Recently there has been a lot of light shed on the rising level of alcohol in wines and as with anything "out of the norm" much controversy has followed. Some critics are for this increase and others appalled, but what does it really come down to? I figure there are two ways to look at it. If you are from the "younger", I just turned of age category, then you probably didn't even notice the increase in alcohol levels and if you did, you would probably be more inclined to buy the wine with the higher level as this would provide you with more bang for your buck. The cheaper the wine and the higher the alcohol level, the better. Enough said. On the other hand if you are a self labelled connoisseur, you probably have your own very opinionated thoughts on these rising levels and you can read all about other critics thoughts in the article below.
http://www.slate.com/id/2293895/
My opinion..... As long as the wines continue to be complex and balanced, then I will continue to buy without reading the alcohol level on the label. If I get too much heat from a particular bottle, then I will probably be tempted to glance at the alcohol level and make a mental note for next time. I thinks it's important to taste test for yourself and I imagine you will find that a well made bottle of wine will not show its level on the palate, while a wine of less quality may. Wine is like anything though, you generally get what you pay for! So, when it comes to a question of how much is too much or how much is enough, I think not in terms of the alcohol level in the wine, but rather the number of bottles needed on hand for the company I will have!
Friday, 22 July 2011
Friday, 15 July 2011
Soggy Cereal Bringing The Thunder
Hello fine fair readers of the Discovery Wines Blog – it’s Karen Wendy back at the helm again this week with my oh so humble thoughts about this week’s theme Food & Wine Pairings. Now there couldn’t have been a better topic for me to discuss as I absolutely, positively love, love, love and practically live for those 8 course tasting menus whenever and wherever I go. But cereal? Really that’s what you want us to try with wine Gary? Ah man you might be pushing my limits. If you haven’t already seen the video on Facebook then check it out – c’mon read the card before you open the present people:
So what’s my very first reaction to this – no it’s not the fact that I’m turned off from pairing wine with cereal – I can see the logic behind it all. Nor is it that Gary blindly selects wines that he hasn’t tried before to pair with the cereals – yup he’s a bold guy. Nope, it’s the fact that he eats
SOGGY CEREAL!
I will admit that I’m not a cereal person, but if there’s nothing else for breaky and cereal's my only choice you can be guaranteed that I will be eating it milliseconds after the milk has been added. I mean if that’s the way he eats his Cap n Crunch wouldn’t it better for him to call it Sargeant Soggy or Major Mush?
Okay cereal eating preferences aside, I was far too curious to see who the developer of Cap n Crunch was that also made wine – you too? Here’s the link to Chaim Gur-Arieh of C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery – you’ll even find a follow up interview with Gary Vaynerchuck and his idol too on the homepage.
As for the wines that are featured I personally can’t say much on the 2007 Von Kesselstatt Spatlese Scharzhofberger Riesling or Clicquot Demi Sec as I have yet to try them. However, the 2008 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay (newer vintage than the one Gary tried) has definitely crossed my palate as well as its sibling wine Chardonnay Damaris 2007 which is slightly more expensive but oh so worth the buy. Both wines are great buys and come recommended personally from me for you.
As my mom is a Chardonnay lover, I enjoy getting her to test-taste ones on the Discovery Wines' list and Landmark Overlook Chardonnay is the one that she orders time and time again. So if you can’t trust soggy cereal pairings you can definitely trust my mom!
As my mom is a Chardonnay lover, I enjoy getting her to test-taste ones on the Discovery Wines' list and Landmark Overlook Chardonnay is the one that she orders time and time again. So if you can’t trust soggy cereal pairings you can definitely trust my mom!
Friday, 8 July 2011
Patrick's Prose
Ever since I started working at Discovery Wines, taking over the organization of the warehouse, filling orders and organizing our stock, there have been some wines back in the cold dark depths of our warehouse that are just kind of lurking, just sitting there that never seem to get ordered. Two of them in particular were the exact wines that Gary V. was talking about in a recent segment of the Daily Grape. Christian did a tasting for us at DW recently on the Saint Joseph (2004 and 2006 vintage) and I asked his opinion on why they do not sell. Basically he thinks Syrah doesn't get enough attention in the Bermuda market, for some reason it is not sexy here. Too bad, I really liked it. Maybe its time to bring a little sexy back to Syrah here in Bermuda. Take a look at Gary V.'s video blog and let me know what you think.
http://dailygrape.com/videos/45-northern-rhone-reds-from-crozes-hermitage-and-st-joseph
Remember for anyone who has the right answers to the questions about the video blog, Discovery Wines is handing out free schwag!
Take a look at the link and I've got a few questions at the bottom.
1. The J.L.Chave is 100% what grape?
2. What are the two white grapes producers can use in Saint Joseph?
3. The Alain Graillot smelled like what piece of meat you would find at a BBQ?
4. The Crozes Hermitage reminded Gary of what dish that his Grandma makes?
5. True or false: Gary thinks the Northern Rhône needs more attention?
http://dailygrape.com/videos/45-northern-rhone-reds-from-crozes-hermitage-and-st-joseph
Remember for anyone who has the right answers to the questions about the video blog, Discovery Wines is handing out free schwag!
Take a look at the link and I've got a few questions at the bottom.
1. The J.L.Chave is 100% what grape?
2. What are the two white grapes producers can use in Saint Joseph?
3. The Alain Graillot smelled like what piece of meat you would find at a BBQ?
4. The Crozes Hermitage reminded Gary of what dish that his Grandma makes?
5. True or false: Gary thinks the Northern Rhône needs more attention?
Christian has an opinion on Champagne...shocker!
So there was a bit of a promotion at Beau Rivage the other day for a certain Champagne that has been in the news lately (check the links at the end of this rant). Armand de Brignac made its debut with it's new distributor on the island and sadly yours truly did not receive an invitation. I have always wanted to try this particular wine simply because it is the most expensive bottle of Champagne money can buy ($400 for NV Brut, $500 for Rosé). Relatively new to the Champagne world the fine folks at Armand de Brignac (or Ace of Spades as it is otherwise known) have created what they claim is the finest Champagne in all the land and they held a blind tasting to prove it. Whatever.
So, yeah, I didn't get an invitation. No big deal. I've got friends in the wine industry here in Bermuda and I was able to get my hands on a bottle. So I had to compare it to what I have always considered to be the finest Champagne on the planet, along with a few friends in the industry and my homemade pizza, because nothing goes better with Champagne than pizza.
Before I get to that however, let me just digress about my feelings regarding Champagne a little.
The world of Champagne is one of the most trumped up, image based industries out there. Few people rarely taste and compare champagnes to the point of determining a favorite based on anything more than the price tag associated with it. Yellow Label (it's friggin' orange!) from Clicquot is brilliant. The loudest most visible label in the room, so everyone knows what you're drinking and how much it cost. The folks that own Clicquot (LVMH) also own Moët Chandon (Dom Pérignon), Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Givenchi, Dior, TagHeur, De Beers diamonds...the list goes on. All the luxury brands under one roof. That is all fine and good, however speaking as someone who knows nothing about watches or hand bags, but a lot about wine, I'm a little annoyed.
I'm annoyed because I don't want to have to spend more money on a product than what it's worth. Especially something I consume. A diamond may last forever, but a bottle of Champagne is gone as soon as I swallow. After visiting Champagne and being wined and dined by the Champagne houses, it was very disappointing to realize just where all the money they are making of those overpriced bottles is going. Don't get me wrong, I love the history of these places and think that the novelty back in the 1700's and 1800's of secondary fermentation, must have been all the rage. But now it's just a rip-off. Bottom line is qualitatively speaking, there are not enough "Grand Cru" vineyards in all of Champagne to come anywhere close to providing enough grapes for how much Dom Perignon is produced.
So, okay, you get my point on Champagne. The irony of all this is the world's best Champagne is produced by LVMH, that same luxury goods company I am demonizing, but it is a Champagne house you probably have not heard of. My favorite Champagne in the world (and most Champagne snobs favorite for that matter) is Krug ($200). Ask anyone out there who really pays attention to the world of Champagne, what the best Champagne is (qualitatively speaking) and they will no doubt answer Krug. And it is because they produce Champagne like no other producer.
Non Vintage Champagne is labeled non-vintage because it is a blend of multiple vintages of wine that is turned into a base wine for blending. Each new lot of non-vintage Champagne is blended with different ratios of other years' wine to create a consistent style. Krug's Non-Vintage can have upwards of 10-15 different vintages blended into the final lot. No other producer comes close. The wine itself then spends upwards of 18 months in a barrel and is in constant contact with the lees (the solid bits that fall out of the wine and add complexity) again other producers, if you are lucky, may do 10 months. These are expensive processes that drive up the cost of the wine and ultimately deem its quality and justify the price tag. Finally, and most importantly to me when talking about the justification of luxury costs, is the fact that Krug sources from the highest percentage of Grand Cru vineyards in Champagne and its production is relatively small, making it rare and in my definition of a luxury item, just about spot on.
So, back to the pizza and Champagne tasting. Armand de Brignac was incredibly light bodied with super fine beads of bubbles ever so delicately making their way from the bottom of my glass to a little baby explosion at the top. I detected a slight sweetness to it, almost as if the dosage (sweet liquer they add to induce secondary fermentation, or, the stuff that makes the bubbles) was not completely fermented and residual sugar was present. Krug was rich, complex, delicate without being light bodied, changed and evolved as it warmed in the glass and breathed a little, it was simply magnificent. As always, it seemed amongst all of us, that the two wines were almost incomparable. Armand de Brignac is great, but in my opinion does not justify its price tag and is headed down the image road that all the other producers of luxury goods have created. Just its pewter label (that is allegedly affixed by hand) and the gold bottle, reek of image and are screaming to be noticed. Well, I noticed it. I drank it, I will let someone else buy it the next time I drink it.
http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/163585/20110615/mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-buys-90-000-90k-champagne-bottle-for-players-tip.htm
http://www.namedevelopment.com/blog/archives/2006/10/jayz_draws_an_ace_of_spades_brand_cristal_pulls_a.html
So, yeah, I didn't get an invitation. No big deal. I've got friends in the wine industry here in Bermuda and I was able to get my hands on a bottle. So I had to compare it to what I have always considered to be the finest Champagne on the planet, along with a few friends in the industry and my homemade pizza, because nothing goes better with Champagne than pizza.
Before I get to that however, let me just digress about my feelings regarding Champagne a little.
The world of Champagne is one of the most trumped up, image based industries out there. Few people rarely taste and compare champagnes to the point of determining a favorite based on anything more than the price tag associated with it. Yellow Label (it's friggin' orange!) from Clicquot is brilliant. The loudest most visible label in the room, so everyone knows what you're drinking and how much it cost. The folks that own Clicquot (LVMH) also own Moët Chandon (Dom Pérignon), Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Givenchi, Dior, TagHeur, De Beers diamonds...the list goes on. All the luxury brands under one roof. That is all fine and good, however speaking as someone who knows nothing about watches or hand bags, but a lot about wine, I'm a little annoyed.
I'm annoyed because I don't want to have to spend more money on a product than what it's worth. Especially something I consume. A diamond may last forever, but a bottle of Champagne is gone as soon as I swallow. After visiting Champagne and being wined and dined by the Champagne houses, it was very disappointing to realize just where all the money they are making of those overpriced bottles is going. Don't get me wrong, I love the history of these places and think that the novelty back in the 1700's and 1800's of secondary fermentation, must have been all the rage. But now it's just a rip-off. Bottom line is qualitatively speaking, there are not enough "Grand Cru" vineyards in all of Champagne to come anywhere close to providing enough grapes for how much Dom Perignon is produced.
So, okay, you get my point on Champagne. The irony of all this is the world's best Champagne is produced by LVMH, that same luxury goods company I am demonizing, but it is a Champagne house you probably have not heard of. My favorite Champagne in the world (and most Champagne snobs favorite for that matter) is Krug ($200). Ask anyone out there who really pays attention to the world of Champagne, what the best Champagne is (qualitatively speaking) and they will no doubt answer Krug. And it is because they produce Champagne like no other producer.
Non Vintage Champagne is labeled non-vintage because it is a blend of multiple vintages of wine that is turned into a base wine for blending. Each new lot of non-vintage Champagne is blended with different ratios of other years' wine to create a consistent style. Krug's Non-Vintage can have upwards of 10-15 different vintages blended into the final lot. No other producer comes close. The wine itself then spends upwards of 18 months in a barrel and is in constant contact with the lees (the solid bits that fall out of the wine and add complexity) again other producers, if you are lucky, may do 10 months. These are expensive processes that drive up the cost of the wine and ultimately deem its quality and justify the price tag. Finally, and most importantly to me when talking about the justification of luxury costs, is the fact that Krug sources from the highest percentage of Grand Cru vineyards in Champagne and its production is relatively small, making it rare and in my definition of a luxury item, just about spot on.
So, back to the pizza and Champagne tasting. Armand de Brignac was incredibly light bodied with super fine beads of bubbles ever so delicately making their way from the bottom of my glass to a little baby explosion at the top. I detected a slight sweetness to it, almost as if the dosage (sweet liquer they add to induce secondary fermentation, or, the stuff that makes the bubbles) was not completely fermented and residual sugar was present. Krug was rich, complex, delicate without being light bodied, changed and evolved as it warmed in the glass and breathed a little, it was simply magnificent. As always, it seemed amongst all of us, that the two wines were almost incomparable. Armand de Brignac is great, but in my opinion does not justify its price tag and is headed down the image road that all the other producers of luxury goods have created. Just its pewter label (that is allegedly affixed by hand) and the gold bottle, reek of image and are screaming to be noticed. Well, I noticed it. I drank it, I will let someone else buy it the next time I drink it.
http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/163585/20110615/mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-buys-90-000-90k-champagne-bottle-for-players-tip.htm
http://www.namedevelopment.com/blog/archives/2006/10/jayz_draws_an_ace_of_spades_brand_cristal_pulls_a.html
Friday, 1 July 2011
A Girl's Guide To Becoming A Wine Expert
As I started my own journey in the wine industry, I soon realized there was so much more to learn than I would have ever imagined. It's really a science in it's own sorta way, the ability one must have to distinguish the various flavours in your mouth (palate) (providing it's a good wine, that is!), the way many can distinguish with easy the different smells (nose) in each glass and true expert can also tell you wether a wine is young or has been aged based on it's appearance. While I have spent the last few months training my palate to pick up on the different notes in each wine (and am getting surprisingly good at it), I have also developed my own training program based on the three most important principles when tasting and evaluating wine. Let's take a look at these:
Appearance- What's most important to consider here is the impact that your wine may have on the appearance of your outfit should someone bump into you throughout the evening and you should spill some on yourself (of course there is no way that would happen through any fault of your own!) Will the colours of your wine blend nicely with the colours in your outfit? Other points to consider- will I end up with a wine mustache or will this wine stain my teeth and/or tongue?
Nose- You need to consider the way your wine will smell when it combines with the food in your stomach and you start breathing it on people. This is especially important to keep in mind as the party gets louder and you start talking closer!
Palate- Of course it's important to like the wine you will be drinking, at least at the beginning of the evening, by the end you won't much notice or care! Something else to keep in mind? How will your mouth taste in the morning if your lids happen to get too heavy before you manage to make it to the bathroom to brush your teeth before heading to bed?
While these were just some thoughts to consider and not meant to scare you into staying in your pj's on the couch for the evening, the last and perhaps most important thing to consider on your quest to becoming your own wine expert, is to always stay at least one to two glasses on wine behind all the other girl's as they will be your best preview of what lays ahead for you if you keep up at their pace!
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