Wine Authorities - Estate Grown Blog

Austria 2010, Second Stop: Michlits

2010-01-17T12:09:00.006-05:00

One of the visitors asks Werner how many head of cattle he has. Werner says “350”. The visitor asks “Are they for beef or dairy?” Werner says “I use them for the manure.” He’s not joking.

An important part of the biodynamic philosophy is the “extreme” composting of manure, and keeping his entire farm biodynamic means he needs a lot of fertilizer. The farm is to be entirely self sustaining in this philosophy. It is a holistic farm with one crop helping the other to flourish without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. Fully biodynamic, with no additives in his wine which are spontaneously fermented, Werner Michlits has dozens of large agricultural hoop houses specifically for propagating predatory insects to use throughout his farm. He calls them “insect hotels”. Seeing them next to his

vineyard, you realize his commitment to leading the biodynamic movement here. His resources committed to just these insects rivals most small farms and it's only a small piece of this farm. Young and passionate, with seemingly endless energy, excitement and curiosity, he pushes the limits of what can be produced naturally from his farm.

Many of the biodynamic producers I’ve visited do it strictly for the quality results they get in the end product. Studies have shown the soil on biodynamic farms has exponentially more microbic organisms, and its propon

ents show this as evidence that the process is less harmful for the environment, and therefore better for their crops. Werner is a complete believer in the entire philosophy and lives it with every once of his being. As he explained just the basics of the aging of manure in cow horns, creating a “tea” from it and very, very lightly spraying it in the vineyard (about a drop for every 30 square feet!) you could see a few of the visitors eyes rolling. But Werner could read his audience and knew when to cut it short before he got too in depth (plus our visit could not hold up the bus to our next producer). It didn’t prevent him from dropping tidbits of this information as we tasted the wines in his “egg room”.

His wines are lovely, full of fruit purity, elegant and balanced. Many of you already love his Pinot Noir Rosé Frizzante (one of our most popular wines in the store), his Zin-like Zweigelt, his lush Pinot Gris "Graupert" named after his unpruned vineyard, and his lovely Grüner Veltliner. He uses little to no oak, and has actually moved on to using “eggs”. These egg shaped vats are made of natural concrete with no reinforcem

ent from steel. “Steel is a cage” he says, and having these custom vats made very carefully without steel (if made improperly they will crack open!) shows how far he’s willing to push the envelope. The shape of the egg tank was adopted and updated by Werner for many of the same reasons that he follows biodynamics. Ask me in the store and I’ll give you a more in-depth version. It may sound like hocus-pocus, but the results are real... and the wines are fantastic. This year we’re going to offer 10 customers (plus Salamanzar & myself) the opportunity to “godfather” one of these egg shaped tanks. Each person will receive one magnum of the wine made in it for the next ten years for $300 and help this winery continue to progress. That ends up averaging $15 per 750ml for 10 magnums (1.5L). Interested? Ask us about it.

Coming soon: Juhfark, a Hungarian grape that Werner has planted in his vineyard just across the border in the Somlo region of Hungary (you reading this Century Club?). Tasty, and you'll love the pronunciation. Do I see another video coming?

I have to concur with Salamanzar's post from 2009 here, visiting this winery is inspirational enough to change your life.

- Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Austria 2010, First stop: Netzl

2010-01-17T11:45:00.008-05:00

One thing I love about visiting small wineries is the fantastic hospitality.

A great example is Christine Netzl making a batch of her family recipe Hungarian

Goulash for us and a delicious mushroom soup for some of the vegetarians. Franz Netzl’s vineyards are between the Neusiedlersee Lake and Danube River, and these two nearby bodies of water influence the climate of his vineyards. This is red wine country in the Carnuntum region of Austria, and his vineyards are planted with Zweigelt, in the flat lands of his property, while on the hillsides are planted his Syrah (the most acclaimed Syrah of Austria), Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. The family has farmed and lived on this property for 200 years. Franz changed direction of the family farm 25 years ago to focus on winemaking. They sold off much of their land devoted to crops and animals and used those proceeds to buy supplemental pristine vineyards and build a modern winery on the estate connected to their home.

Christina, his eldest daughter is now making the wine and she is clearly talented. She crafts the wines very professionally and is confident when she discusses what their different vineyards bring to the wines.

The whole family lives on the estate, Franz & Christine the parents in one part, young newlyweds Christina and her husband in another, and Christina’s younger sister Annemarie in another part. All are connected but have separate entrances. The wines here are well-made and modern (especially the reds), leaning more towards Californian in style. Their less expensive Carnuntina line is unoaked, friendly, accessible and great value (we’ve been selling their “Roseanna” Zweigelt Rosé whch is part of the Carnuntina line), while the upper level wines are rich, noticeably oaked and showy with intense flavor and little semblance to our image of classic, typical European wines. For more about this estate, visit Salamanzar's great post from 2009 here.

- Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Austria & Germany: My Goals

2010-01-14T07:07:00.005-05:00

Leaving for Austria and Germany today, I've been considering my goals for this trip. Certainly I'm looking forward to visiting the vineyards, wineries and homes of some winegrower friends who I've known for years but never had the chance to spend time with on their home turf. That will be great! But, I'm also an avid sponge of world cultures and hope to gain a strong appreciation of regional distinctions and quirks. I'm sure I'll eat too much!

The wine will be abundant, that's for sure. Traveling with friends will be neat. Charlie Deal (chef/owner of Jujube, Dos Perros), Bill Bowman (former co-worker from my Fowler's days and now an importer/distributor) and Ryan Fulkerson (a friendly sales rep and overall good guy) will make this a fun and dynamic trip. These guys are pros, but they also know how to cut loose and have a good time. Plus they're all fun & funny. I'm looking forward to the laughs.

It's also a great opportunity to document a little slice of my life that I can share with family, friends and the community that has developed in and around our store. Looking past this trip, it will be neat to look back and laugh and remember.

Yum! Shellfish display from a previous trip to Barcelona.

Of course the primary goal is to find new wines and taste new vintages of wines I already know. Wine education is an important part of my life, so getting my fingers in the dirt and being exposed to the "terroir" will greatly help my understanding of why these wines are what they are.

I also want to give our customers following this trip online a taste of the adventure. One of Wine Authorities objectives for 2010 is to expose our customers to the potential adventure that can be found in the world of wine on the shelf just down the street from their house. Much goes into that tasty liquid living in a bottle that you bring home tonight. What you uncork and pour into your glass can either be a beverage that packs a little buzz, or it can be the latest chapter in a family's long history that speaks of their deep cultural roots and tells tales of that year's weather and the craft of the artisan who made it. Is it something you drink for comfort, or something you've never had before that opens a door to the unknown when you pull the cork? The Century Club has several of our customers considering that adventure, and I'll surely let you know the many obscure grapes that I hope to check off of my list.

Check back, I'll do my best to keep this interesting and entertaining!

-Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Tasting Notes

2009-09-05T12:18:00.016-04:00

Customer Paul has asked about our note taking and how one might fashion notes of their own when tasting wine. Paul said, this would make an excellent blog entry. Well, here are our notebooks we use everyday and a few ideas on how to take notes of your own. Remember your notes are personal just like tasting wine.

In formal wine tasting training the CAT system is used. But as they say, there are many ways to skin a cat. CAT stands for Color - Aroma - Taste (& Finish.) The Color of a wine reveals much about its age, how the wine was aged as in tank vs. barrel, filtration, and possible clues as to the grape type. All wines brown as they age and oak can also add an amber quality at times. At the very least we know if were drinking a white (actually yellow), rosé, or red wine. By the way, most tasters cannot blindly taste red and white wine, served in a dark glass, at the same temperature, and accurately tell what color it is. Your notes need to be in your own voice so they are a useful reference. If brassy yellow brings a color to mind, use that. If brick red is familiar use it when you see this color. If Linda Blair pea soup green is appropriate, well don't drink that wine.

The Aroma is what you smell in a wine. The best way to get the aroma is to swirl a glass with an ounce or two of wine. This will release the aroma and by raising the glass to your nose, you can smell the subtleties of the wine. This can be as technical or simple as you desire. We try to be specific with aromas. Citrus is good, but lemon and lime is better. Herbal is good, but rosemary and lavender is better. We also encourage people in our classes to use familiar smells. If a wine reminds you of spending your summers with grandma and the smell of laundry drying on the clothesline in the summer sun, use that. If it smells like plastic Tupperware just out of the dishwasher, use it.

Finally, there is the Taste and finish. The taste is actually three parts. First, the tongue senses sweetness (sugar) or dryness (no sugar) or somewhere in between. This perception is relative to the taster. Let's just say that most American diets are filled with foods that have some sweetness so we tend to think wines with a bit of residual sugar are still "dry" vs. many European palates. The tongue (and cheeks) also sense acidity. This is what makes your cheeks salivate. We love acid! Acid in wine is like salt in food. It can bring out flavors and make the wine come alive. Tannin is a type of acid usually only found in a red wine and this can be felt on the roof of our mouth. It's furry and rough like a cat's tongue. You also recognize tannin from making tea. If you steep your tea bag too long, you can extract those furry tannins. That's about all that the tongue actually tastes when it comes to wine. The second part of tasting comes from swirling the wine in your mouth. While you swish it around, like mouthwash, you release aroma just like in the glass. These aromatics rise into your olfactory senses and that's when you "taste" the fruit, the earth, the herbs, the citrus, the licorice, the oak, etc. You don't actually taste these things, but you do smell them when the wine is in your mouth. The final part of tasting is after you swallow the wine (we spit our wines so that we are able to keep from getting too happy at work). The finish is a measure of how long you still perceive the flavor of the wine post sip. The finish is the #1 indicator of a wine's quality. The finish should be appropriate to the grape or type of wine, but if it is short or harsh you may be onto something less than appropriate for that type of wine.

One last tip is to taste wines at the same time of day if you can. Most professionals try to taste in the morning after breakfast when you senses are awake and you are not tired, nor full of food from the day. This will keep your notes more consistent.

And the best way to get good at tasting wine is to practice, practice, practice.

In the photos you see Craig's style of note keeping at the top. His notes are condensed, tight and uses his own abbreviation system. This is an evolution of tasting wines over many years and thousands of bottles. My style is in the second picture. I have a big ol' fat notebook with spread out notes. Since we also need some information for the point of sale system at the store, I keep track of things like alcohol percentages, UPC codes, importers, etc. At home, I wouldn't normally take down all these things, but it's appropriate for our current needs. - Salamanzar

Wine Hero

2009-08-23T14:25:00.011-04:00

It's not everyday you get to say you met one of your heros, but I did last week at the store.

I have spoken with Mr. Patrick Campbell on the phone. I have spent a day selling his wines with his daughter, Arya, in the Triangle. I have tasted his wines many times and felt like I really knew him, but I never actually shook his hand until last Tuesday.

Patrick Campbell is the owner and founder of Laurel Glen winery on Sonoma Mountain. Sure the wines are excellent. I won't even get into that part. Let's just say the wine part is a given. Patrick has played a major role in our wine culture today and most people don't even know his name. Ever so humble and kind, Patrick comes across as quiet and mild mannered. He established the Sonoma Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area, the US wine appellation system); he fought the government when they proposed a more lengthy and perhaps even more unreasonable sounding alcohol warning on wine bottles. He is greatly responsible for getting it whittled down to the current warning you see today. In fact on his Counterpoint Cabernet bottling he has a statement regarding sulfites being naturally occurring in wine and a part of food for millennia. He is the only person with this statement on a wine bottle and the ATF is just itching to make him take it off. Patrick explained that he has never updated the Counterpoint label because if he makes the slightest change, it will have to go through re-approval and "they" will ban his sulfite statement. Way to give 'em hell Patrick.

Patrick describes his winemaking start this way, "I was born in Baltimore in 1947, grew up on the fringes of the southern California wine industry, and studied English Literature at Pomona College and Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University. I have a degree in neither viticulture nor enology. In short, I have the proper credentials for winemaking." Patrick farms his estate organically and started on top of Sonoma Mountain in 1977. He told me the grapes planted there were so incredibly inappropriate, Palomino in fact, but at that time matching vineyards and climate to the proper grape vine wasn't really discussed. He was the first American winemaker to go to Argentina to work with farmers and to bring the wine back home to the US for bottling. Bringing the wine back in bulk tanks as ballast for the ship below the water line ensures a proper temperature half way around the world and makes environmental sense due to the lack of shipping glass and boxes. To this day, he still stands for reasonably priced wine and thinks everyone should be able to drink well in the $10 range.

Patrick was also stricken by Polio as a child and walks with assistance. About three minutes after meeting him, you quickly forget, as he can be so engaging and his list of accomplishments include professional ocean kayak racing, concert Violist with several San Francisco Bay area symphonies, and winemaker making it seem like he has done much more than most people without the crutches. He has been a leader in the world of wine on so many issues that he received the first ever, Wine Industry Integrity Award. Today he is wrestling the legal system as an advocate for making wine shipping legal to all states.

I just love his wines and I'm never going to wash my hand again. - Salamanzar

For further reading check out the Press Democrat Article, and his website Laurel Glen Winery.

BLT Awesomeness

2009-08-02T20:29:00.017-04:00

Wine Authorities sells a selection of artisanal bacons, which we store in a chest freezer called "Pork Knox" (thanks to Randy for the name). One such bacon is the North Country Smokehouse's Peppered Bacon. Hmm, such a bacon must be an ideal B.L.T. candidate, no?

We had all the makings this weekend at home - fresh tomatoes from the garden, fresh arugula from the garden (a twist on the lettuce), sourdough whole wheat bread and the bacon was thawed.

One culinary tip to share. If you want nice flat strips of bacon, bake it in the oven between two sheet pans to keep the bacon flat and even. I baked this batch at 375º F for 17 minutes. I like it a little meatier, so go a full 20 minutes if you like it crisp. A picture is worth at least 1,000 BLT dreams.

Salamanzar Guest Chili Judge

2009-07-26T16:50:00.003-04:00

I was asked to guest judge the May 30th 2009 Bull City Chili Challenge at the Durham Farmer's Market this year. It was a great time and the chilies were excellent. Here's a video telling a little bit of the story. - Salamanzar

Salamanzar Guest Judges @ Bull City Chili Challenge from Wine Authorities on Vimeo.

3 minutes & 52 seconds that will change your life

2009-07-07T12:30:00.009-04:00

Here is what we do in our free time to promote our love for Dry Rosé wine and the practice of Roséism.

Can you guess what this is?

2009-06-22T16:47:00.004-04:00

photo: Justin Mott, NY Times
Is this picture,

A. An Exxon Oil Refinery?

B. A Dow Chemical Plant?

C. The Yellow Tail wine facility in Yenda, New South Wales?

Fired up About Fred

2009-06-21T07:35:00.003-04:00

I recently finished the May 18, 2009 issue of the The New Yorker Magazine which features an article titled "Drink Up" by Dana Goodyear on Fred Franzia, the man behind Bronco Wines (Two Buck Chuck, Crane Lake, etc. [see below]) Wow am I fired up. You need to read this article if you are interested in the business of wine. The article abstract is here. If you register with New Yorker, you can read it all. I don't know Fred personally, but Dana certainly paints a less than flattering image of the man. Fred is a business man and makes no apology for taking advantage of others' difficult times. His coarse language and approach to the business of wine is a reality. If you drink his wines you may be shocked at who you are supporting. In June Wine News, Fred just announced he is releasing a new wine, "Down Under by Crane Lake" starting in July. The wine will retail in the $3 range per bottle and he is bringing this Australian wine to the US to show that Americans have overpaid for Aussie wines for too long. That article can be found here.

Bronco Wine Company Brands
Albertoni Vineyards
Alexander and Fitch
Almond Creek
Bad Dog Ranch
Bears' Lair
Black Mountain
CC Vineyards
Cedar Brook
Charles Shaw, AKA Two Buck Chuck
Chateau California
Coastal Ridge
Coastal Vines
Congress Springs
Crane Lake
Down Under by Crane Lake
Domaine Laurier
Domaine Napa
Dona Sol
Douglass Hill
Down Under
Estrella
Fat Cat
Forest Glen
Forest Hill
ForestVille
Foxbrook
FoxHollow
Grand Cru
Grove Ridge
Hacienda
Harlow Ridge
JW Morris
JFJ Winery
Laurier
Montpellier
Napa Creek
Napa Crossing
Napa Landing
Napa Ridge
Napa River
Oak Vineyards
Pacific Oasis
Quail Creek
Quail Ridge
Raymond Hill
Redwood
Rock Brook
Rutherford Vintners
Salmon Creek
Santa Barbara Crossing
Santa Barbara Landing
Sea Ridge
Silver Ridge
The California Winery
Thousand Oaks
Three Knights Vineyards
Trellis

-Salamanzar

Rosé Garden Erection Video

2009-05-28T12:21:00.005-04:00

Each year we show our allegiance and love of dry rosé wine by building a rosé garden. The garden usually blooms just before Memorial Day and comes down around Labor Day. Our garden features pink wines from around the world coming and going all summer long. Unfortunately, in the US many people still associate pink wines with sugary sweet flavors. We are passionate for the drier versions - the best of a white wine with some of the qualities of a red wine. Pink wines are food friendly, easy to drink in social situations, they don't weigh you down, and offer lots of bright acidity so you taste every sip. Chill them like a white wine, but not quite as cold for serving. A little warmer than fridge temperature lets all the grape's goodness come forth. We like to think of ourselves as ordained clergymen in the church of rosé and preachers of "roséism," the practice of drinking dry pink wine. More on our religious teachings to come. (Wink, wink foreshadowing) Without further ado, here is our video showing this year's Rosé Garden erection, err, construction! - Salamanzar

Wine Authorities Dry Rosé Wine Garden from Wine Authorities on Vimeo.

Confessions from a Wine Pro

2009-05-10T09:34:00.010-04:00

Last night after we poured wine for the cast party/post A Prarie Home Companion live from DPAC event, I was beat from a long day of wine. The first thing I did was pour some left over Ceci, Lambrusco from Saturday's free tasting and sit down for a glass. Now here's the reality. In a humbling manner, I look back at my youth and think of all the terrible mistakes I made of putting wine on a pedestal. I scorned if someone didn't use the proper glass, even for a $5.99 Chardonnay. Or if the wine's drinking temperature was incorrect, mercy me, how could they? Prices, big prices in fact, impressed me and I would never see why someone could enjoy an $8 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Last night I drank my Lambrusco, of all wines, in a ball jar with three ice-cubes to give it a chill. And you know what? It was the best glass of wine I tasted all week. I've come full circle and encourage you to do so the same. Let's just drink wine and enjoy it without all the fuss, the snobery and pomp & circumstance. I enjoy wine more now than ever.

At the event I found out that Garrison Keillor doesn't drink alcohol, he has soft hands and a rather flabby handshake. - Salamanzar

Steininger Non Frozen Disgorge Video

2009-05-03T13:45:00.004-04:00

In Thursday night's Austrian wine seminar, we debuted this video in its world premiere opening. Now we have it for you to view in the safety of your own home. This video was taken during Seth's Austrian trip in January 2009. It shows the Steininger family disgorging their Sekt. Disgorging is the method of opening the bottle to shoot out the plug of dead yeast before corking the wine. Sekt is the German word for their Champagne style wine. There's also a little humor on the side.

Steininger Non-Frozen Disgorge from Wine Authorities on Vimeo.

Mon Sherry

2009-05-03T09:42:00.007-04:00

I've been drinking Amontillado Sherry lately. The bottle of Hidalgo, Napoleon Amontillado had been sitting unopened in my basement office for a long time now. After a well overdue office cleaning, I decided this bottle needed to be opened. Two sips in, I realized I had kept this lady in waiting for too long. I have badly been missing such a satisfying after dinner drink.

With a small glass, while working late at night, this bottle has become my work associate. Dry, rich, satisfying, and not overly heavy, Sherry is art in a glass. This is not the sweet "cream" sherry grandma drank.

I am almost as guilty as the next person for not helping to preserve this treasured wine from Spain. Sherry is one of the three main fortified wines (+ Port & Madeira). She is losing ground daily in the fight for survival. It is possible Sherry might disappear from our planet due to lack of demand. I pledge to do my part and drink more sherry hoping to help in some small way preserve history, a style of wine and a special flavor.

Take a sherry pledge of your own. - Salamanzar

Austria Pat VI - the end

2009-04-06T11:09:00.018-04:00

We are winding down the trip with just one full day before flying out of Vienna in the morning. Klaus is clearly not going to let up on us as the day starts with a full walking tour of the Loisium for those can get up and make it, followed by a tasting in the hotel with a brand new rising star, Paul D., and then a bus ride to Vienna to meet the Austrian Wine Board, and finally meet and taste with the Strauss family. All this of course before we go to dinner.

A small group of maybe six, actually makes it to the entrance of the Loisium museum in time to take the tour. The idea is that we are all grapes and were just harvested, now we will go through the process of fermentation. This was very “Disney” like with real looking electrical panels, consoles, a water show, video screens etc. After we find our way to the tanks and barrels, the tour then becomes a visit to the history of Austrian wine with re-created wineries, and a typical village house. Everything is so real it’s like stepping back in time. This museum is definitely worth visiting. Seeing the old tools, the techniques and such is fascinating. The tour is about 75 minutes.

At the hotel we all assemble to meet and taste the wines of Paul D. Paul is not old enough to legally drink wine in the US. We are truly seeing a rising star. He finished agriculture school and under the tutelage of Anton Bauer, Paul is making wine on the family farm. We are presented one liter bottles of Zweigelt and Gruner Veltliner with crown caps (beer caps). The wines are excellent and I personally love the crown cap because it is actually better than even a screw cap, but clearly I am in the minority as Paul apologizes for the crown caps and our wines will come with screw tops. (I did ask Klaus if he could send all the Wine Authorities bottles with the crown cap and got that look of “this guy is crazy, who invited him.”) Paul is actually presenting the wines with his mom. It’s sort of a funny thing because it reminds me of “bring your parent to work day.” They are both very kind to pose with their bottles so we will have their pictures up next to the one liters when they arrive. Winemakers like Paul are very much a part of the Wine Authorities philosophy. I expect nothing but better and better wines from Paul as we get to know each other and help to introduce a young winemaker with a bright future to the United States. Now Paul, keep your prices reasonable and don’t let the fame go to your head!

The bus ride to Vienna is a chance to grab some sleep for most of the bus. Staring out the window, I see frozen parts of the Danau river. Amazing to see huge ice chunks floating; a reminder of how cold it remains. In the city we get about 30 minutes to walk to our next stop and take some photos, see some history. Fortunately 30 minutes is plenty of time in a city like Vienna with very little history. For example, Klaus points out a building that was a prison and tells the story of the architect committing suicide after it was built because they forgot to add bathrooms. Not sure if it’s true, but a good story. We have time for a quick coffee and I insist on have authentic Sacher Torte in Vienna. Klaus recommends ordering it 'mit schlag' or with a pile of whipped cream; a very nice pick me up.

We arrive at a wine bar and head to the basement where the Austria Winemarketing Board, presents “Wine from Austria, A taste of Culture.” We are treated to a powerpoint presentation/sales pitch of Austria’s growth in the wine market, and maybe a last kicker just in case we weren’t sure if we would sell Austrian wine back home. Currently Austria is working on promoting their individual wine regions, working to set wine laws specific to each region, using peer panels to taste wines for approval, and finally trying to build regional varietal identity. They make the comparison that Marlborough, New Zealand is now synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc and they want folks to think of Gruner Veltliner when you mention Kamptal, Austria. They are well on their way, at least in our store.

Gustav Strauss waits patiently and as the AWB finishes their presentation we are ready for his wines from Steiermark (Styria) located southeast in Austria. Positioned in the foothills of the Alps, they see cold nights and very hot days. Many of our customers are probably familiar with Strauss’ Sämling 88, aka Scheurebe, grape. We have sold a lot of this wine. There are only 20 vintners in Gustav’s area and the steep hillsides equates with all hands-on manual labor. Gustav tells us the people in his town have one leg shorter than the other to help them stand on the hills. I tried to watch his gate to see an obvious limp, but didn’t see it. Maybe he has a lift in one shoe. This region is making a name for its Sauvignon Blanc and Muskateller varietals. All of his wines are excellent and I am very excited about the 2008s coming to the store.

Klaus then takes the group on a walk and “illegal” train trolley ride getting lost in Vienna to find our dinner restaurant. It’s our last meal together and the troops definitely look worn. The smiles at the table are many, but the conversation is a bit more quiet than usual. I don’t think we have the energy to muster much talk and those awful thoughts of getting back to work are creeping into our reality.

Thank you Klaus and company for a most memorable and perfect trip to Austria. As it was my first time there, I have nothing to compare it to, but I can’t imagine a more passionate, quality driven, fun and educational trip than this one. Before boarding the plane, I made sure Klaus promised to take Craig next January. Craig, be sure your passport is ready to go, and bring your long underwear.

Klaus will be at Wine Authorities on Thursday, April 30th for a special Austrian Wine seminar. Details on our website calendar.

Austria Part V

2009-03-03T15:01:00.029-05:00

What if a couple of winemakers were up drinking late one night and concocted an idea to create an underground museum to celebrate the making of wine, where tourists would walk through the museum from the perspective of being a grape?

And what if the same two fellows roped architect Steven Holl from New York into designing a hotel for the museum, which he repeatedly refused to design, but after a bunch of wine Steven had sketched the hotel on a cocktail napkin before dawn? Meet the Loisium (loy-zee-um). It’s an interactive tour of wine, a museum of Austrian wine making history and a deluxe ultra modern hotel/spa. I got to stay there for two nights!

Located in Langenlois, Austria, the museum was built first. The problem was that: A) it was underground; invisible to tourists and B) there was no place to stay. So the vision to build a hotel and include the Aveda wine spa came to life. The museum’s welcome center and gift area has no regular windows and not a single 90 degree, true angle. The hotel won a major architectural award for its design. All I can say is you have to see it to believe it. Mostly concrete with heated floors, the hidden bathroom, and the room service just for your bed comfort are fantastic. You can order a special pillow, a different mattress, various comforters, you name it, they accommodate. The breakfast was outstanding and I found one of my favorite food signs ever on the buffet.

With Mr. Karl Steininger of Steininger wines as our host, we got to know the late night/early morning crowd at the Loisium both evenings. His long drinking session reputation preceded him and we were warned. The second evening I went to sleep in the low digit morning hours, but several of the group never went to sleep and continued on with Karl tasting each and every barrel of wine in the cellars. Once you have tried your 11th tank of 2008 Gruner Veltliner, it’s a little difficult to taste

how it is different from the first 10 tanks. These guys weren’t even close to hungover yet. That would come around 3 PM that afternoon once the alcohol wore off. In time we came to be very fond of the entire Steininger family. There were the daughters Ana, focusing on the red wine production, Eva who focuses on white wines, and Leeza who was the youngest daughter and still learning everything. We met Brigetta, the matriarch and the always jovial Karl. The Steininger estate not only makes great reds and whites, but also focuses on Sekt sparkling wine production in the Champagne method. We were treated to watching the disgorgement process and each of us allowed to finish a bottle of Sekt on the bottling line so that we could take home our very own personal bot

tle. [I hope to finish a video for you in the next month showing the process.] This was followed by a seven course dinner prepared by Brigetta and Leeza with seven different Sekts for each plate. One of my culianary/wine lifetime highlights will forever be the 2006 Sekt Cabernet Rosé paired with smoked trout and horseradish cream.

The family produces their Sekt only in the best of vintages and ages the bubbles for an extended period in the barrel or tank, then on the lees for just 1 year in the bottle. Karl explains that his preference is to “taste the wine in the sparkling wine” and not the yeasty quality. They produce a vintage “Grand Cru” only in magnum and hand sign each bottle. The base wine is aged for four years in 2,000 Liter wood barrels made from local forest wood. At the Loisium bar we must have downed 4 or 5 magnums our first night. I knew it was good, but didn’t realize...

In between our time at the Loisium and the Steiningers, we snuck away to the Wachau region to walk the terraces with Martin Mittelbach of Tegernseerhof estate. It’s wicked cold as we depart the bus and Martin marches us up the hillside into the vines. Seeing the hills, the

terraces and all the surroundings, we now feel like we have seen both spectrums of Austrian vineyards. From flat to mountainous, this area has traditional stone walls surrounding special vineyards similar to Burgundy, France. Each “clos” carries significant meaning and often a price. This is some of the top Austrian wine in the world all around us. When we drive to the Mittelbach house, we cross the Danube river which has frozen in places. Martin says this hasn’t happened since 1986. We meet the father, Frankl, who now watches over the family operations, along with his mother Dita and sister Eva in a house that was former monastery. Back in 1970 Frankl produced straight forward wines, but today Martin has taken the winery to new heights using spontaneous fermentations, bigger extracts, later harvests and innovative winemaking. The house is set up for us with tasting stations in each room. We are welcomed by tasting single grand cru vineyard wines from various vintages at each stop. As we go around the rooms, Martin tells us about the rainfall that year, how the harvest went, what happened during the fermentation and how he feels the vintage is aging. Tasting white wines from 2001, 2003, etc we are seeing that these austere, minerally whites are just babies, but aging wonderfully.
We sit down for a formal tasting of new vintage wines and eat some of the best bread I have ever had. I can’t stop eating the basket of rolls. Klaus Wittauer is obsessed with a video promoting Austria and he literally comes to tears as we watch it for the fifth or sixth time. I admire his passion for the homeland and the video is great to watch (see below). After a dozen or more wines, it’s time for lunch. In a beautiful setting complete with candles and fine dining catering, under a giant antique wine press, we dine and drink the great Tegernseerhof wines. Martin is young and ambitious. He has brought on an assitant, Annika, to help make wine so he can pursue his ideas in the vineyards. As much as I enjoyed the wines, I am left wondering if customers are ready to pay for a single vineyard “Steinertal” Riesling 2002 from Austria. Baby steps, baby steps. For now we’ll stick to the T26 Gruner Veltliner and his rosé, both coming this spring. - Salamanzar

Austria Part IV

2009-02-23T15:40:00.019-05:00

We have an early start at Hillinger with a strudel brunch and obligatory wine. The day starts right off the bus and into the vineyards where it is unholy cold again. There are ice crystals forming on the vines which look like water was misting at some point last night. One of Leo’s vineyards is pure chalk and one is pure shale. Walking the earth we see bits of both under foot. Inside we warm up with a little of Leo’s sparkling Secco which is a dry Pinot Noir Sekt (sparkling wine). The color is a dreamy pink and this is one we have sold back home in Durham very well. The good news? The price is going down and we will now be able to sell this for $15.99 per bottle. A steal when it arrives in March.

Leo regales us with the story of his beginnings and how he eventually built the winery into the hillside. His logo is all caps with the “L” letters backwards in his surname. Apparently this caused quite a stir among his peers at the time. For Leo it’s all about his hills and the play on the name. He makes red wines with the names Small Hill 1, Small Hill 2, and Small Hill 3. When asked why those names he simply replies, “well, I grow the grapes each on their own small hill and I couldn’t come up with a better name than Hill 1, 2 and 3.” Sometimes things are too obvious. I consider a second bowl of goulash, but no one like a goulash glutton.

We have a leisurely morning and then we are off to Wagram to meet Mr. Anton “Tony” Bauer, man of mystery. The winery is a short walk from the main road and we come to a rather subtle cellar as compared to the high fashion wineries we visited so far. The cellar walls have a thick black mold like shag carpet. Visitors have pressed euro coins into the walls for “good luck.” But if you ask me, Tony is saving the Euros to build a new

winery. Turns out I was half correct, later at the tasting room, Klaus and Tony roll out architectural drawings for the all new Anton Bauer estate. Needless to say it is grand! We spend some time in the cellars talking and tasting barrel samples of his 2008 vintage wines still working away. It’s dark, shadowy, cold and damp. A

perfect cellar. Primed and ready, we have a short trip to the Bauer tasting room complete with food of course. We start with a sparkling and work through seventeen wines this afternoon, and that’s after the barrel samples. It’s tough work. The wines are outstanding and Tony’s work is quickly rising to the top of

the trip thus far. His wines maintain traditional flavors at times and in others I taste the future. I am completely blindsided by a sample of 2007 Grüner Veltliner, Grande Reserve simply because he has used oak barrel aging! But Tony, you can’t do that! Gruner Veltliner doesn’t come from oak barrels. Are you nuts? That’s like making oaky riesling, or grilling an egg or peanut butter on chopped liver. You just don’t do that. Tony explains that he wants to have a white wine that is “age-able for up to twenty years for his children” and this is how he thinks it should be done. Perhaps it was the twelve wines before it or even the “vineyard effect” of loving every wine because you are standing there,

but the Grand Reserve was a show stopper. I sat at the table quietly mulling it over and trying to come to terms with a wood aged Gruner Veltliner. If I can like this, I guess I can come to terms with my daughter dating one day. (One day many, many years from now.) We are told the 2007 Grande Reserve was picked as one of the Top Ten wines in all of Austria last year. Tony continues on with the tasting leading us to odd grapes like Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet from Austria! At this point I have to remain open minded and as we taste vintages of his Wagram Cuvée 12 (Zweigelt/Blaufrankish/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend) as it’s the twelfth vintage of course, and the Wagram Reserve (Cab/Syrah/Merlot/Zweigelt blend) I find myself with the same stunned feeling. I am quiet and smiling inside. If anyone asks, I’ll say my glow is the alcohol’s affect. The real test of these wines is yet to come as Tony is taking all of us to Toni Mörwold’s restaurant for dinner. Chef Toni is the “Emeril Lagasse” of Austria, complete with his own TV show and fine dining restaurant. His is a real celebrity and this Sunday night dinner is a special treat just for this group.

As we arrive, we are treated to an Amuse Bouche of baby greens with Foie Gras. And it’s a good thing because my Foie intake on this trip was getting low. Tony Bauer arrives with his beautiful golden retriever named Sammy after his favorite actor Samuel L. Jackson. Sammy even joins us on the floor during dinner. The first course is a foamy Gruner Veltliner cream soup with a cracker thin slice of fried bread floating in the middle. As I finish my bowl I quickly scanned the table to see if anyone was not finishing theirs. No luck. I seriously tried to order 10 gallons to take back to the US, but I am told it won’t make it through customs. This is absolutely one of the best soups I have ever tried and as much as I love soup, rarely do I rave about the dish. The 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages of the Gruner Veltliner Grande Reserve are served beside the soup. Yes, they are still oaky, and yes the wines are a perfect match for this dish. I am in awe. Not only are they great, but the 2004 (the oldest vintage) is the perfect wine at this moment. I still can’t believe it. [I have ordered some Grande Reserve to arrive in March. I think Craig thought I was crazy for ordering an expensive, oak-aged Gruner. We’ll see what he says when he tastes it this spring. I could be in big trouble. Please be sure to try this one out, there will be very little available.] We are told the meal is halting for a special break and asked to leave the room. As we file into the adjoining banquet room, we see it is a makeshift movie theater. Tony Bauer debuts his newest short film called “Private Selection.” Tony made the film just for fun and to show off his rarest of all wines. You can watch the movie here.

The film was a blast and we return to the dining room where they are treating us to magnums of the legendary Private Selection at the table. I didn’t actually think we would get to taste it. The entrée arrives and we dig into Venison ragout with bread dumpling and lingonberry sauce.

It’s like an Austrian Thanksgiving. The Wagram Reserve is served in multi vintage as well and all of them were drinking beautifully. I am a newcomer to Tony Bauer’s wines but now I have seen the future and this guy is going to help put Austrian wine on the tips of wine drinker’s tongues around the world one day. (photo above shows Tony Bauer, Toni Morwold and Klaus Wittauer after dinner)

Next stop, the Loisium hotel. - Salamanzar

(thanks to Doug D. and Karen M. for letting me use a photo or two)

Austria Part III

2009-02-17T15:43:00.018-05:00

Arriving at the Steindorfer winery in Burgenland we share a brief stop and tasting. Modest in scope and size, but clearly of the highest quality, Steindorfer is run by Ernst Steindorfer, a master of dessert style wines. Because of his close proximity to lake Neusiedl and its moisture, the vineyards are easily susceptible to noble rot or botrytis. This is a mold which covers the grapes and sucks out the moisture leaving sugars behind. If you saw the grapes on the vine you would say, “yuck, those are rotten,” but the wine made from such grapes can be one of the most powerful and often costly wines produced. His best friend and winemaking companion was non other than Alois Kracher, who sadly passed away last year at the young age of 48. The Kracher dessert wines are legendary and far beyond my drinking budget. It turns out that some of those legendary wines were actually made here at Steindorfer and aged in these pristine cellars. Ernst continues on with the dessert wine honor. You could eat off the floors and if you spilled a drop of his dessert wine, you just might consider licking it up.

Klaus handles the translation from Ernst as we take a quick look around the winery, aging cellar, the tanks and see a stainless steel tank fitted with a stirring mechanism to keep the lees (sediment in a wine and yeast cells) moving during the aging process. Stirring the lees adds richness to the finished bottle and a distinct character. The group is ready for more wine and we start with his dry whites. The Chardonnay we sample is a proud moment for Ernst as he claims it is being compared to the finest of white Burgundy. All his dry wines, white and red, are excellent, but we are anticipating the sweet stuff and finally the traditional tall, thin 375 ml bottles emerge. We work through them with ooohs and aaaahs. It’s tough to spit these, so I force myself to swallow the tastes justifying that I have worked hard today and could use a little reward this time. The excitement in the group grows with each opened bottle, then the talk of Steindorfer’s “best wine he ever made” starts up. Klaus is egging him on and we join in. Finally Ernst either felt generous, or the wine was kicking in, but he goes to the cellar and emerges with his 1991 Trockenbeeren Auslese (TBA), the claimed "best ever." The color is a deep amber and pours from the bottles like a watery version of maple syrup. I am practically intoxicated just by smelling the aroma. I take a picture through the glass with the label behind the bottle. A fine finish to our visit at Steindorfer.

The day is not over, oh no, the night is just beginning when we arrive at Leo Hillinger’s winery for an introduction, tour and dinner. This is just the start. The real tastings will take place tomorrow. We arrive at an ultra fancy shmancy modern looking winery established by Leo Hillinger, former super-model and now wine maker/wine fashion superstar. If anyone knows how to build a brand, it’s Leo. With things like the Hillinger name everywhere from the entrance to the floor of the winery, to the continually running video loop of Leo projected on the wall, to the slick black hats, several hundred dollar Hillinger jackets, you name it, Leo is creating it with his name on it. Leo is opening Hillinger wine shops in Europe and wants to have one in NY as well. Several women in the group nearly faint when they first see Leo in real life. Sure has more hair than me, it’s blonde and he is tall, square jawed, thin and owns a top winery, but really does he deserve all the gawking? It must be tough for him. By the way he is married with two beautiful children.

We visit an underground cellar with rows of shiny stainless steel tanks, then retreat to the barrel room for even more rows of oak barrels. The barrel tasting is a blast and we get to spit the wine on the floor! Always a treat and I feel like a little kid breaking the rules. The floor will later be washed down by the oompa loompas or some sort of mystery crew that must come out late at night to shine the joint. The tasting room has a glass wall looking out over the vineyards behind the hill.

Leo tells us his story of risking it all with a bank loan and starting out on his own. I admire the man. He had a vision, would not compromise on quality and took a big gamble. He still hints at the tenuous nature of all that he does and of being at the mercy of mother nature every harvest. We can tease him about the glamour aspect of his winery and its presentation, but clearly the wine is quality while he can smile all the way to the bank. Leo is focused on building the Hillinger brand.

We move back upstairs to the tasting room for a catered three course dinner. The entrée has a side of applesauce with shredded horseradish. I can't get enough of the stuff. By thirds, or was it fourths?, I was really feeling my sinuses cleared out and the "wasabi snorts" kicking in. Good stuff, sweet and spicy. The actual meal takes about 45 minutes, then the consumption began. I think we left around midnight or 1 AM. Not sure, but by the end we had empty magnums of wine lining the table. Half the group goes out to the Safari club. Don't ask, but if you are ever in town and want to meet the locals, ask about the Safari. We'll be back tomorrow to learn more.

- Salamanzar

Austria Part II

2009-02-12T15:52:00.017-05:00

Christian’s white whale forges onward to our afternoon stop at Michlits/Meinklang winery. The winery is actually named Michlits, or is it Meinklang? I don’t know why, but in the US the name has to be altered to Michlits for distribution. The winery is ultra modern looking, but uses all natural materials. As we approach the flat, winter brown fields I have no warning that my life is about to be changed forever.

"Graupert" is German for sort of uncombed hair. It was explained that as a little kid, if you came to the breakfast table, your grandmother would say you were looking “graupert” and you needed to comb your hair to look presentable. Werner Jr. takes us into the vineyards to see his Graupert Pinot Gris vines. There’s really no way to explain this other than someone has let their hedges grow wild. We are just east of lake Neusiedl, very close to the Hungarian border. The land is very, very flat and this is clearly not what we usually picture for vineyard country. In fact, Werner Jr. explains that winds swoop down into this flat plain and create havoc on the farms in giant gusts and actually drown people in the shallow Neusiedl lake as surprise

waves topple boats. Between rows of perfectly manicured vines on both sides, the Graupert vineyard stands out like a punk rock spiked mohawk on the set to Leave it Beaver. In a deep spiritual moment with his vines, Werner Jr. thought that if he lets the vines go wild, eventually they will become self-limiting and reduce the stress of pruning each year which was hurting the vines. Essentially, if left to grow wild the grapes will be better. And you know what? It’s working. The vines unkempt look are criticized by his neighbors and he is accused of being lazy. In fact, last year some locals set fire to part of the Graupert vineyard to make their point. The proof is in the bottle and the Meinklangs remain committed. And, there is talk of letting all their vines grow Graupert style. Oy, the potential bonfire! You will see some Graupert Pinot Gris coming to Wine Authorities this spring.

Meinklang farm is a fantastic story. Post WWII, the family estate was in ruins and as borders with Hungary moved back and forth, the parents, Annalies and Werner Sr., made the decision to move forward and plant fields while working around the bombed out roads and the bomb craters in the fields, not knowing if tomorrow they would lose everything. At this time grapes were not the main product. About ten years ago the father converted the farm to complete biodynamic agriculture using Rudolf Steiner’s teachings, and embraced the philosophy of creating a complete interdependent closed cycle farm. They grow about 8 types of grains - wheat, barley, rice, spelt, etc., they brew really, really good craft beer, they maintain a herd of 300 Angus cows, they raise the rare Mangalitza pig breed, they make wine of course, and they make cider from their Topaz variety apple orchards. All this ag

riculture and children running around growing up on the farm paints a Rockwell-esque picture. With each family member taking on specific responsibilities, the farm is complete and each area is dependent on the next. This family, the parents, the three sons, their wives and the grandchildren, are organic, natural, down to earth, and clearly have found their happy place. There is an energy and a harmony in the air. You can taste it. Okay, I am ready to start packing the bags.

We visit the winery and get a fantastic explanation of what biodynamic farming is. I plan to release a video of this in the future showing Werner with his cow horns and manure in the cellar. We see the horns which are packed with manure and aged before being mixed with water to spread in the fields. The farmers refer to this stuff as “magic poo.”

We head underground to the wine tasting room and sit among the giant concrete eggs. The tasting starts with a frizzante style pinot noir rosé. This lightly bubbly, a touch off-dry, pink wine was actually first made for Werner and Angela’s wedding. We meet Angela and find out she is the actual winemaker in the family and appropriately named as she is a winemaking angel. Her wines are lovely across the table. All show balance and character. She greets us briefly before having to run off and chase their two young daughters who are peaking at us through the glass ceiling from their house above ground. As the tasting moves forward we are treated to a selection of sausages made from the farm’s Angus beef and from their wonderful fatty Mangalitza pigs. I can’t stop eating. The center of the plate has a tub of rendered pork fat, which looks like hummus, and is spreadable like butter on bread. A little goes a long way. The Meinklang Gruner Veltliner is a stand out and absolutely atypical in style. They say other Austrian regions laugh about the thought of Gruner in this area, but the lip-smacking acidity and gulps of fruit are just right for me. I’ll take Gruner from Burgenland any day.

As we sit at this long, large table for 20 people, we are surrounded by giant concrete eggs. These eggs are wine tanks and I can’t help but feel like we are in a scene somewhere between Aliens and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The egg shape fits the

"perfect mean" or "Phi" from Leonardo Fibonacci. Werner’s explanation details the concrete’s micro pores and as the wine ages in the egg, there are microscopic level oxygen exchanges which work the wine slower than using a wood barrel. In additional chemical chains form in the wine which get heavy and fall downward, forcing the wine to churn slowly up the sides of the egg to the top and fall back into the center, a sort of natural convection type movement. Using the eggs, they have learned that very little sulphur dioxide is needed as compared to their other wine making techniques. We taste the “Konkret St. Laurent,” and this is the best St. Laurent wine I have ever had, hands down. I am a believer. They started with a couple of eggs and now the winery looks like a chicken coop. The good news is that you can adopt an egg for just 3,000 Euros which gets you 2 cases of wine per year from your egg, over 10 years. That’s a deal!
I leave feeling like I need to put in a job application. I’ll take just about any job to be a part of this family farm. It speaks to my soul. The bus ride is quiet all they way to the the next winery. I clutch my Meinklang micro brew and savor every sip. Can we replicate this in Durham? Someone is probably ahead of me already. Meinklang will become a great addition to our store. They fit right in with us. Steindorfer winery awaits the whale’s arrival. - Salamanzar

(Thanks to Karen M. for letting me use a couple of her great photos in this posting.)

Day One in Austria

2009-02-06T11:56:00.017-05:00

I’m outside the NH hotel across the street from the Vienna airport. It’s Saturday morning 9 AM and Klaus comes up to me with his charismatic big smile and a firm handshake. I think he says hello in Austrian (German) and I confess, I really don’t understand what he is saying to me. His disarming smile and hurry up let’s go attitude set the tone for the next four days. We have lots to cover and the work will be fun. I climb aboard a luxury tour bus and meet my spiritual wine brothers and sisters for the journey. We will pretty much be eating and drinking together day and night until Wednesday.

The trip to Austria is an entirely different set up. The group totals about fifteen in a combination of wine buyers of some sort, such as retailers and restauranteurs, and a few wine wholesalers who represent Klaus’ wines in Virginia. This trip was organized by Klaus Wittauer and his company, KW Selections. Klaus was born in Austria and worked in the restaurant industry before coming to the import and wholesale business. He represents eight Austrian wineries and soon he will be bringing two additional properties (more to come later in the story) to the US market.

Our bus driver, Christian, speaks no English and this is his fourth trip with Klaus touring Austrian wineries. In time we get to know Christian and even with the language barrier, he is a nice guy and clearly a talented driver as he guides our behemoth through small passes and around mountain vineyards. Christian lands the great white whale at our first stop, Netzl winery in Burgenland.

Netzl is one of the two new producers coming to the US and truly a family business. Franz and his wife Christine along with their two daughters,

Christina and Anna Marie, run the estate. Franz greets us with Christina acting as translator and his presence carries gravitas. With a dark fedora style hat and big black bushy mustache, his hands are large and rough, clearly those of a working farmer. With two young daughters, I feel for their boyfriends having to meet this man before a date. Netzl owns 25 ha of vineyards with the red variety Zweigelt (ˈsvī-gehlt) being his most important. I am amazed at how flat the vineyards are in the area with no mountains in sight and rows of vines in open fields, easy to see. We take a tour through the vineyard to see his vines and discuss the pruning. And, no the weather is not any warmer in Austria as we stand on the frozen ground looking at the vines for about 30 minutes. The plus side to this deep freeze for Germany and Austria is that some of the bug populations will be reduced naturally. Some farmers had joked that if the warm winters continued, soon you would see scorpions around the vines!

The tasting commences in the winery’s tasting room with its glass windows overlooking the vines. The style of Netzl is clearly more modern and international. The reds enjoy a good bathing in oak and their top bottlings are intended to compete on the international market employing a high alcohol, oaky, fruit bomb approach. We taste traditional Austrian varietals like Gruner Veltliner and Zweigelt, but also get a dose of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. My reaction favors their white wines and the traditional varietals for Austria vs. the heavy handed international blends. One of the hits at the tasting is a dryish rosé called Rosanna. It’s a play on “rosé” and the daughter’s name “Anna.” This is definitely on our list to bring to Durham for Spring 2009.

We work through a dozen or so bottles and then we get our first goulash! The Hungarian influence is felt throughout the trip with many variations on this dish for lunch at the wineries. I can’t help but think there is a business opportunity back home. Goulash in a cup? A mobile goulash truck similar to the taco trucks of Durham? Why isn’t anyone doing that back home?

Lunch is enhanced by “getting to know you” conversation as the group sits and we tell our wine life stories and where we are from. Once again wine brings people together. The group is made up of wine veterans and neo-oenophiles, with some having been on this exact wine trip multiple times. We have a Virginia journalist for a small paper and wine shop employee writing a travel/leisure style piece about Austrian wine. We have two young wine buyers from a large retail grocery chain on the east coast and a specialty department buyer for wine and cheese in a separate chain. The table is complemented on the restaurant side by Chef Bret Jennings of Elaine’s in Chapel Hill and a woman sommelier from a fine dining restaurant in Virginia. The overall group is a great one and fortunately we don’t have any knuckle-heads on this trip. All of us can tell at least one story of an inappropriate traveler on one of these trips who came because they thought it was drink-fest. No, this trip we all have our pens, notebooks, cameras and lots of questions firing away all day long. After lunch we head to Michlits/Meinklang winery to see “the eggs.” -Salamanzar

Germany Wrap Up

2009-01-20T15:51:00.010-05:00

Final Thoughts on Germany: At work I keep an audio clip on the computer from Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein. Okay, it’s on all my computers. It’s the one where Gene Wilder and Teri Garr discuss the giant size of Frankenstein and she says, “he would have an enormous schwanstucker.” I have Googled this word, schwanstucker, several times to see if it’s real. So, while in Germany, I randomly polled local people asking them if they knew the word schwanstucker. Hmmph. Not a single person knew this word. Such are the things that keep me up at night.

Attached is a slide show of nearly 200 photos from the trip. Just in case you had absolutely nothing to do with your day today.

Leaving Germany, I am in awe. Boy are those vineyards steep. The German market clearly enjoys very dry white wines, yet they are convinced that our domestic US market is not ready for these. Even at my insistence, they explain that every time they bring their road show to the US, they include a few dry examples and no one buys. I can’t blame the winemakers, they are trying. German wines have come so far and yet they are still stuck in our retail. We struggle with this daily at work. I recommend a German Riesling to go with a dish, and the customer has a frown followed by, “but I don’t like sweet wines.” Sometimes even at my near begging to trust me, the wine is dry; the customer refuses to try that bottle. Germany is clearly plagued by the self-fulfilling prophecy. A restaurant assumes the Riesling drinker wants a sweet wine, so they put a sweet wine on the list by the glass. A customer hears that Riesling can be dry, so they order the Riesling and wham, sure enough it’s sweet. Rarely do the dry ones make it to the limelight. We are devoted to Riesling at Wine Authorities and almost always feature dry versions. I often say that if I were on a desert island, a dry riesling would be a good candidate for my only wine.

The “international dry” level means mostly dry. Most of us would taste these wines and say they are pretty much dry vs. sweet. More and more German labels are carrying the term Feinherb for such wines. It’s not quite trocken (dry), but not halb-trocken (off-dry). Derek likes to use the Feinherb translation as “fine dry finish.” You’ll be seeing several Feinherb Rieslings arriving this spring to Wine Authorities.

German red wines are about to explode on the market. Or are they? The quality I was tasting from the red grapes Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Dornfelder, and St. Laurent was outstanding. Whether it’s global warming or better winemaking, the reds are coming on strong. But is the market ready? Again, the consumer assumes Germany makes only white wines. We have had good luck with selling Dr. Heyden’s Pinot Noir and will continue to bring great wines to our customers even if they are less well known from a region or country.

Frank Heyden told me that the entire EU is banning the use of copper sulfate in vineyards farming organically. The catalyst was due to some regions, particularly Bordeaux, having used excessive amounts to combat fungal disease and loaded their soils with copper. However, most organic farmers use the bare minimum necessary and are rarely worry about high levels. So, any farmer certified organic within the last two years is not allowed to purchase copper sulfate. Certified farmers for more than two years, have an opportunity to purchase as much as they want before the ban takes place and use up their copper sulfate for as long as it takes and still maintain their status. So, farmers are buying years worth of the stuff in giant drums. Currently there is no alternative option as a fungicide. Frank said some studies using milk spraying were attempted and the farmers lost all their grapes to fungus.

I heard several producers mention a movement away from the glass top, Vinolock. These can get knocked in transit and the seal breaks. Stelvin is still in favor, but many makers are concerned about the age ability of a wine in screw top. The research is still coming. This Diam cork (real cork and plastic combined) may be a solution for those who insist on a cork closure. The absolute best closure is the crown cap, i.e. beer cap, but can you imagine the outrage to that on a $30 bottle of wine?

I want to thank Derek Vinnicombe for being my host and driving me all over Germany to visit his estates and for his patience with my many hundreds of questions. I also want to thank the winemakers I met, often in their private homes sitting at their dinner table, who showed me great hospitality, generosity and wonderful wines. I am very committed to sharing the quality and value German wines have to offer our customers in Durham.

Next stop, Österreich (Austria), specifically Wien (Vienna). Thanks for continuing to read.

-Salamanzar

Germany & Austria Part V

2009-01-18T14:03:00.035-05:00

Germany & Austria Part V: Confession here, I have too much to say and have had to spread three days of Germany over 5, maybe even 6 blog entries. So I will no longer date the entries, but just label them as parts. Okay, I feel better now.

In retrospect, the recent snow fall has made my education about the region easier. As we drive along the rivers, the snow blankets the vineyards in an even bed of white fuzz. Occasionally we see a completely snowless plot, as if someone tooka hair dryer to the picture and melted a perfect rectangle shape among the vines. When I inquire about the bare land, it is inevitably one the more famous and usually more costly vineyards in the area. The lack of snow reinforces the idea that a vineyard has better sun exposure and perhaps more rock/slate to warm by day thus continue

reflecting the warmth by night. These things are often talked about when discussing great vineyards and the vine’s ability to ripen the fruit. The pictures here show snow covered land and then the famous Doctor vineyard in Bernkastle behind the church, see? No snow.

The last three wineries Derek and I visit are FK Schmitt, Paul Anheuser and Molitor.

We drive the busy roadway along the Rhein river in the city of Nierstein and arrive at the FK Schmit estate in Rheinhessen. It looks just like the label on the bottles, and Franz Karl Schmitt explains the house was built in 1925 post WWII. You may have enjoyed his 2007 Weissherbst (Rosé) this year, especially at Thanksgiving and I am happy to let you know the 2008 is in tank, clarifying right now and will be bottled in two weeks.

We sit in a small parlor with the wine samples and his cat watching from a room across the hall. Franz Karl talks of his vineyards being on “the red slope” referring to the red decomposing rock we see along the river. This red rock is the primary reason we love Rheinhessen’s acidity. He also produces wines from the grand cru vineyard, Niersteiner Hipping. We taste the 2007 Hipping and it is truly excellent, although a bit backwards at this very early stage of life. I look forward to retasting this wine down the road. We work through just six wines, and I have my highest “buy” ratio, preferring 5 of the 6 wines as possible vintages for the store. In fairness, the sixth was a 1997 vintage bottle, no longer available for purchase, but to show me how his wines age.

FK is a big fan of Diam cork. This brand is a blend from 70% natural cork chopped up like a minced onion and 30% plastic pressed under high heat to form the cork shape. It is guaranteed to be bacteria free and therefore no cork taint can occur to the wine. FK is losing faith in the plastic Nomacorc because he says after about 5 years the plastic corks are loosing resiliency and becoming loose in the bottle necks. Before we leave, FK asks me for a recommendation in bottling his 2008 Hipping vineyard Spätlese. I am sort of awestruck as I think, who am I to tell YOU what to do. The question is, how much of the 2008 vintage should he bottle as a truly dry wine and how much to bottle with some residual sweetness? Alert, here come the politics of wine! Here’s a look behind the curtain of the great and powerful Oz. FK wants to know what I have heard from the US press regarding the 2008 German vintage. Winemakers have to make critical decisions, sometimes not based on the wines, but on simple economics and I can’t blame him. He has to pay his bills. Germans prefer truly trocken (dry) wines. I mean really dry. Surprised? And the rest of the world, i.e. the US being the usual reference, says they want dry, but actually the wines with some residual sugar are preferred. (I continue to blame this on a little blue Nun) The Germans refer to this type of dry as “International Dry.” FK has to make a decision at bottling where if the press is loving the 2008 vintage, then he will need to bottle much more of this wine with some “süss-reserve” or a bit of unfermented auslese grape juice to take the dryness out to meet the export demand. If the press pans the vintage, he will have to sell the majority of his wines at home and they will need to be very dry. What a gamble! I’d hate to be in his shoes. So I politely say that I haven’t heard much about 2008 from the press yet. The truth is that I haven’t. In the car I am lost in thought about this economically driven decisions a winemarker is forced to deal make which have nothing to do with quality or their personal preference. I guess if cream soups sell better, the chef has to keep the cream of broccoli on the menu.

***

Into the Nahe we drive toward Paul Anheuser’s estate.

We sit in a very cold, old home and taste through loads of wine with Paul, his mother Dorothee and his baby son and next generation, Jakob. I have to keep my jacket across my legs to stay warm and slowly nudge my chair back from the table toward the barely luke warm radiator behind me. I am sort of curious why no one else is shivering today. Must be my thinned NC blood.

As we visit 12 wines on the table today, I am treated to new vintages of his Scheurebe, which we religiously sell in Durham and a fantastic Gewurztraminer. I can’t wait to see these back home

this spring. The estate was established in 1627 with vines, farm agriculture and forest. At one time they ran over 1,000 ha, but today a much more manageable 30 ha are maintained. One of the oddity highlights of the entire trip is the Anheuser, Blanc de Noir Fineherb. This is a dry white table wine made from Pinot Noir! No skin contact leaves the color out and the result is an outstanding dry white that will surely become a

best seller at Wine Authorities later this year. Paul and his mom treat us to some afternoon coffee, cake and wine. I have the apple strudel type thing and want to try the Amaretto and chocolate, but have to pace myself.

***

The final German leg takes me to the Rheingau region to visit the Molitor estate. Klaus Molitor is on a ski holiday, so we are treated to the company of his father and mother Rosel & Karl Molitor. Karl is a hunter and we sit in the tasting area surrounded by more horns, tusks and creepy grinning stuffed animals than I am used to.

The 2007 vintage in the Rheingau was challenging. Many farmers were fearful of rains coming and ruining the vintage, so they picked early, too early, leaving too much acid and unripe flavors in their wines. Molitor, waiting until late October for physiological ripeness, achieved great flavors and balanced wines. It was risky, but worked. One of the tasting highlights is a Riesling Trocken, Edition René. I am hoping we can bring this to the US market exclusively.

That night, Derek and I have our last meal together and I have the best Schnitzel to date. The server says there is a sauce on top and I figure

this will do just fine. I guess I missed the word Béarnaise in her German accent, something I would normally pass on for health reasons. I am treated to the most juicy pork cutlet with sautéed onions and ham, smothered in tarragon herbed Hollandaise sauce. My cholesterol surely shot up 100 points that night and Derek politely watched me all but lick the plate.

Derek drops me back in Frankfurt at the airport, and I leave for Austria that evening.

-Salamanzar

Germany & Austria Part IV

2009-01-11T02:00:00.020-05:00

Germany & Austria Part IV January 9, 2009: The red wines of Germany are coming on strong with sales and demand shooting skyward the last 5 years or more. Maybe it's me not getting to taste them or perhaps global warming allowing the reds to ripen fully, but in either case I am really excited about German red wine. At the Schäfer estate we meet up with Volker Schafer and his father Karl-Ludwig. The Schafers are red wine and specifically, Pinot Noir producers, and we have featured their Pinot Noir Spatlese and Auslese back home. This cellar is one of the few we visit which is not polished for press photos, it's wet, dark, old, covered in black mold - I love it. The wines are the exact opposite - clean, bright, fresh, full bodied and not oaked. The dad had a friend many, many years ago who gave him some Pinot Noir vines, so he stuck them in the ground. Now they are one of the top red wine producers in the area. These guys were doing German red wines before the color was invented. We taste Blauer Portuguiser, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, and Cabernet Sauvignon- all reds. Then we go to their whites. Cool stuff like a Siegerrebe, Kanzler and Pinot Blanc to name a few. This afternoon we finish off 25 wines and finish with a 1971 Portuguieser Spatlese (38 year old red wine). This was the very first vintage of red Portuguiser Volker's dad harvested.

Next stop in the Mosel is to an old favorite and friend, Stefan Bollig of Bollig Lehnert. We sit in his kitchen with his lovely wife Jill and taste through Riesling and Pinot Blanc. Stefan’s style is different. He is outright and upfront about liking sweet wine. His wines all tend to show sweetness on the finish even if they are labeled dry. However, he builds his wines using traditional techniquues which means the wines show better several years down the road. Stefan wants to make wine for future drinking. The market often demands the latest and greatest, and he struggles with this because his best wines right now to be drinking are 2003, 2004 and 2005, not the 2006, 2007s which customers ask for because they are the "freshest."

Bollig-Lehnert still uses a designation called Hochgewäch on the label "special designation" for a stand out wine in a vintage. The problem, and there’s always a hitch, especially in German wine law, is this special designation can be for sweet or dry wine and doesn’t help the customer know what the wine tastes like. It’s just "special". The press murdered the German 2003 vintage, but as I taste some 2003s this trip, they are really coming around. I think the press got this wrong and I will go on record now. Stefan stands by his 2003s confidently and they are really drinking nicely today. He treats us to a bottle of his 1994 Riesling Kabinett Feinherb. This is remarkable and shows “all growed up flavors” of shitake mushrooms, lemon pound cake and ginger, and it’s totally dry on the finish.

Stephan’s wife, Jill, is a trained chef and she prepares a wonderful steak lunch with a sauce of port jelly and riesling auslese over a greens salad with boiled potatoes. The meat is cooked

perfectly and a great example of red meat with white wine pairing. We end the meal with a Beerenauslese which is honey and liquid golden raisin in the glass. It's elegant, not heavy or cloying and just sweet enough to finish the meal.

Without haste we are off to another Mosel property, the Studert-Prum estate to see Gerd. Prum is a common name in Germany and especially in wines from the Mosel. My first question is "who are all the Prums?" Gerd explains in the immediate area some are related cousins and such. The largest estate is JJ Prum, followed by SA Prum, coming in third our Studert-Prum and finally the smallest related wine Prum is Weins-Prum. The amazing thing is that all four of them are Pradikat (top quality) producers and all from the Mosel and all with different styles.

We dive in with 12 wines to work through on the table. Sitting at a small round wood table in the entry way of their home, I am surrounded by antiques Gerd’s father has collected over years. He apologizes for the clutter. I am perfectly happy to sit amongst treasure going back decades and wish I had more time to look at every little trinket. We start red with his Dornfelder Feinherb wine. The Dornfelder grape continues to show quality from good producers (see the first post from Germany, Day I). This example is grapey with moderate tannin, light acidity and has a hint of residual sugar in a pleasing way. Dornfelder tends to grow abundantly and Gerd says the challenge is pruning back regularly to keep yields low.

As we continue tasting, I learn that the EU is considering forcing all wineries that chaptalize (adding sugar at the time of fermentation to boost alcohol levels, but never used to produce a pradikat wine) using rectified grape concentrate. It seems that Italy has a lot of grapes, especially in the south, that they can’t use. So the grapes are made into a neutral

concentrate and they want everyone to use the stuff around all of Europe. Currently, beet sugar or cane sugar is used. Of course most wineries are against this measure. It doesn’t benefit anyone but the producer of the concentrate and the there’s the thought of a German wine containing 10% Italian grapes! I also learn that German wine law approved the use of “Private Reserve” on a bottle of wine starting in December 2008. Of course this has no meaning and once again the consumer is presented with yet another confusing wine label term. Sort of like Reserve having no legal meaning in the US on a wine label. Humph.

We finish with a treat, the 1997 Riesling Auslese. The wine is a mere 11 years old but sure tastes fresh like a fruit cocktail with a little mushroom and lively acidity. Gerd walks me through the cellar where I can see my breath it's so cold.

The Wehlen area of the Mosel is planted to Riesling, of which 99% is ungrafted original rootstock. I look at the trellising and see the vines are trained straight up on poles rather than in rows on wires, typical of this area.

And off we go toward the Rheinhessen. So much time, so little wine. Scratch that. Reverse it.

- Salamanzar

Germany & Austria Part III

2009-01-09T18:36:00.007-05:00

Germany & Austria Part III - January 8, 2009. Will someone please put on the heat around here? I am drinking cold Riesling all day long in -5º C weather. Germany heats their rooms with radiators, yes, radiators. Do you know how long it takes to heat a cold room with a radiator at this temp? We could make a killing installing heat pumps and vents in this country.

After Frank Heyden, Derek lets me take an hour catnap as the diesel Peugeot gurgles off to Ockfen in the Saar region, and the Dr. Fischer estate. We are greeted by the smiling and friendly, Karen Fischer, head of winemaking at her family’s home. Sitting at the round tasting table in the living room/tasting room/office, we run through nine wines including tank samples of the 2008 vintage still working after harvest, and then a glorious 1973 Riesling Spatlese. More on that later. The funny thing about Karen’s wines- even the sweetish ones taste dry, and that’s her style. Lots of acidity in proportion to any residual sugar so the palate tastes nearly dry, or in many cases it is dry. The wines are aged in giant 1,000 liter wood casks, used year after year. The wood does not impart flavor but keeps the wines round and lets them breathe through the barrel’s pores over time. In the cellar we see these giant, dark brown/almost black casks sighing with the new 2008 vintage slowly coming to life. The yeast are doing their thang and I notice the dripping water and icicles on the ceiling as we are underground.
Karen tours us through the “old” wines, laying in darkness like bones in a tomb. The bottles sit in cement cubicles with yellowed paper tags indicating the vintages: 1945, 1958, 1971, 1983... Some bins have just one bottle lying in wait. The corks are looking mealy, some bottles are leaking, ullage levels are low (air space in the neck of the bottle as wine evaporates) and the cobwebs and dust all make me feel like I am invading their privacy and peering into the opening of Egyptian tomb. Karen is gracious to pull one 1973 Spatlese and we go up to uncork it. The bottle is dead, so she makes a second trip to retrieve a replacement bottle and the nectar inside is a golden brown with tobacco and spritzy, lively acidity (after 35 years!), cinnamon, orange peel, and tastes fairly dry. What a treat.
Her backyard is the famous vineyard, Bockstein and she lets me take a photo of her with her “children” in the background and her warm smile up front. At dinner we discuss the new law allowing the use of just “Mosel” as a designation on a wine label. Previously, the wines always said: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, encompassing all three areas. Today the Mosel guys use Mosel, the Saar guys use Mosel but add “Saar Riesling” to the label and the Ruwer? We’ll they are like me, left out in the cold of Germany. The Ruwer wines have to say Mosel and can’t use their name on the bottle. As a result the wines of the Ruwer are nearly extinct. Ah, wine laws. When someone figures them out, let me know.

Wednesday morning we’re off to the Mosel region to taste with a new to me winery, Karp-Schreiber. We meet the son and father at the winery tasting room. Like Frank Heyden, Alwin Karp's son has gone to oenology school and is apprenticing with wineries around the world to bring back ideas. He has done a stint at Flower’s winery in CA and just got back from Spain.

This winter he is about to leave for Australia while their German vines sleep in the winter cold.

The winery was established in 1664 and today they have just 4.5 hectares of vineyards including part of the "Grand Cru" Juffer-Sonnenuhr vineyard. Outside their bay window I see the famous sundial in the Sonnenhur vineyard. The giant sun dial sits on the side of the hill for time keeping on sunny days, which is not now. The big joke in the town is when the newspapers announce that the dial has been changed from the winter to the summer correction, like our daylight savings. Apparently it makes the tourists ask lots of questions.

I am presented with a piece of slate (soon to adorn our overly crowded coffee table at the wine shop back home) from this famous vineyard area with a small hole in the center. These fossils are from the works using hand tools to break the ground for planting many, many years ago (1700s) and the metal picks would puncture small pieces. The black and blue slate is a defining soil characteristic of the Mosel. It heats during the day from the sun and reflects energy back to the vines at night, it adds a flinty quality to the vines, and with the vineyard’s southern facing exposure towards the Mosel river, the climate is moderated for optimal ripening. This slate is also the roofing tile found on roof tops throughout the entire Mosel region.

We plow through 16 wines this morning finishing. They are fantastic and completely different than the styles we have enjoyed so far on the trip. I am excited to bring a new winery back to NC this spring from the Mosel. We finish with the 2006 Juffer-Sonnenuhr vineyard Trockenbeerenauslese, or TBA for short. This wine is only made every few years and in small quantities. It is nearly always in a half bottle and wicked expensive. The selected grapes have suffered through Botrytis or Noble Rot, decreasing their moisture content and increasing their sugar ratios. The grape juice is so thick it takes much longer to ferment. This one is a carpet of honey, golden raisin, flan and a touch of caramelized pineapple. It’s a dessert on its own. The acidity is so high, that the wine actually finishes very clean and not syrupy, a work of art.

Curiously, in the 2005 harvest they attempted to make a TBA wine. The grapes came in at 265º Oechsle (This is the measurement of the grape must sugar weight. As a

comparison, his regular wines come in around 90º-100º and can be sweet. They let the grape must ferment for months as the yeast trudged through the sugar only to come up with 1% alcohol, a no go. Wanting to be helpful, I suggest the ancient technique of pouring in a Red Bull to jump start the yeast, but they had not heard of this used in Germany. I shrug. Hmm, guess the young Karp has more apprenticing to do.

- Salamanzar

Germany & Austria Part II

2009-01-08T18:21:00.008-05:00

January 7th, 2009 - I arrive in Frankfurt safe and sound from the overnight flight. Germany is six hours ahead of North Carolina, so I need to stay awake until bedtime to avoid the jetlag. No problem I feel great. I get through baggage and customs, walk out the door to the curb and wham! The frigid, cold air fills my nostrils and goosebumps cover my skin. I meet our German Estates contact, Derek Vinnicombe and he quickly informs me that the day started at -16º C, but it’s already warmed to -14ºC so things are looking up.

Derek came to Germany from England in the 1970s for “two years,” and never left. His English and German are perfect and he lives in Germany full time for his business. Derek helps us find the estate producers and is our contact for getting the wines exported to the US. He piles me and the baggage into the van and woosh were off on the Autobahn heading toward the Rheinhessen for the first tasting. Germany is the only country still without a speed limit on the highway. The Renault 4 cylinder fires away. It’s about 9 AM German time.

As we drive, I make some small talk and say, “wow, there’s snow on the ground, is this normal?" Derek replies, “We haven’t seen snow here in years.” I reply, “so I guess the eiswein will be great this year.” “Oh, no,” Derek quips, “It’s too cold to make eiswein.” Hmm, I think to myself. Eiswein = Ice wine and it’s too cold. “So Derek, what do you mean too cold and first snow in years?” Derek explains this is the coldest weather Germany has seen in almost 30 years. At this temperature the grapes are like rocks and can’t be squeezed. It actually has to be warmer to make eiswein. I am quickly surveying my suitcase clothing in my head. Jacket, hat, gloves, socks, long underwear.... I hope I will be covered...literally!

Our first stop is in Oppenheim with the young, dynamic rock-star winemaker, Frank Heyden of Dr. Heyden vineyards. These wines are a favorite of ours and Frank has recently taken over the winemaking from his father to completely re-invent the estate. His passion, enthusiasm and energy are boundless and we truly appreciate all that he is doing to make changes. Not too long ago the Rheinhessen region was a dying wine region. The old wine producers were stuck in their ways and the wines were decent, but not stand-outs. Then along comes the new guard, people like Frank, and suddenly the Rheinhessen is the talk of Germany. Frank has traveled the world to see how other regions make wine. He brings back ideas, concepts and new techniques to improve the family wines and takes the wines in new directions. Very exciting stuff, and he always has that sort of devilish grin when I ask questions like, “you aren’t planning on making a sekt (German “champagne”) too are you Frank?” And he disappears into the winery only to come skipping back with a bottle of Brut Prestige Riesling Sekt which is dry, fizzy and simply fantastic to drink. And I was only joking. And Frank is younger than me. I hate when that happens.

Frank takes me through no less than 13 wines before lunch. I taste current vintages, and tank samples of 2008 not yet in the bottle. His Dornfelder (red wine) is a blockbuster! I have never had such powerful, intense and beautiful Dornfelder, or German red wine for that matter. This stuff is deep reddish, purple in the glass and I immediately think of zinfandel sans high alcohol or oak. Spicy, peppery, juicy and totally dry, Frank has that grin and explains for years Dornfelder was the bulk, grocery red, junk wine produced by many large wineries. It’s the sort of “white zin” of Germany (my words, not his). But Frank sees potential after visiting Burgundy and Romanée-Conti, and how they train the vines on single canes. So Frank being Frank comes back to Germany to take a vine that normally produces 200+ hl/ha of juice and crops it down to 85 hl/ha or less. [A vineyard will boast about taking less fruit, but higher quality fruit from their vines. The amount of fruit the vines are producing is measured in how many hectoliters of juice per every hectare (2.47 acres) is pressed. The lower the volume of juice, the lower the yield and theoretically the higher the quality] And that’s just one example of his innovation.

Frank is also a serious red wine maker and makes outstanding Pinot Noir; the new 2006 Pinot is marvelous. The price is holding thanks to the Euro weakening so we hope to have some 2006 in Wine Authorities soon. We have sold two shipments of his 2005 in our first year of business. The 2008 rosé is this tank sample state is very pale and almost whitish-pink. Frank says that Blanc de Noir (white wine from a red grape) is fashionable in Germany right now, and what do I think about keeping the wine light? I love the flavor and aromas, but explain that we have a tough enough time teaching that not all pink wine is sweet and we stock the dry pink ones. Now you want me to sell a white Pinot Noir blend to people? And in about 2 minutes we all agree to make the wine pink like last year. Frank will be bottling the 2008 rosé for us in two weeks. Expect to see it late spring at Wine Authorities. And the morning carries on to whites until we have to break for lunch.

Frank’s mom is very kind to us and has prepared a deliciously sweet/savory/spicy carrot and hot pepper soup, perfect with Riesling. We move on to locally farm raised and smoked trout which Frank ordered and they smoked for us the day before, along with a variety of German sausages/cold cuts. We sit in the family dining room with a giant bay window looking lieterally out his backyard at the famous Sacktrager and Kreuz vineyards. Frank likes to mountain bike through them. I have to pinch myself as I am eating lunch with Bono, er I mean Frank, and his mom and Derek while looking at Red Rocks Stadium, err I mean, at his backyard. And this is why I suffer through these things...

It’s around 1:30 PM and we have to head to Ockfen to visit Karen Fischer at Dr. Fischer’s Estate. The jet lag is setting in and my head is bobbing like a bobble-Seth doll. To be continued... - Salamanzar

Germany & Austria Part I

2009-01-08T17:14:00.005-05:00

January 6, 2009 13:41 - Crucial first part of the trip to Germany and Austria has been accomplished. I had my first meal at The Varsity in downtown Atlanta. Key planning put me into Atlanta with a four hour layover before flying out to Frankfurt, plenty of time to grab lunch. A 20 minutes ride on the MARTA train from the airport to the North Avenue stop put me within a 3 minute walk to The Varsity, the worlds largest drive-in. If you haven’t been, they have been family owned since 1928 and the place covers two acres of land. On a Georgia football day, they serve 30,000 customers and over two miles of hotdogs, 300 gallons of chili, 5,000 fried pies and they are the worlds largest Coca-Cola outlet.

I already knew what I wanted as I approached the shiny stainless steel counter tops. The row of red paper boat-hat cashiers were waiting for customers as they filed in. When a cashier has a pause with no line in front of them, they start to yell out the signature “what’ll ya have? what’ll ya have?” That’s your cue to jump up and shout your order. I went with the combo deal of: chili cheese dog, chili cheese burger, F.O. (don’t call it a frosted orange), fries, and hot fried apple pie.
About three minutes later, I took my red tray back to an open table, gathered plenty of napkins and sat down with the bountiful goodness. These are actually small portions and I can see why someone with a bigger appetite would order two or three burgers at a time. They are only slightly larger than a “slider” which is about two bites. I grabbed the gynormous squeeze bottle of ketchup on the table and slathered the fries before digging in. The Varisty experience was enriching and girthening.

The burger was not a thick and juicy medium rare, but more of wafer thin disc on a soft bun with the heavily cumin laden chili. The hot dog was all beef, but one of the skinny weenies on a soft bun with chili and a slice of american cheese. The FO was a tall cup of orange creamsicle which had to thaw enough before I could consume and the fries were luke warm and a few of them a little under done. None-the-less, don’t get me wrong I loved it and just being there goes a long way. The apple pie was a miniature calzone of gooey apple filling with a chunk or two of apple and very oily from the deep frying experience, but it went down easily and happily. As I sat and let the FO thaw to a slush I decided I had to go back for a side of onion rings and these were fantastic. Large rings, very thin tempura like batter and now I felt complete. The rings were the final piece leaving me happy and fond of my Varsity experience as I rode MARTA back to the airport. Now onto Frankfurt... To be continued. - Salamanzar

Blessed with Bacon

2008-12-14T08:33:00.010-05:00

I received my holiday gift early from the Grand Poobah - a bacon sampler from the Grateful Palate. The four bacons I received are: Nodine's Smokehouse 10 garlic clove and Nodine's Double Smoked from CT; Edwards Cinnamon Apple Virginia Bacon; Loveless Cafe's Hot and Spicy Jalapeño bacon from Nashville; and Oscar's Applewood Smoked from NY. Having visited the Loveless Cafe years ago, this bacon has brought back special memories. You must go there for the biscuits, jam, bacon and nostalgia. The celebrity photos and stories are worth the trip alone.

We started with Nodine's 10 clove garlic bacon for the past two days. This is a slab of bacon cured with a garlic emulsion and actual whole cloves of garlic studded in the meat. The perfume has made my house smell, well heavenly, thus instructing the family not to open any windows or doors in the house to best preserve the aromas as long as possible. I am not sure how to describe this bacon. My writing skills won't do it justice. It's like writing about your first kiss

or my first sip of a Cote Rotie. Two loves, two passions combined into one - garlic and bacon. I may have to save the fat and put a little on my wrists before going to work each day. This bacon has a subtle sweetness followed by mellowed sublime garlic flavors which leads to a smoked finish. Absolutely divine, this is a dream come true. If you haven't figured out what to give the foodie in your family consider this bacon sampler. I now know how much the Grand Poobah really loves me.

Maybe 2009 should be the year Wine Authorities gets into the specialty bacon business? We could fly in 1 lb slabs from around the country and sell them to other Durham bacon lovers. - Salamanzar

Rare FORMAGGIO TORO UBRIACO (drunken bull cheese) arrives!

2008-12-12T11:57:00.003-05:00

Durham cheese maker Alessandra Trompeo has quickly received much international acclaim representing American raw cheese makers at the Slow Food Terre Madre event in Turin, Italy. Her "Duchessa" is our best selling cheese and she is a helluva nice lady to boot. We are proud to be the exclusive source for her latest cheese, Toro Ubriaco, or "Drunken Bull" in honor of our fair Bull City!

This cow's milk cheese is an aromatic, washed rind cheese, encased in Sangiovese must (the skins and seeds left over after the red wine making process) so it imparts a winey, fruity taste. Four and a half months in the making, we are extremely excited to debut this exotic, complex cheese starting today. It is made in one pound squares with grape skins intact and cut in half to show the inside and make it a more convenient size for couples. The cost is $21.99/pound (about $11 a piece).

ALESSANDRA HAS MADE ONLY 25 OF THESE CHEESES (50 halves). So please come soon if you are interested in getting some. They will sell out quickly!

Here's Alessandra's notes on the history of this type of cheese:

"The Drunken Bull has its origin in Eastern Italy. Several folk stories tell how the cheese was born. Someone links its origin to WWI when the farmers, trying to defend their stocks from the soldiers’ raids, would hide the cheese under grape skins. Others think that lack of resources is the main reason why the cheese was born. Being the oil to treat the cheese rinds very expensive, several families of farmers would use grape skins to keep the rinds moist and clean. The result was a very aromatic cheese that would last much longer.
There is also a story about a crooked cheesemaker who tried to hide some wheels from his boss dumping them into a fermenting must barrel. The cheese became then the strong point of that dairy and soon the trick of aging the cheese in grape skins became a habit in many dairies of the area."

Way Over Due

2008-12-07T13:39:00.014-05:00

Hi there and I apologize for the blog being left behind in the last month. We are way over due for an entry. November and December are the two busiest retail wine months and while that's not a great excuse, it's our reality.

The "State of Things" radio show's impact has been tremendous and we welcome all the new customers streaming in from around the Triangle and beyond. We are truly flattered and humbled by the number of people who have come to the store because they heard us on the radio and actually thought we sounded all right. As our good friend Sally put it, "we really have a face for radio."

More importantly we are getting our message out. We make no claim that all things corporate are bad. Heck we are an LLC and the wineries we represent are for-profit entities. It's also difficult for someone to change paradigms when there is not immediate physical evidence to prove the contrary. If we had a bottle of wine with an ingredient list that read like a Twinkie wrapper vs. a second bottle which stated, "made from grapes," the evidence would be compelling. Or if we had a person take a sip of wine and immediately start to convulse and then take a sip from another bottle and feel fine, we would really have something. But the reality is that we eat and drink things which don't necessarily have immediate short term effects and therefore we don't really see the harm or necessarily believe the item is "bad" for us even though long term effects can be considered harmful.

Probably the most compelling evidence we see on a day to day level are the people who claim no headaches or ill effects while drinking wine in small towns of Europe, but have serious side effects when coming back to the States and drinking a large corporate wine from a grocery store. We all have our sensitivity levels and tolerance levels. Some feel it, some don't.

The simple beauty of wine is that you actually can make it from grapes. Using the other additives are not necessary. That should be argument enough. For example, if you could buy an apple pie made from apples, flour, butter, sugar and spices vs. the pie made with loads of stabilizers, emulsifiers, and preservatives, and they both taste good, both cost the same, why choose the chemically added pie?

Maybe we need to have a 30 day challenge. If you currently drink some of the big brand wines on a regular basis, try drinking anyone's small producer, family owned wine for 30 days and see how you feel. Of course the opposite would work too, but I won't suggest drinking a Big Liquor Company (BLC) brand for 30 days. I already know how you will feel. Would John McEnroe be our spokesperson? - Salamanzar

Our first Live Broadcast Wine Tasting Dec 4

2008-11-12T21:23:00.003-05:00

Coming December 4th you can watch and taste with us live on the internet. We have three wines for you to purchase, take home, invite your friends to a wine tasting party and we'll taste together from our "living room" in the store to yours.

$3 Wal Mart Wine

2008-10-27T22:24:00.004-04:00

In the Dallas news there is an article showing the results of an informal taste test for Walmart's $2.97 bottles of Oak Leaf wine. I have not tasted the wine and don't intend to anytime soon. If you do read the article, and I hope you do, be sure to read all the way through including the follow ups on who makes the wine, the other brands they make, and then the scores and comments. The comment about the alcohol levels being moderate makes me think the wines could be a touch sweet, and that makes sense if you want to appeal to a large group. Look at Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Both of these are very popular and on the sweet side. Why do all these BLC (Big Liquor Company) brands come up with names using "leaf" in them? - Salamanzar

Blu Seafood Wine Dinner

2008-10-19T23:37:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, October 15th, we participated in a scary wine dinner with Chef/owner Tim and GM Eryk at Blu Seafood in Durham. The event was supposed to be in costume with scary food and wine. Actually most people showed up out of costume, but the food was outstanding and the wines were tasting great with Tim's menu. Here's a slide show from the event.

WA in the news

2008-10-19T20:31:00.010-04:00

We have been very fortunate to have a couple of mentions in local newsprint recently. First, the Independent Weekly, had an article by Jane Hobson Snyder titled, "Planning the Perfect Fall Picnic." Jane interviewed Chef John Toller of Bloomsbury Bistro, Chief Concierge Christopher Gould of Umstead Hotel and Salamanzar. Second, the News & Observer featured our Enomatic self-serve wine tasting machine in an article by Amber Nimocks. The article, "Expensive Tastes by the Glass," discusses our machine and mentions other wine shops with similar machines in the area. The Enomatic is from Italy and is the original, but now there is a competing machine from CA called the Wine Station. Also, we were interviewed on Thursday for Market Watch magazine for an upcoming issue. Regular readers know that's my favorite magazine for beverage industry fodder. -Salamanzar

Indy photo by DL Anderson; Enomatic photo by Larry Gottschalk

Two Special Holiday Treats

2008-09-28T11:33:00.008-04:00

A sneak peak for you - We are currently working on two special projects just for the holidays this year. 1. With Giacomo of Giacomo's Salumi, we are currently working on another limited edition, hand numbered salami for November. We did this last year and sold out in about 36 hours so we plan to double production. Each salami will be made with a unique recipe and a wine we sell in the store. You will be able to buy the wine and the salami at a special price as a set. 2. With Durham cheese maker Alessandra Trompeo, we will have a special square Italian style cheese with Grove Winery's Nebbiolo and Sangiovese grape skins. This cheese is in Italy is called Formaggio Ubriaco or drunken cheese. It doesn't have alcohol, but the name comes from aging it in the skins from wine grape pressings. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to their releases. -Salamanzar

Foxy Red - Buy in Now!

2008-09-28T11:23:00.009-04:00

This week we got the news that "Durham's House Red" aka Kit Fox winery's, Foxy Red, is probably going up in price starting in October. So we took extreme measures and bought all the remaining inventory at the old price, 28 cases. If you are a Foxy Red fan, now's your chance to buy in at the old price. These last cases qualify for the "Just-In-Case" 20% discount on solid 12 bottle boxes. - Salamanzar

Prost! Octoberfest/Oktoberfest is here

2008-09-14T13:33:00.012-04:00

As I sit here enjoying my third bottle of Bell's Octoberfest beer (not in a row), I have to express my enthusiasm for this malty beer. When I used to give beer tours, there were two points I tried to make clear. First, beer is like milk in that it has to stay cold, doesn't like light, and freshness really counts. Beer will expire. Second, beer is like fresh bread. It's made from wheat and at its best, malty style beers are like bread right out of the oven. That's what I taste in Bell's.

Octoberfest beers or as the Germans would write, Oktoberfest, may be misunderstood. The festival actually starts in September and finishes in October. It was the celebration for a king's marriage or was it a horse race? The details vary depending on your source. It may have been a marriage ending with a horse race. The festival runs 16 days or so. The beers served at Oktoberfest are all lagers and therefore the fruity and hoppy flavors are not as prevalent.

While Oktoberfest is traditionally a lager, not an ale, many US craft breweries go with an ale style beer because they are set up to brew ales and not lagers. Lagered beers require more storage and time in tank.

What I really dig about the Bell's is that unlike his other hoppy and fruity ales, this one really emphasizes the malt of a great lager and shies away from the fruity esters of some ale yeast strains. Without getting too technical, the brewer can use different ale strains to emphasize or de-emphasize the fruity flavors of an ale. A lager is brewed with a different yeast and typically does not show fruity flavors. I think it's an excellent example of a German Lager from a brewery that mainly produces ales. It is fresh bread in a glass.

As I am a hop head, but enjoy all great beers, Bell's Octoberfest is a nice change of pace to the malty side of life. Bell's is difficult to find this year, but other Octoberfest beers are around if you can't find this one.

Remember to always drink your beer from a glass. It really tastes better than from the bottle.

- Salamanzar

Alessandra's Cheese - Mah!

2008-09-07T00:05:00.004-04:00

One of our favorite cheeses and cheese makers was profiled in this past week's Independent paper. Alessandra Trompeo from Piemonte, Italy who now makes her Italian style cheeses here in Durham, had a great interview along with photos in the paper. We sell her Duchessa cheese - savory, buttery and firm with nice salinity - perfect with a glass of Barbera wine, in the store. Her cheese business is called La Casa dei Formaggi. You can read her article and meet her in the store Sept 10th, or buy her cheese any time we are open. - Salamanzar (The photo is Derek Anderson's from the Indy week article .)

Our First Birthday

2008-09-04T20:35:00.005-04:00

On September 10th we will start our second year of business. Wow. It has gone by fast and we have been thrilled by the community's support. Thank you to everyone who has shopped and keeps shopping at Wine Authorities.

We have a great party planned for Wednesday Sept 10th from 5 to 7 PM. Everyone is invited for Artisan Cupcake's cupcakes, sparkling wine, Alessandra Trompeo of Casa dei Formaggi Cheese will be sampling, Karen McCallister of Counter Culture Coffee will be sampling decaf, and we have Cotton the Clown for the kids. Everyone is welcome.

In the mean time we are celebrating our 1st birthday with a bump you up 1 discount level for the week leading up to our party. Buy 6 to 11 mixed/matched bottles and you go from 10% to a 15% discount, buy a mixed case of 12 bottles and go from 15% to a 20% discount and for our designated Just-in-Case wines, you go from 20% to a 25% discount. Thought you might want to know if you don't get our weekly email. - Salamanzar

Stone Brewery Launching in NC

2008-08-31T15:33:00.008-04:00

All the way from San Diego, CA the Stone Brewing Co. is getting ready to launch their beers in North Carolina. The launch date will start with a party for everyone at Tyler's Taproom in Durham at American Tobacco on Wednesday September 17th and the beer ships to Wine Authorities and other retailers on Thursday the 18th. Everyone is invited to the kick-off party at Tylers starting at 5 PM until close. They are bringing special beers just for the party along with their regular line up. They will have: Stone Pale Ale, Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Smoked Porter, Stone Levitation Ale, 2006 Double Bastard Ale, Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale, and the 2008 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine!

Wine Authorities will be selling the pale ale and the IPA in six packs to start, then work in seasonal products as they make their way from the West throughout the year. Come have a pint with us and the Stone folks at Tyler's. See you there. - Salamanzar

All You to Know about BBQ

2008-08-31T11:06:00.005-04:00

Thanks to our friend and customer, Nancy S., we have been enlightened by the videos by Rhett and Link on Youtube. This video in particular is a great summary of the BBQ styles/types that exist in the South. Since the Grand Poobah and I are BBQ lovers, we are going to have to learn all the words to this song and play it on the kazoo.

or click here: The BBQ Song

-Salamanzar

My Pick For Best Rose of 2008!

2008-08-25T21:23:00.006-04:00

Knowing what basket cases the Salamanzar and I are for dry rose, you had to see this coming. We've converted quite a few this year, and the battleground has become more friendly. I'd say half of the people, who we recommend pink wine to, are afraid as opposed to previous years when most of them were. Luckily, we've created an environment of adventurousness and safety in that people can randomly grab a bottle of something that they completely do not recognize, from God knows where, and still know that they'll get home with a great bottle of juice. There's trust between our customers and us, and we love it.

So here it is, from a region that produces almost no rose (Ribera del Duero), from a grape not renowned for good rose (Tempranillo). Like many pretty things from Spain, this one has a very long name.

Bodegas Penalba Lopez - Finca Torremilanos "Monte Castrillo" Ribera del Duero Rosado 2007. How's that for a mouthful?

First off, the color is amazing. It's a pale ruby, but there's definitely sparkles of lavender along the edge. It's a shockingly bright and pure color. Not that the color makes the wine taste any better, but this one has impact! Next, the aromas of cherry and raspberry really leap out of the glass. This is one of those wines where you can smell it from arm's distance while you are pouring or swirling it. Up close the smell has more depth, with guarana. If you've never had guarana (gwa-ra-nah'), it smells kinda like bubblegum, but it's a Brazilian berry that just happens to be loaded with caffein.

In the mouth, the fruit assault continues, but it's not overwhelming or alcoholic in any way. More like waves of fruit and wonderful, dry juiciness. There's the berries, but also orange citrus, and a slight hint of Balsamic on the finish. What I really love about it though is that the tinge of earthiness that Tempranillo is known for is still there, patiently in the background while all of the fruit and color are dancing in front of it. The earthiness is more mineral than anything else, but I do smell a touch of soil. Man! That much fruit, with restraint, while still showing the depth of minerals and earth?!? How can you not love it?

Unfortunately (or is it fortunately), this isn't one of those roses that you can just toss back while talking with friends. It's much too distracting for that. You must keep looking back at it, smelling the deliciousness, catching glimpses of enticement, returning again and again. (Your friends would really be annoyed at you for ignoring them.) You should share this bottle with someone who would also be willing to be take in it's majesty. Together you could enjoy it and behold this wonderful piece of produce, captured in a bottle, halfway around the earth. $15.99.

- Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Wine Spectator Busted

2008-08-20T21:49:00.005-04:00

I have not subscribed to Wine Spectator in years and don't read the magazine or pay attention to the scores. My reasons are three fold: 1. Matt Kramer's editorials ticked me off one too many times; 2. I think the scores are dumb and the descriptions are useless. In fact I have a theory that they use a bingo ball with 10 words and randomly pull out the same words to create each description. If you cover the names of the wines in a section, the reviews are nearly the same with the words changing their order; 3. I have met winemakers who stopped advertising in WS and suddenly their wines got poor reviews. I notice bigger ads seem to get bigger points too.

So it's no surprise to me that someone named Robin Goldstein recently did a little investigation on the Wine Spectators's restaurant awards. I should note that I have received the award of excellence when I worked at the Sienna and always wondered how did WS know if my wine list was real? Well, Robin did just that. He paid the fee ($250) submitted a fake wine list and fake menu for a fake restaurant and received the award of excellence. Making it even better is that many of the wines on the list he chose were intentionally poor wines reviewed by WS in previous issues with scores like 72 pts, 64 pts and 62 pts for example.

You can read his story at WS Award of Excellence. -Salamanzar

Bottle Schlock?

2008-08-16T10:23:00.014-04:00

Do the words "Hallmark television movie" or "Harlequin romance novel" strike fear in your heart? Do you know that feeling of general mediocrity, and the disappointing realization that you've just wasted hours of your life on something that completely lacks creativity or originality? I recently experienced these dreadful feelings during and after seeing Bottle Shock, the fairly well-reviewed wine movie that hit theaters Friday, August 15th. It's a film that plays more like a commercial for the beautiful California wine country than a feature worth repeat watching.

After reading these reviews and gullible-y swallowing them up, my anticipation was moderately high (I do have a slight interest in the subject matter). Although based on a true story, and a pivotal one in the wine world, the film is completely formulaic. The characters are not only one dimensional and poorly developed, they are complete caricatures. The "snobby French experts", the "humble farmers", and the "pompous Englishman" delve no deeper than the surface of these character types. The only exception is the part of Gustavo, the Mexican winemaker played by Freddie Rodriguez, who goes only slightly beyond the cardboard cutouts of the other characters. In Gustavo, you begin to get interested in his story before it's abandoned to focus on the primary storyline. For all of the main characters, you never get beyond the actors who are playing their parts. For me, forgetting about the actors acting enough to get lost in the story is paramount. It didn't happen here.

Again, the reviews for this movie have been very generous. After seeing this film, I couldn't help but draw an analogy to the wine press and the points system that so many people blindly believe is gospel. This movie may suit some, who may prefer their entertainment to be very familiar or even reprocessed and mild. The same can be said for some wines, and the wine press will definitely give those wines great reviews also, especially if they follow the standards set by Robert Parker and Wine Spectator and are more modern in style instead of traditional.

If you like your wine without soul, character and personality, then maybe this is your kind of movie. If you prefer them with teeth, style and interest, avoid this movie as if it was Barefoot Chardonnnay.

- Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Kelly - A Wine Hero

2008-08-06T22:40:00.006-04:00

Today's Independent Weekly features a story about NC wines. They assembled a tasting panel to blind taste NC wines and then published the comments by the group. Kelly Skaggs is my wine critic hero. Thank you Kelly for putting it like it is and putting it how you taste it. Way to stand up to "wine professionals" who beat around the bush, while you get to the heart of the matter. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to hear you speak.

My favorite Skaggs quote from the article, "I wouldn't drink it even drunk off my ass...Yes, it's easy to bash these things, but...people need to know, and people need...true, honest opinion. That's a crap wine, and I think people need to know honest feedback."

You can read Kelly's blog at Durham Foodie

-Salamanzar

I like bacon and I like Bourbon - Let's try them together!

2008-08-05T21:16:00.008-04:00

So I was watching the Food Network, and on some show they briefly mentioned a bartender that combined the great flavor of bacon with Bourbon. I figured I'd try it since it seemed like a great thing to do. The technique goes like this. 1. Make some crispy bacon and eat it, but reserve the warm bacon fat. 2. Pour the bacon fat into some Bourbon (I used Maker's Mark). 3. Let it come to room temperature and then refrigerate to congeal the fat, leaving the bacon flavored spirit. All went to plan, except some of the white bacon fat was free form and floating like little white pearls of love. I tried to filter it with a fine mesh filter but some got through. I really didn't want to drink this fat. So I went to the paper coffee filter method and finished with clear Bourbon. Now it is ready to drink! The Maker's definitely had a smoky bacon flavor which was delicious...if you really like bacon that is. - Salamanzar

Lunch at Mez in Durham

2008-08-04T20:24:00.007-04:00

Had lunch at Mez in Durham today. Thought I’d share the experience. A friend had recommended we stick to the apps/small plates on the menu as the entrées still need work, so we figured it was a perfect lunch opportunity.

If you have visited 518 West in Raleigh, the restaurant immediately makes you think of the same design. It’s the same owners, and the decor was pretty straight forward. It’s “nice.” Sort of chain looking, clean with straight lines and a carpeted dining room. There is a water wall with small pool in the back which was great entertainment for our baby.

We started with their margaritas. Fresh squeezed lime juice and made to order, they were very good. My only issue was the coarse Kosher salt on the rim that fell to the bottom, didn't dissolve and made the finish of the Margarita very salty. I couldn’t get to those last few drips of melting ice/watery margarita flavor as the drink came to an end. The wine list was not worth going into until that is greatly improved on.

The same friend recommended the guacamole. It was fine guacamole made from avocado, tomato, lime juice, etc, but nothing you haven’t had before. The chips were house made and very crispy, thin, warm and well salted. They had a great crunch and were not oily.

The next appetizer was the goat cheese/corn empañada with poblano rajas . It was very crisp and comprised of a half moon shape deep fried dough. Not like something I have had in Argentina, but very good with the tomatillo sauce beneath, these should be called Empañada Style perhaps. The slaw with a hint of fresh mint on the side was excellent. There were three half moons to an order. I’d order this again.

Next up carne asada soft tacos. These were a hit. The tortilla appeared to be hand pressed as it was doughy, soft and uneven in thickness. The meat inside was outstanding with great grilled and smokey flavors highlighted by chipotle. They were topped with fresh guacamole and very juicy with onions and tomatoes as well. Our portion had three tacos and my wife, who eats very little meat, fought me for the third taco.

We also had a child’s cheese quesadilla for our 14 month old. It was cheese and flour tortilla and she liked it. Our server said when we come back we have to try the Beef Brisket Vaquero, it was her favorite along with the Tilapia fish tacos.

Overall, a good lunch, not cheap but we went to “dine.” I’d go back, but not in a hurry to go soon. They are located just off Rt 40 on Page Road. Take a right at the end of the ramp and go to the top of the hill, on the right. Probably a good place to bring family for dinner out when those visiting are not necessarily foodies, but you don’t want to go to a chain.

Total for the meal with out tip: $54.74 -Salamanzar

Help Wanted

2008-08-01T22:11:00.002-04:00

Wanted to Hire: Passionate food and wine person with previous retail or customer service experience in any field. This person must love to work weekends, holidays and some evenings; love tasting wine and talking about wine; be creative with a sense of humor; able to lift 40 lb cases (one in each hand would be very impressive); and most importantly want a wine career with Wine Authorities. Too many benefits to fit into this small space. We are gearing up for the fall season and continuing to grow into 2009. Our "to do list" is long. How much do you want to take on? Please email résumé to: floatingheads@wineauthorities.com

Locopops/Wine Authorities wine-pops coming!

2008-07-29T22:03:00.004-04:00

Looks like the Salamanzar's vision from June 3rd will become a reality sometime in the next few weeks. Planning is underway for a series of Locopops made with wines from Wine Authorities. Possible initial flavors include Torrontes and a Dry Rose to be sold in limited quantities on Saturdays. Stay tuned to this Bat Channel!

- Grand Poobah Wine Swami

So Goes Chateau Montelena

2008-07-25T08:11:00.006-04:00

News was just released that the famous Chateau Montelena winery in Calistoga, CA (Napa) has been bought by a French Bordeaux estate/corporation. The irony is that in 1976, it was the Barrett's family and Ch. Montelena that produced the Chardonnay to rock the world of wine and beat French Burgundies in the famous Steven Spurrier tasting of 1976. This is the tasting the movie Bottle Shock is based on, released in August. Here's the link to the story, Revenge of Paris. The article states that Jim and Bo Barrett will no longer be a part of Montelana. This is another moment of great wine history slipping away in Napa's wine legacy. Perhaps with the Euro being so strong right now, American "things" are looking really cheap to buy! -Salamanzar

State of the Estate Philosophy

2008-07-22T00:03:00.001-04:00

I make no pretense that an estate wine automatically means the wine will taste good. I have also had lots of home-made food which was not to my liking! We regularly taste wine, and just this week after sampling seventeen estate-grown wines in one morning, we found only two which met our standards for quality, flavor, typicity, and value. We are very selective.

Corporate owned wines are not all bad and can be quite nice to drink in some instances. At Wine Authorities we choose not to support these Big Liquor Company (BLC) wines because they usually represent chemical winemaking vs. grape winemaking; marketing based on label designs and color vs. quality of wine; and we want to support small farmers who grow their own grapes and make their own wine. I cannot argue taste with as that is subjective. However, I can assert the BLC use of chemicals which harm the land, the chemicals used to adjust the wine's color, flavor, and aromas, the overpriced costs of wines which support the large corporate overhead, and the intentional manipulation of the market to make certain styles popular and trendy.

Our store also focuses on estate wines to distinguish ourselves in the market. We want to offer a new wine experience to the consumer and to show some of the nearly 4,000 grapes used in winemaking around the world. There are people who enjoy wines made from Friulano, Godello and Mencía. The BLCs put very little to no effort in making these wines available in the market. If these grapes are not supported they risk becoming "extinct" leaving us with Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet choices.

The word "corporate" continues to get a bad rap, but I don't think all things corporate are bad. I just think corporate wine making leads to cutting corners and cutting costs to the detriment of wine, wine culture, human culture and human health. My gosh, we could be facing the downfall of human kind through bad wine!

- Salamanzar

NC 2008 Vintage - early report

2008-07-14T21:09:00.008-04:00

Max Lloyd, the owner of Grove winery in Gibsonville, NC (outside Greensboro) came into the store this weekend to buy some wine. I asked Max how the 2008 vintage was looking for him and he explained it was great up until two weeks ago when the rain started.

Max explained that grass is the vineyard is used to help control moisture to the vine and ultimately the vine's growth. Here on the East coast, we usually have enough rain during the season so in the vineyard they grow grass in between the rows and right up to the actual vines. This allows grass to soak up extra moisture and control the vine's vigor.

The 2008 season started out looking dry, so to fine tune the rows, vineyard managers removed grass close to the vines allowing more rain to soak the vine. Now that we have had a bunch of rain, too much water is getting to the vines.

On the West coast, rain water is a premium, so the rows have very little or even no grass. By having only dirt or gravel the maximum rain water gets to the roots.

Let's hope things improve for Max and his vines. -Salamanzar

What The Hell Is Vintage Prejudice?

2008-07-14T21:03:00.009-04:00

Why doesn't anyone appreciate gray anymore? Few things in life are black and white, but most people still love to bundle up everything into tidy little, easy to understand groups. Good or Evil; Sad or Happy; Conservative or Liberal; Good Vintage or Bad Vintage. The world is not black and white, and the many grays and even colors of situations are what make life so dynamic and curious.

For the good vintage/bad vintage scenario, most critics and wine professionals continue to perpetuate prejudice or favoritism so that they can quickly categorize wines into quality categories without even opening bottles. Those wine professionals and consumers who continue to value critics opinions more than their own, are most susceptible of falling into the trap of absolute generalizations. "This is a great vintage for Tuscany. It's a 95 point vintage!" Wow, that makes it easy. Just like Consumer Reports reviewing a hair dryer. "I'll only buy Tuscan wines from this vintage." Says Joe Retailer. "Don't even bring me something from that other vintage." Seth and I have sold to this character in our previous life working for importer/distributors, and there are far, far more of them than the rare alternative.

Joe Retailer, and his buddy Jane Restauranteur, love to prop up their selections with reviews from respected critics and their absolute points, and when those reviews aren't available for a specific wine, it can quickly be substituted with a review of the vintage instead. Joe and Jane are not confident in their ability to make selections based on their own senses. Instead they use points and sell to their customers (who most often don't even need more convincing), using other peoples opinions instead of their own. (Most consumers really want the opinion of the person making the recommendation, not the anonymous critic whose points they're referencing.) But once the consumer has been taught to value these points, the opinion of the salesperson no longer matters. But that's a story for another post. Back to the subject of vintages...

In our previous retail and restaurant lives Salamanzar and I were not confident enough in our own opinions and sometimes fell into that same inexperience rut. We sometimes used the "crutch" of critics points and sold to customers while using terms like "good vintage". For us though, during these formative years, our integrity nagged at us. It felt like our communcation during those moments was tainted. When we finally sat beneath the Pippala tree and came up with Wine Authorities, our enlightenment brought us to some firm conclusions including:

#28a - Our customers would not trust us anymore than Joe and Jane if we hid behind the opinions of anonymous critics instead of standing behind our wine selection based entirely on our OWN opinions. (This would establish a relationship with our customers based on trust and mutual respect and inspire repeat business.)

Therefore, we would greet each wine we tasted without having preconceived opinions, especially based on vintages. There's a sage quote in the wine business, even if it contains one of those generalizing phrases: "A great winegrower can make a great wine even in a bad vintage." Good, but what is a good wine, and what is a bad wine to the person who first said this. Is a good wine one which is powerful and ripe? Does it have to age well? Is it a dark red wine, or a thick white wine? Is that what makes them good? How about the bad wine? Is a light wine bad? Is a simple wine bad? Is a wine meant to be consumed in its youth bad?

For us, it mainly came down to pleasure and honesty. Does the wine give us joy? Did it do it without manipulation, tampering or additives? Like a classic virtuoso musician who can make you feel the passion beneath the music, or the blues musician who can make you feel the grit and pain behind it, we were making our selections by asking questions like "How much soul does this wine have?" and "Would I want to drink an entire bottle of this?" Those questions led to us turning down many wines that our peers were flocking to and fighting over. Big, fat, powerful wines built like Humvees on Atkins diets. The more those wines tasted like some caricatured, homogenous Pamela Anderson ideal that gets 100 points, the more we were looking for ones that were distinct and interesting, delicious and quirky. Wines we could fall in love with, instead of lust for then be exhausted of by the end of the first glass.

Here's a generalization for ya: In general the "good vintages" are hot and dry and make powerful wines with elevated alcohol contents and thick textures. The "bad vintages" are lighter and less fruity, less lush but more distinct, sometimes to a fault, sometimes to great elegance. Our favorites have become the vintages in between, where the balance of a typical vintage gives the wine a chance to show it's character and soul (if it has one). For mass production wines, a typical vintage means the wine will taste "fine" or "okay". For wines made by artisans, a typical vintage is like a perfect canvas on which a masterpiece can be uncovered.

We've gotten so comfortable tasting wines from all types of vintages and selecting them on their own merits that the vintage has become merely a way to identify one wine from its predecessor and successor, not its defining characteristic. Somebody asked me today for a vintage chart at the store, and for a moment I was confused. My first thought was "Why would you need one of those? We've tasted all of the wines in here, and they're all delicious in their own way. We're not hiding anything from you." But reality quickly kicked in. "This isn't someone who gets what we're doing yet, a new customer. They need some advice, and they're coming to us after becoming accustomed to a vintage prejudiced environment that [Joe and Jane] perpetuated." It was an opportunity to teach, an opportunity to break someone free from tidy groupings, and an opportunity to develop trust and hopefully a relationship with a new customer. They bought a Bordeaux from 2002, a supposedly bad vintage, and I clearly explained that to them. I extolled the doubtful couple on its virtues and charms. They'll drink it soon and pay close attention to it. Probably more than they would if it was from a more lauded vintage. I'm confident that they will come back and let me know how much they enjoyed it, they almost always do. Having a paradigm shift like this often endears them to us, and it's one of the most rewarding parts of doing what we do; building regular customers and being more than just Joe Retailer. - Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Three Tiers and the NC Alcohol Laws

2008-07-09T09:35:00.001-04:00

Post Prohibition, the government set up a three tier system to control the flow and sale of alcohol in the US. This setup has minor variations state by state and even county by county (Lynchburg Tennessee, home to Jack Daniels, is actually a dry county). The three tiers are 1. the point of origin (winery/brewery/distillery), 2. the distribution (wholesaler delivering the alcohol) and 3. the retail point (retailer or restaurant). The laws prevent anyone from controlling all three.

The reasoning behind the three tiers was to prevent monopolistic alcohol production, distribution, and retail/restaurant sales. In other words post prohibition, the bad guys would've been able to make the beer, deliver the beer to the bar on the corner, and own the bar; thus controlling all alcohol sales and eliminating competition. With the tier system we have an open market and the same bar could then offer all kinds of beer rather than just one brand. It also affords the opportunity for entrepreneurs to create different spirits, beers and wines with options to get them out to the public.

Again, this is the theory, but there are gray areas and places where at face value it sure looks like someone controls the entire market. You may have visited a town where you can't seem to find any small brewer beers, non-mass market wines or specialty spirits.

In North Carolina the retailers and the restaurants all buy from the same distributors. We have something like 60+ distributors in this state. That's an outrageous number. There are brands which the distributors have divided region by region making the maze even more confusing. For example the distributor which sells Veuve Clicquot in the beach area is different than the Triangle area and again different in the Triad area. I have experienced a wine being sold out in the Triangle, while in Greensboro, there is plenty, yet I can't buy any from that distributor. NC retailers can't sell to restaurants and vice versa.

If you are looking for a certain wine and one wine shop makes an inquiry to find out that the wine is sold out, then it's sold out for everyone. We don't have options to find other sources. Also, not every wine is available in NC. If you traveled to another state and tried a wine, we don't have the option to call someone and get that same bottle unless it's already distributed in NC. We can't call a winery and say ship us a bottle for the customer. That wine has to go through a distributor. A distributor cannot sell a bottle to the public directly. All wine has to be registered with state and go through label approval, all of which takes time and money, so a distributor is not going to order that bottle or case of wine, just for us as a special favor.

And of course all spirits are controlled by the state ABC system, but there is a strong belief that this will be changing to private ownership in the not too distant future. Mega distributors like Southern Wine and Spirits are working to see that changes happen in our state and then the flood gates will open. Just imagine how the Costcos and Sam's clubs will have to expand to carry the pallets of vodka, gin, bourbon and tequila on the sales floor.

One common exception to the three tiers system is that some states do allow self distribution by their local wineries and breweries when folks come to visit them, and to local restaurants. -Salamanzar

Bottle Shock - the Movie

2008-07-06T18:49:00.004-04:00

There's a new film coming out, August 6th, which tells the story of the 1976 Steven Spurrier blind tasting "The Judgement of Paris" which pitted CA wines vs. French wines and the Americans won. The film stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Rachel Taylor and Freddy Rodriguez. You can view the trailer here: Bottle Shock I think we need to organize a WA event around a movie night. -Salamanzar

What are you cooking for July 4th?

2008-07-03T10:22:00.003-04:00

Just curious if you have a favorite or traditional dish you like to make for the Fourth of July weekend? Maybe a twist on a burger or hotdog? I thought I would ask the throngs and hordes* of our readers for ideas. We love to eat and are always on the lookout for interesting ideas. You don't have to post exact recipes, but you are welcome to. Be sure to let us know what you are drinking with your dish too. - Salamanzar

*Throngs and hordes refers to the six or eight people who actually might read this. But let's not get too tied up in these definitions. I am pretty sure my mom doesn't even read this blog.

Rhymes with Heritage

2008-06-30T08:07:00.004-04:00

One wine term we frequently hear mispronounced is the word Meritage. This is actually an American marketing term created by combining Merit with Heritage. Folks frequently try to give it a French sound by pronouncing it Mer-i-TAHJ, as in the Taj Mahal, but it actually rhymes with heritage and is pronounced MER-i-tidge.

A Meritage is a blend of grapes in the Bordeaux style - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec for the reds and Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sauvignon Vert for the whites. The organization was created in 1988 and you have to pay to use this on your wine label and become a member of the organization.

Unfortunately, the mispronunciation is propagated throughout the wine world daily, even by wine professionals and in wine shops. Let's start getting it right in Durham and spread the word in proper English outward! -Salamanzar

Top Beer Brand Sales 2007

2008-06-22T09:34:00.005-04:00

In a former career I was a brewer for Goose Island brewery in Chicago. Back then we often talked about our beer output at the pub being somewhere between 2,500-3,000 barrels of beer per year. [1 barrel of beer = 31 gallons which is two standard kegs you see behind a bar or at a keg party] For comparison, I would talk about the Budweiser company producing 97 million barrels per year on the brew tours. Today the craft beer industry is still a tiny fraction of the total beer market.

So I took a look at where things are today with beer sales. Again, Market Watch magazine is a great source for these stats. Here are the top beer brands in the US for 2007 in million barrels (31 gallons or 2 kegs).

Bud Light (Anheuser-Busch) 41.2 million barrels
Budweiser (A-B) 23.2
Miller Lite (Miller Brewing Co.) 17.9
Coors Light (Molsoon Coors Brewing Co.) 16.3
Natural Light (A-B) 9.1
Corona Extra (Crown Imports [Constellation/Grupo Modelo]) 8.1
Busch (A-B) 6.5
Busch Light (A-B) 6.0
Heineken (Heinekin USA) 5.0
Miller High Life (Miller Brewing Co.) 4.9

Other beers made up for 66.6 million barrels

So total beer sold in the US for 2007 was 204.8 million barrels. AB accounted for 86 million barrels of the top 10 beer sales. Once again they prove, they are the king of beers. You can see all the AB brands listed here. Keep scrolling down to see them all! - Salamanzar

Pop's Pizza at Home

2008-06-20T21:17:00.008-04:00

My wife surprised me and ordered Pop's pizza delivered for the first time to our house tonight. (She is insisting that I explain it was because we have a 13 month old daughter and she couldn't get it together to make dinner. Okay, so we don't eat like kings every night.) Anyway, when we sat down for dinner, she had a pizza in the oven on a sheet pan, so I figured we were having some sort of frozen Amy's or something. I took a bite and immediately knew something was not the same. I asked her which flavor of frozen pie we had and she said, "ha!, It's not frozen, it's Pop's Backdoor take out." She admitted she had a tough time deciding which pizzas to order considering the specialty pizza choices on the menu. There's a great package deal with a large specialty pizza, two salads and a bottle of wine for $40. The decision was made to go with the Margherita plus proscuitto and the Polpette: house-made meatballs, broccoli rabe, roasted garlic and Parmesan. Both were 10" size @ $10 per piece. We were in the free delivery zone as an added bonus. Delivery time was quoted at 45 minutes and they were right on time.

I have to say I was really happy with the pizza flavors. I won't comment on the crust because I was late getting home from work, so she had to keep them warm in the oven. We have a gas oven which means lots of moisture in the heat and let's just say the crust was a bit floppy. But that has nothing to do with Pop's. The toppings were generous, flavorful and very well done. Every bite had all the flavors and things like the meatballs were not sparse. We also had Caesar salad and two small gelato cups.

It was a decent meal and worth experimenting with the menu in the future to taste which pizzas travel well and which fit my palate the best. I look forward to more pizza from the backdoor. -Salamanzar

The "F" Word and the "C" Word

2008-06-19T07:43:00.007-04:00

Customers are often surprised when they make their first trip to Wine Authorities and frequently use the F or C words. While I think they mean it complementarily, we don't like to hear "is this a franchise?" or "is this a chain?"

I think it's because of the way the store is presented. Folks are not used to an independent wine shop looking clean, being organized, having proper signage and appearing bright and colorful. I am not saying that a franchise or chain is a bad thing. If we can spread the word about estate-grown wines by having multiple stores, then we are all for that. Unfortunately we have seen many wine chains & franchises come and go, that we don't want to be a part of that group. If we do go in that direction one day, we will certainly be TOTALly different.

So if you come in, know that it's just two guys from Durham with a passion for wine and a need to support farmers who grow grapes and make their own wine. -Salamanzar

We Promised You a Rosé Garden

2008-06-17T08:14:00.008-04:00

Finally, enough of our pink wines have arrived to build the Rosé Garden. I built my first retail rosé garden wine display around 1998 or 1999. It was a big deal then as the notion of dry pink wine was strange in this country. While getting people to try pink wine is a bit easier today, it is still a foreign notion to many of us, ten years later.

I am thrilled to have the garden back, complete with garden gnome, Tiki torch, flowers and lots of pink bottles of wine. This display is right inside the front door and will feature dry pink wines all summer long as they come and go. Wines range in price from about $7.99 to $15.99 per bottle. We don't even know all of the wines yet to come as we are still tasting and seeking the best of the pink. -Salamanzar

Part III: BLC Import's Growth for 2007

2008-06-08T08:15:00.009-04:00

This is the last installment on BLC 2007 growth (Big Liquor Companies) for now. If you haven't read parts I or II you may want to start there.

The trade magazine, Market Watch, also featured the top imported wine growth brands of 2007. These are wine brands which showed the most growth over 2006 in 12 bottle case depletions. Many of these names are familiar faces on ethnic restaurant wine lists, on grocery store shelves and featured in the price clubs. Most of them are "fake" brands created to fit a niche, especially for the sweet driven American palate. In my experience, many of these wines aren't even known in the countries from which they come. In other words, the locals don't even drink the stuff. They just ship it to the US.

Top Growing Imported Wine "Hot Brands" 2007 from Market Watch

Brand - (Import Company) - Cases growth

Cavit (Palm Bay International) 3,355,000 cases
Little Penguin (Foster's Wine Estates) 1,140,000
Mezzacarona (Prestige Wine Imports) 870,000
Verdi Spumante (Carriage House Imports) 775,000
Santa Margherita (Terlato Wines International) 635,000
Banrock Station (Centerra Wine Co [Constellation Brands]) 530,000
Real Sangria (Shaw Ross International Importers) 425,000
Castello di Gabbiano (Foster's Wine Estates) 360,000
Greg Norman Estates (Foster's Wine Estates) 355,000
Kim Crawford (Icon Estates [Constellation Brands]) 260,000
Nobilo (Vintas [Constellation Brands]) 250,000
Wolf Blass (Foster's Wine Estates) 230,000
Trapiche (Frederick Wildman & Sons) 220,000
Relax Riesling (Schmitt Söhne) 200,000

Again, these are brands which showed top growth, not necessarily top sales for imported wines. The volume of cases is far and away beyond most of the estate grown wines which we feature at Wine Authorities. When a winery is working at these numbers, quality is maintained with extra chemicals, color additives and stabilizers rather than being made from just grapes. I like wine made from grapes. But I guess I am grape nuts. -Salamanzar

Roséism

2008-06-07T21:29:00.010-04:00

As of Saturday, Salamanzar and the Grand Poobah Wine Swami have been ordained official clergy in the Church of Rosé wine. As clergy of Rosé (i.e. dry pink wine vs. blush- the sweet awful pink stuff), it is our mission to convert the non-believers to Roséism. Non-believers are defined as those who look at a pink colored wine and run away screaming because they assume it is sweet. Our belief is held on three principles as stated in the temple scriptures. 1. Everything pink in life is good; 2. Rosé is not to be taken seriously, but seriously drunk. 3. When we meet someone who thinks pink wines are sweet, it is our obligation to teach them about dry-rosé.

Our daily service ends with this prayer: We'd like to teach the world to drink, dry rosé pink wine. We'd like to buy the world a glass and keep folks happy all the time. That's the pink thing. [repeat until the bottle is empty]

Rosé is just a color. And these wines go by other names like Pink, Rosado, Vin Gris, Rosato, Kretzer, and Weissherbst to name a few. Well-made pink wines are based on a red skinned grape(s). They have all the best qualities of a white wine with some of the qualities of a red wine. By letting the red grape skins soak in the wine for a short period, the wine takes on a pink color. If the same wine were to have the skins left in longer, the wine would become fully red. Most rosé wines are fermented dry or nearly dry making them easy to drink, very food friendly, and a great compromise between red and white wines, especially in warm weather. However, we preach year round pink drinking.

You can read more of our thoughts on pink wine in an article in Fifteen-501 magazine. Scroll to the bottom of the page when you get there.

Now seeking disciples... -Salamanzar

ABSOLUTely outrageous money

2008-06-04T10:34:00.002-04:00

This just in. Pernod Ricard, one of the BLCs I have referred to in the global world of wine and spirits, has just purchased Absolut Vodka. Analysts projected the selling price might go around $7 Billion. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for...$8.83 Billion. Gulp. More evidence that the wines Wine Authorities seek out, support and are passionate for, are literally just a drop in the ocean of BLC supported wines. -Salamanzar

Locopops also Helps Your Wine Palate

2008-06-03T07:22:00.004-04:00

Finally had some free time to get my first Locopops of the season (2600 Hillsborough Rd, Durham). I had the tangerine/basil which was excellent, but also was intrigued by the plum/black currant pop. These are two flavors commonly described in Argentine Malbecs and also found in some Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. While it wasn't my favorite tasting Locopop of all time, it was excellent for identifying these two wine descriptor flavors.

This pop was very dark in color appearing purple and black and tasted of very bright plum and currant flavors. Since they don't use sugar in their pops, this one actually had some tannin from the fruit's skins and wasn't particularly sweet tasting, but very fruity tasting. We often talk about the fruit of a wine, but we do not mean it tastes sweet. Fruit vs. sugar are two different things. I'd like every wine drinker in the Triangle to please go buy a small plum/black currant Locopop and taste it so they can learn about these flavors and the difference between fruit and sweetness, please. Maybe we should ask them to do a series of "wine flavor" pops and sell them at Wine Authorities as an "educational" tool? - Salamanzar

Three More Durham Converts

2008-06-01T18:28:00.005-04:00

Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting Mike, Mariana and their 14 month old, Tommy, at the wine store. They are self proclaimed foodies and serious wine lovers. Today they live in CA, but soon they will be new Durhamites. Mariana is a sommelier originally from Argentina. Mike works in the tech industry and they have an opportunity to move to the Triangle since his company has offices here. With the cost of living so high in CA they were interested in moving to NC to grow their family and as Mike put it, actually get ahead by affording a house.

Their preliminary research led them to considering Cary and Raleigh for housing, but after a few days of driving around and hearing good things about Durham, they came westward to check it out and that's when I met them at the shop. They had heard about Wine Authorities from people in CA, which was surprising for me. After hearing their story, I preached the Durham gospel and in a few hours, they agreed Durham seemed like a better suited home for their lifestyle. They wanted to know more. I gave them a list of blogs to check out when they got home. We also offered to spend some time with them on Sunday to show off the city.

Sunday we pointed out the finer points of Durham even further, and after a few beers at Tyler's in American Tobacco, they are leaving for California ready to make plans to move to Durham. They will be a welcome addition to the local scene of great people making up our fabric.

I love wine. It's been a source for meeting some of the best people in the world. - Salamanzar

Market Watch Part II - The BLCs

2008-06-01T07:41:00.014-04:00

The majority of the world's wine is controlled by the Big Liquor Companies (BLCs) around the world. These empires make far more money selling spirits than wine, but having wine allows them to fill trucks, control restaurant wine lists and has relatively little additional costs since they already have warehouses, sales people, offices and trucks on the road. Some of the BLC names include Diageo, Foster's Group, Constellation Brands, Bacardi USA, E&J Distillers and Pernod Ricard. Just how much money and control are we talking about here? Diageo recently bought 50% ownership in Ketel One Vodka for $900 million and Bicardi USA bought the name and logo for Grey Goose vodka for $2.2 billion. That's just the name, not the distilleries or the recipe. In fact the recipe is irrelevant for spirits like vodka. It's all about marketing and image.

Here are the top spirit growth brands of 2007 from Market Watch:

Smirnoff (Diageo) 9,290,000 cases
Captain Morgan (Diageo) 6,335,000 cases
Jose Cuervo (Diageo) 4,290,000
Crown Royal (Diageo) 4,150,000
E&J Brandy (E&J Distillers) 3,720,000
Grey Goose (Bacardi USA) 3,325,000
Svedka (Constellation) 1,600,000
Patrón (Patrón Spirits Co.) 1,580,000
Seagram's Vodka (Infinium Spirits) 890,000
Three Olives (Proximo) 885,000

Other top growth brands you may know in the list: Burnett's Vodka, Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita, Jameson, UV, Admiral Nelson, Pinnacle.

Again, these are not the top selling brands, just the brands with the most growth in 2007. Remember there are brands like Maker's Mark, Jack Daniel's, Sky, Ketel One, Jägermeister, Jim Beam, Jose Cuervo, Jameson, etc. still out there strong.

When you add up the numbers involving spirits it's easy to see why the wine business is a side thought. It takes pennies or nickels to make many of these spirits. They sell for premium prices in the $20, $30, $40 or more range. The top growth wines sell for dollars or at least under $15 in most instances and cost far more to produce per bottle.

Most spirits drinkers are loyal to a brand for image, but are told they are drinking for flavor. Case in point the popular Tanqueray commercials right now featuring "Tony Sinclair." The image they project is that drinking their gin is cool and therefore tastes better.

BLCs exist in NC right now through wine on most retail store's shelves and in the ABC stores, but their presence is more behind the scenes. They are working right now to get laws changed and move into NC in a big way. We will most likely see the state run ABC store go away in the near future and then everything will change in NC when it comes to BLCs and their presence here. We will see giant liquor warehouses move in, the price clubs will sell liquor and the wine playing field will change radically, dramatically and rapidly.

Fortunately not all wine is owned by the BLCs and you can find honest brands, real wineries and estate grown wines still in the world. That's what we do at Wine Authorities. Our mission is to represent estate grown wines from around the world. Most of these wines won't fit the BLC model. - Salamanzar

Market Watch - Top Growth Brands

2008-05-30T20:41:00.007-04:00

There is a trade magazine for the beverage industry called Market Watch which gives a glimpse into the global reality of the beer, wine and liquor world. This magazine reports on major brands and follows new releases, trends and growth. The April issue with "hot brands" from 2007 is a real eye opener. At Wine Authorities we work with wines on a smaller scale. Sometimes we buy a wine that is very limited, perhaps as little as 10 cases available, or perhaps we buy 50 or 75 cases of 2,000+ available.

Looking at the top growth wine brands for 2007 is staggering. These are wines which had the largest increases in their sales of 9 liter cases (12 x 750 ml bottles) over their 2006 depletions. Here are the top 10 brands for growth:

Peter Vella (Gallo) 5,940,000 cases [that's almost 6 million cases!]
Barefoot Cellars (Gallo) 4,000,000
Foxhorn (Wine Group) 2,950,000
Chateau Ste. Michelle (Ste. Michelle Wine Estates) 1,760,000
Crane Lake (Bronco) 1,200,000 [Bronco also makes Two Buck Chuck for Trader Joe's]
Smoking Loon (Don Sebastiani & Sons) 1,190,000
CK Mondavi (C Mondavi & Sons) 1,190,000
Fish Eye (Wine Group) 950,000
Sterling Vintner's Collection (Diageo Chateau & Estate) 900,000
Black Box (Constellation Brands) 795,000

Other brands on the top growth list frequently seen in NC are Estancia, Rodney Strong, Mirassou, La Crema, Pepperwood Grove, Chateau St. Jean, Menage a Trois, Toasted Head, Concannon, Foxbrook, Simi, Castle Rock, Red Truck, Edna Valley, Big House, McManis, 3 Blind Moose and Gnarly Head to name a few.

Keep in mind these brands are not necessarily the top selling wines. These are just the top brand increases for 2007. It's scary. Why?

Let's say you make a great apple pie by hand, taking care to select the apples, peeling the apples, make the crust with the best ingredients, use the freshest spices, etc. Now make 5 pies. Okay, it's do-able. It will take time but it can work. Now make 100 pies or 1,000 pies. How do you do it and be sure they all come out, they all look the same, they all taste the same? Maybe you buy pre sliced apple cinnamon filling, buy par baked crusts and bake them in an assembly line oven. Will the quality be the same? Probably not. -Salamanzar

French Winegrowers coming to visit WA.

2008-05-22T22:38:00.001-04:00

Just got an email from our good friend and importer Franck Agostini that he may be bringing some of our winegrower friends from France on a visit this Fall. I'm sure that the Salamanzar and myself will make a big deal about this. Most likely an event to introduce them to our customers and the store. Many wines will be tasted, French food consumed (likely), and many of our customers will now get to associate a friendly face and rugged hands to go with the delicious wine they have been purchasing since we opened. Here's who's coming (tentatively):

Jerome Choblet - Domaine des Herbauge (Muscadet, Loire)

Frederic Leydet - Chateau Leydet Valentin/Chateau Valois (St. Emilion/Pomerol)

Stephane or Laurent Gouron - Domaine Gouron (Chinon, Loire)

Philippe Durand - Chateau Rocher Cap de Merle (Bordeaux)

Christine Dupuy - Domaine Labranche-Laffont (Madiran/Pacherenc du Vic Bilh)!!!

Of course busy Franck and his pointy-toed shoes will be with them as well. He was a huge hit at our "Every Bordeaux Open" event this past winter, I'm sure his fans will be back in attendance. - Grand Poobah Wine Swami

Niman Ranch Chipotle Cheddar Sausages

2008-05-17T20:50:00.004-04:00

I just tried for the first time, Niman Ranch pork Chipotle Cheddar sausages. We bought them at the Super Target on 15-501/Southsquare and grilled them for dinner. Wow! I was expecting the usual sort of dry, mild/bland sausage we usually get and these were seriously flavored, incredibly juicy with squirt in your mouth fat in the most beautiful way. I did a double take when I took my first bite. This is a real sausage that brings the flavor in a big way and is not afraid of fat for a moist, juicy experience. You gotta try these. And incidentally I had an open bottle of Don Rodolfo Torrontes 2007 to go with the sausage and the wine held up to the flavor marvelously. I was surprised. -Salamanzar

Real Pinot Please Stand Up

2008-05-13T13:04:00.004-04:00

Just tasted the 2006 Alma Rosa, Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Thank you Thekla and Richard for coming back to winemaking (former owners of Sanford winery but since sold to a big corporation) and for making such a great wine that is true to the grape. I for one am exhausted by so many Pinot Noirs I taste which are juiced up on Syrah, Cab and who knows what else. This actually shows elegance and refinement, smokey ham (Craig nailed that one) with cherries and strawberry.

And one more thing interesting note. The bottle from Alma Rosa can no longer carry the appellation "Santa Rita Hills" because the Santa Rita winery in Chile threatened all the Santa Rita Hills winemakers with legal action for using their name! So now all the Santa Rita California producers have to abbreviate their appellation to "Sta." so as not to be confused with Santa Rita winery in Chile's great wines [insert sarcasm here]. -Salamanzar

Old World tasting

2008-05-11T11:51:00.005-04:00

I am not sure the average winedrinker gets what Old World wines are about. These are the wines from countries that have a history of winemaking going back hundreds or more years. Countries like Spain, Italy and France developed wine for the dinner table. Long ago, drinking water was potentially deadly, so wine was the beverage on the table. As a result the wines are best with food. They don't fight with the food, and complement the meal like an ingredient or side dish. My trouble is that most of the time, these types of wines do not show well in an open tasting format without food. It's difficult to get someone to taste an old world wine and have an immediate affinity. Whenever I sample new world wines, i.e. fruit forward, and more cocktail like, they easily sell as compared to the old world wines. Hmmm. - Salamanzar