MORE ON THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LIQUOR STORE: In my last Whine I talked about the great bargains at the state-run New Hampshire Liquor stores, suggesting that you should never bypass a chance to pick up some of these great values. Since that posting I have heard from my friend Leslie Thistle, a former wine retailer in Maine. She told me the story behind these great deals.
Due to New Hampshire distribution laws “the suppliers have to sell from warehouses and have to rent space by the square foot for the pallets on which the wine is stored. If through their regular marketing to restaurants or retail stores a particular wine doesn’t move, or if the inventory just sits for one reason or another, it begins to cost the supplier more than the wine is worth. The fastest way to move it and make way for something new to sit on those pallets is to deeply discount it and put in in those liquor stores.” One complaint seems to be that one can not necessarily return to pick up a great bargain because once the wine is gone, it is gone. In the meantime, to again quote Leslie: “it is an amazing place to look for deals!”
RIPASSO COMES TO THE NEW WORLD: Back in Whine # 22 I explained a process called ripasso, which was invented by the Italian conglomerate Masi. In order to make this rich flavorful wine Valpolicella undergoes a second fermentation while in contact with the lees left from making Amarone.
Well, the folks at Masi have now taken the process to South America. Masi co-owns several vineyards in Argentina and they have worked on a process whereby Malbec is double fermented with a percentage of slightly dried Corvina grapes. Incidentally Corvina is not a grape normally grown in Argentina. The first result of Masi’s experimentation is now available in Canada (at least in Nova Scotia and Ontario). Masi’s Tupungato Passo Doble is inexpensive and is a great food wine. It is very slightly acidic and perhaps not best suited to just sipping. However, it has the advantage of not needing to cellar (unlike the Italian Ripassos). If you live in a province where this wine is available I suggest you pick up a bottle to enjoy with robust food.
A POSSIBLE END TO A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER: Some years ago while visiting friends in Paris I was stricken with a severe case of Corkscrew Envy. This syndrome can appear at any time in the adult male and is usually triggered by visual stimuli. The symptoms can be mild or severe and may include anxiety, sweating, inability to look another male in the eye, and in some cases erectile dysfunction. The disorder is at least partially dependent on culture with the highest frequencies in France and Italy. Australia, for reasons noted below, has had no new cases in recent years. Corkscrew Envy, like most male problems, does not respond to psychotherapy.
In my case I quickly found relief by scouring the streets of Paris until I found a tiny shop that sold me the beautiful device hereby pictured. Once I realized that my corkscrew was as large as my friend Gerard’s, and in fact was larger than those belonging to any other males that I knew, I had no further problems. As you can tell by the picture I take daily pleasure in using my corkscrew, but worry that it may so
on be relegated to a cork and screw museum, as the future of the wine cork is in some doubt. But I digress.The corkscrew was invented in the middle of the 17th century shortly following the first use of cork as a bottle stop. The first mention of the corkscrew was in 1681 when an N. Grew described it as “a steel worm used for drawing corks out of bottles.” Prior to the 17th century bottles were only used to transport wine from the barrel to the table. There was no practical way to seal the bottle which meant that the wine quickly oxidized and became undrinkable. A successful wine merchant was one who could get his wine most quickly from the vineyard to the table. Wines would have been truly awful by today’s high standards.
Once it was discovered that the outer bark of the cork oak “Quercus suber” was light, clean, and available in vast quantities the world of wine dramatically changed. Cork is unaffected by temperature, it rarely rots, and most importantly, it is uniquely elastic. Thus, you can squeeze a cork enough so it will slip into the neck of a bottle and then expand to form a tight seal. Only a small amount of oxygen is sealed in, and the wine can be kept, and allowed to mature for years. Gradually vintners discovered that they could focus on taste and aroma, they could blend varietals and mostly age the wine until all roughness disappeared.
Jump ahead 300 years and the world undergoes another change. Wine drinking has become so popular that the demand has outstripped the supply of high quality cork. In fact, wine spoiled because of lower grade cork has become ever more frequent. Some estimates run as high as 10% of wines being “corked” or oxidized. Two substitutes are currently used by vintners. First, many cheaper bottles are “stopped” by plastic corks. Unfortunately these corks lack in elasticity and in order to completely seal the bottle the “cork” is so tight that only athletic waiters have the strength to withdraw. On the other hand, more and more wines are sealed in screw-top bottles. No longer is “screw-top” wine associated with cheaper brands. In fact, virtually 100% of Australian wines now come in screw-tops. After all, the Australians have always led the world when it comes to wine innovation.
A side effect is that if there are no corks, then there are no cork-screws and those macho Australians now have to envy their mates for other reasons than stiff worms. The French and Italians are much more traditional and still purchase tons of cork from Portugal, not realizing that their psyches are at risk. What does the future hold? I predict that over the next few years, fewer and fewer affordable wines will come in bottles with corks. I fear that my beautiful appendage will be relegated to storage and no longer be a source of envy among my peers.
TORRONTES: If you think that Malbec is the only wine that Argentina has given the world, think again. Not only are the red Malbecs exceptional value, Argentina produces an even better value white wine. This varietal is called Torrontes and it is virtually exclusive to Argentina (although the vines may or may not have originally come from Spain). The wine is dry, aromatic and has a slight taste of lemon. Some writers describe the taste as a cross between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, if you can imagine such a thing. This wine, which should be available in most provincial stores, sells for between $10 and $15 and in Ontario there is even one Torrontes available for $8.95.
Torrontes can be either a sipping wine or it can be a perfect match for the right food. In my case I really enjoy a glass of Torrontes with Veal Picatta. If you like the flavour of lemon you will find it both in the wine and in the dish.
Here is the recipe for VEAL PICATTA. Risotto is the perfect side dish.
½ cup flour 1 cup white wine (or red)
1 tsp salt 1 garlic clove, chopped
½ tsp pepper 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp capers, drained
5 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
½ cup chicken stock 4 veal scallops, pounded to ½” thickness
Combine flour, salt and pepper in bowl. Dredge veal. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add 1 ½ Tbsp butter. Cook veal until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer veal to a plate and set aside. Deglaze pan with wine, and bring to boil, reducing to half. Add chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice and capers, and cook 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in remaining 3 ½ Tbsp butter and parsley. Return veal to pan and cook until heated through and sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
OPIMIAN OFFERING # 202: For a long time France has produced the world’s most prestigious wines. Perhaps the most famous, and certainly the most expensive wines come from the great Chateaux of Bordeaux. Offering 202 is a catalogue of good and very good Bordeaux. If you are into wine snobbery, then serve a well-aged Margaux or a St. Emilion. As an aside, my host at a dinner party last evening served a great 1995 St. Emilion Grand Cru. It was delightful, and certainly not too old.
On the other hand, if you are looking for value, then skip this offering. There is nothing here for you. Offering 202 is for those with (1) deep pockets, and (2) a cool, dark, quiet place to store the wines for several years. Finally, if you do want to have a few bottles of very good Bordeaux in your cellar (and if your bank loan has come through) then I would suggest # 6109 Chateau Hortevie Saint-Julian. In about 5 years this wine will be absolutely superb.
