Whine # 60

Quote of the day:  “Wine improves with age, the older I get the better I like it.”

Summer Wine:   For those of a certain age the term “summer wine” brings memories of the 1967 hit song by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood.  In that song sultry Nancy gets Lee drunk in order to steal his silver spurs along with $ 1.10.  Her “summer wine” was flavored with strawberries and cherries and no doubt was a bit sweet. 

My notion of summer wine is something crisp and refreshing and which will not lead to a Lee Hazelwood type of massive hangover.  Here are my recommendations for White or Rose summer wines.  All of these wines should be served very cold.

Sauvignon Blanc:   Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, light and refreshing despite its relatively high alcohol content.    It is distinctive in that it tastes like citrus, lime or possibly green apple.  Because of its high acidity this wine pairs well with all those summer salads that have oil and vinegar as dressing.

Pinot Grigio:  If you prefer something a little less acidic then this could be your choice.  Again, this is a high alcohol content white, but the taste is less of citrus fruit and more like mango or melon.

Vinho Verde:  My favorite summer sipping wine is this very low alcohol (9.5%) wine from Portugal.  It is classified as a “crackling wine” which means there is a slight effervescence, but not full bubbles as in a sparkling wine.  On a hot day this wine is wonderful when served very, very cold.

Viognier and Chardonnay:  These wines are less acidic, and if they have been oaked (as are many California Chardonnays) there is a distinct buttery taste.  Either will go very well with boiled lobster that is dipped in melted butter.  Also a good accompaniment for Digby scallops.

Rose:  In hot weather don’t overlook Rose.  Although many roses pair well with food, I prefer mine chilled and on its own.  Roses come from many different countries and are made from many different grapes.  Experiment with which one suits your taste.

Summer reds:  After you have started with a cold beer or a cold white wine, it is time to fire up the barbecue.  Now is the time for a big, bold red wine to accompany your favorite protein.  If you are grilling a nice thick steak then your choice should be an aged Cabernet Sauvignon  from Australia, California or South America.  With ribs, nothing matches better than a spicy Shiraz from Australia.  On the other hand you may be doing chicken, in which case I suggest a good Merlot.  Finally, my favorite for the summer grill is a thick salmon steak.  Although this will pair with a Chardonnay I tend to stick to a light red such as Pinot Noir.

None of the above suggestions involve strawberries or cherries, but then I don’t have a pair of silver spurs to catch Nancy’s fancy.

Corkage Fees:  Restaurants’ wine lists have a mark-up of at least 100%, frequently much more.  It is always annoying to find that an ordinary $ 20. bottle will cost $ 40. or $ 45.  In most cases a good bottle is just too expensive to order.  Thus, one may end up with very good food, but accompanied by a mediocre wine.

In Nova Scotia, as in many other places, restaurants are required to allow customers to bring their own wine.  However, the restaurant will charge a hefty corkage fee, so again it will cost perhaps $ 40. to drink a $ 15. bottle of wine.  Of course, if you bring a very expensive wine with you the percentage “mark-up” is less.

Occasionally, one finds a good restaurant that doesn’t charge a corkage fee.  Le Cuisine de Robichaud in Saulnierville, N.S. is one of those.  Another excellent restaurant that I recently visited for the second time is Chantel’s Steakhouse in Edmundston, N.B.   Here there is a fee but it is a mere $ 1.10 per person.

In April we took a family cruise with our sons and their families to celebrate Betty’s and my 50^th anniversary.   To our surprise Royal Caribbean has ended the corkage fee practice in their main dining room.  The catch, of course, is that when initially boarding one is only allowed to bring two bottles of wine per stateroom.  However, this is still better than other cruiselines that tend to charge  corkage fee of $ 25. U.S.

Opimian offering:  My pick from this selection is 8192 Chateau Canet (2014) from Minervois.  This wine doesn’t need much aging and is a little more bold and more affordable than most French wines. 

WHINE # 59

Napa versus France: Many would argue that the world's best wines come from Napa, California. Nonetheless, this great wine-growing valley was relatively unrecognized prior to the 1970's. Then in 1976 Steven Spurrier, an English wine merchant and wine school owner, decided to get a little publicity by having a blind wine-tasting in which some of the better wines from Napa were presented head-on against some of the best of France.

After travelling to Napa to collect wines Spurrier invited nine of France's best known experts to do the tasting. In the first round only Chardonnays were tried. To Spurrier's great surprise the wine rated at the top was a Chateau Montelena from Napa. A 1973 Meursault-Charmes from Burgundy came second, but the third and fourth places also went to Napa wines.

Spurrier was so shocked that he told the French tasters that an American wine had won. He at least, however, maintained the double-blind conditions for the second round, in which Cabernet Sauvignons were tasted.

Although the French press was paying little attention to this event, there was a reporter from Time Magazine in attendance and he overheard the French experts saying things like "this wine is not good, it must be an American wine". Nonetheless, after the tallies were counted an American Cabernet (a 1973 Stag's Leap) was the top-rated wine, followed by a 1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.

This single event, dramatically changed the market conditions for wines from Napa. Today Napa wines are the among the world's most sought after vintages.

A couple of nights ago I re-watched the movie "Bottleshock" which recounts the adventures of Spurrier as he toured Napa wineries looking for bottles to include in his competition. I loved this movie both times I watched it and if you haven't seen it ask to borrow my copy.

Current comparisons: It has been almost 40 years since Spurrier's tasting and occasionally groups have attempted to repeat the contest (Napa almost always wins). However, this type of contest is of little use to us ordinary consumers. Do I really care what is the world's best bottle of wine? I cannot afford to drink wines in that price range. My interest is in what wine in the $ 20. or $ 30. range tastes best.

I went on the LCBO website to see what a current vintage of the above famous wines might cost. Although it appears I can get a Chateau Montelina Chardonnay for as little as $ 79., a good vintage of a Chateau Mouton-Rothschild would set me back $ 1549. Even if the Stag's Leap can be had for $ 230., so what?

I have done a few wine tastings at my home in which I have compared French and other wines. However, my tasters are amateurs like myself. Then again perhaps what tastes best to an amateur is just as important as what tastes best to a professional.

Current competitors: When Spurrier pitted France again Napa, he was comparing wines from the world's most prestigious wine country to wines from an upstart area. But, one should note, in 1976 wine production was in its infancy in Australia. Chile had just begun to take wine making seriously, and in my very favorite wine area (Mendosa), the Argentinians were still only producing bulk plonc for blending.

I would love to see a serious competition between the best of the Old World wines (France, Italy, Spain) against the best of the New World (U.S., Australia, Argentina, Chile). And I would like to see it done by price range. For example the best wines under $ 100. or under $ 50. I know which countries I would put my money on, but then again, I don't think Mr. Spurrier is going to organize this competition.

Sonoma wines date even farther back than those from its more famous neighbour. There are some very fine wines from Sonoma where small family-owned vineyards predominate. Because of a wider climate variation throughout Sonoma there is also a wider variation of wine styles. Some of the more famous sub-areas of Sonoma are the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek and Russian River. Most important to me is the fact that Sonoma wines tend to be a little less expensive than those of Napa.


A proper wine tasting: While spending the month of March in Gulf Shores, Alabama, we noticed an ad for a wine-tasting dinner in neighbouring Orange Beach. This tasting offered a four-course dinner, and with each course two wines were presented for comparison, one from Napa and one from Sonoma. All of the wines tasted were from the Trinchero Family Estates and all the wines were made by the same wine maker. And, of course, they were very, very close in retail value. Now this was a very nice way to compare affordable wines from two distinct valleys.

In addition to eating excellent food at this fabulous restaurant (Villagio's in case you are ever in Orange Beach) the wines were all excellent. Yet there were subtle differences. I can't really say that I preferred one Chardonnay over the other, or one Pinot over the other. However, both Betty and I had a slight preference for the Sonoma Merlot and the Sonoma Zinfandel.

Opimian Offering 233: In this offering there are a number of good Bordeauxs, but they are overly pricey. Consequently, I have little to recommend from this offering. However, if you like an occasional bottle of Beaujolais, the 8102 Brouilly will be excellent.

WHINE # 58

Wine Pairing in Virginia: I am not one for buying discount coupons but my good spouse is a fan of "Groupon", "Living Social", etc. Just before we left frigid Nova Scotia for only slightly warmer Alabama Betty bought a coupon for a night at the Lafayette Inn in Stanardsville, Virginia. This included a 10-course tasting dinner with matching wines. As the price was ridiculously low I assumed that the wines would be plonc. WRONG!

The Lafayette Inn was built in 1840 and with the exception of being used as a hospital during the American Civil War it has been an inn ever since. Three other couples were staying at the inn and the eight of us gathered for dinner at 6:00 p.m. sharp. If one includes the Amuse Bouche we actually ate 11 courses, each one interesting and superbly prepared.

I shall not bore you with a description of the entire menu except to say that each course was perfectly paired with a wine from California, Argentina or Virginia. I had not realized that Virginia is the third largest producer of wine (after California and Washington) in the United States. To my surprise the three Virginian wines (two white, one red) that we tasted held up well against the more familiar wines from California and Argentina. The red (Prince Michel Merlot) was more like an "Old World" wine and would not have failed had it been positioned against a French Bordeaux.

Our host (the inn's owner and chef) did two things in his pairings that were most interesting. The very first wine we tasted, a Bandit Pinot Grigio from California (we were told that), was paired with with a delicate corn fritter and was a nice wine with which to begin. It was not until the end of the evening that our host told us that the Bandit was a boxed wine. None of the guests would have suspected.

Perhaps the most interesting wine pairing happened with courses six and seven. A Kenwood Chardonnay was served almost room temperature with the salmon trio (one piece blackened, one served with a dill sauce and one with a wasabi sauce). Then the same Chardonnay was served chilled with a more delicate chicken dish. When served at a warm temperature the oak was very pronunced, allowing the wine to stand up to the strongly flavored salmons. When icy cold the oak was much less pronounced making this a good match for the very mild chicken.

I had always believed that there was one correct temperature to serve a particular wine. Now I have learned that changing the temperature (at least of an oaked Chardonnay) can make it a better or poorer match for a particular food.

NEBBIOLO: Wine contains very complex chemicals and thus the difference from one wine to another can be very subtle. On the other hand much of the differences among wines can be described in terms of four variables. Wines vary in terms of their content of sugar, acid, alcohol and tannins. In terms of taste the sugar content is obvious. More acid gives the wine a "sharp" taste, although allowing subtle flavours to come through. The amount of alcohol determines the viscosity (thickness) of the wine. Finally, the tannins in a wine can be harsh or bitter when the wine is young but impart a smoothness to the wine when well aged. A good tannic wine will give a sense of dryness on the tongue making one almost want to pucker the lips. Tannins also allow a wine to age or cellar helping to bring through any fruit flavours.

When it comes to Italian wines many of us think of their primary characteristic as being high in acid. This is particularly true of the common Italian grapes Sangiovese and Corvina (the main grape in Valpolicella). Obviously these acidic wines match well with the tomato sauces that we love on our pasta dishes.

One Italian grape variety that is largely ignored in North America is Nebbiolo. This grape is grown primarily in Piedmont and the wines from this area are rich not only in acids but heavy in tannins.

The Nebbiolo grape is rarely grown outside Piedmont but it is capable of producing some of the best wine imaginable. Two of the most famous of these wines are BARBARESCO and BAROLO. Of these two Barolo is the more tannic (because of differences in the soils). Also Barbaresco, although pricey, is quite a bit less expensive than Barolo.

Barolo, known for many years as "the King of Wines" is considered to be the very best Italian wine. It has the scent of tar and roses and it is thick and wonderfully tannic. Despite the fact that it is lightly colored it is not a light wine, usually having an alcohol content above 15%.

There are two down-sides to Barolo. First, because of the high level of tannins the wine needs careful aging. Barolo is best when aged about 15 years, whereas Barbaresco needs about 12 years. On the other hand, their cheaper cousin (NEBBIOLO del ALBA) is ready in about 5 years.

Should you have the opportunity to try a bottle of well-aged Barolo you definitely need to pair it with heavier foods. The recommended food pairings include meat dishes, heavy pastas and rich risottos; in other words, foods high in protein.


CELLAR OFFERING # 232:
I have only a few recommendations for this offering. Offering 232 has lots of good Italian wines but they are mostly very expensive. Two less expensive possibilities are 8050, a Negroamaro, and 8091 an Aglianico from Campania. I have not tried this particular wine but on the other hand I have never found an Aglianico (a varietal) that I didn't like. It is a dark, tannic wine for those of you so inclined. Finally, there are three Barolo's in this offering should you have the patience to cellar and the money to spend.

　

Turning wine into water

Whine # 57

The mystery of the missing wine:  Very recently friends from Barcelona attempted to mail us a beautiful gift of Spanish wines.  The boxes arrived, but they had clearly had been opened along the way and badly re-sealed.  My first thought was that the wine had been confiscated by the officious folks at Canada Customs.  However, the boxes contained one bottle of wine as well as bottles of mineral water.  Since the particular brand of mineral water is only sold in Catalunya it seemed there had been a thievery, not in Canada but in Spain. 

We all are familiar with the wedding parable about water being turned into wine.  However, this is an example of the much less pleasant outcome when wine is turned into water.

The story doesn’t end there.  Our Spanish friends had not only tried to send wine to the Johnson’s, but had also very generously mailed wine to their other Antigonish friends.  The result was exactly the same; the boxes had been opened, and all but one bottle of wine had been removed.  Our friends had tried to send a variety of wines to two different Antigonish couples.  However, in each case the recipients got a lot of packing paper and one bottle of Albarina Rias Baixas. 

For those of you not familiar with the Albarina varietal, it is a light and crisp white wine, rich without being sweet, and having hints of peaches in the aroma.  It is similar to, but better than, the Portuguese favorite Vinho Verde.  Now why would the thieves twice leave this particular wine and take the other bottles?  Not only do I not know, I cannot even come up with a reasonable hypothesis.  I am, however, saving the Albarina for just the right occasion.

Alfa Crux:  In my first blog each year I describe what wines I drank the previous year and what were the very best bottles that I had opened during the previous 12 months.  In each of the last four years I have included in my list of 10 or so a bottle of O. Fournier’s Alfa Crux Malbec.  No other wine has consistently pleased me as much.   Apparently I am not the only one to consider this wine to be something very special.  I just read that “Wine Spectator” magazine has recently  listed the 2010 Alfa Crux as one of the top 25 wines in the world.  Glad to see that this magazine has caught up with my ratings.

Carmenere:  Those of you that read these blogs know that the wine that I most frequently I drink is Argentinian Malbec.  This rich medium-heavy wine is full of beautiful tannins, but is quite low in acid.  For a number of reasons, it is a wine that represents great value, particularly in a year where the Canadian dollar has lost about 20% of its value against the U.S. greenback.  For variety, however, there is another high value wine that equally pleases my palate.    

Chilean Carmenere, which like Argentinian Malbec, traces its roots back to France is rapidly finding favor all over the Americas.  In the 19^th century root stocks were taken from Bordeaux and planted in Chile.   For some reason, however, the Carmenere plants tended to be mixed in with Merlot and planted in the same vineyards.  Local growers recognized that two different plants were growing and that the resulting wines were very different, yet they assumed there were two different sub-types of Merlot.  It was not until 1994 that scientists determined that varietal was in fact Carmenere and not something that had incorrectly been called Chilean Merlot.

In the later part of the 19^th century France was hit by the phylloxera blight and stocks of Carmenere in France all but disappeared.  Phylloxera has never reached Chile and in the last 20 years Carmenere has become the signature wine of Chile.  Today there are about 24,000 acres of Carmenere in Chile (as compared to 77,000 acres of Malbec grown in Argentina).

Both Carmenere and Malbec are low in acid but high in rich, lush tannins.  Both are dark in color although Malbec is perhaps more purple.  In terms of taste both have flavors of plum and spice.  In both cases the wines are frequently oaked (unoaked versions exist).

A couple of nights ago I decanted a medium-priced Carmenere and a medium-priced Malbec.  Under double-blind conditions four of us drank the two wines with an entrée of Veal Veronique.  The fact that Malbec is more purple than Carmenere was a bit of a give-away in terms of the blind tasting.  As it turned out three of the four of us preferred the Malbec, although all liked both wines.  The Carmenere was a little more tannic and perhaps could benefit from another year in the cellar.

The next time you are picking up a bottle of your favorite Malbec, also buy a bottle of Carmenere in the same price range and do a comparison.  I bet you'll be pleased with both.

Lent:  At a recent luncheon meeting of the Romeos (Retired Old Men Eating Out) a friend of mine was the after lunch speaker.  He casually mentioned that he was going to give up drinking beer for Lent.  The thought occurred to me that perhaps I should discipline myself by giving up something.  Wine immediately came to mind.  On the other hand, I do not like failure very much and swearing off wine would be resolution that would absolutely fail.  Instead I have decided to give up sobriety.

Opimian Offering 231:  Here are my recommendations:

7986  Serra Vinho Verde.  Each year I recommend this as a light summer white which also makes a very nice reception wine.
8003  Clos Montblanc Monastrell blend.  A nice Spanish red that goes well with food and which makes a break from the more common Tempranillo.
8009  Cava Parxet.  A lovely dry Cava for thos who like their sparkling wines without much sweetness.
8014  Blason Ribera.  Medium expensive this 2009 is almost ready for drinking
8024  Pouilly Fuisse.  Not cheap but well worth the price for anyone who wants a really good Chardonnay.
8032  Gigondas.  Again this will set you back a bit but it is still slighter cheaper but just as good as a Chateau-neuf-du-Pape.

Wine from a box

WHINE # 56

 

BOXED WINES:  Last time I asked readers for suggestions for topics in future blogs.  One suggestion that threw me a bit was “why not say something about boxed wines?”  Not an easy task for me as I never drink boxed wines.  In fact, the closest I usually get to a boxed wine happens at the end of a golf game when I am heading to the bar and my wife says:  “Bring me a glass of wine, unless it comes from a box.”  Given the golf courses that we usually frequent, Betty gets a lot of glasses of beer.

Snobbery aside, I headed out to my local NSLC store and purchased the most expensive box of wine available.  This happened to be an Australian Shiraz.  I served it blind to a number of Christmas party guests and to my surprise there were some that thought it was good, although the majority (perhaps the more honest ones) noted that it definitely was of an inferior quality.  At the end of the evening I was left with many empty glass bottles and a half-full box of Shiraz.  Over the next couple of days I managed to finish the stuff but nobody else in the house assisted me in that task.  I sipped the Shiraz as the rest of my family enjoyed the good stuff.

What can one say about wine that comes in a box?  First, boxed wine has one great advantage over bottled wine in that it keeps well after opening.  Boxed wine is really wine in a plastic sack.  As wine is removed the sack collapses and no air is left to oxidize the wine.  The claim is that a box of wine can last for weeks.  This compares to bottled wine that I find lasts at best 24 hours.  The second advantage is the price.  Boxed wine is about 30% cheaper than anything one can buy in a bottle.

So what is my advice?  If you are 24 years old, have a big student loan, car payments, and the need to get financially established, then boxed wine could be your drink of choice.  However, if you are three times that age, you must realize that any glass of wine you pour might be your last.  I would hate for my very last glass of wine to have come from a box.

GOOD NEWS FOR RURAL NOVA SCOTIANS:  Nova Scotia is a poor province with an aging population.  One of the sources of government revenue is the liquor taxes collected at each NSLC store.  However, as we age consumption of alcoholic beverages is declining (this observation does not come from personal experience I assure you).  Raising prices is predicted to be counterproductive in terms of consumption and subsequent revenue. 

In a recent article I read the solution seems to be to convince Nova Scotia consumers to drink higher quality wines (which of course have more tax included in the price). 

Those of us in rural areas have long complained that there are few really good quality wines available at NSLC stores.  The best wines only seem to be available in the Port of Wines store in Halifax.   If the government really wants me to drink more expensive wines they are presumably going to have to stock them at my local store.   Collecting more taxes from me by offering me better wines at my local store is ironically good news.  There, where else did you find someone wanting to pay more taxes?

WHAT I DRANK LAST YEAR:   At the end of each year I like to see what wines I drank over the previous twelve months.  I am too embarrassed to tell you the total number of wines that are described in my wine diary, but I will tell you the percentage of wines that came from the major wine producing countries.

Again, South America dominated my table with 44% of wines opened (24% from Argentina and 20% from Chile).  This compares to 46% from the previous year.  There are two reasons for my purchasing so many wines from South America.  First the wines are very, very good; and second, these are great value wines.  If you like red wine and you want to buy wines in the $ 15-$20 range you can’t beat South America.

California, as we all know, makes great wines, but they tend to be a bit pricey.  Last year 12% of my consumption (11% in 2013) was Californian.  No doubt that will decline in 2015 as the Canadian dollar is currently so much weaker than the US greenback.  The good news is that the Canadian dollar is holding its own against other currencies.  My guess is that I shall crack 50% in terms of South American wine consumption.

Twenty per cent of my consumption came from Spain and Italy, but I drank far fewer French wines last year (8%).   I think as I drink more-and-more high alcohol full-bodied New World wines my taste for the thinner wines from France declines. 

To round out my totals 10% of the wines that came up from my cellar were from Australia and 6% came from miscellaneous countries.

MY FAVORITES IN 2014:  Going back through my diary I found that there were 12 bottles of wine to which I gave a perfect “10”.  So what wines were rated as highly as was Bo Derek in the movie from so many years ago?  Three wines repeated from my 2013 list.  There were:  a 2003 Alfa Crux blend from Argentina, a 2007 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, also from Argentina, and a 2009 Louis Martini Napa Cabernet  (not to be confused with a Louis Martini Sonoma)

Two more of the wines were blends from Argentina, a 2010 Norton Privada, and a 2010 Clos de les Siete.  An Australian Shiraz (a 2001 Strathbogie Ranges); a Pinot from Chile (a 2008 Villard Espression Reserve); and a 2009 Genesis Syrah from Washington State rounded out the New World Wines.

Only three of my twelve top wines came from the old world.  Two were from Spain, a 2009 Pujanza from Rioja and the least expensive wine of the entire lot a 2006 Luzon Petit Verdot.  Finally, an Italian wine, a 2008 Piano Aglianico del Vulture rounded out my list of the best wines of 2014.

With the exception of the Don Melchor all the wines were under $ 50.

CELLAR OFFERING 230:  This offering is a bit of a mixed bag, including some wines from Brazil, a few French wines, a couple of South American wines, as well as some Cognac and Scotch Whiskey.  If you were like me and blew the bank on Offering 229 then you will be very discriminating this time.

Brazil makes lots of sparkling wines and last year I ordered a case of Salton.  I found it to be a bit sweet for my taste.  Most Brazilian winemakers are Italian in origin so perhaps their wine is intended to mimic Prosecco.  My preference, however, is for drier Cavas from Spain.

For those of you with little cash after the Christmas season you might try a case of 7948 Paulita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon.  For a wine the sells for well below $ 15., depending on your province, this wine is surprisingly drinkable.

On the other hand, if you want to spend some of that money you are currently saving at the gas pumps I suggest the Chablis (7931).  Chablis is never cheap but I much prefer it to New World Chardonnays.

Finally, if you have lots of spare cash order a case of 7971 Sauvis Hors, D’Age Bas-Armagnac.  I know this is over $ 100. per bottle but at the end of a fine dinner a sip of this so magnificent.

 

Old and New World Wines

WHINE # 55

PERSONAL PREFERENCES:   We started the small dinner party with sparkling wine and then moved to a series of reds wines to accompany the food courses.  The first wine was a well-aged Bordeaux (French), which was followed by an Aglianico del Vulture (Italian), and then a Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentinian).  With the cheese course we drank a Chilean blend that combined Carmenere with Cabernet and Petit Verdot.

The majority of diners found that as the evening went along the wines got better and better.  There could be many explanations for this, but what was most interesting to me was that one person very much preferred the French wine, and as the evening progressed found that each wine was less to his liking.

Certainly tastes differ, and that is no doubt a very good thing.  However, the perfect negative correlation between one person’s tastes and the tastes of the others I found quite fascinating.   The wines had been chosen to go from light to heavy, which is another way of saying that over the evening the wines became less thin or had more body.  A wine with more body tastes “thicker” in the mouth.  A very heavy wine is sometimes described with terms such as “big”, “bold”, or “chewy”.  Those who prefer lighter wines will argue that they are more “subtle” or more “elegant”.

For those who remember their high school science, what I am describing is “viscosity” which is “a measure of a fluids resistance to gradual deformation by tensile stress.”  This corresponds to the informal concept of “thickness” or “resistance to flow”.  For example honey has a much higher viscosity than water.  Or, as fat content in milk is increased one moves from skim to whole to cream.

Viscosity in wine is determined almost wholly by the wine’s alcohol content.  Wines vary from about 9 % alcohol to somewhere short of 16%, unless the wine is fortified (Ports and Sherries have alcohol added following the fermentation process).  A non-fortified wine cannot have more than 16% alcohol because the fermentation process ends when the alcohol kills off the yeast.  The chemistry which determines the viscosity is quite complex and well beyond my understanding.  However, my son (the Engineer not the Lawyer) tells me that when ethanol and water are mixed the result has a much higher viscosity than either liquid alone.  Presumably wine/alcohol blends have the same properties, with viscosity rapidly increasing as the percentage of alcohol goes up.

Bordeaux would not normally be considered a thin wine (as compared to a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir) but at 12.5 % our dinner Bordeaux was thinner than the Italian wine (13.5%) and quite a bit thinner than the Cabernet (14.5%) or the Blend (15%).  Going up 1% in alcohol content does not seem like much, but remember moving from 12.5 to 13.5 % alcohol is really an 8 % increase. 

It appears to me that most of the guests liked the wines better as they got heavier.  As already noted one diner had tastes in the exact opposite direction.

Think for a minute about your favorite wines.  Does your list include Australian Shiraz, Argentinian Malbec and Chilean Cabernet?  If it does you like wines high in viscosity.  On the other hand if you tend to seek out French Burgundies or Californian Pinot Noirs, then your preference is for wines with less alcohol.

The next time you are choosing which wine to buy, don’t forget to check the alcohol content.  By law the alcohol content is always listed in fine print somewhere on the label.

WINES OF THE POPES:  Most of you are familiar with Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Pope’s new castle), the wonderful wine from Avignon at the very south of the Rhone.  This rather heavy wine (by French standards) is a blend of many grapes, the most prevalent being Grenache.  Somewhat rough when young; the wine mellows beautifully with age.  The name comes from that period in history when Popes lived in Avignon.  In 1307 during a period of conflict between the French Monarchy and the Vatican the newly elected Pope Phillip IV (who was a Frenchman) decided to remain in France rather than move to the Vatican.  Until Gregory XI ended the practice in 1377 all Popes lived in Avignon.  Nonetheless the conflict continued after 1378 and in fact rival Popes (one in Avignon, one in Rome) claimed the Throne.  The Catholic church was not fully united until 1417.  While the schism did nothing to advance Catholicism, it did improve wines in the south of France, as all of the Avignon Popes took great interest in improving the quality of the nearby  vineyards.

The second “Pope’s wine” (my nickname)comes from Spain.  Berola was a small parcel of land granted by Senor Borja to the Cistercian monks in the 12^th century. The surrounding area is today called Campo de Borja.

Recently I discovered a magnificent bottle of Berola (from the Borsao Co-op in Borja) in my cellar.  I don’t know where I picked it up, but after tasting this wonderful Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache) I decided to do a little research.

I quickly learned more about the Borja family than I did about their wine.  The Borjas (Borgias in Italian) were politically and ecclesiastically minded Spaniards who managed to get two of their kin elected Popes.  The first Borgias Pope (Calistus III) reigned from 1455 until 1458.  However, his antics paled as compared to Pope Alexander VI who reigned from 1492-1503.  What is most fascinating is that the corruption of Alexander, as depicted in the TV series “The Borgias”, starring Jeremy Irons, was basically factual.

Alexander VI was very fond of both women and money.  He fathered 12 children by numerous mistresses.  Having basically bribed his way into the Papacy; Alexander engaged in nepotism (appointing his teenage son Cesare a Bishop), simony (selling of church offices), murder, and possibly incest (with his daughter Lucrezia, who also may have dallied with her brother).  Banquets at the Vatican included numerous invited courtesans who were there for the pleasure of the clerics.  Supposedly it was common for naked young boys to jump out of cakes.  Although it has never been proven Cesare probably murdered his brother Giovanni and threw the body into the Tiber.  He may also have murdered one of Lucrezia’s lovers.  Lucrezia was married numerous times and was considered to be an expert in the use of arsenic.  At one point Cesare killed multiple prisoners by locking them in St. Peter’s Square and then shooting them from a balcony.

Of course, corruption of the Papacy was not restricted to the Borgias.  However it is significant that the Reformation (1517) followed Alexander’s reign by little more than a decade. 

On the other hand, I should perhaps add that Alexander only ranks sixth on several lists of the worst Pope’s in history.

I should, no doubt, say more about the wine and less about the scandal.  Had I blind-tasted the Berola I would have insisted it was a New World wine rather than it's being Spanish.  The fruit flavors came through the chewy tannins.  The only problem is that I don’t know where to get another bottle.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 229:  Only once a year does the Opimian Society offer wines from South America.  This year they have done a great job offering wines that are not only delicious, they are very affordable.  There are so many from which to choose that I have decided to only recommend high value wines in the $ 15-$ 25 range (depending on your province).   I have personally tried each of these wines (in earlier vintages of course) and am confident that you will not be disappointed in any of them.  My recommendation is that you max out your credit card and buy many cases.

Here are the ones I recommend:  7869, 7877, 7878, 7884, 7885, 7895, 7907, and 7908.  In addition to the above I suspect the following three (which I haven’t tasted) are worth considering:  7886, 7887, and 7909.

 

 

 

Wines from the Black Sea

WHINE # 54

ODD SCHEDULE:

Some years ago a good friend who was new to the Opimian Society asked me for recommendations on what to order.  I e-mailed her some suggestions each time a new offering came from Opimian.  Eventually I started to make comments beyond simply listing order choices, and I also included others in a distribution list.  The suggestion was made that it would be easier if I did this by way of a blog so in 2007 I started the Winewhine.

Jumping to the present day I recently received an e-mail from a reader who noted that she hadn’t received any Whines for some time.  True, I hadn’t written a blog in almost six months.

For those of you who have been enjoying the reprieve from my ramblings, let me warn you that you should expect about a blog a month for the next half year.  I like to end each blog in the way I started  7 years ago by making order recommendations for the current Opimian Society Offering.  Since the first Offering of the season is in November and the last in early summer my blog has an equally odd schedule.

Now, if you suspected from the above that the majority of my readers are female, or at least the majority of questions come from females why should you be surprised?  Asking advice about wine is no different than asking directions when you are in a strange place.  Women seem to find that easier to do than do men.

Nonetheless, I shall ask you a question.  It seems that I have covered a great many wine-related topics in my 54 blogs.  Are there any topics that you should like me to re-visit?  Or are there any questions that you would like to pose?  In other words, are there any aspects of wine and wine culture about which you might like my opinion.  Any e-mailed suggestions, from either gender, would be sincerely appreciated, and I shall make every attempt to answer in a subsequent blog.

THE WINES OF THE BLACK SEA:

Last month four of us Antigonishers had a delightful holiday around the Black Sea, visiting two cities in Bulgaria, three cities in Turkey, and we also had a stop in Sochi Russia.  Prior to the trip I had no thoughts of wine tasting.  However, I quickly discovered that the climate around the Black Sea is very suitable for growing grapes and this area has a history of wine production that goes back 1000’s of years.  We tasted wines in all three countries and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality.

The sample of one wine tasted in Russia is too small for comment.  On the other hand, we did a formal wine tasting in Bulgaria and also had the chance to taste several wines in Turkey.

BULGARIA was perhaps the biggest surprise.  The claim is that in 1980 Burgaria, as the major supplier of wine for the Soviet Union, was the second largest producer of wine in the world.  The wine was bulk wine of low quality and the industry collapsed with the fall of the USSR.  Nonetheless, wine production and more importantly wine quality is rebounding.  Currently Bulgaria is modelling its wine production on Argentina, with vintners producing big, bold wines that taste much more like New World wines than wines from Europe.  Although I found the Chardonnay to be similar to French Chablis, the Pinots that I tasted  were anything but thin and certainly the Cabernet was rich and chewy and deserved to be paired with a big, juicy steak.

While in Bulgaria we visited the UNESCO world heritage village of Nessebar.  On a back street I came to a tiny wine shop and decided to select one bottle for a suitcase trip back to Canada.   Prices were all on display and the wines seemed to range from the Canadian equivalent of $ 10.-$ 50.  I asked the shopkeeper what he would recommend, expecting him to suggest one of the more expensive wines.  Instead he pointed to a $ 15. Wine, noting that it was from an indigenous grape with which he guessed that I would be unfamiliar.  As it is a 2013 I think I’ll try to save it for a bit.

Bulgarian wine does not appear to be available in Nova Scotia but LCBO does apparently carry three Bulgarian reds.  If any of you in Ontario decide to try one, please let me know your reaction.

 

TURKEY is much newer to the list of major wine producing countries.  Despite the population being overwhelming Moslem, wine production has grown steadily since introduced by President Araturk in the 1920’s.  This was part of the establishment of the modern Turkey, with a constitution that separates Mosque and State.

Turkey has many wine producing areas and somewhere between 600 and 1200 genetically unique grapes.  The wines from indigenous grapes that I tasted were all very pleasant, but the wine that I chose to bring home in my suitcase was a Cabernet/Merlot blend.  Back in Antigonish we invited some friends over for my attempt at Ottoman cuisine.  We had Pide and Kebops, etc. and I shared my one bottle of Turkish wine. 

With the main course I opened the Sevilen Isabey (2011) pictured here and poured each guest a glass.  As a base of comparison I also poured everyone a glass of Cornellana (2011) Caberent/Merlot Barrel Reserva.  This Chilean wine is a standard in my house and I serve it frequently.  To my surprise I found the two wines to taste very similar and my guests unanimously chose the Turkish wine over the Chilean.  Perhaps it was the food pairing or perhaps it was because the Turkish wine was a little more expensive.  Whatever, if you find yourself in a wine shop that has a Turkish wine, please don’t be afraid to try it.

OPIMIAN OFFERING 228:

The wines offered are from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.  As I have never been overly impressed with either South African or New Zealand wines I shall make recommendations only on the Australian offerings.  Here Opimian seems to present primarily high-end wines and there is one that I think you should try.  The 2012 Shottesbrooke Estate (7844) Shiraz should be worth the investment.  I had a 2011 last night and was very impressed.  In terms of a negative recommendation I suggest you avoid the Hastwell & Lightfoot “Fat’N’Skinny” series.   My one venture into those wines was very disappointing.