Dave McIntyre's WineLine

Books for Wine Lovers

If wine lovers aren't drinking wine, they're talking about it. And if no one's around to listen, they're quite content to read about it, so they'll have something new to talk about the next time someone is around. This year's holiday crop of wine books includes Been Doon So Long, which bears the subtitle, "A Randall Grahm Vinthology." If you're a fan of Bonny Doon or Grahm's esoteric and esoliterate newsletters, this book is for you.

Check out my mini-reviews of Grahm's book, plus the new Concise World Atlas of WIne by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson and Jonathan Nossiter's Liquid Memory, in today's Washington Post.

And in case you missed it a few months ago, here's my interview with Randall Grahm about his book.

Sales of "Green" Wine are Up, and Monsanto Smiles ...

Sales of so-called “green” wines increased 12.1 percent over the past year, nearly four times the growth rate of wine sales in general, according to a new Nielsen Company report released last week at the “Green Wine Summit” in Santa Rosa, Calif.

 

The survey, reported by WineBusiness.com, also found that consumers are confused about what makes a wine “sustainable,” “organic,” or “biodynamic.” This confusion will only grow as these terms are used indiscriminately as marketing tools without set standards or definitions.

 

The industry has made several praiseworthy efforts to set standards for these terms. The Wine Institute, the California industry association, has published a textbook of sustainability practices to guide its members. Oregon has LIVE – Low Input Viticulture and Enology – which certifies wineries that use sustainable practices. But there is no easy or uniform definition of “sustainable viticulture.” And with Monsanto advertising itself as the epitome of sustainable agriculture, consumers are bound to become leery of winery claims about their own farming practices or reduced carbon-footprint.

 

As for “organic” wines, the U.S. government made that nomenclature impossibly confusing with its organic agriculture regulations a few years ago, and the best the industry can do now is label its product “made with organically grown grapes.” That seems a half-way measure at best, and there is not a single certifying organization to give that claim any stature or authenticity.

 

There is a single organization for certifying biodynamic wines – Demeter USA. Demeter is not a wine industry creation, which gives it an extra measure of credibility. There is still some gray area, though, as wineries can claim to follow biodynamic practices without applying for certification, and there is no third-party verification of those claims.

 

Another survey reported at the summit, from Full Glass Research, found that 59 percent of those who purchased organic or sustainable wines said they did so because the viticultural practices were better for the planet, while 38 percent of those who do not purchase them said they rarely see them on store shelves, and 33 percent of those who did not seek these wines out simply did not care.

 

I like the "green wine" movement, but I worry that it has become a marketing gimmick as much as a form of viticulture. A wine made by practices that respect the Earth SHOULD taste better, but when every wine becomes "green," how will we be able to tell?

Champagne Outside the Envelope

Champagne is too expensive to be an everyday tipple, much as many of us might want to enjoy it on a daily basis. Rather, ít's a special occasion wine, and this often leads us to rely on familiar brand names when we splurge on a bottle of bubbly. While those old favorites - the Veuve Clicquots or Moet & Chandon - are fine and reliable fizz, there is more excitement out there. So this year, I suggest looking either to small grower Champagnes for something distinctive and individual, or to some nice bubbly from other regions. Drink outside the slipper, or the envelope, or whatever cliché you want to recite.

Anway, my recommendations for high quality fizz for those willing to splurge this holiday season are in today's Washington Post. (The online version has more recommendations than the print edition.) I'll have some bargain bubbly recommendations next week.

Cheers!
Dave

Willm Cremant d'Alsace Cuvée Leon IX, $16

What a wonderful value in a sparkling wine! Crémant d'Alsace doesn't give the complexity or richness of Champagne (or the sticker shock, of course), but this example from Willm is top-notch, with great balance and a core of red fruit flavors that yield to a clean, refreshing finish. The package is attractive, too, which means this wine looks and tastes more expensive than it is.

Imported by Monsieur Touton Selection, Ltd., New York, N.Y.

Loredan Gasparini Prosecco, $12

This is the first in a series of posts throughout December on sparkling wines that offer great value for their price.

Loredan Gasparini offers this textbook Prosecco, with delightful apple flavors, surprising depth and refreshing acidity. It picks up an intriguing spice note with Sichuan peppercorns, making me think Prosecco might be a worthwhile partner to Asian cuisines. Chinese restaurants should at least give it a try. Made from organic grapes.

Imported by Dionysus Imports, Lorton, Virginia.

Aerators Get an "Eh" Rating

Aerators are all the rage this year. You've probably seen them in wine stores, winery tasting rooms, or wine gift catalogs. I've certainly found them in my mail and in my e-mail, as producers and publicists have implored me to write about them. Competition among wine aerators is as fierce as the finals for the House Cup at Hogwarts.

So I've obliged with this week's column in The Washington Post, with brief descriptions of the Soirée, Vinturi, Wine Swirl, Ravi Wine Chiller and the Breathable Glass. But I have to admit, I'm decidedly indecisive about these contraptions.

Aerators are substitutes for decanting a young wine an hour or more ahead of drinking it and may even help simulate the effects of a year or two in your cellar. They offer instant gratification and a sense of security that we won't be wasting our money by drinking our wines too soon.

Intellectually, this makes sense. Many wines indisputably taste better after being exposed to air. Depending on the wine, this improvement can occur in as little as 10 minutes or it could take several hours for the vino to strut its stuff. If you've ever fallen in love with a wine on the last sip, you know what I mean – you've been aerating the wine as you repeatedly tipped the bottle to pour. Aerators offer the chance to capture that improvement with the very first sip.

Are these things worth the money? People swear by them. I've tried several, typically comparing a glass of a wine straight from the bottle with one that had been through an aerator. Sometimes I noticed a difference, sometimes I didn't, and I did not always like the wine better after it went through an aerator. But there are other reasons I'd rather spend my money on wine. Wine is not about instant gratification (well, maybe that first sip of Champagne). I enjoy tasting a wine throughout its evolution in the glass; why wish away those pleasant moments by speeding the wine along? Aerating a wine is easy – it only takes a little patience and maybe a decanter. These gadgets prey on our love of toys and our fear of wine.

So, thumbs sideways, and trending down.

Photo: The Vinturi Wine Aerator, from www.vinturi.com.

Two Spotlights on Virginia Wine at the White House

Last week's White House state dinner featured Virginia wine in two ways – one positive, one … well, not so positive. As I blogged last week, the sparkling wine served with dessert and for the exchange of toasts between President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the Thibaut-Janisson Brut de Chardonnay from the Monticello AVA near Charlottesville. But this sweet kudo for Virginia sparkling wine was quickly overshadowed by the sensational story of the White House gate crashers.

Turns out the couple who traipsed uninvited into the White House that night were Tareq and Michaela Salahi, of Oasis Vineyards in Virginia's Fauquier County. Oasis is one of Virginia's oldest wineries and has specialized in sparkling wine, with mixed success. The winery was founded and is owned by Tareq's parents, who have been embroiled in a nasty public dispute with their son over the disposition of the winery – they wanted to sell it when the debts piled too high. (The winery is now shuttered and not open for business.) And Tareq and Michaela, who definitely qualify for the term “socialites,” have been auditioning for Bravo TV's “Real Housewives of Washington.”

That's enough – I won't go into the details because I start laughing too hard. You can read all about it in The Washington Post, The New York Times and probably any other major media outlet. Let's just say the Salahi story casts an unfortunate light, however indirectly, on the Virginia wine industry – showing a vain and shallow side and stealing the limelight from the very worthy wine served at dinner that night.

Of course, there was another “scandal” about the state dinner, also involving wine. More on that later.

Photo: Tareq and Michaela Salahi with Vice President Joe Biden at the Nov. 24 White House state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. From the Salahi’s Facebook page. Joe, dear, watch your hands!

Local Wine Bandwagon Gains Steam With Obama's Help

Virginia wine was featured last night at President Obama's first State Dinner. The president, his guest of honor, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and invited members of D.C.'s elite washed down pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin with Thibaut-Janisson blanc de chardonnay, from the Monticello district near Charlottesville.

Thibaut-Janisson is an up-and-coming specialist in fine sparkling wine. Winemaker Claude Thibaut is convinced that Virginia has the climate and terroir to produce excellent bubbly – and evidently the president agrees.

“Here's more evidence Virginia can produce top-notch fizz,” I wrote about this wine last year in my Thanksgiving recommendations in the Post. “Elegant and stylish, with palate-refreshing acidity and subtle fruit that emerges about an hour after opening.”

Other wines served at the dinner included the 2008 Modus Operandi Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley; the 2006 Brooks Winery Riesling “Ara” Vineyard from Oregon's Willamette Valley; and the 2007 Beckman Vineyards Grenache from California's Santa Ynez Valley. The dinner's menu is available on the White House Web site here.

I've always been a big fan of Brooks. The winery farms biodynamically and produces excellent Riesling - the Ara is its best - and Pinot Noir. I had the opportunity to visit the winery last summer during the International Pinot Noir Celebration, and enjoyed the 2006 Ara then. But if you want to taste what the White House guests enjoyed tonight, you'd better hurry - the winery has only a few cases left.

This caps a banner week for Regional Wine. Last week, I wrote in the Post that “the growth of local wineries throughout the country is transforming the American wine industry.” Yesterday, my buddy Jeff Siegel, aka “The Wine Curmudgeon,” offered more proof of the changing face of American wine. Jeff noted that Eric Asimov in The New York Times included a New York wine – Shinn Estate Merlot – in his Thanksgiving recommendations, while Boston Globe wine columnist Stephen Meuse praised Massachusetts Cabernet Franc, even if he didn’t include a specific recommendation for one.

“What's with these big deal wine writers suddenly hopping on the DrinkLocalWine.com bandwagon?” Jeff asked. Not that we're complaining!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Please comment here on what wines you'll be enjoying for the feast.

Weygandt's Beaujolais "Primeur" 2009

Wine lovers tend to frown upon Beaujolais Nouveau as a cynical marketing gimmick, but we really should think of it as a fun celebration of the recent harvest. It’s Thanksgiving time, after all, and what is the National Day of Gluttony if it isn’t a celebration of food and the recent harvest? That Nouveau comes on the market exactly one week before Turkey Day is all the more fitting. Think of it as Hands Across the Sea, Franco-American friendship at its best.

If you’d like to experience a Beaujolais Nouveau with some heft, the 2009 vintage is ideal. This was a terrific year in Burgundy and Beaujolais by all accounts, and even the simple, early drinking young Nouveaux will reflect the quality of the vintage.

My call this year is the Domaine de Vissoux Beaujolais Primeur 2009 from winemaker Pierre Chermette and importer Peter Weygandt. At $13, it’s an effusive, fruity wine that shouts fun and hints of great things to come from this vintage.

The wine is available in DC at the new Weygandt Wines store in Cleveland Park. The store opened just last month, and features about 450 selections that are imported by Weygandt under his Peter Weygandt Selections label. Wine lovers will recognize that Weygandt is following a rare example – famed importer Kermit Lynch has a store in Berkeley, California, featuring his imports, and Neal Rosenthal transformed his retail operation into an importing business. But importer as retailer is still rare, and it’s exciting that Weygandt, who is based near Philadelphia, has decided to open a retail store in Washington.

More to come on this new entrant to the DC wine retail scene. For now, enjoy this delightful Beaujolais Nouveau – er, “primeur” – and celebrate the new harvest and the new entry into the local wine retail scene.

Postscript: After this item was posted yesterday on "All You Can Eat," the food blog of The Washington Post, someone calling himself Gary4Books posted this comment:

I am so impressed. Sophisticated wine drinking seems to go perfectly with gluttony.

Enjoy!

But do not expect me to join in.

Aside from the fact that Beaujolais Nouveau hardly counts as "sophisticated wine drinking," why is someone with that attitude even reading a food blog to begin with?

Red or White for Thanksgiving? BOTH!

Or as I always say, "Open one of everything!"

But here's my take on the food/wine pairing conundrum for this Thanksgiving, in Sunday's Washington Post special Food section, with wine recommendations paired to featured recipes. Note the commenter who didn't pay attention to what I was writing, and please enter comments of your own on what you like to drink for Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the tryptophan, everyone!

Cheers,

Dave