Back from the holyland, hence the UN-holy title.  Fear not, Wine Tasting Guy’s mind is not in the gutter.  I’m speaking of wine glasses.

While tasting wine at several wineries (and in some people’s homes) in Israel I noticed people serving wines in small glasses.  Size is relative, but I’m a believer (though not all would agree) that bigger is better.  More room to swirl, more room for the aromas to linger and easier to tilt the wine so that you can observe and appreciate the color.

In addition to size, good wine should be drunk out of out quality glasses.  There are tons of quality glasses out there nowadays.  No, they don’t have to be hand blown glass.  No, they don’t have to cost $50/glass.  But they should be thin glass bowls (I prefer tulip shaped) and they should not have a rounded lip.  The lip of the glass should be straight so that the wine runs directly down into your mouth.

Although the power of suggestion is one I fervently try to avoid I have heard MANY people say that wine simply tastes BETTER out of better glasses.  And you know what… I agree.

SO, you can imagine my disappointment when I tasted wines at some of the Israel wineries out of cheapo glasses.  If an artist was to display their art don’t you think they would use the best frames, light & background possible?  Then why wouldn’t the wineries want their wines shown in the best glasses.

I know, good glasses can be expensive.   And the good glasses break VERY EASILY.  And there were many wineries that DID serve their wines in good glasses.  But given how strongly I feel about Israeli wines I would like to see ALL wineries pouring their wines out of the best (and most cost effective) glasses.

Happy quality wine glass wine tasting!

WTG

Made a trip back up to the Golan Heights today.  Once again, feeling like a VIP (I think I can get used to this) I was taken on a private tour of some vineyards and given a tasting of selected wines.  I even got to take a trip up a row of vines on a mechanical harvester.  WOW!

looks a little freaky huh…

The work being done in the vineyard is mind boggling and that work is truly reflected in the quality of the offerings.  Making wines exclusively grown in the Golan Heights region on its volcanic soils (a result of two volvano eruptions - the most recent a short million years ago), GHW (Golan Heights Winery) grows 22 varietals and produces close to 30 wines.  And that does not include the wines made in the Galilee region by its sister winery Galil Mountain.

Starting with the whites I was quite impressed by the quality of the entry level 2007 Golan Sion Creek White.  A blended wine that is advertised as semi dry (I guess there must be some residual sugar in there) this wine showed bright & fresh crispness with some citrus notes and a mouth watering acidity.  While at the other end of the wine sophistication spectrum, the 2005 Yarden Katzrin Chardonnay is a BIG golden chardonnay with toffee, caramel, nutty aromas and a creamy palate that finishes long with all sorts of complexities.

While on the red side I was introduced to some wines that really got me excited.  Of particular interest was the 2003 Yarden Syrah - a big California style Syrah with dark fruit, this concentrated wine with big soft tannins will coat your palate and leave you with a nice long finish.  The 2004 Yarden El Rom Cabernet, a single vineyard Cab made from 3 blocks at the El Rom vineyard is a wine that appears to be quite ageworthy, yet it remained somewhat closed and required significant aeration to show its big black fruit, interesting cedar & clove aromas and concentrated flavors.  A wine I had been looking forward to trying and was rewarded with was the 2006 Galil Mountain Barbera.  Aged for 9 months in French Oak this dark purple wine (surprisingly dark I thought for a Barbera) had enticing aromas of red fruit, and everything forest from pine and bark to bushes and earth.  This light bodied, big acid and fresh fruit wine is a FABULOUS food wine.  Much more versatile in terms of foods it will pair well with than the more popular Cabs & Merlots.

But getting back to the title of this post, what I found most interesting about my time today (with the warm, patient and very knowledgeable Eran) was the work being done in the vineyard.  Not so much the typical leaf trimming, fruit dropping, etc - but the technology.  There may be a few people left who still think making wine is as simple as picking some grapes, stomping them in a tub and waiting for the natural yeasts to turn the sugars into alcohol.  But boy is there a LOT more going on in the high tech haven holy land winery.  The good folks at the GHW measure the weather on a second by second basis with a sophisticated weather monitoring station in each vineyard (often times more than one per vineyard).

Included in this high tech gizmo is wind monitoring, both speed & direction, precipitation measuring, dampness & humidity checking and I’m sure all kinds of other cool stuff I can not remember right now at 2:50AM.  All wrapped up in a completely self sufficient solar station that sends the data back to the winery for analysis.

Now how’s that for cool high tech vineyard monitoring stuff!?!?!  Does it make a difference in the quality of the wine?  You are just gonna have to go pick up a bottle of Yarden, Golan, Gamla or Galil wine and find out for yourself…

Happy Golan Heights (and Galilee) wine region(s) wine tasting!

WTG

I mentioned “terroir” in my last post.  I’m sorry for repeating something just mentioned, but since it is not a common expression outside of wine circles let me reiterate.  “Terroir” is described by Wikipedia as “a way of describing the unique aspects of a place that influences and shapes the wine made from it”.  These “aspects” could include soil, weather, altitude, etc…

I bring up terroir again as it is a buzz word within the wine world.  It is also a word that I am CERTAIN has great relevance when it comes to Israeli wines. 

I believe that when not manipulated too much Israeli wines are an incredible combination of new world and old world.  They possess earthy old world qualities in addition to fruity new world qualities.  And I think this is one of the amazing things about many Israeli wines and an important factor in making them so special.

Back to “terroir” though, I believe the concept of terroir is important to Israeli wines given that they possess sumptuously unique herbal qualities.  I have heard spices such as Thyme, Sage, Rosemary and sometimes even Mint used to describe Israeli wines.  I have also heard some describe (what I believe to be) this same herbally component as green olive.  I mention these unique and interesting descriptors before mentioning why I think recognizing these flavors and aromas is so important. 

I have been pounding the pavement of Manhattan selling Israeli wines the past few months and there have been a few people whose palates I respect who have described some of the Israeli wines I tasted with them as having a “green” quality.  This descriptor is not a positive one.  Sure some people like it (and they are certainly NOT wrong) but it indicates a wine that is either bitter, under-ripe (something that used to be very common with French and other cool climate wines) or simply overly herbaceous rather than fruity.  This “green” profile often occurs as a result of wines made from young, immature vines.  Or it may be a wine that has been pressed too much and bitterness is extracted from seeds and skins and have overpowered the fruit of the wine. 

Some well regarded wine critics have recently called many Israeli wines “green” (while at the same time praising the wines??).  And while I appreciate (and at times am envious of) their work, in general we all know how I feel about critics.  They certainly serve a purpose, but their influence has become too powerful (shame on us lay-wine-people).

Bottom line, call it what you will.  Israeli terroir.  Herbal.  Herbaceous.  Green.  WHO CARES.  Try it, and if you like it BUY SOME, BUY MORE, and TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!

Happy herbal Israeli wine tasting!

WTG

Everyone in the world, particularly those of us in the US, are feeling the pinch of the challenging economic environment.  Government stimulus packages, collapsing banks, record numbers of newly unemployed - those luxuries we may have been splurging on a year or two ago are possibly absent from our regular shopping lists these days.  Where does wine fit in?  Can you still justify opening up a $20 (or more expensive) bottle of wine with dinner?  That is a lot to spend on an unessential (some might beg to differ) dinner item on just any day of the week.

There has been a lot written recently about food and wine in challenging times.

Eric Asimov wrote an article for the NY Times “Modest Luxuries For Lean Times”.  I was not familiar with most of the wines he wrote about, but I do agree that one can find some great buys between $10-$20 (while spending less than $10 is generally a gamble in terms of the quality).

There was an article over the weekend discussing New Yorkers inclination to turn to comfort foods.  Apparently New Yorkers are frequenting the fancy obscure restaurants less and opting for more affordable and familiar cuisine - such as a burger and mashed potatoes.  A burger shop manager was quoted, saying “people are looking for nostalgic, homemade food at a reasonable price”.

But I digress.  We are talking about wine.

Mike Steinberger, writing for Slate Mag “Drinking Away Your Sorrows -  How Has the Financial Crisis Affected The Wine World?”, discusses the issue at length.  Steinberger mentions recent auction success and stable wine prices as evidence that wine has not been affected.  He then cites a UNC-Greensboro economist who claims that “when the economy weakens, alcohol sales fall”.  And while he proceeds to repeat a theory I have heard before, that people drink less OUT, but still purchase alcohol to take home to drink, he then states that wine is not affected nearly as much as beer and spirits, citing evidence from Neilson garnered via bars, clubs & restaurants.  Finally, he quotes a retailer who says that “Instead of buying a $40 bottle, maybe they’ll go for a $25 bottle now, but they want wine on the table.”

As I hustle throughout the streets of NY I have seen this all first hand.  Wine Bars aren’t as busy.  Commercial spaces are staying vacant (a lot) longer.  Restaurants are closing at a faster pace and opening at a slower pace.  And retailers, looking to provide their customers with what they are seeking, seem to be looking for more wines that retail in the $20 & less category.

These are all things I will keep in mind as I move forward with my Israeli wine project plans.  And while I definitely have good reason to be cautious, spending as much time as I do at wine bars, wine tastings and wine retailers has given me a good feel for the market.  It is an ever changing market that I must stay on top of, but I believe in the journey and while that light (at the end of the tunnel) is hard to see, I know it is there…

Happy conscientious Wine Tasting!

WTG

The past 48 hours (actually all week) have been truly fabulous and unbelievably exhausting!

I’m averaging about 5 hours of sleep a night which is not terrible, but not too great either.   I’ve poured wine for retailers I’m trying to sell wine to.  I’ve poured wine at retailers for consumers I am hoping will buy bottles of the wine (they should - it is good stuff).  And I poured wine while playing guest bartender tonight at a fabulous intimate wine bar on the Upper East Side.

But before that, yesterday at about 4PM, I went out to Jersey to work on the Wine Tasting Guy cuvee’.  Actually, it is a wine I am making with two close friends.  The one I’ve previously mentioned.  I received a call on Monday from the guy whose garage we are using as our pseudo winery, informing me that the wine has finished fermenting and we MUST press it.  Wine ferments in open containers and it gives off CO2 while it is fermenting which protects it from the oxygen.  But when it stops fermenting it is no longer protected and must be moved to an oxygen free container.

Sure enough I raced from work on Wednesday to Jersey so that we could press the wine.  And lo and behold while the fermentation had neared its end and slowed dramatically, it WAS still fermenting.  The wine was protected and there was no emergency.  But I must admit that our Cali Cab was virtually done so we went ahead and pressed that (pic to come…I hope).

So far I think this years wines are going to be VERY DIFFERENT from last years.  Much less fruit forward and more acidic.  They will be wines with a longer life, but potentially a little less approachable in their youth.  Or so I suspect…but I suppose only time will tell…

And as for tonight, while pouring at the retailer for the consumers was OK, the real fun was playing guest bartender.  I met some cool people and poured a lot of Israeli wine that people really enjoyed.  I was quite proud!

Now if only I had my own wine & sold it at my own wine bar…  Wouldn’t THAT be cool?!!?!!!!! 

Happy wine insanity!

WTG

NOOOO…I did not pass away and go to heaven (although I bet that is what MY heaven looks like).  But I must admit that this afternoon and evening were quite wonderful.

Late this afternoon I had the opportunity to meet a gentleman with whom I have been in touch for a long time.  This guy is working to promote THE CAUSE - Israel wine.  And he seems to be doing a great job of it.  His approach is unique, but his passion is unmistakable.  He invited me to meet him at an in-house wine tasting event.  At this event he poured several wines, spoke to the people about the wines and the winemakers, and then took orders for said wine.  All the wines were Israeli wines made at what are considered to be boutique operations.  And while some of the wines showed better than others, all were generally warmly received.  Way to go Richard!

From this fabulous event I went to meet a lovely young lady at a wine bar I have been meaning to check out.  The young lady looked terrific (no, not because I drank a lot at the wine tasting event) and the wine bar was doing “IT” right.

What is “IT” you ask?  Ahhh…good question.  IT is the prefect level of service where the customer feels attended to, appreciated, yet not crowded, rushed or made to feel anything less than like a king.   Just really great service.

Upon initially speaking with the server, she modestly deferred to the asst. sommelier for wine related issues - something I greatly appreciate rather than being fed B.S. about wines they might know nothing about.  The sommelier was cordial, polite and gracious and brought us 4 samples to try so that when we made out ultimate selection we would be sure to be pleased.  And the clincher was the follow up service.  They were attentive, but from afar.  I was thrilled to be pouring my own wine from the carafe in which it was served.  And throughout my time I noticed the server looking over, almost waiting to be summoned, but not crowding us in any way.  She was really amazing.  How she came up with what (in one persons humble opinion) was the perfect combination of space & attentiveness I will never know.  But she got IT!

Happy fabulous (Israeli) wine tasting!

WTG

As part of my work for the Israeli wine distributor I am presently working for, I went into a wine shop on Friday afternoon to “hand sell” some of their wines.  The wine shop manager set me up next to the shelf displaying the producer’s wines.  I opened up 3 bottles to pour for customers as they came in, and said customers were offered discounts if they purchased any of the wines (in 3, 6 or 12 bottle increments) I was pouring - as well as others made by the producer.

I must say, things went brilliantly.  OK, it could have been better.  There was not as much traffic as I may have liked.  A few people did come in just to try some free wine.  Yes, there were one or two people who I suppose felt a “hard sell”, and ending up opting for other wines.  BUT for the most part people tried the wines, engaged in conversation about the wines, asked lots of good questions and then bought at least one if not 3 bottles of wine (to take advantage of the discount).

I have heard this from others but I am now fully convinced that this method of “hand selling” is truly the best way to sell wines.  It may seem obvious, but you have people entering a wine shop/liquor store with the intent to purchase a bottle (or more) of wine.  Yet they are suddenly faced with the daunting array of wines set before them.

And standing right there to help is Mr./Ms. NON-PRETENTIOUS wine expert happy to provide a quick taste of wine for said customer and answer any questions they may have.  Two very important elements.  I always recommend that people taste a wine before buying a bottle of it (when possible of course).  And having someone there who may know a bit more about wine than the ordinary average Jane is also helpful and generally appreciated.

It was a great few hours and I really hope everyone who purchased some of the wines I recommended were happy with their selections.

Now if only I can figure out a way to be in 200 stores selling wine at the same time…

ASIDE: All NYC (and vicinity) residents are invited to an Israeli wine tasting this Thursday night.  I’ll be at the Le Rendezvous wine bar at 80th St. & 2nd Ave pouring FREE wine from 7-9PM.  There will be bubbly (show up early for this) as well as some whites, a rose’ and of course some fabulous reds.  Come say hi and introduce yourself!

Happy wine tasting & buying!

WTG

I attended an Israeli wine tasting at a local cultural center earlier this week. The instructor spoke both about the Israeli wine industry as well as basic wine appreciation. Among the instructor’s opening statements was a proclamation that the Israeli wine industry took a major step forward with the introduction of the Golan Heights Winery 15 years ago  (it was more like 25 years ago). Shortly thereafter we tried the first wine, a sauvignon blanc.  He began by pointing out that it is not straw in color, as a straw color indicates a flaw (not true).  Upon tasting the wine he pointed out that this wine was NOT oaky like some other whites since Sauvignon Blanc generally only spends 6 months in barrel (when in reality this Sauv Blanc was made in stainless steel tanks and saw no oak - hence the non-oakiness).  Finally he alleviated the concerns of an attendee regarding sulfites in wine informing the class that white wines, although written on the label “contains sulfites”, don’t really contain sulfites. I raised my hand and announced that i thought all wines contained sulfites, even organic wines (albeit in smaller quantities). He emphatically responded that I was wrong, reds contain sulfites but whites do not.

Speaking of his angry response, in a crowded room with over 50 people drinking (not spitting) wine, he consistently “sshhh-ed” the crowd. I can appreciate the challenges of speaking before a loud audience but while drinking wine in a crowded room did he really expect the audience to remain perfectly silent??

(more…)

Although $37 is a lot for a bottle of wine, when others are selling the same bottle for NO LESS THAN $45 and as much as $70 the $37 price tag doesn’t seem so bad.

The Two Hands ‘Harry Edward’s’ Shiraz being sold here for $37 was given positive ratings by both Wine Spectator (91) and Robert Parker (91).

I haven’t tasted this wine so I don’t have much more to say about it…

…but I have A LOT to say about all these Australian wines reaching stratospheric (relative term, I know, but…) prices.   Australia has long been known for economic wines of high quality.  Many of these previously “well priced” wines have since taken their receptive audience, high scores & raised their price to the “luxury” level.  In addition to these luxury wines, many of the under $20 and even under $10 bottles of Australian wine wil likely be raising in price in the near future.  The weakening dollar is affecting all wine imports - Australian wines included.  Furthermore however, Australia has been dealing with a severe drought which has led to much smaller than usual fruit output.  Which means producers will be making less wine & the supply of Australian will be down.  Simple economics tells us that as long as the demand is there, as the supply goes down the prices will be driven up.

I bring this up as I think that this will be one of several factors leading consumers here in the US to try wines from new regions (hello Israeli wines), maybe ones where the price may suddenly make the wines much more appealing relative to their Australian brethren.

Remember, keep an open mind about wine & drink what you like!

WTG

I just enjoyed another article written by Laurie Daniel for the San Jose Mercury News. This one titled “Blind tasting Can Be A Real Eye-Opener”. OK, the title is a little old-man-pun style, and the article was written citing some recent research done by Standford Business School and California Institute of technology (regarding how price influences people’s appreciation of wine)…but she sheds some light into wine appreciation. And as an advocate of blind tasting, I like to see other people touting its unique ability to force people to appreciate what it is the glass as opposed to its label, reputation or price tag.

I like blind tasting for a multitude of reasons. As someone who DOES NOT profess to having a master palate it is OK when in a blind tasting I pick a (supposedly) inferior wine over one priced much higher or said to be much more highly regarded.

I also like blind tasting as a result of an experience from my time working in the lab at a Napa custom crush. There was a producer who made their wines there that consistently had trouble maintaining the natural balance of their wines. They would doctor the heck out of their wines just to get them into better balance. Yet these same wines carried a triple digit price tag and a reputation to match. Proof that marketing, a high price tag, or for you conspiracy theorists - paying off critics, is enough to “fool” consumers. (One of the many reasons why I STRONGLY advocate tasting wine YOURSELF and buying wines YOU like - not those you are told you should like).

The last reason I’ll mention here as to why I am such a fan of blind tasting has to do with my affinity for Israeli wines and my STRONG belief that they are STILL under appreciated. We Israeli wine people joke that simply being “Israeli” means that critics will (subconsciously??) deduct 3-5 points from their scoring of the wine. Oh how I would love to set up a blind tasting for well known critics and sneak a few Israeli wines in with some other New world wines.

Bottom line, read the Laurie Daniel article, and know that when you are contemplating that $100 bottle vs. the $30 bottle, yes you may enjoy the $100 bottle more - but it will only be BECAUSE it cost you $100 and NOT because you were drinking a better wine…

Now how do you go enjoy that $500 bottle of Bordeaux after reading that…????….SORRY!

Happy drinking!

WTG.