This is just an observation in passing...
Last week Blackstock Vineyards and Winery (blog 2/9/12) closed its doors. In his classy closing email, David Harris cited the horrendous frost of last spring (blog 4/24/12) as a precipitating event and competition from local wineries who chose to take advantage of loose Georgia laws to purchase and sell bulk California wine instead of actual Georgia wine. All of Blackstock's bottlings were estate sourced in White County.
The passing of Blackstock is tragic in several ways. I always thought Blackstock was the best of the Georgia wineries and I base that pronouncement solely on my humble but educated palate. I thought the quality of David's wines were competitive with most from around the world and I regret I couldn't do more with them. That he was so passionate about what he did, heightens the pathos of what transpired last week and his firm oenologically-educated hand in this infant native agricultural endeavor will be sorely missed.
On a larger scale this is what we have been blogging about all year long here and this is what I think the public at large misses:
1. Consolidation within the wine industry and the development of mega-wine companies has concentrated power in the hands of mass marketers who value varietal generalizations over individual distinction.
2. Because of vertical integration within the industry involving contractors for the production of mass market wines the advantage goes again to the powerful large players who do not stand to prosper by offering individuality in wine production.
3. Because of the successful lobbying efforts for the California wine industry by the Wine Institute in Washington DC, smaller players become further marginalized.
4. Because of the successful commoditization of wine as a beverage and not as something particular to specific food selections, this industry has effectively been turned on its head with "place" and food affinity no longer mattering at all as a criterion for what a bottle of wine is.
I guess it is what it is. Lets move on.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Leitz Out
Last night's tasting was one of the most successful in recent memory. The turnout was light, maybe a dozen folks at most, but the response to what we poured was fantastic. We unknowingly selected just the right lineup for this bunch and they quickly depleted my tasting supply including the Leitz Out German Dry Riesling which was a last minute addition when the Wentes sold too well prior to the event.
Johannes Leitz is the owner/winemaker of Leitz Out and his concern is located in the Rudesheim region of the Rheingau in Germany. The Leitz winemaking family traces its business back to 1744 with major disruptions in the twentieth century due in part to a couple world wars. Johannes took the reins unofficially in the mid eighties, officially in 1997, and because of his current successes his reign should continue well into the future. Shrewd land acquisitions in these years have increased Leitz holdings from 2.9 hectare to 40 hectare with 30 hectares of the most prime real estate being within Rudesheim proper. Because of their successes a new modern winery was constructed in 2010 on the property to meet the increased demand.
So what makes Leitz Out noteworthy? First the wine is dry compared to the stereotypical German mass market plonk which points up the second qualifier: dry unoaked white wine must have inherent character to carry the day or it will fail in any tasting or market placement. Thirdly Rudesheim Riesling is recognised internationally for its dry mineral-driven style accomplished of course by virtue of having the correct soils for the Riesling vines to flourish (or struggle) and here is where it gets complicated.
The ten Leitz vineyards in Rudesheim are at varying elevations with slopes up to 59 degrees requiring apporpriate terracing with all vineyards facing south. Leitz is another of what seems to be a growing number of wineries that feature a website that treats the casual reader as an adult. At www.leitz-wein.de one can learn of the four basic soil types in Leitz vineyards along with an explanation for their coming into being four million years ago during the ice age. A website link to Daniel Sogg's article, "Tasting the Earth" furthers the discussion of soil's contribution to wine. From Sogg: "The best wines come from soils that moderate the water supply. In wet regions good drainage is required; in dry regions, good retention." Seems too simple, right?
Johannes Leitz is the owner/winemaker of Leitz Out and his concern is located in the Rudesheim region of the Rheingau in Germany. The Leitz winemaking family traces its business back to 1744 with major disruptions in the twentieth century due in part to a couple world wars. Johannes took the reins unofficially in the mid eighties, officially in 1997, and because of his current successes his reign should continue well into the future. Shrewd land acquisitions in these years have increased Leitz holdings from 2.9 hectare to 40 hectare with 30 hectares of the most prime real estate being within Rudesheim proper. Because of their successes a new modern winery was constructed in 2010 on the property to meet the increased demand.
So what makes Leitz Out noteworthy? First the wine is dry compared to the stereotypical German mass market plonk which points up the second qualifier: dry unoaked white wine must have inherent character to carry the day or it will fail in any tasting or market placement. Thirdly Rudesheim Riesling is recognised internationally for its dry mineral-driven style accomplished of course by virtue of having the correct soils for the Riesling vines to flourish (or struggle) and here is where it gets complicated.
The ten Leitz vineyards in Rudesheim are at varying elevations with slopes up to 59 degrees requiring apporpriate terracing with all vineyards facing south. Leitz is another of what seems to be a growing number of wineries that feature a website that treats the casual reader as an adult. At www.leitz-wein.de one can learn of the four basic soil types in Leitz vineyards along with an explanation for their coming into being four million years ago during the ice age. A website link to Daniel Sogg's article, "Tasting the Earth" furthers the discussion of soil's contribution to wine. From Sogg: "The best wines come from soils that moderate the water supply. In wet regions good drainage is required; in dry regions, good retention." Seems too simple, right?
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Andeluna and Phenolic Ripeness
Whenever the public responds to a store selection the way it has to Andeluna, this old codger has to sit up and take notice. We have been selling the Andeluna Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec here for the past couple months and with great regularity I hear the accolades flowing forth from regular customers and newbies who now think this place is tops because of their Andeluna experience. So let's take a look at Andeluna.
Andeluna is located in the "Napa" of Argentina, that is, Mendoza, but not near-in but well south of the city in the Uco Valley which hugs the Tunuyan River in that high altitude plateau called Tupungato (blog 11/14/11). This region, 45 miles long and 15 miles wide at 33 degrees latitude, actually contains the highest altitude vineyards in Argentina which supply the valued "diurnal effect" of great temperature shifts between day and night, balancing the sugars and acids in the grapes in the process.
"Phenolic ripeness" is one of the hipper oenological terms in the vernacular currently. It pertains to the ripeness of the fruit flavors and aromas along with tannins and the depth of the red and purple color (anthocyanins) of the wine. The seeds and grapeskins are most important in the providence of phenolic ripeness. For the best article possible on the subject go to Matthew Citriglia's handiwork at www.aretewines.typepad.com/arete_wines/200 which is where I got my information for this paragraph.
Back to Andeluna... H. Ward Lay, of Frito-Lay fame, is the owner of the property; Silvio Alberto is the winemaker; Michel Rolland is the celebrity consultant; and Ricardo Reina Rutini is the local wine aristocrat who somehow has a hand in the production. Whew! This is big business. All four of the aforementioned individuals are giants in their own right. Alberto is a university professor; Rolland is a "flying winemaker" ala Paul Hobbs; and Rutini represents the third generation of the premier Italian immigrant winemaking family and the prior owners of the Andeluna estate. With all of the emphasis on personnel, of course, Mr. Lay is an American. The name, Andeluna, by the way, refers to the way the moonglow reflects on the Andes at that altitude.
Now back to phenolic ripeness... Tupungato is the place where everybody and their brother in the wine industry are heading now to put in a stake for vineyard acquisition. Why? Because the conditions are so perfect. With all of the new technology available to adjust this and that to improve the chemical composition of a wine, if the place, itself, is ideal, why not go there? Our blogs about "Flash Detente" (9/15/12) and "Methoxypyrazine"(9/24/12) both refer to processes that amend traditional winemaking to make ordinary wine better. If the vineyard conditions are intrinsically fine, as they are at Andeluna, then just make the wine!
Andeluna is located in the "Napa" of Argentina, that is, Mendoza, but not near-in but well south of the city in the Uco Valley which hugs the Tunuyan River in that high altitude plateau called Tupungato (blog 11/14/11). This region, 45 miles long and 15 miles wide at 33 degrees latitude, actually contains the highest altitude vineyards in Argentina which supply the valued "diurnal effect" of great temperature shifts between day and night, balancing the sugars and acids in the grapes in the process.
"Phenolic ripeness" is one of the hipper oenological terms in the vernacular currently. It pertains to the ripeness of the fruit flavors and aromas along with tannins and the depth of the red and purple color (anthocyanins) of the wine. The seeds and grapeskins are most important in the providence of phenolic ripeness. For the best article possible on the subject go to Matthew Citriglia's handiwork at www.aretewines.typepad.com/arete_wines/200 which is where I got my information for this paragraph.
Back to Andeluna... H. Ward Lay, of Frito-Lay fame, is the owner of the property; Silvio Alberto is the winemaker; Michel Rolland is the celebrity consultant; and Ricardo Reina Rutini is the local wine aristocrat who somehow has a hand in the production. Whew! This is big business. All four of the aforementioned individuals are giants in their own right. Alberto is a university professor; Rolland is a "flying winemaker" ala Paul Hobbs; and Rutini represents the third generation of the premier Italian immigrant winemaking family and the prior owners of the Andeluna estate. With all of the emphasis on personnel, of course, Mr. Lay is an American. The name, Andeluna, by the way, refers to the way the moonglow reflects on the Andes at that altitude.
Now back to phenolic ripeness... Tupungato is the place where everybody and their brother in the wine industry are heading now to put in a stake for vineyard acquisition. Why? Because the conditions are so perfect. With all of the new technology available to adjust this and that to improve the chemical composition of a wine, if the place, itself, is ideal, why not go there? Our blogs about "Flash Detente" (9/15/12) and "Methoxypyrazine"(9/24/12) both refer to processes that amend traditional winemaking to make ordinary wine better. If the vineyard conditions are intrinsically fine, as they are at Andeluna, then just make the wine!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I Blog, Therefore I Am
Vine & Cheese is one of those stores that does disproportionately well during the holiday season, so blogging doesn't really fit into my schedule at this time. My strength in school was always research so blogging about wine and cheese here sometimes means doing the spade work first before writing and I don't have that luxury now, therefore what follows are my holiday thoughts at large.
We seem to be living in a world that is vastly different than the one I grew up in in the 1960s and it really is different, except that life itself hasn't changed. For me life has always been about struggling with adversity. In school I studied the existentialist philosophers whose ideas seemed to resonate with my reality in that sometimes I felt my reality (existence) superceded that which I was told was essential. Needless to say, I wasn't the life of the party with that kind of a (bleak?) worldview but I still maintain to this day that life and existence is essentially about struggle.
The existentialist philosophers I studied were atheists, for the most part, with the exception of Soren Kierkegaard, the Lutheran pastor who obsessed about responding to God's calling (to us) in life. To be clear, in our estrangement in this world we can still hear the voice of God calling us and now in this current era when we are so consumed by the worldly values of our secular society, the "Other" may still break through our private obsessions to reach us and liberate us. But it is hard and adjustments need to be made, which means nothing less than acknowledging our human limits, saying "no" to the world and making the acceptance decision for faith in defiance of the world, and then bringing the salvific message back into the world with us.
It is my Christmas wish to all of you that the light of the Lord shines anew upon you and yours this holiday season.
We seem to be living in a world that is vastly different than the one I grew up in in the 1960s and it really is different, except that life itself hasn't changed. For me life has always been about struggling with adversity. In school I studied the existentialist philosophers whose ideas seemed to resonate with my reality in that sometimes I felt my reality (existence) superceded that which I was told was essential. Needless to say, I wasn't the life of the party with that kind of a (bleak?) worldview but I still maintain to this day that life and existence is essentially about struggle.
The existentialist philosophers I studied were atheists, for the most part, with the exception of Soren Kierkegaard, the Lutheran pastor who obsessed about responding to God's calling (to us) in life. To be clear, in our estrangement in this world we can still hear the voice of God calling us and now in this current era when we are so consumed by the worldly values of our secular society, the "Other" may still break through our private obsessions to reach us and liberate us. But it is hard and adjustments need to be made, which means nothing less than acknowledging our human limits, saying "no" to the world and making the acceptance decision for faith in defiance of the world, and then bringing the salvific message back into the world with us.
It is my Christmas wish to all of you that the light of the Lord shines anew upon you and yours this holiday season.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Carmenere
Carmenere is one of the truly ancient grapes of Europe. It may have originated in Bordeaux where it was well documented in the nineteenth century or it could have originated in Spain or Portugal where so many took root from the earliest migrations north. It could also very well be that Carmenere is the ancestor grape of all five of the current Red Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. There is also a distinct possibility that the Bordeaux blend of a thousand years ago was just Carmenere, previously called Grand Vidure, and Cabernet Franc, one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon.
In any event it is well documented that the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800s (blog 6/11/11) meant the demise of Carmenere in Europe due to the difficulties of grafting that vine onto disease resistant American rootstocks. Records show sales of vinifera grapevines to emigres to Chile in the 1850s and later, when Phylloxera was at its worst, French winemakers took uninfected vines with them as they exited Europe for greener pastures in South America and elsewhere.
Because the wine industry is such a commercial effort, grape types are at the mercy of the wine buying public and in the late 1800s Carmenere was fading in popularity in Europe. Merlot, by contrast, has always been popular and some specific sales records of vines destined for Chile mention Merlot by name. Since the Carmenere vine resembles Merlot, many of those vines labelled Merlot were actually Carmenere. Only in autumn when its foliage turns crimson or carmine, the color from whence it gets its name, does the difference become known. So the hundred year odyssey of the incognito Carmenere in Chile ran its course through the twentieth century with the acclaimed Chilean Merlot garnering the accolades while Carmenere was largely forgotten. Merlot, as we said above, sells well everywhere and Carmenere struggles which could be an obvious commercial reason for the misidentification.
In 1994 French ampelographers in Montpellier using new DNA technology determined that Carmenere was indeed the "Merlot" of Chile and four years later in 1998, the Chilean government recognized Carmenere for what it was. Since some of the greatest of twentieth century Chilean reds have been shown to be Carmenere based all along, the grape's bonafides were assured and sales of newly labelled varietal Carmenere have been solid.
This store is offering two exceptional Carmeneres at this time. The rich yet austere 2009 Toro de Piedra red blend is 60% Carmenere and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and retails for $15/btl. The 2006 Surazo Reserva Especial Carmenere is a fully mature example that sell here for just $10/btl. Both would show well with a steak. One spice that is enigmatic for wine pairing is curry and Carmenere is thought by some to be the solution for that difficult problem.
Join us Friday November 30th from 5 to 7pm for our regular weekly tasting. There will be no Carmeneres but the tasting will be a cut above average with a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Malbec, and Merlot. Please join us.
In any event it is well documented that the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800s (blog 6/11/11) meant the demise of Carmenere in Europe due to the difficulties of grafting that vine onto disease resistant American rootstocks. Records show sales of vinifera grapevines to emigres to Chile in the 1850s and later, when Phylloxera was at its worst, French winemakers took uninfected vines with them as they exited Europe for greener pastures in South America and elsewhere.
Because the wine industry is such a commercial effort, grape types are at the mercy of the wine buying public and in the late 1800s Carmenere was fading in popularity in Europe. Merlot, by contrast, has always been popular and some specific sales records of vines destined for Chile mention Merlot by name. Since the Carmenere vine resembles Merlot, many of those vines labelled Merlot were actually Carmenere. Only in autumn when its foliage turns crimson or carmine, the color from whence it gets its name, does the difference become known. So the hundred year odyssey of the incognito Carmenere in Chile ran its course through the twentieth century with the acclaimed Chilean Merlot garnering the accolades while Carmenere was largely forgotten. Merlot, as we said above, sells well everywhere and Carmenere struggles which could be an obvious commercial reason for the misidentification.
In 1994 French ampelographers in Montpellier using new DNA technology determined that Carmenere was indeed the "Merlot" of Chile and four years later in 1998, the Chilean government recognized Carmenere for what it was. Since some of the greatest of twentieth century Chilean reds have been shown to be Carmenere based all along, the grape's bonafides were assured and sales of newly labelled varietal Carmenere have been solid.
This store is offering two exceptional Carmeneres at this time. The rich yet austere 2009 Toro de Piedra red blend is 60% Carmenere and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and retails for $15/btl. The 2006 Surazo Reserva Especial Carmenere is a fully mature example that sell here for just $10/btl. Both would show well with a steak. One spice that is enigmatic for wine pairing is curry and Carmenere is thought by some to be the solution for that difficult problem.
Join us Friday November 30th from 5 to 7pm for our regular weekly tasting. There will be no Carmeneres but the tasting will be a cut above average with a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Malbec, and Merlot. Please join us.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Beaujolais Nouveau
For a change this time I know what to write about with no frustrating deliberative process to work through first. On Thursday the 15th of November this store will receive about fifteen cases of Nouveau Beaujolais with about fifteen more on tap for a week later...so lets get started selling the stuff!
Being a history buff, Nouveau snags me right away but there is a problem lying in its pre-history in that there has always been a "nouveau" release in France and probably elsewhere. Wine producers have historically released a quickly made teaser of a wine in hopes of whetting the appetite of locals who may then be enticed to patronize the regular vintage offerings to follow. This pre-history of Nouveau existed until 1937 when the Beaujolais AOC was codified in France and the floodgates were then opened internationally for Nouveau Beaujolais.
By law Nouveau must be sourced from the AOC environs but outside of the ten grand cru vineyards, which is opportune to say the least, since those superior vineyards command a premium price compared to basic Beaujolais. Through the marketing genius of Georges DuBoeuf, half of all Beaujolais production is now sold as Nouveau and that half is all from the "common" lots. Moreover it is sold quickly before the regular vintage is ready when cash flow is really needed. It is almost like the industry wrote the law!
Getting back to history prior to DuBoeuf, in the effort to create demand, races were held in France to get the teaser to as many markets as possible culminating with Paris being the then ultimate destination. DuBoeuf entered the Beaujolais business in 1964 and quickly extended the racing of wine across Europe and then to America and elsewhere, thereby creating the proverbial marketing monster. At this writing, Germany, Japan, and America are one, two, and three in world Nouveau markets with smaller markets existing everywhere wine lovers congregate.
Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais and Beaujolais is the southern half of Burgundy, France. Centuries ago Gamay was held to be superior to its cousin, Pinot Noir, but that was a long time ago and today Pinot is held by many of us to be the finest wine grape of all. The great Gamay wines from the grand cru vineyards when aged four to eight years can give Pinots a good run for their money though. Nouveau, however, is a different animal and if you want to learn more about the subject, read the two blogs written here on September 15th of this year. The first blog of that day concerns carbonic maceration, the Beaujolais winemaking process which is called whole berry fermentation in the new world. "Flash Detente" is the title of the second article and it builds on the first explaining the revolutionary new winemaking technology that seems to take carbonic maceration to a whole new level. Remember to scroll back since the order is reversed in the blog form.
Next Friday from 5 to 7pm we'll be tasting as usual here at the store. Two whites that didn't make the cut this week are Chateau de Cray Bourgogne Aligote and Sensi Pinot Grigio, so count on those two and, as seems to be a trend, more Spanish and Italian reds and California Cabernets. Please join us...and get those holiday gift basket orders in!
Being a history buff, Nouveau snags me right away but there is a problem lying in its pre-history in that there has always been a "nouveau" release in France and probably elsewhere. Wine producers have historically released a quickly made teaser of a wine in hopes of whetting the appetite of locals who may then be enticed to patronize the regular vintage offerings to follow. This pre-history of Nouveau existed until 1937 when the Beaujolais AOC was codified in France and the floodgates were then opened internationally for Nouveau Beaujolais.
By law Nouveau must be sourced from the AOC environs but outside of the ten grand cru vineyards, which is opportune to say the least, since those superior vineyards command a premium price compared to basic Beaujolais. Through the marketing genius of Georges DuBoeuf, half of all Beaujolais production is now sold as Nouveau and that half is all from the "common" lots. Moreover it is sold quickly before the regular vintage is ready when cash flow is really needed. It is almost like the industry wrote the law!
Getting back to history prior to DuBoeuf, in the effort to create demand, races were held in France to get the teaser to as many markets as possible culminating with Paris being the then ultimate destination. DuBoeuf entered the Beaujolais business in 1964 and quickly extended the racing of wine across Europe and then to America and elsewhere, thereby creating the proverbial marketing monster. At this writing, Germany, Japan, and America are one, two, and three in world Nouveau markets with smaller markets existing everywhere wine lovers congregate.
Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais and Beaujolais is the southern half of Burgundy, France. Centuries ago Gamay was held to be superior to its cousin, Pinot Noir, but that was a long time ago and today Pinot is held by many of us to be the finest wine grape of all. The great Gamay wines from the grand cru vineyards when aged four to eight years can give Pinots a good run for their money though. Nouveau, however, is a different animal and if you want to learn more about the subject, read the two blogs written here on September 15th of this year. The first blog of that day concerns carbonic maceration, the Beaujolais winemaking process which is called whole berry fermentation in the new world. "Flash Detente" is the title of the second article and it builds on the first explaining the revolutionary new winemaking technology that seems to take carbonic maceration to a whole new level. Remember to scroll back since the order is reversed in the blog form.
Next Friday from 5 to 7pm we'll be tasting as usual here at the store. Two whites that didn't make the cut this week are Chateau de Cray Bourgogne Aligote and Sensi Pinot Grigio, so count on those two and, as seems to be a trend, more Spanish and Italian reds and California Cabernets. Please join us...and get those holiday gift basket orders in!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Familiarity and Expectation
What do they say about familiarity? It breeds contempt, right? Or perhaps more accurately in the wine business, complacency. Last night at our weekly tasting we had four Cabernets priced from $12.99 to $24.99. All were good wines and three of the four were brands I have sold for thirty years, so going into the event I assumed that the new highly recommended one would outshow the old standbys. That was my expectation but you know what they say about assumptions. That wine turned out to be the least of the four and of the other three, the little $12.99 Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, overperformed its station by far. Maybe it's not a $30 value, but if you want to taste textbook Cabernet, try this one.
When I think of Cabernet, I think of structure first. I want a wine with shoulders that tastes like it has intention and demeanor. This one had fourteen months in oak, imparting both the boldness (shoulders) and earthiness (spice, tobacco) that goes a long way toward conveying the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Also when talking about Cabernet, complex fruit flavors are prerequisite and this one was brimming with cherries, berries, and plums, and I mean more than one type of each. This one's fruity nature makes it a nice cocktail for cab lovers but its structure and balance makes it more than just another fruit bomb. Needless to say, as a red meat accompaniment, it'll do just fine.
Wente, by the way, is the oldest California winery by most acceptable measurements. Charles Wetmore planted his Bordeaux cuttings in Livermore Valley a hundred thirty years ago. Today UC Davis calls those cuttings Cabernet Clones #7 and #8 and those berries seem quite content residing in the four hundred acre Wente Cabernet vineyard in Livermore. Five generations of Wentes have farmed their still family-owned estate elevating it to top thirty American wine company status. Not bad for a family-owned enterprise.
Familiarity in cheese appreciation can be problematic too. For the past month we have been selling Austrian Moosbacher Swiss, which when first cut into seemed to be just another Swiss, so lacking in distinction it could even be domestic. Because the cost was reasonable and the flavors moderate, we served it repeatedly at tastings and I gradually took a liking to the cheese. When I finally realized that the annoying familiarity I felt with Moosbacher had to do with mediocre Baby Swiss, I was able to get past the bias and give the cheese a real chance. It doesn't hurt that our cheeses tend to sit out on the cutting table for elongated periods warming to just the right temperature.
Moosbacher seems to be a combination of Emmentaler and Gouda and to a lesser extent, Appenzeller, and Gruyere. As a Swiss it is smooth, semi-firm, nutty, sweet and fruity, and creamy in the mouth. Moosbacher comes in an eighteen pound burlap wrapped wheel. It is a cow's milk cheese and as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if it may have improved in the deli over the past month. Stranger things have happened in this strange wine and cheese business and familiarity has a role to play in all of it. In this case though, my expectations were limited and it was the cheese that improved on me!
As always Friday is tasting night here at the store so join us on the 9th when we will taste a French Pinot Noir, Italian Montepulciano, more California Cabernets, and I don't know what else but it'll be fun. Nouveau Beaujolais day is the 15th so get those orders in as well as the holiday gift basket orders and do you want to know who introduced the Chardonnay grape to California? Wente, naturally.
When I think of Cabernet, I think of structure first. I want a wine with shoulders that tastes like it has intention and demeanor. This one had fourteen months in oak, imparting both the boldness (shoulders) and earthiness (spice, tobacco) that goes a long way toward conveying the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Also when talking about Cabernet, complex fruit flavors are prerequisite and this one was brimming with cherries, berries, and plums, and I mean more than one type of each. This one's fruity nature makes it a nice cocktail for cab lovers but its structure and balance makes it more than just another fruit bomb. Needless to say, as a red meat accompaniment, it'll do just fine.
Wente, by the way, is the oldest California winery by most acceptable measurements. Charles Wetmore planted his Bordeaux cuttings in Livermore Valley a hundred thirty years ago. Today UC Davis calls those cuttings Cabernet Clones #7 and #8 and those berries seem quite content residing in the four hundred acre Wente Cabernet vineyard in Livermore. Five generations of Wentes have farmed their still family-owned estate elevating it to top thirty American wine company status. Not bad for a family-owned enterprise.
Familiarity in cheese appreciation can be problematic too. For the past month we have been selling Austrian Moosbacher Swiss, which when first cut into seemed to be just another Swiss, so lacking in distinction it could even be domestic. Because the cost was reasonable and the flavors moderate, we served it repeatedly at tastings and I gradually took a liking to the cheese. When I finally realized that the annoying familiarity I felt with Moosbacher had to do with mediocre Baby Swiss, I was able to get past the bias and give the cheese a real chance. It doesn't hurt that our cheeses tend to sit out on the cutting table for elongated periods warming to just the right temperature.
Moosbacher seems to be a combination of Emmentaler and Gouda and to a lesser extent, Appenzeller, and Gruyere. As a Swiss it is smooth, semi-firm, nutty, sweet and fruity, and creamy in the mouth. Moosbacher comes in an eighteen pound burlap wrapped wheel. It is a cow's milk cheese and as I'm writing this, I'm wondering if it may have improved in the deli over the past month. Stranger things have happened in this strange wine and cheese business and familiarity has a role to play in all of it. In this case though, my expectations were limited and it was the cheese that improved on me!
As always Friday is tasting night here at the store so join us on the 9th when we will taste a French Pinot Noir, Italian Montepulciano, more California Cabernets, and I don't know what else but it'll be fun. Nouveau Beaujolais day is the 15th so get those orders in as well as the holiday gift basket orders and do you want to know who introduced the Chardonnay grape to California? Wente, naturally.
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