John Brown has been a wine and food columnist in West Virginia since the 1980’s. His regular columns appear in the Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail under the title Vines & Vittles.
Change is good. That's all the more reason to check out the latest five-minute Webcast of "WineBoy," where host John Brown recommends tasty alternatives to the same old red wines you've been sipping for, like, ever. Says Brown: "These purple lovelies will reinvigorate your palate and clue you in to the fact that there's more to wine than pinot noir, cabernet and merlot."
The estate of Château Cheval Blanc in St Emilion. Home of one of the greatest wines ever? From antique-wine.com. Bordeaux is perhaps the most storied region in all of winedom. Perched in southwestern France and close to the Atlantic Ocean, this famous appellation produces wine that is the benchmark upon which all great red wine, particularly cabernet sauvignon, is measured.
In 1855, the wines of Bordeaux were classified according to quality by a ranking that still exists today. The best of these wines are called "Grand Crus" and are categorized into five classifications or “growths.” The greatest are called “First Growths” and they include Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Ch. Latour, Ch. Mouton Rothschild (which was added in 1973), Ch. Margaux and Ch. Haut Brion.
Dale Hawkins, Executive Chef for Stonewall Resort, is known for his focus on what he calls New Appalachian Cuisine. You cantaste what he means on March 7-9 at Stonewall near Weston as he, and a whole host of other West Virginia celebrity chefs, prepare their goodies for you at one of this state’s premier food and wine events – The Culinary Classic.
I’ve been to the Culinary Classic on a couple of occasions and it’s a blast! Sumptious food, lots of wine and like-minded people enjoying the stuff we all love. The events begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 7, with an evening reception and taste-around , featuring signature dishes from the chefs and accompanying wines to wash it all down. Saturday is a day full of events for gourmets and gourmands, including chef-led demonstrations, workshops and wine tastings. One of the events features a presentation by Slow Food USA (a cause to which I ascribe) and a luncheon featuring a chef “throw down.” That evening, guests start with a wine reception and then move into the ballroom for a multi-course food and wine pairing created by the guest chefs. Here is a list of the foodies that will be doing their culinary thing: Steve Mengel and Frederick Montei, The Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs); Paco Aceves, the Bridge Road Bistro (Charleston); Tim Urbanic, Café Cimino (Sutton); Anne Hart, Provence Market (Bridgeport); Melanie Campbell, Graceland Inn (Elkins); Hall Hitzig, The Crazy Baker (Renick); Logan Springston, Marriott Town Center (Charleston); Jeff Kessler, Jeff’s Breads (Renick).
Click to watch 'WineBoy' WebcastEver get in a wine-drinking rut, sipping the same old, same old same old - chardonnay, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc? Join 'WineBoy' John Brown for some tips on three alternative whites that will reinvigorate your palate and provide a nice change-up to the wines you usually select. Then WineBoy's cowboy pal - Spud Dumplin' - makes a guest appearance to show his displeasure over the abrupt departure of a certain football coach. Watch as Spud serves up some chuckwagon wisdom by sharing his poem: "Owed (Ode) to Coach Rod. "
"In defense of my decision, it helps to know a little about the wine I chose over my children’s need for nutritional sustenance. " -- John Brown
One of the advantages of advancing age is that you can sometimes live long enough to see youthful acts of irresponsibility redeemed later in life (though probably never forgiven). Let me explain. In the early 1980’s, when I was just beginning my life-long affair with wine -- and when I had little or no disposable income -- I made a profligate, yet fateful, buying decision. That decision caused me great initial pain, but over the long haul, I feel, has turned out quite well.
The year was 1983 and I was on my way to buy the weekly groceries when I stopped by the local state liquor store to check out the wine selection. Back then, the State ABC store was the only place where you could purchase wine. As I casually browsed the aisles searching for any wine not bottled in big green jugs, I came across three bottles of 1978 Chateau Fortia. At that time, Fortia was considered the best producer of Chateauneuf Du Pape, and the ’78 had gotten great reviews.
Unfortunately, the wine cost $18 a bottle, a stratospheric price to pay for wine back then. I agonized over the decision for all of five minutes before using our weekly grocery money to buy the wine. When my wife asked why I had not gotten all the items on her grocery list, I sheepishly presented her with the three bottles of wine and, as I recall, some peanut butter, bread and lunch meat. To put it mildly, she was not happy, and I heard the words “selfish” and “irresponsible” used repeatedly to describe me over the next several months.
In defense of my decision, it helps to know a little about the wine I chose over my children’s need for nutritional sustenance. Chateau Fortia is a storied property and it’s late owner -- Baron Le Roy de Boiseumarie -- not only produced among the best Chateauneuf Du Pape, he developed a system of governmental regulations to insure the quality for everything associated with making wine. This system was the foundation for the Appellation Contrôlée system for all France. I had read about the exploits of Baron Le Roy and the legendary wines he was making so when I saw the opportunity to acquire a few bottles of this monumental wine…well you know the rest.
Now, fast-forward 25 years. (Incidentally, despite even more egregious acts by yours truly over that quarter century, I am still married to the same long-suffering wife). Anyway, this year on Valentine’s Day my wife asked me to go to our cellar and surprise her with a nice bottle of wine to accompany a special meal she had prepared. You can probably guess what I selected. Suffice it to say, I did surprise her - with 1978 Chateau Fortia. But the biggest surprise was magnificence of the wine itself!
As I decanted it, the wine’s orange-brown color did not bode well for its drinkability. There was also about one inch of sediment in the bottom of the bottle (which I expected) and when I put my nose to the carafe, there was very little aroma. At least it didn't have any off odors, I thought to myself.After we leisurely consumed the bottle, I went online to Robert Parker’s website (eRobertparker.com) and this is what that esteemed critic had to say about the wine (he rated it 95 out of 100) when he last reviewed it in 2000: “This has always been my reference point for Chateau Fortia (until I tasted the 1970). It remains a prodigious, full-bodied, spectacular Chateauneuf du Pape possessing a deep ruby/purple color with only a hint of amber at the edge. A stunning nose of blackberries, pepper, smoke, dried herbs, and licorice is followed by a full-bodied wine with a seamless personality, a multi-layered texture, and a fabulous wealth of fruit. While fully mature, it is capable of 5-7 additional years of life.”Well, here it is eight years later and still holding, though for how much longer I cannot predict.
The answer: Comfort food and hearty wine! But what's the question? What do you need to ward off that psychological malady brought on by gray skies, cold weather, a general lack of sunshine and the end of football season?
Clinically known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Doctor Feelgood -- me -- has just the prescription: Braciole or Italian beef roll-ups with penne in a thick tomato sauce. This past weekend, after preparing and then consuming this dish (with a full bodied red I’ll tell you about later), my outlook on the week ahead was definitely brighter.
If you’re not a Romance language specialist, you probably have trouble understanding the gibberish on the label of a bottle of European wine. Join “WineBoy” webcast host John Brown in show 23 as he deciphers the information so you can make better buying decisions.
The show also features cameos by two of WineBoy’s alter egos — Sir Reginald Winesot Clydesdale and the Marcrazi Umberto Lupini — not to mention, a solid wine recommendation or two. Watch it at the WineBoy blog at thegazz.com.
Map of Rioja region of Spain from www.cellartours.com I have always been a fan of Rioja (pronounced Ree-OH-hah). It's a famous wine region in north-central Spain that produces red wine in a style similar to the more famous reds of Bordeaux. The connection with Bordeaux grew out of a vine disease which devastated those world-renowned French vineyards in the 1800's. Faced with having to completely replant their vineyards, many Bordelais ventured over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain to grow grapes and make wine unaffected by the blight.
Settling in Rioja, the French passed along their wine-making techniques to the Spanish. While the grape varieties comprising Bordeaux red are completely different from the main Rioja grape (tempranillo), the Spanish vintners began adopting many of French viticultural practices, including using oak barrels to finish their wines. Today, the Rioja wine makers use French and American oak extensively to soften and age their wines.
If you could afford to pay $100 or more for a “trophy” wine, wouldn’t you expect that bottle to be memorable? I had a friend who recently plunked down $125 for a bottle of cabernet that, indeed, was memorable, but for the wrong reasons. He described it as “rancid, overbearing and lacking character.”
Since that description could fit a plethora of animate organisms, including cheese, over-the hill rock stars and the entire French Parliament, my friend assured me that he was describing wine.
The latest edition of "WineBoy," our 5-minute Web show on the art and craft of wine appreciation, features part one of two programs on deciphering wine labels. Host John Brown first takes a look at what you can learn from a close look at California wine labels. A future program will take a gander at European wine labels, an entirely different read. Click here to view the program.
Hey foodies and... um, wine-ies (wine-o's?): Want to spend a cold winter's weekend eating, drinking and living large in the lap of luxury? If so, you might want to cruise up I-79 to Stonewall Resort and take in the festivities known as the Cast Iron Cook-off this weekend.
This third annual Cast Iron Cook-off is an opportunity to not only sup on gourmet delights and sip a vast array of great wines, it's also a chance for you to pick up a few culinary pointers from some of this state and region's most accomplished chefs who will be competing for the grand prize (What else? A commemorative cast iron skillet). Here's a rundown of what you can expect at the event:
WINEBOY RECOMMENDS: 2005 Newton Napa Valley Claret ($25)Claret (pronounced Clair-it) is the term the British use to refer to the red wine of Bordeaux. The Newton Claret is a Napa Valley blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and syrah. It is a rich, chocolaty, minty, mouthful of wine that -- while it should benefit from a few more years in the bottle -- is ready to enjoy now. I matched it with thick, oven-broiled pork chops glazed with a delicious, roasted raspberry chipotle sauce. (I must confess – the glaze is from a bottle, Fischer & Wieser, and I ordered it from www.jelly.com.) The ’05 Newton Claret is a pleasure to enjoy over a long winter’s dinner with someone special.
The headline on a November, 2007 press release from the (California) Wine Institute states: “California vintners praise high quality 2007 wine grape harvest.” While I don’t doubt the veracity of the winemakers assessing the vintage, it is very difficult to make broad generalizations regarding the harvest of any geographically large and diverse region such as the state of California.
To their credit, the Wine Institute folks then interviewed vintners from most of the major growing regions for their individual assessment of the harvest in their particular areas or appellations. Reading these individual reviews provides a better gauge of how the wines will actually show when they are released in the next few years.
I bring this to your attention so you will be better equipped to sort through the marketing hype regarding the various vintage assessments around the world, and so you can make better decisions regarding wine selection in the future.
As the resident wine guy (boy?) for our fair state, I am often asked for my assessment of various vintages as in: 'How was the 2004 vintage for cabernet sauvignon?' I usually fire right back with a few questions of my own like: to which country -- and which wine region or sub- region of that country -- are you referring?
I’m not trying to be difficult, but there really is no simple answer to the vintage date question as there is so much variability from wine region to wine region. As a matter of fact, there are usually significant differences among wine-producing regions from within the same small geographic area. Take Sonoma County in California for example.
Sonoma has about 10 distinct appellations or wine growing regions within its boundaries. Each of these regions has different soils, elevations and climates, and specific grape varieties are planted to take advantage of these horticultural, topographical and meteorological vagaries.
The Carneros, Russian River and Sonoma Coast appellations of the county are very cool regions where morning fog gives grudgingly away to warm afternoons with a return to cool evenings. Therefore, the grapes that seem to do the best in these areas are the ones which like cooler weather such as chardonnay and pinot noir. In the Knights Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley appellations, the afternoon sun blazes and the warm weather varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel and merlot abound.
Add to this the effect of soils, which range from volcanic to chalky, as well as the influence of elevation, which rises from sea level to more that 1,500 feet, and you can see how many different influences can affect a particular vintage. And this is just for Sonoma County, California.
Remember that infamous wine word terroir (pronounced tare-WAH)? Terroir, which is a combination of all of the above, may actually be the most important factor affecting a vintage. Terroir’s meaning in the wine lexicon is so loosey-goosey (now there’s a good non-word for you) that defining it as “all-encompassing” would be too restrictive.
Okay, so what does it mean? Well, as near as I can tell, terroir starts with the place where the grapes are grown. The vineyard location, its slope, topography and angle toward the sun, and its longitude and latitude are all part of terroir. So is the soil type, the climate, rainfall and other precipitation in the vineyard, as well as the type of vine or clone of the vine used.
And what about the ability of the winemaker? Trust me when I tell you (from personal experience) that even an excellent vintage can be ruined by an incompetent winemaker.
So where are we? Well, since I was asked about the quality of the 2004 vintage for cabernet sauvignon, I suppose I would have to research all of the vineyards of the world that grow the variety and then apply the above-mentioned rating criteria to come up with an answer. However, in the interest of time, I could simply advise you to consult one of the hundreds of vintage charts which are available in magazines, online and in books that have already done this for you.
Checking my vintage chart, I find that 2004 proved to be an excellent vintage in northern California and produced very high quality cabernet sauvignon, which could be drunk now. But it will probably benefit from several additional years of bottle aging.
So the next time you wish to know about the quality of a particular vintage, consult one of the many vintage charts available, but be aware that these guides can be general in nature and somewhat misleading. In the end, it’s really up to you and your trusty palate.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW the latest 5-minute "WineBoy" webcast. Gazz wine blogger John Brown is often asked about whether he supports adding a flavor dimension to wine by aging it in oak barrels. Does the oak actually improve the taste? His answer to that question goes all the way back to his grandfather's wine cellar. View the latest "WineBoy" webcast -- and see Brown's own oak barrel-- at the "WineBoy" blog at thegazz.com. For more ruminations on the art of oak and wine, see the "WineBoy" post below.
I ‘m often asked about the relative merits of using oak barrels to add a flavor dimension to wine. Does the oak do anything to actually improve the taste? Doesn't using oak just inject an artificial element into a naturally produced product? Can oak be used to age both red and white wine? These are just a few of the more commonly asked questions regarding the ancient relationship between wine and oak which I will explore for you today. (Also, see my own oak wine barrel at my house and on-camera musings on this subject on the latest 'WineBoy' webcast, online this Wednesday).
While historians can't pinpoint when the first wooden barrel was produced (some credit the Celts in ancient Burgundy in 1300 BC), those ancient vessels were simply a utilitarian method of storage and were not seen as adding any complexity or nuance to the wine. However, for the past century or so, vintners have been using different types of oak barrels to influence the flavor of the wine inside them. Today, oak trees grown here and abroad are used to make the barrels holding some of the world's greatest wines.
As the New Year dawns, and as my weary palate rests for a few days, I want to share with you some of my favorite wines (in no particular order) of the past year. Most of these little lovelies are still available in state wine shops or on the Internet. As is my practice, I’ll also recommend a menu item to go with these special wines.So here’s wishing you a happy, prosperous and wine-stained New Year!
2005 Melville Estate Pinot Noir ($30): Melville is a small producer in the Santa Rita Hills area in the cool Pacific Ocean-influenced Santa Ynez Valley. You may recall this area from the movie “Sideways” or from your own personal experience with the delicious Pinot Noirs produced here. The bright red color of the ’05 Melville may mislead those expecting a lighter-styled version of Pinot Noir. However, once you put the Pinot Noir in your mouth, you realize this is a much more complex wine that features layers of flavor. The nose is a combination of cinnamon spice with nuances of caramel and the flavors are of black cherries, spice and just a hint of earth. This wine begs for roasted pork tenderloin in a slightly sweet sauce made from dried cherries or cranberries.
WATCH: 'WineBoy, Show 20:"WineBoy" closes out the year with show No. 20 devoted to one of host John Brown's favorite holidays -- New Year's Eve. He serves up some instruction and guidance in the art of picking Champagne and sparkling wines, including where the wines come from and how the traditional Champagne method is undertaken. If you've not yet picked up something bubbly for New Year's Eve, watch "WineBoy" first.
On the first day of Christmas, WineBoy gave to me: one Umberto Lupini ... Actually in the latest episode of the five-minute webcast, The Marcrazi Lupini opens the show and introduces host John Brown, who regales us with several non-wine suggestions for holiday gift giving.
Our spirited host also recommends a wine to please even the most bah-humbugger among us. Get some good information and have a little fun — tune in to episode 19.
RELATED: See "Beers to Us" blogger Rich Ireland's beer-centric gift ideas. As the holiday season approaches, I would like to suggest a semantic change to the old adage “It’s better to give than receive." Let's deleting the word “than” and insert the word “and.” In other words, it’s better to both give and receive – in this instance, to receive a nice bottle of wine or special wine-related gift- to celebrate the upcoming holiday festivities. Depending upon your budget, the sky is virtually the limit when it comes to finding a wine to give (or receive from) that special person. Securing a quality selection of top wines for holiday gift giving is a labor of love and over the next few weeks, I’ll share my top picks for this holiday season.
Today, though, I’ll provide a listing of some of my favorite non-wine gifts along with a couple of vinous goodies that would make a wine lover very happy. (note to my friends: please feel free to pass this along to my wife) So, before I get to the wine recommendations, here are a few of my favorite wine-related gift ideas for you to consider.
The Wine Shop at Capitol Market recently held their annual Claret tasting. Claret is a term the British have used for centuries to describe the red wines of Bordeaux. And while this Claret tasting usually features a Bordeaux wine or two, it is also expanded to include cabernet-based wines from around the world. The neat thing about this tasting is that the wines are tasted blind. Now, I know what some of you reprobates are thinking, but no -- this is not a wine-chugging contest where the object is to achieve a state of blindness.
This is a tasting where the bottles are put in paper bags so the labels are not visible and so tasters can evaluate them objectively and not be unduly influenced by “pedigree” or price. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the tasting, but the results are published below by the Wine Shop’s Ted Armbrecht (who, I might add, has an excellent palate.) The tasting was conducted by expert taster Andy MacQueen, who was featured on last week's WineBoy webcast.Ted’s descriptions of the wines and their attributes reflect the comments of tasters who rated each of the wines. I hope this provides you with another tool when shopping for that special gift this coming holiday season.
