tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350127862024-03-14T00:47:56.545-04:00Random Ramblings on Food and WineA wine importer/broker shares his experiences as a complete wine, food and travel geek.Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-13795353725548615922013-09-10T18:15:00.000-04:002013-09-10T18:15:33.671-04:00We're Moving (again...)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--SYl4b2VoGM/Ui-YqqLh5yI/AAAAAAAAC_s/mqnqpBrie4k/s1600/moving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--SYl4b2VoGM/Ui-YqqLh5yI/AAAAAAAAC_s/mqnqpBrie4k/s320/moving.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, we're moving this blog again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last time, it wasn't so pretty, many tears were shed, there was mass hysteria, and many unholy things happened. This time, we're pretty sure we got it right. Pretty sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In any case, please redirect yourself to our blog's new home: <a href="http://vinotas-selections.com/blog/">http://vinotas-selections.com/blog/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should also mention that we have rebuilt our website, so while you're there take a little stroll around it at <a href="http://vinotas-selections.com/blog/">http://vinotas-selections.com</a> and let us know what you think. Or not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doesn't matter to me, I'm just gonna pop a bottle of Perlette and watch the container ships arrive with our wines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-69350061417435067322013-08-20T10:48:00.000-04:002013-08-20T10:54:09.222-04:00The Italians are Coming!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jI2HXszDTkc/UhN9BdaXaoI/AAAAAAAAC_E/UgjQnuQex_U/s1600/foto+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jI2HXszDTkc/UhN9BdaXaoI/AAAAAAAAC_E/UgjQnuQex_U/s320/foto+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, you knew it had to happen eventually. I always try to keep an open mind, and more importantly, an open palate, so I'm always on the lookout for something interestingly different but good and affordable. Which means, of course, that I taste a lot of crap and really abuse my tongue for my customers. But, alas, such is my lot in life...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some time now I've been seeking Italian wines, but between business development at home and herding my French and Spanish winemakers, I had not really had time to focus on that search. So I jumped at the opportunity to taste some Chiantis when a local trade tasting took place. And lo and behold, I found what I was looking for: a small farmer Organic Chianti.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Italians are coming!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a03QldutVHI/UhN-MXFDt2I/AAAAAAAAC_g/boJHGp0VhZ0/s1600/qs-tuscany-map-2011-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a03QldutVHI/UhN-MXFDt2I/AAAAAAAAC_g/boJHGp0VhZ0/s320/qs-tuscany-map-2011-final.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Located in Cavriglia, between Florence and Arezzo, the Tenuta San Jacopo winery
was in a state of disrepair, its old vine Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Trebbiano
vines lying uncared for, until 2002.
Then three wine-loving brothers from Milan purchased the property and set
about restoring it to its former glory. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-ebyYQMXTg/UhN9HStqurI/AAAAAAAAC_M/CMq6ELu3Cu0/s1600/foto+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-ebyYQMXTg/UhN9HStqurI/AAAAAAAAC_M/CMq6ELu3Cu0/s320/foto+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stefano Balzanelli (the long-haired guy up top) manages the property, set in rolling dry hills between Florence and Arezzo. This mid-sized property is planted to 38 ha (93.9 acres) of vines, with another
20 ha to old olive groves. Portions of
the vineyards were replanted after the purchase, while the older, healthier vines
were tended to and brought up to modern standards. Certified Organic methods are used to take
care of the land, the vines, and the grapes.
These are then hand-harvested in small baskets, then sorted again at the
winery and destalked before going into stainless or wood fermentation tanks
(depending on the cuvee). The end
results are lovely, earthy old-school renditions of Chianti. No over-ripe or over-oaked fruit here!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQSV3qgEAgo/UhN9QsteH4I/AAAAAAAAC_U/UZJuxO-1mRk/s1600/Front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQSV3qgEAgo/UhN9QsteH4I/AAAAAAAAC_U/UZJuxO-1mRk/s320/Front.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">We
are proud to add the Tenuta San Jacopo wines to the Vinotas family, and we’re sure
you’ll be very pleasantly surprised with them as well. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stefano’s </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poggio
ai Grilli Chianti </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is lively, aromatic and refined w</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hile at the same time
rustic, very Italian in so many ways.
Bright, fresh red cherry fruit is complemented by earthy minerality and
a wonderful lift, with a long finish.
This is truly an old school Chianti.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so excited that I could start singing "When the Moon Hits Your Eye..." but I'm not sure that's appropriate. In any case, the wine is outstanding, it's Organic, and it will retail under $20 too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS: As usual, more pictures can be found <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Vinotas" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span></div>
Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-35955682316650584762013-08-13T09:32:00.000-04:002013-08-13T09:45:30.791-04:00Gaillac? Gaillac!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBc_N6vbl6Y/Ugosj5M33yI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/rElN-mQcM-A/s1600/Nicolas+in+the+Vines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBc_N6vbl6Y/Ugosj5M33yI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/rElN-mQcM-A/s320/Nicolas+in+the+Vines.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, let no one say that we've been lazy this year. It's been NUTS. To quote the great philosopher Mel Brooks, "Nuts! N-V-T-S nuts!" The first 8 months of this year have been spent doing business development, keeping our current customers happy, and juggling tastings of samples sent from Europe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of which, now that the August slow-down is here, I have some time to talk about someone I met while in France earlier this year. I had heard about some interesting winemaking going on in the Gaillac region of France, which is northeast of Toulouse, in the Southwest part of the country (see below).</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sfhwZ5wUe0/UgotrCYuR8I/AAAAAAAAC-g/7SVjquvpgmU/s1600/Gaillac+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sfhwZ5wUe0/UgotrCYuR8I/AAAAAAAAC-g/7SVjquvpgmU/s320/Gaillac+map.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truth be told, I was a tad surprised. This was a region better-known for making cheap jug and box wines from international varieties. But, my sources insisted that no, something unique was going on here. Some folks were shepherding the local indigenous grapes like Braucol, Duras, Loin de L'oeil, Prunelart, and making wildly good wines in the process. Yeah, I never heard of them either, so don't feel so bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after much back and forth, I ended up meeting with several producers from the AOC. One in particular stood out: Nicolas Lebrun (that's him at the top of the page), who runs l'Enclos des Braves. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Quiet, unassuming, and rather shy, Nicolas poured me his white Gourmand
Sec (a blend of Loin de l’Oeil and Sauvignon Blanc), which was perfumey, minerally and
crisp and really deliciously different.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Intrigued, we kept tasting through his lineup, until by the end I was
convinced I had found a winner.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">His
Gourmand Rouge, an </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">assemblage</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> of
Duras, Gamay and Braucol was like liquid dark velvet, with a crystal minerality
that lasted for a ridiculously long time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">After
having worked at other wineries for over 12 years, in 2005 Nicolas found the
plot he was looking for: L’Enclos des Braves.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This small hilly 6 ha (14.82 acres) vineyard was topped with
limestone-rich soils and a thick layer of clay, perfect for drainage.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The vines were all 20 to 35 years old, and
Nicolas took to them like a father to his kids.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Treating
them in accordance with Biodynamic principles, he uses only indigenous yeasts,
manually harvests everything, and adds barely any SO2 at bottling.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Like children, he lets the wines take their
time.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">To put it mildly, he is making
beautifully wild and soulful wines with these local grapes.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R2srqpSv1pg/UgowvUH8a2I/AAAAAAAAC-w/bhTuNDmuYPo/s1600/les_gourmands_rouge_2011+FRONT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R2srqpSv1pg/UgowvUH8a2I/AAAAAAAAC-w/bhTuNDmuYPo/s320/les_gourmands_rouge_2011+FRONT.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was blown away by the quality of his wine, but to make sure I wasn't wine-goggling them, I had our star winemaker from Azay-le-Rideau, Pascal Pibaleau, try them. He was floored as well, so I knew I'd found a winner. Just to make sure, I retasted some samples at our offices in NYC and our team fell over themselves in happiness. One even said, "I want to wrap myself up in this wine." OK, a tad hyperbolic, but you get the idea. A few calls, emails, telegraphs and smoke signals later, and we were in business.</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I am proud to introduce our newest winery, l'Enclos des Braves. Biodynamic, small farmer, lost in the wilderness, and making some killer juice from old vines of stuff that would have disappeared without his support. His wines will be available in Fall 2013, arriving early September, and heading to several different markets, I'm happy to say. Look for the label above, and you won't be disappointed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Especially as it's sure to retail under $20.</span></span><br />
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></span><br />
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS: Come see more pics at our Facebook Fan page, <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Vinotas">www.facebook.com/Vinotas</a></b></span></span>Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-9255436164429704722013-06-10T20:26:00.001-04:002013-06-10T20:26:09.566-04:00Loire & More<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdw7cedP-ck/UbZkQZlTcDI/AAAAAAAAC9c/AO69xD-fiqQ/s1600/chateau-angers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdw7cedP-ck/UbZkQZlTcDI/AAAAAAAAC9c/AO69xD-fiqQ/s320/chateau-angers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chateau in Angers (in warmer times)</td></tr>
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I've been swamped with work since I got back from France in late February, so this post is a tad late. Apologies, as usual, and all that. In any case, the rest of the trip went smashingly well. Aside from a super nasty bug that sidelined me for most of the Loire shows (no Dive this year, sniff sniff), my time in France was super productive (and delicious!).<br />
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While in Angers (a beautiful city, I might add), I met up with Jean-Pascal Aubron, our Muscadet producer, who says <i>Bonjour!</i>, as well as Pascal Pibaleau (he was just everywhere this year). I retasted Pascal's INSANELY good 2012 Gamay, from vines planted in 1964, which underwent 18 days of carbonic maceration (he likes to take things low and slow, looking for depth and quality, not a quicky wham bam thank you Ma'am). Guess what, Gamay's arriving in late June/early July, so get your palates ready!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bsOtQAPi-Es/UbZmSBvxskI/AAAAAAAAC9s/wKZ6hMIq0Mc/s1600/Didier2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bsOtQAPi-Es/UbZmSBvxskI/AAAAAAAAC9s/wKZ6hMIq0Mc/s320/Didier2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine & Didier Tripoz getting all impish</td></tr>
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There were some amazingly good meals, some great wines as usual, and visits to producers in Champange and Burgundy (sadly, nothing new from the Cotes de Nuits to report yet, but I keep trying!). While in Burgundy, I did manage to revisit Catherine & Didier Tripoz, who make our lovely Macon Charnay Clos des Tournons. The 9 ha walled-in plot is composed of 12 parcels of varying ages, and boy did we get geeky: we tasted each one and it was fascinating to see what they did even when handled in the same manner. Didier hand-picks each parcel and vinifies each separately since they're differing ages. Each one offers something unique, so Didier assembles them only once they've done their own fermentations (in steel and cement tanks - no oak here!).<br />
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After a short relaxing stay in Paris, it was back to NYC and back to the grind (or I guess the press in this case). Our business has exploded in the past 24 months, so it was time to tend to things. I'd have much preferred staying in the vineyards of Europe, but alas someone has to import and sell them here. And that someone is me (well, I'm one of the someones doing it, but you get the idea). But I still LOVE this job, even if it's super difficult somedays.<br />
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Things have gotten crazy. As of June 2013 we're in 11 states, and pushing hard to grow. New Orleans has been one of our biggest surprises and biggest markets, we're working with an amazingly awesome team call Uncorked. Great people, great food, great fun every time I've been down there. Vermont is also turning into a nice change of pace, and Maine has begun picking up. It's been a tough slog, there's a lot of competition (especially in NY, it seems like a new importer/distributor is popping up every day - I know of some stores dealing with 65 wholesalers), but the US is thirsty for more.<br />
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Which brings me to the next news: we've picked up some great new producers, so look for some new labels in Fall. One of them is a small Biodynamic producer from the Gaillac region of Southwest France, northeast of Toulouse. You'll meet Nicolas Lebrun doing some crazy work in his fields, working with indigenous grapes like Duras, Braucol (Fer Servadou), Loin de l'Oeil (white) and Prunelart. The wines are big and dark and velvety but beautifully balanced with sparkling minerality and long long finishes. I had a bottle of his basic Gourmand Sec Rouge (Duras, Braucol) that took 7 days before it faded. This stuff ROCKS.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcvvj4jZIF0/UbZqRPvceFI/AAAAAAAAC98/yd8eKZF3DQE/s1600/les_gourmands_rouge_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcvvj4jZIF0/UbZqRPvceFI/AAAAAAAAC98/yd8eKZF3DQE/s320/les_gourmands_rouge_2011.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look for this label in Fall, coming to a store near you (hopefully!)</td></tr>
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Best of all, I am pretty sure this will retail around $16-17, and will be perfect for the cooler weather or BBQs in summer 2014. I am so excited about his wines it's not even funny. And I'm getting just as excited for our other new wine, as we're branching out from France and Spain to... Italy! Ciao Italia! We found a lovely small farmer Organic Chianti, which again should retail under $20. More details to come, but we keep looking for new small Organic or Biodynamic producers to import and get to a store near you.<br />
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Frankly I haven't been this energized in a while, and planning for Fall and the future is taking up all my time. If you can't tell, I am really jazzed for what's to come. Heck, we even hired a COO (granted, I'm cheating a tad, it's my wife, but she is quite the slave driver), as well as a part-time salesperson for the NY market. AND we're talking to another salesperson. I guess it's a testament to the quality of our wines that folks are coming to me and asking to rep our wines.<br />
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Which is why I've let this blog slide a bit, shamefully. Once again, I apologize. Next time you see me, feel free to berate me and if I have an open bottle I'll pour you an extra-large glass of wine. I promise to do to a better job at this. Plus I forgot how much I loved writing, though there's no telling if you enjoy reading this.<br />
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In any case, more to come, soon...<br />
Cheers!<br />
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<br />Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-50292360261545179122013-03-11T16:58:00.002-04:002013-03-13T15:02:38.649-04:00Make Mine a Minervois Part Deux<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nigTv4bmEoU/UT48UJ5YeZI/AAAAAAAAC8c/jHTQyAj7qd4/s1600/A%2526R+Cellar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nigTv4bmEoU/UT48UJ5YeZI/AAAAAAAAC8c/jHTQyAj7qd4/s320/A%2526R+Cellar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anne-Marie & Roland in the cellar (thus the dark pic, apologies)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">When I’m in France for
the trade shows, I usually use the train system. It’s pretty clean,
comfortable, fast, shockingly efficient (except when it’s not – say for example
when the national railroad, SNCF, is on strike), not too expensive, and drops
you off in the middle of cities. No need for cars and all their attendant
expenses. It’s also great when traveling into the countryside of the
Languedoc, which is quite vast and still relatively
under-developed. Heck, when you land at Charles de Gaulle, you
don’t even have to go into Paris to take the TGV, there’s one at the airport
(which was surprisingly clean and well-organized on this trip, very
un-French-like, frankly).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I left Montpellier and headed south
along the coast to Narbonne, from where I took a smaller regional train to a
town called Lezignac (go ahead and Google it, I’ll wait). It’s small, but I was going to a smaller
village, Castelnau d’Aude (Google THAT, with its 300 inhabitants!). I was met at the little station (very quaint)
by my newest Minervois winemaker, Roland Coustal of Domaine Terres Georges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">He picked me up in a
beat-up old van with a wooden pallet in the back and mud caked on the
insides. The interior smelled of wine. Love it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anne-Marie & Roland contemplative in their vineyards (and better lighting)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">We drove the 15 minutes
to the domaine, which is in the center of Castelnau d’Aude, down a VERY narrow
street (I swore we’d bang the walls, but made it through miraculously each
time). Here, Roland and Anne-Marie had built a </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">gîte</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">, a small
apartment, on top of their barn. The décor was very pretty and I’d
happily spend a few more nights there if I could. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We drove the 15 minutes to the domaine,
which is in the center of Castelnau d’Aude, down a VERY narrow street (I swore
we’d bang the walls, but made it through miraculously each time). Here, Roland and Anne-Marie had built a <i>gîte</i>, a small apartment, on top of their
barn. The décor was very pretty and I’d
happily spend a few more nights there if I could. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Comfy & quiet bed</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">But this was my first
visit and so I wanted to check things out for myself, including the vineyards
and back-vintages. Roland and Anne-Marie took over the domaine from her
family, after her father fell ill and died in 1998. After several years
of cleaning up the winery and ripping out poorly-performing vines, their first
vintage was in 2001.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, I had the
opportunity to try a vertical of the Quintessence, one of their higher-end
wines, which from 2001 to 2008 was 100% old-vine Syrah. In 2009, Roland
added 20% Grenache, and the rest is history. The wines in general are
alive and marked by a surprising freshness, minerality and acidity, shocking
when you consider where they are (temperatures regularly reach over 95F in
summer for long periods). And I’m not just talking about this wine but
all their wines. They truly are wines that reflect their source and their <i>terroir</i>.
But more on that later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1X0mtoMtVk/UT5EbytUBQI/AAAAAAAAC8w/Z74_0-aO-mI/s1600/Front+Quintessence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1X0mtoMtVk/UT5EbytUBQI/AAAAAAAAC8w/Z74_0-aO-mI/s320/Front+Quintessence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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80% 60+ year old Syrah, 20% 65+ year old Grenache</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">We spent the first day
in the vines, something I never get tired of. They have 12 hectares
(29.65 acres) scattered among 24 different plots, with some seriously dense
planting (4800-5500 vines/hectare). Yields are low but manageable, in the
30 hectoliter/hectare (I’m tired, you do the math if you want the US numbers)
range. There’s lots of old vines (Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre),
and no new oak, but several wines do see some time in 2-, 3- and 4- year old
casks to let them soften and round off a tad (Quintessence and Racine, I’m
looking at you).</span></div>
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Gnarly 60+ year old Carignan</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The soils are for the most part dry limestone,
with stones thrown randomly around the vineyards. One planting is
actually on top of a the ruins of an ancient Roman village, so it’s not unusual
to see pottery shards showing up after a rain (I saw some myself) – pretty cool.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Roman pottery in the vines</div>
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Roland is fanatical
about keeping his vineyards clean and healthy. He believes that there
should be an integrated approach to maintaining his vines, that using just one
method isn't enough. So while they're not </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">technically</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> certified
Organic, they do practice Organic viticulture and follow those principles.
So there's grass between the rows, there's no chemical interference, and
he encourages the growth of good insects and animals to help keep his lands
alive. In fact, while walking through the vineyards, we came across
something I'd never seen before, a bird's nest nestled comfortably in the crook
of a vine. Roland was giddy with happiness, saying "This shows to me
that things are alive and healthy." You be the judge:</span></div>
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Nest in the vines</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I've seen my fair share of vines and vineyards and can
sometimes get cynical, but even I thought that was pretty damn cool. We
also visited his<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>chai</i>, where the wines
are made, both in cement and stainless steel tanks to maintain their purituy, as you can see below.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IS5VCyAFVgA/UT49odxNEDI/AAAAAAAAC8s/0k8iEhVjT-g/s1600/Cement+Tanks+for+VdP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IS5VCyAFVgA/UT49odxNEDI/AAAAAAAAC8s/0k8iEhVjT-g/s320/Cement+Tanks+for+VdP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cement tanks</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">After a
lovely lunch cooked over vine cuttings, Roland brought up a bunch of
Quintessence, going back to the very first vintage, 2001. OK, it's not
that long ago by Burgundian standards, but for a new winery to be making wines
that last 12+ years is pretty impressive. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MgzMU6y-wWM/UT49gtxzasI/AAAAAAAAC8k/1QMvWqhEFFM/s1600/Vertical+of+Quintessence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MgzMU6y-wWM/UT49gtxzasI/AAAAAAAAC8k/1QMvWqhEFFM/s320/Vertical+of+Quintessence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Quintessence Vertical 2001-2011</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I won't bore you with
each wine's tasting note, but I can say that overall the wines were really
beautiful expressions of their </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">terroir</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and their constituent grapes.
I will be honest and say I wasn't sure what to expect, so I was really
genuinely shocked and impressed at the quality visible here. These were
gorgeous! Granted, they're using 60+ year old Syrah and Grenache, but I
think the fact that these were so lovely shows off Roland's winemaking skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Roland is a superstar,
and a great person too, and it's a real pleasure to be importing Terre Georges'
wines into the US.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">PS: The full picture album is here: </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150954619536837.410484.13939566836&type=3"><b>https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150954619536837.410484.13939566836&type=3</b></a></span></span></div>
Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-91240903357765056922013-02-08T06:42:00.000-05:002013-02-08T06:43:20.043-05:00On the Road Again...<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rows and rows and rows of wine...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once more the wheel turns and I find myself in France for a
few weeks for the wine trade shows.
First up: Millesime Bio, in Montpellier, in the South of France. Yeah, there are worse places to be in late
January, let’s be honest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This show is dedicated to Organic and Biodynamic wines, with
a few Natural wines thrown in for good (and mostly stinky) measure. There are small winemakers (like my
Azay-le-Rideau producer, Pascal Pibaleau), and huge corporate coops showing
their wares for 3 days. Thousands of
professional <s>alcoholics</s> wine buyers come from all over the world to
sniff, swirl and spit. It’s a grand old
time, with the few good restaurants and wine bars in Montpellier packed to the
gills with wine pros.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year, there were more “Off” shows than ever before (6
at last count), with many showcasing only Natural wines or smaller, independent
producers. What’s an “Off” you ask? No, it has nothing to do with insect
repellent. “Offs” are smaller side
shows, usually taking place in old monasteries, castles or ruins, where folks
who can’t (or won’t) pay the main show’s fees can pour their wares. They are great venues for meeting new, up and
coming winemakers and meet some old favorites who are now eschewing the big
show. They’re also much more informal,
meaning there’s less spitting, more sloshing, and way more singing and dancing
between the tables.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most of these Offs were focusing on Natural wines, which is
the new “it” thing in the world of wine geekery. Made with minimal intervention, these wines
can be startlingly alive when they’re good.
But when they’re not, well, you better like drinking, say, rotten
meat. And, since these wines have no
added SO2, they are inherently unstable, so shipping has to be handled as
gently as possible. If I sound cynical
about them, it’s because I’ve tasted a LOT of them, and too many use the term
“natural” as an excuse to make a flawed wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That said, I do appreciate the spirit of innovation and
invention which drives these winemakers, who are passionate about the land, the
environment and their <i>terroirs</i>. And while I did taste some complete
shitshows, I found some interesting things, both at the main show and at the
Offs. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pascal stands at attention at his table</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I mentioned previously (were you paying attention?), I
also managed to meet up with Pascal Pibaleau, my Azay-le-Rideau producer, and
retaste his great wines. In fact, I may
bring in a new one, a Gamay that was outstanding and should retail in the
$19-20 range. That stuff was so good I
had to stop myself from drinking it all.
His sparkling Rose, made from Cab Franc and Grolleau, was delicious, and
as much as I wanted to stay there and just drink his wines, I needed to go meet
some folks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What’s a wine trade show like? Well, lots and lots of tables, bottles and
glasses, with folks trying to get your attention, and many dying to meet US
importers. Despite the Euro’s strength
(grrrrrr….), the US is still their main export target. China is an important market, but mainly for
high-volume, low-cost crap (having tasted what goes out there, I can use the
technical term “crap” with a fair amount of confidence). The smell of wine is almost overwhelming when
you arrive, but you get used to it and get on with your work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lunchtime is served in a huge hall, but unlike trade shows
in the US (I went to a few in a previous life), the food here is, well, really
relatively damn good. There’s some great
salad, stinky cheeses, and well-made main courses. Of course, this is all in the context of a
trade show: feeding several thousand hungry and sometimes slightly inebriated
wine buyers can’t be easy, so making sure you don’t start a riot with bad food
is pretty impressive.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herve and Sylvie Sauvaire looking a tad shell-shocked</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was lucky to also meet up with another of my producers,
Hervé Sauvaire and his lovely wife, Sylvie. While they do practice Organic viticulture, their domaine is not certified, so they were there to
see some friends (and me!). Frankly, for
all intents and purposes, they are Organic, as they don’t use any chemicals or
weird shit on their land. They have one
of the oldest wineries in the South (it was a dowry in the early 1600s), so
they’ve had some time to figure things out and make sure they maintain the
health of their <i>terroirs</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All in all, it was a good show, I found a few interesting
things (if they work out, we might be branching out, stay tuned…) and met some
great folks. To me, the highlight was
seeing Pascal and Hervé, because as important as the wines are, at the end of
the day it’s all about the people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Millesime Bio done with, I headed south on the put-put train
to the Minervois, there to visit last year’s discovery, Domaine Terres Georges,
in Castelnau d’Aude. Their wines are
starting to get some serious traction in the US, so this was a visit I was
really looking forward to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div>
Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-59731400318542928822012-12-30T01:43:00.000-05:002012-12-30T01:43:06.269-05:002012 State of the Wine Biz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And so another year bites the dust. It's been 12 months of ups and downs, both personally and professionally. More ups, I'm happy to say, with lots of good wines, some great bottles, and of course some duds. I've also met some terrific folks, had some amazing meals, and traveled to some great new places (I'm looking at you New Orleans and Chicago). In fact I was so busy that I didn't have the time/energy/superpowers necessary to update this blog as much as I wanted to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">All in all, it's been a banner year, and 2013 is looking even better. Looking back and forward, </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I've had some time to think about the current state of the wine business, and there's both good and bad news. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The bad: it's still frustrating to represent small-grower wines when people instinctively reach for the big brands. Now, I don't blame them, the marketing dollars mean that those names are always at the front of their brains when they're in the wine store. But it would be nice (and not just for me but for all small importers) if more people were more adventurous. The good: the number of folks willing to try new wines is growing by leaps and bounds, so there's something positive to say about the situation. They're also realizing that wine isn't meant to be just a cocktail but is meant to compliment and add to a meal with friends and family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Most frustratingly, t</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">he wine business is still full of large-scale brands made by coops and factories instead of the small farmers we try to support. They and their distributors aren't afraid to take a loss to maintain market share, which makes it difficult for small guys like me to compete. Not impossible, just harder than it should be. I know, I know, every single small business owner probably says the same thing. So be it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">2012 also seems to have been the year of the Natural Wine. There were lots of debates about what they were (there is no official definition aside from "un-manipulated", which itself can be left open to interpretation). What was left unsaid, frankly, and I might get some flack for this, but who cares, and is the Natural Wine movement's dirty little secret, is exactly that: too many of these wines taste like dirt, with rotten meat and poopy notes. Basically, many of these wines are undrinkable by all but a small geeky crowd. Most civilians who try some of these science experiments will never want to touch a bottle again. In short, there's way too much bad "natural" wine out there using the term as a marketing and selling tool instead of focusing on increasing the quality of their products. I'm not saying all natural wines are bad, but quality needs to improve a lot more before they become more popular. Here's hoping to that in 2013 as many of these wines can be interesting and wonderfully alive when they're good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Critics also seemed to be losing ground to the virtual cloud of tasters represented by social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc...), forums (like <a href="http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/index.php" target="_blank"><b>Wine Berserkers</b></a>) and aggregator sites (like <b><a href="https://www.cellartracker.com/Default.asp" target="_blank">CellarTracker</a>)</b>. The most traditional site, The Wine Advocate, was sold to a small group of Asian investors, meaning that Robert Parker, the uber-critic for decades, is heading into the twilight of his career. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But these are mainly frequented by the more hard-core wine geeks, whereas the general public still constantly asks what scores wines have gotten. Again, I don't blame them, it's a symptom of the mystery that still surrounds wine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of which, I'm glad to report that the US is opening its palate at a dizzying pace. My travels this year within the country have shown me that, despite what I wrote above, a larger number of people are thirsty for more than just the big brands. They're genuinely curious and interested in trying new things. This helps to de-mystify this wonderful beverage we call wine. The more people start experimenting with new wines, new grapes, new vineyards and new countries, the better it is for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps I'm an optimist, but I really do see some great things coming in 2013. Not just for me (though it <i>is</i> my blog so I could be excused for just focusing on myself, which I assure you I won't do, dear Reader). But for the whole wine-drinking world. More higher-quality wines at better prices from more places, some of them coming to our shores for the 1st time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's been said before, but there has never been a better time to be drinking and exploring the wide world of wine than now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cheers and Happy and Healthy New Year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stay Thirsty!</span></div>
Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-61108159619193663602012-11-26T18:39:00.000-05:002012-11-26T18:39:15.782-05:00Make mine a Minervois<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">The
Minervois is an appellation that I just adore.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">It’s absolutely wild and gorgeous, and the best wines showcase this </span><i style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">terroir</i><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">The better examples have a certain spiciness and minerality that you
don’t always find in the region.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">However,
too many are jammy and flabby or are trying to respond to what they think are
“market tastes”. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">And, granted, it is HOT
around these parts.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFNHGjnHk-A/ULP8JsOwi0I/AAAAAAAAC5M/iWkXFEFL9Gc/s1600/AM&R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFNHGjnHk-A/ULP8JsOwi0I/AAAAAAAAC5M/iWkXFEFL9Gc/s320/AM&R.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">So
when I met Anne-Marie Coustal and her husband Roland (isn’t that a cool name
too?) at a local tasting held in an ancient abbey, I found myself going back
several times to their stand.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Their
wines were alive and had a certain </span><i style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">nervosité</i><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
(a nervous energy), as they say in French.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Turns out there’s a reason why: they are hand-making wine using old-fashioned
traditional methods on some very, very rough and uneven soils.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cd5LJrdKoDI/ULP8kPQ8-jI/AAAAAAAAC5U/yoqfYNKsrCg/s1600/grape+et+s%C3%A9cateur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cd5LJrdKoDI/ULP8kPQ8-jI/AAAAAAAAC5U/yoqfYNKsrCg/s320/grape+et+s%C3%A9cateur.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Coustals took over the winery from Anne-Marie’s parents in 2001,
just before her father, Georges, the winery’s namesake, passed.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">They farm 12 hectares (29.65 acres) in small,
stony plots between Tourouzelle and Castelnau d’Aude.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Their vines, aged between 10 and 60 years
old, are densely planted (4500-5500/ha) in some wild terrain, surrounded by </span><i style="font-size: 10pt;">guarrigue</i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> and woodland.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sustainable agriculture while leaning organic
is the preferred practice in their rocky plots, and everything is manually
harvested with berry triage to ensure the quality and health of the
grapes.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The temperature-controlled fermentation
is slow, varying between 22 and 35 days depending on the cuvee and the
vintage.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Unfiltered, unfined, their AOC
wines are gorgeous, spicy, well-balanced, medium- bodied reds from Syrah, Grenache,
Carignan , and Mourvèdre.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This is a true
family affair, one to pay attention to.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AxDiE4Z0K5o/ULP89xnj50I/AAAAAAAAC5c/Hsab_heNQVc/s1600/vendangeurs+de+dos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AxDiE4Z0K5o/ULP89xnj50I/AAAAAAAAC5c/Hsab_heNQVc/s320/vendangeurs+de+dos.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">The first wine to arrive, their</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">Et Cetera</b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (see label at top- 40% Grenache, 40% Carignan, 20% Syrah) is a bright yet
dark juicy-fruited wine with some red berry notes dancing on a medium-bodied
frame with a core of minerality, that ends in a long, succulent finish.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">A stunner at this price point, that’s for
certain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">It's a real honor to be importing these wines. My customers quickly recognized their quality, and so they've just gone off to Chicago and New Orleans, as well as NY and NJ, so we might be on to something here. Seeing that makes me giddy, and not just for the business side. I love finding little gems like this. If you try this wine, please let me know what you think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">And thanks for your support!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">Cheers!</span></div>
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<br />Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-90065617859257859422012-11-19T11:46:00.001-05:002012-11-19T11:46:13.747-05:00Introducing Terre du Sol Wines<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TSmUsYlhoVY/UKpfb0ueKpI/AAAAAAAAC40/4FMxauewVPo/s1600/TerreDuSol-Le_Roujal-98x70mm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TSmUsYlhoVY/UKpfb0ueKpI/AAAAAAAAC40/4FMxauewVPo/s320/TerreDuSol-Le_Roujal-98x70mm.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty label, right?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you've been reading this blog (and I mean, who hasn't, right?), you know I don't pick up new wines that often. Heck, after 4 years of doing this, I only have 14 French wineries and 1 Spanish winery. Of course, things come and go, but I'm old-school and believe in cultivating long-term relationships with my growers. This, to me, is the best way to maintain and guarantee high quality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So when I add a new winery, it's cause for celebration. Well, this year, we've added 2 new ones, a Minervois that I'll talk about in another blog posting (this also gives me the incentive to write another post) and a lovely light-bodied wine from the edge of the Mediterranean. So, first, let's talk about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TerreduSol" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Terre du Sol</a>, from the Languedoc-Roussillon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I don't usually go in for wines like this, but I was shocked at the quality and the price points involved. For legal reasons, I can't identify the parties involved, but one of our best winemakers
has been consulting for other wineries for years. When one of their clients made something special,
my phone rang and I was told to head over to the winery post-haste. I jumped and grabbed the first train heading
south out of Montpellier. I arrived to
find a table full of samples awaiting me…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After a long morning of tasting (woe is me, right?), I was convinced we’d
found something truly special here: some excellent wines at excellent prices. They were well-made, with beautiful fruit and
minerality, really nicely balanced. And, frankly, the label was very pretty (I
know, I know, but we all know that marketing counts a lot).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Seriously, no one should ever be disappointed when
they open a bottle at these prices. I
mean, there has to be a way for quality to co-exist with value in this type of
wine. And so with our winemaker’s experience
and advice, there’s a certainty of excellence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Terre du Sol” means Land of the Sun in the local
dialect. Grapes for these wines are
grown on stony soils at the edge of the Mediterranean and bask in the sun
year-round. Delicious and easy to drink,
they follow my philosophy of trusting small family winemakers
to make affordably delicious wines.
They really are like sunshine in your
glass (sorry for being corny but it's true!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am starting with <b>Le Roujal</b>,
a blend of unoaked Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and a drop of Merlot that is full of
bright but dark fruits, with a medium body, some meaty notes, and a mid-length
finish. Talk about the perfect Fall/Winter wine, this just screams sunshine and a light mood, something in need during the dark cold months ahead of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So look for this label in your local fine wine establishment, the cases are hitting the streets just now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div>
Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-39123817394146399412012-11-13T12:13:00.000-05:002012-11-13T12:13:02.002-05:00Vinotas Selections in the News!Well, sort of.<br />
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<u>Disclaimer:</u> utterly shameless self-promotional plugging ahead, be warned.<br />
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As you can imagine, it always makes me happy to see my hard work rewarded, and not just by sales (though of course that's the best, I'll admit). I love seeing the smiling face of someone discovering one of our wines and realizing that those from small growers have a particular character, a soul, a certain <i>je ne sais quoi</i> to them. But I also love getting some recognition in the press (hey, I'm only human, after all).<br />
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So it was a pleasure to chat with Simone Gubar from the Columbia Business School alumni magazine, who was doing a lovely article on people following their passions. Wine being a passion of mine, as you might know by now. We chatted a bit on the phone, and what came out was a very nice article detailing my efforts in trying to find and preserve small family wineries.<br />
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You can read it here:<br />
<a href="http://www7.gsb.columbia.edu/alumni/news/abood">http://www7.gsb.columbia.edu/alumni/news/abood</a><br />
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What do you think?<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-7975440521118208052012-10-08T13:53:00.000-04:002012-10-08T13:53:24.185-04:00It's that time of the year...Yes, it's that time of the year again, when the leaves turn orange, the birds fly south, and the grapes ripen on the vine.<br />
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Harvest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old-vine grapes being picked at Clos Bagatelle in St Chinian<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Back in 2006 <a href="http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2007/10/harvest.html" target="_blank">I worked the harvest in Burgundy</a>, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy, and I was 6 years younger than now. I had pains in places I didn't know existed, and some in places I wished I had never discovered. That said, it was a magical experience that I'd happily do again if I were younger. MUCH younger. At this point in my life, I prefer to sit back and try to move these amazing wines, and let the pros handle harvest. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the bin with you, my pretties</td></tr>
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Well, harvest has been going on now for a while in the South of France, but my winemakers being busy and all, they are only now getting around to sending me pics and reports. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-maKXBYf_vZc/UHLzc3jEWNI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/p41Y8XReBVo/s1600/cagettes+muscat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-maKXBYf_vZc/UHLzc3jEWNI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/p41Y8XReBVo/s320/cagettes+muscat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone want some St Jean de Muscat grapes? These are Christine Deleuze's brother's pickings, he'll make an amazing sweet wine from it</td></tr>
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2012 has been a very difficult year in most of France, Spain and Italy. Between lousy weather, heat waves, hail and problems with mildew and oidium in the fields (especially in Champagne, where a tornado actually touched down in the vineyards), my winemakers have been super busy. Over the next few days and weeks I'll be posting harvest reports from our wineries (assuming the winemakers haven't passed out from exhaustion), with maybe a few pictures (again, assuming the winemakers remember what I keep asking them for!). So stay tuned.<br />
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Here's the first report from Clos Bagatelle in St Chinian (full picture album is on our Facebook Fan page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Vinotas"><b>www.Facebook.com/Vinotas</b></a> - become a Fan!): the year started tough, with cool and wet weather followed by summer hear waves, but September was warm with cool nights, which kept the grapes fresh, maintaining the levels of acidity we've come to expect from Christine's wines. As they say in France, September makes the wine, meaning that the entire year can be crappy, but if September is nice, then you'll have some good wines. However, volumes are down by 20%, something I'm seeing across the board. Still, quality and color are looking good, but we'll know more early next year.<br />
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Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-63123301561755573752012-02-21T22:39:00.018-05:002012-02-21T23:34:02.592-05:00Beaune… Rhymes with Home<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XlPuzkjuSus/T0RmIAJ0lmI/AAAAAAAACsM/oJOFCagsujg/s1600/Beaune.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XlPuzkjuSus/T0RmIAJ0lmI/AAAAAAAACsM/oJOFCagsujg/s400/Beaune.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711802515078813282" /></a><center>Beaune rhymes with home...</center><br />OK, well maybe not that much, but in my mind it does, and that’s all that counts.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83g9eEBTMY0/T0RmoVZAFqI/AAAAAAAACsY/qcd3XL1YjpI/s1600/troglo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83g9eEBTMY0/T0RmoVZAFqI/AAAAAAAACsY/qcd3XL1YjpI/s400/troglo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711803070535440034" /></a><center>Troglodytes on the Loire</center><br />I took the sloooooooooooooow train from Angers to Beaune, a leisurely 6 hour ride on a TER (ironically that stands for Train Express Regional, which, I suppose if you weren’t going from one side of the country to the other, it might qualify as). One interesting thing about following the Loire upstream was passing by its renowned chalk cliffs and hillsides, into which intrepid folks had dug charming homes and wineries. I once stayed in one of these so-called “troglodyte” places, in a B&B outside Azay-le-Rideau. My room was an old kitchen complete with bread oven, dug right into the living rock. Super cool.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocSoKhjOgTM/T0RnfqYkTnI/AAAAAAAACsk/GDp9F6TbuHU/s1600/Beaune%2B049.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocSoKhjOgTM/T0RnfqYkTnI/AAAAAAAACsk/GDp9F6TbuHU/s400/Beaune%2B049.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711804021063569010" /></a><center>Streets suffused with history</center><br />I arrived in Beaune at 9:30pm and started walking into town. I couldn’t help but grinning immediately: it had been 4.5 years since I’d last been here, and I was happier than a schoolboy on Christmas morning. I didn’t care that it was freezing, I didn’t care that my laptop bag kept falling off my suitcase on the uneven cobblestones, I didn’t care that it was pitch black and there was no one out: I was home.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W28xVTq0K_s/T0RoTtd58mI/AAAAAAAACsw/ZHYrVx_WgNA/s1600/Beaune%2B033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W28xVTq0K_s/T0RoTtd58mI/AAAAAAAACsw/ZHYrVx_WgNA/s400/Beaune%2B033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711804915244462690" /></a><center>Place Monge</center><br />There’s something about Beaune and Burgundy for me. The first time I visited, I felt like I was coming home, as if I actually belonged here. Maybe in a past life, I was a Burgundian Duke or winemaker (more likely a peasant, but hey, I’d have lived in Burgundy!). To me, this is IT. This is the vinous Holy Land. I do love other wine regions, but my soul belongs here. I don’t know how or why, that’s just the way it is. Your money may vary.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SjX48Hn-_g/T0RoveTrSkI/AAAAAAAACs8/z-XuZtBEhX4/s1600/Beaune%2B004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SjX48Hn-_g/T0RoveTrSkI/AAAAAAAACs8/z-XuZtBEhX4/s400/Beaune%2B004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711805392211364418" /></a><center>Hey, nice house!</center><br />And that, however, is the key word: money. To enjoy these wines, money is what you need these days. Wines from the area have shot up in price as their popularity has increased, which sucks for those of us on a budget. And it certainly doesn’t help that the better ones are made in tiny quantities. Of course, they’re much cheaper at the source, so I took advantage of that… But I was here for work, not play, or at least not that much play.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TB_scL5VeiM/T0RpyXCJtII/AAAAAAAACtI/_PKdc5Eh2_I/s1600/Beaune%2B001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TB_scL5VeiM/T0RpyXCJtII/AAAAAAAACtI/_PKdc5Eh2_I/s400/Beaune%2B001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711806541310047362" /></a><center>Love these guys</center><br />I was here to meet some new winemakers and visit some old friends at better-known domaines like Dujac, Jadot, and Evening Land/Lafond. Whitney Woodham, a friend from NYC who’s the GM for Evening Land, generously drove me around, and as we passed from one legendary medieval village to another I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. The sun shone on naked vines carpeting the eastern side of the valley as we wandered, and I leaned forward hungrily, trying to drink in all the sights in case I didn’t come back for a while.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-TKvpoStNI/T0RqJh4-_LI/AAAAAAAACtU/yMbKU0QcxBE/s1600/Beaune%2B006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-TKvpoStNI/T0RqJh4-_LI/AAAAAAAACtU/yMbKU0QcxBE/s400/Beaune%2B006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711806939361377458" /></a><center>Whitney poses in front of the Evening Land offices</center><br />My tastings went pretty well, I am happy to report, though there’s a lot of work left to be done, as usual. Pricing is relatively stratospheric, especially to someone used to dealing with much lower price points. With the economy improving and my network of customers asking for better wines, I want a Burgundy. So we’ll see. Keeping fingers, toes, ears, eyes and tongue crossed…<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h0kciePMOAA/T0Rq7fwo0GI/AAAAAAAACtg/gsSbGi2CtcU/s1600/Beaune%2B024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h0kciePMOAA/T0Rq7fwo0GI/AAAAAAAACtg/gsSbGi2CtcU/s400/Beaune%2B024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711807797782958178" /></a><center>Jadot's chai</center><br />I should add that the 2010 reds/whites at the places I tasted were very nice, with pure fruit and exceptional structure, reminding me of slightly warmer, more balanced 2008s. Now that’s a vintage I’m really enjoying for its pure red fruit and bright acidity. As for the 2011s, well, it’s a tough call as they haven’t even gone through malo yet, but there was excellent potential in the ones I tried. Of course, with Burgundy, there's always one rule year in, year out: producer, producer, producer.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F9Nm3ZZXdHA/T0RvzBk_13I/AAAAAAAACt4/wEXlPdo3FLY/s1600/Beaune%2B044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F9Nm3ZZXdHA/T0RvzBk_13I/AAAAAAAACt4/wEXlPdo3FLY/s400/Beaune%2B044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711813149800257394" /></a><center>Oooooooooh sooooo good</center><br />My four days in Beaune flew by in a flash. There were several wonderful dinners with some lovely wines, new acquaintances were made, old friendships were rekindled, and despite the freakishly cold weather (5°F one morning, you read that right) the sun was bright, the sky was blue, and there was a spring in my step. I boarded the slow TER back to Angers with more than a tinge of regret. I promise I’ll be back, Beaune, and sooner than 4.5 years. That, I promise you.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Au revoir ma Belle Bourgogne!</span><br />Cheers!<br />PS: Pictures of Burgundy can be found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150562194486837.373365.13939566836&type=1" target=blank><span style="font-weight:bold;">HERE</span></a>.Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-75596323039572071332012-02-13T17:59:00.022-05:002012-02-13T19:04:15.724-05:00Geektime in Angers<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-udrQr8HwuU4/TzmcNMy_RGI/AAAAAAAACqk/smjZgfeWmlE/s1600/Angers%2B069.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-udrQr8HwuU4/TzmcNMy_RGI/AAAAAAAACqk/smjZgfeWmlE/s400/Angers%2B069.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708765753256133730" /></a><center>The Chateau with a sprinkling of snow</center><br />Just when I thought I had geeked out enough on Organic or Biodynamic wines in Montpellier, here came the real geek shows in Angers, in the Loire Valley: La Renaissance des Terroirs, La Dive Bouteille, and the new Salon des Vignerons Bio (because another one is what’s really needed…), one after another. Basically three days of non-stop small producer Organic, Biodynamic or Natural wines being poured by the winemakers themselves, usually in absolutely stunning settings.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XiQJaSoH1jE/Tzmdfnp97gI/AAAAAAAACrI/P4Y5K_IZkFo/s1600/Angers%2B007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XiQJaSoH1jE/Tzmdfnp97gI/AAAAAAAACrI/P4Y5K_IZkFo/s400/Angers%2B007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708767169215327746" /></a><center>The center of Angers</center><br />Angers is a small lovely city in the Loire Valley. It’s very old, and sort of looks like what I imagine a scrubbed down medieval 5th and 6th Arrondissement in Paris would look like without all the knights, the peasants or the Plague. It’s always a pleasure to be there, even if in winter it can be pretty cold and humid. Luckily, we have lots of yummy wines and delicious food to keep us warm.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A0My4XZY5mk/TzmdFn9KBmI/AAAAAAAACq8/2Qu6szz2I1Q/s1600/Renaissance.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A0My4XZY5mk/TzmdFn9KBmI/AAAAAAAACq8/2Qu6szz2I1Q/s400/Renaissance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708766722619213410" /></a><center>The Renaissance des Appellations Show</center><br />First up: La Renaissance des Appellations at the ancient Greniers St Jean. This stunning setting almost overwhelms you when you enter, with high ceilings, gorgeous wooden arches and stone pillars embracing the thirsty crowd. The room is quickly filled with Natural, Organic or Biodynamic fans, both journalists and buyers. Some of the favorites of the geek crowds are always in attendance (Pinon, Huards, Larmandier, etc…), and their tables are always crowded. There are also lots of interesting new producers, and it's a thrill to discover something new and delicious. Still, despite the increasing quality of the wines, there are still way too many bad examples using their labels as marketing tools. Natural/Organic/Biodynamic should not be an excuse for sloppy winemaking.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Df_ud-xTTbQ/Tzme5iFnzSI/AAAAAAAACrU/C4xEWuikSpk/s1600/Angers%2B029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Df_ud-xTTbQ/Tzme5iFnzSI/AAAAAAAACrU/C4xEWuikSpk/s400/Angers%2B029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708768713908931874" /></a><center>The Chateau de Brézé</center><br />The next day was the Main Event that I'd been really looking forward to: <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150509837716837.367752.13939566836&type=3" target="blank">La Dive Bouteille</a></span>. If I thought the Greniers St Jean were beautiful, the Château de Brézé outside Saumur, where this tasting takes place, is absolutely stunning. This breathtaking castle has very steep moats that were never filled with water, and there are stairs that lead to caves cut into its sides, where the tastings were held.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZoaEWbLEfU/Tzmhdgj-TcI/AAAAAAAACrg/J54CiuIfWhk/s1600/Angers%2B015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZoaEWbLEfU/Tzmhdgj-TcI/AAAAAAAACrg/J54CiuIfWhk/s400/Angers%2B015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708771530997910978" /></a><center>The caves fill up</center><br />This tasting is much more informal, as the winemakers stand next to overturned barrels and pour you their wines. You pretty much spit onto the cave floor, which is always fun. Each cave has several regions, and you can find some pretty amazing wines here. Again, there are some crappy ones too, but that’s to be expected. There’s a lot more energy here among both the presenters and the attendees, it’s more like a wine geek festival than a business meet and greet like the Renaissance. Which is fine by me.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrKKxJ_pUwA/Tzmh7PC_HuI/AAAAAAAACrs/YssMsLkgCiQ/s1600/Angers%2B020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrKKxJ_pUwA/Tzmh7PC_HuI/AAAAAAAACrs/YssMsLkgCiQ/s400/Angers%2B020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708772041692225250" /></a><center>Jean-Pascal and Pascal say "bonjour"</center><br />I was joined by my Muscadet producer Jean-Pascal Aubron and my Azay-le-Rideau winemaker Pascal Pibaleau, both of whom have a natural curiosity and love discovering what their neighbors are doing (warning, I’m biased about them as I think they’re doing some great work, so deal with it. It’s my blog after all). As we bounced from barrel to barrel, it was so thrilling to hear them compare notes with their friends. Why’d you do this? Why’d you do that? How’s this turning out? As a wine-lover, and someone who loves learning how things are made, this was beyond cool. And MAN were some of those wines good.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGQhQ9KIIsk/TzmivjD2DNI/AAAAAAAACr4/__6-1jxkcww/s1600/Salon%2BBio%2BLoire%2B003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGQhQ9KIIsk/TzmivjD2DNI/AAAAAAAACr4/__6-1jxkcww/s400/Salon%2BBio%2BLoire%2B003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708772940417731794" /></a><center>The new Salon des Vignerons Bio de la Loire</center><br />Finally, the newest show on the block arrived, and this was more like a Renaissance-light than something completely different. That said, there were many more small and younger wineries, which can be both good (high quality, exciting wines), and bad (high prices, small production, or just plain bad wines). Pascal was showing his wines here too, so it was great catching up with him as he’s such a wonderful person, full of warmth and humility despite the quality of his wines.<br /><br />That night, Jean-Pascal drove in from his winery in Vallet to join us for a long, delicious and wine-soaked dinner, my last one in Angers for a week. I said my sad farewells to them, only to be reminded that we’d be seeing each other in a few days at the huge Salon des Vins de la Loire.<br /><br />Finally, off to BURGUNDY!!!!<br />Cheers!<br /><br />PS: <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150509837716837.367752.13939566836&type=1" target="blank">Here's</a></span> a full album of pictures from La Dive Bouteille for your enjoyment.<br />PPS: There are also picture albums of <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150341314931837.343972.13939566836&type=3" target="blank">Domaine Sauvaire-Reilhe</a></span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150540395396837.370915.13939566836&type=3" target="blank">Chateau la Croix des Pins</a></span> in that Facebook folder.Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-55270972554448500232012-02-05T07:10:00.008-05:002012-02-05T07:33:54.687-05:00InterMezzo Visits<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3J28p3iychs/Ty5z1SECr-I/AAAAAAAACqA/V1KU0PNg4Tk/s1600/Sauvaire%2B005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3J28p3iychs/Ty5z1SECr-I/AAAAAAAACqA/V1KU0PNg4Tk/s400/Sauvaire%2B005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705625137144049634" /></a><center>Domaine Sauvaire-Reilhe's 16th Century tower</center><br />After Millesime Bio, I had some time before the next round of shows in Angers, in the Loire, so I headed off to Crespian, in the Coteaux du Languedoc, north of Nîmes. Yes, I was going to be abusing my palate some more, er, I mean tasting more wine, but this time at the domaines themselves. I was there to see Hervé Sauvaire, owner and winemaker at Domaine Sauvaire-Reilhe. His family has owned this winery since the 1600s, when one of his ancestors received it as a wedding gift. Talk about a generous present!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gE1jAO7f-jk/Ty5zQTTiMbI/AAAAAAAACp0/10ImuNdc_2g/s1600/Sauvaire%2B022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gE1jAO7f-jk/Ty5zQTTiMbI/AAAAAAAACp0/10ImuNdc_2g/s400/Sauvaire%2B022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705624501822304690" /></a><center>Old-vine Carignan</center><br />Their home still has a 16th century tower, though of course it’s been renovated. Hervé met me at the train station and we drove up into his vineyards, located on rocky hillsides around his house. He’s got some crazy old vine Grenache, Carignan and Vermentino, as well as Syrah, planted in super rocky soils. When you see where these vines grow, you wonder how they can survive let alone thrive. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eOlo9-Q2XpA/Ty5zQRP58ZI/AAAAAAAACpk/OHwOxwGgajQ/s1600/Sauvaire%2B002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eOlo9-Q2XpA/Ty5zQRP58ZI/AAAAAAAACpk/OHwOxwGgajQ/s400/Sauvaire%2B002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705624501270213010" /></a><center>The winery- look Ma, no oak!</center><br />Hervé shares his <span style="font-style:italic;">chai</span> with 2 other winemakers, and while one of them does use oak, Hervé does not. To me, this keeps the wines fresh and light on their feet, with bracing acidity balancing out the beautiful, deep minerally fruit. And while his winemaking’s not “Certified” Organic or Biodynamic or Natural, he does take loving care of his soils, as they have fed his family for centuries with the quality of his wines. And I’m not the only one to think so, his wines have been selling very well in the NY market, which makes me very happy.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TRYpJi63Uvo/Ty5zQHt9rkI/AAAAAAAACpc/zYDx3ijVm8U/s1600/Sauvaire%2B008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TRYpJi63Uvo/Ty5zQHt9rkI/AAAAAAAACpc/zYDx3ijVm8U/s400/Sauvaire%2B008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705624498711932482" /></a><center>Say Bonjour to Hervé!</center><br />Hervé himself is really lovely and down to earth, with huge hands that have been weathered by years in the vineyards. He’s serious, but a smile comes easily to his face. It’s people like him that make this business worthwhile. Getting them the recognition for their work is something that delights me, and just recharges my batteries. So after a hearty lunch of bull stew (a local specialty that was delicious) and his wines, off I went to see my newest winery, in the Ventoux, Croix des Pins.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yNTdORNlQqA/Ty5zPZDMzmI/AAAAAAAACpU/7RWGE7zvjow/s1600/Croix%2Bdes%2BPins%2B021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yNTdORNlQqA/Ty5zPZDMzmI/AAAAAAAACpU/7RWGE7zvjow/s400/Croix%2Bdes%2BPins%2B021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705624486184537698" /></a><center>Bienvenue to Croix des Pins</center><br />Croix des Pins was an old and crumbling property until Jean-Pierre Valade and two of his wine-making friends got together and started renovating it. They also purchased some vineyards at the foot of the steep Dentelles de Montmirail mountains, all old-vine Syrah and Grenache on terraced hillsides. Using Organic principles, their goal is to make wines that are pure expressions of their local <span style="font-style:italic;">terroirs</span>. Yeah, every winemaker says that, but at the end of the day the proof is in the bottle. These wines are crisp, spicy representations of their appellations, Ventoux, Gigondas and Crozes Hermitage. And I’m not the only one to think that, Steve Tanzer’s Rhône reviewer Josh Raynolds scored them well:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kC9Kp1sEzhY/Ty52eZKzxeI/AAAAAAAACqM/eaoWxu8nh8g/s1600/Pins%2BReview.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 353px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kC9Kp1sEzhY/Ty52eZKzxeI/AAAAAAAACqM/eaoWxu8nh8g/s400/Pins%2BReview.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705628042449372642" /></a><br />And thus another long, lusty dinner with lots of wine ensued, and lots of laughter. These are soulful, good-humored folks who are thrilled to be bringing these vineyards back to life. And I’m really happy to be able to represent them in the US.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mSai7Hzr_S0/Ty5zPBGaB1I/AAAAAAAACpE/YzVZzHOwyIs/s1600/Croix%2Bdes%2BPins%2B008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mSai7Hzr_S0/Ty5zPBGaB1I/AAAAAAAACpE/YzVZzHOwyIs/s400/Croix%2Bdes%2BPins%2B008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705624479755536210" /></a><center>Gnarly old vines</center><br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-89707004597018124482012-01-30T12:35:00.004-05:002012-01-31T08:16:15.618-05:00Millesime Bio 2012<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Cz8NePSBPc/TybVPhhP8UI/AAAAAAAACoE/Q_NgjCVebpI/s1600/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Cz8NePSBPc/TybVPhhP8UI/AAAAAAAACoE/Q_NgjCVebpI/s400/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703480440783892802" /></a><br />Every year, a horde of thirsty wine buyers makes its way to Montpellier for the annual Organic and Biodynamic wines trade show, Millesime Bio. It doesn’t hurt that the show takes place in the South of France, where the ambient temperature upon arrival was 60F. For reference, despite a relatively mild winter, when I left New York it was 28F and we were delayed 2 hours while the plane was de-iced. Lovely.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7NucNPP8qqQ/Tye9s6JqeHI/AAAAAAAACo4/eXmaVqI3FT0/s1600/TGV.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7NucNPP8qqQ/Tye9s6JqeHI/AAAAAAAACo4/eXmaVqI3FT0/s400/TGV.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703736032309704818" /></a><center>Le Choo-Choo arrives</center><br />Usually I fly straight from Charles de Gaulle, but this year I took the TGV from the airport to Montpellier. Happily enough, I ended up doing a Grand Tour of France through some of my favorite wine regions, heading East through Champagne, South through Burgundy and the Rhône, then West through the Languedoc to get to my goal. And it only took 4 hours! Looking out the window as we flew at airliner speeds, I had to smile: even now, with years of experience under my belt, it always amazes me that such a small country (slightly larger than the state of New York) has so many different landscapes. From the flat green fields and farms of the north to the undulating rocky forests in the East to the dry bare stone of the South, this country has scenery for everyone.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gF_tJPOfLgE/TybVQD2SLTI/AAAAAAAACoQ/mtRgg-yVMl0/s1600/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gF_tJPOfLgE/TybVQD2SLTI/AAAAAAAACoQ/mtRgg-yVMl0/s400/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703480449998925106" /></a><center>Welcome to a wine trade show</center><br />The trade show itself is several halls worth of wines that have been made according to Organic and Biodynamic principles. It’s also (sadly) still an excuse for a lot of people to make a lot of bad wine. That said, and my blazé attitude aside, there are some really stunning things to be found these days. Of course, this also depends on the price, but that’s the nature of the business (and a business it is, make no mistake about that).<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d5bz6K6XHYU/TybVRcZsQuI/AAAAAAAACoo/6ODAhDIYdrs/s1600/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d5bz6K6XHYU/TybVRcZsQuI/AAAAAAAACoo/6ODAhDIYdrs/s400/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703480473769755362" /></a><center>Row upon row of wine</center><br />When these wines taste good, they’re great, really bright, living things, expressive of their origins and of the care the winemaker put into the vines and the winemaking. When they’re bad, they can (sometimes literally) smell and taste like shit. Bad Organic/Biodynamic wines take on an odd, nearly BO-like aroma and get sharp spiky notes in the mouth. Good Organic/Biodynamic wines, to put it mildly, go down smooth and feel alive, with vibrant fruit and lovely acidity and minerality.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bc0_r3bSInk/TybVQus4dTI/AAAAAAAACoc/A9bliEga33s/s1600/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 367px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bc0_r3bSInk/TybVQus4dTI/AAAAAAAACoc/A9bliEga33s/s400/Millesime%2BBio%2B2012%2B002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703480461502215474" /></a><center>Pascal Pibaleau at his stand</center><br />The first thing that hits you when you walk through the door is the smell: it smells like WINE. And that just brings a smile to my face. For two and a half days, I wandered the tables of Millesime Bio, stopping to see people I knew and meet people I needed to know. I also had the chance to hang out with one of my winemakers, Pascal Pibaleau, who makes biodynamic sparkling, whites and reds in Azay-le-Rideau in the Loire (yummy stuff too but I am biased, of course). By the end of Day One my teeth hurt like Hell, and I’m pretty sure I yelped the moment the toothpaste hit them that first night (for those who don’t know, young wines tend to have lots of acidity, and that sensitizes the enamel on your teeth).<br /><br />Like an evil wine-swilling Santa Claus, I had made my list and checked it twice, I knew which wines were naughty (already imported) and which ones were nice (undiscovered). Let’s face it, you can’t go in there without some homework: it would be like visiting the Louvre with no real clue of what works of art you wanted to see. You’d end up getting lost for days and someone would have to call Seal Team 6 to rescue you.<br /><br />And for the record, it’s not an orgy of foie gras and cheese (sadly). In fact, most of the meals were pretty well-balanced, though the best part was sitting with various random winemakers and trying their wines at the table. I mean, wine is made to be both convivial and served with food, so this was a great showcase for them. As opposed to the relatively scientific method employed when standing in front of a table trying not to spit wine into your neighbor’s glass.<br /><br />I will say that I still do love going to a table full of anticipatory dread, sort of like a child on Christmas Day running to the tree, hoping to unwrap something good but also hoping it’s not brown socks. More often than not in my line of work, it’s brown socks (some of these wines actually smelled/tasted similar to what I imagine old brown socks would be like). The worst part is finding something that’s delicious and checks off all your requirements, only to discover that it’s WAY too expensive. Talk about deflating your dreams…<br /><br />On this trip, I found a few wineries I would love to work with, but there’s a lot of negotiations to be had before any hard decisions can be made. I was also lucky enough to have the time to visit some wineries I am working with south of Montpellier (there’s nothing like a few hours in the warm sun on a mid-January day to revive the batteries), as well as see another one of my winemakers, Christine Deleuze of Clos Bagatelle in St Chinian (while she doesn’t make Organic/Biodynamic wines, she does make some damn delicious ones using sustainable practices - again, I am shamelessly unapologetically biased, deal with it).<br /><br />But it’s not easy: you’re on your feet all day from 8am to 5-7pm, there are long dinners afterwards with customers or winemakers, and your liver is just taking a heck of a beating even with the spitting, not to mention what must be happening to your teeth. And frankly, let’s not forget when you stumble onto a bad wine and have to remain poker-faced as the winemaker tells you his family’s been doing this for hundreds of years and thinks they’ve got the secret to success. Good luck with that one.<br /><br />All in all, however, I am happy to report that there is a definitive qualitative trend that’s pointing upward. More people are making good Organic/Biodynamic wines at relatively affordable prices than at any other time. All it takes is the right importer to bring them in (Me! Me!).<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-62312209710599287682012-01-28T14:41:00.006-05:002012-01-28T14:54:58.777-05:00Annnnnnd...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_yA9FMnsfM/TyRSJC_gMwI/AAAAAAAACn4/BavP6Kc5FMw/s1600/WERE-BACK.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_yA9FMnsfM/TyRSJC_gMwI/AAAAAAAACn4/BavP6Kc5FMw/s400/WERE-BACK.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702773343533413122" /></a><br />After a tad over a year of posting on a f*$&#ng pain in the ass server, we're back where we started, on Blogspot. Their ease of use and clean lines make us think we really screwed up by going somewhere else, so we sincerely apologize.<br /><br />Come back and I promise to blather on incessantly about the wines I try to import into the US, I promise.<br /><br />Oh, and now we're also on Twitter, which I'm pretty sure is a sign of the Apocalypse... But if you want to follow us, we're at @VinotasWines<br /><br />I have to say, it's good to be back.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-280037714792138012010-11-21T12:28:00.007-05:002010-11-21T12:55:04.500-05:00Le Beaujolais Nouveau Grolleau Pétillant est arrivé!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TOlXJen2GgI/AAAAAAAACms/pTzWNXpmJOw/s1600/Front%2BPerlette.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 361px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TOlXJen2GgI/AAAAAAAACms/pTzWNXpmJOw/s400/Front%2BPerlette.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542056636806732290" /></a><center><i>La Perlette Sparkling Grolleau</i></center><br />I know all the signs say the Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived, but screw that fruity banana-y crap. How about some real wine? Something that'll make you sit up and go "Whoa". How about some Sparkling Grolleau?<br /><br />Pascal Pibaleau's wonderfully eccentric and deliciously different sparkling wine has finally landed, just in time for Turkey Day. Grolleau is usually made into innocuous still red and rosé, but in Pascal's hands it's turned into a sparkling jewel. This wine has character, is alive, and truly tastes unique. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's from a biodynamic Loire Valley producer in Azay-le-Rideau. After manually harvesting the grapes, Pascal halts the alcoholic fermentation partway through, then lets the wine sit on its lees until disgorgement, at which time <span style="font-weight:bold;">no</span> sulfur and <span style="font-weight:bold;">no</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">dosage</span> are added. You end up with a lightly sparkling ("<span style="font-style:italic;">perlant</span>" in French) wine that starts off fruity and ends with a super dry and rather nutty aspect. How cool is that?<br /><br />And I know it's stupid, but I really do love that label. At first you see a grape vine with bubbles rising from it, but take a longer look and you see something else, something more whimsical. This reflects Pascal's character. Like me, he doesn't take himself too seriously, though he is dead serious about the quality of his wines.<br /><br />So if you're looking for an affordable (under-$20) sparkling rosé for Thanksgiving or for the end-of-year holidays, uncork (or better yet, saber) a bottle of Pascal Pibaleau's Sparkling Grolleau La Perlette.<br /><br />Man, I love this stuff.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-29626844423452261942010-08-09T17:51:00.008-04:002010-08-09T20:21:28.833-04:00A Day on the Farm<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNLG_dnaI/AAAAAAAAChc/zn3apqDdF0E/s1600/Stone+Barns+005.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNLG_dnaI/AAAAAAAAChc/zn3apqDdF0E/s320/Stone+Barns+005.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Well, summer's the slow season in the wine business, so I've been planning for Fall and watching my expenses. Well, trying to do that last one. And, it's been brutally hot in New York, I mean just disgusting. So, an escape from the steamy city seemed in order last Saturday, damn the torpedoes. Of course, it just happened to also be one of the most beautiful days we've been blessed with in a long time, with barely a hint of humidity to glisten one's skin. Fantastic!<br /><br />Heading north on the MetroNorth train, we found ourselves surrounded by lush greenery and a beautiful working farm, in all its colorful, smelly glory. It always amazes me that if you travel barely 20 miles due north of Manhattan and its steel and concrete canyons, you can find yourself in a wild oasis. Here, outside the picturesque town of Tarrytown, is the <a href="http://www.bluehillfarm.com/food/blue-hill-stone-barns" target="blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Blue Hill at Stone Barns</span></a> farm complex. <br /><br />Here, the "farm to table" concept is practiced to the utmost. Crops are rotated, animals change pastures with the seasons, and everything is self-sustaining. All the food grown here is used in the two Blue Hill restaurants, the one at the farm as well as the one down in the city.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNLRR3w8I/AAAAAAAAChk/JyT-8iBaZuo/s1600/Stone+Barns+008.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNLRR3w8I/AAAAAAAAChk/JyT-8iBaZuo/s320/Stone+Barns+008.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Truly addictive tomatoes</i></center><br />As expected, the foodstuffs are incredibly tasty. In fact, looking at these tomatoes again, I know I'd do unholy things for more of them. Yes, they're that good, with snappy skin and juicy flesh that just screams REAL TOMATO.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNLoqBMBI/AAAAAAAAChs/SUaL0Yic83I/s1600/Stone+Barns+009.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNLoqBMBI/AAAAAAAAChs/SUaL0Yic83I/s320/Stone+Barns+009.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Peppers anyone?</i></center><br />Peppers were bright and alive, but man those tomatoes... I'm in love. Did I mention that I'd do very naughty things for more of them?<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNL_zT4vI/AAAAAAAACh0/VezQO3d_Z_I/s1600/Stone+Barns+015.jpg'><img src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCNL_zT4vI/AAAAAAAACh0/VezQO3d_Z_I/s320/Stone+Barns+015.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />As we wandered the grounds, we were observed by a happy looking herd of black and brown cows, lazing in the afternoon sun.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSNkiOZBI/AAAAAAAACic/WkDIH-zINW4/s1600/Stone+Barns+031.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSNkiOZBI/AAAAAAAACic/WkDIH-zINW4/s320/Stone+Barns+031.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Elsewhere, a shed full of seemingly very happy turkeys gobble-gobbled and hopped around, looking at us with curiosity. Maybe we were the main attraction to them?<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSOLjOKWI/AAAAAAAACik/0-BYX9PThNY/s1600/Stone+Barns+042.jpg'><img src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSOLjOKWI/AAAAAAAACik/0-BYX9PThNY/s320/Stone+Barns+042.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Further down the road, very big Berkshire pigs rolled around in the mud and snorted and followed their keepers to get their meal, also seemingly quite happy to be out and about and free to roam their pens. I'm no animal expert, having grown up mainly in cities, but these seemed really content and relaxed, never fearing people. There was definitely a relaxed air about the whole place. This probably translates into the quality of what is grown and made here, as we would discover later that night.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCRmxLZSZI/AAAAAAAACiE/_y9q34XTjAg/s1600/Stone+Barns+020.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCRmxLZSZI/AAAAAAAACiE/_y9q34XTjAg/s320/Stone+Barns+020.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />There were other sheds and small barns, where different things were stored. Here, French Rose garlic was hung to dry, the door open to let the breeze tease them.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCRnA1fvII/AAAAAAAACiM/LkNy4NUaV_k/s1600/Stone+Barns+023.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCRnA1fvII/AAAAAAAACiM/LkNy4NUaV_k/s320/Stone+Barns+023.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />In a greenhouse, onions sat in long rows, drying out slowly.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCRnbprhCI/AAAAAAAACiU/k09Y9L-73aM/s1600/Stone+Barns+029a.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCRnbprhCI/AAAAAAAACiU/k09Y9L-73aM/s320/Stone+Barns+029a.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Lettuce, bright and vibrant, sat happily in the dirt of the greenhouse, soaking up the heat and light.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSOfLOugI/AAAAAAAACis/nPFkhOVnnuU/s1600/Stone+Barns+044.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSOfLOugI/AAAAAAAACis/nPFkhOVnnuU/s320/Stone+Barns+044.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />The path back to the restaurant was lit by brightly colored flowers, a welcome invitation to enjoy all the farm has to offer.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSPLoBAgI/AAAAAAAACi0/2JKILK_lYN8/s1600/Stone+Barns+045.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TGCSPLoBAgI/AAAAAAAACi0/2JKILK_lYN8/s320/Stone+Barns+045.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />We sat down for an early dinner, knowing that Blue Hill here has no menu. It's just a tasting of what's fresh that day. You can, however, choose 5 or 8 courses. As you can imagine, we chose the long dinner, and settled in for what was to become one of the best meals I've eaten this year. Everything was so alive with flavor and color and aromas, I just wanted to bask in almost every dish's glory. I won't put up pictures to tease you, plus I'll be honest and say that I don't recall all that we ate (there were, as you can imagine, more than a few bottles of wine consumed as none of us was driving).<br /><br />BUT, the main take-away from this experience was that when vegetables are grown in healthy conditions, and when animals are free to explore and roam at their leisure, everything tastes better and fresher and frankly cleaner. It just feels RIGHT. And that's something we should all be striving for, even in the cities.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-89426871218918718302010-07-18T14:01:00.009-04:002010-07-19T09:06:56.261-04:00Meet Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBzeQRxMI/AAAAAAAAChM/lol7lyi9PhY/s1600/IMG_1206.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBzeQRxMI/AAAAAAAAChM/lol7lyi9PhY/s320/IMG_1206.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Jérome Bourgeois, winemaker</center></i><br />Anyone who reads this blog knows I like Champagne. Heck, let's be honest, I LOVE Champagne. I do like other bubblies (especially Cremants and Perlants, some Cavas and Proseccos too), but the French stuff is where it's at for me. Maybe it's genetic, who knows? So as someone who represents small, high-quality growers, it's killed me that I couldn't find a good Champagne at the right price point. Until now.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBBR1BytI/AAAAAAAACgs/bhiQrK6-pw0/s1600/bourgeois-diaz_(40).JPG'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBBR1BytI/AAAAAAAACgs/bhiQrK6-pw0/s320/bourgeois-diaz_(40).JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Harvesting grapes</center></i><br />I was turned on to Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz in, of all places, Montpellier, which is in the South, nowhere near the Champagne region. A friend in the business in France proferred a glass and said "<span style="font-style:italic;">Tais-toi et bois</span>" ("Shut up and drink"). Lo and behold, here was a gorgeous bubbly, tart with bright acidity and minerality, with lovely, lively fruit aspects. What is this, I inquired, and he showed me the bottle. A few quick calls and emails, and <span style="font-style:italic;">poof</span>, here we are.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBB2ePlwI/AAAAAAAACg0/_nTIh7gyndQ/s1600/bourgeois-diaz_(65).jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBB2ePlwI/AAAAAAAACg0/_nTIh7gyndQ/s320/bourgeois-diaz_(65).jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Stainless steel fermenting tanks</i></center><br />This tiny family-owned estate farms their own 7 hectares (17.29 acres), scattered around the town of Crouttes-sur-Marne, south-west of Reims. The vineyards are planted on clay and chalk soils, and composed of 55% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay and have a south-west exposition. All the wines are made using a traditional basket press, with a minimal <span style="font-style:italic;">dosage </span>(9g/l for the Brut), and while the basic cuvée is aged in stainless steel, the higher end bottlings see some light oak ageing.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBCBbq4LI/AAAAAAAACg8/PrBvWPzTqMc/s1600/bourgeois-diaz_(66).JPG'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBCBbq4LI/AAAAAAAACg8/PrBvWPzTqMc/s320/bourgeois-diaz_(66).JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Oak ageing some of the wines</center></i><br />Jérome Bourgeois, the young winemaker, believes in showcasing his <span style="font-style:italic;">terroirs</span>, and this is evident in the final product, which is both reflective of the high quality fruit he gets and a platform for the land’s characteristics.<br /><br />To achieve this purity of expression of the land's character, Jérome has gone biodynamic. What does this mean? No man-made chemicals are ever used, a careful ecological balance is maintained in the vineyard by allowing cover crops to grow between the rows (check out the wild-looking vineyard in the picture above), and the biodynamic calendar is scrupulously followed, among other things. Whether you believe in <span style="font-style:italic;">biodynamie</span> or not, maintaining a healthy vineyard and not polluting the earth can't be half bad. And the end product reflects this: the wines are alive with an energy one doesn't find in the mass-market bubblies out there.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBCqdHQgI/AAAAAAAAChE/qeWdL9Sjgp4/s1600/bourgeois-diaz_(47).JPG'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TENBCqdHQgI/AAAAAAAAChE/qeWdL9Sjgp4/s320/bourgeois-diaz_(47).JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Filling the old-time basket press with Pinot Noir</i></center><br />Jérome currently makes four different cuvées:<br />-the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Brut Distinguée </span>(40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay - of which 20% is <span style="font-style:italic;">vin de réserve</span> - and 20% Pinot Noir);<br />-the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rosé Distinguée</span> (an <span style="font-style:italic;">assemblage</span> 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, of which 18% is AOC Champagne still red wine); <br />-the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Cuvée du Fils</span> is a wine that sees some oak-ageing and is composed of 40% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay (half of which sees wood);<br />-Lastly, the <span style="font-weight:bold;">2004 Le Millesime</span> is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, aged in oak barrels until Jérome feels it’s ready.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TEND6J8z9GI/AAAAAAAAChU/1SprzfwcX1c/s1600/logo.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 116px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TEND6J8z9GI/AAAAAAAAChU/1SprzfwcX1c/s400/logo.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495310636704592994" /></a><center><i>Look for this label soon!</center></i><br />Best of all, Jérome is not afraid to experiment: his next projects will be a Zero Brut (no <span style="font-style:italic;">dosage</span> added) and a Rosé de Saignée (meaning extended skin contact to extract the necessary color and flavor profiles).<br /><br />I will be showing these wines around to various distributors in the next few weeks, so hopefully one of them will see the light and pick him up. How cool would it be to serve these wines sometime this Fall? Wish me luck!<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-56383394008390156672010-07-09T11:18:00.003-04:002010-07-09T11:43:08.534-04:00Happy Birthday America!<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TDc_hGE23fI/AAAAAAAACgU/jUKkQJv3LBE/s1600/4th+of+July+002.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TDc_hGE23fI/AAAAAAAACgU/jUKkQJv3LBE/s320/4th+of+July+002.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Ribs, New York City style</i></center><br />Well, it's summer in the city, so the wine business is slow and sleepy. What's a budding entrepreneur with a growing business to do? I suppose it means I should be travelling, but I'm trying to watch expenses and set up sales networks for the Fall. I am also cooking at home much more, and this July 4th was no exception.<br /><br />Living in Manhattan means no outdoor space unless one is extremely lucky or rich or both. I am none of those. So I make do with what I can. This July 4th, I couldn't BBQ (the neighbors, building management and the FDNY complained last time when I tried doing something with an open flame <span style="font-style:italic;">inside</span> my apartment...), so I resorted instead to slow-cooked Asian-spiced baby-back ribs (see pic above). <br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TDc_hhrEofI/AAAAAAAACgc/HPjdjuW4hz0/s1600/4th+of+July+010.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TDc_hhrEofI/AAAAAAAACgc/HPjdjuW4hz0/s320/4th+of+July+010.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><center><i>Ribs, sauteed bok choy and pea shoots with mushrooms, fluffy rice</i></center><br />Cooking the ribs slowly for 3 hours at 300 degrees and finishing them in the broiler results in meltingly tender meat. But what wine to serve with this rich meat and sauce combination? This being July 4th, I opted for American red wines, with one Frenchie just to celebrate my background. Zinfandel has worked in the past, and this year was no exception, a <span style="font-weight:bold;">2002 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel</span> holding up to the strongly flavored marinade. A <span style="font-weight:bold;">2006 Bella Zinfandel</span> was too sweet and oaky, and surprisingly a <span style="font-weight:bold;">2005 Domaine la Milliere Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes</span> held its own.<br /><br />Of course, once the reds were finished, we went straight to the bubbly. I mean, this is a celebration, right? Three bottles of <span style="font-weight:bold;">NV Ganevat Cremant du Jura</span> and one <span style="font-weight:bold;">NV Champagne Pol Gardere</span> ensured we were in a sprightly mood for the fireworks.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TDc_h7fnFjI/AAAAAAAACgk/L4hKZ_Rs5KU/s1600/4th+of+July+016.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TDc_h7fnFjI/AAAAAAAACgk/L4hKZ_Rs5KU/s320/4th+of+July+016.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Watching the fireworks the civilized way</i></center><br />Watching fireworks in NYC means one of several things: crowding with your fellow sweaty, loud and obnoxious New Yorkers along the shores of the rivers to watch them live, getting invited to someone's place with a view, or staying at home in the air conditioning and turning on the TV. With temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity, we opted for the latter. I think we chose well.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-37970354623834240852010-06-14T17:43:00.004-04:002010-06-14T18:30:29.136-04:00I Love New York: Sri Lankan Brunch<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah2K2fX_I/AAAAAAAACfc/4imJiRI36DU/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+009.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah2K2fX_I/AAAAAAAACfc/4imJiRI36DU/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+009.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />I've said it many times before, but we really are blessed in this maddening, crazy city of ours. As a food and wine lover, this is doubly so. Oh, sure, anyone with enough money can hit the high-end places, but where's the fun in that? You're almost guaranteed a great experience (note I said almost, not always) every time. The real thrill is in finding that little hole in the wall with authentic food that delivers a great bang for the buck. While these still exist in Manhattan, it's becoming harder than ever to find them.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah1x0QKqI/AAAAAAAACfU/szytBVpnoDI/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+006.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah1x0QKqI/AAAAAAAACfU/szytBVpnoDI/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+006.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Which is why we headed to Staten Island with some friends this past weekend. Of course, there's another benefit to leaving Manhattan's steel and concrete canyons: you're reminded how beautiful Lady Liberty is, and how NYC is composed of islands and waterways that are woefully under-used (though, truth be told, this is changing). Best of all, of course, the picturesque ride on the ferry is free. Yes, you read that right, FREE. In one of the most expensive cities in the world, a 20-minute boat ride across NY Bay is completely FREE. Talk about a deal!<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah2RpylKI/AAAAAAAACfk/b2FRLE0vhQU/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+011.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah2RpylKI/AAAAAAAACfk/b2FRLE0vhQU/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+011.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Sri Lanka is, from what my expat friends tell me, a gorgeous place with some amazingly delicious food, a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate. Despite a horrendously long civil war that recently ended, or maybe because of it, the food is filling and full of bright flavors, and frankly just looks very joyous. So when one of them recommended Sanrasa restaurant in Staten Island, I jumped at the chance to try something new.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah2tQPfwI/AAAAAAAACfs/slTtZ-09JWE/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+013.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBah2tQPfwI/AAAAAAAACfs/slTtZ-09JWE/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+013.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />To say I was not disappointed is putting it mildly. Yes, it was slightly spicy, but I like spicy food (whether my body likes it or not is another story). The buffet was full of aromatic curries: chicken curry (good), mutton curry (fantastic), fish curry (good), peas with garlic cloves (yummy but not sure anyone was kissing me after that, however...), delicious eggplant, and collard greens chopped up into tiny bits. Everything sits on a bed of saffron rice and vermicelli (see pic above), then it's all eaten together at the same time.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBaiZrpwK6I/AAAAAAAACf0/C1Q6G55OJ7w/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+014.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBaiZrpwK6I/AAAAAAAACf0/C1Q6G55OJ7w/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+014.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />An earthy cashew sauce was added to the plate, and seemed to somehow bring everything together. Man, this was good but rich stuff! <br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBaiaFT3oGI/AAAAAAAACf8/-vPpYP3xtaA/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+016.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBaiaFT3oGI/AAAAAAAACf8/-vPpYP3xtaA/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+016.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />And as if that wasn't enough, the waiter dropped off baskets of fried fish balls at our table, like little cannonballs of fishy goodness. You'd think this was all horrendously filling, and while it did fill me up temporarily, I soon found myself heading back to the buffet for more. Gluttony, you win!<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBaiauSkOaI/AAAAAAAACgM/eKPI9DxanAs/s1600/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+020.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TBaiauSkOaI/AAAAAAAACgM/eKPI9DxanAs/s320/Sri+Lankan+Brunch+020.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />On the ride back to Manhattan, we were chased (and eventually passed) by a feathered companion. Watching him glide quietly alongside us helped me digest this fantastic meal, and reminded me why I love this city so much. Sometimes you forget the riches that are right at your doorstep until you step outside of your little world.<br /><br />Now, of course the big question: what wines should I bring next time?<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-24907074567198421542010-06-01T19:35:00.004-04:002010-06-01T20:17:37.013-04:00Generosity<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWb3QFud-I/AAAAAAAACe8/kyEOt8cLE9U/s1600/Mother%27s+Day+019.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWb3QFud-I/AAAAAAAACe8/kyEOt8cLE9U/s320/Mother%27s+Day+019.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Whoa, it's been a long time since I've posted anything here. I've been swamped with work but also personal stuff, so my focus has been, well, I guess you could say, somewhat fuzzy. That said, I have tried to find the time to enjoy some lovely meals with some very nice folks, which made me think a lot about this thing we call wine and our love of it. It all comes down to one over-riding habit, something we forget to appreciate when surrounded by a bevy of open bottles: generosity.<br /><br />It's the one thing that binds all winelovers together, whether we know it or not. We collect these magnificent examples of winemaking, but what fun is it drinking them all alone? Appreciation of wine is inherently a social exercise, so we're almost forced to share it. Luckily, we can choose with whom we open those bottles, but still, the fact remains the same: someone is sharing a small treasure with someone else.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWbfiHzR2I/AAAAAAAACe0/lgqQQz20Xhs/s1600/BerserkerFest+2.5+038.jpg'><img src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWbfiHzR2I/AAAAAAAACe0/lgqQQz20Xhs/s320/BerserkerFest+2.5+038.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Whether it's a stunning bottle of 1996 Duval-Leroy Cuvee Femme that was opened with a Mother's Day dinner or a table of regular and HUGE bottles (above) sitting side by side while even more treasures are popped around them amidst a crowd, generosity is one of the reasons we love and share wine.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWcLVeBb6I/AAAAAAAACfE/GJC9CH1wBWY/s1600/Diane%27s+001.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWcLVeBb6I/AAAAAAAACfE/GJC9CH1wBWY/s320/Diane%27s+001.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />Other times it was lovely bottles of Burgundy, things that you don't just open on any night, but were opened for me at intimate, smaller dinners. Events like this remind me not just why I love wine, but why I like the people who are into wine.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWcfmCUgYI/AAAAAAAACfM/6waMdDQZQYk/s1600/Morel+Dinner+001.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/TAWcfmCUgYI/AAAAAAAACfM/6waMdDQZQYk/s320/Morel+Dinner+001.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br />And the generosity doesn't stop with wine, but with other things, in one case morels. These gorgeous little fungi are rare and expensive, yet were doled out like popcorn one night by a friend who never ceases to amaze me and yet never demands reciprocity (though I do try when I can!).<br /><br />So the next time someone offers you a lovely bottle, don't underestimate how lucky you are to be sharing a drink with another person who thinks so highly of you. We take it for granted sometimes, but really we shouldn't. Generosity is certainly something we should raise a glass to. The world could use more of it, that's for sure.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-62107834339707888312010-04-28T14:58:00.006-04:002010-04-28T15:43:36.251-04:00The End of an Era<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9iFzPmUh7I/AAAAAAAACes/0b2v_x90_MU/s1600/Parker+RIP.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9iFzPmUh7I/AAAAAAAACes/0b2v_x90_MU/s400/Parker+RIP.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465265263221180338" /></a><br />At the dawn of the Internet, wine geeks gathered on various online fora, chatting and learning about the wines that they were so passionate about and discovering they weren't alone with this sickness we call a passion. Eventually, a few good sites evolved from the multitudes, rising to the top of the heap and really dominating all discussions about wine. Mark Squires' Bulletin Board on Robert Parker's website was, for a long time, the top dog in this pack of wine sites.<br /><br />Like many others, I cut my teeth there when I first came into wine. The people there helped me fall in love with the grape, they shared a ton of information (from folks whose depth of knowledge still scares me), and became some of the most amazing friends I've ever had. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but what is? It was the best, most knowledgeable place to talk and learn about wine on the Internet. The amount of information about wine, winemaking, and wine storing there was incomparable. It truly was a vast, <u>free</u> resource for anyone interested in learning about wine.<br /><br />But, as with all things, to this there came a time. Slowly, as the site grew in popularity and personalities (not all of whom were angels, it's true), the moderators began to tighten their fists, squashing dissent and any criticism of Robert Parker or of their heavy-handed ways. To paraphrase Princess Leia, the more you tighten your fist, the more winegeeks will slip between your fingers. And thus it came to pass. Eventually, a few split off after being run roughshod over and started up <a href="http://www.wineberserkers.com/index.php"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wine Berserkers</span></a>.<br /><br />For a while the two coexisted, with a few other distant websites chattering about wine. An uneasy coexistence settled in, with both boards taking pot shots at each other. BUT, one could easily navigate from one to the other (unless you were banned from the Squires board - as far as I know no one is actually banned from Berserkers). While Berserkers encouraged free-wheeling (and occasionally sophomoric, to be honest) discussions about wine, Squires' censored all talk about its competition, whether blogs, boards or other critics. More and more people began to jump ship, sensing the end approaching.<br /><br />And then the final blow came the other day, posted without notice or warning: the Squires Board was going to be only accessible to full-paying Robert Parker subscribers.<br /><br />Why should you care if you're not a winegeek or wine collector?<br /><br />Because despite all its faults and foibles, the Squires Wine Bulletin Board was one of the most knowledgeable places to learn about wine on the Internet. If you have any passing interest in the grape or how wines are made, this was the place to visit for information. And I'm not even referring to participation from Parker or other critics, which, frankly was minimal and contentious, to put it mildly. No, the regular people, people like you and me, were what really made that board special. Many had moved on, but their posts and tasting notes remained, like vestiges of an ancient civilization with lessons to teach future generations.<br /><br />Now it's all locked away behind a door in a vault on a ship that is sinking rapidly. I am saddened by this heavy-handed, brutal and frankly unnecessary action. The business explanation doesn't cut it for me, sorry. This was about control and censorship, pure and simple.<br /><br />But, amidst all this sadness, there is a bright light: (wine) life goes on, as many of the intelligent, experienced people who once made Squires' Bulletin Board interesting have moved on to Wine Berserkers. So there is hope in the universe of wine, despite the passing of a once great forum. I suggest you stop by, say hello, open a nice bottle of your favorite vino, and begin learning.<br /><br />It's a wonderful journey that never ends.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-13460316817656916182010-04-22T09:13:00.005-04:002010-04-22T10:51:13.842-04:00I Love New York - Sripriphai Part Deux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BNzltaPGI/AAAAAAAACdE/Y54GsbQuZ1U/s1600/h.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 53px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BNzltaPGI/AAAAAAAACdE/Y54GsbQuZ1U/s400/h.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462951896691653730" /></a><br />Yes, I've written about this place <a href="http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-love-new-york-sripraphai.html" target="blank"><span style="font-weight:bold;">before</span></a>, but frankly it's worth revisiting. Another hidden gem just outside the sacrosanct boundaries of Manhattan, this restaurant offers some of the best Thai food in the city, if not <span style="font-style:italic;">the</span> best. I have a friend who says that another place, which I will visit soon, is better, but right now I'm sticking with <a href="http://www.sripraphairestaurant.com/index.php"><span style="font-weight:bold;" target="blank">Sripriphai</span></a>. <br /><br />Like most New Yorkers who live on this island, I tend to get myopic when it comes to travelling outside of my little universe. We can always find an excuse not to leave our little fortress of solitude: problems/delays with the subway, most of us don't have cars so moving about can get complicated, and bus service can take forever. However, a quick ride on the 7 line brings you to the wildly, colorfully diverse neighborhood of Woodside, Queens. This melting pot of cultures from all over the world offers something for everyone from everywhere. Literally. On one block, a mosque sits next to a Chinese take-out, which is near a Dollar Store, with an empanada joint next to it, and an old-school Italian pizza place is its neighbor.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRXoKXeVI/AAAAAAAACdM/mR_oQRXTM9A/s1600/Sripriphai+001.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRXoKXeVI/AAAAAAAACdM/mR_oQRXTM9A/s320/Sripriphai+001.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>What to drink...?</i></center><br />A visit to Sripriphai calls for a little forethought when it comes to wines. You can't just bring any red or white. This food is bright with pure colors, flavors and aromas, and sometimes very, very spicy. Most wines will get blown out of the glass. What you need is something with good acidity and/or something that has some residual sugar. Bubbles are a plus too. Which is where either Champagne (acidity <span style="font-style:italic;">and</span> bubbles) or Riesling (residual sugar <span style="font-style:italic;">and</span> acidity) come in handy.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRX_louQI/AAAAAAAACdU/ekC5TCR58fA/s1600/Sripriphai+002.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRX_louQI/AAAAAAAACdU/ekC5TCR58fA/s320/Sripriphai+002.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Papaya salad</i></center><br />These types of wines can stand up to the intense flavors in these dishes. They can also carry through and cleanse your palate, preparing you for the next treat.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRYDd3Z6I/AAAAAAAACdc/Xi13Y6Y9UG0/s1600/Sripriphai+003.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRYDd3Z6I/AAAAAAAACdc/Xi13Y6Y9UG0/s320/Sripriphai+003.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Fried tofu</i></center><br />Heck, the bubbles in Champagne can act as little scrubbers, cutting through the intense flavors that are inherent in some of these.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRYLL5NEI/AAAAAAAACdk/slw3VYeDvOY/s1600/Sripriphai+004.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BRYLL5NEI/AAAAAAAACdk/slw3VYeDvOY/s320/Sripriphai+004.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Fried watercress salad</i></center><br />Sugar in the Riesling acts as a protective layer when it comes to spicy plates, countering the spicy oils and also preparing your palate for what comes next.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUvIWKGzI/AAAAAAAACds/hNOgDe_1F1Q/s1600/Sripriphai+006.jpg'><img src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUvIWKGzI/AAAAAAAACds/hNOgDe_1F1Q/s320/Sripriphai+006.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Drunken noodles</i></center><br />Some of these dishes are quite extraordinary. Bright, vivacious, alive.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUvu2agHI/AAAAAAAACd0/UCQDvLkZUXk/s1600/Sripriphai+007.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUvu2agHI/AAAAAAAACd0/UCQDvLkZUXk/s320/Sripriphai+007.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Red snapper with garlic sauce</i></center><br />They haven't been dumbed down for their American audience, they have maintained their authenticity and are true to themselves. Which is what I love, and respect.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUv6sdEeI/AAAAAAAACd8/PTVUnRSyvvg/s1600/Sripriphai+008.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUv6sdEeI/AAAAAAAACd8/PTVUnRSyvvg/s320/Sripriphai+008.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Curried pork with beans</i></center><br />I am not certain stuff like this would fly outside of New York. Or at least it wouldn't do as well as this place has. Sripriphai used to be a tiny sliver of a restaurant. Now, it's a large establishment with a gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous back garden.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUwBXgN6I/AAAAAAAACeE/I9IKALq8OJg/s1600/Sripriphai+009.jpg'><img src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BUwBXgN6I/AAAAAAAACeE/I9IKALq8OJg/s320/Sripriphai+009.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Chinese greens</i></center><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BV0ha3GVI/AAAAAAAACeM/M7emQNZvrF4/s1600/Sripriphai+010.jpg'><img src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BV0ha3GVI/AAAAAAAACeM/M7emQNZvrF4/s320/Sripriphai+010.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Braised pork leg (amazing)</i></center><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BV1M6bqrI/AAAAAAAACeU/VBU3rm8ATck/s1600/Sripriphai+011.jpg'><img src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BV1M6bqrI/AAAAAAAACeU/VBU3rm8ATck/s320/Sripriphai+011.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>Curried noodles with chicken (insanely good)</i></center><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BV1aEt5jI/AAAAAAAACec/OqnFfZELQiE/s1600/Sripriphai+012.jpg'><img src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S9BV1aEt5jI/AAAAAAAACec/OqnFfZELQiE/s320/Sripriphai+012.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><i><center>We're stuffed, but dessert comes anyway: sticky rice with taro and banana</i></center><br />It's places like this, that have remained true to themselves, that remind me why I love New York sometimes. Despite the gentrification and Las Vegas-ification of a once proud city, you can still find restaurants that haven't sold out to the fast food crowd. They require you to sit, be patient, and <span style="font-style:italic;">enjoy</span> both your food and your company. Take your time to discover them and you will be pleasantly rewarded.<br />Cheers!<br /><br /><center>Sripriphai<br />64-13 39th Avenue<br />Woodside, NY 11377<br />Tel# 718.899.9599</center>Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35012786.post-66137792315590141012010-04-14T15:15:00.006-04:002010-04-14T16:12:53.808-04:00A Pause<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S8YUzeXh63I/AAAAAAAACc8/Q5nxdf7AO-c/s1600/Dad+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UYVKZR68IOc/S8YUzeXh63I/AAAAAAAACc8/Q5nxdf7AO-c/s400/Dad+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460074472790944626" /></a><i><center>Happier Days</i></center><br />I've had many things happen to me in life so far, many good, many bad, some down-right awful. The worst was losing my father 12 years ago, just shy of his 70th. It was a sudden, wrenching loss, that left me and my family scrambling to pick up the pieces. He was an entrepreneur, and like me, didn't like being told what to do. He also had a hard time letting go of the reins of his company, so taking over after his passing was somewhat stressful, to be polite. Worse was the fact that I'd planned on leaving the industry we both worked in (fashion/textile) as even back then I could see which way the tide was flowing (hint: (far) Eastward). It also wasn't my passion, wine was a budding interest and I was curious about the business opportunities there. In essence, there was no future in our side of the economy, and I wanted out.<br /><br />Instead, I found myself running a factory that made fabrics with 50+ employees in an industry that depressed me to no end and yet had no exit. I had always wanted to impress him, so I kept the family business going for another grueling and difficult 8 years before giving way to the winds of destiny. There were other issues involved, of course, but I wanted to prove to him (and myself) that I could succeed and provide as good a life as he had. But it would be impossible in the textile business.<br /><br />My father pushed me to be better, to work harder, to keep an open mind, and to not be lazy (well, on that last one, there's still some work to be done). While it's true I hated to work for grades in high school (college was better as I could choose what to study), I got up every Saturday (and some Sunday) mornings at 5am, no matter how hungover, to go work at the factory. He forced me to keep pushing on despite all the obstacles.<br /><br />Thus, I am trying to follow in his footsteps with Vinotas Selections. Sure, I blather on a lot about the wines I drink, the food I eat, and the places I visit. Sure, life can be (and has been) worse, I am not complaining. But behind all that eating and drinking and travelling, there's a lot of work being done. It's difficult work too, especially as I am not a good salesman, I can only push things that I believe in.<br /><br />And it certainly hasn't been easy. But everytime I hesitate, everytime I think that perhaps something else would be easier, everytime I doubt myself, I see him, his shirt-sleeves rolled up, clambering over a 16-ton lace machine, covered in grease and oil. Just because he was the boss didn't mean he couldn't get his hands dirty. "Come on," he'd say, "get back to work."<br /><br />So I'd like to take a little pause and say "Thanks, Dad". You taught me to push on despite all the problems, road-blocks, and dark days. You taught me to believe in myself and follow my passion and do what I thought was right. It's been a while since I said thank you and so I thought it should be said out loud, in public, so you and everyone knows how much I appreciated what you did for me. You made me the man I am today. And I hope you're proud of what I've done so far.<br /><br />I miss you, Dad. OK, back to work.<br />Cheers!Vinotashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17858833067614152970noreply@blogger.com0