Snowstorm Wine Choice: Go Classic!

06 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by in France

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SnowTrees6pmBeen monitoring the dog and the snowfall in Central Indiana throughout the day. Weather forecast called for 8-12 inches of snow with sub-zero temperatures tomorrow. As I write, about 6 p.m., we seem to have reached the 8-inch level already!

And … it’s still snowing!!!!!

I waited until 5 p.m. to pop open a bottle of wine and chose Bordeaux. I also wanted to give props to a French sparkler I opened New Year’s Eve.

DinnerChateau Lassègue  2007 Grand Cru – This is a wonderfully smooth Saint Emilion Grand Cru wine for under $50. That can be hard to find.

I wasn’t in mood to cook but had lots of freshly made frozen chili. Snowed in and probably snowed in tomorrow with work called off — I thought I should open something really good.

I pulled this trade sample Bordeaux from the rack and it just keeps getting better with each sip as it opens up. It matched up with the chili pretty good too – I don’t make my chili spicy at all so it was great pairing.

The wine has some blueberry feel in the mouth along with the kind of limestone secondary hints one would expect from Saint Emilion. It’s a Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon blend that may not be as well structured and rewarding as better (but higher priced) offerings, but definitely satisfies.

This is a great example of affordable Bordeaux and part of the Bordeaux Today marketing campaign aimed at making that point. Online I found prices ranging from $39.99 to $69.99 – the lower end makes the most sense for this one

BertrandChateau Lassègue  2007 Grand Cru, SRP $50, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended at this price.

Gerard Bertrand 2010 Cremant de Limoux Brut – The Limoux region of Languedoc has actually been making sparkling wine longer than Champagne!

This is widely available wine from one of southern France’s best known producers. All of his wines are good value and usually very good wine. Production in the region dates back to the 1500s!

The Cremant was delightful. The bubbles come off on the milder side. The taste was a nice combo of apple, pear and maybe even Grandma’s apple pie! The wine is  70 percent chardonnay, 20 percent chenin blanc and 10 percent mauzac, the indigenousness grape that used to dominate all Limoux sparkling wine.

For those who want less fizz and smooth taste, this is an easy drinker at really great price.

Gerard Bertrand 2010 Cremant de Limoux Brut, $18, Highly Recommended.

A Weekend of Wine Reviews

27 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in California, France, Italy

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In a land far away and definitely a long, long time ago, I did radio sports play-by-play for basketball and football. I thought I might take that approach through Tuesday for the two or three wines I taste over that time period.

Now before my friends get concerned about an intervention, I haven’t consumed wine in nearly a week because of the holidays. So with lots of time home for taking down the tree, house cleaning, laundry, and making a couple of massive pots of chili – a few bottles are likely to get popped open.

So here’s the format for the call:

Day 1, Friday Dec. 27

chteau-bonneau-2008-montagne-st-emilion-bordeaux-433-1Chateau Bonneau 2009 Montagne St. Emilion, Bordeaux – This is outstanding table wine. The bottle was a gift from a French national who was quick to note it was nothing special just really good table wine. And that tops any description I could give it.

A few notes though would call attention to its drinkability. There’s not much going on here but it’s very well-made wine. Bonneau is a very small operation near Montagne in the Saint Emilion region east of Bordeaux (the city).

The alcohol is a modest 13.5 percent. I picked up nice fruit from the Merlot and Cab Franc blend. It has a modest little finish that most would find pleasing. In doing a little research I found recommendation that the bottle would peak in 3-4 years. I’d say it’s there right now.

What’s wrong with a nice round and soft Bordeaux blend with a pot of chili? Nothing at all.

This wine is available through several outlets in the state for just under $20.

Chateau Bonneau 2009 Montagne St. Emilion, Bordeaux, $19.99, Recommended Bordeaux at this price point.

Day 2, Saturday, Dec. 28

Beringer 1999 Marston Vineyard, Spring Mountain, Cabernet – Wow! A little wow is needed when you open up a bottle of older wine and it lives up to expectations.

MeRiedelCab

Sipping the Cab from my new Riedel Vinum XL Cabernet glass! It’s HUGE!

But let’s set this up: It’s 50 unbelievable degrees in Indiana today. So this afternoon I decided I needed to grill out – when will that chance come again – April? So I bought a nice ribeye and pulled an older bottle from the wine storage fridge.

My grill would not fire up 😦 .. not sure what’s up with that. But I spiced up the ribeye with a thick coating of sea salt, Texas spice rub, and fresh ground pepper. I seared the steak in a frying pan then tossed it into a hot oven for just a few minutes. It came out perfectly medium rare.

beringerI had three bottles of ’99 Beringer Cab but the first two had gone bad. I suspect too much travel and bad corks. But this bottle of Cabernet had held up nicely. I jumped online to find reviews and found several 2013 tasting notes. I found those to be consistent with what I found in the glass — big tannins, big finish, big nose of oak and fading fruit. Now while that may sound negative it’s not – it was great wine for the steak and some sea salt chocolate that followed.

If you’re into wine and have not consumed older bottles, it’s really a step you need to take to expand your palate. This was a $50 bottle of wine when released. It’s was a nice change of pace and great ribeye companion.

Beringer 1999 Marston Vineyard, Spring Mountain, Cabernet, $50, Highly Recommend – if you can find it.

Day 3, Sunday, Dec. 29

chili

cantina-tudernum-fidenzio-Cantina Tudernum Fidenzio 2007 Montefalco Sagrantino – This is not your local grocery’s wine. My wine buddies and I call this “big boy” wine. So put on you’re big boy pants as we round third heading for home (thanks to the late Joe Nuxhall for that) and let’s talk Sagrantino.

I’ve written about this wonderful Umbrian wine before and decided it would be perfect for a day of making chili. Each winter I make two giant pots of chili and freeze it in single serving containers. I end up with chili for the rest of the winter season.

But I digress. Sagrantino is grown only in a small area of Italy – Umbria to be exact. There is a limited number of producers. The wine is probably best known for its scarcity and it’s big tannic characteristics.

This wine is aged 12 months in oak. It has a roasting spice characteristic .. think thyme or rosmary. It’s rich with a heavy but wonderful feel in the mouth. This is not wimpy wine.

It’s also not cheap. This bottle retails at $46. But Sagrantino is unique. You can find Sagrantino at better wine shops – but probably only in larger cities. It’s great wine and definitely something a bit different. I love it.

Caintina Tudernum Fidenzio 2007 Montefalco Sagrantino, $46, Very Highly Recommended.

Cerulean Lives Up to Hype

24 Tuesday Dec 2013

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INDIANAPOLIS – Champagne, inventive dishes, and big-band jazz with comedy vocalists make for one heck of a holiday Saturday night.

lobster

Lobster pot pie – about the size of a baseball!

Cerulean restaurant, in Indy’s new downtown Alexander Hotel, has been one of the highlights of a stellar 2013 in capital city dining. It’s inventive and tasty. It’s also slightly pretentious and pricey but my dining experience proved well worth money.

Cerulean is a destination restaurant that has gotten largely positive reviews. The only negative comment on sites like Urban Spoon, Yelp, and Travel Advisor was portion size. My dinner companion and I didn’t have issues with the food presented during our dinner the Saturday before Christmas.

We started with a chicken appetizer, Mousseline, which was the evening special. Think of it as gourmet chicken nuggets and you’ll get the idea. The chicken was extremely tender and most with a nice crunchy breading. We both loved the mushroom ketchup! There were five nuggets –so good we cut the fifth into two pieces. $11.

porkCerulean does a small, medium, and large plate concept. We ordered the lobster pot pie as our medium dish which proved to be the only disappointment of the night. The pot pie gets lots of attention in reviews but we found it lacking flavor. The pastry was wonderful, the filling unremarkable. $8.

We also took our efficient waiter’s recommendation of drinking a little real champagne. The Mumm Brut was absolutely divine but pricey. But it’s the holidays so $20 a glass wasn’t a shock.

My friend had duck with cracklings over Carbonara. She loved the inventive pairing with perfectly cooked duck.

photoWe each had a glass of red wine from a rather quirky wine list. I chose a Washington state Merlot for her duck and I had a Barbera d’ Alba Ruvel with my pork porterhouse steak. The small (very small) glass of wine was $10 apiece.

My pork was incredible lying on a slice of zucchini bread in a root beer reduction sauce. It was cooked medium with a really yummy flavor from the grill marks. The porterhouse is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes at $28. The duck breast was similarly priced.

We went chocolate for dessert and enjoyed a plate of ganache with a spicy kick, some cocoa crumble, cashews, chocolate ribbons, and dreamy avocado ice cream. $10.

The place is beautiful with street-level views. It is divided into different dining areas to partially minimize the noise. As said previously, it’s a destination restaurant worth the effort if you are ready to pull out the MasterCard.

Dinner for two, with tip, was close to $200.

Leisure Kings at Indy’s Jazz Kitchen – Even though I do occasionally write about restaurants, I seldom tackle entertainment but just have to mention our outing after dinner. I had read a simple one-paragraph description of this unique Christmas show. It was described as irreverent and salty and it was hilariously accurate. The show wouldn’t be for any prude or those easily offended.

liesure kingsThe Leisure Kings, normally a duo, combine with a really great big band lineup of tremendous musicians for this annual holiday treat. It’s really hard to describe but one of the opening numbers was The Christmas Song sung to Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are. Or a trio of songs about Jesus set to the music of The Carpenters – get it?

The two female backup singers were called the Christmas Hoes! The two-hour show featured some whacky give-a-ways and non-stop laughter.

Some Great 2013 Wine Picks

21 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by in Newspaper Column 2013

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Grape Sense LogoIt’s time again for the ‘best of the year’ lists including wine! Ranking wine is a difficult trick. How does an Indiana white stack up against a French red? Wouldn’t an Italian Barolo blow a little Oregon wine away?

WineLogo2That’s why Grape Sense’s year-end column just reviews 9 really good wines. The wines are ones you are likely to find at a neighborhood shop. And, these wines all come in at under $20. Why nine? Because I just had to warn gentle readers about the worst wine of 2013.

In no particular order or ranking, here are 10 of the best wines I tasted in 2013.

H3ChevauxColumbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Les Cheavaux – It would be easy to mis-identfy this Merlot- blend as a Bordeaux wine. While not as nuanced as even inexpensive Saint Emilion ,it has the fruit characteristics to make you look twice at the bottle. It’s 80 percent Merlot, 13 percent Cabernet, and 7 percent Syrah. If you like big bold fruit, you’re going to love it at $15.

chateau-d-esclans-cotes-de-provence-whispering-angel-rose-provence-france-10209069Château d’Esclans 2012 Provence Rosé Whispering Angel – Rosé rocks and this bottle rocks off the charts. It has a wonderful hint of strawberry and citrus. It’s a beautiful salmon color, dry, light, and pink – what else is there to say about a great summer wine? $16-$23.

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La Maia Lina 2007 Chianti Classico – I find a lot of Chianti, usually at a lower price point, unbalanced and too acidic. This wine may not have huge fruit but has nice balance. It has the typical cherry flavors with some earthy or woodsy hints. $19.

powers_logo2 (1)Powers 2010 Spectrum – It’s big enough to please regular wine drinkers, rounded enough for wine novices, and pairs great with about any dish. The blend is 39 percent Merlot, 33 percent Syrah, 22 percent Malbec, 6 percent Cabernet. $10-$13.

234638Les Jamelles 2011 Syrah – It can be found in lots of wine shops and liquor stores. A simple wine doesn’t have to be bad. Not everything in your glass requires 4-5 adjectives to enjoy it. Sometimes plain and simple suffices. It’s got a little fruit and some spice. Not bad for $9.

HuberWinery-VignolesHuber’s Winery Vignoles – The Indy International Wine Competition Wine of The Year represents a movement among several Indiana winemakers to reduce residual sugar while maintaining the fresh fruit. The Vignoles is an outstanding summer sipper but would also be good with creamy cheeses or salty meats. $14.99.

2008_estate_pinot_noirDavid Hill 2011 Estate Pinot Gris – It has bright and pronounced acidity with aromas of stone fruit. Try this with some grilled shrimp. It’s great white wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. $18.

marchesi-de-frescobaldi-tenuta-di-castiglioni-toscana-igt-tuscany-italy-10053314Tenuta Frescobaldi Di Castiglioni 2010 – Toscana is a really bold wine perfect for steaks, roasts, and hearty pasta. The Tuscan blend is 50 percent Cabernet, 30 percent Merlot, 12 percent Cabernet Franc, and 8 percent Sangiovese. Has notes of currant, plum and dark fruit. Dynamite wine for around $20.

chateau-recougne-bordeaux-superieur-france-10456088Chateau Recougne, 2009 – This is a Superior which is the largest classification in Bordeaux. The wines are quite a bargain. This particular wine had a fresh palate from its 75 percent Merlot, 15 percent Cabernet, and 10 percent Cabernet Franc blend. A Bordeaux bargain at $10-$19.

And … drum roll please … the worst wine of the year:

Tongue-Out-Clip-ArtEvil Pinot Noir – This red juice made its way to the U.S. for Octavin’s boxed wines, many of which are pretty good. This $6.99 bottle enjoyed a big display in a high-end Indianapolis market that called to me like a siren’s song. Downside? Don’t buy wines with monkeys on the label! Evil just begins to describe it.

Next Column: Looking forward!

If you’d like to revisit my year-end columns from previous years: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.

How A New Restaurant Fails

19 Thursday Dec 2013

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Since I frequently write about restaurants during travel, it’s hard to ignore something new locally.

I’m cutting this one some slack – once – though. A new burger joint  where I live has only been open a couple of weeks. In a town of 16,000, a new restaurant is a big deal. Most of what we have is the usual chains with just a few originals. So news of a burger place on an island theme sounded intriguing.

Maybe not that tiny!!!

Maybe not that tiny!!!

As perhaps a disclaimer, I grew up in the fast food business. My parents owned a small burger joint. My travels have taken me to all sorts of restaurants around the country and world. It’s pretty much a given that a new place is going to struggle unless you really open with a killer concept, killer kitchen, and a wait staff really trained well and ready to pounce.

I talked to two different people who beat me to the new spot and both were negative. One had nothing good to say at all and the other was a bit more reserved. But both said the burgers were rather small.

So I reviewed the menu of the different type burgers and ordered a basic burger with the trimmings and hand cut fries. The fries were wonderful, crispy, delicious – and plentiful!

That menu said all burgers were 1/4 pound. Well, the thin beef on my bun would have made Ronald McDonald blush. (Home of the original quarter pounder – get it?)

burger2

… but tiny!

I decided after paying the bill I would tell the wait person the burger and fries were good but someone had warned me the pattie was small. She was a bit embarrassed and admitted other customers had said the same.

I grew up in the burger business. I cook. Heck, I even weigh meat at home when dieting to measure portions. The burger I had – and the one my dinner companion had was not a 1/4-pound of beef – not pre-cooked, not in wildest little burger dreams.

Do you want to fail? You can advertise one thing and deliver something far less. The 7.99 I paid for the burger would have been quite fair for what the menu said I was getting.

The wait staff was excellent – no complaints, despite what I had heard prior. A strategic error on the bar’s part is not serving draft beer. In a college town, college students want draft. The selection is good with plenty of small craft beers and fairly priced for a bottle at $4.

The wine selection was embarrassingly bad. Wait, bad just isn’t good enough – let’s make it awful, regrettable, silly, and dumb. They offered Indiana Oliver’s cheapest wines and Barefoot. That was it. That distributor must be chuckling somewhere.

Also, there were no prices on the entire drinks menu. Seriously? This ain’t no expensive joint that can say “If you have to ask you can’t afford it!”

I’ll return in another 30-60 days to see if they’ve listened to their customers. And either way – I’ll name the place. Locals have already figured it out!

The decor is cheesy island stuff but not so over the top it will spoil a good 1/4-pound burger, beer and fries. Now, they just have to start servicing one!

Some Advice on Gifting Wine

12 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by in Holidays

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A bottle of wine is an easy and often-appreciated holiday gift. Whether it’s a traditional Christmas present or a gift brought to a social occasion as a ‘thank you,” wine is a big part of many holiday celebrations.

Gifting the real wine lover isn’t simple though. If there is an oenophile on your shopping list it’s easy to pick a nice bottle if you know the individual’s preferences. In such cases, it’s just a matter of arriving at a price point.

Grape Sense LogoIf you wish to buy someone a nice bottle of wine as a gift and you have no idea what they drink, it gets a little tricky. The rules are pretty much the same whether your friend drinks $15 wine or $50 wine – go with the safe choice.

A gift of red wine is always appreciated but don’t over think it. It’s not the time to purchase your first Carmenere, Barolo, or Petite Sirah. If you want to gift wine at any price you really can’t go wrong with Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet has often been called the king of wine grapes. It’s the basis for the great wines of Bordeaux and long ago put California on the world wine map. Furthermore, Cabernet is grown all around the world.

Pinot Noir is a gift for the more discerning wine consumer. Pinot comes in as many styles as any varietal but even real Pinotphiles will appreciate a good bottle.

2009mondavi-cabernet-reviewSo, what do you buy? There are two safe and easy approaches to this old problem. If you’re buying Cab or Pinot for a newer or casual wine consumer there are plenty of good bottles at $15-$20. But, buy a name you know. Don’t go for the bottle with the cute name or appealing label. But a Cabernet from Robert Mondavi, Louis Martini, Sebastiani, or similar California producer whose name you’ve seen on the shelves.

If you want to gift a Pinot at less than $20 the same rule applies. Unfortunately for your shopping convenience, value-priced Pinot is tough to find and often produced by names you may not know. Here are a few suggestions: New Zealand’s Dashwood, Oregon’s A-Z Pinot, California’s Fleur Carneros Pinot, MacMurray Ranch from Sonoma, or even an affordable Burgundy such as Joseph Drouhin Cote de Beaune Villages.

There are great choices at a slightly higher pricer for California Cabernet. Mondavi Napa Cabernet is an outstanding pick for under $30. Franciscan, Duckhorn, and Rutherford Ranch deliver great Cabs around $30 as well. If you want one in the $50 range, then look for Markham, Charles Krug, Chappellet or Joseph Phelps.
If you’re gifting Pinot Noir, try Artessa’s dynamite Sonoma County Pinot at $25.

LangeLange’s Willamette Valley Pinot for $24, or any entry level Oregon Pinot in the $25-$35 range. If you’re wanting to gift better Pinot Noir look for an Oregon label at the $40-$60 price point. If you really want the bigger fruit of a California Pinot Noir with great elegance look for Russian River Valley on the label. Many will argue about the regions but for my money the valley produces some of California’s very best.

Ertel Winery Does Sweet Right

03 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Indiana, Uncategorized

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Indiana has about 70 wineries. It seems like I’ve visited many of them but a quick count shows only 23! I’ve tasted wine from some of the others but only keep track of those I’ve set foot in and tasted the wine and had the full experience.

A small tasting bar greets visitors as they step into the large lodge-like winery.

A small tasting bar greets visitors as they step into the large lodge-like winery.

I notched my 23rd visit over the holiday weekend. I visited Ertel Cellars Winery just south of Batesville while visiting family for Thanksgiving. It’s easy to be taken by the beautiful winery and restaurant atop a small hill and the nearby vineyard. It’s one of Indiana’s prettiest winery settings.

Details about the visit are on the Indiana Winery Page linked at the top of the blog.

In short summary, the Ertel brothers do sweet wines right. I’ve written here many times I have no palate for sweet wines but try to assess them fairly. These wines were well balanced with a purity of the fruit. They are sweet – and no that’s not a redundancy. Some of Indiana’s top winemakers are trying to retain the fresh fruit taste on the palate and reduce residual sugar. But for those who like fruit and sweet, you’ll enjoy Ertel wines.

TripAdvisor reviews were very kind to the restaurant

TripAdvisor reviews were very kind to the restaurant

The Traminette was very nice but again quite sweet. The Chambourcin is often my benchmark for Indiana wineries and Ertel gets it right. Indiana wineries grow lots of Chambourcin but many make a truly awful wine by harvesting at the wrong time and not producing the beautiful light-bodied wine that holds up great against more established names and regions.

The Ertel $16 estate-grown Chambourcin is a nice, locally-made wine.

One of the more impressive things is a beautiful restaurant and interesting menu. I didn’t eat there but will on a future trip to Southeastern Indiana. The winery is perhaps a 10-minute drive off I-74 so a great stop if you’re driving to Cincinnati. The estate fruit is largely producing sweet wines, but if you like that flavor profile you’ll like Ertel Cellars.

Edible Indy a Delicious Dish

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

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The latest two Edible Indy Magazines with a nice French Loaf from Amelia's Bakery.

The latest two Edible Indy Magazines with a nice French Loaf from Amelia’s Bakery.

WHITESTOWN, IN. – Just over a week ago Edible Indy owners and editor celebrated a relaunch of their foodie magazine.

The magazine is a free distribution publication, with paid circulation to homes, that really fills a niche’ in the Indianapolis food and beverage scene.

“This new issue is a facelift,” Managing Editor Heather Tallman said. “We’re taking the outdoors and bringing it in. We wrote about the culinary escapades of Jeff Saturday (former Indianapolis Colt lineman). Everyone knows Jeff as just a football player. He talked about his dramatic weight loss and his fit lifestyle with his family.

“We had some gluten-free recipes, some great cocktails, and a U-Relish farms story about a meatless recipe using a slow cooker.  We wrapped up this issue talking about the bounty of the hunt. For people who do hunt and like game, we have a recipe for medallions of venison.”

Edible Indy Managing Editor Heather Tallaman

Edible Indy Managing Editor Heather Tallman

The issue included information on edible gifts and lots of chocolate items. “Indiana has a bounty of food artisans and I feel they really need a little more attention,” Tallman said.

Tallman and new owners Jeff and Jennifer Rubenstein hope to target those who want to shop and eat locally.  “I hope it’s the beginning foodist, the people who are exceptional home cooks to people who are food collectors like myself,” Tallaman said of potential magazine readers. “I go to events like this (launch party) and I’m sampling candy to craft beers or wines.”

If you can’t find the magazine in Central Indiana, you can access the Edible Indy website and their Chew On It blog. You can also buy a subscription to be mailed to your home. All of the information is on their website.

The launch party at the Golf Club of Indiana near Whitestown was more than cocktails and a bite or two though. Various food artisans joined the fun to help show off what Edible Indy is all about.

Over the past 10 years the quality and sheer quantity of unique food artisans has exploded. I didn’t visit all of the booths, but in the best investigative journalistic principles did my best.

Here are a few I really enjoyed along with a comment or two on each.

Mile Square Coffee Roastery – I had a sip without my drop of cream and sweetner and thought the fresh-roasted brew was about as smooth as it gets. I loved the full flavor without the bitterness!

Killer Tofu – Yes, tofu. These folks are looking for an Indy location for a restaurant but the products are available in better Indy markets. I had this little salsa like thing with a rosemary biscuit – awesome!

Wilks & Wilson – Purveyors of fine elixirs is the subtitle of their business. They make stuff for drinks – is another way to look at it. They were debuting their orange elixir in a nice glass of Prosecco. Oh my!

Brozinni Pizzeria – Food truck and retail outlet, this was pretty darn good hand-made pizza with some unique combos.

Goodies from Smoking Goose

Goodies from Smoking Goose

Quaff On Brewing Company – This Brown County, Nashville, IN., brewery makes a darn fine wheat beer. Ok, I’m not much of a beer drinker but I like the lighter stuff. Their pulled pork sandwich was killer too!

Chocolate for the Spirit – Friend Julie Bolejack is still cranking out world-class chocolate in Shelbyville, Indiana. Her efforts have been honored across the country.

… and finally:

Smoking Goose Meatery & Goose The Market – If you haven’t come accross these fabulous meat products in Indy, you must be eating all of your meals at McDonalds. They are defining food artisan for many in Central Indiana. The products are fabulous.

Wine Glass Makes a Difference

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in Food & Travel, Gizmos & Wine Gadgets

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A tasting event at Vine & Table, Carmel, was a near sell-out event!

A tasting event at Vine & Table, Carmel, was a near sell-out event!

CARMEL, IN. – Anyone serious about wine has probably learned the size of the glass can have an impact on the taste of the wine. You’ve probably seen all those different size and shaped Riedel crystal wine glasses in shops or advertisements and thought it was all silly.

Grape Sense LogoIt’s pretty easy to be skeptical when checking the prices on Riedel crystal. Still, there really isn’t anyone in the world doing what they do. Riedel has been creating grape varietal specific glasses for nearly 50 years.

Members of the Austrian Riedel family, and their sales staff, travel the country constantly putting on tasting seminars to sell their product. A recent event at Indianapolis’ Vine and Table Market provided convincing evidence the glass makes a bigger difference than most novice wine drinkers might think.

The seminar included three glasses made specifically for Oregon Pinot Noir, Syrah, and California Cabernet. The more than 40 participants poured each varietal into all three glasses then were led through a tasting. The difference on the nose and palate was striking.

Julio Ruiz, Riedel

Julio Ruiz, Riedel

“No one else out there does what we do which is create a glass specifically for a grape,” said Julio Ruiz, a Regional Sales Manager for Riedel.  “Through workshops, more or less like the consumer experience of a tasting like this one tonight, we create a new glass.

“We actually go to a region, for example Mendoza (Argentina) which is traditionally a Malbec region, and with the experts and the winemakers we sit them down and do what we did tonight. We throw 20 different glasses in front of them and eliminate one glass at a time until there is one remaining glass. Everybody has to agree upon one glass and then that is the perfect Riedel crystal glass for Malbec.”

That example was timely because one of Riedel’s latest creations is a Malbec glass created in a partnership with the Argentinian label Graffina.

Riedel is not the only company in the world making different sized glasses, by any means. But they take it to levels far beyond anyone else in the business. The company history is fascinating with the birth of Johann Christoph Riedel in 1678 and the family’s start with luxury glass goods. Maximilian Riedel is the 11th generation to head the company business in Kufstein, Austria.

An Oregon Pinot, Syrah, and Cabernet glass.

An Oregon Pinot, Syrah, and Cabernet glass.

Riedel crystal makes an outstanding wedding gift, holiday gift, or a special treat for your wine cabinet. Let’s be honest here – it’s not cheap. Most Riedel glasses start with the factory made crystal from Germany which runs in the $20-$30 a glass range. The hand-blown wine glasses from the historic Austrian plant produces stunning stemware that costs up to $159 a glass.

No one is going to rush out and purchases pairs of the 30-40 different wine glasses. Ruiz offered some advice for getting started.

“Depending on the grape you drink the most, that is the glass I would recommend,” he said. “For example, you drink Cabernet or Pinot Noir buy a Cab or Pinot glass. Don’t forget your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever but that’s where you start. Then as your palate progresses, you move on to the next one.”

Howard’s Pick: I’ve never recommended anyone go buy Riedel crystal and that’s not the point of this column. I think a nice smaller glass for whites and big-bowled glass for reds is a good place to start for most wine drinkers. For those more serious about their wine, the crystal wine glasses are worth the investment.

Two Wonderful Big Red Wines

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in California, Paso Robles & Mendocino

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A Sunday afternoon is a great time for catch-up! That would be catch up on housework, laundry, and a quick look at some recent wines I’ve enjoyed.

rockwallRock Wall 2010 Dry Creek Petite Sirah – This was a big ol’ huge wine like most Petite Sirah but had a smooth mouth feel that many lack.

The wine has powerful blackberry, chocolate, and a nice spicy finish. This would be a great PS wine for anyone who has tried a PS and wasn’t sure they liked it. Oh, this is big wine but it sure does go down smooth.

Rock Wall 2010 Petite Sirah, SRP $35, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended

Fess-Parker-2010-Santa-Barbara-County-SyrahFess Parker 2010 Syrah – It had been awhile since I had enjoyed a Central California Coast 100 percent Syrah. I really had forgotten how good these wines can be when well made.

boone-imageThe Fess Parker Syrah had a rich plum flavor. It had the nice spice you’d expect in a Syrah. It was definitely dry with a finish that will linger. This Syrah needs a good decant and will benefit from getting it in the right glass. But its a great representation of California Syrah.

Oh, for those who don’t know, yes Fess Parker Syrah is from the late actor who portrayed Daniel Boone all those Sunday nights on Disney in the 1960s.

Fess Parker 2010 Syrah, SRP $25, Highly Recommended