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Is this food/wine any good?

Monday, December 7th, 2009

When you go to a bar/restaurant, do you ask the waiter if a dish/drink/wine is any good?

I mean seriously, what server/waiter/waitress worth half their weight in plonk (low grade wine) would actually answer NO, that dish/wine is bad. I mean seriously…

But WTG, what if I am curious about a dish and want to know if it is any good? Shouldn’t the server tell me the truth???

NOOOO!!!! Sure the server is working for a tip & presumably that server will not want to steer you wrong. BUT once you leave the restaurant that server has a boss to answer to & if that boss hears the server saying anything negative about the food at the establishment said server will likely be unemployed.

The best solution would be to ask for a taste of the dish/wine in question. In the case of foods this may be difficult, but with most wines that are served by the glass at restaurants or wine bars you should be able to get a taste.

At restaurants I like to employ 2 strategies. The first, if I have a specific dish in mind, is to ask the server if they have had the dish. (Many servers only eat from community dishes prepared in advance of their shift for the whole staff.) If they have, ask if they enjoyed it and would order it again. This way the server can tell you that they might not have enjoyed it or they might not order it again, without saying that it is not good (or heaven forbid BAD).

The next strategy I like to take, and the one I favor most hoping to get the restaurant’s BEST dish is to ask the server what their favorite is, or what they would order if they were eating dinner and I was paying. This really gets them to open up & generally lets you know if you take their recommendation that you are likely to end up with a good dish.

Happy tasty food & wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: restaurant, Wine bar
Posted in Other, Wine STUFF | Comments Off on Is this food/wine any good?

“Contains Sulfites”

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

We’ve all seen it on the back label of a bottle of wine…

…but what does it mean?

Sulfites are a preservative. They are found in dried fruit & are commonly used in salad bars. They are added to wine to preserve the wine & prevent it from spoiling.

Some people are allergic to sulfites. Others believe that the sulfites in wine are what cause them to get headaches from wine.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were no sulfites in wine? And what of organic wines – isn’t that sulfite free??

Well, ALL wine has sulfites. Sulfites are naturally occurring on the grape skins. Since red wine gets its color from the skins red wines have more naturally occurring sulfites than white wines. But white wines generally have more sulfites added than red wines. So there is no and will never be any sulfite free wine (as far as I understand) – or at least none that will last more than a few days (hours?).

As to organic wine, it not only has the naturally occurring sulfites, but almost all has added sulfites – otherwise the wine would spoil relatively quickly. BUT…and here is the difference, organic wine, to maintain their organic classification, can only add a specific (small) amount of sulfites. YES, it is still there, BUT it is also added in smaller amounts.

SO, now that we have cleared that up I want to tell you about a real cool technology I just read about on decanter.com. The technology, called SurePure, uses light to purify wine REDUCING (but not eliminating) the need for sulfites. Something about the technology “deactivates microbes” (whatever that means) reducing the likelihood of spoilage. Apparently it is already used in the juice, dairy & beverage industries. And now it has been approved for use in South Africa.

No idea whether this technology will work for wine, how far its use will spread or whether it will enable those who suffer from red wine headaches to drink wine worry free. But it does sound like an exciting development…

Happy light purified wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: sulfites, sulfites in wine, SurePure
Posted in Oenology & Viticulture, wine health, Wine STUFF | Comments Off on “Contains Sulfites”

The Cali Cab that wasn’t a fruit bomb

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

I’ve had the wine before. It is a kosher Cabernet Sauvigon from California. Not Napa Valley, but Alexander Valley fruit. Having tasted previous vintages of it, I was not surprised to hear that it was awarded 90 points from Wine Enthusiast.

2005 Herzog Special Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

For those of you who do not know, The Alexander Valley is in Northern Sonoma County just North, Northwest of the more famous Napa Valley. Like Napa it is littered with wineries where they produce great wines. And while the nuances of the wines made in Napa & Sonoma are different, my experience has been that the styles of wine are similar. Big, extracted, fruity, high (but generally balanced) alcohol, etc.

I’ll make a confession here…I like big fruity wines. As a matter of fact my favorite meal is a rare steak & big bad cab. Sure these tooth staining wines will overpower the flavors of most dishes but it goes oh so well with steak and other hearty rich meats, stews & chops.

So the 90 point score was of no surprise to me. A big Alexander Cab got a high score. But then I tried it…

WOW. This wine reminded me immediately of the wines from another California winery; Edmunds St John. Steve Edmunds makes leaner, lower alcohol, terroir driven wines. And his “Rocks & Gravel” GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend is a favorite of mine – when I’m not eating steak 😉

So tasting this lean, earthy, minerally wine was a real treat. A Cali cab that I can enjoy with more than just a steak. At 13.8% alcohol with its nice tight structure, this wine wont overpower some of my other favorite foods like chicken, salmon or pasta. My wife commented on the pretty floral nose while I enjoyed its clean, tart, forest berry flavors.

And to top it off this wine is mevushal (flash pasteurized). But no stewed or cooked fruit. Just real lean & fresh. Beautiful.

So if you are looking for Cali Cab that got a 90 from the critics but isn’t a fruit bomb go check out the Herzog Special Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Happy non-fruit bomb Cab tasting!

WTG

Tags: Alexander Valley, Edmunds St John, Herzog, Wine Spectator
Posted in wine - kosher, Wine critiquing, Wine STUFF | 1 Comment »

Take a BREAK this weekend & drink local

Friday, August 28th, 2009

OK, the “break” references will end soon. I’ll get used to this broken wrist thing. And all will be normal in BLOGLAND.

But I want to give a quick wrist update. GOOD NEWS – It appears (X-ray & CT scan) that my break is non-displaced & in the part of the bone that should lead to normal healing. SO, for now I get a cool cast & no immediate need for surgery (metal objects drilled into my bones).

broken-wrist-blue-cast

Healing time for this injury is still between 8-12 weeks, so no party. But the preliminary diagnosis is good. I follow up with the hand specialist in 2 weeks & will keep you updated.

Now my quick wine related part of this post is something I eluded to in my last post. I recently met with the proprietor and original winemaker for a NY State (Long Island) winery. Since I live in NY this is a local winery for me. The proprietor has since brought in a trained winemaker to take over, but I learned in my conversation with the gentleman that he is still very hands on.

The winery is called “Red Fern”, and they make 4 types of wine, all single varietal. They make a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, a Syrah & a Chardonnay. I’ll be writing an article about the winery & their wines for a local paper, but I want to tell you that these wines are GOOD. Very modern in style, the winemaker gets nice extraction out of the fruit which produces fruity, full bodied wines. I think this is of interest as NY state wines sometimes have a problem with ripeness. And when the fruit does not fully ripen the wines tend to have a lean & green dynamic to them. So making wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah, varietals that needs lots of sun/heat to fully ripen can be considered a bit risky. I’d like to see this winery experiment with some Cabernet Franc or Riesling, varietals more commonly associated with NY given their affection for the NY climate. Nonetheless, these wines (I tasted the 2005’s) were very nice and get my recommendation. And oh yeah, they just happen to be kosher.

Happy locally produced wine tasting!

Wine Tasting Gimp

Tags: ny wine, red fern cellars
Posted in wine - kosher, Wine STUFF | Comments Off on Take a BREAK this weekend & drink local

wine tidbits; PET & oxygen

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

I recently blogged about an article written by Jerry Hirsh commenting on “Chateau Plastique”, referring to wines bottled in PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles. The idea being that plastic bottles weigh less, consequently have a smaller carbon footprint and have no effect on wine NOT intended for long term aging (though might not be suited for wines that are to be cellared for several years).

I recently came across another article on the topic on “plasticsnews.com”, and found it of interest in that it quoted some numbers referencing how FEW bottles are actually laid down in a cellar and aged for future consumption.

Quoting Patrick Egan, brand manager for innovation at Boisset Family Estates, the article states that “There are 2.6 billion cases of wine sold in the world each year, of that, 70 percent costs less than $12 per bottle, and 70 percent is [consumed] within three hours of purchase.” THREE HOURS! WOW!

I find those stats to be remarkable. But not surprising. What is in fact surprising to me (though it probably shouldn’t be) are the number of people buying expensive wine (say for example $30+) these days. Though I’m sure there are MANY out there who would argue with me, I tend to think that these “expensive” wines are MADE for aging & when consumed young they are often LESS accessible than their more affordable little brothers (wines possibly made from second rate fruit & aged using a cheaper oak program – say American vs. French oak barrels). So although the 70% number (wines costing less than $12) is high, I sometimes wonder if the number should be even higher considering how much of wine purchased is immediately consumed…??

This is a BIG can of worms that I’ll continue to elude to in the future, but it is something I have thought a lot about…

Also of interest was an article about the interaction of oxygen & wine. These items are somewhat related as it has to do with the aging of wine in bottles. Now “bottle aging” has always been a bit of a mystery to me. But when asked about it I simply explained (as I learned) that the cork on a bottle of fine wine is porous and allows a microscopic amount of air into the bottle, thereby continuing the micro-oxygenation process started while the wine aged in the (porous) barrel, and leading to a properly bottle-aged wine. When pushed about alternate closures or how the air gets in when the cork is intentionally kept wet (by storing the wine on its side) I simply shrugged.

Well, I’m still a bit confused, but the article written by Jamie Goode for wines & vines did explain one aspect of bottle aging – that being the interaction of oxygen left in the “head-space” of a bottle of wine when it is first bottled.

Goode talks about oxygen levels in PPM (parts per million) as well as other wine science stuff. The article is quite technical and definitely beyond my comprehension, but Alder Yarrow of Vinography.com explains it succinctly when he states; “The oxygen in the “headspace” ends up being absorbed by the wine in about 10 months of aging. And once in the wine, that dissolved oxygen goes about doing a lot of things that basically involve “aging” the wine. In particular, affecting its color”. COOL!

Hope some of you found this to be of as much interest as I did…

Happy PET bottled & properly oxygenated wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: AGING WINE, micro oxygenation, PET wine bottles, wine bottle headspace
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“The Winemakers”, “Green Wine” & Wine & Sex

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Lots of wine related stuff to be discussed tonight. But lets begin with the upcoming reality show; “The Winemakers”. Promoted as “Twelve men and women compete for a chance to create and launch their own wine label nationwide. In each episode they will face challenges on every aspect of wine making from viticulture and enology to sales and marketing, but in the end only one contestant will win the title of Wine Maker.”

The first season was filmed 2 years ago (I think) and is to air this fall on PBS. I read a press release last week that they were holding an open call for contestants for season 2, to be filmed this September – harvest season. Not having a clue what I was getting myself into, I canceled an appointment and went down to the call.

WHOA. I walked into the location at about 3PM wearing shorts & a t-shirt (it was a HOT & HUMID summer day in NYC) and having not shaved for several days (not uncommon for me). People were all dressed up, scoping out the competition, and dressed to impress. The producers had us sign release forms and the audition was taped, possibly to be used for the show. They called us up in groups of 4, situated in front of the show’s judges, and fired away with personality and wine related questions.

Well, unfortunately this story does not end with me writing about how I was picked to be on the show. The nice (read FOOLISH) producers passed on humble ole’ Wine Tasting Guy, but they did pick 3 people I got friendly with on this hot summer afternoon. And I was really happy for my new friends. Can’t wait to watch them on the show. And who knows, maybe I’ll be mocked either on their site or possibly even on an episode where they show the contestants being chosen.

Getting back to WTG stuff, I read a bunch of articles about “green wine” over the weekend.

OK, not that green wine. Rather wine produced with the environment taken into consideration. With my recent series about bag-in-box & bag-in-barrel wines, I covered a little about “green wine”. Among the articles I read over the weekend was one by Jerry Hirsh of the LA Times who wrote about wine bottles in plastic bottles, calling the winery “Chateau Plastique”.

Some of what makes wine in plastic bottles “green wine” is its smaller carbon footprint. Hirsh, quoting Patrick Field of EnVino, a plastic wine bottle venture in Burlingame, CA explains that “plastic wine containers weigh about one-eighth of regular glass bottles and take up 20% less space. Thereby saving on shipping costs by allowing 30% more wine to be delivered by the trucks that typically carry the wine.”

Also of interest is that the “bottles have a special layer designed to keep oxygen from permeating the container and destroying the wine. But it’s not the iron-tight seal that glass provides, so bottles will come with “use by” dates.”

People might wonder about these “use by” dates, as all wine should be aged, right? Well actually, most wines are made to be consumed young (within the first few years after their production). I read that the number was close to 95% of wines that are intended for early consumption. I would take this a step further and say that of the wines that are not necessarily intended for early consumption, somewhere in the area of 50% are consumed young anyway. So what we are saying here is that about 2-3% of all wines are BOTH intended to be aged and actually are aged. So for those wines we really want to bottle and protect them in glass bottles. As to the rest…alternative packaging baby!!

And finally, sex sells. So I thought I’d finish up this longer than usual blog with a bit on red wine improving people’s sex lives – or at least those of Tuscan women. In a report written about on Wine Spectator online, a study in the October issue of the Journal of Sexual medicine, “Women who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day scored higher on a questionnaire focused on sexual health and enjoyment.” While I advocate for wine drinking, I found the study seemed to be reaching, as it noted that “adherence to the Mediterranean diet improves cardiovascular health, and this is likely due to the inclusion of a glass or two of red wine per day. Cardiovascular health has long been linked to sexual health.” I’m not sure that I am a believer, but hey, what the heck…just drink wine!

Happy reality winemaking, environmentally conscience & sexually improving wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: Green Wine, The Winemakers
Posted in Wine STUFF | 2 Comments »

The life of wine (Andes Peaks Chard at 6 weeks)

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Most wine people, myself included, suggest drinking wine the day the bottle is opened. Some wines can be enjoyed the next day, and others still can theoretically last, especially if refrigerated, for several days. But eventually, and depending upon one’s tolerance for oxidation, the wine will become virtually undrinkable.

UNTIL NOW…

OK, so it is not THAT SIMPLE. But modern technology, a little ingenuity and TADA…

What can I say? I just re-tasted the wine that I initially popped the cork…..uhhh….snapped the spout on over SIX WEEKS AGO and the darned resilient thing just won’t die! Not only is this wine still drinkable, it is showing some lovely Chardonnay characteristics. Melon, honey & subtle citrus aromas; crisp, pleasant & easily drinkable.

Now I am not suggesting that the next time you whip out the fancy crystal for a special dinner party that you pair your meal with a boxed wine. But if you like to have a glass or two a night, worry about finishing up bottles, appreciate a good deal & have room for a nicely packaged box of wine with a cool spout in your fridge; GO PICK UP SOME BOXED WINE TODAY.! There ain’t nothing wrong with it. As a matter of fact, it might be one of the best wine buys you will ever make!

Happy alternatively packaged wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: Andes Peaks, boxed wine
Posted in Wine STUFF | 3 Comments »

Wine in NY Supermarkets

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

It’s baaaaack….

Thanks to Megan of Wine & Spirits Daily for bringing this BACK to my attention. As reported…

NY DEMOCRATS RE-INTRODUCE WINE BILL. Democrats in New York state have re-introduced legislation that would allow wine sales in grocery stores. Recall that a similar bill was dropped from the state budget in the spring. The bill would also allow store owners to receive licenses quicker; allow liquor stores to have ATMs and sell snacks and non-carbonated drinks; extend hours of operation for liquor stores (8am-3am); and make ID checks more stringent. The bills are in committee in the Senate and Assembly. The state is expected to be called into special session later this year to address its budget deficit, and could review legislation such as this at that time.

A similar bill was not passed a few months back. I’m not sure what changed, but it seems to be back on the table. I touched on my thoughts about this in the past & still feel pretty much the same about it. It might hurt some retailers, and that sucks, but what it will also do is bring about more competition and force retailers to work harder for their customers – which is a good thing. My biggest concern is the buying power these larger supermarkets will have. I’ll follow this as closely as possible and we’ll discuss it in greater detail IF it becomes more relevant.

Happy wine purchased at your local retailer wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: supermarket wine
Posted in Wine STUFF | Comments Off on Wine in NY Supermarkets

Computerized sommelier

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Wikipedia tells us that “a Sommelier or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service.”

It proceeds to explain that “the principal work of a sommelier is in the area of wine procurement, storage, wine cellar rotation, and to provide expert advice to customers.”

Huh. Procurement – sure & advice – OK, we knew that. But storage & interestingly enough “cellar rotation”…cool.

I bring up the job of a sommelier as I recently read a piece by Uncorked columnist Nathaniel Bauer about mobile wine apps. Bauer is critical of many of these apps, citing long loading times, difficulty sorting through information provided, and information provided being outdated (he mentioned a recommendation to pair his food of choice with a 1980 Cali Zin).

Today I read a related article noting two web sites with which I am familiar, Epicurious (which I frequently use) and snooth, have teamed up to provide a “computer generated wine pairing service”.

Now I must admit, maybe there is some jealousy involved here. A few years ago I was pondering a similar service but never went through with it. Common problem…how to monetize. BUT, assuming my feelings are not based on envy, I must admit that I am a bit cynical here. There are tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of wines out there. And food, with all its variations (spices, prep method, etc)…how can a computer process all the ingredients in a dish, consider side dishes, know which wines are available, and spit out the “proper” wine??? As if there even IS a “proper wine”. Aren’t all wine people preaching these days that drinkers should drink WHAT THEY LIKE?!?

Who knows, maybe this or some other copy cat software will revolutionize the way wine consumers purchase & pair their wines. But I have a sneaky suspicion (and a killer business idea) that thinks the revolutionary idea is still out there…

Happy computer generated wine choice wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: computerized sommelier
Posted in Wine STUFF, wine tasting | Comments Off on Computerized sommelier

1 month boxed wine

Friday, July 24th, 2009

I was talking to a gentleman at a retail wine shop in the city last night and he asked me about decanting. I told him that I generally only like to decant a real young wine. That is, unless I know I’ll be pouring the whole bottle at once (to a crowd – not drink it all from one large glass) – in which case it may make sense to decant. In general, I like to follow the wine as it opens in the glass – and decanting sorta prevents that.

Speaking of following a wine as it opens, I have had the pleasure of following the Andes Peak Chard for a MONTH. It is pretty unheard of but I am here today to tell you ladies and gentlemen that this wine is STILL ALIVE…

The Color has gotten deeper, the flavors a bit nuttier, but bottom line, this low budget wine STILL passes ALL the tests.

Don’t know what else to say on the topic that hasn’t been covered the past few weeks. Hey, I’m a believer!!!

Happy oxygen free wine tasting!!!

WTG

Tags: boxed wine
Posted in Wine STUFF | Comments Off on 1 month boxed wine