Humbolt Fog

Humbolt Fog is a soft-ripening goat cheese with a layer of edible vegetarian ash in the middle.  It is made by Cypress Grove Chevre of Arcata, California in Humbolt County.

Humbolt Fog's natural mould rind allows for ripening from outside of the cheese while at the same time keeping the middle soft and runny.  Flavors include buttermilk and fresh cream with floral notes and herbaceous overtones. The cheese has a clean citrusy finish.

The Humbolt Fog cheesemaker suggests serving the cheese with prosciutto, tart apple, Marcona Almonds or with drizzled honey.  Wine pairings include light roses and Blanc de Blancs Champagne and white wines that are not more acidic than the cheese, so probably something off-dry.

Nals Margreid

It's always nice to get a wine tip from someone further up the distribution chain.  That tip is usually more informed and objective and leads to some positive retail outcomes.  This time we learned that "for the first time ever the Nals Margreid Italian wines were now available in this country," to which we more or less shrugged our shoulders.  Who the hell is Nals Margreid anyway?  Here's what we learned.

Nals Margreid is a cooperative venture of up to 140 grape growers in Alto Adige in the northeast corner of Italy.  That region produces some of the country's finest white wines.  Alto Adige vineyards are typically 300-400 meters above sea level with a southeastern exposure and sheltered to the north by the Alps.  The climate is Mediterranean; the soils are rocky with evidence of ancient alluvial fans.

My supplier is usually reliable so I turned him loose and told him to send me a case of what he thought was the best Nals Margreid wine.  He sent me the Sauvignon Blanc.  It is a full-bodied white with straw yellow color with greenish hues.  The nose is complex with aromatic herbs, citrus, berry and lychee nuts.  The wine is crisp and tangy with grapefruit, gooseberry, cantaloup and sage.  The memorable finish is long and balanced.

As good as it sounds the Nals Margreid Sauvignon Blanc in the store is from their entry level tier.  It is 100% Sauv Blanc, hand harvested from the Alto Adige DOC, aged on the lees for five months in stainless steel, all of which accounts for its full-bodied racy character.  

Gambero Rosso is the bible of Italian wines.  They say Nals Margreid practices "severe selection" in grape harvesting, which must indicate quality.  Moreover the winemaker is a young rising star in the business and blends from many of their select vineyards.  Since this one is so fine we can only imagine how fine their higher tier wines are.

Try this one with spicy (perhaps Asian) white meats and seafood.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red wine on the planet.  We're not going to pretend we can do it justice here in one post, so what follows will be a condensed and contextualized summary of our recent Saturday afternoon Cabernet class.  

The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is one of the younger vinifera wine grapes.  It emerged from a vineyard mutation in 1700's western France, perhaps in Bordeaux.  That mutation was caused by an accidental crossing of a Sauvignon Blanc vine with a Cabernet Franc vine.

As it turns out, that crossing may have been the best thing to happen in the wine industry in centuries.  Not only is Cabernet wine as popular as it is but viticulturalists love the ease with which it grows.  Sauvignon is French for "savage" meaning "wildness," and the term refers to the vine's adaptability to different environs.  Nutritionally poor soil is not a problem for Cabernet vines.  And while most grapes are locked into one climate or another, Cabernet does okay in a spectrum of climates, although the warmer the climate, the more pyrazines (bell pepper flavors) become apparent.  Well draining soils are still optimal for Cabernet viticulture but you get the idea - growers love this grape.

The finest Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Bordeaux.  Napa is second best.  Maipo, Chile is third and Tuscany is fourth.  At least that is the opinion of one expert we consulted.  As we've said here many times - Good wine is where you find it and since this grape does so well in so many places, there are probably new great venues yet to be discovered.

California Cabernet is, of course, the toast of the town in this country.  Common characteristics include a high acidity, leathery tannins and flavors of black cherry, pepper and, courtesy of oak barrel ageing, vanilla.  Oak also tends to lighten tannins and accentuate the more complementary flavors in wine.  When blended, and most Cabernet-labeled wines are actually blends, expect more dark berry flavors.

And finally, Cabernet Sauvignon is quintessential red meat wine; be it steak, hamburgers or really, anything else on the grill.  Knowing what we know about how well this grape does everywhere, if you're in the neighborhood wine shop looking for something to have with dinner, hedge your bets and pick up a cab!