26 Friday Jul 2013
Posted in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2013
Tags
Last fall NUVO, the Indianapolis alternative newspaper, picked up Grape Sense – my newspaper column. They run it every other week much like the other 22 newspapers. They usually have to edit it down to about 300 words.
But I’ve done a few special pieces and a few of my regular columns for them as a feature. It was great to see this week’s column featured promoting Saturday’s Uncork the Uplands event in Bloomington!
19 Friday Jul 2013
Posted in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2013
The News-Tribune in New Albany and Jeffersonville has become the 23rd Midwestern newspaper to carry my wine column, Grape Sense.
The river city daily is a combined production of the old New Albany Tribune and Jeffersonville News. I’ve been after them for awhile with their close proximity to Huber, Turtle Run, and Best wineries!
That brings my newspaper count to 23 papers in three states, and reaching more than 310,000 homes each month!
Thanks to editor Shea Van Hoy for picking up Grape Sense!
15 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Indiana, Newspaper Column 2013
Tags
Best Vineyards, Bill Oliver, Bloomington Convention Center, Brown County Winery, Butler Vineyards, Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheese, French Lick Winery, Huber Orchard & Vineyards, Indiana Uplands, Jim Butler, Jim Pfeiffer, Judy Schad, Kim Doty, Oliver Winery, Owen Valley Winery, Smoking Goose Meats, Turtle Run Winery, Uncork the Uplans, Winzerwald Winery
Indiana’s best wine region is pairing up with some of the state’s better-known artisan food producers for the third annual “Uncork the Uplands.”
Ten Uplands wineries will pour wine beside artisan food businesses at 6-9 p.m., July 27, at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center.
The Indiana Uplands grape growing designation (AVA) was awarded by the federal government earlier this year. The designation adds authenticity to a region for growing grapes and producing wines unique to the geographic area. The Uplands group is capitalizing by moving its young event from near Louisville to Bloomington.
Visitors can tour Bill Oliver’s Creekbend Vineyards Saturday afternoon
“The Uplands area is very large geographically so we are moving the event to different venues around the trail to be accessible to a larger and more diverse audience,” said Kim Doty, Uplands president and owner of French Lick Winery. “This is our signature event. We want to show people what we can do. We’re making world-class wines.”
The evening features 10 wineries: Best Vineyards, Brown County, Butler Winery, Carousel, French Lick, Huber, Owen Valley, Oliver, Turtle Run and Winzerwald. A few of the food vendors include: Fair Oaks Farm, Piccoli Dolci, Peacetree Mountain Truffles, Yours Truly Foods , Maple Leaf Farms, Smoking Goose Meats, Inga’s Popcorn, and Steckler Grassfed (beef).
Butler
Judy Schad, Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheeses, will be one of the featured speakers. Jim Butler, Butler Winery, will talk about the significance of the AVA designation. A silent auction will be held to benefit the Local Growers Guild, and three chefs will compete in a wine/food pairing competition judged by all visitors.
Bill Oliver, Oliver Winery, is opening his Creekbend Vineyard to visitors as part of the Uncork event. Winemakers from many of the 10 wineries will be in the vineyard Saturday afternoon to talk about grapes grown in Indiana and their winemaking.
Tickets for the evening event are $55, which includes tasting at all of the winery and food tables. The combined evening program and Creekbend Tour is $75. Tickets are available at the Convention Center box office and any of the 10 wineries.
For the winemakers, 2013 has been a very good year. The American Viticulture Area designation provides legitimacy to wine enthusiasts.
Pfeiffer in his vineyard neary Corydon.
“It’s all about validity,” said Jim Pfeiffer, winemaker and owner of Turtle Run Winery, Corydon. “When you have big events people take notice. I’m a big subscriber to Robert Mondavi’s mantra of promote yourself, promote your industry and get others to grow with you.
“It’s sort of like we’re trying to do things Napa Valley does. We want to be noticed.”
The wine trail has benefited from the publicity. Already this year, the Uplands added a 10th winery after the AVA announcement, Owen Valley Winery, Spencer, IN.
“Indiana Uplands was Indiana’s first wine trail,” Doty said. “We are celebrating our 10th anniversary. With the new AVA designation, we are seeing more wineries take root in the Uplands and the expansion of established vineyards.”
Pfeiffer said the wine trail brings more credibility to each winery’s effort. “Would anyone know of Napa Valley if there were 1-2-3 wineries? You have to partner up with people who are like minded. It creates validity and excitement.
01 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Newspaper Column 2013, Oregon
There are so many great summer options for patio or porch wine it’s foolish to concentrate on just one. Pinot Gris deserves strong consideration after several mentions of dry Rosé.
The white wine market is flooded with Pinot Grigio so what’s the difference in Pinot Gris? That’s a trick question because both wines are made from the same grape. It’s really a matter of style.
Pinot Grigio, which is often flabby and uninteresting, is usually light-bodied with stone fruit and floral hints on the nose. Italians tend to make the best Pinot Grigio but even under the Italian flag the quality wavers. It is Italy’s most popular white wine.
Pinot Gris usually has a richer body, nicer texture, and wonderful acidity. The grape which makes both wines originates from the Burgundian Pinot family. Pinot Gris is widely grown in France’s Alsace region and is also the dominant white grape in Oregon.
The white Pinot has a strong resemblance to the Pinot Noir grape genetically. The similarity comes when tasting several different wines. The white Pinot grape can make crappy to great wine depending on the style, growing season, and terroir.
Despite Italy, France, and Oregon’s dominance in the market, the grape is grown worldwide. For example in Germany it’s known as Grauklevner, Greece – Monemvasia, Croatia – Sivi Pinot, and so on. Even in France, outside Alsace, the grape has five different names.
Enough history, what will wine drinkers find in the glass? The wines tend to have aromas and the taste of pear, melon, apple, lemon and minerality. Shell fish, Quiche, and lighter foods pair well with the less acidic versions while a really crisp Pinot Gris works with chicken, seafood, or any white meat. Don’t overlook Pinot Gris with a pork chop!
The versatile wine is battling Sauvignon Blanc in the U.S. for second place behind Chardonnay in total sales. Great bottles of Pinot Gris can be found for under $20. It’s meant to be consumed young while it’s fresh and fruity.
Howard’s Picks:
David Hill 2011 Estate Pinot Gris, SRP $18, has bright acidity with aromas of stone fruit and a long, beautiful finish. The best Gris I’ve tasted this year.
Lange Estate 2011 Pinot Gris, SRP $17, is one of Oregon’s oldest Pinot Gris producers. There fruity version gives off hints of peach, mango and a little lemon lime. 90 points form Wine Enthusiast.
Ponzi Vineyards 2012 Pinot Gris, SRP 17, is a little different than the previous two with a hint of pineapple and lime. It has nice acidity with a bit of a spicy finish.
Left Food Charley 2011 Pinot Gris, SRP $18, from Michigan holds its own against Oregon’s best. I tasted this wine three years ago and loved the Gris and the winery’s other whites.
Oliver Winery does two different white Pinot Grigio wines. The entry level is a light-bodied white sure to please new wine drinkers for $12.50. Indiana’s Oliver also has a very limited supply of its first Creekbend Vineyard Pinot Grigio for $28.
Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve, $20, is one of the very best French names.
20 Monday May 2013
Posted in France, Newspaper Column 2013
Vins de Provence graphic
The numbers are staggering. Americans are falling in love with French dry Rosé. Last year imported Rosé went up 28 percent – most of that coming from Provence, France.
“The growth is partly led by the Mediterranean diet,” said Julie Peterson of the Provence Wine Council. “Rosé from Provence is less than 3 milligrams of sugar. It’s not very sweet, but has fruit flavors. But it’s a dry wine and it’s made with red grapes. So you have that great character of a red wine that is dry with a white wine feel in the mouth.”
But the explosive growth is not new. While most of the wine market grows at single digits in the best years, Provence imports to the U.S. have grown at double-digit rates every year since 2003.
“Provence is the biggest exporter and producer of Rosé in the world and they’ve been making Rosé for 26 centuries – or as long as anyone has been making wine. The largest percent of their production is Rosé. Provence is the gold standard and Americans are discovering that.”
Peterson’s job is to help spread the word. She was in Chicago earlier this year for Provence producers’ first visit to the Windy City. More than 20 Provence winemakers poured their wines for importers, wholesalers, and the wine media.
That salmon-pink wine is not setting on shelves long either. U.S. retail sales of Rosé wines priced at or above $12 a bottle grew by 28 percent volume and 23 percent on dollars in 2012. That’s a stunning comparison to the 1.8 percent of volume and 4.8 percent in dollars for total U.S. retail table wine sales.
Rosé wine has been a fixture in France for many years. It’s often consumed at lunch, near the ocean and particularly during warm weather. But it’s also a remarkably versatile wine with food.
It’s important to understand, as Peterson noted, that the dry light pink wine is made from red wine grapes. Red wine is given extensive contact with the grape skins to create the color while Rose’ has minimal contact with the skins to get the desired pink hues and lighter flavor.
Provence Rosé is a blend made from some combination of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre, Tibouren, Carignan, or Cabernet Sauvignon.
In Provence, Rosé is king with nearly 88 percent of all production devoted to Rose’ over traditional red and white wines. Provence produces 40 percent of France’s AOC Rosé. The French AOC designation is an assurance of authenticity and quality as established by government regulation.
Simply put for the average wine consumer, dry Rosé is not the pink white Zinfandel from the 1970s. Dry Rosé is a sophisticated wine of strawberry, mineral and acid that’s refreshing all alone or delicious with lighter meals. And most really great Provence is priced less than $10!
Howard’s Provence Picks: Chateau La Tour De Beraud, Chateau Revelette, and two personal favorites, Andieux & Fils and Domaine Ott.
06 Monday May 2013
Posted in Newspaper Column 2013, Oregon
If the same old Chardonnay, Riesling, or Pinot Grigio is getting you down, try something different.
Italian Vermentino, Argentina’s Torontos, and Spain’s Macabeo are great whites with different flavor profiles. Grenache Blanc is the fourth-most planted white wine grape in France and becoming more popular each year as a single varietal wine. It’s often used in traditional Rhone and Southern France blends. It’s also a great alternative to the usual suspects.
Tablas Creek, Paso Robles, has championed Rhone whites for years. Oregon’s Joe Dobbes has become a huge fan and terrific producer more recently.
“I was making a Rhone blend for one of my Southern Oregon customers,” Dobbes explained during a Chicago marketing event. “It was Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Lo and behold, they had two tons of Grenache Blanc left over and said ‘Hey Joe, do you want it?”
That’s been a few years ago and now Dobbe’s Family Estate Grenache Blanc sells out each year. “I wanted to be first one to say let’s hang our hat on this grape. As a winemaker, I’m always trying to do something new and different, right? Oregon is known for Pinot Noir and we have some beautiful wines in Southern Oregon. But the Grenache Blanc came along and I thought ‘what’s the risk for a couple of tons of grapes?’
Joe Dobbes
“I want rich full-flavored, varietal fruit in my whites. I started in Germany in in 1985 and those white aromatics really helped formulate me. The Grenache Blanc is made “with no new barrels, no malolactic fermentation, and no filtration. The wine has great clarity and great richness in the mouth.
“The quintessential wine has great mouth feel, specifically whites, and beautiful fruit with great acidity. “I think this wine has all three.”
Dobbes looked at the landscape and saw Oregon winemakers selling Pinot Noir, most with a Pinot Gris but not many other choices. “I got tired of having to sell my Dobbes luxury label at a discount and thought we were going in the wrong direction. We decided to hang our hat a bit on Grenache Blanc, a specialty wine for a high-end retailer or restaurant. You’re not going to see this everywhere.”
The wine retails from Dobbes’ tasting room at $26.
The veteran winemaker acknowledged people are always looking for something different. “So we offer them some unique, fruity, esoteric whites. We’re also about Pinot Noir. Now Oregon winemakers are asking me where they can get Grenache Blanc, and I say … well, you can’t.”
Dobbes buys all of the Grenache Blanc available from the one producer who has six acres in Southern Oregon – the state’s entire production! Dobbes most popular label, ‘Wines by Joe,’ is widely available.
It might be easier to find Grenache Blanc from a California producer; still there are only 159 acres in the country’s biggest wine-producing state. The wine is characterized by its crisp acidity and often hints of green apple, orange, peach and minerality.
Besides Dobbes and Tablas Creek, try a Domaine Virgile Joly Grenache Blanc widely available in the Midwest and East Coast. Price points range from mid-teens to mid-$20 for these dynamic white wines.
22 Monday Apr 2013
Wine industry innovation has been pretty limited beyond winemaking. Arguably, screw caps and synthetic closures have been the most influential innovations in recent years.
Savino founder Scott Tavenner believes his wine preservation device will revolutionize how consumers view a half bottle left after dinner.
“There is nothing like it that’s effective, easy to use, and elegant,” Tavenner said. “We have hit that resonance point of something that is beautiful to look at; you can pour from it, it’s easy to use, intuitive, and it’s effective. It covers up 98 percent of the surface area of the wine. When those things come together, magic happens.”
Savino Founder Scott Tavenner
Simply, the Savino is a glass cylinder with a stopper that floats atop the leftover wine. There is a lid which locks into place to seal the attractive decanter.
It all started years ago when Tavenner’s wife put a glass of wine in the refrigerator to save it for another day. “I kind of laughed at her and said ‘that’s not going to work,’ We ended up trying out all the different wine preservation gadgets out there.”
After 15 years “stewing on the problem” Tavenner, who spent most of his career as a business development executive, decided to do something about it. He started raising funds through Kickstarter and raised 425 percent of his goal. The Savino went on sale through the company website April 17 with 2,500 pre-orders.
He hired a designer, shared his vision, and within 30 minutes had an initial drawing that looks much like the finished product. “I knew with my focus groups, and my own network, people were responding well. But it’s really validating when people you don’t know decide to pull their credit card out and purchase one.”
Before making the Savino available, the team tested the device with blind tastings, master sommeliers, and a few wine media people. The Savino shined in nearly every test.
Tavenner tells people wine will keep at least a week but suggests a Tuesday to Saturday test. “If the bottle lasts a week, that’s a standard we are very, very comfortable with and people will be happy with,” he said. “I think it will go longer.”
Savino will change the way people think about their fine bottles of wine, he suggested. “There isn’t a bottle of wine that I won’t open on any given night because I haven’t thrown away a glass of wine since I started using this device. The freedom that brings is really hard to describe.
“It’s intellectually intuitive. I love inventions when you see it, it’s obvious. We’re not the iPhone but the iPhone was an obvious extension of what a phone could be. When people see the Savino they say, ‘Oh, this is obvious and it’s great.’ “
Howard’s take:
I wanted to be skeptical of the Savino having tried all the methods available to preserve a half bottle of wine. The old journalist wanted to be very cautious because it was a trade sample for me to test.
The Savino works. Of all the pumps, stoppers, smaller bottles, and other solutions available, the Savino beats them all. I thought the wine was 95-100 percent of its original flavors on a second and third night. I conducted Tavenner’s Tuesday-Saturday test and could tell a difference but thought the wine was great.
It’s not a device everyone is going to buy at $49.99. But for serious wine drinkers, Savino is an innovation you’re going to want in your kitchen. It’s available through the company website.
The newspaper column Grape Sense appears in 22 newspapers, mostly Indiana but also in Illinois and Michigan, every other week. Combined circulation of those papers is more than 300,000
09 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Newspaper Column 2013, South America
Tags
Amado Sur, Casillero del Diablo, Dona Paula, Graffigna, Obra Prima, Wines of Argentina, World Malbec Day
Malbec has long been a go-to wine for many people. Malbec is one of the great value wine deals in the world.
The French blending grape found its way across the Atlantic in the 1860s and settled nicely in Argentina. The Andes Mountain foothills proved an ideal environment for the grape. That Mendoza region now produces most of the great Malbec wines of the world.
The best thing about Malbec is the ability to pick one up at a wine shop for $10-$18 and enjoy world class wine.
World Malbec Day is April 17 and reason to celebrate. Though celebrating Malbec could be any day of the year. It’s fashionable to have Malbec Day, Cabernet Day, or maybe even table grape day. But marketing promotions do help bring attention to the product.
Argentinean producers do not have the market cornered on Malbec; they just produce the best product. Malbec has also found its way into Chile’s Rapel Valley.
The grape thrives in both regions because of a hot and dry summer. The grape takes constant sun to reach its optimal ripeness.
France’s Malbec, with love to the French for making everything difficult, is Cahors. Keep in mind old world wine regions designate their wines by geography and not the grape.
The Cahors Malbec is usually a bit lighter in style than the rich Argentine wines. I find the few Chilean Malbecs I’ve tasted similar to Mendoza wines but a little less pronounced fruit.
Argentina has become a major force in the U.S. wine market. According to WineSur, and data from Impact Databank, Argentine Malbec has grown from 625,000 cases in 2005 to 4 million cases last year. That puts Argentina fifth in U.S. imports behind Italy, Australia, France, and Chile.
Malbec is thought of as steak wine, much like Cabernet Sauvignon. But Malbec is a great choice when the beef dish isn’t as big as a charred, grilled piece of beast. It’s awesome with barbecue, braised and stewed meats, lamb, and more.
Typically, Malbec has rich fruit, smoke, and spice on the palate. It’s certainly a full bodied, dry red wine. But with that said, most Malbecs will have a little smoother finish than a big Cabernet Sauvignon.
Howard Pick’s:
Amado Sur Malbec Blend, SRP $15: Big rich and smooth fruit, wonderful balance, acid, and tannin structure on the finish. Drinks like a much more expensive wine. This bottle is predominantly Malbec with a bit of Bonarda and Syrah. It’s a great example from Argentina’s Mendoza region. Trade Sample
Casillero Del Diablo Malbec, SRP $12. This wine is not quite as rich as the Amado Sur but pure Malbec flavors. It’s definitely a food wine but a great bargain. Trade Sample
Other great Malbec options: Durigutti, $15; Maipe, $10; Graffigna Reserve, $12; Obra Prima Reserva, $16.99; Altos, $11; Dona Paula Estate, $15.99. These are just a few I’ve enjoyed in recent years. All are good examples of Malbec and represent nicely-balanced wines.
So whether it’s World Malbec Day April 17, or you just have the urge for something different with your steak, try Malbec!
22 Friday Mar 2013
Posted in France, Newspaper Column 2013
While the effects of that California jug ‘Chablis’ had its negative impact, Chablis winemakers believe those days are largely behind them now.
The last Grape Sense column focused on the differences between Chablis and all other Chardonnay. Recently Chablis winemakers Jean-François Bordet and Christian Moreau visited New York and took the time for a brief phone chat.
“I don’t think that’s still a problem,” Moreau said. “There used to be some confusion, of course, 15, 20 or 30 years ago. But in last six, seven or 10 years, people in the U.S. are more educated. They are more educated about wine because the journalists are talking about Chablis and they are talking about Chablis being made in France.
Moreau
“Also when the younger generation sees a price of $18-$20 for Chablis, or higher for Grand Cru, they know it doesn’t come from California. Winemakers have come to the U.S. and not just the importers. We’ve had quite a few French delegations coming and doing tastings. People are really starting to know what Chablis is and where it comes from.”
But the effort to promote Chablis isn’t necessarily a new one. Moreau said his father visited the U.S. in 1937 and 1939 to talk about Chablis. But he admitted the really effective Chablis marketing and education effort started 10 to 15 years ago. “Before that the knowledge of Chablis came from people who were wine lovers or who traveled to Europe.”
Bordet said the message never changes through generations. “Chablis is made in France and is in Burgundy,” he said. “There is no oak and we have special soil that gives the wine a freshness.”
Wine tourism remains relatively new in France and has been very slow developing in the premier region of Bordeaux. Chablis winemakers are a different breed who may not have fancy tasting rooms but they’re ready to welcome any visitor.
Bordet
“Chablis is not far from Paris, two hours by car and less by train,” Bordet said. “You have more and more bed and breakfasts; you can have tours of the vineyard and tasting in cellar. Tourism has grown in Chablis and the winemakers will welcome you. We want to receive more tourists.”
Most people are surprised to learn that Chablis is a village of just 2,500 people. It’s very old world and welcoming. The valley around it is covered in vineyard for an idyllic setting. For tourism, the small city of Auxerre, about 40,000 inhabitants, offers a wide range of hotels and transportation companies and is less than 30 minutes away.
Moreau has an old family domaine in Chablis. He turned winemaking duties over to his son Fabien, who is also a chef, in 2001. The family name has been a part of Chablis since 1814. “We do a tour of the winery and free tasting,” he said. “We are not really organized like some wineries but if somebody wants to visit and taste we are very open to everyone.”
The more you learn about wine, and the great family stories behind wineries, the more enjoyable wine becomes. A pretty label often sells a bottle but a great story – especially when you meet the people – keeps you coming back for more.
Moreau wines and Bordet’s Domaine Sequinot-Bordet wines are available in the Midwest at better wine shops.
11 Monday Mar 2013
Posted in France, Newspaper Column 2013
The vineyards overlooking the small village of Chablis, France
That white wine in a jug from California, labeled Chablis, is anything but Chablis.
Chablis has long suffered from bad white wines from regions outside Burgundy calling their Chardonnay the French classic. Arguably, Chablis is the world’s greatest white wine. Chablis is Chardonnay but not all Chardonnay is Chablis.
Now that’s not wine geek double-talk. It only takes one taste of French Chablis to realize Chardonnay can be so much more than the big buttery, oak-infused wines coming from many wine regions. And those wine lovers who like oaked Chardonnay have to admit Chablis is something totally different.
Chablis is about two hours southeast of Paris in the northernmost region of Burgundy.
Winemakers grow Chardonnay almost exclusively. Chablis sets in a small valley with steep hills on each side covered with vineyard. There are four main appellations of Chablis: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru and Grand Cru. The Petit Chablis and Chablis represent the largest plantings and also the wines that are least expensive. These wines can be found in any decent wine shop at $15-$25. The quality is superb at that price point.
The hillsides have plenty of limestone beneath the soils. A walk through the vineyard illustrates the wine’s minerality by the amount of rock scattered across the vineyard floor.
The truly great Chablis wines are the Premier and Grand Cru wines. There are approximately 2,000 acres of Premier Cru vineyard and a mere 250 acres of Grand Cru grapes.
Chablis at the lower price point is often, though not always, fermented and aged without oak. The Premier and Grand Cru wines often are aged partially with oak and stainless steel.
Many wine drinkers think of white wine as a consumable product different from big reds. The great Chablis wines only improve with age and offer complexity and a soft richness on the palate only aging can deliver.
Bernard Billaud of Billaud-Simon
Chablis is a region of rich tradition, pride, and stubborn adherence to its heritage. A new generation of Chablis winemakers are experimenting with technology, wine-making techniques, and embracing the marketing of their unique region.
But to understand the French passion for wine there is nothing better than a visit with one of the region’s biggest names. Bernard Billaud of Billaud-Simon is an icon. Visiting with him in October was an unforgettable experience.
“Chablis wine is about minerality and acidity,” he said, raising his voice, when asked a second or third time about the increasing use of oak. “If it’s not about minerality, you’re just making Chardonnay.”
While the comment by itself is not terribly profound, you had to hear the derision and the way he strung out the word C-h-a-r-d-on-n-a-y to know he is a man of passion.
“The more minerally the soil, the more iodine it has and then the more it needs wood,” Billaud said. He added that oak will neutralizes the iodine taste. “Chablis wines are acidic wines and a dry white wine from a singular vineyard.”
What is so wonderful about Chablis? It’s the apple, pear and dry mineral taste that goes so perfectly with food — particularly seafood or poultry.
Howard’s Picks: Billaud-Simon, William Ferve, Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, Jean Marc Brocard, Pascal Bouchard, Domaine des Marronniers and Alain Geoffroy. There are plenty of other labels to try but these were some of my favorites during an October 2012 visit.
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes every other week about wine for 22 Midwestern newspapers. Read his wine blog at its new home: www.howardhewitt.net
Howard W. Hewitt 