Category: Wine

Categories
Drinking The Chef Wine

Spring Tastings

Springtime motivates me to re-dedicate myself to tasting more wines, as I look to exchange the heavier winter wines for lighter ones. So while you might pick up a bottle of rose prematurely, I still cling to some robust reds and whites that pack a wallop. Recently I attended two tastings which reinvigorated my spirit, if not my thirst.

At the Ibanez Pleven Offerings (IPO) gathering at Per Se, wine professionals spent the day slurping and spitting wines from what turned out to be a solid portfolio of French, Portuguese, California, and Spanish wines. I carry a few of these wines at Ostia, and was curious about wines outside the Spanish D.O.
There was a lovely chardonnay from Elke Vineyard (2004) which exhibited great minerality and good acidity. I really enjoyed the second label from Screaming Eagle, Jonata, especially the 2004 “la alma” from the Sanat Ynez alley. The style was more Bordeaux than California rocket juice, and look forward to seeing how these bottles will age in the future.

The Mas D’en Compte Planots, a Prioriato fashioned from 100 year old vines evoked spicy tickles and Languedoc sensibility. Gramona made its presence felt with better than avergae cavas from Penedes, but it was the artfully crafted godellos from Bodegas Val de Sil out of Valdeorras that had me humming. These wines glistened with golden hues and Burgundian elegance and floral beauty. Roger Sabon out of CDP was being poured as well, a treat for anyone.

A proper follow up a few days later was at the Polaner Selections tasting at the Puck building, a great venue for these type of events. Louis/Dressner Selections represented as well, pouring fab wines from Eric Texier, Catheirine and Claude Mafrechal to Michel Tete and Catherine & Pierre Breton. Top that off with Clos Roche Blanche and Domaine du Closel, and suddenly spitting is no longer an option.

I ran into a lovely Champagne by the name of Agrapart et Fils who sported a lovely Blanc de Blancs and Brut Rose with minerally, silky, elegant texture.

One corner of the room had a line up similar to the N.Y. Yankees. What would you say these heavy hitters: Emilio Pepe (’77-’04), Mascarello (’98-’04), Roagna (’96-‘0), Giacomo Conterno Barolos and Lopez de Heredia (’99-’73)? The 1976 Bosconia was unbelievable.

Back to work, tasting flights of Ricardo Palacions, Palacios Remondo, Rafael Palacios, Bodegas Olivares, Bodegas Artadi, Artazu, El Seque, Vinedos AAlto, Capcanes, and Quinta Sardonia, just to name a few, as finally I was able to say I clocked on for the event. All in all swift work in under two hours, as I barley had room for Tomasso Bussola’s amarones.

As I’ve told many a friend or customer, life’s too short to drink bad wine. So get out to a wine shop somewhere and start your spring tasting. After all, with the weather these days, summer is just around the corner.

Categories
The Chef Wine

Gobble Wine

Choosing the right wines for Thanksgiving can prove elusive and difficult, especially due to the broad range of flavors, but as a general rule I try to match cuisine and wine to its region or style.  For my Haitian turkey recipe, I look to France for pairing. While Haitian rum is world renowned, there are no good Haitian wines to fit the bill.  Over the past few Thanksgivings, I have tried several different types of wines, from American zinfandels to beaujolais.  Haitian food can be savory and spicy, but also delicate and nuanced. The trick is to find a light-bodied wine that can stand up to intense flavors yet enhance other subtle ones.

Champagne is a classic starter for my family, not only because of its versatility, but after all, it is a celebration.  I tend to enjoy medium-bodied bubbly, but my family prefers light and airy.  This time I’ll serve a bottle of Larmandier-Bernier Brut Tradition 1er Cru, a great compromise for any palate.  A natural biodynamic sparkler comprised of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, a sure-fire winner from Vertus.

Depending on the appetizers, I would move to Chardonnay, one that is not too oaky or buttery.  Any white burgundy will do the trick here.  I am giving a Stony Hill 2001 Chardonnay a whirl.

Cru Beaujolais such as a Brouilly from Chateau Thivin or a Morgon from Jean Paul Thevenet have been up to the challenge in the past. But I have recently fallen in love with Eric Texier’s Brezeme 2004 Syrah which for the price ($15), and the flavor profile (simple, light bodied, yet remarkable) makes for a marriage to any turkey perfect.

Just in case there is room for a cheese course (and indeed there should be) instead of opting for a dessert wine, reach for something light and funky, such as the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon from Senorio de Sarria, a producer from Navarra, Spain who will surprise you for its style (light and earthy) and cost ($12).

Whichever wines you choose, stock plenty of it.  Running out during gobble gobble can ruin any post-turkey siesta.

Categories
Drinking Experiences Wine

Taste Off

Part of the job of a professional in the wine industry is to attend tastings where hundreds of wines may be offered. Industry protocol dictates to spit, so as not to be affected by the amount of alcohol. That way wine number 43 can actually be judged accurately. My only problem with this is not experiencing the finish in a wine, which is the most enjoyable part after the aroma. This is not as difficult as one might think, in that inherently there is a lot of piquette out there, not worthy of being swallowed anyway.

Not so during a recent tasting held by Louis/Dressner selections on a beautiful, sunny autumn afternoon at a loft atop East Fourth Street. The affable Joe Dressner was omnipresent, having organized a miraculous spread of delicious and most interesting wines, with the added bonus of several winemakers such as Eric Texier, Silvio Messana, and Monique & Pierre Luneau.

The wines are vinified naturally, resulting in some of the most exciting wines in the marketplace today, thus leaving the old world vs. new world squabble to the rest of the producers. I have been fortunate enough to have tasted many of these wines over the years, although each vintage is different, so I had to carefully strategize which wines I just had to taste.

Table 1 highlights Larmandier-Bernier, a biodynamic producer, crafting gorgeous, bone dry champagnes that get the party started right. Onto Philippe Pacalet for a taste of light, aromatic, almost ethereal pinot noirs, a real treat. Radikon made its presence felt with 2002 Ribolla Giallas , chardonnays, and Tocai Friulanos, about as wild a white as you will encounter from Friuli, Italy. Then I hit the Lunea-Papin table, where aged muscadets were on display, such as the brilliant 1989 and 1990 vintages.

Silvio Messana stood behind his Chiantis, well dressed and pouring juicy smooth rossos and chiantis to my delight. Next to Silvio I met Eric Texier from the Rhone valley. Apart from a fab CDP white and a stellar Cote-Rotie, his 2004 Brezeme stood out as a lovely example of an unpretentious syrah.

On to Roagna for some Barolo and Barbaresco. Boy do these babies need bottle age! Olga Raffault put out a 1990 Chinon, a cab franc that has serious aging potential. I said hello to old friends (wines) Domaine de Pepiere, Domaine du Closel, Terres Dorees, and Michel Tete, Francois Chidaine, Catherine and Pierre Breton, and Thierry Puzelat, all go to favorites over the past few years.

I came away from the tasting with a sense of happiness, that so many dedicated vintners are creating such great wines, and how fortunate we are to be able to taste the fruits of the earth, in an age when working with nature is not practiced or valued nearly enough.

Categories
Recipes The Chef Wine

Pass the Sangria

Sangria, the drink that has come to be synonymous with Spanish wine, has long been misunderstood. To associate sangria with Spanish wine drinking is comparable to saying the Greeks only drink ouzo or the French pastis. The most common drink beloved by the Spaniards is a cana, or a four ounce beer, served in a small glass, ice cold from the keg, and consumed rapidly, almost like a shot. It is a little known fact that most Spaniards consume sangria during the summer and only in certain parts of Spain. Otherwise, the drink of choice is a red wine, whatever the region has to offer.

The quality of such Spanish winemaking has evolved exponentially, especially in the last twenty years, with otherwise unknown regions such as Jumilla, Montsant, Navarra, Penedes, Yecla, Toro and Bierzo emerging as fine examples of Spanish craftsmanship.

Sangria exhibits versatility, because it is a red wine that acts like a cold white, satisfying both desires. But no comparison can be made to a wine of real craft and value. Sangria is made with jug wine, sugar and soda. It is often too sweet a match for good food, and is the source of many a hangover with its deliberate sweetness. As the winter months approach it is time to sample what Spain has to offer. Have a conversation with the wine director or chef about what is available according to your palate. You will be justly rewarded and perhaps pleasantly surprised.

If you are looking for world class wines with dinner, vintage charts are important. For example, 1994 was an excellent year for Rioja, 2001 for Navarra etc. Spanish wines can age like red burgundies, great aromas, light-bodied, but intensely flavored. Just try a 1994 Miguel Merino Reserva if you need proof, for example.

For those of you who are still holding on to Sangria flavors, check out my recipe that I have developed over the years, having stayed in Spain and consulted with many an unofficial aficionado. Otherwise drink Spanish wine! Viva Espana! Ole!

SANGRIA

By Chef Mateo

1.5 litre tempranillo
128 oz. pitcher
juice of 3 oranges
½ bottle cava
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup Spanish brandy
Juice of 2 limes
4 cups of ice
1 sliced apple
20 oz. club soda
1 sliced pear
½ cup sugar
1 sliced peach
pinch of nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks

Add ingredients to pitcher.
Then add ice. Stir well.
Cover and let rest in fridge for 8 hours.
Serve chilled.

Categories
Eating Food Wine

Miguel Merino

Just before vendimia 2006, I had the luxurious fortune to spend time with a great neophyte winemaker from the Rioja Alta, Miguel Merino. Solera was the host restaurant, and the guest list was put together by my feisty colleague from Frontier Imports, Mickey Vail.

The occasion was festive, what with everyone jockeying for position next to such a humble, successful winemaker. With Pedro Romero Aurora Manzanilla in hand, we chatted about wine and New York City and Spanish gastronomy. Mr. Merino looked refined, but with his ear to the ground, was immensely gracious and soft-spoken. I learned that he took over the winery on a dream and a whim, perhaps with some help from being an attorney for so many years prior. His first vintage was the glorious 1994, and he freely admits that even he could not screw that up.

Nervous energy transformed into delirious chatter, as talking with Miguel Merrino the man brought out more appreciation for the wines themselves. Mr. Merino’s opening words were aided by a few glasses of that delightful manzanilla, as he commented about his boys back home and the upcoming harvest, more importantly about how he felt about wine and the people who love it.

The 1998 Reserva was paired with a piquillo pepper stuffed with morcilla and lentils, a tapa that was fantastically crafted and a joy with the wine. Mr. Merino said that the ’98 was a bit feminine. We all agreed, partly in expectation of it to reach full maturity, and partly because we were so happy. Then came the 2000 Reserva, a fabulous poached egg atop a potato and chorizo stew, a hearty man’s appreciation for all things good in Spain. The 2000 needed more time, prompting another few words from Mr. Merino, thus far emanating a tremendous warmth in his explanation of the vintage.

Before we could make further comparisons, a plate of sea bass with pimiento chorizero was matched by the superlative 1995 Reserva, an introduction into one of the finest wines of Spain if there ever was one. Light-bodied, but full flavored, well integrated tannins and complex fruit, the 1995 was a stunner. Things were really humming now.

Exquisite lamb chops sided by potatoes Riojas and Roncal crisp proved to be an ideal pairing to the imperial 1994 reserva, a wine that had everyone swooning. A collective but unspoken “Wow!” was felt throughout the room, and everyone looked around as if searching for witnesses. The 2001 was also served as Mr. Merino felt the two vintages had tremendous similarity. Assorted Spanish cheeses and cookies were then offered with a barrel sample of the 2004 vintage. At this point I was looking for any leftover 2004 to polish off.

Mr. Merino remained affable and generous. I felt like I had a new friend in la Rioja, and anxiously accepted an invitation to visit in the future. Many good memories linger from that evening, and I scrambled home to see if I was smart enough to put away any of the ’94 or 95’ bottles. Chef Danilo Paulino put on a superb show, and the service and course of events were masterfully orchestrated by Maitre d’ Ron Miller. Solera is an excellent choice for fine Spanish dining, and I will be looking forward to reviewing it in the future.