Wild About Wine

Pairings: A Veneto red and cheese

Sometimes incredible wine and food experiences have to be shared.  And, sometimes it is the sharing itself that makes the experience so incredible.  I recently found a limited-release Valpolicella by Roberto Mazzi ("Vigneto Poiega") in my cellar -- ok, in my basement -- and wanted to share it with a fellow oenophile. 

But, just quaffing the wine to celebrate yet another Friday would not have done justice to a producer that rates very high on my personal list.  I had to think what food might pair well with this classically styled Valpolicella. 

A quick visit to a well-stocked cheese shop led me to the section marked with a hand-drawn Italian flag.  In yet another confession, my cheese knowledge is limited to soft vs. hard, white vs. yellow.  So, I trusted that the cheesemonger-turned-artist with the flag and selected a healthy wedge of "Sottocenere" because it was 1) soft and 2) white.  But, truthfully, I selected it because the ingredient list included truffles! 

The Mazzi "Poiega" (2003) opened up beautifully, yielding an initial but very faint rustic aroma marking it as Old World followed by violet floral notes, anise and then mushroom-y earth tones on both the nose and palate.  If this wine could have tasted better, it did when partnered with a chunk of the truffle-spiked cheese on a slice of simple Italian bread.  The balance was incredible, alternating between the multi-layered flavors of the wine and the rich, melt-on-your-palate cheese.  The experience put my mind somewhere near Verona, sitting at an old and weathered picnic table under an olive tree, listening to the breeze as it moves through the grape leaves. 

Please excuse me while I check airfare to Milan...

Salute!
-Steve

Sometimes incredible wine and food experiences have to be shared.  And, sometimes it is the sharing itself that makes the experience so incredible.  I recently found a limited-release Valpolicella by Roberto Mazzi ("Vigneto Poiega") in my cellar -- ok, in my basement -- and wanted to share it with a fellow oenophile. 

But, just quaffing the wine to celebrate yet another Friday would not have done justice to a producer that rates very high on my personal list.  I had to think what food might pair well with this classically styled Valpolicella. 

A quick visit to a well-stocked cheese shop led me to the section marked with a hand-drawn Italian flag.  In yet another confession, my cheese knowledge is limited to soft vs. hard, white vs. yellow.  So, I trusted that the cheesemonger-turned-artist with the flag and selected a healthy wedge of "Sottocenere" because it was 1) soft and 2) white.  But, truthfully, I selected it because the ingredient list included truffles! 

The Mazzi "Poiega" (2003) opened up beautifully, yielding an initial but very faint rustic aroma marking it as Old World followed by violet floral notes, anise and then mushroom-y earth tones on both the nose and palate.  If this wine could have tasted better, it did when partnered with a chunk of the truffle-spiked cheese on a slice of simple Italian bread.  The balance was incredible, alternating between the multi-layered flavors of the wine and the rich, melt-on-your-palate cheese.  The experience put my mind somewhere near Verona, sitting at an old and weathered picnic table under an olive tree, listening to the breeze as it moves through the grape leaves. 

Please excuse me while I check airfare to Milan...

Salute!
-Steve

Was it a good year or a bad year?

It's time for a confession.  I caught myself in a mistake recently and am ready for the tongue-lashing to begin.  When asked if wines from France in the 2002 vintage were a good value, I mistakenly replied it was the year of the terrible heat wave that swept Europe where thousands perished.  That year was actually 2003. 

When I had a moment to verify through my notes and vintage charts, I quickly discovered the error and advised the inquisitive friend.  While the 2002 vintage in France was relatively mediocre it was certainly better than 2003 in a very broad assessment.  And, the Cote de Nuits reds and Burgundian whites of 2002 fared better in the ratings against other neighboring regions for that year.

Well, what is the lesson when asked about a good year or a bad year for a vintage? 

First, anyone can and will make a mistake.  The world of wine is expanding, literally and figuratively, at an incredible rate.  Staying current on all the defined regions, all the producers, their varietals, and the year-over-year vintage results is no small feat.  So, check your notes and avoid a hasty oversight. Note to self...

But, there is also another lesson underlying a yea or nay vote for the vintage in question.  That lesson is that reliable producers will deliver their best regardless of the vintage, either as a first label or, in difficult years, as a second or declassified label. 

And, therein lies value.  Because of misperception or misunderstanding, an entire vintage can get an unearned poor evaluation.  Wines of that vintage fall off in demand and so too will the prices as inventories stagnate, either in a warehouse, on the retailer's shelves or in a restaurant cellar.  If you know your region or your producer well, you can find good dollar-for-dollar value in wine selections from a less than perfect vintage.

Salute!

-Steve

"Try it, you'll like it!"

How do I know if I can trust a wine recommendation?  Well, in some ways it might be like taking advice on a used car.  The exterior looks fine, but you’re really paying for what’s inside.  You want to know that it will be reliable; that you will enjoy it and maybe even that your friends will be impressed with it.

First, consider the source.  Whether the recommendation is in a restaurant or a wine shop, you will have to assess the level of experience behind the recommendation.  Is the sommelier or sales clerk spouting something right off the label or just relying on its “points” to promote the wine?  Or, has the recommendation come from a personal tasting experience, possibly even a visit to the winery?  To find the wait staff or sales clerk who is truly passionate about wine, expect them to light up like the Fourth of July when asked for a recommendation.  If their response is only tepid, don’t be afraid to ask for a wine that “knocked their socks off” in the same price range, with the same varietals or from the same region.   

Second, consider the price.  Value-priced wines tend to be mass market products; i.e. they have national distribution and are produced each year with a fairly consistent though often monochromatic flavor profile.  You’ll get reliability with these wines but probably not much else.  But, with that said, don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations for a new “everyday wine”.  When you step away from the wines with multi-million dollar ad campaigns, you might find some incredible and unexpected values.

If you are interested in spending, just for example, $20 or more for a bottle, expect a recommendation that elaborates on the flavor profile, the oak characteristics if any and the producer’s style – new world versus old world, fruity versus earthy, et cetera.  If you plan on spending more than $50 for a bottle, be sure to express what you have enjoyed in other wines or if the wine is a gift.  This will help the sommelier “zero in” on your palate preferences or any special occasion to find the best selection.

Finally, consider the return policy.  If you are in a retail store with good selection and sales volume, expect a generous return policy.  Low-volume retailers may not have the same allowances from their distributors and so their policies may be more stringent, if they are able to accept returns at all.  As a footnote, some states have regulations on the return of alcohol products and these will affect store policy. 

Salute!

-Steve

To decant or not to decant...

To decant or not to decant: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler for the wine to breathe? 

With apologies to William Shakespeare, decanting a wine before serving can definitely affect the wine and your enjoyment of it in three ways. 

First, if it is an older vintage wine or even a somewhat younger but unfiltered wine, there is the possibility of sediment in the bottle.  Master Sommeliers are practiced at the art of decanting a carefully cellared bottle to reserve the smallest portion of the wine and the majority, if not all, sediment in the original bottle.  While you certainly wouldn't enjoy drinking the sediment, remember that it was originally and naturally suspended in the wine much like powdered cocoa in chocolate milk.  Sediment itself doesn't imply the wine has gone bad; it is just no longer "in solution".

A second reason to decant is for presentation.  Whether dining at a formal restaurant or when entertaining guests at home, the process of decanting -- and the elegance of the decanter on the table -- can enrich the ambiance of the evening.  It may also remove the pretense or label snobbery when your oenophile guest is allowed to assume the merlot in the decanter is a Chateau Petrus (approximate retail, $2000) rather than the L'Ecole No. 41 merlot you served (approximate retail, $30).

The final reason is that decanting a very complex, very young or just very tannic wine will soften the blow to your palate.  In the simplest description, decanting allows oxygen to work its magic on the aromatic compounds, or phenols, and the tannins.  The unfolding chemistry in either the decanter or, if you are truly patient, your glass will reveal many more subtle aromas and flavors than quaffing straight from the just-opened bottle.  As an example, a 2001 Mauro Molino Barolo is still very young and will be difficult to fully enjoy before 2009.  But, with an hour or longer to open up in a decanter, you will enjoy floral nuances, a smoother mid-palate and silkier tannins -- all elements which would be overwhelmed by the initial, powerful notes of earth, alcohol and tannin – that would not be evident if consumed straight from the bottle.

Salute!

-Steve