Basic Juice - the wine blog for my generation

I do/I don't

I do -
go for a funky, compelling glass of Rose from the Lebanese countryside with my Baba Ganooj.

I don't -
understand paying any amount of money, even 7-bucks, for wine that tastes as if it were produced by a mega-glomerate named, "ACME Wine Inc."

I do -
love to wind down the week by sipping a 9-buck bottle of Cava, eating two slices too many and watching Colbert Report reruns.

I don't -
pay $50 for a bottle of Cab/Bordeaux blend sporting 15+ percent ABV.  After 1.5 glasses, I'm too clouded to appreciate what it is I'm sipping.

I do -
appreciate alternative closures - Stelvins, Vino-Locs, etc. 

I don't -
understand why I still receive press releases linking Merlot and/or Pinot Noir to the film Sideways.  It was three years ago.  Let it go.  Please.

I do -
enjoy seeking out a new wine (Txakoli!, Santorini!, German Pinot N.!) each week at the local wine shop.

I don't -
enjoy the proceeds of the above-mentioned wine safari going into the bursting coffers of a wine-hostile regime seated in the Beehive State rotunda.

I do -
wish I had more time to sample, evaluate and wax poetic on wine.

I don't -
have any idea how many people have read this and thought, "Is this person an idiot?"

I do -
recommend revisiting (or sampling for the first time) Schramsberg's Blanc de Noirs ($30).  It is truly one of the finest domestic bubblies I have ever slurped (think: slightly overripe strawberries dipped in honey and schmeared over an oven fresh biscotti). 

I don't -
know exactly when (and if I'll have enough patience to continue waiting) I should open this bottle:  Baumard Quarts de Chaume, 2002.

Food Words: Gratin

T/F: Gratin is a type of casserole, covered in cheese and baked/broiled.

F

If, like me, your childhood exposure to 'gratin' comes from Betty Crocker's potatoes au gratin, then you may have guessed that the above statement is true.  Actually, gratin simply refers to a covered casserole, which has been baked or broiled.  The covering doesn't have to be cheese.  It can be bread crumbs or a mixture of bread and cheese or butter/cream.

Two gratins to try:

Raspberry and fig gratin + try with an extra dry (off-dry) bubbly or a late harvest Muscat

Goat cheese gratin + try with a sahara-dry Spanish Cava or slightly funky Pinot Noir

Technorati Tags: gratin, recipe, wine, wine pairing

Wine for the Masses

Religion has been referred to as, "opium of the people."  I'm certain there is much disagreement with that sentiment.  However, one thing all wine lovers can agree on is that religion was crucial in providing wine for the masses.

Justinian I, a 4th century Roman Emperor, was of the mind that his empire was best united under a single faith.  And the lucky faith winner in this imperial showdown was Christianity.  Once Christianity became the state religion, wine became more than just tasty Roman juice, it became  powerful religious accouterment.  Thus, when the Western Roman empire collapsed, winemaking did not.  It was preserved in Western Europe by clergymen in order to celebrate the Eucharist.

However, it's more than simply religion, which preserved viticulture, it was the monks.  At the time of Rome's decline, monks were practically the only literate dwellers in Europe.  Additionally, monks owned large tracts of land and had the time (that's what vows of celibacy, silence, etc. will get you) to experiment in vineyards and record their knowledge for posterity.  That isn't to say that no one else was growing or drinking wine at the time.  The Germanic tribes who enjoyed sacking Roman outposts were certainly fond of wine (Barbarian Riesling, anyone?).  However, the monks appear to have been able to hold onto and consolidate vineyards, as well as build up a body of viticultural knowledge.  Praise the monks!

As time passed, various monastic orders became winemaking experts in certain regions.  For example, the Benedictines had winemaking monasteries in the Loire, Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy.  The less famous Cistercians are believed to be the first to plant Chardonnay in Chablis.  Carthusian monks made wine in Switzerland, Germany and northeastern Spain.

Of course we can all thank the Padres for bringing wine to the Americas.  The Jesuits made wine in Peru, while later, in the 18th century, the Franciscans began pressing grapes in California.  Would there have been winemaking in the west without the monks?  Perhaps, but it would have definitely evolved much differently.  Without the clergy, was there a chance that winemaking would have died out after the fall of Rome?  Who knows.  All I can say is, "Thank Bacchus for winemaking monks!"

Technorati Tags: wine

Noir

Noir - French for black.  A common suffix for dark-berried grape varietals (e.g. Pinot Noir, Grenache Noir)

Not to be confused with

Film Noir - A cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas that set their protagonists in a world perceived as inherently corrupt and unsympathetic

Nor to be confused with

Jim Noir - British singer/songwriter described thusly:

"Imagine a Wurlitzer jukebox stacked with the hits of ELO, Super Furry Animals, Pepper-era Beatles, The Beta Band, The Beach Boys, early Pink Floyd and Supertramp. Now imagine blowing that jukebox up with a cartoon-style dynamite stick and making a record from the exploded fragments of vinyl and luminescent tubing. That's a bit like what Tower Of Love [from Jim Noir] sounds like. "

Have a listen to Mr. Noir while sipping a P.Noir and watching The Stranger - a classic film noir.

Technorati Tags: film noir, jim noir, pinot noir, wine

Wine Served a Chambre

Billy of the Wine Cask Blog asked me about the term, Chambré.  I had heard it before - yet like many semi-familiar wine terms, I assumed I knew what it meant.  Chambré is used, in both French and English, to describe a wine warmed to ambient (room - chamber) temperature.

Obnoxious usage example:  Excuse me, dear chap.  Might I have a goblet of that claret a Chambré?

Less obnoxious usage example:  Hey, Jim.  Some assclown at the bar asked for a glass of the Meritage a Chambré!?  What does that mean?

Technorati Tags: wine

Unartfully Worded

The vocabulary of wine is a symphony of sexy-sounding words.  If you're single, try this trick in a bar on Friday night.  Whisper these sweet nothings in an unsuspecting soul's ear.

bouteille dégustation pupitre blanc rouge blanc melon élevage

On second thought, don't.  You might get smacked.

There is also a dark, unartful side to vino vocabulary.  These are terms that most certainly do not conjure up candlelit dinners or purdy sunsets.  Rather, such terms create a rather rough, if not downright violent image.  For example..

Punching down - a winemaking step in which the cap (grapeskins and stuff sticking to said skins) is broken up and submerged in to the fermenting wine. 

"That Cabernet isn't fermenting properly, I'm gonna go punch its cap down!"

Powdery mildew - AKA oidium; a common vine fungal disease wherein all green parts on an affected plant are covered with a cobweb-like growth.  If grape clusters are infected growth is impaired an berries may not reach full size.

"This Sauvignon Blanc was afflicted with powdery mildew.  Fortunately, we treated the vines early on with fungicide and sulfur; and managed to save the crop.  Would you care for a glass?"

Rectified grape must - Processed grape juice, which has been concentrated and filtered.  Used in place of sugar for chaptalizing cool climate/not-quite-ripe wines.

"Looks like we'll have to add 20 gallons of rectified grape must to our Grande Cuvée."

Disgorgement - Removal of the pellet of junk (i.e. dead yeast cells) from the neck of a bottle of sparkling wine.  This step follows riddling in the bubbly production process.

"Eww.  This bottle wasn't properly disgorged - I just got a mouthful of dead yeast cells."

Can you name any other unartful wine words that put a damper on that whole romantic wine aura?

Technorati Tags: wine

How To Spit in German, French & Italian

(Editor's note: This is part of the weekend series of posts by guest authors, who are fellow bloggers, wine industry folk and Basic Juice readers.  If you are interested in being a guest author on Basic Juice, contact me with a proposal, and we'll see if we can't introduce the world to your handiwork.)

Guest Author: Emily of Winemonger - an importer and online retailer of Austrian wine.

How To Spit in German, French & Italian

In honor of Beau’s upcoming Live Austrian Wine Adventure, and for all of you out there who are planning your own wine tours abroad, I thought I would put together this small guide of words you may find yourself needing to say when you are in a German, French or Italian winery (in that order).

AGE: alter – age – eta

ALCOHOLIC CONTENT: alkoholgehalt - teneur en alcool - gradazione alcolica

BOUQUET, NOSE: bukett – bouquet – bouquet

CORKY TASTE: korkgeschmack – gout de bouchon – sapore di tappo

DRY: trocken - sec - secco

EARTHY: erdig – gout de terroir – terroso

FAT: fett – gras – grasso

FRESH: frisch – frais – fresco

FRUIT: frucht – fruit – fruttato

GRAPE: beere – baie – acino

GRAPE CLUSTER: traube - raisin - grappolo

GRAPE VARIETY: rebsorte – cepage - vitigno

LEES: geläger – lies – feccia

Austrian Appellations: Carnuntum

Carnuntum is easily Austria's least known wine region.  However, whatever it may lack in familiarity, the region easily makes up for in historical intrigue, and surprisingly good wine.

Carnuntum, east of Vienna, was originally inhabited by the Celts.  Druid folk named the region, deriving its name from 'Karn' - Celtic for 'rock.'  In time (6 AD, to be exact), the Romans came to control Carnuntum.  They used it as a troop garrison and built heavy duty fortifications along the Danube.  Carnuntum's importance as a government and military center waned in the 4th century after it was sacked by the Germans.

The Heidentor (Pagan Gate) - Carnuntum's most well-known archaeological landmark

Austrian Appellations: Vienna

One thing I recall from my brief time in Austria during the early 90s was a series of civic slogans:

"In Linz Beginnt's" - It begins in Linz
"Graz Hat's" - Graz has it
"Wien ist Anders" - Vienna is something else

With respect to wine, Vienna is indeed something else.  Even France can't boast of this much viticulture and wine-culture in its capitol city.  As the Celtic settlement called, "Vedunia," grapes were cultivated as early as 1132 AD.  During the Middle Ages, each district of the city (called 'Bezirk' in German) possessed its own vineyards.  The Heurigen (wine bar) scene was made possible, thanks to Emperor Josef II, who passed an edict in 1784, allowing growers to sell & serve food with their wine (Oh, and by the way, Joseph the Deuce was one of those enlightened despots, who pushed peasant emancipation, education and secularization of church property.  A pretty good guy - as far as despots go).

As the city grew and modernized, many of the vineyards were lost in favor of concrete, asphalt, etc.  Recently however, there has been a trend towards recultivation.  There are 630 wine producers (that's one wine producer per 2,500 people - my kind of town) working 680 hectares of vines.  White grapes dominate these urban vineyards.  Grüner Veltliner, the quintessential Austrian grape is common, along with the international travelers Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.  For those who prefer drinking to growing, there are 180 Heurigen in Vienna.  There's even a Vienna Heurigen Express, which choo-choos wine imbibers safely around town.  That settles it!  I'm going to Vienna.

For those wanting an ex situ sip of Viennese vino try tracking down some of the few exported wines:

Weingut Wieninger - imported to the U.S. by Vin DiVino

Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz - imported to Canada by HHD Imports

Of course, beginning next month, I will bring you a first-slurp accounting of the wines & Heurigen of Vienna.  Stay tuned.

You can subscribe to the Live Austrian Wine Adventure XML feed with this link.

Tags: austrian wine, wine, live austrian wine adventure, vienna, travel, austria

 

Least Palatable Wine Words

I've begun to work up a list of what I consider to be the least palatable wine words

Gyropalette - A mechanical metal crate, which holds dozens of 'traditionally made' sparkling wine bottles.  It is the automated answer to riddling.  Commonly used in the production of Spanish sparkling wine, or Cava as it's called.  This makes bubbly seem much less romantic.  However, I loves me some $10 sparkly

Bung - It sounds so..Beavis & Butthead (heh ehh ehh).  But the bung serves a vital function in the ageing/maturation process:  It is inserted into the bung-hole..  The definition from the Oxford Companion is priceless:

"..If a barrel is stored so that the bung is at its highest point, this position is called bung-up and the bung may be left so that gas can escape from the bung-hole." 

Flabby - It is my understanding that this word is used to describe wine that is lacking in acidity, and thus feels heavy & lazy in the mouth.  This term is indeed apt for superfruity, high-alcohol wines.  Yet the visual that the term 'flabby' creates is certainly unappetizing.

What wine words do you consider unpalatable?

Austrian Grapes: Zweigelt

The Zweigelt grape is thoroughly Austrian. It was created by Dr. Fritz Zweigelt (Austrian) via a crossing of St. Laurent (also Austrian) and Blaufränkisch (AKA Lemberger).  Young Zweigelt-based wines are full of cheery cherry scents coupled to spicy notes.  This grape (pronounced: Ts-vye-gelt) can best be described as:

"Blackcherrycinnamonpeppersilkysmooth"

Zweigelt is a fine match with sweetly spiced Italian sausage and salty, starchy potatoes.  Try it with:

Potato, Leek, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pizza (recipe at Stephencooks)

Zweigelt Mini Dégustation

Zantho Zweigelt 2003 ($13) - From the Neusiedlersee region of Austria

Braunstein Mitterjoch Zweigelt 2003 ($13) - "fresh notes of wild cherry and is fat and charming on the palate"

Weingut Hillinger Zweigelt 2003 ($15) - "Spicy aromas and flavors of cinnamon and cardamom give this wine added dimension"

Tags: austrian wine, wine, live austrian wine adventure, zweigelt, travel, austria

Irony, Defined

Irony, Salon des Vins-style:
You taste a 20 year Tawny Port from one of the most renowned Port houses and discover, to the representative's chagrin, the wine is corked.

Carbonic Macer...Wha?

The Scene:  A Crowded Neighborhood Wine Shop
You have just selected a seemingly innocent bottle of red wine - "Chateau Something-or-other."  The vintage is 2004.  Hoping to learn a bit more about this wine, you rotate the bottle and begin reading the back label..

You [reading to self] : This stunning, bright garnet-coloured wine offers an intense bouquet of red berries coupled to smooth tannins.  Our winemaker utilized two different fermentation methods in producing this wine: 50% carbonic maceration and 50% traditional, temperature controlled fermentation.  The result is a wine with an incredibly rich mouthfeel and intense flavour..

You [stop reading and scan back to the term, "carbonic maceration"] : "Carbonic macer...Wha?  What does that mean?  Maceration sounds a little violent.  What will this wine taste like?" [You look up and every eye in the store is upon you]

Random guy [snickering] : Ha.  You don't know what carbonic maceration is!  Moron.

Attractive woman [derisively] : I can't respect any man who doesn't understand the carbonic maceration process.

Distinguished older gentleman with pipe [eruditely] : I weep for the uneducated.

Gaggle of school children [laughing loudly] : Look everyone!  There's a dummy in the wine shop.  Dummy, dummy, dummy!

And, scene.

Schilcher - Austria's Rosé

Speaking of rosé, have you tried Schilcher?  Me neither (at least not yet).  However, this May, you can bet your kugels I'll be schniffing and schipping scheveral glaschess of Schilcher.

Schilcher is unique to Western Styria, which is often referred to as Austria's most eccentric wine producing region (and that's saying something).  This rosé is made from Blauer Wildbacher, a highly acidic indigenous grape variety.  Schilcher is described by those in the know as, "[purple] onion peel to salmon pink," in color.  In addition to tongue tickling acidity, Schilcher is full of herbal and spice notes.  It's rarely seen outside Western Styria, save for occasional appearances in Viennese wine bars.

This unique pink wine is said to shift colors as it shimmers ('schillern' in German) in the glass.  Hence, the name, "Schilcher."  Of course, if you want to know more about Schilcher and Western Styria, you'll just have to join me in the Live Austrian Wine Adventure!

A TCA PSA

Recently I was invited to lead a group through a tasting of some Spanish and Australian wines.  As I opened one of the bottles, an Australian Grenache, my nose alarm was tripped: *Danger*Danger* Corked Wine Alert!  Eww.  My initial reaction was, “Shoot!* There goes that bottle."  But then, I improvised (bop, skitty, shoo-bop) and simply poured the tainted vino in a tasting glass at each place setting.

Once everyone was seated I asked the group to, “Take wine #4, close your eyes, stick your nose in the glass and take a big whiff.”  I observed numerous grimaces and a few perplexed expressions.  “What do you smell?” I asked.  The room fill with cognitive-dissonance.  The tasters felt as though they should like the wine they just sniffed, yet for most folks, it was obviously an unpleasant aroma.  Thankfully, one brave soul responded, “It smells like moldy forest floor.”  With that the flood gates opened:  Several others agreed.  Some indicated it smelled like wet newspaper and cardboard.  One woman offered a particularly colorful description, “It smells like a dirty swimming pool.”

This was a teaching moment.  I explained that the wine was corked, and that ‘corked’ is a simple way of saying that the wine had been infected by an unpleasant-smelling compound called TCA.  There were some scientific types in the audience, so we had a brief discussion on 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (and family).  However, what I found most interesting were the responses to the following two questions:

Have you heard the term “cork taint” before?
Have you ever smelled or tasted a corked wine?

About half of the group had previously heard of cork taint.  Yet, with the exception of a single person, no one else thought - or wasn’t sure - if they had ever experienced corked wine.  And it’s not as if these people are wine novices - I would peg most of them as regular wine drinkers.

Perhaps we who obsess about all things wine know exactly what corked wine smells like.  However, those around us may very well have no idea how to identify corked wine.  This is indeed a valuable skill.  For example, say you order a $150 bottle of wine at that fancy restaurant (perhaps you’re trying to impress sweetie).  If you take a sniff and detect the telltale scents of cork taint, you can confidently declare to your server that, “This wine is corked.”  Yet, if you haven’t matched this unpleasant smell to the specific term, you might be reluctant to say, “Umm, I don’t like this wine, I think something may be wrong with it.”

So as a Public Service Announcement to all wine lovers, and doing my best (?) Jeff Foxworthy impression, let me just say: “Your wine might be corked if….”

• it smells like Aunt Edna’s swimming pool in late autumn
• the scent reminds you of chlorinated feet
• you have flashbacks of that nasty rainstorm, which flooded the basement and drowned your prized collection of Highlights magazines
• you suddenly experience the urge to change your order to Diet Pepsi (you know, brown and bubbly)
• Insert your own personal corked wine description here (via the comments)

If you drink wine, I urge you to channel your inner boy-/girl-scout and “do a good turn” by sharing your next bottle of corked wine with the noses of friends, family and neighbors.  Trust me; they’ll thank you - someday.

*I may or may not have thought, “Shoot!” But let’s keep this PG, shall we?

tags corked wine, wine

Wine for the Bada-Bing!

If I were a big fan of The Sopranos, I might throw a Season 6 Premier Party.  Naturally I would serve vino Italiano.  My crew wouldn't get none of them B's - Barolo, Barbresco, Barbera.  Rather, I'd head to 'the family's' Island - Sicily.  Why should one look to Sicily (just don't stare) for get-together wine?  Two words: cheap wine.  Now hold on a minute.  It aint so bad.

Sure, Sicily's vino past is a bit cloudy.  With its hot summer temperatures, the island produced generations of highly alcoholic, color-intense wine, which was used as blending juice. In fact, it's a dirty little secret that many French vignerons bought 'protection' for their weaker wines from La Cosa Loro.

More recently however, a few capos decided they would have more success conquering the wine world with style rather than brute strength.  These cerebral Sicilians focused on quantity over quality.  And believe you me, you should have no problem with that.  Nowadays one can procure high fallutin' Sicilian vino at boutique prices (you don't even have to know a guy).  One may also, if one is so inclined, track down rosy pink wine from the island (I happen to know a guy). 

Luckily it seems that a few vino consigliori even persuaded their boss to produce good. cheap. wine.  To the folks at Feudo Arancio, I offer a hearty hug of gratitude for two Sicilians that should be at every wiseguy get-together on March 12.

'Grillo'
A unique white wine full of lemon zest, cucumber, romaine and white pepper scents.  This wine is great with pork chops or baked ziti.  It's even solid enough to stand up to a slice (either New York or Chicago).

'Nero' (Feudo Arancio Nero D'Avola 2003 - $7)
Nero is the current holder of the vaunted Basic Juice 'best damn red wine under ten bucks' title.  Now don't expect the earth to move after sipping this wine.  But as a spicy-fruity sipping beverage to nurse as you watch Tony, Christopher and Carmela wrestle with inner demons, Nero is just the ticket.  And yes, it will pair perfectly with mama's spaghetti or a leftover slice.

Feudo Arancio Nero D'Avola:  It's big at the Bada-Bing!

tags italian wine, red wine, wine, the sopranos

Bubble Jones? Go Prosecco.

You're jonesing for something bubbly, but don't have the coin for Champagne.  What to do?  You've got options: A) drink a soda/pop, B) make one of those 6th grade science experiment-volcanoes with vinegar and baking soda (you watch the bubbles in lieu of drinking them), C) take your bad self to the wine shop and ask for bubbles.  Chances are you'll be presented with one or more of the following sparkling supplements: Sparkling wine, Cava, Prosecco.

Making your best scientific-looking face, you decide on Prosecco - because it sounds cool.  But what is Prosecco?  It's Italian sparkling wine.  Yeah, yeah; but what is Prosecco...really?

Prosecco, literally, is the name of a late ripening grape thought to have originated in northeastern Italy around a town called Prosecco - near Trieste.  Prosecco, generally, also refers to a style of bubbly made in Italy's Veneto.  Traditionally, Prosecco was lightly sparkling, slightly sweet and uncomplicated.  Like other European sparkling wine, Prosecco's creation was a bit of an accident.  Back in the day, Prosecco grapes were harvested late in the fall.  As the juice fermented, winter arrived an put the kabosh on fermentation - but not before the sugar eating yeasts had belched out a number of carbon dioxide bubbles.  Then as the wine cellar gradually warmed with the arrival of spring, fermentation started up once again, but without temperature control, this process went along in lurches and lunges (Think: the first time you tried to drive a car with manual transmission).  The end result was a rustic wine, with spritz , subtle scents of fruit & flowers and a little sweetness to go along with the Prosecco grape's characteristic high acidity.  It was simple sparkly stuff.

Then, in the late 1800's, along came the ominously-named 'tank method' for producing a whole helluva a lot of Prosecco at once.  Indeed, Prosecco-based bubbly became less variable, more predictably sparkly, and often, quite dry.  Nowadays, if you grab a bottle of Prosecco off the shelf, it could be really dry, sort of dry or slightly sweet.  Of course there are also Prosecco producers who attempt to Maserati-ify this wine and sell it for luxe prices.  I don't suppose there is anything wrong with that.  However, for me, Prosecco will always be the bubbly I break out on a Friday night, on a picnic, or to sip après lawn mowing.

I dig Maggie's Prosecco philosophy: "With Proseccos, you never know if they’ll be bone or off dry until you try. But the beauty is, if you don’t hit it off, you just add something else until you do.."  She indicates you can add all variety of juice, mixers and sugared cubes.  Great idea.  And even though it's mid-January, there aint nothing stopping you from throwing a little Prosecco mixing party tomorrow night.

Some Prosecco suggestions:

• Adami Prosecco, NV ($15)
• Mionetto Prosecco Legatura, NV ($13)
• Jeio Bisol Prosecco Brut, NV ($14)

Finally, the question becomes, What do you add to your Prosecco?  Drop some mix-in suggestions for those of us fixin' to experiment with the Pro-Sek-O.

Tagged with: wine +italian wine +sparkling wine

Steppin to the PM

Quick late 80s/early 90s music trivia:  Name the hip-hop duo famous for its song, "Steppin' to the AM" [video here] (which, in the age of sampling gone wild, sampled the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Kool and the Gang and Pink Floyd) and, perhaps equally as famous for its animosity towards boom/bust dancer-cum-rappers, MC Hammer & Vanilla Ice.

*tick*tick*tick*ding!*

The answer: 3rd Bass (also famous for distinctive, back-of-head-shaved haircuts).

Let's step from the AM to the PM.

Quick sparkling wine trivia:  Name the three grapes commonly used in the wine blends that comprise Champagne.

tick*tick*tick*ding!*

The answer: You most likely thought of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  And the 3rd grape of bubbledom is....Pinot Meunier.

Pinot Meunier, like many varietals is known by a number of monikers: Meunier, Gris Meunier, Müllerrebe and Schwarzriesling.  P.Meunier is commonly accepted to be a mutant clone of the readily mutating Pinot Noir.  Meunier is French for miller, as Müller in German means miller also.  Pinot Meunier garnered this name for the distinctive, flour-dusted appearance on the undersides of its leaves.  Aside from its name and appearance, this varietal has been an invaluable grape in Northern France and surrounding environs.  Unlike the fickle, finicky Pinot Noir, P.Meunier buds later and ripens earlier.  In other words, it avoids both early spring and late autumn snow & frost.  In fact, it is the most widely planted varietal in Champagne (40% of the vineyards).  So why is this Pinot pretty much anonymous to most wine drinkers?  The answer lies in its lack of a solo career.  Rare is the bottle labeled, "Pinot Meunier."  However, if you see one, give it a try.  Some time ago I sampled the August Briggs Pinot Meunier from Napa Valley.  Rather than the expected cherry-strawberry combo of many Cali Pinot Noirs, I was seduced by baked blueberries and chocolate.  Tell me, have you tried a single varietal Pinot Meunier?  Don't you think it's time?  Quit half steppin and find one.

Tagged with: champagne + Pinot Meunier + sparkling wine

Words of Wisdom

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."

- Benjamin Franklin

S is for Savagnin

T was for Traminer, which, some say, is the progenitor to the better known, though less-easily pronounceable grape, Gewürztraminer.

Well, Pierre Galet, he of grape taxonomy fame, maintains that the Savagnin grape of the Jura (eastern France) is identical to Traminer.  He also asserts that Gewürztraminer is simply the pink-skinned mutant clone of Savagnin.

So who cares about Savagnin?  Savagnin is the grape used by Jura Vignerons to produce one of the world's oddest wines - Vin Jaune.  Sadly, I have yet to sample a funky Jaune; although it appears to be somehow reminiscent of Fino Sherry.  The Caveman describes Vin Jaune thusly:

T is for Traminer

Friday.  Brought to you by the letter, "T" - as in Traminer

Traminer is an ur-grape variety.  It's the progenitor of the more-aromatic, better known tongue twisting varietal, Gewürztraminer.  Traminer originated near the town of Termeno, in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige.  Traminer is still grown in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Romania.  There are also wines containing Traminer from Australia.  Unfortunately many wines labeled "Traminer" are actually Gewürztraminer as the names are often synonyms. 

M is for Merlot

Tuesday.  Brought to you by the letter, "M" - as in Merlot

I'm not going to write about any @#$@#$ing Merlot.  And neither are the folks over at NoMerlot.com.  It's a nifty little wine review resource.  Just don't look for any Merlot (or Chardonnay..).

P is for Petite Sirah

Monday.  Brought to you by the letter, "P" - as in Petite Sirah

This grape is neither petite nor Syrah.  Many think it’s actually the blasé French grape called Durif.  Actually, most Petite Sirah from California is likely a mix of one or more of the following grapes:  Alicante Bouschet, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre, Peloursin, or Zinfandel.  Whatever it is, David Bruce makes a Jim-Dandy P.Sir.  Enjoy an inky, deep, plumy glass of David Bruce Petite Sirah, ’03 ($20).

H is for Heurigen

Donnerstag.  Brought to you by the letter H; as in Heurigen

H - Heurigen  The Austrian term for Viennese wineries with attached taverns.  Vienna is one of the only cities with vineyards right inside its limits.  If you ever find yourself in Austria, head to Vienna, find a few Heurigen, and enjoy a fabulous wine sipping experience.

K is for Kabinett

Sunday.  Brought to you by the letter K; as in Kabinett.

K - Kabinett  If you’re not a fan of "Blue Nun" style German Riesling, grab a bottle with this word on the label.  Kabinett wines are usually dry or slightly off-dry.  Wine in this category isn’t allowed to be sweetened with unfermented grape juice as are many entry level German Rieslings.  Get your Kabinett groove on with Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett, ’03 ($19).

"É" is for Élevage

Wednesday.  Brought to you by the letter É; as in Élevage.

E - Élevage -  A French word that has no exact English translation.  It can be approximately translated as rearing/breeding/raising.  This word is simply fun to say.  Say it slowly after taking a sip of wine, “A fine el-e-vaazh this wine is.” You’ll sound something like a French Yoda.

And fancy that, there's also a wine blog, originating in Portland, OR, called Élevage

"R" is for Retsina

Friday.  Brought to you by the letter R; as in Retsina.

R - Retsina.  Are you a brave soul?  Then close your eyes and take a sip of this Greek wine.  It’s been around for over 2700 years.  Retsina is a white wine that has been infused with pine resin.  It packs quite a unique flavor-punch.  Some might say it is an acquired taste like, oh, pine needles.  See if you are able to train your tongue to like Boutari Retsina ($8). 

"B" is for Bacchus

Tuesday.  Brought to you by the letter B; as in Bacchus.

B – Bacchus.  The Roman god of wine (AKA Dionysus to the Greeks).  It was always said amongst residents of Mt. Olympus, “If the Bacchus hizz-ouse is a-rockin, grab a 750, and be sure to come a-knockin!”