50 Great Portuguese Wines Revealed-US!

50 Great Portuguese Wines Revealed-US.  Finally!!!  A US version of the 50 Great Portuguese Wines Revealed.  This is an annual tasting that has been taking place in the UK for some years now, where Wines of Portugal selects a wine journalist to spend a year touring and tasting the wines of Portugal to generate a list of their 50 top picks.  Doug Frost MW MS, was chosen to compose the inaugural US list.  The wines were presented at a tasting this month in Manhattan (thanks for the invite ViniPortugal...sometimes I wonder who they are targeting all of these promotional efforts to-as the vast majority of the trade seems to be ignorant of them.)


http://winesofportugal.info/pagina.php?codNode=119666

Inspired Tastes...How Music and the Science of the Imagination Can Make Us Better Tasters

 

 

“If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it.”

- Isadora Duncan



I wasn't always a wine rep.   Weighing my career paths early on in life, sales and fermented grapes were not in the picture.  I was exposed to so many wonderful art forms and live and recorded performances growing up.  My father is a classical "musician by trade and a mailman by necessity" as he puts it.  He was a trumpeter who played in the Marine band and as a percussionist with the National Ballet.  After many years not winning a symphony chair and not cut out for full time teaching, the financial demands of supporting a young family on a patchwork of  gigs and part time teaching made the Post office look pretty good.  At the time it was still one of the places you could look to for some hope of security and quality of life-a reliable schedule, paid vacations, health benefits, a pension.  Sadly, there are fewer and fewer options for young families today, and in light of these tough economic times and the political attacks on labor and on the very idea that government has a role to play in the welfare and quality of life of it's citizens, things are unlikely to improve any time soon.

Like my father and the millions of musicians and artists of every ilk who haven't yet figured out how to make a living in the practice of their art, the demands of earning a living wage push us in varied directions.  For my Dad it was the Post office.  For me, it was the very common theme of the Restaurant Industry.  It's become cliche, but Restaurants really are full of students and artists.  Not always struggling, although of course they don't have health care or paid vacations, but often pursuing other paths.  The difference between my Dad's choice and mine, is that my Dad saw this as a long term prospect.  Something he would one day retire from, as he has, 40 years of rain, sleet and snow later.  On the other hand, I think many folks working in restaurants while pursuing and fostering knowledge in other mediums, are hoping their big break is right around the corner-be it landing that Broadway show or one of those "real jobs" deemed worthy of health insurance and paid vacations.  What I expected to get out of working in restaurants was a paycheck.  Well actually a pocket of cash at the end of a shift (you know waiter checks are barely worth a trip to the bank, right?)  What I didn't expect to get out of restaurants, was the on the job training I received in Wine, Food, Sales and Service( also I know some really cool napkin folds. )

I didn't appreciate this or absorb much right away.  The Hot Shoppes(a local chain of restaurants no longer in existence) was not a bastion of culinary insights.  But as I worked my way up the food chain over the years, I was exposed to more and more sophisticated food and wine by more and more sophisticated teachers, all for free.  It didn't feel free at the time.    It felt like two hours before a shift or on a Saturday morning that I would rather have spent doing something else.  But in that time, culinary school graduates, food and beverage managers and yes wine reps, lent me their time and expertise.  I am grateful for it today.  I am grateful for the opportunity I was eventually given to oversee a terrific wine program and to my great reps who were my early teachers.    They taught me how to taste and how to sell, one wine at a time. 

There are a lot more avenues to learning about wine today.  The list of potential certifications is long.   Court of Sommelliers, Society of Wine Educators, Wine and Spirits Education Trust(WSET.)  The MS (Master Sommelier) and MW(Master of Wine) titles have moved off the covers of books and TV screens and into our daily lives.   Well do I remember my first serious wine text purchase, the Oxford Companion to Wine, with a very imposing picture of Jancis Robinson MW, nose in glass, on the inside cover.   As their numbers increase,  you are likely to encounter one of these hallowed professionals yourself (the Washington DC area boasts one of each.)  You can follow Jancis Robinson on Twitter.    An MW is also likely to have overseen the wine selection at your local chain restaurant (Legal Seafoods/PFChangs.)     In one way this is great, the quality of the wines is assured.  But I hope it doesn't entirely replace the good old fashioned system.  Having someone on site who has a role to play in wine selection is key to the overall interest, passion and proficiency of the entire staff.  And I really love the idea of passing on the knowledge hand to hand.  We have historically been an industry that trains ourselves...a true trade.   As the streets fill up with wine professionals, let's hope some kind of balance can be struck and that the current surge in wine consumption and interest continues apace. 

So it makes a lot of sense to me why artists end up working in restaurants.   But it began to occur to me, maybe because my husband is a musician, that there are a lot of musicians in the wine industry.    And I began to wonder if this was merely a symptom of exposure in the service industry...discovering wine while paying the bills in the pursuit of other artistic endeavors?   Or was there maybe something more to it?   Were musicians and artists drawn to a career or love of wine as an art in and of itself, and are they perhaps possessed of some natural ability or skill, a quality that draws them to and helps them to succeed in the wine business?

Music as Analogy
 A bottle of wine is like a piece of music, with many layers going on at once.  We can talk about the composition of a wine horizontally and vertically-the same way we talk about harmony and melody-the vertical and horizontal elements of music.  I and many others will frequently describe wine in musical terms.  We talk about low notes and high notes.  The palate of a wine is described as having a beginning a middle and an end, like a  musical phrase, or the arc of the writer.  When we learn to taste, some people will get lime and others will get grapefruit.   We have the aroma wheel, like the painter's color palate, that puts the many elements we can smell and taste on a spectrum, sharps and flats...lemons and limes.

Here's a classic example of this idea from Bob Goyette's site (Robert Goyette is a veteran of the California wine world who was the original winemaker at La Crema and worked for years also at Benziger Family Vineyards among many others.  He now has two of his own labels, Stephen Vincent for value and Goyette for more boutique bottlings from Napa and Sonoma.)  "For his Goyette label, Bob seeks out the premium grapes from the heart of California's wine country and does what he does best, working to achieve the ultimate balance between the elements, matching strengths and frailties, high notes with lows, in order to create a wine that evokes the purest beauty, as it is experienced both through the senses and the emotions. Only when he feels that the basal and auxiliary melodies of a given varietal are resonating perfectly does he feel comfortable calling the wine his own."

To tease out this idea of a potential link between wine and music, I enlisted the help of Jeremy Parzen, PHD, Italian Wine Guru, Guitarist, translator and widely published author who pens the wonderful Do Bianchi blog http://dobianchi.com.  Here is what he shared with me;

"There's definitely a connection between music and the wine industry. There are SO many musicians who work in our trade... but I think it's more of a life-style affinity than it is an intrinsic physiological confluence... I've been recording a lot of music lately in my home studio and the challenges of mixing have been exciting for me.  I do think there is analogy to be made between mixing and making/blending wine... in a great mix, you can hear every instrument/voice clearly and in balance... and the same applies, no doubt in my mind, to wine... in the wines I like the best, no one element eclipses another and I can "hear" the fruit, acidity, alcohol, and tannin clearly without any one element trumping another...I recently spent some time tasting with the great Italian winemaker and legendary blender, Giorgio Grai... the analogy he made was with the same balance you try to attain in great cooking..." Jeremy Parzen.

When do we listen and when do we play? 

I have long suspected a connection between the ability to discern, pick out and hear tones in music, "an ear" with the ability to discern characteristics in wine, "a palate."   My husband is a very talented lead guitarist and songwriter, now also a wine rep.  He got into wine seriously a little bit after I did, and seemed to just fall into it naturally, especially the tasting part of it.   I had done all the studying and he somehow had all the answers.  He tells me that for him it "uses the same muscle" as his playing.  I believe the ability to pick out the many things going on at once, dissect the layers of flavor, coincides with an ability to pick out the notes of a chord.  Not just the Major C chord, but the C the E and the G.  Not just the melody, but the bass, the drums and the rhythm guitar.  When I took piano lessons, my teacher told me I had "relative pitch."  Play me a C and I can sing you a C.  It's easier to sing along with the piano, right?  But some people have what is called perfect pitch.  Ask them to sing a G and they will sing you a G.  No piano needed.  Most of us have relative pitch and I would assert, relative taste.  Our sense of taste, like our ear for music-is a lot more accurate with a reference point to work from.  In music, it may be a note on a piano, or a chord strummed on the guitar.  In wine, a familiar group of flavors like citrus may be the accompanying chord, and it's your job to pick out the lemon, the lime and the grapefruit, the notes of the chord.  This is one of the reasons it is so important to taste styles of wine side by side.  An inexperienced taster may struggle to define the body weight of a basic Merlot all by itself.  But if they try that same wine next to a light bodied Pinot Noir and a full bodied Cabernet...chances are they will quickly put it in between the two and arrive at medium bodied.   The skim milk, whole milk, cream is a useful analogy that most of us can associate with to help us with the idea of the weight of a wine.

Tasting, especially blind tasting, is in many ways  improvisational. The elements are rehearsed.  But they can't be exactly replicated.  Tasting many, many wines over time in a strategic fashion will train your ability to differentiate and evaluate its characteristics..how much acid?  Is it sweet? Is it full bodied?  Young or old?    These things can be studied and practiced-like running scales.   But wine is a living thing, and the glass of cabernet you taste today, may not show itself in the same fashion in another hour let alone another day or another bottle.  The nose may shut down or reveal itself.  The fruit may shake off or be swallowed by the oak.   The temperature affects the wine, the glass affects the wine, the aromas in the room affect the wine.  You may have a sinus infection.  But there is something else, too.  Your preconceptions and the opinions of those around you will also affect your perception of the wine.  It is often advisable when tasting with others to walk away.  It is illuminating and helpful to have a back and forth when you taste, sharing impressions will often provide the all important reference point or backboard.  But it's also important to give yourself a chance to interpret your own information first.  Once you hear pear, chances are you will get pear...whether you taste it or not.  There is also a left brain/right brain thing.  The part of your brain that knows all the laws about the brick of Nebbiolo, and the black pepper and leather of Syrah will try to fill in the answers for you, before you have completed one sniff, swirl or sip.

"I can taste the Resin"

We are very impressionable when it comes to what we taste.  I was once presenting a clean, aromatic Greek white called Moschofilero at an in store wine tasting.  A very friendly lady upon hearing that the wine was Greek, leaned into me confidentially and breathed, "I can taste the Resin."  She was referring to the pine resin that is infused into Savatiano grapes to make the Greek wine Retsina.   Obviously Retsina was the only Greek wine she had  previously experienced and it had left quite an impression.   Because pine and pine resin are not subtle aromas or flavors, and you could not come up with a wine that is less like retsina than the sunny orange blossom and peach laced Moschofilero. To her great credit when I assured her there was no pine resin added to the Moschofilero she had a good chuckle at the trick her brain had played on her.  And let me assure you, as someone that is frequently on the receiving end of taster impressions from amateur to professionals....this is by no means a lone incident.  I could fill these pages with the impromptu proclamations of tasters.  Over the course of a common three hour tasting you are likely to hear evaluations of sweet, dry, tart, bland, light, very heavy,  all about the same wine.  And I'm sorry folks, you are more likely to fall in with the vocal fellow who chimes in just before you have made up your mind than you are to get an accurate account of what's in your glass.  

If we accept that we are all relative, impressionable,  tasters...than we also acknowledge that we can all learn to taste.  But, are any of us predisposed to be better tasters?  And if so, why?   I personally believe that there are natural tasters, but I am not at all convinced that this is a physical or sensory attribute, so much as a mental one.  Jay Miller, formerly of the Wine Advocate, once said to me that he didn't believe there was such a thing as palate fatigue.  That people had difficulty after many hours of tasting many wines, not because their sense of taste was diminished, but because they lost their concentration.  If tasting is concentration, than everything that affects our ability to concentrate can also affect our ability to taste.  This seems daunting unless we flip it and say, by improving our concentration we can also improve our ability to taste.  We can enhance concentration in a myriad of ways, and truly we might be able to enhance our tasting ability by tweaking our approach.  Since it has long been known that we can only taste four things (ok 5 for the Umami camp) I find it surprising and frustrating that so many studies and attempts to pinpoint the hows and whys of wine tasting continue to focus on the sense of taste.   Sense of smell would make more sense, since that informs most of what we "taste" and more people are better able to identify the vast array of scents that we smell.  But what would make more sense to me, is to try to pinpoint the source of that concentration.  That ability to mentally stay with the sensory input you get from your taste and smell, until you can decode that bottle of wine into an Australian Shiraz or a White Burgundy.  The same way a musician can stay with a piece of music and deconstruct it's harmonic and melodic components.

"Concentration is 100% important."

"Do you think there's such a thing as perfect taste?"  I posed this question to Scott Calvert.  I first met Scott Calvert when he was the Wine Director at The Inn at Little Washington.  Scott has an amazing palate and an infectious enthusiasm.   Extremely generous with his abundant knowledge, Scott is one of those guys who makes it look easy and if I was going to start nominating candidates for this perfect taste business, he would be at or near the top of my list.  "What would perfect taste look like?   You can't measure the vibrations of a lemon."  Good point.

"When I was at The Inn," says Scott, "we would taste 200 wines in one day, six hours at a time.  Concentration is 100% important."    Scott does believe in the phenomenon of palate fatigue, but also that it can be overcome.  Initially, "after five hours your mouth was coated.  But, after six months of six hours a day... it's like working out.  Like any other muscle, you have to tune it up."

Scott got a very early start in wine, caught at 13 tasting wine behind the bar.  He also traveled extensively with his uncle who was a passionate wine enthusiast and by the time he was studying Jazz composition, trumpet, voice and electric bass at Berklee College of Music, he was already working in Boston as a wine steward.     He has also practiced Martial Arts since the age of seven.   He points out that people learning to taste, like improvisers, often close their eyes.   Like massage therapists, musicians, chefs, they are shutting everything else out to concentrate on the one sense.  In the way that someone who has one impaired sense will also have another that is enhanced.  I asked Scott if he would share an "expert tip" for tasters, and he gave us this great advice.  "Do whatever it takes to be in the moment.  Minimizing the effect of time and place, constantly remove it and get in the glass."

Tasting as a creative process

There is a phenomenon in sales known as third party endorsement.   Our opinions are easily swayed by a once removed recommendation.   Something akin to expert testimony,  it's just as likely to come from someone whose credentials are dubious.  When I worked in fine wine retail, people were always coming in with little lists.  There were the usual newspaper column/magazine clippings.  But just as often, they were an unintelligible scrawl from "someone at the office," " my friend's daughter,"  "my buddy's dentist."   The unifying credential for these folks is that they "really know their wines."    In this regard, perception is 9/10ths of the law.  Association is the basic function of our brains and the very fabric of our consciousness (individually, societally, spiritually, professionally)  We think of ourselves in relation to things, not in a void.  We need definitions, contrasts and similarities, to exist.    We need to boil the complexities of our world down to easy associations.  This is the common Point A to point B road map we follow every day.

This is not a terrible method, and it's what gets us functionally through the minutiae of our responsibility laden lives.  It may even land you a not too terrible bottle of wine ( thanks for the tip Uncle Bob.)   But wine tasting, like playing music or improvisation, requires a more complicated activity in our brains...part learned association and part insight(unexpected association.)

Enter Jonah Lehrer and his fascinating new book "Imagine: How Creativity Works"  I was lucky to catch a little bit of Mr. Lehrer's interview on NPR's Fresh Air.   He was talking about how a study had revealed that Jazz musicians while improvising, have an ability to shut off the part of their brain that is chiefly associated with impulse control, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC.)  Jonah Lehrer describes this part of our brains as "a neural restraint system, a set of handcuffs that the mind uses on itself."   By switching this off, the musicians were "inhibiting their inhibitions, slipping off those mental handcuffs.  According to Limb [Charles Limb, the neuroscientist who conducted these studies at Johns Hopkins] this allowed them to create new music without worrying about what they were creating.  They were letting themselves go."  "The lesson of letting go is that we constrain our own creativity.  We are so worried about playing the wrong note or saying the wrong thing that we end up with nothing at all, the silence of the scared imagination."

I think it is really easy for tasters, especially inexperienced tasters to suffer from this"deer in the headlights" syndrome. Sometimes you present someone with a glass of wine and you can watch the "oh, here we go" come over them.  They tentatively put the glass to their nose, nervously cast glances side to side to see what other tasters are doing, startle themselves with a sudden reminder they were supposed to swirl and give the glass a couple of violent sloshes.   They strain to hear what others are smelling and lodge their nose in the glass willing that aroma to reveal itself... what a former boss of mine termed "Poor Nostril."  The more we sniff, the less we smell.  We become so worried about getting it right, getting what other people are tasting, that we silence our own ability to hear the wine.   So many tasters and consumers think they have to be critics.  I think this colors their perception in a not so useful way.    Anxiety 10...Insight 0.   People seem to be better tasters with more observation and less evaluation. It's a straight up case of putting the cart before the horse.  How can you evaluate what you can't taste?  By drawing a conclusion without data, you may gain a sense of self satisfaction, but little else.

Mr. Lehrer asserts that critique is only helpful in the second stage of creativity(the painful and labored editing process) and not in the moment of insight wherein I believe the true art of tasting lies.  The ability to evaluate what is in the glass is precluded by a presumption of a score or rating.  Even very established professional tasters are extremely limited by this...their judgement is continually colored by the constraints of their sales ability and their clientele, and even a certain bravado that can encourage us to fall sway to perception.  Ego in this scenario is inevitable, and the opposite of getting out of the way.  Confidence, in the sense that it gives you the space to trust your own opinion and block out the fray, is invaluable.   Over identifying in the value of the wine in the glass by definition misplaces your perception.




Part Insight

"We're an absent minded species.  Constantly disappearing down mental rabbit holes,"Jonah Lehrer tells us parenthetically in a chapter called Alpha Waves (Condition Blue)  He is discussing the state of our minds when we daydream and the studies of Marcus Raichle, a neurologist and radiologist at Washington University who discovered that the brain is incredibly active while daydreaming.  "People had previously assumed that daydreaming was a lazy mental process, but Raichle's fMRI studies demonstrated that the brain is extremely busy during the default state.  There seems to be a particularly elaborate electrical conversation between the front and back parts of the brain....  These cortical areas don't normally interact directly; they have different functions and are part of distinct neural pathways.  It's not until we start to daydream that they begin to work closely together.  All this mental activity comes with a very particular purpose....The result is an ability to notice new connections, to see the overlaps that we normally overlook."  In other words, daydreaming engages our brains in a way that promotes insight."

One of my favorite dance pieces is "Esplanade" by the famous modern choreographer Paul Taylor.  I had seen the piece many times and it was already a favorite, when I and a good friend stumbled onto a free outdoor performance by the Paul Taylor company at Lincoln Center.  They finished the evening with Esplanade.  Who knows how many times the company members had previously danced this piece that is one of the classics in their repertoire, but this particular performance on a beautiful late summer evening in the open air of Manhattan, was a wonderful and magical one.  One that in my experience eclipses all others I have seen before or since.  

Wine, at least fine wine, is not a replicable commodity.  There is no better example of this, I think, than the revered and fickle wines of Burgundy France.  Often referred to as "the wine of arrival" or jokingly as "the crack cocaine of the wine industry" there are many tales of that first unforgettable bottle, the aha moment when all of the bluster and books upon books finally made sense, not through explanation, but through experience.  "Aha!  So this is what it's all about," we say to ourselves, and wine is at once elevated to the level of art.   Many of us will have spent many disappointed hours(and dollars) pulling corks, trying to figure it out.  And many more hours and dollars will then be spent trying to relive that experience,  chasing the next beautiful bottle through all of the ups and downs of vintages and vineyards.  Our favorite producers will delight and disappoint us, but this is what motivates wine lovers.

Jonah Lehrer describes insight as the aha moment, and there is an aha moment in every glass of wine-not always the brilliant insight of a fine burgundy, but the real story of what is going on in that glass at that time.  Our job as tasters is to show up and listen.  But how do we crowd out all of the competing fray, the scores and rules vying for our attention and silencing our creative minds?   Well apparently some tried and true methods are things that promote relaxation, like hot showers and the color blue, which in turn promote the all important insight producing alpha waves in our brains.  Says Lehrer, "It's not until we're being massaged by warm water, unable to check our e-mail, that we're finally able to hear the quiet voices in the backs of our heads telling us about the insight.  The answers have been there all along-we just weren't listening."

So am I telling you to taste wine in the shower?  No, but be my guest.   But if you can remove the elements that take you out of your relaxed creative mind and put you into your critical/analytical mind-you will be amazed by all of the things you are already tasting.  Taste by yourself.   Form a tasting group that meets regularly where people are free to express impressions without judgement.  Actors and improvisers play games and do trust exercises to free themselves, to be in the moment.   The goal is to have real time, authentic interactions, where they are fully engaged with each other and with their own senses.  Wine tasting should also happen in real time, when our senses are fully engaged.   If you feel you are in a safe place, you will be able to hear the things you are tasting and smelling and begin to make sense of them. 

Part Learned Association

"We suddenly look at reality through a slightly different lens, as the new idea is seamlessly incorporated into our perceptions.  Instead of just seeing a scattering of dots, we notice the pattern, things are starting to make sense.  We have stared at the world, and the world itself has changed."  Jonah Lehrer, Imagine.

So you silenced your inner critic.  Threw aside the Wine Spectator and started listening to your palate.  I've got good news and bad news.  As anyone who has ever tried to play the guitar will tell you, a little noodling around in the Pentatonic scale does not turn you into Jimi Hendrix.  Learning to play music is like learning a language, you have to develop your vocabulary and fluency only comes after years of practice and study.  Musicians train for years.  Sommeliers train for years.  They read and read, taste and taste, groomed by a network of those who have gone before them, reading and tasting.  Aside from all of this mystical thinking about relaxing warm showers and alpha waves, there's some real practical work and study ahead if you want to take the next leap into wine tasting.    Time to break the books back out and start learning the vocabulary of wine-varietals, regions, vintages, producers- to add the familiar flavors and patterns of fine wine into the working memory of your wine lexicon.  The good news is, all of these facts will make a lot more sense to you (and be a lot more interesting) once you have an informed framework of taste in which to place them.

So before you set out to be the next Robert Parker, I want to share this bit of advice from the great dancer/choreographer Isadora Duncan.  She was speaking of how her many imitators would attempt to flutter their arms in the same way she did to evoke her style.  Isadora told us that she developed these movements watching a palm tree flutter before her windows at a villa in Abbazia.  Her imitators fell short she said, because "they forget to go to the original source and contemplate the movements of the palm tree, to receive them inwardly before giving them outwardly."   So don't forget to go to the source.   Experience, listen, smell and taste.  Go back to the wine in the glass and you can't go wrong...that's the fun part anyway.

My Dad, Robert Brackman, Luthier

Violins and a Viola, Luthier-Robert Brackman

Music by Wine Guys!

Check out my new page of music by wine guys.  I'll be adding music, arts and events as I receive it, so if you have material or a performance opportunity you would like to share, please send it along and I will post it here.

http://thenativegrape.blogspot.com/p/music.html

Jeremy Parzen takes the Kir Yianni Ramnista 2008 out for a spin

Jeremy Parzen takes the Kir Yianni Ramnista 2008 out for a spin off of what he describes as the "Bold and Brave Wine List" at the new Houston hotspot The Pass and Provisions.

Check out his full review here:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2012/11/pass_provision_wine_houston.php

http://passandprovisions.com/

David Baverstock of Esporao and Joe Roberts of 1wine dude on Portuguese white wines

David Baverstock, chief winemaker of Esporao and Joe Roberts of 1winedude.com talked Portuguese white wines yesterday in a live video chat on Ustream.   You can check it out here http://www.ustream.tv/channel/esporao-wines-usa

"Greek Wine:keep calm. drink up"

"Greek Wine:  keep calm. drink up"  

by Victoria Moore in The Telegraph

"Healthier exports will ensure that the economic crisis doesn’t end in tragedy for the beleaguered winemakers of Greece."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/9612989/Greek-wine-keep-calm-drink-up.html

This is a thoughtful and more personal look at the Greek economic crisis through the lens of the Greek Wine industry.   And some fine Greek wine recommendations to boot.  I love the description of the Malagousia variety as  "Think albarino meets greco di tufo."  I toast to a day when a more broad wine drinking public will find either Albarino or Greco di Tufo to be easy reference points.  If this is already the case in the UK, hats off to you!

"Grape Varieties you've never heard of"

This is a fun list of "Grape Varieties you've never heard of" from Jancis Robinson.  George Gavala's Katsano from Santorini made the list.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/4d2fedc2-133b-11e2-ac28-00144feabdc0.html#axzz29YdEV3sm

And one that pops to mind that I would add to the list is Tinta Grossa.  A Portuguese variety grown in the Alentejo.  Paolo Laureano, the famous Portuguese oenologist and consultant, is the proud owner of some of the last several hectares of this nearly extinct variety.    His eponymous winery is located in his homeland of Vidigeuira, the last known home of Tinta Grossa in the zones of Vila de Frades and Vila Alva na Vidigueira.  The winery produces a 100% Tinta Grossa ( 550 cases total production) and includes the variety in their "Ema's vineyard" blend.   Laureano believes the grape variety has the potential to develop classic wines expressive of terroir in great vintages, with plenty of black fruits, ample tannins, acidity and elegance.

http://paulolaureano.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=53

John Mariani for Bloomberg Businessweek, explores Great Greek wines on Santorini and in Astoria, Queens

There are lots of things I miss about living in Astoria, Queens.  (The out of tune bells that rang early Sunday mornings at the Greek Orthodox Church I lived next to are not one of them)  Easy access to great Greek products definitely is!

This is a fun article with wine recommendations Mr. Mariani scooped up at Grand Wine & Liquor in Astoria

"Ouzo Makes Way for Great Greek Wines, Native Grapes"  Bloomberg Businessweek, John Mariani

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-03/ouzo-makes-way-for-great-greek-wines-native-grapes

http://www.queensbuzz.com/grand---wine-liquor-stores-in-astoria-nyc-cms-472

Eatocracy-5 Cornerstones of Portuguese Cuisine

Eatocracy features a quick rundown of Portugal's favorite ingredients and signature dishes from Aldea Chef George Mendes.  Includes a great recipe for clams with garlic and cilantro.

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/08/24/55-cornerstones-of-portuguese-cuisine/

Vinho Verde in Blomberg Business Week

A first hand account of some of the more serious wines in the Vinho Verde region.  The UK writers have all been gaga for the wines of biodynamic producer Aphros for some time now.  The producer finally has three US importers including Michael Skurnik in NY.  Keep an eye out folks.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-12/portugal-s-vinho-verde-offers-crisp-whites-exotic-reds

Vinho Verde on Today.com

A Great article highlighting the more serious side of Vinho Verde.

http://bites.today.com/_news/2012/08/24/13459181-weekend-wines-pair-light-delicious-portuguese-whites-with-fish-and-more?lite

Wine production up in Douro, down in Alentejo

Report on production for 2012 in the major Portuguese winemaking regions from The Portugal News online.

Wine production up in Douro, down in Alentejo

http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/wine-production-up-in-douro-down-in-alentejo/26639

 

Jameson Fink for Notes from Esporao

Here's an easy read to whet your appetite for Portuguese varieties and wines...check out Jameson Fink's guest blog for Notes from Esporao on his recent trip to the wineries two properties, Herdade do Esporao in Alentejo and Quinta dos Murcas in the Douro.

http://notesfromesporao.com/2012/07/guest-blogger-jameson-fink-on-portuguese-grape-varieties/

Best quick lesson on Greek grape pronunciation you will ever get!

Markus Stolz brings everyone the best quick lesson on Greek grape pronunciation you will ever get!  Courtesy of his three adorable kids.  A must watch!

http://www.elloinos.com/greek-grapes/greek-grape-pronunciation?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Elloinos+%28ELLOINOS%29

A Sort of Homecoming, by Arthur Lampros

Stelios Boutaris and Arthur Lampros, Photo Arthur Lampros

I am very pleased to share with you a guest post by Arthur Lampros,"Co-Owner & Resident Wine Guy, Winestyles of Montclair."   Arthur is the General Manager/Sommelier of Prince William County's most popular Greek/Italian Bistro Giorgio's where his brother Michael is the Chef.  In 2008 they launched the Winestyles of Montclair Wine shop and Wine Bar next door, featuring a Bistro menu by Chef Mike.   Already the place to be in Montclair as their throngs of regulars and wine club members will attest, the secret is out, and they have begun to lure diners and wine enthusiasts from all over the DC Metro area.

Giorgio's Family Restaurant/Wine Styles of Montclair

4394 Kevin Walker Drive  Montclair, VA 22026 

703-583-WINE (9463) 

http://www.winestyles.net/montclair

http://giorgiosfamilyrestaurant.com/index.html

Kir Yianni Watch Tower-Photo Arthur Lampros

 

A Sort of Homecoming

Exploring the New Face of Greek Wines

by Arthur Lampros, 

Co-Owner & Resident Wine Guy, Winestyles of Montclair

A few weeks ago, Chef Mike and I were fortunate enough to travel to our "homeland” Greece to participate in a very special wine tour featuring four of the country's premier Wineries. The purpose of this trip was to discover, meet and learn first-hand, the wines of a country that has been making wine for thousands of years, but has continually fallen victim to misperception, ignorance, and up till recently, minimal exposure in the US wine market. But the tide has been turning lately with a growing wave of prominent wine journalists, chefs, and wine "intelligentsia” modestly buzzing about the hidden gems of the Mediterranean. We were accompanied by other wine professionals, restaurateurs, and sommeliers who, admittedly, held a minimal understanding of Greek wines and were eager to decipher the fuss.

Our journey took us to Northern Greece and the mountainous region of Naoussa, then south over the Gulf of Corinth into the Peloponnese Peninsula to the wine regions of Mantinia and Nemea, and finally to the idyllic yet cosmopolitan island of Paros in the Cyclades of the Aegean Sea. In each of these regions we were invited to visit wineries, winemakers, and people of the region in exclusive and intimate settings. The group was given free access to the vineyards, operations, and production facilities, and it was not disappointing. The consensus among us was one of immediate familiarity with the management of the vines and the state of the art wine "making”. We had seen this all before. Facilities were modern, the winemakers experienced and talented, and the management savvy and sharp. You could, (un)theoretically, pick up these wineries and plop them down in the middle of Napa or Sonoma and they would blend in seamlessly. Sort of.

But the real magic of the trip was, quite simply, the wine. Exploring a new wine region is in and of itself very exciting, but for me it cemented my appreciation for what my heritage had for sale. We tasted a lot of wine over a few short days…….A LOT. Most great, a few crap, but some just downright thrilling.

The main objective of the group was to discover the main varietals that are indigenous to Greek soils. Among the whites, we had the Moschofilero (mos-ko-fee-le-ro), and Assyrtico (aahs-ear-ti-ko), and in reds we had Xinomavro (zi-no-mauve-row), and Agiorgitiko (ah-gi-or-gi-ti-ko) (aka St. George). Yes, yes, I hear you…. "sounds Greek to me”, eh? Haha. But how many of you can flawlessly pronounce Barbaresco, Aglianico, Gewurztraminer, Semillon, Mourvedre, Valpolicella, etc……? See my point?

These varietals are merely a few experiences away from being recognizable and easily a part of your wine vocabulary. No excuses. While there are other native varietals being grown in Greece (try 300+), the Greek wine industry has come to an understanding that you must walk before you run. In essence, keep it (relatively) simple. Focus on your main stars and the interest will grow from there.

The flavors of these wines continuously kept us in discussion. There was something in these varietals that was very, very comfortable. They reminded us of a wide range of "other” grapes with which we have had some experience. Grapes like Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris (for whites), Nebbiolo, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon (for reds), were continuously thrown into the argument.

The instinct here was to try and find a point of reference that our little wine brains could understand, but we were thwarted at each turn. These wines tasted like wines we have had before, but at the same time they were completely different and unique. Yiannis Tselepos, owner and winemaker from Tselepos Winery said it best when we were sitting in his cellar, squabbling over the international varietals that this or that wine tasted like. 

 "My friends,” he said as he silenced us with a wave of his hand, "this wine does not taste like this or that. This wine tastes like this place. It is singular. It does not want to taste like anything else. Respect that and you will no longer be confused.”  Nicely said, Yiannis.

In fact, I (we) spent the rest of our trip trying to get comfortable with this idea and it soon became apparent that the more I resisted the urge to frame the wine, the more I was able to appreciate it for what it really was, unique and utterly satisfying. This is not to say that we weren't annoyingly inquisitive and critical of the wines. I tried to restrain my affection for these wines lest I violate some sort of dutiful responsibility I have for my profession.

The winemakers got plenty of questions into their use of oak (or not), the specific geographical positioning of the vineyards, the use of irrigation (or mostly none), and their specific strategies in winemaking. Personally, I found this sort of inquisition very satisfying in that these wines were given the appropriate attention in an honest and open forum by knowledgeable professionals who really wanted to know these wines and this country.

But beyond that, it's important that we be honest here. Inside the poised and demanding minds of these wine professionals and restaurateurs was the dangling fruit (ahem) that is ultimately known as the bottom line. Would these wines sell in our stores & restaurants? I seem to think so. There's no reason why they shouldn't. The wines are exciting, priced right for their quality, and fill a distinct void facing the growing swell of wine aficionados in our country; specifically, the thirst for something new, something distinctive, and something honest.

My hope is that the Greek wine industry continues down this path of high quality winemaking, but that's the easy part. More importantly, and ultimately more difficult, is the goal of building momentum in the external markets and promoting the unique character of these wines. I'm ready to support these wines and make them household names in my market. I've been selling Greek wines in my restaurant and wine shop for years, but this here, is the beginning of my new adventure. I hope you'll join me.
The four wineries we visited were as follows;

Kir-Yianni Winery in Naoussa, Northern Greece

Kir Yianni 2001 Ramnista Xinomavro, Photo Arthur Lampros

 

Stelios Boutaris hails from a family steeped in the wine industry in Greece. The Boutari name is as recognizable in the Greek lexicon as the Mondavi name is in California. His individual venture, however, in Kir-Yianni (named after his father Mr. Yiannis Boutaris) is sure to find its way to the world stage. His focus is on the indigenous Xinomavro grape, but is continuously discovering the ability of his land to produced international varietals as well. At dinner, Stelios opened up a Jeroboam (3L) of "the very best wine I have ever made”, his 2001 Ramnista Xinomavro. Truly Memorable.


 

Tselepos Winery, Mantinia, Peloponnese

Tselepos Vineyards, Photo Arhur Lampros

 

Yiannis Tselepos studied oenology at the University of Dijon and graduated in 1979. After working for two years in the wineries of Burgundy, he settled in Mantinia in 1981, and has been making wines from the areas grapes since. A gregarious figure, he is firmly committed to traditional winemaking techniques. When asked about irrigating his vineyards, he said "whoever irrigates their grapes cannot make wine that expresses the terroir”. A bold statement that I'm not convinced is entirely true, but I can see where he's coming from. Easily the most intriguing personality we met on the trip. His Amalia Brut, a Methode Champenoise sparkler named after his wife and made with Moschofilero was a real highlight.

Semeli Winery, Nemea, Peloponnese

A stunning winery situated high atop the hills of Koutsi, Nemea in the heartland of Greek wine country. The leadership of this special winery has undertaken a serious look at the importance of modern winemaking techniques and are leading the effort to produce wines that might re-define the industry. Semeli's Commercial Director, and host par excellence, Manolis Giamniadakis told us of a current venture in to the Chinese market. Aggressive and un-traditional moves like this are surely an indication of their commitment to raising awareness of the Greek brand in more than the traditional markets. I eagerly await their next steps.

Moraitis Winery, The Island of Paros, Aegean Sea 

Moraitis Winery, Photo Arthur Lampros

 A family run operation of the finest order, the Moraitis winery has been making some of the most intriguingly beautiful wine in the country since 1910. Led by 3rd generation patriarch, Manolis Moraitis, the winery is supported by sons Theo and Savvas. This winery is exceptional in that it is situated in a dry and mostly arid island in the sun drenched Aegean Sea with absolutely no rainfall from May through the end of September. Most of the varietals and wines that the family produces are unique to the island, prompting me to question the purpose of even going there. I mean, the experience wouldn't exactly fit the central goal of highlighting the "main four” grapes. But I received my answer quickly and humbly; to miss out on such a treasure would certainly have been a shame. The star of the show, and I believe, the reason for our visit is their simply named, yet elegantly complex red, the Moraitis Reserve Red. A blend of the deep red Mandilaria and the aromatic white Monemvassia, the wine was co-fermented and aged for three years (two in French oak barrels, one in bottle) before release. During our tasting, Theo was kind enough to open a 1997 Reserve Red from his cellar, and we were treated to a wine that maintained its character, showed deep maturity, and plainly told us that it had the ability to go the distance.
Worth. Every. Minute.

Arthur Lampros

Julia Harding's 50 Great Portuguese Wines Revealed

 Julia Harding MW, assistant to Jancis Robinson and coauthor of the soon to be released "Wine Grapes" unveiled her 50 Great Portuguese Wines at a tasting in London last month.   A list after my own heart, one of her main criteria was that the grapes be only from native grapes, "My one main condition was that they had to be made exclusively from Portuguese grape varieties, with the honourable exceptions of Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) and the French variety Alicante Bouschet, which seems to make better wine in Portugal than in France. They had to be well made and fulfill wine's first duty to the wine drinker: to give pleasure." Julia Harding MW

Here is a link to the full article on Jancis Robinson's site:
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201206123.html

Some of these posts are open to all and some are only for subscribers, so if you can't read the full article with Julia's wonderful descriptions, you can at least check out the list here at Sarah Ahmed's site:
 http://www.thewinedetective.co.uk/blog/featured/julia-harding-mw-goes-native-revealed-50-great-portuguese-wines-2012/

And also watch a nice video on the event here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feMOvSDYhrM

Fear of a Greek Wine

Annals from the Greek Wine Wars

"There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary."

Brendan Behan
Irish author & dramatist (1923 - 1964)

 For Better or worse, the Greek debt crisis and its implications for the Euro zone and the European and world economies, has pushed Greece on to center stage.  Not since the Athens Olympics has Greece been so topical.  Everyone looking for something to talk about, from columnists to talk show hosts, is talking about Greece.  Since tourism is such a critical part of the Greek economy, travel and by extension Greek cuisine and culture is a large part of the conversation.  

That's great news for Greek wine.  Heralded by Lynn Rosetta Kasper as "a bright spot" for Greece on NPR's The Splendid Table, this is a momentous opportunity for the wines of Greece to do three things.  One; shake off the obscurity of unknown grapes and regions and emerge cloaked in the adventure and allure of exploring new grapes and regions.   Two;   Shake off the type casting of Retsina and carafes of watered down cooperative Roditis and emerge with a glass of organically grown, estate bottled Roditis from the likes of Tetramythos or other like minded modern, quality conscious Greek wineries in hand.  Three;  Grab hold of the imagination of the 20 somethings and 30 somethings who are ten times more likely to have a lack of bad experiences with Old School Greek wines coupled with an abundant knowledge and keen interest in fringe wines.  Not only are young people a savvier bunch of wine consumers than their parent's generation, they have an unprecedented number of high quality wines to choose from, at much more affordable prices.  

Wine, at least good quality wine, used to be considered elitist because it tended to be out of the budget of the average American, certainly the average college student or young professional.  Remember the old adage Champagne tastes on a beer budget?  College kids drank what they could afford, and often it meant drinking Boone's Farm or Lancer's.  They drank it because it was cheap, not because they thought it was great.  (By the way, if you want to liberate yourself from the notion that Americans today have much elevated taste when it comes to wine, just take a peek in your neighbor's grocery cart next time you're waiting at the checkout.  You may see some cool bottles, but you are just as likely to see a 3 liter of something really depressing rolling around next to the 4 pack of Mike's Hard lemonade.)  

Greek wines suffer from stereotyping, no doubt, but I think its important to remember that stereotypes, however unfair they may end up being if they are attached blindly and without revaluation, do not emerge in a vacuum.    If for thirty years every unknowing tourist to step foot into a Taverna or off a boat in the Aegean is greeted with a glass of Retsina, and if growers hit the grapes with a hose to increase their weight on the scale and the price they fetch at the local coop...well you can see where that gets you.  But you can't erase the past, and you can't invalidate people's experiences.  They were there...they tasted it with their own tongues!  It is always better to meet people where they are.  And for some long time wine drinkers, when it comes to Greek wine, that place is fear.  

It's time to redefine Greek wine. 
Confession-I didn't try Retsina until I had been selling Greek wine for about three years.   One of my early bosses and mentors introduced Greek wines to me as the ancestors of the Italian wines I loved so much.  Many of the Italian varieties are descended from Greek varieties and after all the Greek's brought vines, grapes and wine making to much of the Ancient world.  That argument stuck with me, and to this day I use an Italian reference to explain the general style differences between the wines of the Peloponnese and the wines of Macedonia(Tuscany and Piedmont respectively.)   

I am not a Retsina Basher.  I just think that it is better to experience it last, after you have allowed yourself to experience many other styles of Greek wines.  To me, it is much closer in style to a Gin and tonic, a brisk and herbal, lemony pine aperitif with around 11% alcohol that will cut right through oily, garlicky fare.  If you go into it thinking Sauvignon Blanc, you are in for a nasty surprise.  My main point about Retsina is this...it is an INFUSED WINE.   One distinct style of Pine resin infused wine that has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REST OF GREEK WINE.  Making a quality judgement of Greek wine based on Retsina is like saying Barolo is crap because you tasted Barolo Chinato (an intensely flavored digestivo beloved by Italians)  Just take a look at this Chinato offer from K and L Wine Merchants...filled with warnings and disclaimers, "Pronounced key-knot-o. To begin with, this specialized wine product will not appeal to every wine drinker out there. But for those of us with mature palates, and those who appreciate the natural flavoring agent that gives tonic water its distinctive bite (quinine), a glass of Cocchi's Barolo chinato is not a vinous experience you're likely to soon forget! In addition to quinine bark, rhubarb, gentian and a final addition of somewhat secreted spices, including cardamom seed, are added to this pleasantly bitter tipple, which ranks up there with Fernet Branca as the world's best digestivo."

A visiting Portuguese importer and winemaker were recently riffing/lamenting on the great job Italy has done with their PR image..."They have the best everything...the best food, the best wine, the best olive oil."  The Italians are great marketers, and no way are they leading with a product like Chinato the way the Greeks have led with Retsina.  I'm guessing many of you out there have never even heard of Chinato.  But when you do hear of it, they'll make sure you know that you have to have a "mature palate to appreciate" this special wine.  There is no entertaining that the wine is bad.  It is 'the world's best digestivo."  If you don't like it, you're just not ready for it.  So I'm going to take a page from the Italian PR hand book and tell you that if you don't have a "mature palate" (or love of digestivos) to leave Retsina alone for a while.  Who knows, you may get there...eventually.

The good news 

The  quality of Greek wines today is at an all time high.  Since joining the European Union, wineries have been able to invest in their wineries, modernize equipment and improve vineyard practices.  Cooperatives changed the way they compensate growers from weight of the grapes to sugar levels, which eliminated the unfortunate practice of watering down grapes and encourages growers instead to focus on properly ripening grapes to boost their return.  And as their domestic markets collapse, more and more wineries are focusing on the export market which will mean more and likely more affordable wines as they compete with each other for a piece of the pie. 

 

There seems to be a real top down phenomenon in Greek wine appreciation, the sommeliers and wine experts have been on board for a while now.  It's easier to find a quality, innovative bottle of Greek wine at a wine bar or wine focused restaurant than at a retailer.  A lot of retailers, unless they are going to have someone like myself or a winemaker on hand to present the wine, still have cold feet.

 

As Tara Q. Thomas said on the splendid table,  

"Greece is a sommellier's dream.  They're really high quality wines made from little known grapes and entirely unique Grapes and they're also made with food in mind.  So its something that the sommelliers can offer their customers that no other country offers.  And they tend to be great values as well."

 

Now what's so scary about that?

Warres is the Campeão

Check out Graham's Port blog's account of this year's Barcos Rabelos race.


http://malvedos.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/race-of-the-barcos-rabelos/

Yiannis Boutaris, Thessaloniki Mayor on a mission!

A wonderful New York Times profile of Yiannis Boutaris' latest project...Greek politics.   You should know Mr. Boutari from the wine empire he built, which he has turned over to his children.

"...Mr. Boutaris, a wiry 70-year-old with a gold stud in one ear, a buzz cut and a penchant for expletives, is trying something previously unheard of at this City Hall: employees are given job descriptions, goals, evaluations — and modest bonuses when they hit their targets"  You have to read this!!!

Greek Mayor Aims to Show Athens How It’s Done

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/world/europe/thessaloniki-tackles-greeces-problems-in-miniature.html?_r=2&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

Greek Islands See Rise in Visitors

http://www.gotimeshare.org/news-items/763.aspx

Esporao White Reserva 2011 in The Wine Detective

A great review for the Esporao White Reserva 2011 from Sarah Ahmed in The Wine Detective.  She has so much wonderful information on her site...if you don't subscribe, why don't you?

http://www.thewinedetective.co.uk/blog/featured/in-fine-fettle-herdade-do-esporao-white-reserva-2011/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=June+Newsletter&utm_source=YMLP&utm_term=here

The Rising Tide of Green Wine

Memorial Day has already come and gone, and the Summer is unofficially on.  There may be no better wine for the season than Vinho Verde, Portugal's Green wine.  "Take a box to the beach!"  I like to tell people.  Light in body and alcohol with a little spritz and a lot of mouthwatering tangy lime/citrus, it's like squeezing a fresh pitcher of lemonade or limeade.  Pour a glass and let the relaxing and refreshing begin.  It goes with fish, especially ceviche and shrimp fajitas, barbeque, spiced shrimp or blue crabs.   Vinho Verde boldly goes where no wine has gone before, so if you were about to give up on wine and have a beer or a margherita, consider your summertime friend, Vinho Verde.   It's a picnic, a patio party, feet dangling off a pier, and hands trailing in the water.  It's the cold glass in your hand reading by the pool.  And as the shore rentals and ticking pump prices drain us of our hard earned cash, Vinho Verde is one place you can save a buck or twenty.   It's cheap, cheap cheap!!!

But despite the many ways in which Vinho Verde is a no brainer, there are actually lots of differences between the styles and brands, and the number of styles and brands available on your retailer's shelves has literally quadrupled in the last four years.   With 9 subregions, 20 allowable grape varieties both white and red, and yes, a Red Green wine, this might merit some discussion.  So The Native Grape is here to help you navigate the rising tide of Green Wine.  We'll tackle the region in three parts, dividing them the way they are divided in my brain, starting with the style most people think of when they say Vinho Verde which is the basic style that I have described so far and the only style that many people think exists.  Next time around we'll tackle the still wines from blends and single varieties other than Alvarinho (like the Loureiros) and leave the fine single varietal Alvarinhos for last.

Part 1

Although we think of Vinho Verde as a style of wine, it is actually an appellation-one of the largest wine regions in Portugal.  As is happening today in the US market, Vinho Verde was the original ambassador for Portuguese wines way back in the 15th Century when the wines became the first Portuguese wines to crack the European markets.   The region itself is in the lush and green Northwest corner of Portugal, the so called Green Coast.  Cool and wet with the strong influence of the Atlantic Coast, it's border to the West, the Entre Douro e Minho is bounded to the North by the Minho River (the Natural boundary with Spain's Galicia) and to the South and East by the Mountains that create the unique microclimates of the interior.   

The climate tells a lot of the story in Vinho Verde and played an important role in the development of the unique style of the wines.  Famous wine regions often tell a tale of poor soils and struggle-the less is more dichotomy of vines pulling their DNA from the rock as they tunnel deeper and deeper through in search of water(I realize I just inadvertently plagiarized David Hinkle.)  Not so in this cool and rainy, green corner of the world.    Vigor is a big problem.  The traditional leafy canopies trained high on their Pergolas to make room for ground crops produced an abundance of plesantly shady patios and unripe grapes.  To make things worse, growers fearing the impending rainy season, often picked early to avoid losing their harvest to rot.  To combat the searing acidity, a secondary malolactic fermentation was encouraged.   Unripe grapes are extremely high in malic acid.  Malolactic fermentation (used in almost all red wines) transforms tart malic (apple) acids into the rounder, creamier lactic (milk) acids.   The byproduct of this secondary fermentation, was the light bubble from the carbon dioxide released which gave the Vinho Verde wine its characteristic spritz.  

In the region today, growers have many more tools in their bag of tricks to encourage ripening of grapes, from better trellising to green harvests.  Most producers elect to block malolactic fermentation in their white wines as you trade some purity and aromatic qualities to make a rounder wine.   And although it's a bit difficult to find anyone talking about this (I think the marketers must prefer the traditional image of a naturally occurring bubble) if they are going for a traditional style,  carbon dioxide is more often added to the wine at bottling.  

I sometimes hear the criticism that all Vinho Verde tastes alike.  I could not disagree more.  They do indeed share a family of characteristics, but instead of lumping them all together try thinking of Vinho Verde brands as Champagne houses.  They each have their own unique style and flavor profile.  Some will be almost fully bubbly, some just prickly.  Some are just sweet enough to balance the tang, and others much sweeter.  Some are still searingly acidic and some soft and sweetly limey.  It becomes more a question of how do you take your coffee?  Sweet Tea or regular?  There will be a style to suit everyone's taste.   We can extend the Champagne analogy in a few more useful ways.  There are many many Quintas or growers in Vinho Verde, like in Champagne, "In fact, the region’s 27,000+ grape growers farm over 50,000 acres of vineyards planted in small plots averaging less than 3 acres in size." CVRVV   So a majority of them sell to the large cooperative wineries who produce the large brands.  There are also a number of Quintas that grow and produce there own wines, and many of the larger ones often make several labels (think grower producer Champagnes or single quinta Port wine bottlings.)  Vinho Verde and Champagne also share the common practice of Non Vintage cuvee bottling, a method that allows for the crafting of a house style and consistency of quality in climates that present a challenge to fully ripening grapes.  I have just two universal guidelines when it comes to this style of Vinho Verde.

#1  It should be Green!
It may not be how it got its name, the Vinho Verde commision insists that it means young wine, not Green Wine, because it is bottled within 3-6 months after the harvest.  But one of the shared characteristics of young Vinho Verde is the light and lovely ocean green/blue hue that the wine possesses.   The color is echoed in a lot of the label art.  If you see a golden or straw color in a wine that is not a single varietal bottling, avoid it.  It's probably over the hill.

#2  It should be Young!

Many of these wines will be non-vintage, but regardless every bottle of Vinho Verde DOC wine has a bottled on date printed on the label as well as a Guarantee Seal number where you can track its history through the Vinho Verde commission.
http://www.vinhoverde.pt/en/vinhoverde/garrafa/garrafa_en.asp

With these two provisos in mind go forth and experiment.  You can afford it!

My plan is to start a page of Vinho Verdes that we will build on all summer long.  So here is a start, but come back often to check for more and please send me your own favorites with tasting notes and whatever you know about the wines...I will be happy to add them to the page!!  

 

 http://thenativegrape.blogspot.com/p/vinho-verde.html

Vinhos Borges Gatão Vinho Verde, NV

Made by the Borges cooperative since the early 1900's, Gatão was originally named after the tiny town where it was first produced.  As the popularity of the brand increased and production demands forced the winery to source grapes from a larger area, the Vinho Verde commission enocouraged Borges to assume instead the "Large Cat" as their mascot so as to avoid misrepresenting the origins of the wine.   This large cat has graced their labels ever since (although originally the cat was more of a Puss in Boots type.)  Gatão is one of the most successful brands of Vinho Verde in the world today, distributed in 50 countries on 5 continents.   

Grape Varieties: Azal, Pedernã, Trajadura, Avesso and Loureiro 

 I always describe Gatão as a wine Margarita.  It really captures that Sweet and Sour balance, never too sweet and always with plenty of attack and tang.   It clocks in at 9%  alcohol and sells so briskly, you are almost guaranteed to find a fresh bottle!

Vinhos Messias "Santola" Vinho Verde, NV

The excellent Santola bottling by Vinhos Messias was recently recommended in the Washington Post.  The review said the wine tasted "a bit like Sprite."   I can see where they're coming from,  the Santola is really limey and of course has a bit of bubble.   But we have to take a little issue with that.  I don't think Dave Mcintyre has been driven by thirst at a kid's birthday party to tip a 2 Liter of Sprite in a while, because let me tell you, that stuff is sickeningly sweet!  The Santola on the other hand is on the drier side for Vinho Verde, and the bright acidity will refresh not cloy.  Made from Loureiro and Arinto varieties.  Here's what I get:

 On the nose: Fresh lime, lemon, freshly grated lemon zest, lime leaf, white pepper, basil and whiff of salty sea air. 

On the palate:  More freshly squeezed lemon and lime, a juicy mid palate of granny smith apple, the wine is squeaky clean and only prickly with a mouthwatering profile that finishes with a kiss of salt.

 

Anjos Vinho Verde 2011

 Made by the fine Quinta da Lixa estate in the Sousa subregion, the Anjos Vinho Verde consists of 40% Arinto, 30% Trajadura, and 30% Loureiro.  Imported by our good friends Wine in- Motion, this is a really quality wine for the money.  A much riper and gently sweeter style, it also has a little more bubble and an all around softer attack.  I almost wonder if they do a little partial malolactic on this one?  I get:

On the nose:  Powdery white flowers, wild yeasts, plantain, white pepper and pineapple.

On the palate:  Pineapple, apricot, fleshy sweet peaches, peach pit, mandarin orange and a long tangy and sweet finish of tropical lifesavers-orange, lime and lemon.

I thought I knew a thing or two about Prosecco

I thought I knew a thing or two about Prosecco.   I was pleased as punch when our Gasparini Venegazzu Brut arrived with it's shiny new Asolo DOCG label.   We're often vying for case stack spots with the Villa Jolanda Prosecco...very cute bottle, but the wine is from the Piedmont.  Prosecco from the Piedmont?  Why?  Because it sells of course.  Prosecco has been getting more and more popular every year and as it does more and more people are trying to get into the game.  So I for one welcomed the new clarification between the original zone of Prosecco producers and everybody else.  I also didn't really understand the argument that this was making too much of Prosecco-that Prosecco isn't complex enough a wine to warrant DOCG status.   But Moscato d'Asti is?   Just look at poor old Moscato...it's long had the DOCG distinction, and sadly this has done nothing to stem the tide of Moscato from everywhere from Australia to California.

Well, if you want to pack your brain with more info than you would have thought there was to know about the classic Italian bubbly, check out this back and forth between two guys that know a lot about Prosecco, Alan Tardi and Jeremy Parzen on Jeremy Parzen's terrific Do Bianchi blog.  A response to a response about Tardi's article in The NY Times,  “Prosecco Growers Act to Guard Its Pedigree”
http://dobianchi.com/2012/05/23/prosecco-polemic-alan-tardi-responds/
there are more interesting little factoids in these three pieces than there are bubbles in a glass of Prosecco.

I will say that it's a little strange to see Parzen refer to the wines of Franco Adami, one of Prosecco's most passionate and devoted advocates who had been fighting for years to obtain the DOCG distinction, described as "an expression of the consumerist hegemony that has choked my beloved trevigiano since the 1990s when Prosecco became a brand in the U.S."   With so many boogeymen "brands" to blame for the bastardizing of Prosecco, Adami seems an odd target.  I mean there's a Santa Margherita Valdobiaddene bottling and that Lunetta Prosecco by Cavit for God's sake!!  Or how about that juice from the Piedmont?  Maybe the real Italian wine guys don't even speak of these names.  But I didn't really mean to get into the fray here, because of the many things I learned reading this back and forth, my main take away was that I have a lot to learn when it comes to Prosecco.  If you feel like me, then this is a great place to start.

"Three Things They Don't Want You to Know"

Who's "they," you ask? It's restaurants, retailers, wineries and, yes, wine writers

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/46784?icid=em_com

This Blog Post by Wine Spectator Veteran Matt Kramer is in my opinion a little, well...beneath him.    I'm a bit wary of anything that sets up a divide between the consumer and trade and you can't help but feel that the "and yes, wine writers" was thrown in reluctantly at the end to deflect potential fall-out.  Outside of the 'premox' portion about prematurely oxidizing white Burgundy, you can't really find a motive for a wine writer to be complicit in this supposed cover-up.  It almost makes you wonder if some waiter ticked him off by not recognizing him and charging him full price for a glass of Viognier.   There is nothing untrue, new or particularly revelatory in his "outing" of restaurateurs and retailers for being for profit, and his recommendations for diners somehow seem so ten years ago.   Yes you have a better selection by the bottle.  Yes your wine by the bottle will not be oxidized and will be a better deal.  If you don't know these things, where have you been?  It also doesn't really give credit to the many restaurants that have gone to great lengths to address these issues, from  vast  by the glass selections and wine flights to those fancy machines that keep the wine fresh and measure pours (A $70,000 investment for  a state of the art piece of equipment.)   There is a very real cost involved in wine by the glass (even if you didn't spend the $70k on one of those machines)...it's called waste.  Those complaining about the problem of open, oxidized wines are illustrating this point themselves.  If you don't sell any more than that one glass from the bottle quickly, down the drain the remainder of the wine and all your profits go.   What a bunch of robber barons.

How about revealing something useful...like there is no margin in wine compared to most retail businesses to begin with.  The moisturizing cream on your face, the shirt on your back (even if its from Ross!) and the shoes on your feet all fetched a fine return on investment.  When I worked in wine retail we were down the street from a Salon.  I couldn't help but notice the dichotomy of the difficulty many women had spending even $10 on a bottle of wine, while $100 or so of "product" dangled from their wrist in a fancy bag.

The whole Big Box world that we live in promotes this idea that having a margin for profit in your business somehow makes you a crook.  There is a misconception that Big Box stores are Robin Hoods bringing affordable goods to the masses.     Every one of these outfits are making plenty of money.  This doesn't make them crooks either, it makes them businessmen.   They may not be making their money on that bottle of Cliquot you can't believe your local shop would charge you so much for, or those fancy high end bottles Mr. Kramer is encouraging you to buy from them or an online outlet, but they are making it somewhere, and plenty of it.  I won't start talking about loss leaders...but I think as reasonable people in the world we all know these things to be true.  We just like a deal. And we don't want to feel bad about it.  Maybe it would be a little more fair to own that, and stop trying to make independent merchants feel they are immoral profit seekers. 

Of course you can shop around.  The remnants of prohibition and the puritan American approach to alcohol as a controlled substance makes for wildly different import/distribution tiers throughout the US which can translate to sometimes wildly different prices.  Again, this is a fact of laws binding the buying/selling practices of wholesalers, retailers and importers in your State, City and County...not a rape the consumer scheme.  You can seek out online product reviews and make your own selections.  You can find better deals on the internet.  You don't need your local wine shop to do these things for you, you can of course do them yourself.  But that takes a lot of time.  Now you're doing all the work.  Apparently diners have taken to price checking the bottles on wine lists before they order.  The somm makes a recommendation and Joe Q is on his i phone checking Parker reviews and retail prices on Wine Searcher.   So much for the dining experience.   And this gets to the heart of what I really dislike about this- the encouraging the consumer to mistrust the wine professional in front of them.  Don't take the Sommellier's word for it, take Matt Kramer's.

Lastly the they in the title, "Three Things They don't want you to know," also smacks a bit of the "Make them Pay" piece that Ben Gilberti wrote in the Washington Post many years ago (one that became something of a swan song as he departed his duties as bi-weekly wine critic not long after) opining bitterly about the occurrence of corked wines in restaurants and the lack of tastevin wielding Sommelliers to ferret them out before the foul liquid and vapors penetrated the innocent nostrils and taste buds of the all important critic...heh hem...customer.   A crime for which he wanted to "Make Them (the restaurants) Pay."   Gentlemen...get over yourselves.