Composed in the Austrian Tradition

March 16th, 2010

Known more for its famous composers, (Mozart, Schubert, and Haydn come to mind) few people know that Austria boasts over 4,000 years of winemaking history and has a rich tradition of delivering complex flavors for even the most discerning palette.

That road, however, is not easily traveled, and Austria nearly fell off the wine producing stage in 1985, when it was discovered it had participated in what is historically known as the “anti-freeze” incident.  That incident, which involved adding diethylene glycol for flavoring purposes, nearly crushed an industry that included some of the finest winemakers in Europe.

Yet the incident, while tragic, has assisted in the re-development of a wine industry with the strictest of standards and additionally facilitated forward thinking winemakers that utilize both organic and biodynamic growing processes.  The modern result is a region producing quality product for all palettes, and doing so in an environmentally conscious way that is beginning to pay dividends in both cost and quality.

It was under this pretext that a diverse group of fifteen wine aficionados braved the sleeting weather to visit Maslow6, Manhattan’s foremost wine destination and purveyor of the world’s finest wines.

The guest of honor was host Monica Caha, Austria’s top wine expert.  Monica imparted her deep knowledge and pride on Austria’s centuries old tradition, featuring not only a taste of it’s famous Gruner Veltliner grape, but a sampling of lesser known full bodied red wines one would not necessarily expect from the region of over 50,000 hectares of vineyard.

The education, tasting, and conversation resulted in a wonderful evening full of surprises and joyful ambiance.  With so many unique perspectives, it certainly set the stage for the many future events Maslow6 has in its cask.

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Zierfandler by Tara Carney

March 12th, 2010

Stadlmann Zierfandler Mandel-Hoh LabelI read somewhere that there are two regions in the world that describe their wine as, “The Wine of Kings and the King of Wines”, those being the Tokaj region of Hungary, and of course, the Barolo region in Piemonte, Italy. I would like to announce to the world that there is indeed a third wine that must not fall under the radar.

The Zierfandler grape dates back to the Hapsburg Empire in Austria and was the favorite wine of the emperors. A white grape indigenous to the Thermenregion, it turns a light red where the sun hits, causing high sugar content while ripening, and on the shady side develops into a golden yellow, maintaining its crisp acidity. Resulting in an extremely dynamic grape with the ability to age for a long time .

I fell in love at first taste with the Stadlmann ‘Mandel-Hoh’ Zierfandler 2006 during the Austrian seminar here at Maslow6, conducted by Monika Caha, MW. On the nose it is full of exotic fruits, quince, honey, and earthy minerals. On the palate it is rich and full-bodied, with high acidity and a touch of sweetness; full of character and spice. Caha had informed us that this was a ‘wine geek’ wine, which made me hopeful for my future.

The Zierfandler grape is responsible for how California Zinfandel conceived its name. Somewhere along the way in 1820, a shipment was made to Long Island, mistaken identity occurred at a world fair, mix that with the inability of Americans to pronounce it, and the  Zinfandel name was born. However, they are completely unrelated. Austria is making a much deserved comeback after the scare of the 1980’s, when it was discovered that a few producers were adding antifreeze agents to enhance body and sweetness to their wines, wiping them completely off the market for a while.

I asked around searching to find other Zierfandler lovers who would share my crush-worthy feelings for it, but it was a challenge for me to find people who had actually heard of it at all. Here’s to hoping that this wine will be discovered, consumed, and appreciated by more wine lovers everywhere.

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Paris in February

February 28th, 2010

We arrived in Paris on Friday, feeling lucky to make it out of New York given the snowstorm. Our plan for the 4 days we are here is very simple: to eat at a different, well-chosen restaurant every day for lunch and dinner. And to enjoy the wine with the food. Whatever else we do is extra (so far we aren’t doing well on the extras but are doing pretty well on the plan).

Friday lunch: L’Ami Louis

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Our first destination after checking into the hotel was a place in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, a very simple place that is an authentic old bistro. It was cold and raining when we landed in Paris, but had slowed down to a drizzle while we were walking about, and checked out the market in the Marais. The rain had picked up again just as we arrived at the restaurant so we were in no hurry to go back outside. Good thing because this place needs a little time to enjoy fully; not to mention time afterwards to recover. The food is genuine bistro food: spectacular in both quality and quantity. We had escargots to start followed by a veal chop for Adrian and confit de canard for me. A perfect introduction to escargots for me – lots of butter and garlic and delicious.

Looking through the wine list – a veritable tome – was a treat in itself. The white Rhones (Jean-Louis Chave!) caught my eye along with the Alsatian Rieslings. But we’ll have to go back because after all it was lunch-time and we were only 2. We chose a half bottle of Domaine Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 2006, feeling very virtuous as the other tables (all of 2 people also) had no qualms of having at least a full bottle. Presumably not much business was being done that afternoon for anyone – but it was Friday, and a ‘snow day’ in New York which may still slow things down in the markets (or at least it sounds like a good excuse, if in fact one is needed). The wine was beautiful, with a velvety texture, red fruits, minerality, and a robust structure underneath – a perfect illustration of the ‘finesse and strength’ of Gevrey-Chambertin. And perfect with the duck and the veal.

pommesFritesThe meats were served alone on a plate – not a vegetable in sight in fact at any of the 6 tables unless you count the potatoes. A huge mound of pommes frites with the veal and the most delicious potatoes I’ve ever had with my confit: perfectly roasted and incredibly creamy.

The next day we met Alain Blanchon for a glass of wine, as it happened he was in Paris at the same time. Some of you may have met Alain in our shop and if not, you have another chance on Thursday evening. His mother, who is a true Parisian, gave us several recommendations for restaurants and we were quite pleased that this was one of them!

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Austrian Wine Personalities

February 22nd, 2010

I traveled with Mollie, wine director of Maslow 6, to Burgenland in Austria, almost two years ago now, but the memories are still vivid.  What stands out about the trip, in addition to the wines, are the personalities.

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We had the privilege of being accompanied by Dr. Josef (aka Pepi) Schuller, who is Austria’s first Master of Wine, and who started the Wein Akademie (Austrian Wine Academy) not in Vienna, but in Rust. He is incredibly knowledgeable about wine in general, passionate about Austrian wine in particular, and a wine educator at heart. He truly loves teaching people about wine and creating an atmosphere where people can learn. Pepi is very serious, and his school in Austria and his contributions to international wine education have earned him global respect. So much so that he became the first non-UK Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine last year. The philosophy of the academy gives an idea of where Pepi’s thoughts are:

“The more a country develops wine knowledge and culture, the more likely it is that this particular nation will expect and consume high quality wines.”

Pepi is also extraordinarily well-respected, admired, and sincerely liked by the Austrian wine-makers. They have genuine affection for him and respect for the work he does. He not only introduced us to people (for which we immediately received credibility), but spent the entire 3 days with us. He was beyond considerate, organizing a trip of a lifetime and enabling us to spend time with some amazing wine-makers. He was truly interested in what we thought about Burgenland, Austria, and their wines.

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Heidi Schröck, Weinbäuerin in Rust (woman winemaker in Rust) one of my favorite producers,ever, spent hours with us. She was named “Austria’s Wine-Grower of the Year” in 2003 by Falstaff magazine. The winery itself is right in the middle of the town of Rust and connected to their house. Rust is noted for the storks that build nests on top of the houses – they also draw many visitors to the town. Heidi showed us around the vineyards, pointing out which ones were better for which varietal, how the soil and aspect of each contributes so noticeably to the wines, and in general sharing her philosophy, which revolves around the vineyard, with us.

We then had the privilege of tasting through her wines with her; we tasted at least 10 wines – an indulgence of the highest order.  She had an intern who had been working with her for about three months and the glow of being able to work with Heidi was very apparent. I was definitely jealous.

I have been meaning to try to get hold of an Austrian TV series that was produced around the time we were there, loosely based on the lives of some of the citizens of Rust, including Heidi. It would be an interesting challenge to capture her passion and dedication to all that she is.

leoHillingerBlogLeo Hillinger built a winery that is a perfect reflection of his personality: it is modern, new, gleaming, and beautiful, in an anything but-understated fashion.  Pepi, who knows Leo well and Mollie, who has met him before, described him as a wine version of Arnold Schwarenegger. I thought they were exaggerating. They weren’t.  He was wearing one of his newly designed polo shirts, with ‘Hillinger’ displayed prominently across the front, that are worn by his polo team.

The winery is state-of-the-art, designed using gravity-flow and has a huge cellar for ageing in oak barrels. The winery has been published in the book ‘Wine by Design: The Space of Wine’ by Loraine Dearstyne Fowlow and Sean Stanwick with such exclusive company as Quintessa and Leo was justifiably proud.

His wines are not under-stated either. We started with his sparkling rose, which was delightful. His Zweigelt is fresh and energizing with lots of fruit. Both the reds and the whites have a lot of personality. Like Leo. I am definitely seeking out his wines again.

Finally, Gerhard Kracher, son of Alois Kracher who had passed away a few months before our visit at the very young age of 48. Alois was a legendary winemaker, admired throughout the world, and made predominantly sweet wines, incredibly balanced and intense. In Eric Asimov’s article (Alois Kracher) after he died, one gets a sense of just how instrumental Alois Kracher was in the world of Austrian wine.

A mere 26 when his father died, Gerhard had worked closely with his father and had taken over running the winery at the time of our visit. Not an easy task in any circumstances. He still took the time to sit with us, to taste his wines, to chat about who he knew in New York (the common acquaintance was Kurt Gutenbrunner, chef and co/owner of Wallse and Blaue Gans, and Cafe Sabarsky), and to impart his passion and his knowledge of the wines. He has help from his mother, who is still involved in the operation of the winery, and from his grandfather, who started the winery and who has deep knowledge of the vineyards and the terroir.

While it is hard to imagine having a bigger challenge, even with these two still very much present in the workings of the winery, Gerhard struck me as not just intellectually capable but emotionally ready. In fact, he was named “Sweet Winemaker of the Year” at the International Wine Challenge in London last September, a real triumph. We applaud him.

I could go on, but will stop here. (although I might have to talk about Palais Coburg in another posting!) These are just a few of the personalities from this region of the world that is producing world-class wines. It doesn’t garner a lot of attention even in a city that prides itself in being truly global, wine-wise. If you have a chance definitely visit. In the mean time, taste some wine from a region that may surprise you.

Or attend a seminar. Maslow 6 happens to have one scheduled for tomorrow, February 23rd, with Monika Caha guiding us through a tasting of 8 Austrian wines. Adventures in Austria.

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Snakes, Lizards, Bones, and Grapes

February 20th, 2010

Last night I had the privilege of speaking in front of a group of wine lovers at the Natural History Museum. I was joined by Peter Couins, a grape rootstock breeder and geneticist who works in the Finger Lakes, researching and teaching at Cornell.  Our lecture was about the ancient wines of the Silk Road, how the grapes came to be in this particular part of China and how these have woven their way into the modern world.

The tone for my evening was set by the shipment of live snakes and lizards that was arriving at the same time I was.  Nothing says ‘natural history’ quite like live reptiles!  Yikes.  Luckily, we were headed into the education wing with our wine.

You might be wondering what the Silk Road has to do with wine – well, quite a bit in fact.  It was along this route that grape vines made their way from the middle east to the far east.  The area of Turfan, a desert oasis in northwestern China, near the Mongolian border, had three distinct periods of wine grape cultivation and wine production:  the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty.  Modern day Turfan’s wine industry marks this as the fourth.  Vines were brought to Turfan from Turkey, Pakistan, and India, most likely, and were taken further east into China, and eventually made their way to Japan.  These grapes are very different looking from their cousins from France and Spain and Italy.  Here, the grapes tend to be small, and in smaller clusters than the eastern varieties, which have large berries and large clusters.

Most of the cultivated grapes that found their way to Turfan were used for raisin production, however, many are grown solely for the purpose of making wine.  Today, China is the world’s 6th. largest producer of wine!  It’s not the first thing you think of when you think of China, but it may be in the future.  Wine is becoming popular among the growing middle classes, and is a status symbol for the wealthy.  Since red is the color of happiness and celebration in China, and red wines have been proven to have positive health properties, most of the wine consumed in China is red.  Modern day red wines tend to be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Gernischt, and Merlot, with other western grape varieties and eastern making their way into the mix.  But back to those ancient varieties that made their way along the silk road.

Pictures of a few varieties in Pakistan and India, Afghanistan and Turkey are below.  These are similar to the grapes that can be found there today, along with the european varieties used for modern wines.  In Turfan, the desert oasis at the foot of the Flaming Mountains, wild grapes were not naturally found.  Wild grapes tend to be found where there are deciduous trees that the vines can climb.  There are no treees in Turfan, or at least not large amounts of deciduous trees, so any grapes there were brought there from somewhere else.  A grape called Mare’s Teat (Maru) and Snake and Dragon Pearl (Cabernet Gernischt) were some of the earliest grapes recorded in the area, during the Han Dynasty.  Rkatsiteli, Muscat Hamburg, and Welschriesling found their way to China through Russia, and modern vines were brought there from Europe.  There is now a grapevine nursery in China, a joint venture with a French nursery, and the beginnings of a new history of grape growing.

As mentioned, China is the world’s 6th largest producer of wine, and the population is huge, so you’d think that they drink all of their own wine, right? Well, they don’t.  Wine consumption per capita in China is about .47 liters per year, while worldwide average wine consumption per capita is about 10 times that, at 4.7 liters per year.  So, the potential for the world’s largest wine industry is there, but most of the population drink locally produced beers and spirits, which are cheaper and more familiar.  If modern trends persist, we may see some exciting developments for wine in China.

Wines tasted at the event:

Strauss Welschriesling 2008, Sudburgenland, Austria

Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli 2007, Keuka Lake, New York

Lingenfelder Morio Muscat ‘Bee Series’, Pfalz, Germany

Schneider Cabernet Franc, North Fork of Long Island, New York

Wild Grapes/Cultivated Grapes Slide1

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Chilly nights with Good friends, Cured meats, and Barolo by Tara Carney

February 4th, 2010

It is a cold winter throughout most the country and today I am thinking about red wine.

A friend of mine in the Great Pacific Northwest called me the other day to ask advice on
which wine to bring to a gathering. “The man of the house cures his own meats”, she informed me.
These homemade cuts were to be served with an assortment of cheeses and breads, at a fine winter gathering of friends.

I hung up, but I couldn’t shake the scene she had just painted for me. A house with a yard, surrounded by lush redwoods, blanketed with cold foggy clouds, and the earthy scent of things growing year round. A crackling fireplace, a kitchen table with mismatched chairs and friends conversing, playing 45’s: gathering. Because it is winter, and they are cold, and they want to warm their bones and their spirits over a few bottles of red.

I stared out onto the bustling BQE from my kitchen window and let images of cold starry nights in the town of Barolo pour into my head. In the hills, a thick nebbia (Italian for “fog”) starts to roll in on the harvest in the late fall, and the growers are willing to wait until as late as November to harvest their delicate Nebbiolo grapes. Townspeople gather around on the chilly nights to carve into their menu of cheeses and meats, with forestale sides of truffled this and olive oiled that, talking, lighting the fire, filling the glasses. And in the Piedmont region these rich foods are paired best with its very own Barolo.

The price of a good Barolo may not be what my dear friends in the arts can stock up on. But there are many other affordable options from the nearby DOC: wines like Langhe Nebbiolo, Nebbiolo D’Alba, or Dolcetto D’Alba. I would recommend this next time my west coast friend attends a gathering thrown by the meat man and his wife.
A gathering I suggest we all remember to throw or attend at least once this winter, for our soul’s sake.

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Rooting for the Underdog: Confessions of a Riesling Lover by Mollie Battenhouse

January 19th, 2010

When people ask me “what’s your favorite wine,” I often check the time and respond; “you mean right now?”  Truth be told, one of my favorite wines of all times is Riesling.  This baffles some people, as the general misconception about Riesling is that it is a guilty pleasure, akin to admitting that you like reading US magazine or lounging around in a Snuggie.   Well, I don’t (and won’t) own a Snuggie ever, but I do own a lot of Riesling and read US Weekly every time I get on a plane!

My hope is that one day, everyone will understand that Riesling is one of the greatest grapes on the earth, capable of incredible stylistic variety and the expression of terroir.  It can also pair with anything at the dinner table, or just about anything – I have yet to meet a food that can’t find a partner in Riesling.  From morning doughnuts to the cheese plate to evening desserts, the only flavor that might give this grape a run for its money is chocolate.  Sommeliers know this, and tend to devote entire sections of their wine lists to the grape.  Check out the list at Gramercy Tavern or Jean-Georges or Tribeca Grill the next time you’re there – you’ll see the slavish devotion to Riesling in black and white.  Just try going to Nobu, Fatty Crab or Momofuku and not seeing Riesling all over the wine list.

Why don’t more people give it a try?  Here are a few reasons why everyone should pick up a bottle or 2 the next time you’re wine shopping (at Maslow 6, naturally):

  1. Riesling has incredible stylistic variety – from crisp and sparkling (Sekt) to tooth-achingly sweet (TBA), this grape covers the gamut.
  2. They are often dry – or tröcken. Tröcken Rieslings can be dry and fruity, like biting into a granny smith apple, or can be dry and very minerally, like licking a bare rock with a squeeze of lime and a kiss of apricot.  Some of my favorite tröcken Rieslings are from the southern parts of Germany (the Pfalz or Nahe), and the regions/countries that begin in “A” – Alsace, Austria, and Australia.  German Rieslings will be labeled as tröcken, while with the “A’s”, dryness is a given.
  3. The sweet ones have incredible balancing acidity!  Ever try a sour patch candy?  A well-made sweet Riesling has the same balance of sweet and sour.  There’s nothing better with foods that have a touch of sweetness and a kick of acid (which, frankly, is most foods – even ketchup).  Try a bottle of off-dry Riesling the next time you order any exotic take out – it’s bound to be a match made in heaven.  It’s also great with ‘special-sauced’ Big Macs and sweet and spicy barbeque. Really!
  4. It only sounds complicated.  What’s hard is the language – German!  What were they thinking?
  5. Weird words you need to know:  Tröcken = dry; Halbtröcken = half-dry (these seem pretty dry on the tongue).
  6. Alcohol levels can also be a clue to dryness, the lower it is, the sweeter the wine.
  7. A few more weird words to look for – Smaragd, Federspeil and Steinfeder.  Gesundheit!  These are ripeness levels in one particular region of Austria, the Wachau.  What do they mean to you?  Smaragd wines are dry, and pretty full-bodied, with a good amount (about 12.5% or more) of alcohol.  Federspiel are dry and lighter in body (11.5-12.5% abv), while Steinfeder is dry, and the lightest of all, clocking in at 11.5% abv max.
  8. Any word that ends in “er” on a German wine label means that it is from that place.   It is usually a town, followed by a vineyard, but it can often be found with the vintage as well. For example, Urziger Wurzgarten.  A wine with this on the label is from the town of Urzig and the Wurzgarten, or spice garden, vineyard.   A vintage may be written as 1999er, meaning it is from the 1999 vintage (a stellar one, by the way).
  9. “Fruity” and “Sweet” are 2 entirely different things.  Sweet means that there’s actually sugar in the wine, while a Fruity wine can be totally dry, but give the impression of sweetness through exotically fruity flavors like mango, pineapple and ripe apples.   Fruity styles are great for pairing with foods that have little to no sweetness, while the sweet styles pair with foods that have a touch of sweetness, like Hawaiian pineapple and pork pizza or sweet ‘n sour chicken. This is making me thirsty!!
  10. Sweet Rieslings are not just for dessert.  The range of sweetness spans from just barely sweet to the toothache variety.  Try a Kabinett or Spatlese (late harvested) Riesling with your Thai take out, Spatlese or Auslese (special harvest) with a plate of cheeses, and Eiswein, Beerenauslese (BA – special berry selection) or Tröckenbeerenauslese (TBA – special dried berry selection) with sweet desserts (and intensely flavored cheeses, too).
  11. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better value for stocking your cellar.  How many bottles of Bordeaux can you stock your cellar with for under $75/bottle?  This price will bring you hundreds of Rieslings worth cellaring.  Most Riesling is drunk while it is young, but with the acidity (and sometimes sugar), it is a prime candidate for lying down and enjoying later.

If I could, I’d have a whole store devoted to Riesling – or at least a wing of a store.  As it is, I stocked Maslow 6 with some favorites; some young, some old, some sweet, some dry, some fruity, some minerally…all of them pleasure providers.  Here are a few to try on your next visit:

The dry: (wines to pair with river fishes, especially trout and catfish, or sausages and pork chops with sauerkraut)

Högl Terrassen Spitzergraben Riesling Federspeil 2008, Wachau, Austria

Donabaum ‘Offenberg’ Riesling Smaragd 2006, Wachau, Austria

Neumayer Riesling ‘Rothenbart’ 2007, Traisental, Austrai

Sybille Kuntz Riesling Tröcken 2007, Mosel, Germany

Robert Weil Estate Troken 2008, Rheingau, Germany

The off-dry: (Barbeque Pork, Duck a l’Orange, and Pad Thai wines)

Chateau Lafayette Reneau Riesling Semi-Dry 2008, Seneca Lake, New York Finger Lakes

Anthony Road Riesling Semi-Sweet 2008, Seneca Lake, New York Finger Lakes

Robert Weil Riesling Kabinett Halbtröcken 2008, Rheingau, Germany

Monchof Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2008, Mosel, Germany

Zilliken ‘Saarburger Rausch’ Riesling Kabinett 2000, Mosel, Germany

Becker Riesling ‘Laissez Faire’ 2007, Pfalz, Germany

For the cheese plate:

Shafer-Frohlich ‘Bockenauer Felseneck’ Riesling Spatlese 2008, Nahe, Germany

Zilliken ‘Saarburger Rausch’ Riesling Spatlese 1992, Mosel, Germany

Zilliken ‘Saarburger Rausch’ Riesling Spatlese 1993, Mosel, Germany

Zilliken ‘Saarburger Rausch’ Riesling Spatlese 1989, Mosel, Germany

Robert Weil ‘Kiedricher Grafenberg’ Riesling Spatlese 2008, Rheingau, Germany

Von Buhl ‘Forster Jesuitengarten’ Riesling Spatlese 2008, Pfalz, Germany

Von Hovel ‘Oberemmeler Hutte’ Riesling Auslese 2006, Mosel, Germany

When you’re done trying all these, go out and try a nice Chardonnay with a plate of sauerkraut.  I dare you to!!!  Then comment on how it went.

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Good Enough for the Goats by Tara Carney

January 13th, 2010

2009 was a crazy year for me. I faced unemployment, moved a few times, went out on some painful job interviews, and seriously questioned whether this city was swallowing me up and on the verge of spitting me out. At last, that year has ended and I have survived those challenges through perseverance, hard work, and many bottles of cheap wine.

Last year has changed me in so many ways. I am a more resilient lady. I formed a thicker skin. And most important of all new developments, I now drink white wine in the winter.
This brings me to tell you about my new favorite white wine from the Pecorino grape.
For some time Italians thought this grape to be extinct. Until, not too long ago, a bunch of goats up in the hills of La Marche were snacking on the wild vines and it was discovered that this was where the grapes had been hiding all along.

From what I understand, it took some time to cultivate this grape back to its full potential. It grows best in Marche and Abruzzi. It’s a wine with straw color, full body, and strong structure. It is savory and nutty and goes oh so well with Pecorino cheese…yum! Though not proven, this grape might be a parent to all white Pinots.

Being a Capricorn, I am partial to goats. They like to wander around up high doing what they want and eating grapes. At Maslow 6 we have a delicious Pecorino by Ciavolich for 27.00 that is my new favorite. And there is a cool gold sketch of a “Pecora” (goat in Italian) on the bottle.

Cheers to a new year, to new wine discoveries, and to white wine in the winter!

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My Trip to Spain.

October 22nd, 2009

I have been absent from this space for some time now. My apologies for that. The pressing demands of my pressing schedule—a schedule so pressing that, at times, I commit the inexcusable sin of ignoring my own personal and pressing needs.

To ameliorate that, to attend to my own needs, I took a trip earlier this week, without a plane ticket, without a passport or without even a single carry-on. I took a trip to Spain without ever leaving New York. And I took it via wine. The Spanish wines on display at my eponymous shop, Maslow 6.

I see stories when I see bottles of Spanish wine. In bottles of Rioja, I think of the ancient Phoenicians and Celts who were cultivating grapes in La Rioja region 1,200 years ago. When I see Sherry, I think of Chaucer. (Perhaps I should update my reading list) because his father imported Sherries. Yes, and I think of Shakespeare’s Falstaff, who says of Sherry “It ascends me into the brain… It illumineth the face…” I see (and hear) a line from Cole Porter—“You’re the purple light of a summer night in Spain.”

And then I think of Cervantes. Nothing is more Spanish to me except perhaps one of the aforementioned Spanish vinos. “Somewhere,” Don Quixote begins, “Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago…”

Come along to that place with the Knight errant and a glass of sherry or Rioja or some other wine waiting to be discovered. Attend to yourself and your pressing needs, and travel, ever-so magically, to Spain.

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The Trouble with Labels by Trish Peifer-Arens

October 21st, 2009

We are all drawn to different wines at different times for different reasons. The smell of it, its hue, its consistency, they trigger different reactions at different times. As soon as the weather hits 75°, I immediately open a bottle of Rose. As soon as the temperature dips below 55°, I’m yearning a warm comforting Chianti Classico. Something to celebrate – Prosecco; Summer time cook out – white sangria. The first taste of a chilled to perfection glass of Chateux d’ Porceax and summer has arrived. You get the picture. Wine is so much more than a beverage; it is a vehicle. The taste of course can take you places but the other senses are involved as well. The smell alone can transport you back to a special occasion the same way the sent of a certain perfume can remind you of a person.

What about the look of wine? The way the alcohol creates those beautiful legs that you stare at as they linger down the side of your glass. The bubbles playfully rising to the surface of your stem glass after filling it with a lovely champagne. The pale, blushy hue of a rose. I defy you to swirl a freshly poured glass of your favorite wine and in a beautiful stem glass and not be happy. Go ahead try it. You won’t even bother because you know that I’m right. Wine is beautiful to behold. It is that simple.

And while we are on the subject of beauty to behold, what about those labels? Wine bottle labels run the gambit from purely utilitarian to down right artistic. There are many of you out there who walk into a wine store and know exactly what you are looking for. You don’t need help. You know the country of origin, the varietal, the prefered wine producer, the preferred wine maker, the best year; it is just a second language to you. However, there are many of us out there who have not idea what we are doing once we enter a wine store. Are breadth of knowledge may end with white, red, pink, or bubbly. We are at the mercy of the store clerk and our budget. Many of us who fall under this category have deviced different strategies to help us navigate this intimidating territory. Some memorize key phrases. Others will limit themselves to a region that they are familiar with. Still others will shy away from a type of wine due to a bad prior wine experience. If anyone read my first blog you will know that I had nursed a healthy aversion to Chardonay for just that reason. I have toyed with a system that I have found only marginally successful but still lots offun to employ; the cool label art criterion. There is one little item that I have tried to rely on in the past, label art. The criterion went like this; I feel like a white wine and I want an animal on the label. (I’m not making this up. I have done this more than once, more than I really care to admit). And there are so many cool labels and categories to chose from. There are the standard famous castle of the region motife,, or the unoriginal grape or vine motife. But then there are just some amazingly cool labels out there. Graphic designes, portraits, animals of all shapes and sizes, famous artist mock ups, you name it, you can probably find it on a wine label.
Label art is useful if you have no memories for names, much like myself. I can remember a face like no ones business but ask me to come up with the name of that really nice woman who sat next to me at that dinner party at my best friends place last weekend and I’m stumped. Ive tried all those silly memory games, saying the persons name 5 times within the first 5 minutes of meeting them, connecting the name with a funny riddle or limerick. I usually have the name wrong by the 4th repetition of I’ve forgotten my limerick. Of even worse, I’ve convinced myself their name is something totoally different from what it actually is.

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