot found her sweet spot here, and the Moonstone Plum was her favorite. I tasted the Plum, Coconut Lemongrass and Pear. All of them taste well enough of Sake, but with the added fruit flavors they come off as much more of a cocktail, and that is alright by me! It could be said that this would be a good way to introduce someone weary of Sake to the beverage, but I think the flavors in the mouth mask the natural Sake flavors too much for it to be used as an instructional tool. These beverages are sippers, cocktail Sakes and perfect for socializing.

( What an exciting experience. And we ordered some to have shipped home! )

My most recent Sake experience was in celebration of Sake Day, a 35 year old celebration of the beverage and the start of the annual Sake brewing season in Japan. Kanpai! That's a toast equivalent to cheers in English.

( Richard showing off the Momokawa Nigori Sake on Sake Day. )

For Sake Day Richard (I guess you could say I like this guy, huh?) organized a Sake and food dinner at Thelonious Monkfish, a sushi and Asian fusion restaurant, in Central Square, Cambridge. Richard was going to be pouring six Sakes paired with three small plates of Asian-inspired appetizers. You can read more about Sake Day and the local event directly from the man driving the Sake cart himself in his pre-event post, Celebrate Sake Day on October 1st.

Knowing Richard would have a diverse selection of Sakes to try I made sure I could attend, and I was not at all disappointed. The Sakes were poured in the following order:

• Murai Family Tokubetsu Honjozo
• Wakatake Junmai Onikoroshi
• Manabito Kimoto Junmai Ginjo
• Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo
• Momokawa Organic Nigori
• Moon Rabbit Sparkling Sake 

The first two Sakes paired nicely with spicy tuna on rice, pairing best with the Wakatake Junmai which I found to be moderately rich and full.

( Spicy Tuna on a Crispy Rice Ball )

Richard explained that the term Tokubetsu means that something special was done to make this Sake, perhaps a special type of rice or a process element that is not typical to the other styles of sake made by the same kura. As a Honjozo Sake it is made using the four classic ingredients (rice, water, koji, yeast) and has had neutral brewer's alcohol added to it during the finishing.

( The dumplings, which would be good fried as well! )

I focused my attention on the next two Sakes paired with the two different dumplings (Chive and Shrimp respectively), finding both to be worthy partners. The chive dumpling offered a blend of leafy green and savory flavors that were happily met with hints of sweetness and spice in the Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo Sake.

Food pairings were a hot topic during dinner. Richard conjectured that blue cheese with Sake would be a much more interesting pairing than I would have actually thought. The umami (savory, earthy flavors) in both the cheese and the Sake are what would make this work. When we got to the Momokawa Nigori, Richard mentioned fruit as a good pairing, and I dug into the fruit salad to confirm that. I added that making a fruit salad with some of the same Sake in it, an adult fruit salad if you will, would be a nice bump to a great utility dish served in multi-course meals. Richard continued the dessert thread and suggested this Sake would also pair well with coconut cream pie. I would agree wholeheartedly and all I can say is that we are clearly dangerous people to dine with!

( The fruit salad was pretty AND delicious! )

The final flight also included the Moon Rabbit Sparkling Sake, another style I had yet to experience (other than Sake force carbonated on tap). This Sake is sweet with plentiful carbonation and tasted much like sparkling Moscato. Something about this Sake being sparkling tells me that there is much more to explore here. From some basic research it looks to me like most sparkling Sake trends sweet, but if there are any drier versions out there I could so many pairing possibilities for just the sparkling type alone!

I hope my adventures have provided ample motivation for those of you who haven't tried Sake to get out and find some. Fine wine merchants, and especially those in urban areas with Asian and international influence, will often carry Sake including many that would be excellent for people who are just starting their education with this beverage. And don't hesitate to try different food pairings. The Japanese say that "Sake does not get into fights with food", and with that advice in mind any fear of failure should be much reduced.

Cheers!

Jason

Semillon My Way

Hunter Valley. Semillon. Not knowing much about either I jumped at the opportunity to taste a small lineup of Hunter Valley wines; not only Semillon, although it was the star. Little did I know that as part of the experience I would be taking down Semillon Oyster Shooters with the winemaker!

Big thank you’s for organizing and hosting the event go out to Iain Riggs (winemaker & co-owner) and the team at Brokenwood Wines, Joyce Hulm and the fine folks at Old Bridge Cellars, the staff at Towne Stove& Spirits and the leadership of the Boston Sommelier Society. We were very well taken care of!

Not knowing anything about the Hunter Region (best known as Hunter Valley), except that it is located in Australia, I asked Iain Riggs to explain a little bit about the region. The Hunter Valley is located north and west of Sydney and is considered warm and sub-tropical. I did some research after the event, finding that the Hunter Region is considered one of Australia’s warmest and wettest regions. Temperatures range from the mid 70’s (F) at the height of the growing season to just below 40 (F) in the winter. The region’s proximity to the coast is a key influence, allowing for the cooler air and moisture to be drawn in from the ocean. One of the region’s challenges is rainfall (the average at Brokenwood is 29 inches annually) which can come heavy in that sub-tropical way some of us might imagine. And most of it comes during harvest months, creating significant hazard. The relatively higher humidity of the region also creates disease stress, something Riggs noted as a particular challenge for the 2012 harvest.

( The Hunter Valley extends Northwest of Newcastle on the coast. 

Approved use by WikiMedia Commons)

In 2012 Riggs completed his 42^nd harvest as a winemaker and his 30^th with Brokenwood Wines. When I quipped, “that’s a lot of us experience” his response was “yeah, it definitely is.” I asked how things had changed in 42 years working in the Australian wine industry and his response was less specific, yet no less telling. Riggs said, “wine works in cycles and I’ve seen quite a few of them.”  I didn’t get a chance to ask what the current cycle looked like, but we were gearing up to taste the first wine so a topic switch was reasonable.

Joyce Hulm from Old Bridge Cellars had set us up in the upstairs bar at Towne and proceeded to get the 2010 Semillon poured for everyone. I’ve had a couple Semillon’s from Australia before, but this was early on before I kept good track of what I was drinking so I have no useful recollection. I immediately pulled lots of lemon from the nose. The minerality and steeliness of the wine was also accessible in the nose. On the palate the wine married a bit of melon with the lemon and I found savory herbs hiding in the finish. There is some body here, but just a little bit to consider. In conversation with TJ & Scott comparisons to both Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc arose. The three of us kicked around the similarities and differences and considered the seafood pairing scenarios of each. Both are close but neither is a layup for me. Pinot Blanc is the closest, especially those that project a bit of creamy texture from neutral wood. Sauvignon Blanc is too grassy, green and the acidity is far too razor sharp for me to make the link. The finish of this wine is short (not to a fault) and all together the wine does not present as complex, rather very straightforward and VERY drinkable. The acidity is healthy, but not racing mad, and works very well as a palate cleansing function. This is a slam dunk for an aperitif or cocktail party wine. This and the other two Semillons we tasted next range in alcohol between 11 and 12 percent.

( Broken Wood Hunter Valley Semillon 2010. )

The next wine we tasted was the 2006 Oaky CreekSemillon. The reserve Semillon’s from Brokenwood are now released with six years of age. I anecdotally knew that good Semillon was age-worthy, but this was my first real test of that idea. The wine is creamy and herbal with restrained citrus and minerality compared to the first wine. The body is noticeably bigger and softer. Hints of lanolin made me think of Chenin Blanc. The mellowed acidity further enhanced the perception of body, but this is no flabby wine. This wine is also drinkable, but is a much different wine requiring different position than the first. Paired with seafood, lightly prepared white meats, some salads and steamed vegetables is where I would place it on the table.

(Iain Riggs tasting and discussing the nights' wines. )

Right about then the food arrived. Lobster pizza. A few moments later Riggs wandered over to where I was sitting and pulled up a chair. My immediate question was “how do you see your Semillons best paired with food.” Having already noted that I would expect seafood pairings to work, I was eyeing the lobster pizza. Riggs echoed this and as he was talking the raw bar consisting of oysters, prawns and lobster tails arrived. The flavors of the lobster on the pizza popped with the wine. The corn, honey, ricotta cheese layered on the thin crust all came together nicely.

( Lobster Pizza at Towne Stove. So good! )

Next up was the 2006 ILR (think winemaker's initials) Reserve Semillon. This specific wine was made from a single block in Oaky Creek vineyard, but the grape selection for this wine varies from year to year. The nose on this wine was the lightest of the three with more of a toasty, creamy shift. The wine tasted of lemon candy and lime curd, the texture and body helping to bring these flavors out, with only some of the minerality and herbal notes I found in the other wines. 

( Raw Bar at Towne Stove. If I have to! )

I’m not much for oysters on the half shell, but Riggs suggested a shooter whereby the Semillon was poured over the oyster while in the shell and that it be shot like that. With that encouragement I walked the walk. Pretty good. I don’t mind the brininess of oysters, but I did find that the 2006 ILR with its restrained acidity was slower to clean up the trail of the oyster than I am used to. I shot a second one with the 2010 Semillon and got the affect I was familiar with. That would be my recommended pairing from these wines for folks who like a quick and clean exit from oysters. The 2006 ILR Reserve wine was delightful with lobster tail and prawns. The flavors in both meats were readily accessible and were gently cradled by the creamy notes in the wine. Almost like having a little butter where there was in fact none.

Back to the age-worthiness. While we were talking Riggs said I should consider coming back to this very wine in five and then another ten years. He said they would still be lively and equally enjoyable the same way they were tonight. I asked him what an unusual pairing for an aged Semillon might be and he suggested lemon meringue pie. Both being acidic, he feels that the wine can stand up to the sweetness in the pie so long as it is tart and not overly sweet. I think that the creaminess in the wine and the texture and flavors in the crust would be worthy matches as well. Exceptional!

I then asked what he looks for in the reserve wines in order to the select them. Overall they are selected for their purity, balance and acidity, a primary indicator of the ability to take age. The desired results when the wines are aged is that stay balanced, the nest can offer up lime juice and talc. In describing the acidity he used what he said was a specific Aussie winemaking phrase, “line in length”. Clarifying the phrase, he said this is the “acid drive” in a wine. A young wine that has a line of acid right through it that is also in balance from beginning to end is said to have “line in length”. Such young wines are great young and have the potential to go on to be great aged wines as well.

( Brokenwood Shiraz. )

We finished the tasting with a migration to Shiraz. First up was the 2009 Hunter Valley Shiraz. I really liked this wine. It is dry and doesn’t all try to be juicy or meaty like some Aussir Shiraz is known for. Bountiful red and purple fruits play in the dry tannins and moderate acidity. There are vectors of spice and smoke, but not jarring or out of balance and the alcohol clocks in at 14%. The moderate finish contains some savory herbal or leafy note.

The final wine was the Graveyard 2007 Shiraz. This wine is made from grapes harvested from an mid-20^th century vineyard now producing Brokenwood’s flagship red. As Hulm was pouring the wine she explained that in Australia the Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz is considered the third best Australian wine only two steps down from Penfolds Grange. Wow, that is esteemed company! That said, this wine isn’t quite as expensive as Grange, but not by much. I don’t punish wine on price, but it does mean I will not have many future occasions to savor those higher price point wines that I enjoy at tastings.

The nose on the 2007 Graveyard is earthy with lots of red fruits. Just from the nose you know this is a bigger wine. And it definitely is, but I still feel is shows some restraint in the pantheon of Aussie Shiraz. Bold and spicy this wine definitely makes you stop and consider it. There is no doubt this is a wooded and aged wine, but again it is balanced and not at all hot. At 13.5% ABV is is bold, juicy, but not hot. The wine is not bone dry and has plenty of tannins to hold the structure of it together.

( Short rib pizza at Towne Stove. )

With the BBQ short rib pizza I preferred the 2009 Hunter Valley Shiraz. It is friendlier to food in my opinion, its austerity and restrained weight being more versatile, and I feel these attributes also  mean it can span a broader range of palates with or without food.

So what did I learn? Semillon is really great with seafood, but it presents much more opportunity than that. The right white wines, good Semillon in this case, can in fact be aged for several years before release and not miss a beat in the glass. When a winemaker says “you going to do an oyster shooter?”, unless you are allergic, you follow their lead and do it. Warm growing regions can produce wines with reasonable levels of alcohol that are still balanced overall. I had forgotten how much I enjoy well-made wines from Australia.

The title of this post could have also been “show me the way” and afterwards I could have happily asked "do you feel like we do?" Big thanks to Peter Frampton and Frampton Comes Alive for being the soundtrack to my late summer 

Cheers!

Jason

Let the Wine Lead Your Way - Boston Wine Riot

In my pre-Riot post I laid out a game plan for working through the abundant offerings at the Boston Wine Riot this weekend. I suggested having a plan, and further recommend that beverage festival goers have a plan for three things, what to drink, what to eat, and additional hydration. I definitely made good on my plan, enjoying an afternoon with my friend Marie from The Life of Vines Blog.

I thought the use of the space for the Second Glass 2012 Boston Wine Riot at the Park Plaza castle was good, and I liked that venue better than the Cyclorama; but it’s really a tossup based on how each supports the event. After a short wait the doors opened and we checked in, got glasses and set about figuring out where to go next. As I had, Marie had also been reviewing the festival schedule and wines using the Second Glass mobile app. Attracted to the Bubbly Tour Marie mentioned a few of the wines listed on the guided tour. Off we went.

The hit of the Bubbly Tour was the Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling. The product has only been out about a year and I had yet to even hear that it existed. The Dr. L QbA Riesling is one of my all time best performing wines. Consecutive vintages of this wine have been more consistent performers for me when you also consider that the wine itself is interesting with a bit of complexity. Inexpensive wines often lack that last part. 

The still Riesling usually leads off with citrus and some minerally or slate-like aromas. I typically pick up peaches and island fruits in the mouth with a moderate and tart finish containing both the fruits and a noticeable citrus-laden exit. The sparkling version presented much of the same, although apple was more predominant with the activity in the mouth of the bubbles and the wine. The finish was clean and lively. I was as surprised to find this product as I was the sparkling Viognier from Virginia and Horton Vineyards in 2011. Both grapes have very different aromas than the classics used in sparkling wine, and I think those aromas coming through early as they do are an asset in the moments of enjoyment the wines are intended to make. The captivating nose draws you in.

( Overhead of tasters learning about different wines, regions and styles. )

At the end of the Bubbly Tour we went on a local wine mission. Wines (actually wines, meads AND ciders because that’s how we roll in New England) from Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire and Maine were being poured at tables adjacent to each other.

Our first stop was the Finger Lakes table where we found our mutual friend Lorie from the Wining Ways blog. She looked so happy to be engaging rioters about wines from the Finger Lakes including those from Glenora, Dr. Frank, Ravines and Red Newt. The Rieslings and Gewurztraminer were my faves. The full-bodied mouth of the Red Newt Circle Riesling reminds me of my early days of wine drinking, fruity, sweet Rieslings that had a touch of character in both nose and palate. The dry Rieslings from Dr. Frank and Ravines are examples of the finesse that the Finger Lakes wines bring to the table. I remarked to Marie that I’d bet big on the Finger Lakes right now. I am betting that the steady growth curve of recognition, publicity and enjoyable wines is meaningful and should be a focus of pride and inspiration for all East Coast agriculture and related businesses. The Glenora Gewurztraminer tasted very lively, and I feel that the Cabernet Franc from the same producer could continue to benefit from aging.

We moved on to the Farnum Hill Ciders table and I was so happy to hear the server re-enforcing that the product is grown and produced in New Hampshire. Yeah it is, and it is one of the finest examples of cider in the nation, and yes, New Hampshire is just that cool.

Next stop was the Travessia Urban Winery table. Owner and winemaker Marco Montez was at the table talking to tasters and promoting his locally made wines. I have to sadly report once again that I have yet to get to Travessia. Marco and I have met two or three times now at tastings and I enjoy his wines, so getting a chance to chat again was happily taken. 

Marie and I had just been talking about wines made locally, and suggestions for what she might take to Taste Camp. Travessia makes one of my all time favorite wines and a contender for the top New England wine in my experience. Vidal Blanc. Grown in Massachusetts and produced at the winery in New Bedford. I taste this wine whenever I see it. There are lots of hybrid grapes that don’t make classically styled dry or medium-dry wines, but Vidal is one of the rare exceptions. The fact that it can also be made in sweet and late harvest or ice-wine styles too makes it a slam dunk of a grape to make a tasty local wine from. The 2011 isn’t bottled for commercial sale yet and the early taste once again brought me joy. It is drier this year compared to 2010, something Marco noted in regards to the weather in 2011, but no less enjoyable. The missing sweetness lets the acidity come through more, almost making the wine taste a bit herbal.  You can’t mistake it for a different wine if you know it, but the vintage versatility of this wine in different pairings and courses of the same meal is the first thing that comes to mind here. I’m going to have to try just that as soon as the 2011 is released.Marie, that was and is my recommendation for Taste Camp. 

Before I left for the Wine Riot I was tweeting with friends about it and Brian from A Thought For Food mentioned enjoying wines from both Huge Bear Wines and Mouton Noir. Marie and hit the Huge Bear Wines table together. Unfortunately we were both left with a concern about the amount of oak in the wines. The Sauvignon Blanc was aged in neutral barrels, which is funny because oak treatment was the first thing I picked up. I visited the Mouton Noir table after Marie had left and as my ultimate last stop . I liked the Other People’s Pinot the best, and not just for the 90’s music reference. It was light, smooth and full of flavor.

As we roamed we took note of the breakout spaces being prepped for crash courses and educational tastings. I didn't attend any this year, but can vouch for the variety of subjects you might further indulge your tastes for in this way. In 2010 thew Quady vermouth seminar was enlightening. I make 50/50's with their vermouths at home because of it. A simple refreshing cocktail made from aromatized wine and citrus that has a stomach settling effect like many classic aperitifs do. Very cool. 

The Asian-food and red wine pairing tips session from that same year was hands on, one of the best ways to learn. I've enjoyed pairing Asian take-out with my homemade reds several times since. Again this year there were sessions for everyone, including tips for shucking off "rules" about how to pair, use and enjoy wines and closeups on regions like the Laungedoc. Signs like "How to Taste" to the right were displayed throughout the room. Helping less experienced consumers learn how to hone their senses and determine what they like is just damn good business!

Marie and I tasted the blends at Cypher next. Marie had tagged them to get more experience about Paso Robles. I’m not as familiar as I could be with Paso so it made great sense to me! My fave was the Anarchy, a Zin, Mourvedre, Syrah blend. Big, fruity, and spicy, it overflows its Rhone mold, but does retain a bit of grace in the finish to give it some cred. Hmm, is ZMS a Paso original? The Peasant is their classic GMS Rhone blend, and Heretic is a Petite Sirah that clocks in as dark as you might expect it to be.

We made quick visits to the Yellow + Blue table, tables with both Greek and Italian wines including wines made with the Assyritiko, Agiorgitiko and Soave grapes. Nothing really jumped out at me, and I didn’t find the distinctive nose on the Yellow + Blue Torrentes that I have enjoyed in the past. It was time for lunch.

Roxy’s Grilled Cheese had the Panini presses cranked up and plenty of traffic to keep them busy. Marie went with a grilled mushroom and cheese while I opted for the Green Muenster, a cheese, bacon and avocado melt. While I waited I hit the table for Sweet Wines, wines that are exactly as they are advertised, sweet. Moscato and Cabernet. The first is best for me when sweet, and the second should only be sweet if it was intended as a late harvest oddity. Both wines were tasty, but the sweet Cab just didn’t convince me. If people genuinely like these wines and are loyal buying them, I won’t argue. It’s just not my preference.

From there Marie and I hopped Air France and hit the Loire. The Sauvion Vouvray was straightforward and quietly enjoyable. The Rose d’Anjou from Monmoussea was pleasant and peaked my interest for the Rose of the region. Neither the Louvetrie Muscadet or Landron Chinon did anything for me. Admittedly I don't have any more than surface Loire expertise and will definitely need to seek out recommendations of good performers to try to help me better understand the region.

( More tips, tricks and information to contextualize and approach the wines later. )

Marie took her leave and I planned a few more taste-bys before I headed out myself. The Alsatian wines were next. I’m a big fan of the wines from Trimbach, including their Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewurztraminer. The Riesling made me happy once again. I also enjoyed the Willm Pinot Gris. Lots of white flowers, tropical fruits and plenty of acidity from beginning to end.

My second to last stop was to the  Maine Mead Works table for a flight of their HoneyMaker meads, all produced in Maine.

The dry mead is a good starter, especially for those new to mead. The profile of fermented honey is accessible in this style. I always have trouble describing what un-flavored fermented honey tastes like. It’s a combination of a few distinct aroma groups. First is something akin to freshly dried flowers, musty is a word some people would recognize. A soapy, perfumy essence is another common one, something like how lavender in high concentration might smell. Different herbal and fruit aromas and flavors can be evident in meads made from varietal honeys or different blends, and some very distinct and unique ones at that. A truly dry mead isn’t going to taste sweet at all, and a certain measure of acidity from the bee’s processing of the honey should be expected. Once you begin to taste finished meads with residual sugar you most certainly will recognize the composition of these aromas and flavors as honey.

( If you don't know about mead, just ask, or just wait. Visibility is growing, especially in New England. )

Next up was the Blueberry. This is a standard strength melomel with plenty of blueberry flavor, but not a super sweet finish as some tasters might expect or want. From there I moved on to my favorite, and an inspiration for a summer project, a hopped mead. Hops that deliver lots of citrus and floral aromas can be used to make a light, white-wine-like mead that does not taste outright like a massively hopped pale ale. Lively like a citrusy, herbal Sauvignon Blanc is the most ready wine analogy. If you don’t really like hops you might not like this mead, but it isn’t some hop head fantasy and very much worth trying. I finished up with the Semi-Dry Mead and Margot’s favorite (making her jealous at my afternoon), the Lavender Mead. The latter is inspiration for yet another upcoming project. The floral and spice aromas that come from that mead are gentle and inviting. The aroma of lavender is distinctive and it comes through decisively. The mead finishes sweet, but not cloying. Based on what I said about the underlying flavors of fermenting honey above, it is no surprise that it and lavender work together.

Thank you very much to Rachael Cohen and the whole team at Second Glass for putting on another great riot and offering me press tickets to cover the event. When this event comes around again I strongly suggest folks that want to discover, learn AND have a good time all in the same place attend. Thank you to the vendors, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Cabot, The Upper Crust, others (if I missed you, sorry!) and all the wineries and distributors who participated. The wines, food, music and people made for a fun afternoon exploring and socializing.

 Eat, drink, socialize!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”